Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[RaceBoarder]

Just curious - how much was your Uber / Lyft ride to and from the park?

$27 to the park and $32 from the park.

[JaYmoNeY12 12]

I have heard that lines for The Joker, Zumanjaro, and King Da Ka have been reaching almost 3 hours early in the day. Is this true? I plan on going next Friday and am trying to decide whether I need a Flash Pass or not. My friends and I can deal with the camps and the 1.5/2 hr long lines, but over that it starts to get ridiculous.

[coasterbill]

I have heard that lines for The Joker, Zumanjaro, and King Da Ka have been reaching almost 3 hours early in the day. Is this true?

 

Probably if you factor breakdowns into your wait time. And last Sunday was a sh** show so those wait times were absolutely accurate then. Those wait times aren't typical though, especially not for Ka or Zu. Zu usually has a very manageable wait.

[RaceBoarder]

Had the opportunity to visit SFGAdv this past Monday. Overall it was a very solid day at the park and well worth the journey from Philly on Public Transit. I'd give an overall grade of "B".

 

I'll start out with the negatives: Line Jumping seems to be part of the culture at this park. Given that I saw this 6-7 times before lines died around 5pm, it seems to be par for the course. Not only was it 14-16 year old school kids meeting up with their group already in line, but also people well into their 20s. They just push their way through the line and meet up with their buddies. There would often be a security person at the Flash Pass entrance but they can't do anything for the main line.

 

Also had a crappy experience on Nitro. Was riding back row later in the day. Some twat-waffle decided to ride towards the front of the train with $34.79 of change in their pockets. From the initial drop onwards this twat-waffle was paying out like a loose slot machine. I was hit twice, once in the cheek and once just to the side of my right eye. The entire ride you could hear coins clanging through the train. I get that stuff comes out of pockets but this was ridiculous. One of the crappiest rides I've ever had.

 

There were positives from the park as well. Ride ops were solid throughout. Saw Ryan doing his thing on Toro. Didn't see any ops that looked like that wanted to shoot themselves. Food service was also adequate for the day. Panda's "Bigger Plate" was a ton of food for $13. Quality was also on par with what I expect from a Panda Express. Park layout was also easy to navigate, although a bit spread out, once I learned the layout. The park was decently kept. I don't expect much when I go to a park, but SFGAdv met all expectations.

 

I'll do a follow up post with ride details later when I have some more time.

 

So, rides:

 

- El Toro - Worth every bit of hype this ride gets. It's a blast to ride and 100% rerideable. The airtime is insane in the back. I also have to give props to the "twister" section. As a former semi-pro snowboard racer the 90* banking & transitions between turns is a close reproduction of the forces you experience doing a carved turn on a race course. That was really cool for me to experience on a ride. I got a kick of Ryan's pleas to get people to fill in the back rows of the station. Not the best station design but I'll gladly push my way past people to get to a 1-2 train wait back there.

 

- El Diablo - Honestly the surprise of the trip. After riding, I think these are solid additions to the parks that got them and I hope we get one at SFGAm. It's a fun little flat with both hangtime and some positive g-forces. I also like how the ride is loud.

 

- Bizzaro - Really kinda sad this ride is tucked back in a useless corner of the park. I rode this early in the AM, shortly after riding a few laps on El Toro. There was not a single person on the ride. I walked up to the station and saw the ops just standing around BSing. I even got a laugh when I asked if the ride was down. I got to ride in the first row as the only person on the train. I then moved to the back for the next train. I found the ride much more enjoyable back there. With a full train, I'm sure there is some force even.

 

- Kinda KA - The ride is a one trick pony. However, as someone who hadn't seen that trick since 2013 w/ TTD, I was blown away. I can see how it would get old if you rode 15+ times over a Summer. Did Row 1 and it was worth the 80+ minute wait. I did feel a little restricted by the OTSR's. Because of that I do give the nod to TTD. Also not sure what the point of the airtime hill was.

 

- Chang O'Lantern - Been awhile since I've had my ears boxed that hard on a coaster. About the only redeeming quality is that this ride has a "roar" that can be heard across a good chunk of the park. I do think it's a pretty solid attempt at theming by Six Flags too.

 

- Joker - Fun as hell, but also short as hell. My waits were in the 15-20 minute range. Anything significantly longer and I think I'd be completely let down. Rode Purple Rail facing backwards and Green Rail forwards. Green Rail wins hands down. That ride was delightfully disorienting while the Purple Rail just rocked back and forth. I did leave with a smile both times however.

 

- Nitro - Got two back row rides, one of which was with a loose slot machine in front of me. Overall I was disappointed with this. I'm used to Raging Bull, so Nitro seemed significantly less forceful. The only solid pop of air I sensed was on the left hand turn back in the woods.

 

- Batman - <3 Quick and snappy <3 It seemed to have a bit quicker pace and a bit more force than our version at SFGAm. Only did a single ride since I've done our version so much, but I'm kicking myself for that.

[coasterbill]

Ahem... I believe there is a certain mythical and wonderful mountain that you failed to report on. I assume you rode in the back and were overwhelmed by the greatness? That would explain why you're speechless.

 

PS: I love the name "Chang O Lantern".

[RaceBoarder]

Ahem... I believe there is a certain mythical and wonderful mountain that you failed to report on. I assume you rode in the back and were overwhelmed by the greatness? That would explain why you're speechless.

 

PS: I love the name "Chang O Lantern".

Ya know, I wanted to ride the Skull and was going to, but then I got pissed off after getting hit on my 2nd Nitro ride, so I wandered back to Toro. Never went back to that side of the park. So next time.

 

Although I did enjoy Skyride in all it's glory early in the day before it went down for good. That was bueno

[coasterbill]

If you enjoyed the Skyway then I forgive you... Boldikus though... that's a different story.

[boldikus]

Hey, if The Mountain doesn't call to you then it doesn't deem you a member of The Cult. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Sounds like you had a good time @raceboarder. I don't understand how you didn't get any air on Nitro in the back row. It's obviously nothing compared to Toro but I always get a nice little floating going over most of the hills, always down the drop. My preferred seat is back right. Also, did you not ride Zum??

Edited June 17, 2016 by boldikus

[JeromyL]

Okay... quick question... FastPass... what are the rules in this park.... like are some rides upcharges, or only 1 time accessable?

[boldikus]

^ Apparently Joker is Platinum only. Not sure if its one ride, I haven't been up since its been open. There's a few upcharges - the sling shot, skycoaster, and go-karts I think? The website specifies.

[strz]

Gonna try to make a trip down today, weather is perfect for me.

 

You bet! About tonight:

- Booyah! Great day/night to live in the area- got to the parking lot entrance around 5:50pm, and couldn't tell which lane(s) had the green light on.....oh I see- none! Just pull right in....

- Yes I did it again....no one at the preferred parking gate, so yup- I parked in that portion of the lot

 

All rides were walk-ons- so our 3 hours looked like this:

- The Joker (walk on/purple side/rocked only)

- El Toro (2x without exiting)

- Zumi (2x without exiting)

- Bizarro (thank god only 2 trains were on the track! went front row/one and done)

- Best of the West (closed, oh well!), so grabbed some crap in the boardwalk area

- Ka (2nd row walk on)

- Nitro (front row/ back row/ middle row).....then of course to "delay" our epic night, a train stopped on the lift hill! Turns out someone took out their cellphone, thus the delay was for the ride operator to make his way up the track, and take it away....glad they did it, but not at my "expense" of slowing down the night!!!!

- Batman (front row, we were the only ones' on the ride!)

- The Joker (green side/ good amount of spins/ fun/ 3x and did not need to exit the ride)

- Sky Screamer

 

Forgot that snacks end at 8pm, so no Dippin' Dots for me tonight! Great weather tonight! Looks like the am rain, plus a "school night" kept the crowds away big time....with schools in the NE coming to an end soon.....nights like this won't exist shortly. Glad I was able to get it in.

[boldikus]

^ Lucky. There is nothing like feeling like you have Great Adventure all to yourself.

[strz]

^ Lucky. There is nothing like feeling like you have Great Adventure all to yourself.

 

Yes indeed!

[DILinator]

Line Jumping seems to be part of the culture at this park.

 

Sadly, this really seems to be true. I've been to the park three times, over a large span of years, and each time, this was a major issue. Heck, the middle time, when I went with my wife, the thuggery and intimidation that we routinely experienced in lines actually left her a bit scared, and damaged her overall park experience. I was able to shrug it off a bit more, and it wasn't as bad the last time I went. But still... Yuck!

 

Some twat-waffle

 

I have literally had this term rolling around in my head ever since reading it! Too funny! I definitely foresee myself using it in the future now!

[Jcoaster]

The park is located between New York City and Philadelphia so one is to expect some of this "thuggery" you speak of.

[njcoasterguy34]

I just realized that when I ride The Joker on Saturday, it will be my 100th coaster.

[Satans Hockey]

Today was the most empty I've seen the park this season. I showed up around 4pm. My longest wait was 10 mins for the safari and everything else was a walk on. This time I decided to get off at camp aventura. Feeding the giraffes was an amazing experience and absolutely worth 5 bucks(1 buck off with the season pass) I highly recommend it to anyone. The staff working the feedings were extremely nice as well. My only slight complaint of the day were the amount of resturants that were closed but with how empty the park was I understand why. Also grabbed the red 15th birthday Nitro shirt and a red old great adventure logo shirt. We were debating doing the Log Flume but people were coming off absolutely soaked so I'm saving that for next trip lol Just an awesome day to be at the park.

 

Did the...

safari

fed giraffes

bizzaro

El Toro

Kingda ka

zumanjaro

parachutes

skull mountain back row of course

nitro

ferris wheel

[TBpony414]

Thuggery and intimidation is less a problem than it used to be, although occasionally I really get a dose of it. One of my visits the end of last year we were in line for Superman and there were a bunch of kids causing problems and line jumping. I don't allow anybody to push past me and this was no exception. Clearly this thug and his gang of cousins/friends hadn't had anyone pipe up until I politely but sternly said they couldn't just cruise past me. We were almost at the steps and the attendant at the Qbot entrance had unfortunately disappeared for a few minutes.

 

It was a group of 8 guys who were skipping the 40 minute line to catch up with their quite younger brother, who happened to be just in front of me and was evidently saving a space for the entire group. The tallest guy fit his stereotype and absolutely flew. off. the. handle. and his friends were literally yanking on him and jumping on him to keep him from physically assaulting me. It went on for several minutes and I kept my cool stating "No, you may not cut in front of me but your brother can move back." In the end, the little brother got behind me to join the thugs.

 

Somebody's got to put their foot down with these types of hoodlums and I felt reasonably safe that he had either left his gun and knife in the parking lot or gotten them confiscated at the metal detectors. It saddened me that they cut hundreds of people including other adults and people much bigger than I am, yet I'm the only one who actually said anything. When we got to the station one of the other guys actually came over to me and apologized for his friend's behavior LOL. Thanks...

[michaellynn4]

I've never really done a trip report before, but I figured the events that transpired for me last Monday are unique enough for me to give this a shot.

 

So Sunday ended up being a bit of a late night for me. I'm typically a night owl anyway, but we met with family the night before and I ended up not getting home until close to 2:00AM. I groggily set my alarm for work the next morning and went to sleep. Unfortunately, I neglected to turn the volume up on my alarm (I use my iPhone) and I managed to sleep right through it, waking up close to 10:00AM. I briefly thought about logging on and working from home (three of my four investigators were off that day anyway), but I had internet connection issues (#&^@*$!!), so I bit the bullet, got dressed, and started heading into work.

 

Now, I commute from Cherry Hill, NJ, to Newark, DE, which is just under an hour each way. A couple miles from the Delaware Memorial Bridge on I-295, I see black smoke on the horizon. Turns out it's a car fire on the highway that must've just started, because as we were slowly approaching, about 1000 feet out, emergency services were just beginning to arrive. However, they ended up closing the highway, and I was stuck motionless for nearly an hour and a half. By the time they reopened the roadway, it was after 12:30PM, and I was still almost thirty minutes from the office. I ended up just bailing, turned around at the next exit, drove back home and took a personal day.

 

Determined to try and salvage the day, I decided to make an impromptu trip up to the park. I showered, changed, and made the drive up, arriving around 3:30PM. Parking lot was pretty clear and had no wait getting into the park. Crowds were beginning to thin out as a lot of the school groups were starting to leave. I headed over to Joker for a quick ride. Line wasn't long at all, waited about ten minutes and rode green side facing backwards. It definitely feels as though the recalibrated it because I got a full three flips plus a couple almost flips. I love this addition to the park and will probably ride it any time the line isn't too long.

 

After that, I wandered over to El Toro. Line filled the first queue switchback, so I decided to get something to eat over at Macho Nacho with my Dining Pass. As I'm sitting and enjoying my steak burrito and tortilla chips, I figured I should let Rikki know where I am so she knows I'd be home late. Convo went something like this:

 

Me: "Hey honey, I'm at Six Flags. Long story of why I'm not at work, will tell you later."

Rikki: "Uhhh... okay. Did you forget we have plans to meet your mom and aunt for dinner tonight?"

Me: ".........F**k."

 

So, about an hour into my trip to the park, I'm reminded that I had a prior engagement that evening and it probably wasn't a good idea to have driven all the way up. I had to sadly cut my visit short, (only rode Joker), but hey, an hour of the park is better than no hours, right? Maybe? ...Guys?

 

Now, some photos:

 

Car fires ALWAYS makes work commutes better.

Standard "STOPPED DEAD OMFG CAN U BELEEV THIS?!!1!" photo.

This is a (very unflattering) photo of me sitting down in the road about an hour into the ordeal. Fun times.

Stupid 295, taunting me with an wide-open northbound side. Roam free, red tractor-trailer, roam free!

Scene of the crime. All kidding aside, I'm not the one who lost his car to a fire that morning like that guy in the white shirt. Hope things work out, random car fire dude.

So let's try to improve on this day, shall we? (Ugh, I really shouldn't try and do selfies...)

This was pretty cool. Street performer was juggling balls, tossing them back and forth with Sylvester and Tweety. Of course, they dropped it once I took the photo. Please also ignore the amateur finger in the frame (did I mention this is my first attempt at a trip report?).

Hey look, I found a roller coaster!

This is where the line ended. Manageable, no?

The landscaping, for being relatively new, is starting to fill out. Should look really nice in a few years. Right Six Flags? RIGHT?!?!

Clearing over by the old Bandstand. Pay no attention to the yellowing sod in the foreground.

Another shot of the "Not Quite Ready for Primetime" Bandstand area.

Landscaping all around the park is starting to take full summer form.

Here's another SEASON DINING PASS example of SEASON DINING PASS blossoming summer SEASON DINING PASS landscapes in SEASON DINING PASS action.

So this is an interesting, not-at-all-racially-insensitive development...

Hit a gong, win a prize. In all seriousness, it'll be interesting to see this in action once it's more than just a random sign on an awning.

Fresh paint! Looks good!

For every "Nitro queue line" we may have, there really are some nicely-landscaped places in the park. Here's a standard.

One less bouncing basketball to annoy other park guests. Life is full of silver linings.

Alright, so I guess the Log Flume really IS soaking people this year.

More landscaping. I'm now just realizing how many landscaping shots I took. Note to self: fewer landscaping photos next time.

I've always liked this section of the park. Doesn't hurt to have one of the best coasters right behind me, either.

Sitting, waiting patiently for my burrito.

Holy heck, that's a huge f**king burrito.

Here's where Rikki reminded me of my prior plans. Don't have a photo (or any more for that matter), but it went something like this:

 

[carolinaman]

I am planning a trip to SFGAdv with the family on Tues July 12 and Wed July 13. I have never been to the park before so any tips would be nice. I am bringing my grand kids ages 9,7 and 6. They have been watching some videos on Youtube and are really excited as they love thrill rides. ( The 9 year old rides Fury 325 at Carowinds all the time.) Is the park very busy in the middle of the week? Any other info/tips would be appreciated. Thanks

[FSUFanChris]

We're heading to the park on Thursday. Are there any 'can't miss' flats or other rides, outside of the coasters? What can we expect for lines?

[boldikus]

LOL that the SFGAdv regulars have gotten so jaded we can't even be bothered to respond to posts like the above.

 

I am planning a trip to SFGAdv with the family on Tues July 12 and Wed July 13. I have never been to the park before so any tips would be nice. I am bringing my grand kids ages 9,7 and 6. They have been watching some videos on Youtube and are really excited as they love thrill rides. ( The 9 year old rides Fury 325 at Carowinds all the time.) Is the park very busy in the middle of the week? Any other info/tips would be appreciated. Thanks

 

The middle of the week is the best time to visit in the summer. You should be good on a Tuesday and Wednesday compared to the crazy busy weekends we get. That said, the park may be completely slammed thanks to camp trips that like to start showing up this time of year. You've been warned...

 

We're heading to the park on Thursday. Are there any 'can't miss' flats or other rides, outside of the coasters? What can we expect for lines?

 

Obviously you are going for the big dogs (Ka, Toro, Joker, Nitro) as everyone always is but can't miss: El Toro in the last car (middle seat preferably), don't miss Skull Mountain (sit in the back), Bizarro, Batman (running better than ever). Flats/non-coasters: Zumanjaro, Sky Screamer, Houdini, Log Flume are all great. Some people here will tell you to also do the Safari and I won't argue with them but that's a first-thing-in-the-morning ride or else you'll spend half your day between waiting for it and then riding it (an hour I believe?) Don't bother with Green Lantern as its terrible, Dark Knight can be fun but its just a mouse in a box. Superman is fun but not worth waiting in a long line for which it always has.

 

As far as lines in general see my answer above. It's a crapshoot, tho weekdays are typically better than weekends. Both of you keep in mind if there are camp trips they clear out by evening and then its just daytrippers and locals and can get really quiet on weekday evenings.

 

Also consider the weather - if it calls for chance of showers GO! Those are the best days for low crowds at the park when it rains a little here and there or calls for rain but doesn't at all. GreatAdv has a great weather policy - they don't typically shut anything down unless there is lightning/thunder in the area so if its just light showers don't cancel your plans.

 

I've never really done a trip report before, but I figured the events that transpired for me last Monday are unique enough for me to give this a shot.

Enjoyed your report! Since I can't say "sounds like you had a great day!" I'll just say at least you got a ride on Joker...

[Brassinthegrass]

I have noticed over the past few years that around 4 PM is when a lot of the camps leave the park, so feel free to stay late and enjoy the quiet midday evening!

[ul9601]

I've been getting killed by these school trip kids the whole month, all different parks..

If I were to plan again, I wouldn't do this in June. I don't think they are around on weekends though.

[boldikus]

^ Yeah school trips May-mid June, came trips throughout the summer, they seem to settle down in mid August or so. Weekdays can turn out great at the park, but you have to go with that in your mind. If you are prepared for the kids/tweens, it doesn't hurt as much when you have to share queues and trains with them. The good thing is as mentioned, they tend to leave by 4/5pm so weekday evenings/nights it tends to get really quiet, especially toward the end of the night.