Six Flags New England (SFNE) Discussion Thread

[pdcon]

I will be heading to mass from California tonight, and we are making a trip to six flags, Friday is the only day we can squeeze it in. There is a 65% chance of rain while we are there on Friday. my question is do they continue to run rides if there is rain? also is there any tips to tackle the park in a reasonable amount of time?

[jzoole]

They're usually pretty decent about running things in the rain. My tip would be to get there before the park opens so you can be at the front of the running of the bulls towards Bizarro. The line is usually pretty long at the beginning of the day but dies down a bit later in the afternoon, so if you miss your chance to beat the initial crowd, it might be best to go get other things out of the way (like Goliath, as you never know when that might break down) and wait 'til the line is shorter. That is, if you can stand to put it off. I imagine its the thing you're most excited about. The only other lines that you might expect to be particularly long or slow-moving are probably Pandemonium and perhaps Scream, but as these are off-the-shelfers, you might not mind skipping them. I doubt you'll have any problems getting the whole park knocked out unless it really turns into a total washout with the rain. Have fun!

[coasterbill]

Personally I might ride Goliath first since it's very unreliable and doesn't usually run in the rain. I know Bizarro is tempting but it's very reliable save for a few short breakdowns throughout the day. Goliath isn't at all so if you want the credit and it's open when you get there I'd consider doing it first. They do have a single rider line if you don't mind being split up but you have to enter through the regular line and it splits off about halfway through the queue building.

[pdcon]

I rode bizarro maybe 4 years ago. And goliath I rode when it was deja vu, at magic mountain. And there's something about that ride, but it scares the crap out of me. So I am excited to give it another ride on the east coat. Thanks for replies.

[skiburkesurfjay]

I rode bizarro maybe 4 years ago. And goliath I rode when it was deja vu, at magic mountain. And there's something about that ride, but it scares the crap out of me. So I am excited to give it another ride on the east coat. Thanks for replies.

Goliath with the new trains is even more scary. Sky Screamer will not be open. Also get on Cyclone, it may be your last chance.. *Iron Cyclone*

[saweetdude05]

According to the SFNE site, Goliath is temporarily closed. Does anyone have any additional info on this?

[ScreaminNewEngland]

They never took that down after its down time earlier this season. It's running.

[Blind Idiot God]

Cyclone does give amazing rides in the rain. I assume it has more to do with track lubrication, but I'm not a structural engineer.

 

It used to. Ever since it got the Topper Track, even the rain rides have been boring. Prior to said TT, however, that thing FLEW when the track was wet and made an otherwise-bad ride completely and utterly awesome, especially in the back.

[saweetdude05]

Quick trip report, went to the park for a few hours. It was a very busy day, most likely due to the bring a friend free day. We arrived at the park around 1pm to a decent crowd still waiting to get into the park. The park itself seemed pretty busy. Heading to Bizarro first, we noticed Goliath cycling empty trains.

 

Bizarro had a 30 minute line, with the crew doing a decent job of sending out trains. Afterwards, we walked by to check out Goliath which was down for technical difficulties, so we went to check out NESS. The ride looks very impressive in person, can't wait to ride it this summer. Batman had an hour line, so we decided to ride the Crime Wave, which was pleasant.

 

We decided to get lunch at Macho Nacho, which had a short line, but took about 20 minutes to place our order. The nachos themselves were quite good with a good variety of toppings to choose from. Afterwards, we decided to walk around and let the food digest. Around 4pm, Goliath opened. When we got over there the line was about 45 minutes long, in addition to another 10 minute technical difficulty delay. The new Premier trains were awful. There was a lot of rattling and jack hammering throughout the ride, which left all of us with quite the headache. It really made me wish they had just kept the old trains.

 

We decided to head out after Goliath. Overall, operations seemed to be hit or miss with the Bizarro crew by far being the best. Hopefully they can get the problems with the new Goliath train sorted out, and maybe solve some of the rattling and jack hammering throughout the course.

[camthedominator]

So, I am going to the park with my friends and I nred to k know a good day to go. Preferably a day without lines.

[Blind Idiot God]

So, I am going to the park with my friends and I nred to k know a good day to go. Preferably a day without lines.

 

Weekdays in general are good. If it's hot as balls out, don't plan on getting everything done in one day if you're going to the water park, as it's gonna be mobbed. On the flipside, if you have no intention of hitting the water park, go right ahead and visit on a wicked hot day. If you can deal with the heat, the lines will generally be far shorter due to the water park's allure.

[pdcon]

So, I am back from vacation and on the west coast. i must say I had a good day on Friday, although it had to of been some type of school field trip day. The regular lot was maybe !/4 full but there where like 100 buses full of high schooler's. We arrived at opening and went to Goliath but it was closed so we made our way to Bizzaro. we rode it 6 times with maybe the longest wait being 2 minutes, the girl checking my harness blew out my left testicle she pushed on the harness so hard, my legs went numb maybe half way through the ride.

 

We than made our way around the park riding hitting up the majority of rides while we made our way to goliath again, it was open. I must say they had very good operations, seemed like we only waited 15 minutes, I was impressed. I must say I am not fan of the new trains. yes they are a but more comfortable, but whenthe ride got going they where shaky, in my opinion the older trains (dejavu days) where more jerky but not so shaky. I am pretty sure I dislocated my hip and vertebrae number 4..lol. I told my self I will never ride that ride again, and I am not a big complainer. we ended our day with 1 more ride on bizzaro, by that time all the high schoolers where in full force and bizarro had a 30 minute wait.

 

I have a few questions that are a bit off topic:

 

1. I noticed that almost everyone was wearing some sort of Under Armor attire. where I live those sweatshirts are like $80 dolor's. Is it cheaper over there or do people have money?

 

2. not sounding rude but are people really that stupid or is this how they are thought in school. on the way there, i seen constructions signs that said "Use YAH BLINKAH" and another sign that said "get YAH COLE WADDA" is this just something mass does is spell it out the way it sounds to them or are they stupid and really cant spell so they sound it out. not trying to sound like a jerk because I know my spelling is horrible. that accent cracks me up but find it to be awesome.

 

Over all I had a great time. one of my new favorite parks, it has a real homey feeling to it, only suggestion I have is the people and employees can be a little nicer and happier, they where pretty rude.

[ScreaminNewEngland]

It's supposed to be mass's funny accent, too bad that state sucks though.

[USCoaster]

The traffic signs were something they started this past weekend. I think the thought behind them is people might pay attention if they are amusing. I smiled every time I passed one this weekend. (I always use my blinkah.)

 

I am not liking the reviews of the new Goliath trains. I will have to head out there soon to try them out. It was always one of my favorite rides at SFMM and at SFNE.

[alwaysairtime14]

I have a few questions that are a bit off topic:

 

1. I noticed that almost everyone was wearing some sort of Under Armor attire. where I live those sweatshirts are like $80 dolor's. Is it cheaper over there or do people have money?

 

2. not sounding rude but are people really that stupid or is this how they are thought in school. on the way there, i seen constructions signs that said "Use YAH BLINKAH" and another sign that said "get YAH COLE WADDA" is this just something mass does is spell it out the way it sounds to them or are they stupid and really cant spell so they sound it out. not trying to sound like a jerk because I know my spelling is horrible. that accent cracks me up but find it to be awesome.

 

Over all I had a great time. one of my new favorite parks, it has a real homey feeling to it, only suggestion I have is the people and employees can be a little nicer and happier, they where pretty rude.

 

Not good on Goliath's trains. And I'm not a complainer either...

 

As for your culture questions...

CT, MA, and southern NY are (for the most part) pretty wealthy. Especially a few select areas. Greenwich CT has a median household income of over 120,000$.

 

Lol, yeah that's the Mass accent. Funny how the sign said "use your blinker", as most mass drivers don't know those exist

 

In the east, the further north you are the ruder people get (except Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine).

[camthedominator]

Yeah, I came here form Texas and I have lived here for 7 years and I can tell you the constant New England and especially the Bwastan accent drive me crazy. This aggravates me more considering I am mostly British (but sadly I don't have the accent).

Oh, and by the way, I need some advice. I am headed out to SFNE with some buddies and I need to know a good date to go. It can't be on a weekday and it cant be on Memorial Day since the crowds will be insane.

[ScreaminNewEngland]

I have a few questions that are a bit off topic:

 

1. I noticed that almost everyone was wearing some sort of Under Armor attire. where I live those sweatshirts are like $80 dolor's. Is it cheaper over there or do people have money?

 

2. not sounding rude but are people really that stupid or is this how they are thought in school. on the way there, i seen constructions signs that said "Use YAH BLINKAH" and another sign that said "get YAH COLE WADDA" is this just something mass does is spell it out the way it sounds to them or are they stupid and really cant spell so they sound it out. not trying to sound like a jerk because I know my spelling is horrible. that accent cracks me up but find it to be awesome.

 

Over all I had a great time. one of my new favorite parks, it has a real homey feeling to it, only suggestion I have is the people and employees can be a little nicer and happier, they where pretty rude.

 

Not good on Goliath's trains. And I'm not a complainer either...

 

As for your culture questions...

CT, MA, and southern NY are (for the most part) pretty wealthy. Especially a few select areas. Greenwich CT has a median household income of over 120,000$.

 

Lol, yeah that's the Mass accent. Funny how the sign said "use your blinker", as most mass drivers don't know those exist

 

In the east, the further north you are the ruder people get (except Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine).

 

There's a line in NE. MA, CT. RI-awful. ME, NH, VT-heaven

[Blind Idiot God]

CT and MA aren't all rich. For CT, it gets ludicrously wealthy once you get near Stamford and NYC, but the eastern and northern parts of the state are generally middle-income and occasionally quite poor, while most of the cities are predominately poor and very rough. As for MA, most of the wealth is clustered near Boston, Worcester, and Cape Cod. The western portion of the state is fairly poor, the Athol/Fitchburg area is very poor, and the North Shore is going downhill FAST.

[coasterbill]

Here's some great footage of the new ride. I can't wait to check this out.

 

Edited May 16, 2014 by robbalvey

[rcjp]

I've never tried one of these, only a windseeker. These look more fun because of the freedom to swing that the chains give and, in this case, the extra height.

[El Toro_Ryan]

Wow, that looks sick. It's cool how the seats were rotating around a little. Haha

[DJeXeL]

I've never tried one of these, only a windseeker. These look more fun because of the freedom to swing that the chains give and, in this case, the extra height.

 

And better reliability...

[supertrooper]

That video reminds me of RCT3, where peeps hold their hands up on everything.

[robbalvey]

 

Record-Breaking “New England SkyScreamer” is Now Open at Six Flags New England

New England’s Largest Theme Park Introduces the Tallest Swing Ride on the Planet

 

AGAWAM, Mass — May 15, 2014 — Six Flags New England launched the tallest swing ride on the planet today, the New England SkyScreamer. The addition of this new record-breaking attraction solidifies Six Flags New England as the Thrill Capital of New England and promises to attract guests from around the world. To commemorate the official launch, the inaugural ride lifted members of the United States Air Force, accompanied by New England Patriot cheerleaders, hundreds of feet into the air and spun them round and round for the thrill of a lifetime.

 

The New England SkyScreamer is the tallest attraction to join the already thrilling line-up of rides at Six Flags New England and will become the park’s newest icon. The ride towers over 400 feet in the air and stands twice as tall as any other ride in the park. Once the twenty-four thrill seekers board the ride, it quickly rises, taking guests 40 stories into the air while spinning round and round at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Riders will experience breathtaking views of the Connecticut River and New England skyline. At night, the New England SkyScreamer’s bright lights will beckon guests from near and far.

 

“We take great pride in opening the ultimate, biggest and most innovative attractions for our guests,” said John Winkler, Six Flags New England’s Park President. “The addition of the New England SkyScreamer only enhances our commitment to delivering world-class thrills and attractions to Six Flags New England that we bring every year.”

 

The New England SkyScreamer will be amongst the park’s top attractions including Batman the Dark Knight, Cyclone, Goliath, Mind Eraser and the award-winning Bizarro. The New England SkyScreamer opens to season pass holders on May 17 & May 18. The attraction will be open to the general public on May 23, 2014.

[VinTheAttendant]

Who's up for a New England Sky Screamer review?

 

So today was the very first Season Pass Holder Preview Day of the weekend for New England Sky Screamer; my sister and I had a few hours before I had to drive her to work, so we decided to visit the park for the sole purpose of riding NESS. The weather forecast was predicted to be miserable with a slight chance of ruining-your-day, and we had our doubts about the park even opening the attraction; but the weather never got too out of hand during our short stay. And even with frequent rainfalls and a few gusts of winds, the ride remained open.

 

The parking lot was almost completely empty half an hour before the park opened, but LOTS of buses filled the rest of the lot; and they were packed with high schoolers going to Six Flags' GradNite.

As you can see, the weather looks lovely...

Goliath was not operating at opening; I haven't experienced the new trains yet, but whether or not I would get my ride today seemed bleak.

NESS simply dominates over the North End of the park.

So during my trip report on opening day, the sign out front simply said "Sky Screamer." They have now fixed it, and it correctly displays "New England Sky Screamer."

The ride was testing upon reaching the northern-most end of the park; it was pretty relieving that they hadn't cancelled the event due to weather.

The ride uses Catapult's old entryway. You then go through a series of switchbacks, and then are counted into a bull pen. There are two bull pens so that there will always be a group of riders ready to board at any given time. You are also assigned a seat number; the loading of the ride was actually rather efficient.

Personal note: I don't have a fear of heights so much as I have a fear of falling. I can go on Kingda Ka just fine, but Star Flyers from 80 feet to 400 feet still freak me out.

The very first run to the public(-ish). My sister and I were stopped just short of being on the first run, but I had been on the first train out on Goliath's Season Pass Holder Preview Day, so I didn't mind.

You go pretty high...

And you go pretty fast...

Tallest in the world!

 

So here's my general consensus of the ride: It fits perfectly in Six Flags New England. With Catapult gone, SFNE was really missing that perfect non-coaster ride that really separates our park from everyone else. I really enjoyed my ride on NESS, even more so than Great Adventure's Sky Screamer. It has a perfect pace where it's not too intense or too boring, and it reaches a height that puts everything in the park and the surrounding areas into perspective. While the view itself is not as spectacular as I had hoped (I was hoping to see Springfield as well as Hartford), it still makes for a very unique experience that not even Colossus could have accomplished. It's a really really really good ride, and one that especially locals ought to give a try.

 

Remember all of those buses? Well, about 95% of the people on those buses were not season pass holders. Thanks to the bad weather, and this being a Friday morning, the line for the event was short! At one point, my sister and I were going to be the only two people on the ride (before they found 3 other people at literally the last minute).

The general opinion seemed to be that the ride was really fun. It wasn't "amazing", but it's a very unique attraction for this part of the country and offers an experience unlike anything else in the region.

The ride had a series of songs played at random during the cycle including "Ride of the Valkyries," "Come Fly With Me," "Danger Zone," and others.

It was an awesome idea to put this ride at the highest elevated area in the park.

And now, here are some random pictures of NESS.

Goliath had maintenance working on the ride, but with equipment strewn about the station, it did not appear as though it would be opening for the day. Oh well.

NESS shirts!

Poor Scream! It seriously looks so short now!

And by the time we reached the parking lot, the number of buses had just about doubled!

 

I had to leave to get my sister to work, but we accomplished our goal; even getting more than one ride on NESS. Even though it was a short day, I still had a really nice time and even ran into a few old coworkers. But as for New England Sky Screamer, it gets a big thumbs up from me!