Canobie Coaster

Six Flags Great Adventure- Holiday in the Park Twas three nights before Christmas, when most other parks Not a coaster was stirring, not even a mouse. At Six Flags the coasters were open with care, In hopes that families soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of coasters danced in enthusiasts’ heads. And my friend in his jacket, and I in my cap, Had just driven down to Jersey for HITP. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my car to see what was the matter. Twas Bugs Bunny, some B&Ms, and the Flash, Six Flags opened the gate in hopes for some cash. …and that’s about the extent of my creative ability. I’m an engineer, not a poet. It's a magical land where minimum operating temperatures don't exist. Originally my buddy and I were planning on visiting Six Flags New England. Now I love that SFNE is open for HITP, but it’s such a tease seeing both Superman and Wicked Cyclone sitting idle. I jokingly said we should drive the extra 3 hours to Jersey and he was in full support. And it ended up being a very wise decision. Here’s a screenshot of Six Flags New England’s coasters on the day we went to Great Adventure. I'm convinced SFNE's SLC could withstand a nuclear bomb. That thing never breaks. Meanwhile at Six Flags Great Adventure, I didn’t see a single ride go down all day. That’s a borderline Christmas miracle for HITP. Granted, the temperature was a “balmy” 35-45 degrees. I guess the rides are conditioned by now for sub-freezing temperatures. Those “warm” temperatures led to this being the busiest HITP visit I’ve ever had. This was no Fright Fest crowd, but Nitro and Batman actually needed their second trains to prevent a queue from building up. And now I know the Six Flags app isn’t the most reliable for wait times, but Justice League was posting a 100 minute wait in the afternoon! For that reason, we’re glad we hit Justice League first when it was still a walk-on. This ride is something I never thought would exist at a Six Flags park and it’s a nice change of pace from the coasters. 8.5 out of 10 Boo-yah! The animatronic is still working flawlessly. Nearby Justice League are two flats with some of the most visually stunning light packages out there- Wonder Woman and Cyborg. This was actually my first time riding Wonder Woman. And I thought the same thing after riding CraZanity at Six Flags Magic Mountain, but I think the cycles on the smaller ones are a bit better. Wonder Woman is still a ton of fun and the airtime on the max swings is fantastic, but most of the ride is spent building up to those 3-4 max swings. Meanwhile the slightly smaller Harley Quinn (which feels just as tall) has twice as many max swings. 8 out of 10 Wonder Woman is really turned on at night. This may be another hot take, but I actually prefer Cyborg to Wonder Woman. …get your head out of the gutter. I’m talking about the rides. …the amusement rides. I know Cyborg gets a lot of flak for doing nothing, but I got non-stop inverting on both my rides. It’s not forceful, but the hangtime and near-misses are incredible. Both times, my buddy and I were the only two on the ride. So maybe less weight is how to avoid the rocking purgatory? 8 out of 10 Imagine what one of these things could do on the German fair circuit. Great Adventure has two indoor coasters in Dark Knight and Skull Mountain. While we rode both once, we were more interested in contracting frostbite on the big B&Ms. Maybe “big B&M” isn’t the correct way to describe Batman. It’s incredibly compact. And that’s why it’s one of the most forceful inverts out there. 8 out of 10 Superman may be the more powerful superhero, but Batman is the more powerful coaster. Superman is another B&M that isn’t the biggest. It shows it has a set of balls during the pretzel loop, but Superman immediate castrates himself afterwards. In the summer, I find the overbanks pretty dull, but they’re mesmerizing during HITP with the brisk air and holiday lights. 7.5 out of 10 Superman shows his Kryptonian balls on the pretzel loop. But then Lois Lane domesticates him for the rest of the ride. One B&M that is one of the biggest is Green Lantern. I know this is one of the park’s more hated rides. And I used to be on the hate train. I used to hate this coaster more than the Green Lantern movie that is even hated by its leading actor. No seriously, just watch the Deadpool 2 post-credits scene. But ever since I learned to adjust the stand-up restraints down to my shoulders, I now love B&M stand-ups. There is zero headbanging and the forces are incredible. My legs feel like jelly by the time we hit the brake run. This is up there with Riddler as the best stand-up and it isn’t close. 8 out of 10 In coldest day, in blackest night... Green Lantern is an absolute delight. However, the star of HITP is Nitro. Maybe that’ll change next year with Jersey Devil, but until then, Nitro is the coaster I always marathon. I always hit the brake run with tears running down my face. And those tears have usually froze by the time we return to the station. Compared to a lot of other B&M hypers, Nitro’s airtime is a bit weaker. That’s especially true towards the front of the train. But it does have some sort of airtime on every hill and there’s just something magical riding this thing around Christmas. It feels unnatural. 8.5 out of 10 It's miraculous this thing has never valleyed considering the conditions they run this thing in. We also took a few laps on Joker. I almost forgot since I don’t have any direct pictures of it since my loose articles were safely tucked away in a locker. At SFNE, Joker is the star of HITP. And while Great Adventure’s Joker is every bit as wild and unpredictable, it’s only the fifth best coaster at this park during HITP. 7.5 out of 10 Here's a picture of the Christmas Tree that also conveniently pictures Joker. Beyond the coasters, we also made sure to hit Houdini and SkyScreamer. I’ve never actually been on Great Adventure’s Houdini, so I was interested to compare it to New England’s. In terms of the props and ride cycle, they’re identical. However, I do slightly prefer Great Adventure’s since it has narration from start to finish. 8 out of 10 Houdini seems to really love candy canes. SkyScreamer was unequivocally the most frigid ride of the night. I forgot how the one at Great Adventure does that pause mid-ride before accelerating to its top speed. But our shivering was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the park’s lights. 8 out of 10 In the past I've ridden the Skyway to view the lights at night. I decided for a much more frigid journey this year. In terms of food, we sampled some of the holiday offerings. Special thanks to coasterbill for recommending the bacon wrapped pork kabobs, as those things were scrumptious. I didn’t know Six Flags could cook meat that well. We also grabbed a chicken comfort bowl. The warmth was definitely comforting and it was way better than the usual chicken and fries if you ask me. This is something I'd expect from Knoebels, not Six Flags. Why do I find the name "bowl of comfort" so funny? With an hour before closing, there was only one logical stop for us- Nitro. I was surprised to find a full train, but it was a pleasant surprise since the park only opened the back if all other rows were filled. However, slowly but surely, the crowds faded. Maybe it was the cold. Or maybe it was the fact some people had to work the following day. But eventually we got a (fro)zen ride on Nitro. I know Nitro had been running all-day, but it felt like it was going to valley. The train absolutely crawled over the camelbacks. And the ride sensed it too. We braced ourselves for the usual slowdown on the mid-course, but we rocketed through it untouched. This resulted in some serious airtime during the finale. We’re not talking El Toro levels of airtime, but the strength of this airtime was just below Fury 325’s bunny hills. I didn’t know Nitro had it in itself to do that. It was without a doubt the best ride I’ve ever had on Nitro. It felt like our faces we're going to fall off. But it was worth it. Holiday in the Park just may be my favorite time of year to visit Great Adventure. That’s almost a ridiculous statement since one of the world’s best coasters is closed, but the sheer ridiculousness of riding coasters (with no lines) in these conditions makes it special. And assuming Jersey Devil is at least as good as the original Raptors, this event will only get better.

At least it's posted now. I am interested if this means the ride will open at official park opening or if it will have a delayed opening until noon like it did throughout last year.

^ I was there on July 19 last year and Dragon was running all day. I always heard Dragon was brutally rough, but I actually enjoyed it.

If I have to eat crow on the March 14 comment, I'm not complaining.

I'll actually ride this again!

This seems like something we'd see at Tokyo Disneyland!

^ The best is on Tower of Terror when they ask you to fill in all available space. They took that quite literally in Paris.

Thanks! The night shots are one of the perks of actually carrying a real digital camera instead of relying solely on my smart phone. When I went to Knott's more recently, I got the chicken to go and ate it with my hands on the way to Disneyland. So I redeemed myself (that knife was provided, but not used). The days I was in Las Vegas were on the chillier side, so I don't recall seeing too many people on the sidewalks. I saw all sorts of mobile trucks with advertisements though.

I would go back to Japan (and brave Fuji-Q) *just* for Eejanaika! I loved it that much. but luckily, I got to ride it a bunch, so got it out of my system for a few years I have to, at some point in the next year or so, book a weekend trip to California, to make it to SFMM. I've never been, and I have a freaking season pass! And you get 90% of the same ride at Magic Mountain with X2. One word of caution going to Six Flags Magic Mountain on the weekend is that X2, West Coast Racers, and Full Throttle are one time only on the Flash Pass. For that reason, I try to visit on weekdays when I know the park will be dead so I can lap these coasters more easily.

I don't quite think that rumored March 14 date is happening. I can't wait to start seeing test footage of this ride.

^ Boarding passes for all rides?

^ Any chance the lines could have been due to less staffing? Just playing devil's advocate.

Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, and Pacific Park The glitz and glamor of Hollywood is often romanticized. Hollywood portrays Hollywood (that’s meta) through rose-tinted glasses, but I finally saw the town through my own two eyes. Yes it’s a land of opportunity. And at first glance, the flashing lights are a beacon of hope. But when you look closer, you see streets filled with ticket sellers, desperate comedians, and costumed characters just trying to make ends meat. Hollywood & Highland is one of the most recommended places to see the Hollywood sign, but it's nothing more than a spec on the horizon. I much recommend Lake Hollywood Park if you want to get considerably closer (the place I went to last year). Mickey's Runaway Railway wasn't open yet. I’ll start with the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. Many tourist attractions cannot be fully appreciated in photos. Take Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon. As awesome as they look in photos, they look even more marvelous in person. The same cannot be said about the Walk of Fame. Sure it was cool to pose with stars of my favorite celebrities. But we both left thinking, “Is that it?” Most stars have nothing more than a name. No picture, no fact board, nothing. We both came away thinking your garden variety wax museum was more fun. Disney plus...a bunch of other celebrities. RIP Big Bird. Does anyone else find it ironic Bill Cosby's star is by a Hooters? And part of that may have been that we felt uncomfortable. We didn’t feel unsafe thanks to the droves of tourists , but it was frustrating to constantly have fliers forcibly placed in our hands and even have some people grab onto us when we tried ignoring them. Nothing says classy like aggressively trying to sell this kid a chance to sit in this sports car. This sums up the extracurricular activities that take place on Hollywood Blvd. By comparison, we had a much more pleasant time at Santa Monica Pier. I still think this is place is overrated as a tourist destination, but it does have an electric atmosphere. It feels like an upscale version of Old Orchard Beach. Most people know about Santa Monica Pier. And most people are aware there's a park there. But only coaster enthusiasts know its name. And for us coaster enthusiasts, you’re probably well aware of Pacific Park. Even non-enthusiasts probably recognize West Coaster since it’s featured in Grand Theft Auto and pretty much any background shot of Los Angeles. The park is ridiculously compact. West Coaster circles around the perimeter of the park and there are several flat rides contained within. The staff at Pacific Park is super friendly. Just look how they give each other hugs for warmth. While there, we took a quick spin on West Coaster. The operator seemed perplexed we chose to ride in the back, but I knew what I was doing. Most enthusiasts bash this ride as boring, but the back has a surprising moment of sustained floater airtime on the “big” drop. That moment alone is why I enjoy West Coaster. Beyond that, the coaster has two helices. The first is super slow, but it works to the ride’s advantage so you can appreciate the sights. The second helix isn’t too forceful, but the train generates decent speed by the end. Yes it’s a bit pricey, but it’s par for the course for a pier park. West Coaster is iconic and while it isn’t a major thriller, it does have one good moment and it immaculately smooth. Plus, they give two laps. 6 out of 10 That's a very clever Christmas tree. The "big" drop may not look like much, but it gives some legit airtime. Do I regret seeing these iconic LA destinations? No. Do I plan to return? Not in the foreseeable future. But these two destinations are so iconic that you almost feel obliged to check them off a bucket list. And at least Santa Monica Pier offers a decent coaster with it.

Out of curiosity, was the park taking hourly breaks to clean/disinfect the trains? Six Flags Discovery Kingdom was this past weekend.

Six Flags Mexico had one I rode in 2018, but it appears they have since removed it.

Wow, what a great report! For the "running of the bulls" in the morning, did they roll out a bunch of merchandise carts to try and have the people up front stop, which created a wall of people? That's what they did two years ago when Toy Story Mania was where the crowd flocked to. And thank you for including a picture of the world's best carousel.

Wow, so knowing that place they’re wiping everything down before every dispatch then? A little excessive but okay. I've had 10 minute dispatches on past visits, but the staff today was really working quick to get trains out. The things slowing them down were the hourly ride breakdowns and the fact every coaster only had one train.

At Discovery Kingdom today, they're taking a disinfecting break every half hour or so where they wipe down the air gates in the station.

Knott’s Berry Farm Snow was a massive thorn in our side on this trip. First, it almost cancelled our flight out of Boston. Then, it almost made the roads to the Grand Canyon inaccessible. But it wasn’t until we tried to visit the Giant Sequoias that Mother Nature finally thwarted us. Sequoia National Park was open; however, it was impossible to reach via rental car without voiding your rental agreement. Due to the conditions, tire chains were necessary. And as far as I can tell, no American rental car agency allows these traction devices. So that left us with an extra day in SoCal. We decided to do some touristy stuff, but not before indulging ourselves in Mrs. Knott’s Fried Chicken Dinner. And since we were there, a ride on GhostRider was a must. We couldn't "Knott" ride GhostRider. Those blue skies didn't last, but more on that in a bit. We arrived shortly after opening and hightailed it to GhostRider. I was thrilled to see it open with the park. Maybe I’ve been unlucky, but it has never opened with the park for me in the past. It has been 3.5 years since the retracking and GhostRider is still riding like a dream. This is about as smooth as a conventional wooden coaster can be, which is mighty impressive considering GhostRider’s aggressive layout and cycle count. And that layout is masterful. The ride is perfectly paced and feels way faster than its posted speed. The ride mixes airtime and laterals seamlessly. And it has two defining moments in that drop into the second half (crazy ejector airtime here) and unbanked final helix (you will fold over the seat). Unfortunately, our visit didn’t allow for any night rides on GhostRider, but I was just content to get a back row ride on this incredible wood coaster. 9 out of 10 Even GhostRider was feeling festive. This is an absolute godsend on a busy day. One ride on GhostRider wasn’t enough, but Mother Nature had other plans. SoCal was (of course) spared from a snowstorm, but it did start to sprinkle lightly. I didn’t think much of it, but it was enough to close almost every outdoor ride. Good thing it rarely rains in SoCal because the rain policy at Knott's is laughably bad. The only two I saw operational were the water rides. And since it was 60 degrees, it was too cold for the locals to ride them. But it wasn’t too cold for New Englanders! So we happily walked onto the recently renovated Calico River Rapids. Maybe my expectations were a bit too high after riding Movie Park’s Excalibur, but I thought there would be more theming considering the hype around the addition. While there were new props, the ride didn't feel radically different to me. But it did have plenty of rapids to make us rethink our decision to ride it on a cooler day. With the new props, Knott's took an average rapids ride and made it slightly above average. 7 out of 10 Thankfully the water rides stayed open through a sprinkle. Our visit to the park consisted of just two rides, but our visit wasn’t complete until we stuffed our face full of biscuits, mashed potatoes, and fried chicken. Mrs. Knott’s is not just one of the best theme park restaurants, but it’s one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. To my defense, the knife couldn't cut through the chicken as effectively as my teeth. Mickey looks ready to eat that pie. Knott’s is undeniably a full day park, but this was an unplanned bonus for us. It was hard to miss rides like HangTime and Xcelerator, but some GhostRider is better than no GhostRider. Just avoid this park if you see a lot of rain in the forecast.

^ On the days when the ride cycles through all the boarding groups, it has just closed early presumably to avoid a stampede and to allow maintenance an early start on it.

I believe backups were still available on the app. But this photo is curteousy of dylanreich when he tried the kiosk on a day when backups were still available until the early afternoon.

Yes. You can get another boarding group if they are available after yours has been redeemed. I had Group 1 on Sunday and wasn't able to get a second group from either the app or kiosk.

^ It's especially easy to take photos at Disney since everything there is so photogenic.

Thanks for the review! This ride sounds a lot better than I was expecting. It's also great Mickey finally got his own dark ride after all these years.

Italian