Six Flags New England (SFNE) Discussion Thread

[King of Ka]

A good number of the bigger coasters don't allow seat choice (WC, Goliath, B:TDK), but on the big one that does, Bizarro, I really highly recommend you spend the extra 20 minutes and try the front at least once. My last time at the park I got one ride third from the back, one ride third from the front, and one in the very front. The back ride was great, and the third row ride was meh, but the front row ride was AMAZING! Being in the front just showcases the power of the ride so much better than any other row, that one ride instantly went into my memory as one of my best all-time roller coaster rides.

[Blind Idiot God]

If you're looking for good places to eat in the vicinity of the park, your best bet is to make the journey up into Northampton if you want anything other than chain restaurants, as there isn't much in Agawam and you just don't enter Springfield or Holyoke period unless you have a death wish.

[camthedominator]

There's a really good pizza place just outside of SFNE called Nicky's Pizza.

[Koasterking48]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'm just arriving at the park now. Can't wait!

[gilly_bob]

Went to the park this weekend and had a blast. I have never been before and rode my first RMC and GIB.

 

A few random things we encountered.... The park was crowded but managable and we went on a Friday. Many of the operators (thunderbolt and Wicked Cyclone) were sending out empty rows with one train running on both and pretty large lines. This was practice at Lake Compounce as well and pretty annoying, but we found a trend of the general public not wanting to fill in all of the rows? For example there were two empty rows and the girls in front of us refused to move or go into them after politely asking them to go in them or if we could take those rows?????

 

Regardless of that Goliath was our first stop before opening and we waiting for the front. I was expecting this to be painful but it was a lot of fun.

 

After this we headed to Wicked Cyclone for about a 15 minute wait and 1 train running. We sat right in the middle and had a great ride. Really fun and a different experience!

 

From here we thought about Pandemonium but the line was full so we headed to Thunderbolt with a 35 minute wait.... It was fun...

 

We walked back to Bizarro with a posted 30 minute wait, but we waiting about 10 for the last row. This ride was great!!! Exceeded my expectations! We hit Gotham City Gauntlet and Catwoman's Whip while we were in the area which were both fun, and then we headed to the waterpark for a little which was PACKED but still a good time.

 

After the waterpark we headed over to Pandemonium, Wicked Cyclone, and New England Sky Screamer. 2 trains were running for Wicked Cyclone so we rode it in the front and then as soon as we got back in line it went down and 1 train was removed so we left the line as it was pretty long. So we hit up the scrambler and then sucked up the courage to try the Sky Screamer which ended up being fun and not as terrifying as I had expected ( I hated the Sky Screamer at GADV and all of the Windseekers I've been on).

 

We then walked back to Dark Knight right at the water park's closing time and ended up waiting 30 minutes for what was one of the better floorless coasters that I've been on. I liked it more than Rougarou but not as much as Dominator. Then we headed out around 7:15.

 

Overall it was a great first visit, but I don't see myself going back in the near future.

 

Oh and you can seriously buy beer almost anywhere in this park. The above posts are absolutely accurate

[Koasterking48]

First impressions of the park:

-Bizarro and Wicked Cyclone are both in my top ten. They are fantastic rides with loads of airtime.

-Operations are a little slow, but much better than St. Louis.

-I went ahead with Platinum Flash Pass since some of the waits are exceeding 45 minutes.

-Goliath is rough and just not good at all, so I was not impressed with my first GIB. Flashback and Mind Eraser were better in comparison.

-The park's theme is all over the place, but at least there is some. I actually got a kick out of WC's Storm theming.

[ejot]

Did you sit near the back on Goliath? It's pretty brutal back there, but I've found the front few rows to be much better.

[Koasterking48]

Yes, I was herded to the very back row and it was very rattle-y and unenjoyable. I only have an hour left here so I'm spending it riding a better ride, Wicked Cyclone

 

Edit: Im in the process of writing my trip report, should be up tomorrow.

[Devins3]

I second Nicky's pizza, that place has become a tradition for me and I stop every time I go to SFNE. If you go only buy one piece of pizza per person because they are humongous. Also their beer is really cheap, I think a Blue Moon or Sam Adams was 2 bucks or close to that.

[Blind Idiot God]

Did you sit near the back on Goliath? It's pretty brutal back there, but I've found the front few rows to be much better.

 

It's not bad if you're tall, but if you're not, it won't treat you too well.

[camthedominator]

I second Nicky's pizza, that place has become a tradition for me and I stop every time I go to SFNE. If you go only buy one piece of pizza per person because they are humongous. Also their beer is really cheap, I think a Blue Moon or Sam Adams was 2 bucks or close to that.

Same here. We have gone there every time without fail.

[Koasterking48]

Six Flags New England TR (7/13/2015)

 

My day at Six Flags New England was really great! It was hot and sunny, at 90 degrees throughout the day. I had a lot of "firsts" for the ride models, so it was nice. Overall, the park really shined through and surprised me. I'll get to the in-depth ride reviews in a little bit, but the coaster collection was well-rounded. The only thing missing is a launch coaster (Premier Sky Rocket II perhaps?). I had to venture from Boston to Agawam on the Peter Pan bus tour. If you want to take a day trip while you're in Boston, I HIGHLY recommend using this bus service as purchasing tickets at South Station bus terminal was easy and getting on the bus was a breeze. Unfortunately, my sister backed out of the trip last minute, leaving me to take on the park literally by myself. I didn't mind it too much since she would've been worn out by 2pm.

 

Since my sister was not going and because I wanted to get in as many laps possible in six hours, I bought a Platinum Flash pass. While the lines were only 20-45 minutes-ish throughout the day, I actually was glad I bought it. Turns out, since every coaster has assigned seating, nearly all of my rides were in the front or back row. Add in the 2x rerides (minus WC) and I'm very happy I purchased the flash pass.

 

Park overall: Like I said above, the park has a well-rounded coaster collection. From the family-oriented Catwoman's whip, to the intense Bizarro, to the surprising classic Thunderbolt. Now, while the first 3-4 rides are really good, the rest fall off pretty fast. So while the collection is well-rounded, it still needs some improvement. Also, the theming was pretty inconsistent, but theming isn't Sic Flags's strong point anyway. I remember Coasterbill complaining about the skyway towers and how ugly they look. Now that I've seen them in person, I can agree (TAER THEM DOWN, please). Sky Screamer, Houdini, Scream, and Tomahawk were the only flats I did. I really liked Skyscreamer and wish Cedar Fair had went with Funtime instead of Mondial. Houdini was a surprise since I didn't even know this Six Flags had one (I already knew about SFGAdv). Tomahawk was okay, but vastly inferior to the giant frisbees. Scream was good because it was my first S&S combo. So now on to the coaster reviews!

 

Wicked Cyclone (9.5/10) x12 laps. My second RMC and first hybrid! I'm sure everything I'm writing here has been seen before, but holy sh*t... This ride is insane! My thighs were crying mercy with the great ejector airtime. The first drop had a great pull in the back. While the back did provide awesome airtime, Wicked Cyclone really shines in the front row. It seemed like the airtime there was much better than any other row I was in. To anyone complaining about how loud it is, I find Raptor much louder at Cedar Point. I do have to say, I was not expecting the ride to sorta crawl through after the last barrel roll. Even though it's going pretty slow, WC managed to sneak in a couple more airtime moments. Perhaps the two best parts of the ride are the 200* stall and the violent outside banked turn before the first zero-g roll. Seriously, it's almost like WC wants to throw you out of the ride. The zero-g rolls are pretty slow, meaning lots of hang time! While the airtime was in short bursts, they were really great ejector moments. So, WC sits comfortably within my favorite roller coasters along with.....

 

Bizarro (9.5/10): x7 or 8 laps. Another fantastic roller coaster making a world-class one-two punch at this park. The airtime once again was fantastic. I was drawing a lot of comparisons to Millennium Force since they are somewhat similar. However, at the end of the day, the two have very little in common. While Bizarro focuses on some ejector airtime and helices, MF leans toward speed and floater airtime. Let's just say, I love both coasters a lot. Unfortunately, Bizarro has some shortcomings. It's been complained about here many a time, but the lap bars are stupidly designed. I love the lap bars on MF and TTD, and this one used to have those lap bars. So, why the change? They're just bulky and uncomfortable for no reason. Also, Bizarro has a pretty noticeable rattle and made me only want to ride the back once. Which is okay, since the front is really superior anyway (Thanks for the suggestions on this forum guys!). I actually found the front to be the best row on all the coasters here, which is pretty unusual for my preferences at other parks. While Bizarro had some flaws, I still really loved it and am anticipating riding it again one day (and WC!)

 

Batman: The Dark Knight (8/10): x4 laps. I've always been curious about this floorless and I don't know why. It doesn't really stand out among the B&M's I've ridden, but the unique layout makes up for that. It had a really good zero G roll in it that flung you like a rag doll, which is my favorite element on any coaster. Other than that, it wasn't the best B&M, but certainly a good coaster on its own.

 

Thunderbolt (7/10): x2 laps. I didn't do any research on when this coaster was built but supposedly its an ACE classic. The coaster was good, had a traditional figure eight layout. I liked it.

 

Pandemonium (6.5/10): x1 lap. Another okay spinning coaster. I've ridden the Mall of America one and I believe these two are nearly identical. Not bad, as it's a good family coaster.

 

Flashback (6/10): x1 lap. This is only my second Boomerang, but it's not nearly as rough as the St Louis one. I'm a little surprised it's this high on the list. I actually *gasp* didn't hate it!

 

Gauntlet-whatever TF this rides long name is (5/10): I liked the theming a lot more than the ride itself, and that's not saying much. Standard wild mouse so there's nothing else to say.

 

Mind Eraser (5/10): x1 lap. Mediocre/bad is the best way to describe a standard SLC. I liked it more than T2 in its Six Flags days. The airplane seatbelt bell was a cute touch.

 

Catwoman's Whip (5/10): x1 lap. I feel it's a bit unfair to judge this coaster since it's clearly not targeted toward me. However, this coaster is LOUD!

 

Goliath (3/10): x1 lap. I really really wanted to like this ride, but I really really didn't. GIB's are a pretty rare species. I was highly anticipating riding this one since there's only two (I believe?) in the US. Since the ride had a slight flash pass wait, I wouldn't have the opportunity to ride front row so I was herded to the very back. Boy, it was rough, rattly, and just plain bad. I'm sure this would be closer up to a 7 or 8 but I didn't feel like wasting my time trying to time the dispatches right instead of hitting up better coasters. Maybe I'll give it another chance when I come back. Maybe. (Side note, is it normal for a seat to be removed from the second to last car?)

 

I really liked this park. It had a few great coasters, some good flats, as well as a few bad apples. I'm not sure when I'll return, but it'll be a long time before I get back. I'm glad I took a day away from the city of Boston to visit Six Flags New England. It may not be at the top of my favorite parks lists, but it's nowhere near being a bad park. I hope I can come back to Wicked Cyclone and Bizarro soon!

You have no idea how excited I was to finally be able to visit this park.

Love this ride so much <3

Raise your hand if you love Wicked Cyclone

Much better than windseeker. I loved this ride a lot. Although the capacity is pretty bad.

Decent spinner.

Was hoping WC could get in the money shot. *sigh*

First ride of the day...

Not a fan. Maybe it's better in the front but it was not pleasant one bit.

The surpisingly better Vekoma in the foreground.

Fun classic coaster. Nothing too special

They were only running one train so the line was pretty long all day

Had to leave at 5 unfortunately. Hope to see this park again soon!

Hoping the rumored "un-conversion" back to Superman along with old trains is coming soon.

Seriously loved the 200* stall! It almost forces everyone to put their hands up!

There we go

Picture-taking fail

My other love <3. Fantastic coaster with wonderful airtime.

The best way I can describe Batman is "cute."

Operations were pretty damn slow for it though :/

[Philrad71]

We visited Monday although we didn't get to the parking lot until almost 3:00. No worries though as we were still able to get in two rides each on WC & Bizzaro.

 

WC was my first RMC and it didn't disappoint. Although when I took my 2nd ride on it, I got the very last row and it felt like I was sitting on on one of those vibrating chairs. Seriously, I wasn't sure if I was elated over what a great coaster ride it was or whether I was moderately turned on by the excessive stimulation to my backside!

 

I was glad to get in more rides on Bizarro and while it jumped quite a ways up in my past ratings, I agree with the poster above about the restraints. I would much rather have the MF restraints as they seemed a bit awkward. Two days later and my thighs are still a bit tender from that amazing ejector air.

 

Overall a good day to visit as the lines were not long. Roughly five hours in the park was enough to get two rides each on the big two, check out the magic show, one ride on Dark Knight (horrible dispatches though) and a couple of ice cold beers to enjoy while just sitting around people watching.

[PaTim]

Just got back from SFNE for the first time in 8 years. Minor observations:

 

Bizzaro was just as great as it was when I rode it as SROS, even though soundtrack wasn't playing.

 

Goliath wasn't enjoyable at all, far too rough....not because of the track design but because the trains rode like it was a wooden coaster.

 

Wicked Cyclone was just a huge slathering of awesome sauce. The airtime is ridiculous, and the frequency of the direction changes had me laughing hysterically. I'm not sure if I like it more than Bizzaro, but it doesn't matter. That 1-2 punch makes life worth living.

[Superbatboy]

I've always wondered why the middle car on Bizarro only has two seats, anyone know?

[SFOGdude25]

^The middle car is where the amps for the speakers sit. They sit in the back of the car and required the rear row of the car to be removed to make room. All that does to me is hurt capacity a little. I've never ridden Bizarro, but the music just seems to be more of a distraction than anything else. Not sure if anyone else agrees.

[Superbatboy]

^The middle car is where the amps for the speakers sit. They sit in the back of the car and required the rear row of the car to be removed to make room. All that does to me is hurt capacity a little. I've never ridden Bizarro, but the music just seems to be more of a distraction than anything else. Not sure if anyone else agrees.

Ahhhhhh that explains it, thanks!

[DonkeysWaffles]

This is virtually GUARANTEED to happen: Flashback gets removed for a Premier Rides Sky Rocket. I can see it coming from a mile away.

[Paradox]

This is virtually GUARANTEED to happen: Flashback gets removed for a Premier Rides Sky Rocket. I can see it coming from a mile away.

That wouldn't be logical at all. Lake Compounce is only an hour away and they are building one for next year.

[Superbatboy]

Yeah maybe they'd replace Flashback with an S&S free spin

[TyRush]

Bizarro's on-ride music didn't even work when I visited

[Koasterking48]

Bizarro's on-ride music didn't even work when I visited

When I was there this past Monday, one train's audio was working and the other one's wasn't.

[njcoasterguy34]

When I went there in June, I rode Bizarro several times and never once heard the music working.

[Superbatboy]

Six Flags isnt the best when it comes to on-board audio. X2's audio is very hit or miss as well.

[camthedominator]

In terms of a launched coaster, I think it would be something more like Yamaha Racing Coaster as it is compact, somewhat unique, and appealing to the GP. I, however think a S&S free spin is far more likely due to the success of Batman the Ride.