Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[gerstlaueringvar]

Either way, I don't care about the atomosphere or theming unless it goes extremely bad like some Chinese parks. Six Flags decided to put more money on their budget to rides instead of putting more money into theming. That's why Six Flags have a lot of kick-ass rides instead of something like HRRR and Space Mountain.

[coasterbill]

I noticed that in your signature you said that Silver Dollar City is your favorite park. If you "don't care about atmosphere or theming" then why would that be? There are a lot of parks with better coasters.

[robbalvey]

If you truly have a vendetta against Great Adventure and their operations/clientele/atmosphere, then quit spending your money there and take trips to other parks instead. No point in doing business with a park that makes you unhappy right?

 

Nobody's forcing you to go and I'm fine with one less person in line for Toro and Ka.

THIS!

[robbalvey]

I noticed that in your signature you said that Silver Dollar City is your favorite park. If you "don't care about atmosphere or theming" then why would that be? There are a lot of parks with better coasters.

Here. I will answer for him. I don't care about atmosphere and theming most of the time either, but DisneySea and Epcot are my favorite two parks. I think what Yin means, and this is my feeling as well, is, "I don't care about atmosphere and theming as it doesn't apply to MOST parks, but when it does, it means everything, but when it doesn't, as long as a park has an AWESOME AWESOME selection of rides, I don't care about atmosphere and theming."

 

At a park like Silver Dollar City. They have both. Outlaw Run, Wildfire, Powder Keg are arguabley some of the best in their class, the park is a pleasure to be at, and the staff is amazingly nice.

 

Do I wish that Six Flags Great Adventure had all that too? Sure, of course. But they have El Toro and a bunch of other rides I like there also. Do I put Six Flags Great Adventure above Silver Dollar City? No. But does the fact that they DON'T have any atmopshere and theming bother me (and don't try to tell me they do, because they don't.) No.

 

I like the park for what it is. And it's not a park that *needs* atmosphere and theming for me to have repeat visits there.

 

That's what I think Yin means by his signature. Not sure why you felt the need to call him out on it.

 

--Robb

Edited December 6, 2013 by robbalvey

[coasterbill]

I didn't really mean to "call him out", I was really just asking a question. Sorry if it came off as abrasive, it wasn't the intention.

[rcjp]

I noticed that in your signature you said that Silver Dollar City is your favorite park. If you "don't care about atmosphere or theming" then why would that be? There are a lot of parks with better coasters.

Here. I will answer for him. I don't care about atmosphere and theming most of the time either, but DisneySea and Epcot are my favorite two parks. I think what Yin means, and this is my feeling as well, is, "I don't care about atmosphere and theming as it doesn't apply to MOST parks, but when it does, it means everything, but when it doesn't, as long as a park has an AWESOME AWESOME selection of rides, I don't care about atmosphere and theming."

 

At a park like Silver Dollar City. They have both. Outlaw Run, Wildfire, Powder Keg are arguabley some of the best in their class, the park is a pleasure to be at, and the staff is amazingly nice.

 

Do I wish that Six Flags Great Adventure had all that too? Sure, of course. But they have El Toro and a bunch of other rides I like there also. Do I put Six Flags Great Adventure above Silver Dollar City? No. But does the fact that they DON'T have any atmopshere and theming bother me (and don't try to tell me they do, because they don't.) No.

 

I like the park for what it is. And it's not a park that *needs* atmosphere and theming for me to have repeat visits there.

 

That's what I think Yin means by his signature. Not sure why you felt the need to call him out on it.

 

--Robb

This. Perfectly said.

[netdvn]

It happens that El Toro is my #1 ride overall, if there was somewhere else I could go to ride it, trust me, I would. Nitro and Batman also make it worth the trip. But I have no problem with their clientele, read through my posts and you'll find I never even made a sarcastic crack about it being located in Jersey. The problem isn't the people that go there, the problem is the behemoth corporation that takes their money for granted and repeatedly reinforces the idea that the park means nothing more to them than a giant dirt field upon which to place rides and queue lines. The only reason I have such resentment towards Six Flags is I LOVE Great Adventure, or at least I did, some of my happiest childhood memories belong there. I care about it much more than Six Flags ever could, and they treat it like crap.

 

Again, it seems that you have a personal vendetta against the park. If the park makes you upset THAT much, just stay away from it. By giving them your money, you're kinda reinforcing their idea of plopping rides down without a care in the world. If you still insist on visiting (even with Toro, Nitro, Ka, Batman, etc), then you really just have to suck it up, even with all its flaws.

 

If Knoebels makes you that much happier, just skip the SF season passes and go up there instead.

 

- D, I'll probably say the same about people hating on Magic Mountain too.

[A.J.]

^ Lets not forget the abandoned Old Country...

...abandoned Old Country...

Honestly, the first time I visited Six Flags Great Adventure was in 2012. For that reason I have no idea what that area is, nor do I particularly care about the heritage behind it.

[GwaziBSRider1]

^ Same here. I actually really enjoyed my visit to the park last year. There were some places that weren't the greatest looking, but what park doesn't have that. I loved Great Adventure, and I'd love to go back again.

[coasterfreak101]

I just fail to see the point in complaining about Six Flags' methods. There are very, very clearly two trains of thought on how to spend in the coaster industry: there's the Disney/Universal model that companies like Herschend and even the Knoebel and Koch families follow on a smaller scale (quality, not quanity) and there's the Six Flags/Cedar Fair model that big chains follow because it's the easiest way to dole out attractions year after year (quantity, not quality).

 

It's fine to prefer the Disney method - I'm pretty sure most people do. But that's a model that really only applies to vacation destinations that can afford to spend three years building a new Fantasyland because they know the rest of the multiple parks they run next door can appease people until that new addition is done. It doesn't apply to places that want to break records, because records aren't going to wait while you spend $80+ million to develop Midway Mania. People who go to Disney don't want a field of roller coasters, but judging by the fact that Six Flags has pulled themselves out of bankruptcy and is turning a profit on their parks full of thrills rather than extensive theming, clearly people are willing to pay for that. Hell, Magic Mountain probably has the worst atmosphere of any park I've ever been to, but that doesn't mean those rides don't have 2-hour lines all summer.

 

Six Flags might treat Great Adventure not like the nice, nostalgic place that some remember, but I guarantee they're not failing when it comes to keeping that place well-attended and a destination for even the most coaster-ignorant of people (the tallest roller coaster in the world?? I've gotta go there!). And if that's how Six Flags can make its money, then everyone can either accept it and go ride some world-class roller coasters or save up their money instead of buying a season pass and take a vacation to Orlando.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I noticed that in your signature you said that Silver Dollar City is your favorite park. If you "don't care about atmosphere or theming" then why would that be? There are a lot of parks with better coasters.

Here. I will answer for him. I don't care about atmosphere and theming most of the time either, but DisneySea and Epcot are my favorite two parks. I think what Yin means, and this is my feeling as well, is, "I don't care about atmosphere and theming as it doesn't apply to MOST parks, but when it does, it means everything, but when it doesn't, as long as a park has an AWESOME AWESOME selection of rides, I don't care about atmosphere and theming."

 

At a park like Silver Dollar City. They have both. Outlaw Run, Wildfire, Powder Keg are arguabley some of the best in their class, the park is a pleasure to be at, and the staff is amazingly nice.

 

Do I wish that Six Flags Great Adventure had all that too? Sure, of course. But they have El Toro and a bunch of other rides I like there also. Do I put Six Flags Great Adventure above Silver Dollar City? No. But does the fact that they DON'T have any atmopshere and theming bother me (and don't try to tell me they do, because they don't.) No.

 

I like the park for what it is. And it's not a park that *needs* atmosphere and theming for me to have repeat visits there.

 

That's what I think Yin means by his signature. Not sure why you felt the need to call him out on it.

 

--Robb

How could I have a better answer? It is exactly what I mean.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I just fail to see the point in complaining about Six Flags' methods. There are very, very clearly two trains of thought on how to spend in the coaster industry: there's the Disney/Universal model that companies like Herschend and even the Knoebel and Koch families follow on a smaller scale (quality, not quanity) and there's the Six Flags/Cedar Fair model that big chains follow because it's the easiest way to dole out attractions year after year (quantity, not quality).

 

It's fine to prefer the Disney method - I'm pretty sure most people do. But that's a model that really only applies to vacation destinations that can afford to spend three years building a new Fantasyland because they know the rest of the multiple parks they run next door can appease people until that new addition is done. It doesn't apply to places that want to break records, because records aren't going to wait while you spend $80+ million to develop Midway Mania. People who go to Disney don't want a field of roller coasters, but judging by the fact that Six Flags has pulled themselves out of bankruptcy and is turning a profit on their parks full of thrills rather than extensive theming, clearly people are willing to pay for that. Hell, Magic Mountain probably has the worst atmosphere of any park I've ever been to, but that doesn't mean those rides don't have 2-hour lines all summer.

 

Six Flags might treat Great Adventure not like the nice, nostalgic place that some remember, but I guarantee they're not failing when it comes to keeping that place well-attended and a destination for even the most coaster-ignorant of people (the tallest roller coaster in the world?? I've gotta go there!). And if that's how Six Flags can make its money, then everyone can either accept it and go ride some world-class roller coasters or save up their money instead of buying a season pass and take a vacation to Orlando.

 

 

 

Being like Disney? You mean having stuff closed and not repaired for years on end, focusing on non-theme-park properties, and not adding rides? I'd stick with Universal method of adding rides and attractions and non-theme-park properties.

[netdvn]

I have no idea what Disney park you're visiting (unless you're talking about Disneyland and the unusable People Mover track), but considering the park that this thread is devoted to has an entire area closed off and neglected, I fail to see your point.

 

And SF has had a history of closing off and neglecting a ton of their rides (Kentucky Kingdom, Flashback, Great American Raceway, etc). I'm pretty sure the chain has gotten better with keeping their rides up and running in recent years with less focus on neglected rides/areas, but faulting Disney for something SF has done far worse is unfair.

[yankeeman311]

Being a GAdv season pass holder for the last 5 years I think I can add to this discussion.

 

First of all GAdv has A LOT more competition than BGW. They have Dorney, Knoebels, Wildwood, several other Jersey boardwalks, Coney Island, Lake Compounce, NYC and Philly to compete with. BGW really just has KD and DC with maybe Virginia Beach. But they also have more people in the area.

 

I believe GAdv is an above average park. I've been here on slow days plenty of times and 95% of the time I've seen multiple train operation. Also their coaster collection is tough to beat with having the Big 3 and all of them being very high-profile coasters. Flat rides have been a problem but over the past 3 years they've added Bumper Cars, SkyScreamer, Safari Off-Road Adventure and Zumanjaro to help with that. Nevertheless, GAdv admittedly does have 2-3 big holes in their park they need to fix. But they have the cheapest season pass for what you get.

 

We have to remember GAdv is an AMUSEMENT park so we can't compare it to Disney or Uni. Hell not even BGW. GAdv worries more about their rides then the theming for them which I really don't have a problem with because of the quality of coasters there. I think what Robb said before is completely accurate. We don't care about theming in amusement parks because the rides make up for it but when it's there, it's spectacular. They're just 2 different ways of operating a park and some people just prefer one to the other or can enjoy both equally. As for me I enjoy both but love parks like Hershey the most that can pull off both.

[Dr. M]

It happens that El Toro is my #1 ride overall, if there was somewhere else I could go to ride it, trust me, I would. Nitro and Batman also make it worth the trip. But I have no problem with their clientele, read through my posts and you'll find I never even made a sarcastic crack about it being located in Jersey. The problem isn't the people that go there, the problem is the behemoth corporation that takes their money for granted and repeatedly reinforces the idea that the park means nothing more to them than a giant dirt field upon which to place rides and queue lines. The only reason I have such resentment towards Six Flags is I LOVE Great Adventure, or at least I did, some of my happiest childhood memories belong there. I care about it much more than Six Flags ever could, and they treat it like crap.

 

Again, it seems that you have a personal vendetta against the park. If the park makes you upset THAT much, just stay away from it. By giving them your money, you're kinda reinforcing their idea of plopping rides down without a care in the world. If you still insist on visiting (even with Toro, Nitro, Ka, Batman, etc), then you really just have to suck it up, even with all its flaws.

 

Why do that when complaining on the internet is so much fun? Also, no SF season passes for me thanks, and I go to Knoebels way more often than SFGA.

 

To me, there's "great park that doesn't care about theming", Cedar Point and most CF parks would fall under that category. Then there's "ugly, fractured park that doesn't care about theming", and that's SFGA. Not every park needs to be Disney, but yes, IMO every park needs to put a bare minimum of effort towards keeping their park a nice place to walk around in.

[robbalvey]

How could I have a better answer? It is exactly what I mean.

Ha! See. I knew I "got" you!

[robbalvey]

I just fail to see the point in complaining about Six Flags' methods. There are very, very clearly two trains of thought on how to spend in the coaster industry: there's the Disney/Universal model that companies like Herschend and even the Knoebel and Koch families follow on a smaller scale (quality, not quanity) and there's the Six Flags/Cedar Fair model that big chains follow because it's the easiest way to dole out attractions year after year (quantity, not quality).

Here's why I think people complain about Six Flags...

 

Anyone who has followed this business for any length of time (5 years or more) has seen Six Flags go from high highs to low lows, back up again, back down again, etc, etc...

 

I can't think of any other US chain who has had such contrasts in direction that comes all the way from it's most senior management.

 

We've all seen the "good years" at Six Flags, and I'll be honest, they were actually pretty decent. What we are seeing now is a shadow of their former self. Some years are better than others, but it hasn't been "great" in recent years.

 

People complain because all the want is for Six Flags to be "decent" again. They aren't asking for the parks to be Disney or Universal, we just want them to "suck a little bit less" than they have in the past couple of years.

 

I've had some of my worst experiences with Six Flags in 2012 and 2013 and I'm spending upwards of $100,000 with this company! I have every right to be pissed and complain!!! And so do the people who walk in spending $20 or $50. At the end of the day, we spend our money at the places that we feel we get the most value out of. I *like* Six Flags, but I used to like them a lot more. And all I want is to go back to that. I want to be able to like them more than I do right now.

 

And because everything is cyclical, I'm sure we'll eventually see another buy-out, another wave of senior management, and another change for hopefully better in the near future.

 

That's why people complain about Six Flags and I fully agree with it.

 

--Robb

[alilstronger]

Being a GAdv season pass holder for the last 5 years I think I can add to this discussion.

 

First of all GAdv has A LOT more competition than BGW. They have Dorney, Knoebels, Wildwood, several other Jersey boardwalks, Coney Island, Lake Compounce, NYC and Philly to compete with. BGW really just has KD and DC with maybe Virginia Beach. But they also have more people in the area.

 

I believe GAdv is an above average park. I've been here on slow days plenty of times and 95% of the time I've seen multiple train operation. Also their coaster collection is tough to beat with having the Big 3 and all of them being very high-profile coasters. Flat rides have been a problem but over the past 3 years they've added Bumper Cars, SkyScreamer, Safari Off-Road Adventure and Zumanjaro to help with that. Nevertheless, GAdv admittedly does have 2-3 big holes in their park they need to fix. But they have the cheapest season pass for what you get.

 

We have to remember GAdv is an AMUSEMENT park so we can't compare it to Disney or Uni. Hell not even BGW. GAdv worries more about their rides then the theming for them which I really don't have a problem with because of the quality of coasters there. I think what Robb said before is completely accurate. We don't care about theming in amusement parks because the rides make up for it but when it's there, it's spectacular. They're just 2 different ways of operating a park and some people just prefer one to the other or can enjoy both equally. As for me I enjoy both but love parks like Hershey the most that can pull off both.

 

I just fail to see the point in complaining about Six Flags' methods. There are very, very clearly two trains of thought on how to spend in the coaster industry: there's the Disney/Universal model that companies like Herschend and even the Knoebel and Koch families follow on a smaller scale (quality, not quanity) and there's the Six Flags/Cedar Fair model that big chains follow because it's the easiest way to dole out attractions year after year (quantity, not quality).

Here's why I think people complain about Six Flags...

 

Anyone who has followed this business for any length of time (5 years or more) has seen Six Flags go from high highs to low lows, back up again, back down again, etc, etc...

 

I can't think of any other US chain who has had such contrasts in direction that comes all the way from it's most senior management.

 

We've all seen the "good years" at Six Flags, and I'll be honest, they were actually pretty decent. What we are seeing now is a shadow of their former self. Some years are better than others, but it hasn't been "great" in recent years.

 

People complain because all the want is for Six Flags to be "decent" again. They aren't asking for the parks to be Disney or Universal, we just want them to "suck a little bit less" than they have in the past couple of years.

 

I've had some of my worst experiences with Six Flags in 2012 and 2013 and I'm spending upwards of $100,000 with this company! I have every right to be pissed and complain!!! And so do the people who walk in spending $20 or $50. At the end of the day, we spend our money at the places that we feel we get the most value out of. I *like* Six Flags, but I used to like them a lot more. And all I want is to go back to that. I want to be able to like them more than I do right now.

 

And because everything is cyclical, I'm sure we'll eventually see another buy-out, another wave of senior management, and another change for hopefully better in the near future.

 

That's why people complain about Six Flags and I fully agree with it.

 

--Robb

 

I actually agree with both points here. When I go to any Six Flags park I know I am not going to a theme park, I am going to an amusement park. There is a difference in my opinion. This park has an amazing coaster collection and honestly that is what MOST of go to the parks for. Not many people say I can not wait to ride EVERY flat in a park. At least I have never heard that before.

 

Robb is right in my opinion. I like Six Flags, but I also used to like them a lot more. My little Six Flags America has come A LONG way in the past few seasons and I love the changes honestly. I have been a season pass hold for Six Flags for 5+ years now and I have seen many differences over the years at both SFGAdven and SFA.

 

The only thing I would change is drop the super hero thing. I loved the feel of Great Escape because it does not feel generic.

[GigaG]

I just fail to see the point in complaining about Six Flags' methods. There are very, very clearly two trains of thought on how to spend in the coaster industry: there's the Disney/Universal model that companies like Herschend and even the Knoebel and Koch families follow on a smaller scale (quality, not quanity) and there's the Six Flags/Cedar Fair model that big chains follow because it's the easiest way to dole out attractions year after year (quantity, not quality).

 

It's fine to prefer the Disney method - I'm pretty sure most people do. But that's a model that really only applies to vacation destinations that can afford to spend three years building a new Fantasyland because they know the rest of the multiple parks they run next door can appease people until that new addition is done. It doesn't apply to places that want to break records, because records aren't going to wait while you spend $80+ million to develop Midway Mania. People who go to Disney don't want a field of roller coasters, but judging by the fact that Six Flags has pulled themselves out of bankruptcy and is turning a profit on their parks full of thrills rather than extensive theming, clearly people are willing to pay for that. Hell, Magic Mountain probably has the worst atmosphere of any park I've ever been to, but that doesn't mean those rides don't have 2-hour lines all summer.

 

Six Flags might treat Great Adventure not like the nice, nostalgic place that some remember, but I guarantee they're not failing when it comes to keeping that place well-attended and a destination for even the most coaster-ignorant of people (the tallest roller coaster in the world?? I've gotta go there!). And if that's how Six Flags can make its money, then everyone can either accept it and go ride some world-class roller coasters or save up their money instead of buying a season pass and take a vacation to Orlando.

 

I don't think Cedar Fair subscribes to the quantity thing anymore, but not the Disney model either. Kind of a cross - they build huge record breaking rides, but spend long times between them to make improvements. They used to be like SF is now.

[Hercules]

People just like to complain. It seems to be the majority of human nature. I can't stand it. Just be happy. If you don't like something, then don't frequent it. It isn't going to change.

[cal1br3tto]

Here's why I think people complain about Six Flags...

 

Anyone who has followed this business for any length of time (5 years or more) has seen Six Flags go from high highs to low lows, back up again, back down again, etc, etc...

 

I can't think of any other US chain who has had such contrasts in direction that comes all the way from it's most senior management.

 

We've all seen the "good years" at Six Flags, and I'll be honest, they were actually pretty decent. What we are seeing now is a shadow of their former self. Some years are better than others, but it hasn't been "great" in recent years.

 

People complain because all the want is for Six Flags to be "decent" again. They aren't asking for the parks to be Disney or Universal, we just want them to "suck a little bit less" than they have in the past couple of years.

 

...

Robb, I was just thinking about this, and I completely agree with you. I've noticed several Six Flags parks going through at least two, and often three "phases" within just the last few years, apparently due to management changes. It seems like quite a few went from being overlooked or widely derided, to being loved or even unexpected "darlings"...and back to being lackluster or even hated once again. The lack of consistency is frustrating.

[XYZ]

Being like Disney? You mean having stuff closed and not repaired for years on end, focusing on non-theme-park properties, and not adding rides? I'd stick with Universal method of adding rides and attractions and non-theme-park properties.

 

 

------------

 

I just fail to see the point in complaining about Six Flags' methods. There are very, very clearly two trains of thought on how to spend in the coaster industry: there's the Disney/Universal model that companies like Herschend and even the Knoebel and Koch families follow on a smaller scale (quality, not quanity) and there's the Six Flags/Cedar Fair model that big chains follow because it's the easiest way to dole out attractions year after year (quantity, not quality).

Here's why I think people complain about Six Flags...

 

Anyone who has followed this business for any length of time (5 years or more) has seen Six Flags go from high highs to low lows, back up again, back down again, etc, etc...

 

I can't think of any other US chain who has had such contrasts in direction that comes all the way from it's most senior management.

 

We've all seen the "good years" at Six Flags, and I'll be honest, they were actually pretty decent. What we are seeing now is a shadow of their former self. Some years are better than others, but it hasn't been "great" in recent years.

 

People complain because all the want is for Six Flags to be "decent" again. They aren't asking for the parks to be Disney or Universal, we just want them to "suck a little bit less" than they have in the past couple of years.

 

I've had some of my worst experiences with Six Flags in 2012 and 2013 and I'm spending upwards of $100,000 with this company! I have every right to be pissed and complain!!! And so do the people who walk in spending $20 or $50. At the end of the day, we spend our money at the places that we feel we get the most value out of. I *like* Six Flags, but I used to like them a lot more. And all I want is to go back to that. I want to be able to like them more than I do right now.

 

And because everything is cyclical, I'm sure we'll eventually see another buy-out, another wave of senior management, and another change for hopefully better in the near future.

 

That's why people complain about Six Flags and I fully agree with it.

 

--Robb

 

I 100% agree with this. The reason why I complain about SFMM so much is because I really want it to be great.

[Vonni]

Where was the Haunted Castle located?

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

^^This. All our gripes and moans are for what we hope could better the parks and get them to their former glory.

[kidcoaster 2]

Where was the Haunted Castle located?

 

From what I gathered it seemed it was in or near Movie Town.