abovethesink Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 In previous HIIPs, did they open both Wicked Cyclone and Superman? We would probably make the drive if they were both open, but not if either of them was closed. That's a two horse park, mostly. My third favorite coaster is... uh... probably the Pandemonium clone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 In previous HIIPs, did they open both Wicked Cyclone and Superman? We would probably make the drive if they were both open, but not if either of them was closed. That's a two horse park, mostly. My third favorite coaster is... uh... probably the Pandemonium clone. They're both closed. They run Batman, Mind Eraser (or whatever), Joker, Thunderbolt and then usually some combination of Pandemonium or Flashback even though they don't advertise it. The DC area is closed and everything beyond Pandemonium is closed. Goliath is closed because it's a turd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abovethesink Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 In previous HIIPs, did they open both Wicked Cyclone and Superman? We would probably make the drive if they were both open, but not if either of them was closed. That's a two horse park, mostly. My third favorite coaster is... uh... probably the Pandemonium clone. They're both closed. They run Batman, Mind Eraser (or whatever), Joker, Thunderbolt and then usually some combination of Pandemonium or Flashback even though they don't advertise it. The DC area is closed and everything beyond Pandemonium is closed. Goliath is closed because it's a turd. Thanks. That is a hard pass for me. Well, most years it would be. Maybe we would still go just to support the business after being closed all year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 I actually love the vibe of Holiday in the Park in New England but yeah... that's fair with the ride lineup. If you're up for the trip, come to Great Adventure's event and ride Nitro in the snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abovethesink Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 I live in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks. Leaving my driveway from November to May is riding Nitro in the snow. Probably wouldn't even have to bring the winter coat traveling down to the tropics of Jersey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 New England's rides also tend to shut down earlier in the cold than Great Adventure. Except the SLC. That ride is a tank and I have never seen it go down for any reason in any season. It ran with temperatures in single digits a few years ago and outlasted the infrastructure of the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 (edited) New England's rides also tend to shut down earlier in the cold than Great Adventure. This is true too. Once it gets down into the 20's, New England sometimes closes the coasters and once Thunderbolt gets snow on the tracks it can stay closed for days. Great Adventure doesn't close the coasters ever regardless of temperature unless they break down, but even then they keep sending maintenance out to do whatever they can do to fix them. There is no temperature limit whatsoever for any ride in the park that operates for the event. Nitro can and has run into the mid teens. We usually go to SFNE the first few weeks of the event just to be safe. Edited September 18, 2020 by coasterbill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abovethesink Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 New England's rides also tend to shut down earlier in the cold than Great Adventure. Except the SLC. That ride is a tank and I have never seen it go down for any reason in any season. It ran with temperatures in single digits a few years ago and outlasted the infrastructure of the park. While their SLC's restraints make it more tolerable than most, well, here is how I see it... Presumably you don't run the coasters in the low temps because you think it will hurt them long term. But if the SLC were to just wear down a little faster... well, I might run it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggo77 Posted September 18, 2020 Share Posted September 18, 2020 SFNE does have the two star coasters closed but I still find it to be a fun event. Both Riddler and Batman seem to fly through their courses in the cold. Batman gets different wheels that are even louder than normal. Harley Quinn is open and I love that ride to. It’s a well done event at the park. Goliath is even a better lawn ornament this time of year as the back drop to the parks main tree lighting ceremony! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice1972 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 ^Lawn ornament lolz.....so much lolz for that piece of junk at SFNE in crack axle.....missed going this season ....clearly not opening....so sad couldn’t get on Superman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggo77 Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 ^Lawn ornament lolz.....so much lolz for that piece of junk at SFNE in crack axle.....missed going this season ....clearly not opening....so sad couldn’t get on Superman Guessing you are right but I still haven’t seen a full closed for year announcement yet like Darien Lake & Great Escape put out so maybe an outside HITP chance but not looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zand Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 ^Lawn ornament lolz.....so much lolz for that piece of junk at SFNE in crack axle.....missed going this season ....clearly not opening....so sad couldn’t get on Superman Guessing you are right but I still haven’t seen a full closed for year announcement yet like Darien Lake & Great Escape put out so maybe an outside HITP chance but not looking good. Starting today, we're allowed to pour our own soft drinks and coffee again in fast food restaurants and convenience stores. SFNE might be allowed to open by 2025 EDIT: Baker just announced that starting next Monday, "indoor and outdoor performance venues" can have 250 people in attendance. Maybe SFNE can worm their way into taking advantage of that for HITP somehow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 (edited) I never expected that Six Flags would even attempt to open this year but the fact that they haven't joined the other parks in announcing that they were closed for the season is probably confirmation that they're holding out hope even though their hands are tied and it's not looking good. It seems dumb on the surface, but I get it because even one month of operation during Holiday in the Park opening would mean that they could start billing their entire passholder base that paused over 4 months earlier than they would be able to otherwise since the alternative is not getting a penny from those people until early-to-mid April. One month of operation would lead to 4 months of revenue. Edited September 29, 2020 by coasterbill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anonymouscactus Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 I know it's comparing apples and oranges since they are two different chains, but Canada's Wonderland was the only park in the CF chain that still hasn't thrown in the towel, either. I'm curious if they could pull off a winterfest or not, but I haven't been following the COVID cases or government entity's or anything like that so realistically I have no idea if they are even close to being able to open, but just found it interesting. How amazing would it be for both parks to open for their respective winter events? I don't see it happening personally, but it seems like they are both really hoping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 One month of SLC operation would lead to 4 months of revenue. Fixed that for you. Yes this happened last year in HITP. Nothing was open except the SLC. Unfortunately, Governor Baker reiterated today that amusement parks will remain in phase 4 (along with bars, night clubs, and ball pits), which won't begin until there's an effective vaccine or effective treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rai Fox Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 I'll be curious to see if he bases that on when there IS an effective vaccine, or when everyone has it. We're most likely very close to one of those, but the other is a long way away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyUD06 Posted September 30, 2020 Share Posted September 30, 2020 The US will never come close to a 100% take rate for a COVID vaccine. Hell, for the 2018-2019 flu season, only 45% of adults got the flu shot, which has been tested and proven to have minimal side effects over the past several decades. Tetanus vaccination is only around 63%. Pneumococcal vaccination is around 25%. Any COVID vaccine available will be unproven outside of trials, not to mention the politics surrounding it....I'd be very surprised if the take rate broke 10% the first year. If "everyone vaccinated" is the Governor's criteria, I feel really bad for the economy up there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggo77 Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 SFNE has announced that The Holiday will Return in the form of Holiday in the Park Lights debuting November 27. Park is describing it as a re-imagined themed experience featuring millions of lights, new treats, and some special surprises. All the details can be found here: https://www.sixflags.com/newengland/events/holiday-in-the-park-lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 I'm glad the park found a way to reopen! Like Magic Mountain, I know the park's main goal is to try and get people to unpause their memberships for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 On 9/30/2020 at 1:25 PM, Mike240SX said: The US will never come close to a 100% take rate for a COVID vaccine. Hell, for the 2018-2019 flu season, only 45% of adults got the flu shot, which has been tested and proven to have minimal side effects over the past several decades. Tetanus vaccination is only around 63%. Pneumococcal vaccination is around 25%. Any COVID vaccine available will be unproven outside of trials, not to mention the politics surrounding it....I'd be very surprised if the take rate broke 10% the first year. If "everyone vaccinated" is the Governor's criteria, I feel really bad for the economy up there. I'm sure that's not the criteria. They'll reopen when the governor arbitrarily decides that they can. There will be no metrics or science involved but there will be a press conference about how they're following the science anyway. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted November 17, 2020 Share Posted November 17, 2020 This probably doesn't impact most of us who have Six Flags season passes and memberships, but if you visit on a daily ticket, you have to pay $15 to park. At least it's less than the usual $20 rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ice1972 Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 19 hours ago, Canobie Coaster said: This probably doesn't impact most of us who have Six Flags season passes and memberships, but if you visit on a daily ticket, you have to pay $15 to park. At least it's less than the usual $20 rate. Does this mean memberships will be unpaused automatically by SFNE? Or are you still able to control that? I’d rather just pay the park cash to visit and unpause in spring.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 From what I saw, this won't unpause your membership by default, but if you want to visit using your membership, you have to unpause. Like you said, it may be cheaper for those who paused just to buy a day ticket (even with the parking fee). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggo77 Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 This past Friday night, November 27th, Six Flags New England debuted their version of Holiday in the Park Lights. With everything going on this year, including the Massachusetts state specific restrictions, this was the first time that the park has been able to open all season. When you get to the park you'll want to drive right on by the main parking entrance that's across the road from the park. For HITPL, thanks to timed reservations, SFNE is using the preferred parking lot for everyone which is on the same side of the road as the park and is located down in front of the water park. With a reservation entry to HITPL is free for all season pass holders and members. Once you get to the park entrance you are sent through two walk-through scanning areas. The first is for a temperature scan and the second is a general security scan. These couldn't have been quicker or more simple. Really hope this type of flow at the entrance stays as it will speed things up a ton on busy days. So what is Holiday in the Park Lights at SFNE? Let's start with what it isn't. HITPL does not feature any of the parks rides. Ok now that we have that out of the way and hopefully didn't lose you here's what HITPL does offer. It's a one-way walk-through of the park that let's you take in the sights and sounds of SFNE done up for HITPL. When I say a one-way walk-through it really is. Everything is laid out for social distancing and you have to follow the path from the entrance all the way around until you get back to the entrance in order to exit. You can take as much time as you want to walk-through but make sure to stop where ever you might want on your way including the open shops, snacks and restaurants because there is no going back and you can only go through once. The main gift shops, Six Flags Emporium & Looney Tunes Emporium, are open and even inside them things are mapped out with flow through guidelines for distancing. Some snack and dining options are open like Sweets, Brown Derby, Snowflake Soup Company and the Riverboat Cafe which is also featuring a selection of items from JB's since that isn't open. In case you were wondering yes your dining plans and even membership discounts are active for HITPL! Here's a breakdown of the walk-through once through the gate: Head down the right hand side of Main Street and take a right at the Main Street Gazebo Staying on the paths right hand side you'll walk into Rockville and then Gotham City At this point you'll loop back around in front of Harley Quinn and now walk the opposite side of the path back until you get to the entrance to Polar Playland (Kidzopolis) Once through there you come out in the area by Scream and the entrance to DC Universe, more on that in the photos, where you head back down to the area by the Main Street Gazebo but now staying on the opposite side heading towards and through Looney Tunes Movie Town Then you lap around Pandemonium in the North End and hook a right up into Crackaxle Canyon. As you exit Crackaxle Canyon you take another right and are by Riverboat Cafe where you make your final right and head back up the opposite side of Main Street and out the exit. BTW even the exit path back to parking is divided to keep social distancing between those coming and going. So how was Six Flags New England's Holiday in the Park Lights? Of course we all wish the rides were open but with that not being an option for the park I have to say it was just great to finally get the chance to be there this season. We spent about two hours, including some time chatting with friends, although you could go through a lot quicker if you wanted to. What else is there to really do right now so why rush though right? Was it safe? I mean just going to my local grocery store puts you in more contact and proximity with others than what I experienced at the park. They are taking safety and social distancing seriously and at least while I was there the guest in the park were doing the same as well. Being my home park I've been to SFNE a good amount and I have to say I have never run into so many genuinely appreciative employees. Everyone was super friendly. They asked and wanted to make sure that you were having a good time. Overall they all seemed to care, were happy to be there and also were grateful that guests were too. I literally mean this from entering parking through the final park exit. Even though not the ideal scenario I give a lot of credit to the park and staff for still putting on an event that was enjoyable to go and walk through. Can't wait to be back in 2021 to enjoy the rides as well but if you are in the area and looking for something to do it's worth checking SFNE's Holiday in the Park Lights! Here's some shots from the walk-through event. Very odd to say this but welcome to Six Flags New England Opening Day November 27th, 2020! Holiday in the Park Lights! Red ropes like the one seen here were the divider between entering and exiting areas where you passed in both directions. Heading towards Snowflake Falls aka Rockville. There were some photo ops while staying social distant as you went through. In Gotham City they added the Luminary Trail which was also the turn around spot in the South End of the park. Harley Quinn > Nativity Scene? Just saying You can see an example of the One Way signs that were setup. Again since the path goes both ways here there's a rope dividing each side of the path. These stickers were on the paths everywhere and just another reminder to keep social distanced while visiting. In a couple of spots you can still make s'mores at the firepits while walking through. Of course doing so 6ft apart from the next person. Ok this was the surprise of the night. Although the area wasn't open the section formally know as DC Super Hero Adventures has been rebranded as DC Universe with a pretty awesome looking new lit up entry sign. This is where Superman The Ride, Cyborg Hyper Drive, Catwoman Whip and the wild mouse with the world's longest name, we'll just say GCGEFAA, are located. Missed you this year Superman! And the now new for 2021 Supergirl Sky Flyer will be the latest addition coming to DC Universe. The path circles back by Looney Tunes Emporium and then heads toward the North End. Some More S'mores opportunities. So is this a Holiday in the Park display or Fright Fest feeling left out and sneaking into the event? You Decide! Also all around were sanitizing stations. Again SFNE's HITPL was safer and more proactive preventive than my local grocery store. Ok nothing HITPL related but it is Wicked Cyclone after all. One more view of this awesome RMC! Glad I got to visit Six Flags New England in 2020. Looking forward to 2021! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canobie Coaster Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Nice report! Most Six Flags parks do a great job with the lights so I'm glad they could show them off in some capacity this year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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