Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[KBrylczyk]

being that America is full of obese people, coaster manufacturers should build the rides for bigger riders.

 

Or don't do that and the fatties can hit the treadmill once in a while.

[glouthan]

Also, If you can't fit in the seats, roller coasters might not be the hobby for you - it's not required!

[jetsplumber]

well as Obama says, everything should be equal for all. if skinny people can fit, fat people should fit too. it wont be long before the govt gets involved and make sure ride manufactures aren't designing rides against the obese.

[Comeagain?]

The bigger the seat, the greater the minimum "size" to be properly restrained. Seats can only hold a certain range of body proportions. Or add extra weight and complexity to add more flexibility to the restraint systems.

[Password121]

well as Obama says, everything should be equal for all. if skinny people can fit, fat people should fit too. it wont be long before the govt gets involved and make sure ride manufactures aren't designing rides against the obese.

Yes, the seats are the same for everyone. Fat people shouldn't be priveleged with special accommodations. Not completely sure what you're arguing here.

[larrygator]

well as Obama says, everything should be equal for all. if skinny people can fit, fat people should fit too. it wont be long before the govt gets involved and make sure ride manufactures aren't designing rides against the obese.

 

He is a president not a dictator. People do not have to agree with every elected official.

 

 

Moderator Hat on: And let's keep politics out of the discussion, this is a theme park website and we are not in the habit of supporting flame wars generated by politics.

 

We are all here to discuss and debate the amusement park industry.

[rcjp]

being that America is full of obese people, coaster manufacturers should build the rides for bigger riders.

Or the obese people can stop being unhealthy to fit in a train that is designed for people to fit in. Not trying to be mean, but not fitting in a seat that everyone easily can should be a wake up call.

Also, B&M does this on many coasters.

Also not wanting to be mean I have to say I agree. Sometimes life may be unfair and if, for instance, you don't have a good eyesight you can't do things like being a fighter pilot. On top of that, while it may not be easy, it is possible to lose weight when some other "problems" (like the one I just mentioned) can't be solved. There will always be a limited range of body sizes a seat can accommodate and I'm sure that manufacturers take the average size into account. If you wanted to make all the seats in a ride able to accommodate very large people then thinner people couldn't ride (and you wouldn't force them to put on weight)

[El Toro_Ryan]

I was kinda disappointed with Great Adventure this morning.

 

The El Toro crew at opening was terrible... Stacking for a long time every cycle. It also seemed that every single cycle they had to recheck at least one car. The Bizarro crew was just as bad. I do not understand why they start the ride every day with three trains even though it never has a line for the first couple hours and always double stacks. This morning they were filling the trains less than half full about an hour after opening. Why not take a train or two off so that the trains don't stack for as long?

 

I also saw drugs being used in one of the bathrooms... Classy.

 

On a positive note, Batman was running amazing as usual. It's hard to believe that ride is 21 years old. Zumanjaro is looking great! A path leading to the ride has been poured. The entrance is right by the Kingda Ka entrance and the path runs right along where Rolling Thunder's return run used to be. You can see it while riding El Toro.

 

I work at El Toro haha Sorry for our slowness. If there wasn't a such thing as McDonalds, we'd be pumping trains out. Usually things are slower in the beginning of the season because everyone's in a sweatshirt and that usually complicates the situation with people who don't fit since sweatshirts add just a little to a person's bulk. Trust me though, we do have capacity in mind and we push for high numbers but guests not fitting in the seats does slow down our speed greatly.

[OrlandoGuy]

well as Obama says, everything should be equal for all. if skinny people can fit, fat people should fit too. it wont be long before the govt gets involved and make sure ride manufactures aren't designing rides against the obese.

Yes, the seats are the same for everyone. Fat people shouldn't be priveleged with special accommodations. Not completely sure what you're arguing here.

 

Exactly. And at the end of the day, people can control being overweight. I dont see the need for parks to change how they do things/how people enjoy then to accomodate someones choice.

[DevilsFlight]

^Actually I'm slightly overweight and I cant help it. My metabolism isn't working properly. So in some cases obesity isn't a choice

[rcjp]

^You're right, in some cases it isn't a choice. But I also know people who are overweight and don't really seem to care. When I was younger I was slightly overweight, but then I decided I would lose some. It might not have been easy at first, but I'm perfectly fit now.

Still, it is true that it is not always as simple as that. Nonetheless, like said earlier, there are some things which you can't control that, like it or not, are going to affect your life and nobody is saying people should "pay" in any way for being overweight, but just that it is simply not possible to please everyone and when you're seriously obese, it is natural that you won't fit unless designers come up with really big seats which then would affect the rest of guests, so..

[Password121]

Adding to this, coaster seats, including El Toro (some say they are a tighter fit than most coasters), are built to fit the majority of people. The design can't easily be changed to still fit the smaller/thinner riders AND the morbidly obese riders. The train size isn't going to be increased, as it will only make it easier for smaller/thinner riders to slip out. Unfortunately, I think we saw a prime example of where the size limitations play in this past summer at Six Flags Over Texas. Now, we've seen Six Flags and now Cedar Fair with Diamondback react by adding seat belts to many coasters, even though I don't think it was that the restraint that didn't hold back the rider, but more the rider that couldn't be adequately held in place by the lap bar due to her proportions. Not a lap bar failure, but I think B&M hypers have the best type of restraint as it will always be on your lap, unlike the lap bars on the New Texas Giant and El Toro.

[OrlandoGuy]

^Actually I'm slightly overweight and I cant help it. My metabolism isn't working properly. So in some cases obesity isn't a choice

 

No youre right, and Im sorry for the ignorance. But unfortunately your case is the exception to the rule.

[coasternut]

^^^^ I was at El Toro this morning around 11:30 - 12:30. Ryan if you were working, the dispatches were fine. We did have several "fat boy bounces." The crew at "the Bull" is always hustling, and I do appreciate that!

[El Toro_Ryan]

^^^^ I was at El Toro this morning around 11:30 - 12:30. Ryan if you were working, the dispatches were fine. We did have several "fat boy bounces." The crew at "the Bull" is always hustling, and I do appreciate that!

 

I was working during that time actually. Thanks! haha Our crew consists of several coaster enthusiasts including myself so we're always trying our best.

[aCoasterStory]

I will say, I'm an overweight guy, but I've never *not* fit on a coaster (or even had to use the "big boy" seats). The closest I've ever come to the walk of shame was on El Toro. The ride ops had to staple me in, and I think that's probably why I didn't really enjoy the ride the way most enthusiasts do.

[netdvn]

I've been planning a trip out to Great Adventure sometime in late summer for a while now (around mid-August - I'll start throwing around specific dates once it gets closer to the trip). I need a good attack plan to tackle the park. I'll most likely be visiting on a Sunday - are crowds on Sundays pretty reasonable?

 

Priority rides: KK, Toro, Nitro, Batman, Sky Screamer, Houdini's Great Escape, and the safari if lines aren't too bad for that. Do any of these rides have single rider lines? Any other rides I should bump up to priority? Anyone have a good attack plan for hitting all the signature attractions and majors? I'm gonna be working with a very limited budget so I won't be able to spend money on Fastpasses.

 

If I skip the safari, I considered rushing to Toro, Ka first thing and getting those out of the way and working my way toward the Nitro side. I can skip Superman and Green Lantern if the lines are insane for those.

 

With the limited budget in mind, does the park hold parking discounts during summer?

 

- And as always, I'm always looking to meet up with other members.

[coasterbill]

Crowds on Sunday are pretty reasonable... even on a Saturday you can ride everything though the lines for rides like El Toro and Kingda Ka can be about 45 minutes to an hour. If possible I'd still get a flash pass as it allows for some re-rides.

 

Everything you mentioned generally has a reasonable wait except for Safari which is always a nightmare (but it's a cool experience). Superman usually has a ridiculously long line so if you do want to ride it it might be a good idea to ride it first... otherwise ride Kingda Ka first (if it's open, sometimes it opens a little later in the morning) just because it's not the most reliable ride in the world and you're protecting yourself from a late-in-the-day breakdown and missing out on the ride (though it's a lot more reliable than it used to be).

 

If possible, get a night ride on El Toro, it's amazing.

[Password121]

Been warned that lines may be long in the summer regardless of the day. I went in a Monday last Augst and Nitro's line was around 2 hours. If the safari is a priority, most definitely do that first. If not, you can easily get 3 or 4 rides on El Toro in the morning only waiting 1 cycle each time. Whatever you do, get there early. If te lines get really log in the afternoon, keep in mind that the posted wait times are for 1 tain, so divide by 2 or 3 accordingly. If you've never ridden a floorless coaster, Bizarro is worth riding in the front if you can spare the time. Have fun, Gadv is a great park.

[simon8899]

^Can only second that.

 

US parks often gets crowded one to two hours after opening, do not know why guests come in so late. Also have park entry, parking and Fastpass if wanted pre-printed online so you do not have to waste time buying / picking up tickets on site.

[Diamondbacker27]

being that America is full of obese people, coaster manufacturers should build the rides for bigger riders.

 

Or don't do that and the fatties can hit the treadmill once in a while.

Saying things like that and things stated above is EXTREMLEY rude.

I've never seen someone have so much disrespect for someone.

Like Devilsflight said, for some people obesity isn't really a choice. I don't care if your anorexic, don't talk about people and call them names such as "Fatties."

[El Toro_Ryan]

I've been planning a trip out to Great Adventure sometime in late summer for a while now (around mid-August - I'll start throwing around specific dates once it gets closer to the trip). I need a good attack plan to tackle the park. I'll most likely be visiting on a Sunday - are crowds on Sundays pretty reasonable?

 

Priority rides: KK, Toro, Nitro, Batman, Sky Screamer, Houdini's Great Escape, and the safari if lines aren't too bad for that. Do any of these rides have single rider lines? Any other rides I should bump up to priority? Anyone have a good attack plan for hitting all the signature attractions and majors? I'm gonna be working with a very limited budget so I won't be able to spend money on Fastpasses.

 

If I skip the safari, I considered rushing to Toro, Ka first thing and getting those out of the way and working my way toward the Nitro side. I can skip Superman and Green Lantern if the lines are insane for those.

 

With the limited budget in mind, does the park hold parking discounts during summer?

 

- And as always, I'm always looking to meet up with other members.

 

Definitely try out Zumanjaro while you're there too.

[boldikus]

Ryan I love your signature.

[Brassinthegrass]

I agree... Ryan, your signature has been stuck in my head all day...

 

 

I was doing some more thinking about the rebuilding of the east side of the park...

 

It would be great to see a small to medium-sized traditional woodie (either timber liners or Mini RMC) go into the adventure Seaport area. Imagine it leaving from that area and traveling along the lake, making a right-hand turn to follow the track of the river rapids high and then return...

 

It could be a nice addition in that back area that both kids and adults could enjoy...

[rcjp]

That signature reminds me of my first US park experience (at Great Adventure) and how I thought (and still do) that it is a lot funnier there that some parks have ride operators either saying this kind of stuff or making jokes and being overall entertaining (even simple stuff like: " Welcome back how was your rideeeee??") while here in Europe I've never seen anything like that. They just seem to do their job and that's it.