SFGAdv or Cedar Point

[coolhandluke]

First off I believe CP coasters are overwhelmingly better, except for EL Toro. Nobody can dispute that.

 

While I can't dispute that you think that they are better, I don't like nearly any ride at Cedar Point, so while I've not been to Great Adventure, I'd point to it anyway.

I'm pretty sure he meant that no one can dispute El Toro's greatness.

 

The rest, as evidenced by this thread, are quite debatable.

[Guest]

Probably the most ride ops per coaster of any park

Ill agree CPs operations were way better than GAdvs a few years ago, but its not that big of a difference anymore and if you go during the summer I guarentee the lines will be longer at CP.

[YoshiFan]

CP for several reasons:

(It seems like 1 train goes up Nitro's chain every 5 minutes and 1 up el Toro's every 4) That also means faster moving ride lines!

 

That hasn't been the case last season or this season. I timed it and Nitro was dispatching trains around every 80 seconds.

 

The line was into the switchbacks past the 90 minute sign 2 weeks ago. I know the signs overestimate the wait times but it was a 25 minute wait with all 3 trains running.

[BuddyChrist]

It seems that everyone forgot that Great Adventure has FLASHPASS. It's great that CP has a wonderful atmosphere and flats, but you won't be able to enjoy them that much if you're waiting in 2 hour lines all day. At GAdv you can get a Gold Flashpass, almost never stand in line, and get multiple rides in on El Toro, Nitro, Kingda Ka, Batman, Bizarro, and Superman, with a few others thrown into the mix.

 

If you ask many people who have used the Flashpass system at the park, it is well worth going to Great Adventure.

[adeuce02]

I think some of you guys are comparing old gadv to cp. The new gadv staff is not as bad u guys make it to be. And im sorry but i dont see the hype for mf or magnum. Yes i would ride them but i would take nitro anyday over them IMO. Oh and sfne is only 4hours away also.

[shepp]

First off I believe CP coasters are overwhelmingly better, except for EL Toro. Nobody can dispute that.

 

Which is why Nitro is in a virtual dead heat in the coaster poll with MF and Maverick?

 

I stayed on property at CP (pre-Maverick), and yes, the perks were cool. But I really don't get the stuff about CP's much-vaunted "atmosphere." It's a nice park, sure, but - except for the lakeside location - not, IMO, All That. MF is awesome, yeah, but I thought Raptor was a headbanger and Magnum overrated. Nitro, meanwhile, happens to be my partner's fave steel, and El Toro is just effing wonderful. KK may be a bit rougher than TTD, but is otherwise the same deal, just taller and faster with a meaningless hill. And my memory may be faulty, but I don't remember SFGAdv's operations being markedly inferior to CP's. The ops at KK, for instance, were excellent, while the queue for Raptor was pretty much torture.

 

I guess if it were a matter of going only to one or the other, then staying on property at CP might win out. But I - unlike many folks here - plan my coaster trips to include lotsa other stuff (like an upcoming b'day trek to DLR and SFMM that will also include Yosemite and Sequoia/King's Canyon). So the fact that Jackson, NJ, though in the kinda middle of nowhere, is within spitting distance of Philly and NYC is a real plus, unless you happen to have a thing for Cleveland.

 

And if you're into more of a trip, SFGAdv is kinda midway between SFNE (a one-coaster park, but what a coaster) and BGW. And yes, DC in the summer is an oven, but it is chockablock with historic sights worth seeing as well as an amazing bunch of great, free museums. CP, in the other hand, is near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and pretty much nothing else until you get to Niagara Falls.

 

Plus, at SFGAdv, you get to drive around and have your car attacked by ostriches. So yeah, I really want to ride Maverick, but for me - Great Adventure.

[Cyclone]

I choose Cedar Point as my favorite theme park cause I was over there only one time in 2000, I like the millenium force, I love the mean streak, I like the beach, & I went swimming over there.

[Xxhershey818xX]

Ok well I totally know how you feel about not being able to choose. I used to live like 20 minutes from Jackson New Jersey so I always going to Great Adventure almost every weekend. They are both really great parks.

 

What I always tell people is if you want a bunch of extreme roller coasters go to Cedar Point and if you want a little bit of everything go to Six Flags Great Adventure.

 

To answer your how far is Columbus from CP question its about 2 1/2 hours depending on how you drive. So taking a Trip to Kings Island is also possible too.

 

We all know El Toro blows Mean Streak out of the water

Kingda Ka in my opinion is nowhere near the same to Top Thrill Dragster you have to experience both separately

Um Nitro again completely different from Millennium Force. There is no way to compare them because they are 2 opposite rides. But if I had to choose Nitro would win

And Yes Medusa(Bizzaro) beats out Mantis but again those are two separate rides so there really is no comparing them.

 

I rather go to Six Flags Great Adventure due to the atmosphere. There actually is an attempt at theming around the park and by being kind of woodsy the park seems hidden. Also it was were I grew up to love roller coasters, so I am kind of attached to it.

 

Cedar Point though does have 17 Coasters and is set on the beach which is pretty cool. Also the onsite accommodation is nice too. So if you need to change and or nap it is very possible. But sometimes the prices seem to run pretty steep. Also you can get early entry to the park! So thats another perk.

 

So yea in conclusion...I don't think I helped at all. Lol But with the way things are going for Six Flags and the economy I might wanna go there first!

[Guest]

Before I get started I must remind you, I went to Cedar Point Summer of 08' and I work at Gadv.

 

Now that that's out the way....I'll make a list

 

Coasters

Cedar Point has more choices but Gadv has BETTER choices.

 

El Toro- Perhaps the best airtime on the face of this earth. MF drop kissed my stomach. El Toro's will have your stomach at the top of Ka by the end. Sit in the front and you will see just how crazy this bull can get.

 

Kingda Ka- Dual station cuts lines in half and the crew there will get you SOOO Pumped to ride its insane. Launch is more intense than TTD because you don't know when it's going to happen. The airtime hill actually gives you airtime. TTD was great but Ka is better because it doesn't shake as much.

 

Nitro-THEE best B&M Hyper to ever be built. Airtime is on every hill. Beautiful view of the park from the lift. I was in the switchbacks on Sunday and it said 90 min wait. I was in the back seat of train B in 30 mins. The crew is THE BEST AT GADV! They will cream any CP Crew. I can guarantee. The helix is intense and bunny hops throw you out your seat.

 

We also have hear a unique B&M Flyer dubbed S:Uf which isn't great but is a unique ride. You have to experience a Pretzel Loop to be a real Enthusiats. Bizarro is sure to amaze. Medusa was Great but Bizarro will just be INSANE. Batman is intense. Owns Raptor in my opinion. Skully has a suprising drop. Themed queue makes for an intense ride. TDK is nothing to drool over but is a nice relax coaster for your dad. Gasm is actually smoother than what it used to be in 07 and 06. Imagine a smooth ride on a 173 ft. 7 loop 68 mph coaster. The drop is over the midway which is cool in the back. Rolling Thunder is a piece of crap but is always a walk on and the first drop tickles your stomach. RMT gives a good breeze and is an overall fun coaster. All in all Cedar Point has a pretty strong line up with TTD, MF, Maverick,and Magnum but other than that there really isn't a must ride there. WT is basically Possessed at Dorney Steel Force is Magnum with a better layout. Maverick owns all except Nitro and Toro. MF was an overrated bust.

 

It's not just Gadv when you come to Jersey either we have Hershey Near By which has amazing Intamins. Dorney ruler of inverts everywhere...Talon! All flats at CP you can find at Dorney except maXair. Morey's Piers has a BEAUTIFUL setting compared to Cp and any other waterfront park. Inhaling the fresh salt air mixed with the smell of shore snack and bells of games. You have to experience it. Dare I forget to mention the BEST DROP TOWER IN THE US! AtmosFEAR has the craziest on board audio that will have you screaming to get off at the top. Nor' Easter has an amazing view from the lift and the smoothest Slc to date. You think Skyhawk is scary. Ride the Upcharge Screamin Swing! Your flying literally feet away from Great White.

 

In the end it's up to you. Better come ride the Tallest, Fastest coaster 4 years running (beat that TTD!) before it's to late. The Second steepest drop on any wooden coaster in the world. Number #2 according to Mitch. You can't even think about missing Bizarro for Mantis.

[Cyclone]

And why did they change medusa cause I heard that medusa was going to be different.

[MagicMountainMan]

To start off, I've never been to Great Adventure. However I've been to CP three or four times so I know my way around there.

 

Contrary to what all of the CP fanboys say, it's only an okay park. It has flats. Cool. Half of them can be found at any county or state fair so they really aren't anything special. They do have Sky Hawk and Maxair though which are sweet rides. However if you're main purpose is to try and ride every coaster there you'll have a hard time doing that let alone enough time to spend riding flats (don't even get me started on when there is a slight chance of rain, you might as well leave).

 

But CP has coasters. Dang they are sweet coasters, this is coming from somebody who lives at Magic Mountain. At CP there are a lot of coasters that are very unique so it's worth going there to ride them. MF for example, sure it's overrated but where else in the U.S. can you find a 300 ft. monster that's a speed demon? TTD might be the same or similar to KK but I really don't know. They have peanty of coasters to keep you satisfied no matter what you like most.

 

So overall CP is an okay park with pretty good coasters. Take what you want from my analysis.

 

Edit: Forgot to say that other than CP there is NOTHING else to do in Northern Ohio, seriously. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not included. But the drive down to KI is doable. However at Great Adventure you'll be pretty close to NYC.

[netdvn]

^^ Because SF doesn't have the money to invest 20 new Diamondback-style rides into all their parks so they retheme and rehab old rides to get more people through the gate.

[tedten]

Before I get started I must remind you, I went to Cedar Point Summer of 08' and I work at Gadv.

 

Now that that's out the way....I'll make a list

 

...

 

We also have hear a unique B&M Flyer dubbed S:Uf which isn't great but is a unique ride. You have to experience a Pretzel Loop to be a real Enthusiats.

 

 

UNIQUE? lol

I'm sorry but I couldn't let you get away with calling a triple clone "unique."

[adeuce02]

hey hey maybe cp should rehab old rides like mean streak. Magnum couldnt help either. Plus gadv just got a new coaster the dark knight its a coaster right. Oh nitro and raging bull just like diamondback just with 4across not 2

[Guest]

S:Uf at Gadv is unique in it's own way because it's the only kind in the Northeast.

[edboxer]

CP for several reasons:

(It seems like 1 train goes up Nitro's chain every 5 minutes and 1 up el Toro's every 4) That also means faster moving ride lines!

 

That hasn't been the case last season or this season. I timed it and Nitro was dispatching trains around every 80 seconds.

 

The line was into the switchbacks past the 90 minute sign 2 weeks ago. I know the signs overestimate the wait times but it was a 25 minute wait with all 3 trains running.

 

I was at SFGAdv twice last year, and both times, dispatches on Nitro and el Toro were ver slow. I was in line at the 30 minute marker, and it took over an hour. The second visit we left after 4 hours because we only got 2 rides. Other than walking from el Toro to KK, with a pit-stop, the rest of the time was spent standing inline!

[edboxer]

I'd also add that, SFGAvd is closer to me than Dorney Park. But Dorney is the park I visit most because the ride operations are faster and smoother, and the crowds, except for Saturday's are very light. During the week, and most Sundays, the coasters are pretty much walk-ons. At Dorney I can usually get in 20 rides in around 5 hours.

[edh]

Just wait till you find out if either of them build anything next year, and then decide.

[Wild 1]

CP for several reasons:

(It seems like 1 train goes up Nitro's chain every 5 minutes and 1 up el Toro's every 4) That also means faster moving ride lines!

 

That hasn't been the case last season or this season. I timed it and Nitro was dispatching trains around every 80 seconds.

 

The line was into the switchbacks past the 90 minute sign 2 weeks ago. I know the signs overestimate the wait times but it was a 25 minute wait with all 3 trains running.

 

I was at SFGAdv twice last year, and both times, dispatches on Nitro and el Toro were ver slow. I was in line at the 30 minute marker, and it took over an hour. The second visit we left after 4 hours because we only got 2 rides. Other than walking from el Toro to KK, with a pit-stop, the rest of the time was spent standing inline!

 

I was there two weeks ago and Nitro was dispatching every 70 seconds or so however El Toro was around every 3 minutes. All the other rides other then Rolling Thunder and Superman had really fast dispatchs around 60-80 seconds.

[BamBam36]

Reasons to go to CP:

Millenium Force is good

Maverick is well, look at my sig

Raptor, see maverick(or sig)

Top Thrill, far better than KK due to lack of OTSR and theming

 

Magnum, Mantis and Wicked Twister are all nice but not breath taking

 

Reasons to go to SFGRAD:

Nitro is good

Batman, see sig i feel its a lot better than Raptor.

El Toro, its an airtime machine if thats your thing. Its not mine but it has by far the best airtime on any wooden coaster

 

Medusa, Kingda Ka fall into the same category as Maggie etc

 

Base it off what you are looking for most. I'd take maverick over everything else.

 

 

Someone called Iron Dragon a "fine" coaster. LOL

[Satchboogie3]

Someone called Iron Dragon a "fine" coaster. LOL

 

That was me. I was using 'fine' not as "fine wine", but more as OK. Iron Dragon is OK. Its not terrible, it's not great, it's OK.

[King of Ka]

I was at SFGAdv twice last year, and both times, dispatches on Nitro and el Toro were ver slow. I was in line at the 30 minute marker, and it took over an hour. The second visit we left after 4 hours because we only got 2 rides. Other than walking from el Toro to KK, with a pit-stop, the rest of the time was spent standing inline!

 

This is interesting, because on my last two visits, especially the one at the end of last year, Nitro's crew was one of the best I'd ever seen. I considered submitting a positive report for the ops and attendants, they were so fast. On the other hand, on my last visit, the crew at El Toro must have been new, because they were barely sending out any trains it seemed, especially early in the day.

[SuperMikeo]

This is sorta "close to my heart" because my last 2 big coaster detours from the last year were CP and SFGADV.

 

I liked Great Adventure more, for several reasons. I'll just go ahead and list them for you.

 

1. El Toro. Having never been on an Intamin pre-fab, I really had no idea how intense and amazing they are. I would fly to NJ JUST to go on this thing. El Toro is probably the most fun I consistently had on a roller-coaster, and it NEEDS TO BE EXPERIENCED. Don't just watch the POV and think you have the jist of it, cause you don't. It is an amazing experience and (I think) the most intense roller-coaster in the country.

 

2. A good supply of "pretty dang nice" coasters. I won't list them all, but Nitro, Medusa and Batman are great. Superman is "meh" and GASM is my least favorite Arrow mega-looper (Viper at SFMM really is the king.) So all in all, you'll have enough to do besides riding El Toro to make it worth it.

 

3. The area surrounding it. I was able to go to Philly, NYC as well as most of the state of NJ within a couple day period. (I HAD to go and scope out some of the Sopranos shooting locations.) The drive to the park is nice and woodsy, and all in all I think NJ is a better place to be than the rather slummy Sandusky.

 

I really like Cedar Point, but to be fair, I really just enjoyed MF, Maverick and Raptor. MF is a "lot of fun" and has an awesome first drop. Raptor is probably one of the best inverts around (although I think Batman still wins.) And Maverick - oh Maverick. If there is a reason to go to CP, it is Maverick. Probably my favorite steel coaster ever.

 

It's an obligatory thing to go to CP. It's like a fan of heavy metal seeing Metallica at least once. Yeah, it was "good," but I would much rather be seeing Opeth. Ya know?

 

So go drool over Maverick and El Toro, the two stars of the show. Which would you rather ride? For me, El Toro. But God, Maverick is fun.

 

And this post is long. Goodbye.

[shepp]

Top Thrill, far better than KK due to lack of OTSR and theming

 

Really? Far better because of theming? I can understand the objection to the OTSRs, though they were actually pretty comfy and, because of the particular forces (lotsa Gs, little air) on the ride, they seemed less onerous than they often do.

 

But the theming on TTD - aside from the Christmas tree - is a buncha flags and a long nose on the lead car, no? Yes, the bleachers are pretty cool, but KK is the center of a whole jungle-themed area, and the boarding station in particular is much nicer, IMO, than TTD's big concrete nothing.

 

Or did you mean that TTD's relative lack of theming made it better?

[Philrad71]

Forgot to say that other than CP there is NOTHING else to do in Northern Ohio, seriously. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not included. But the drive down to KI is doable. However at Great Adventure you'll be pretty close to NYC.

 

Why the lack of love for Ohio? Yeah, it's flat and bland, but there are plenty of things to do there....

 

* If it's a nice day, take the high speed ferry to Put-In Bay or one of the Lake Erie Islands.

 

* Spend a night at Geneva-On-The-Lake between Cleveland and Erie. It is a town that makes you feel like you stepped back into the 60's/70's right on the shores of Lake Erie.

 

* Water parks - Cowabunga Bay, Rain, Castaways, Splash Lagoon, Great Wolf Lodge, Soak City, Geauga Lake. Indoor/outdoor...if you like water parks, there are plenty to choose from in the area!

 

* Two words - Wine Trails (for the adults, of course)

 

* Let's not forget Waldameer is only a couple hours away on Lake Erie in Erie, PA. RF2 is worth the two hour drive from the Point, not to mention Presque Isle!

 

*Zoos - If you are into them, Ohio has some of the best in the nation (Toledo, Columbus and Cleveland).

 

As far as the initial debate...don't get me wrong, I do like Great Adventure (and plan on going this year), but I think that CP has a bit of slight edge with it's coasters, flats, and resort options. It has been an interesting read to see bashing and sucking up to both parks...not that it hasn't been done a hundred times before, mind you.

 

Look at it this way...if you have never been to either park, you will not walk away disappointed.

 

But enough of the Ohio bashing already! I love that flat, Conservative Republican, sucky pro football team lovin' state, dammit!

 

And (most of) their coasters kick ass!!!!