Six Flags NJ Really Zero Flags

[YouNeedToKnow]

I just returned from six flags in NJ. (07/2009) I will never go there again. I am requesting a refund. My family had the worst experience at this park. People were cutting lines with no way to stop them. This happened on almost every ride. A lot of rides were closed. There is no visible management overseeing the running of the park. One of the gates to a ride nearly crushed my son’s hand as it slammed shut. They promote that you can bring your own food and eat it in a picnic area, however there are only 6 tables in this area to accommodate thousands of guests. We had to eat on the rock covered ground making a sandwich in our hands. The park is so poorly run and has a bad element running through the park with no visible security we the patrons can go to if needed. The people ( teens ) running the rides seemed to want to keep it going fast that safety was sacrificed. We did not feel safe at all. We had a horrible time and left so mad. My son is 12 years old and he wanted to leave the park early. There is nothing like waiting an hour and a half on line to be cut again and again. Also, they are checking for weapons coming into the park, but when you get a stamp and re-enter they do not check. Makes no sense to us. Water was almost 4 dollars a bottle. Food prices were so high as well. They charge almost the same price for fast pass as a regular ticket. Fast pass is nothing like Disney ( free at Disney ). You have to pay extra for some rides. They are having money issues and we the patrons are paying for it. Shame on you six flags it was really a no flags day for us.

No Flags

[The Disneylander]

I just returned from six flags in NJ. (07/2009) I will never go there again. I am requesting a refund. My family had the worst experience at this park. People were cutting lines with no way to stop them. This happened on almost every ride. A lot of rides were closed. There is no visible management overseeing the running of the park. One of the gates to a ride nearly crushed my son’s hand as it slammed shut. They promote that you can bring your own food and eat it in a picnic area, however there are only 6 tables in this area to accommodate thousands of guests. We had to eat on the rock covered ground making a sandwich in our hands. The park is so poorly run and has a bad element running through the park with no visible security we the patrons can go to if needed. The people ( teens ) running the rides seemed to want to keep it going fast that safety was sacrificed. We did not feel safe at all. We had a horrible time and left so mad. My son is 12 years old and he wanted to leave the park early. There is nothing like waiting an hour and a half on line to be cut again and again. Also, they are checking for weapons coming into the park, but when you get a stamp and re-enter they do not check. Makes no sense to us. Water was almost 4 dollars a bottle. Food prices were so high as well. They charge almost the same price for fast pass as a regular ticket. Fast pass is nothing like Disney ( free at Disney ). You have to pay extra for some rides. They are having money issues and we the patrons are paying for it. Shame on you six flags it was really a no flags day for us.

 

I'm sorry you had a bad day, but I don't really understnad some of your concerns.

 

-if your son wasn't paying attention to the gates, that's his problem. The staff always announces that the gates are closing; besides, the gates are not like they're lightning fast. Your son has plenty of time to avoid his hand getting chopped off, which I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have. There's always a leeway of a few inches between the gates and the bars.

 

-Flash Pass costs extra, deal with it. It costs extra at pretty much anywhere BUT Disney.

 

-Yes, you have to pay extra for some rides...even before the 'money issues'. They're called 'upcharge' attractions. Nearly every park has them.

 

-Food items are, indeed, overpriced at the parks. However, again, I don't see why this ruined your day for you. If you go to a theme park, you should expect higher-than-normal prices.

[redfoot12]

I couldn't decide whether the OP was parody posting, really bored, or what.

[Wild 1]

Some of the things you are saying are really bad, but some of the other things you are saying are normal for a park of this size.

 

Line Cutting- My only question was that was anyone watching the line? If not it is the parks fault.

 

Rides Closed- Which rides were closed? Just curious. (Kingda Ka has been down for a while so I know that one was)

 

Management- Now that is really inexusable, management should be around the park watching how it is running, not having any is bad management!

 

Safety and rides- Now the ride ops are supposed to run the rides as fast as possible and on a day like you went it would be a good thing to get people on as fast as possible. Not sure what to make about the hand crushing incident but which ride was this on? Ride ops should NOT put line speed over safety.

 

Food Prices- This is normal at any amusment park, food prices will always be high, also with the picnic areas.... I would not use them as you learned, I suggest getting a hand stamp and going out to your car to eat. Sorry to hear about the picnic area being so crowded.

 

Fast Passes- They are not like disney in this way, fast passes are for you being able to ride other rides while you wait in a virtual Q for the major ride you want to go on.

 

I am really sorry to hear that you have a bad day at the park, normally the park is very fun and runs smoothly... You must have went on a bad day, sorry this one visit ruined your time at Six Flags Great Adventure.

[RedSpecial]

I just returned from six flags in NJ. (07/2009) I will never go there again. I am requesting a refund. My family had the worst experience at this park. People were cutting lines with no way to stop them. This happened on almost every ride. A lot of rides were closed. There is no visible management overseeing the running of the park. One of the gates to a ride nearly crushed my son’s hand as it slammed shut. They promote that you can bring your own food and eat it in a picnic area, however there are only 6 tables in this area to accommodate thousands of guests. We had to eat on the rock covered ground making a sandwich in our hands. The park is so poorly run and has a bad element running through the park with no visible security we the patrons can go to if needed. The people ( teens ) running the rides seemed to want to keep it going fast that safety was sacrificed. We did not feel safe at all. We had a horrible time and left so mad. My son is 12 years old and he wanted to leave the park early. There is nothing like waiting an hour and a half on line to be cut again and again. Also, they are checking for weapons coming into the park, but when you get a stamp and re-enter they do not check. Makes no sense to us. Water was almost 4 dollars a bottle. Food prices were so high as well. They charge almost the same price for fast pass as a regular ticket. Fast pass is nothing like Disney ( free at Disney ). You have to pay extra for some rides. They are having money issues and we the patrons are paying for it. Shame on you six flags it was really a no flags day for us.

 

I'm sorry you had a bad day, but I don't really understand some of your concerns.

 

-if your son wasn't paying attention to the gates, that's his problem. The staff always announces that the gates are closing; besides, the gates are not like they're lightning fast. Your son has plenty of time to avoid his hand getting chopped off, which I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have. There's always a leeway of a few inches between the gates and the bars.

 

-Flash Pass costs extra, deal with it. It costs extra at pretty much anywhere BUT Disney.

 

-Yes, you have to pay extra for some rides...even before the 'money issues'. They're called 'upcharge' attractions. Nearly every park has them.

 

-Food items are, indeed, overpriced at the parks. However, again, I don't see why this ruined your day for you. If you go to a theme park, you should expect higher-than-normal prices.

 

I think some of your comments are a little harsh. I personally don't see why theme park guests should put up with higher than normal food prices - good service shouldn't cost extra and most theme park food isn't often what I'd describe as good service.

 

As for saying that nearly every park has upcharge attractions I find hard to accept - not the one's I clearly go to. I think this kind of practice should be clearly discouraged. We already pay high prices for park entries so why should you have to pay yet again unless it's well publicized?

 

As for gates closing - surely the staff have a health and safety responsibility to maintain ALL guests are safely looked after. Bottom line is that a theme park visit should be a fun and safe day out. Sounds like a very unhappy customer. I'd have wanted my money back as well; all it takes is one or two negative things to start off - poor staff support and queue jumping going unchallenged to make a whole day a disaster - after that no ones having any fun and all you start concentrating on is the negatives.

 

Better park staff and customer care sounds like most of these issues could have been averted.

[jbarner14]

You're right water is expensive in the park. Did you ever think about bringing in your own water bottle? Or maybe drinking out of the water fountains.

 

As others have said, if you don't want to pay the food prices you can eat at your car or even go to one of the many fast food places outside of the park.

 

Finally, this park is a horrendously popular park during the summer. If you don't want to pay for a flash pass then you are better off going towards the beginning of the season when the crowds are later. I would never go out way to go to this park at this time of year.

[coolcalicoaster]

I have had similar issues with SFGADV and SFMM. The line cutting is enough to make you throw up. I am basing this purely on opinion, but I think both parks are close to major cities and they know they will always have a crowd no matter how good or bad the park is ran so they put less effort into stopping these occurrences. I have had the same problems with rides being down as well. X and Deja Vu were never opened when I visited SFMM and I have been there many times. Same with the now defunct Chiller.

 

As far as the flash pass thing, I HATE IT! It really isn't fair for people that struggle just to bring their families to an amusement park. Why should people that are well off get to wait a shorter time just because they have the money to pay for a pass? I have the money to buy them but never do because I am so against them. We should all have to wait the same amount of time. IMO

[SharkTums]

Next time, come to our site first and we could have helped you have a much better visit.

 

(let you know what rides were currently down, let you know about crowds to expect, let you know about food/drink prices, etc.)

 

Coming to complain after the fact won't really do much.

[redfoot12]

As far as the flash pass thing, I HATE IT! It really isn't fair for people that struggle just to bring their families to an amusement park. Why should people that are well off get to wait a shorter time just because they have the money to pay for a pass? I have the money to buy them but never do because I am so against them. We should all have to wait the same amount of time. IMO

 

I'm far from well-off but my priorities are just enough out of whack that when I go to a big park like Great Adventure or Over Georgia I will spring for the Flash Pass. In my opinion, it's not a question of how much money you have, it's about how you want to spend what money you do have.

[coolcalicoaster]

^^Those are the people to ask. Their advice will certainly help improve your day at any park. They will gladly answer any questions you ask. Its just one of the great things about this site. Thanks TPR.

 

Big parks like SFADV cannot always run perfect. Rides will frequently be down and there is nothing you can do about it. The good thing about these places is that they have so many rides that one down coaster shouldn't ruin your day.

[sugart]

I was there last Thursday and trust me when I say this park has come along way. Ive been going to Gr Adv since I was little, and for awhile it was pretty bad with little to no security presence. On my trip I saw a ton of security guards, even witnessed them remove someone from the park. I would also say that the park employees were very friendly, like obnoxiously friendly, but thats a good thing in this business.

 

As for park food, its expensive. Multi million dollar rides dont pay for themselves. This is everywhere. My only thing with park food is if I gonna pay that much, and I will, make it good.

 

I sprung for flashpass because I was there with my wife, 5 year old son, and 3 month old daughter. To me, it was worth it not standing in line and riding rides with my son while I waited. You choose not to pay for it, so you cant complain about the length of the lines.

[Speeddeamon128]

For anyone visiting GADV in the future:

If you go to a food stand & ask for water in a cup it is free! I've done it all 7x I visited the park this year & didn't have one problem getting it.

[coolcalicoaster]

Just ride El Toro and leave!!!

[Shavethewhales]

I know how you feel, OP. These other guys are hardened enthusiasts, so they know the ropes and what to expect, and how to get around everything you encountered - many of them don't know what it's like to be a typical, unsuspecting visitor who's just trying to have some fun with his/her family.

 

No amusement park should provide the experience you encountered. I still can't believe people allow themselves to be swindled so easily. I've avoided SF parks for the past several years because I simply can't stand to walk into a place that charges $4 for a bottle of water just because you're stupid enough to be trapped there. It's not like a movie theatre - they know you're going to be there all day long. It's taking advantage of people beyond the usual business norm, IMO. And don't even get me started on the mind-numbing advertising around every corner, and even on the rides themselves.

 

I mean, all power to the guys who want to shell out over $100 for admittance and flash pass, but I would never be able to stand it even if I could afford it.

 

Obviously, the solution is to just not patron them anymore and hunt out other attractions that are more deserving of your money. I wish more people would do that so SF parks could be reasonable to visit again.

Support your local, unique attractions!

 

Hope you get a refund.

[SharkTums]

^Why be stupid and typical?!!?

 

We do plenty of things other than parks, and you know what, before we do it, I do research!!!!

 

Going on a cruise? I check the cruise enthusiast websites!

Going to an aquarium? I check all the reviews and discount sites.

Using random public transportation? I check the website and get maps and prepare.

 

Why is it okay to turn off your brain and just show up at a park with no clue what's gonig on?

 

If that's your plan, then you deserve to have a crappy time, and you deserve all the crap I'm going to give you for it!

[YoshiFan]

I am curious to hear what rides were closed. Many rides are sbno which might appear to be closed just for the day to the average guest.

[robbalvey]

I know how you feel, OP. These other guys are hardened enthusiasts, so they know the ropes and what to expect, and how to get around everything you encountered - many of them don't know what it's like to be a typical, unsuspecting visitor who's just trying to have some fun with his/her family.

 

No amusement park should provide the experience you encountered. I still can't believe people allow themselves to be swindled so easily. I've avoided SF parks for the past several years because I simply can't stand to walk into a place that charges $4 for a bottle of water just because you're stupid enough to be trapped there. It's not like a movie theatre - they know you're going to be there all day long. It's taking advantage of people beyond the usual business norm, IMO. And don't even get me started on the mind-numbing advertising around every corner, and even on the rides themselves.

 

I mean, all power to the guys who want to shell out over $100 for admittance and flash pass, but I would never be able to stand it even if I could afford it.

 

Obviously, the solution is to just not patron them anymore and hunt out other attractions that are more deserving of your money. I wish more people would do that so SF parks could be reasonable to visit again.

Support your local, unique attractions!

 

Hope you get a refund.

 

^Why be stupid and typical?!!?

 

We do plenty of things other than parks, and you know what, before we do it, I do research!!!!

 

Going on a cruise? I check the cruise enthusiast websites!

Going to an aquarium? I check all the reviews and discount sites.

Using random public transportation? I check the website and get maps and prepare.

 

Why is it okay to turn off your brain and just show up at a park with no clue what's gonig on?

 

If that's your plan, then you deserve to have a crappy time, and you deserve all the crap I'm going to give you for it!

 

Moral of the story - Don't be a dufus, be a DoRight!

 

--Robb "Thank you MiB!" Alvey

[Homeboy23]

 

No amusement park should provide the experience you encountered. I still can't believe people allow themselves to be swindled so easily. I've avoided SF parks for the past several years because I simply can't stand to walk into a place that charges $4 for a bottle of water just because you're stupid enough to be trapped there. It's not like a movie theatre - they know you're going to be there all day long. It's taking advantage of people beyond the usual business norm, IMO. And don't even get me started on the mind-numbing advertising around every corner, and even on the rides themselves.

 

 

As everyone else has said already but seemed to be ignored. Go to any park and you will find high prices on food and drinks, not just Six Flags.

 

The OP mentioned Disney, they have high prices on food, get over it, its what amusement/theme parks do.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

As far as the flash pass thing, I HATE IT! It really isn't fair for people that struggle just to bring their families to an amusement park. Why should people that are well off get to wait a shorter time just because they have the money to pay for a pass? I have the money to buy them but never do because I am so against them. We should all have to wait the same amount of time. IMO

 

I'm far from well-off but my priorities are just enough out of whack that when I go to a big park like Great Adventure or Over Georgia I will spring for the Flash Pass. In my opinion, it's not a question of how much money you have, it's about how you want to spend what money you do have.

 

Actually with the way SF parks run the system it's just another reason not to patronize their parks...case in point SFA reserving a whole train specificlly for flashpass riders,thus making guests wait longer in the queue,which is just one more reason why I stopped going there.

 

At least CF parks,such as KD don't treat their guests in this manner & they make every effort when possible to run rides at full capacity.

[BeemerBoy]

I'm just curious. Did you actually create an account here, with a suggestive screen name, just to rant about a crappy day at the park?

 

This thread reminds me of _____ travel site, where someone's vacation was ruined because the maid forgot a towel, and they just had to let the world know about it.

[SharkTums]

^That's exactly what I was thinking too...they posted to rant, will never come to the site again, and will continue to be stupid when it comes to visiting random theme parks!

[moinab]

Troll.

[redfoot12]

As far as the flash pass thing, I HATE IT! It really isn't fair for people that struggle just to bring their families to an amusement park. Why should people that are well off get to wait a shorter time just because they have the money to pay for a pass? I have the money to buy them but never do because I am so against them. We should all have to wait the same amount of time. IMO

 

I'm far from well-off but my priorities are just enough out of whack that when I go to a big park like Great Adventure or Over Georgia I will spring for the Flash Pass. In my opinion, it's not a question of how much money you have, it's about how you want to spend what money you do have.

 

Actually with the way SF parks run the system it's just another reason not to patronize their parks...case in point SFA reserving a whole train specificlly for flashpass riders,thus making guests wait longer in the queue,which is just one more reason why I stopped going there.

 

At least CF parks,such as KD don't treat their guests in this manner & they make every effort when possible to run rides at full capacity.

 

Six Flags America is the only SF park where I haven't used a Flash Pass (besides one Friday night at Great Adventure where I was just hoping to get one ride in on El Toro--mission accomplished!). The only time it looked like they didn't know how to manage the system was for Batwing where the operations are god-awful bad whatever the scenario is. I don't mind the system implemented as I've seen it so far. I know that when I don't pay for the FlashPass I may have to wait in extreme lines. If this is a concern for me I'll pay up.

[ajinaz]

As everyone else has said already but seemed to be ignored. Go to any park and you will find high prices on food and drinks, not just Six Flags.

 

 

Knoebels?

 

I agree with most everyone that the OP is long gone and has probably posted this same "review" on other sites as well.

Thank the lord he didn't visit SFGAdv around ten years ago. He would of had a coronary.

 

One thing he did say that I agree with is that the metal detectors are just there to make Mom and Dad feel safe. At SFMM last week we both set off the detector and the guy just smiled and said go on in.

[christianscoasters]

It's so simple to just click on "FAQ" at the top of SFGADV's website then click on "Tips for Family Fun".

 

I'm like Elissa. Whenever I travel, I look for deals, discounts, reviews, tips, FAQ's, etc. It's NOT hard! Hell, when I went to San Antonio a few months ago, I looked for at least two weeks for cheap tickets to Sea World and SFFT. I looked for reviews, tips, what we should try, etc. Guess what? I got $25 SFFT tix and $30 Sea World tickets. I know it probably could have been shorter than a few weeks, but oh well.

 

My point is, when you go to an amusement park, DO NOT leave your brain at home! You are going to a place where thousands of people visit everyday. If food is so expensive, why not get one of the meal plans online? Or even cheaper yet, make your own meal and go to your car during the day and eat. Don't complain about stupid crap if you aren't willing to make an effort to avoid it.

 

Just having got back from the Dominican Republic a month ago, I'm even more astounded at what people in America complain about.