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Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread


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I got to go behind the scenes on KK and RT yesterday and heard/saw a couple things: One reason the Queue for Zumanjaro wouldn't go in the middle of KK was the New Jersey State Ride Inspectors won't allow a queue to go under KK anymore (hence the moving of KK's Queue a while back). Also, I'm curious to see what they do to the area below KK's tower. The Hydraulics' Room is really close and doesn't offer much room (not to mention the amount of support infrastructure for said room is very closre to the front of the tower, as well as cluttered and visually unappealing. (I'm sure/hopeful they have a plan for that).

 

As for RT, they didn't fully discount the idea of somehow it being salvaged, but "in all likelihood it will be demolished due to the sheer amount of time, work and money it would take to do so and {they} can't foresee anyone offering to cover the cost of that."

(That was from a Rides Supervisor, no Dippin' Dots to be found in his possession...unless he was hiding them.)

690302697_IMG_20130908_1534231.thumb.jpg.4ffd1b1f3e7fcf2302209fa30e8829a2.jpg

Doesn't show what i was talking about, but i liked it anyway...

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@UltimateReally, I don't see any point of Rolling Thunder being demolished. The entrance and queue of Zumanjaro could be in the middle of Kingda Ka.

 

Have you ever been to Great Adventure? The area between RT and Kingda Ka is cramped.

 

If they weren't removing RT then Kingda Ka's queue would probably have to be completely redone. The snack stand by the entrance would have to go, and the lockers would have to be moved.

 

I liked Rolling Thunder, but it wasn't great, and it isn't anything to cry over.

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It will be sad when Rolling Thunder leaves the park. WIkipedia says either another park will buy it, or Dun dun DUUUUUUNNNNN!!!! it will be DEMOLISHED

 

And what is the purpose of your post.

I'm sure not if you are aware but pretty much every coaster is eventually demolished or moved to (bought buy) another park after it closes.

 

 

 

@UltimateReally, I don't see any point of Rolling Thunder being demolished. The entrance and queue of Zumanjaro could be in the middle of Kingda Ka.

 

Have you ever been to Great Adventure? The area between RT and Kingda Ka is cramped.

 

If they weren't removing RT then Kingda Ka's queue would probably have to be completely redone. The snack stand by the entrance would have to go, and the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo would have to be moved.

 

 

The area between Rolling Thunder and Kingda Ka was a path was doable. Rolling Thunder isn't being demolished solely to create a path for Zumanajaro, something will fill the area in the future.

Edited by larrygator
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I am going to miss Rolling Thunder just due to the face I use to operate it when I worked for the park.

Coaster was also a classic. The way it worked and the fundamentals of the ride are quite unique and there truly isn't many left of RT's breed.

 

It was a great ride when it wanted to be. It had it's days. Most of the time it really wasn't the track to blame for the bumpiness of the ride, but rather the old school PTC trains.

 

RIP Coaster.

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I expect a wing coaster to fill the old spot of Rolling Thunder.

 

 

Great Adventure doesn't have enough B&M coasters ...

 

(/sarcasm)

 

Whatever they do to this section I hope they keep the naturalness of this area as intact as possible -- there's already enough blaring beat music and high fructose corn syrup vending stations elsewhere, perhaps they could theme the path to mid-Atlantic forest.

 

It would be nice to have a path from Toro to Kingda Ka and also some sort of display for the drop tower queue explaining, in basic terms, what is in the weird building next to Ka's tower (the launch motor) and the amount of people energy it takes to keep the thing running. I'd prefer that to cartoon character cutouts of some comic book story, it might resonate with some of the customers, especially those who've been on Ka and wonder how it works.

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I went to this park yesterday so I'm going to post a mini-tr:

 

This was my 2nd visit to the park, the last being two years ago not long after a tropical storm struck the area, and this time the weather was greatly improved (beautiful, sunny and low humidity, as opposed to dreary, muggy and wet). Luckily I didn't feel the need to ride every coaster since I had gotten all but two of them on my last trip, so I could concentrate on riding the ones I liked.

I got a morning ride on Nitro, that was a bit slower than usual, but still a lot of fun. This time I rode in the back seat. I still think that Nitro is one of the best B&M hypers I've ever been on. I also took a ride on Batman, and it wasn't as rough as I remember it being (perhaps lends some credibility to the notion that the weather can affect even steel coasters, but it also could have been because my back was killing me all during my trip two years ago, and I got a reprieve from that yesterday), even though I rode twice in the back seat (both times in one of the center seats, which are always a bit better than the outer ones, at least for comfort, IMO). I passed on the boring boxed wild mouse while I was over in that part of the park, as I already had that credit.

 

I also rode the Runaway Mine Train, (red train, which one of my riding companions told me was much better than the blue) and it wasn't as jerky or bumpy as I recalled. I rode towards the front on that one.

 

Then I finally (barely) got my first ride on KK, which was closed due to a lightning strike when I last visited. For some odd reason, the entire ride seemed to not be any larger (and in some ways, smaller) than TTD. I think that KK might not appear as tall or long to me because of all the trees in and around the park, whereas at CP, there are only some small trees around and it's more open. The line was only a little past the overhead exit walkway, but the line soon stopped moving and I noticed they were taking one of the two trains off the track and moving it to the other side. So then it was one train operation from then on (later during the day, the other train was put back on at some point), but then the train got stuck back where enters the station, and they had to get a technician out to look at it and get it running again, which took about 15 minutes, so I ended up waiting about 34-40 mins, even though the line was quite short.

It felt weird riding KK because I have ridden TTD so many times, and it was odd to not have the grandstand and "Christmas tree" lights (and also seeing lake Erie from the top).

The launch seemed to set itself up quicker on KK (for some reason it seems more drawn out on TTD, but maybe that's just an illusion), and also it seemed to pack less punch. On this first ride I sat in the first seat of the 2nd car, but I did notice it was a bit rougher than TTD. It also seemed to crest the top more quickly as I barely had time to take in the scenery (this also could be because I didn't get to ride the front seat). The descent on the other side was perhaps the best part, and the camel back did nothing for me. Sadly I found KK to be a bit anti-climactic, which is likely due to me being so much more familiar with TTD.

I also rode it later in the evening, and I think I sat a little further back, and it was uncomfortably rattly and rough, so I really didn't enjoy my last ride of the day the way I had hoped. But I'm glad I got the credit - for me it was #201.

 

I also took the Skyway across the park a couple of times to get some pics (will probably add them here later on).

 

Then I got some pizza for lunch, which was pretty decent, and it was a nice, big slice for $6.

 

Later on, I rode Bizzaro, in one of the center back seats, and this also wasn't as rough and jittery as I remember it being. It could also be because those awful speakers are gone. I think I still like Dominator better, but then again, it may be because I'm more familiar with Dominator.

 

Later that evening I got a funnel cake to carry me thru the rest of the day, and unfortunately I can never eat a whole funnel cake, so I ended up sharing with my three riding companions.

 

And of course I wasn't going to pass on El Toro - I got roughly 5 rides (didn't count, just guessing) on my favorite woodie, including two in the back (those two back seat rides almost wore me out!). I also got a couple of middle of the train rides, which were easier for my body to handle, but not quite as forceful. I had forgotten (not sure how!) about that one hill near the end where you are slammed with "rip you out of your seat" airtime. That was really something in the back seat. The only bad thing about El Toro (for me, that is) is because I'm short (especially my torso), the restraints hit me right under the rib cage (noticed on taller people that it hits them more in the lower abdomen or lap), which is uncomfortable (probably shouldn't have had that funnel cake!). And made even more so by the ride ops on El Toro, who are dedicated staplers. If the restraints sat lower on my torso, I would probably be good for more re-rides. I know people complain about Skyrush and its restraints, but in some ways I have more trouble with re-rideability on El Toro than Skyrush (which for some reason I get a pass on - maybe shortness is a blessing rather than a curse on that ride - I swear Intamin must optimize their restraints for a six foot tall man of average build - except for Skyrush!) But anyway, even though I can only do a few laps, El Toro remains my #1 woodie.

 

Finally I got the chance to get my last credit, which I passed on the last time I was at the park. So Rolling Thunder was #202, and I said hello and goodbye to it that evening. I got two rides, one in the first seat of the 2nd car, and the other in the first seat of the 3rd car. Actually RT was no where near as bad as I thought it would be (honestly HP's Wildcat was far worse earlier this year), and I actually managed to get a tiny bit of airtime on a couple of the hills before the turn around. Yes, it was bumpy and squeaky (never heard such a weird sound on a coaster - RT certainly had a unique sound), and really rough on the turn around (slamming laterals), and I can see why it has the nicknames it does. But I didn't think it was horrible. Either way, I'm glad I got the credit before it closed.

 

So all in all a good day, crowds not too bad, beautiful weather (I also noticed that most of the rides ops were really enthusiastic) and I got in some rides on coasters I missed and those I like. I just wish I had visited this park years ago, which is rather sad for a coaster fan, since I have always lived (other than the 5 years I lived in So Cal) less than three hours from this park.

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Was anyone else there for the last rides on Rolling Thunder to it? I managed to get four rides (got to the park around 6:30) including the final public ride on the coaster.

 

So if you got there at 6:30, the park closed at 8:00 and you got 4 rides in can I safely assume that Rolling Thunder had pretty much no line at all even though it was it's last day of operation?

 

Despite the outcry on a few other coaster sites I think this is really all we need to know about why this coaster was removed.

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Was anyone else there for the last rides on Rolling Thunder to it? I managed to get four rides (got to the park around 6:30) including the final public ride on the coaster.

 

 

Thats really funny! I was also there for one of the last public rides! haha It was actually a lot smoother then it usually is.

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I got my last rides in on Saturday, while the ACE event was going on, and a handful of ACErs hanging out in the infield took my picture on the ride. Somehwere out in Internetland are pictures of me and my girlfriend in the front row, looking directly at the camera and both giving double thumbs-up.

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Was anyone else there for the last rides on Rolling Thunder to it? I managed to get four rides (got to the park around 6:30) including the final public ride on the coaster.

 

So if you got there at 6:30, the park closed at 8:00 and you got 4 rides in can I safely assume that Rolling Thunder had pretty much no line at all even though it was it's last day of operation?

 

Despite the outcry on a few other coaster sites I think this is really all we need to know about why this coaster was removed.

 

Not exactly. I waited about 30 minutes for my first ride, then when I got off, I decided to get a ride on El Toro because the line for Rolling Thunder was still roughly the same length (extending about 50 feet past the covered section). I waited about 20 minutes for a ride in the back of El Toro, then went back over to Rolling Thunder. I waited about 20 minutes this time. Most people were waiting for the front, so I took a row in the middle so I could make sure I could ride and get back around before they closed the line for good. I made it back in line around 7:55; the line was still down the staircase, with several groups lingering back letting people go ahead of them, trying to make sure they were on the last ride. Again, most people were waiting for the front, and ride-ops were not being very strict at first about making sure all rows were filled. After my second ride, park was closed, but since I was a single rider, I (along with a couple others) jumped back on, filling in some of the empty rows. I did this twice, and it just so happened that I timed it where I could be one of the lucky ones on the last ride of the night. The station was filled with employees getting ready for their turns to ride the coaster one last time.

 

It was actually a very awesome experience. People were cheering and applauding with each train returning to the station, sharing memories while waiting in the queues. Several of the supervisors traded turns on the mic hyping up the crowd one last time, getting the crowd to chant "Yeehaw!" with them. The ride-ops were very willing to take pictures of people with their phones should they request it, and even had a professional photographer taking photos of the events, who for the last train went up and down taking a photo of each row of the train on its final ride. I would've purchased mine, but I left my wallet in the car (I regret it).

 

So were there mobs of people clamoring to get to the coaster, resulting in two-hour waits with lines extending well beyond the queue's capacity? No. But it was most certainly not a desolate affair with a mere handful of riders and a couple apathetic employees treating it as any other day, then quietly flipping the "off" switch as every other park guest unknowingly strolls by. It was very much like Rolling Thunder itself: nothing too big, nothing too small, but just right, seeping with nostalgia. The park will most definitely survive without its presence, but it will be missed.

 

Please keep in mind that I'm not one of these nuts you're seeing on other forums, crying into their pillows about it or creating and signing petitions. I think it's just as asinine as you. I am, however, really happy that Rolling Thunder received a nice send-off and look forward to what Great Adventure ultimately decides to use the rest of its land for (aside from, you know, that much ballyhooed pathway to Zumanjaro).

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Saturday night at Gay Day was great! El Toro was amazing as usual! Rolling Thunder has to "know" it was going! I have always liked Rolling Thunder but I've always admitted it was rough. Saturday night was the best ride I've had on it in a long time! The straight sections were fun and not rough at all, the turnarounds were still pretty rough though. The bunny hills towards the end had some good airtime on them.

 

The event was well put together and the staff overall were very friendly throughout the park. Most of the rides were open, Kingda Ka closed at some point in the night.

 

Glad to hear that Rolling Thunder had a good send off yesterday!

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Maybe they can get RMC to make a dueling coaster to replace Rolling Thunder. One side can be intense and the other mild. That way everybody's happy.

 

Seeing as they already have El Toro, I doubt that the management nor the general public want another wooden coaster. El Toro already took up a good chunk of space of what was former Frontier Adventures land, but with the removal of Rolling Thunder, I can see the possibilities of more flat rides taking up residence in Plaza del Carnaval or the Golden Kingdom.

 

Here's quick overlay of how they could possibly use the land that I sort of made. If they decided to use the land for a purpose other than a single new roller coaster, I can see them doubling the size of Plaza del Carnaval and almost tripling the size of the Golden Kingdom in the future. I decided to keep some of the former Wild Safari land and Rolling Thunder not in the expansion, as I don't think the Golden Kingdom needs to grow THAT much.

 

Golden_Kingdom_Expansion.jpg.88c6173e4625538d589a916a986f2a39.jpg

Yellow overlay represents Plaza del Carnaval's possible expansion room, with the blue overlay representing Golden Kingdom's possible expansion room.

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Maybe they can get RMC to make a dueling coaster to replace Rolling Thunder. One side can be intense and the other mild. That way everybody's happy.

 

Seeing as they already have El Toro, I doubt that the management nor the general public want another wooden coaster. El Toro already took up a good chunk of space of what was former Frontier Adventures land, but with the removal of Rolling Thunder, I can see the possibilities of more flat rides taking up residence in Plaza del Carnaval or the Golden Kingdom.

 

Here's quick overlay of how they could possibly use the land that I sort of made. If they decided to use the land for a purpose other than a single new roller coaster, I can see them doubling the size of Plaza del Carnaval and almost tripling the size of the Golden Kingdom in the future. I decided to keep some of the former Wild Safari land and Rolling Thunder not in the expansion, as I don't think the Golden Kingdom needs to grow THAT much.

 

[attachment=0]Golden_Kingdom_Expansion.jpg[/attachment]

 

By looking at that pic I almost feel as though maybe they should've held off and added Safari Off Read Adventures after removing RT. It would fit and been a more cohesive theme if they had the tours depart from the Golden Kingdom instead of next to Bizarro.

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Hi there Great Adventurers, I'm making my first trip to the park this coming weekend (out in New York from California, decided to finally get down there), going both Friday night and Sunday during the day before flying home that night. I know more or less about the famous coasters there, that's basically why I'm going, but was wondering if there were any general tips for the park (and navigating fright fest, I'm mostly interested in just coasters, not all the Halloween stuff), and which of the coasters that I probably haven't heard of I should make sure to hit up (of course I plan to try to get on everything if I can). Sad that I missed Rolling Thunder by a week.

 

Thanks very much! Apologies for not digging through the thread and finding the other posts where you've no doubt answered similar questions

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^Outside of the coasters the park is not that exciting. The parachute drop is unique in the US as is the Vekoma Mad House (Houdini's Great Escape). The Sky Ride is worth riding and Safari Off Road Adventure is fun. The Safari Off Road Adventure takes some time, especially if you don't join the line immediately after entering the park.

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^^ First of all I highly recommend the Flash Pass.

 

If you want to do the Safari I'd suggest doing it first thing, but honestly if you only have one day there I might skip it because as cool as it is, that's valuable El Toro re-riding time. I echo what larrygator said about Houdini and the Parachutes. Houdini is really cool and you shouldn't miss it, and the Parachutes are very unique and rarely have a line. I also really enjoy Sky Screamer but it's not very unique. The log flume is pretty good too and it's pretty long.

 

As far as general tips go, I would suggest eating at Best of the West as it's probably the best food in the park (though Great Adventure really doesn't have any great food), I also recommend using the Skyride as it's a big park and the lines on the fort side are almost always shorter than the lines on the other side.

 

One last thing... I know it's going to have a long wait but ride Kingda Ka in the front row. The ride is kind of a letdown everywhere else but it's amazing in the front row. Even if it's an extra 30 minutes it's worth the wait.

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