Great Adventure Trip (Some Questions)

[jer1188]

Hi, so this is my 1st authored thread at TPR and today in the mail I received my tickets for my trip to Great Adventure. I've done a lot of research and sorting through the threads on here has been a great help. But I do have some lingering questions.

 

1) My plan is to go the first week of Sept mid week. Being there when it isn't too crowded is my main concern. Does anybody have an idea what its like during this time? Also when it comes to Flash Pass is it worth the money for that time of year, any ideas on what amounts of thrill coaster rides I would be able to get on with or without.

 

2)Kingda Ka- Does anybody know when this ride is looking to open again, I know it was struck by lightning they did a patchwork job to fix and had problems and have been doing a real fix recently. But does anyone have further info?

 

3)Kingda Ka part 2. This ride, understandably so, stops running in bad weather. I read this also includes wind. Does anyone know if there is a wind limit so I can better plan my trip based on weather forecasts (if the ride is still down this is a moot point though)

 

4)Haven't been able to find the cost of parking

 

5)Are Sundays in August bad if I decide to bump up the trip?

 

6)I've read a lot of the tips stating to get there get on Kingda Ka and El Toro first and then work the way through the park. Any other tips for movement?

 

7) Flash passes, I know gold is pricey but worth it. Is the regular one worth it? As I understand it it tells when to come back, you wait just as long as everyone else you just don't do it in line. When you come back is there still a wait (haven't seen much about what happenes when its actually you time to ride and what the process is then)

 

Any help is greatly appreciated thank for your time.

 

Jer

[sfgadviperboi]

1) The first two weekends in Sept are fine. I would avoid the park though as soon as Fright Fest begins. That is when the real crowds return.

 

2/3) 25mph but there now is rumor the ride might not even reopen until end of August if at all this season.

 

4) 15.00 unless you have a Season Pass to another SF park then it is free

 

5) Sundays in August are mild-moderate. It is the heat usually that keeps the park free of crowds in mid-late August.

 

6) I would do Superman due to capacity, then Toro, Kingda Ka (line generally is not bad if 4 trains run), Bizarro, Batman, Nitro, GASM, Dark Knight, RMT.

 

7) I doubt you will need a flash pass that time of year but if you did the regular pass is a good deal if you want to scatter around the rides. With the gold you basically just skip the line right away.

Again I doubt you will need it.

 

Enjoy the park. It has been a great season there so far. The park is clean and it seems to have a fantastic staff now.

[larrygator]

I disagree about crowds on Sundays in August, it can get real busy.

[jer1188]

1) The first two weekends in Sept are fine. I would avoid the park though as soon as Fright Fest begins. That is when the real crowds return.

 

2/3) 25mph but there now is rumor the ride might not even reopen until end of August if at all this season.

 

4) 15.00 unless you have a Season Pass to another SF park then it is free

 

5) Sundays in August are mild-moderate. It is the heat usually that keeps the park free of crowds in mid-late August.

 

6) I would do Superman due to capacity, then Toro, Kingda Ka (line generally is not bad if 4 trains run), Bizarro, Batman, Nitro, GASM, Dark Knight, RMT.

 

7) I doubt you will need a flash pass that time of year but if you did the regular pass is a good deal if you want to scatter around the rides. With the gold you basically just skip the line right away.

Again I doubt you will need it.

 

Enjoy the park. It has been a great season there so far. The park is clean and it seems to have a fantastic staff now.

 

Thanks for all the great info

[CHILLERLC1]

As long as it's before Labor Day the park is still rolling daily.

[YoshiFan]

I think during the week in September will still be crowded, since it is the last week of summer vacation for most kids and people will want to get 1 last trip in.

[LBIJim]

^

The last time that Labor Day came late (2004 Sept 6), the park wasn't crowded those first few weekdays of September. We went on the Thursday before Labor Day and were pleasantly surprised by the lack of crowds. We returned Friday to find similar conditions.

 

A handful of local schools re-opened on September 1 that year, and I expect even more to do so this year. It seems some New Jersey schools no longer stick to the Wednesday or Thursday after Labor Day tradition.

 

Sorry, have no idea when and if Kingda Ka will re-open this year.

 

Of course, my experience from 5 years ago is no guarantee of crowd conditions this year the first week of September. I doubt you'll need the Q-bot, but the option is there if for some reason the park is packed. For the regular Q-bot, yes, there is usually a very short wait when you return, depending on the set-up of the return line and how many pass holders are there in front of you. Not more that 5 minutes, however. Sometimes, though, you can get on the next train. Never got a Gold one, but I suppose the same small wait will exist.

[PAL]

How about the Saturday of Labor Day weekend? It's the only time we can go. I usually avoid holiday periods, so I've already purchased Flashpasses. Since we may never get back (coming from the west coast) i'd like to pile on rerides.

[Capitalize]

On parking - I've been a few times with a pass from SFA with parking on it and half the time they'll say I still have to pay to park, other times they wave me through free of charge, so I have no idea what the actual policy is and can't recall how much it costs (15-20 is a safe bet at least).

 

I generally preferred heading towards the Nitro side of the park first so I could jump on Nitro, Batman, and all those rides at least once with little to no wait. Especially since KK opening on time with the park or at all on some days can be a gamble...

[larrygator]

How about the Saturday of Labor Day weekend? It's the only time we can go. I usually avoid holiday periods, so I've already purchased Flashpasses. Since we may never get back (coming from the west coast) i'd like to pile on rerides.

 

It will be crowded!

[cooliocody12]

Youre in luck with Kingda Ka, it's supposed to be open by the end of August is what the park has told me.

[PAL]

It will be crowded!

 

Then its a good thing I've gone with the gold flashpass. I'd rather have gone another day, but crowds or not, we can't pass up a shot at El Toro and Nitro, maybe Kingda Ka (crosses fingers).

[Mich17mak]

Hey! I don't know if you decided to go to Great Adventure early and went yet, but if you are still planning on going in September mid-week I would say you should def. go! Young kids will be in school during the week and a lot of the local young adults will be off to college by then. If you go during the week, you do noooottt need a flash pass. I always go on Fridays, and maybe it's just my luck, but I can hit all of the coasters several times, get on some flat rides, have a lunch break and go see a show...and still leave the park by 5 or 6pm. I would recommend going on El Toro first...just to wake you up

The cost of parking is $15.

About Kingda Ka...I heard that lately people who went to Six Flags have been hearing the Kingda Ka horn (the horn they used to play before the train was launched, but then they stopped b/c of noise complaints...and now supposedly they sound the horn when they launch the ride after it's been idle for awhile...) but no one had seen it test-launch yet (maybe they are just sounding the horn to PLAY WITH OUT MINDS). The rumor from one of the mechanics is that it may be up in September (late August being the earliest). I'm not sure how to answer your wind question...just try to go on a less windy day I guess (yeh, I know that doesn't answer your question, sorry).

Sundays in August shouldn't be too bad, the later in August the better and check to see if there are any concerts the day you go (they draw a bit of a crowd) - but if you could go on a weekday, do that.

 

My tip is to NOT go on Superman at the beginning of the day - it's one of the first rides in the park, so the line is always long (when I go, the line will be an hour or more in the morning..then I'll check back around 3 or 4pm, and the wait will be 25 minutes). It's not really worth the wait, so go on it later in the day.

Also, Nitro's line moves incredibly fast. They usually run all 3 trains, and each train holds rows of 4 people, so even if you are at the 60 minute wait marker, it won't take anywhere near that time (actually, I find that all of their signs are exaggerated).

Great Am. Scream Machine never has a line.

I would also go on Skull Mountain/The Dark Knight during the hottest part of the day just to get out of the sun

 

And about the gold/regular flash pass...don't get it if you go during the week. My brother and I always laugh at people who pay a lot for those passes when the lines end up being 10-15 minutes long for most of the coasters. Maybe we just happen to go on light days (which I cannot believe is my luck), but I don't think it's worth it...unless you want to ride on El Toro all day (Batman the Ride also has a long wait, esp for the 1st row so it may be worth it for that).

 

Have a great time! Let us know how it turned out!!

[The Bebes]

SFGAdv's hours on that first week of September has them closing at 8pm, instead of the 10pm that they close thru most of the summer. The reason for that: They don't expect to be very crowded, even for a weekday.

 

DON'T choose a Sunday over a weekday if you have a choice!

 

When we were there in June, most rides were walk-ons or short waits with the following exceptions:

Kingda Ka: 1hr (3 trains)

Bizarro: 1hr (2 trains)

Superman : 25min (2 trains)

El Toro: 20min (2 trains)

Dark Knight: We hit it first thing (5min), but it gets a pretty good line because of slow loading / poor capacity.

 

My suggestion: Hit Ka, El Toro, and Bizarro first; Then work your way back around the park hitting Dark Knight & Superman last

 

Also, Kingda Ka was horribly rough in the back seat. Sit near the front.

Try El Toro in different seats. Front & Back are totally different.

 

-Mr. Bebe

 

NOTE: Check out our Trip Report by clicking the banner below if you want some decriptions and opinions of the rides.