Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[boldikus]

Aside from the coasters and Zumanjaro, I think the only "must do" rides are the Parachutes which never have a line and Houdini. There are some other fun flats but nothing terribly unique. I'm also a big fan of Skyway and it's a New York World's Fair attraction which makes it really cool.

 

If it were me I'd probably knock out the coasters on the left side of the park (Kingda Ka, Joker, Superman, Lantern if you hate yourself, maybe chutes since they're right there, El Toro, Bizarro and Choo Choo). Then ride the Safari, then take the Skyway over to the other side of the park where you'll be greeted with a ton of ultra reliable coasters that you can safely save for later. That way you can enjoy the Safari without worrying about missing anything. Once you ride the coasters hit Zumanjaro, any flats you want and then power ride El Toro for the rest of the night.

 

Ride Kingda Ka in the front (yes it will have a long line, just do it, not one from the front... the front. You didn't come all this way to ride in row 2 like a b*tch. If you want a shaky ride that's underwhelming then ride in another row, if you want a ride that tries to rip your face off and makes you wonder WTF just happened to you in the most awesome way possible then ride in row 1. And thanks to Flash Pass you'll be waiting for Joker while you're waiting for it). Ride El Toro one row from the back, ride Batman in the front and ride Skull Mountain in the very, very back, none of those will cost you any real additional time. It might cost you one extra train on Batman but who cares?

All of this. Also sit in the front or back of Bizarro - I prefer the front as it amplifies the floorless aspect but the back really rips. Also another great flat is Skyscreamer, great views since its right in the middle of the park and if you haven't ridden a starflyer they are a little intimidating.

 

And yes, I will ride Boldikus Mountain in the very back row. I'm anticipating my cult initiation.

Smart choice.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

We've got a Skyscreamer in St. Louis. It's really good, probably another one for the list of "once I've done all the new and/or unique rides"--unless of course I just want to ride El Toro again.

[boldikus]

Oh yeah definitely skip Skyscreamer if it means more time with El Toro. You're gonna want to spend as much time with my baby as possible. Definitely ride it at least once in the morning (if you go to it right at opening its usually your very own ERT for a half hour-hour most days) but you must do it again later in the day. The difference in intensity after its been running all day is absolutely noticeable and your mind will be blown right into your face.

 

And as Bill (and everyone else) mentioned second to last row every time. Don't be afraid to "excuse me" passed the throngs of idiots crowded around the front of the station, the back is usually a one-two train wait most of the time.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Excellent. I have a feeling El Toro will rank very high for me. I have a lot of big woodies and RMC's near the top, so between that and how widely praised it is, it's potentially a new #1. The goal of this trip is Knoebels, but I'll be too close to El Toro to miss it.

[Rillek]

Does anyone know what I should expect crowd wise on October 12th, on Yom Kippur?

[coasterbill]

Does anyone know what I should expect crowd wise on October 12th, on Yom Kippur?

 

I'm going to guess that it'll be very slow but it's nothing more than a guess.

[boldikus]

^^^ Also I seem to be in the minority opinion for whatever reason but the back right hand seat of Nitro is the winner for me. Nice yank over the hills in any seat in the back row, but the far right side seat has a bit more on the two turned hills (right after the drop, and right before the helix).

[coasterbill]

I never had a strong preference on Nitro. I like sitting near the back but don't waste time waiting for the very back. For Holiday in the Park though I do my part and sit near the front early in the day. Arms down too... you have to be as aerodynamic as possible if you don't want to spend the next hour in the woods.

 

PS: Less than 2 months!!! (but who's counting?)

[njcoasterguy34]

I always ride Nitro in the front. I've tried it in the back, though. I just prefer the floater air in the front.

[Genx24]

I prefer Nitro in the front row, but the back is a lot of fun. Regardless of what row I sit in, I always try to sit in the seat on the far left (closest to the air gates). I don't really know why but that is my favourite seat, especially up front.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

Nitro is infinitely times better in the back. I slightly prefer the left seat.

[Satans Hockey]

I also prefer nitro in the back if I'm not in the front row. That being said I haven't found a row that I haven't liked, I usually just get in whatever row has the shortest wait.

 

Also even though I like sitting in the back more I've been sitting towards the front a lot more lately on most rides simply to have less people in front of me in case an idiot takes their phone out. That's been my biggest and only real complaint about this year.

[TBpony414]

Does anyone know what I should expect crowd wise on October 12th, on Yom Kippur?

 

Expect a lot of people observing Yom Kippur at the park being absolutely oblivious their wildly out of control children running amok among mild to moderate crowds for the majority of the day, and then it suddenly clearing out about 7 PM. In other words, periods of pure chaos followed by uninterrupted laps on El Toro in the evening. I'll be there that day too. Ole!

[larrygator]

Yom Kippur is a day I have circled on my calendar to attend. I wouldn't circle it if I didn't expect it to be a great day for riding.

[B&MIntaminGCI]

Nitro, back right seat is the way to go, the pop of air when the train levels out into the MCBR, that's one of my favorite parts

[Rillek]

Thanks a lot for the replies. Can't wait to get back on El Toro, been way too long.

 

And Nitro back row is by far the best.

[michaellynn4]

Fright Fest Media Event – Six Flags Great Adventure

 

This past Sunday, September 25th, I was fortunate enough to attend SFGAdv’s media event for Fright Fest on behalf of TPR. Fright Fest hasn’t always been something on either of our radar until last year after a fun and frightening day. After hearing early positive reviews on new additions, we were eager to get to the park to see if they improved upon last season’s event. Needless to say, they did not disappoint!

 

First, for those unfamiliar, here’s a brief summary of what’s new for this year’s Fright Fest, pulled from the park’s press release from early September.

 

New and improved this season:

 

· New! Rage of the Gargoyles virtual reality (VR) coaster – Riders will use Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus headsets to battle demonic creatures in the world’s first interactive gaming VR experience on a coaster, Skull Mountain. Exclusively for Season Pass holders, active Members, haunted maze pass purchasers and owners of the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge and Galaxy Note7. Must be at least 13 years old to wear Samsung Gear VR. Must be at least 44” tall to ride with an adult or 48” to ride alone.

 

· New! Bilkum, Burnham & Haugh’s Side Show Spectacular – World-famous Lizardman, Murrugun the Mystic and the beautiful sorceress Catalina Askew headline this jaw-dropping and heart-pounding freak show.

 

· New! The Donniker Bros. Worlds of Mirth – Dark and devilish clowns urge guests to step right up to this uproarious new performance packed with unseemly humor and ample shenanigans.

 

· New! Slash – Gallows humor meets unsettling, gory, hard rock violence as illusionists John Bundy and Morgan blur the line between reality and horror, premiering in Showcase Theatre. Suitable for mature audiences only.

 

· New! Cell Block 6 Haunted Maze – A prison on lockdown is overrun with strange and scary inmates desperate to break free. Guests wind their way through twisting corridors trying to escape before it’s too late. Extra fee to participate.

 

· Dead Man’s Party: Graveyard Rock – Dr. Fright and his friends take over a graveyard for Fright Fest’s signature song and dance production featuring many new Halloween hits and dazzling special effects with the help of celebrity choreographer Ashley Dawson. New location in the Movietown Arena.

 

Below are photos taken during the event, including ones of park decorations (day and night), scare zones, actors, and haunted mazes. I will post a review of the events we attended no later than tomorrow night. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), there is so much to do and see during Fright Fest that there were a couple shows we were unable to fit into the night’s schedule. I’ll try and visit again next weekend in order to attend what we missed so I can have as complete a review as possible.

 

Enjoy!

It's a beautiful day!

Rules are rules.

Decorations are out!

After visiting Guest Relations to check in, we received our swag! I wonder what we got?

CANDY!

Evil Pumpkin Man and the Blood Fountain are back!

Nothing scarier than choreography.

Artsy shot #1.

Early on in the day, the park was pretty empty. That would certainly change later on.

Decorations.

Obligatory pumpkins.

The price guide for haunted mazes at the park.

Really bad parking job, dude.

Rikki playing hide and go seek.

Fun fact: Six Flags employs millions of spiders each year to satisfy the webbing decoration demands of the park. Job creators, people!!

But... El Toro is the other way.

Can't sleep, clown'll eat me.

This guy was just DYING to get inside! YEAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! B-)

So were these guys. I don't know, the merch isn't THAT great...

This dude was new this year, in place of the Batmobile in Movie Town. Every minute or so he'd start growling and moving his head around.

Sky Ride shot.

I bet there's money in this stand.

Decided to try some of the candy. Never looks like the picture.

Next up, Rise of the Gargoyles!

Yep, the load times suck now.

Age limits.

Instructions!

One plus to the changes is that the station no longer resembles rush hour on a subway. Crowd management does wonders.

Getting ready!

These are the newer versions of the headsets. Instead of Velcro straps holding the headset on, there's a plastic knob you turn to tighten its grip on your head. Made it easy to put on.

For the younguns, there's a Trick or Treat section!

With its own dedicated advertising!

Here it is.

Families getting candy.

Here's a family friendly magic show taking place on the stage near Skull Mountain.

Hey Bill, guess what's baaaaaaack!!

Inside the shop.

Bloodbath and Beyond covers all your "blood", "bath", and "beyond" needs!

Assuming your needs are included here.

Future site of Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.

This'll look very different this time next year.

At 6:00PM, the ghouls, ghosts, and riff-raff come out to play, starting in the Awakening parade!

Unfortunately, this is the only photo of the Dead Man's Party set I have. We were going to see it, but the sun's position at the time was ruining any photo we took, so we left with the intent of returning for a later show. We never got around to it.

Slash took place in the Showcase Theater.

Yay for scantily clad women!!

"Dick and Jane". Dick cheats on Jane. Jane impales Dick with her own body. Lesson: don't be a dick.

"Loser!" Get three questions wrong, you'll either lose your head...

...or do your best "Carrie" impersonation.

Can she escape before the knives impale her? Spoiler: no.

WITCH!! WITCH!!!

Card trick! Throw the cards in the air, but don't use your hands! Yup, that means...

...well, once the girls start rubbing, it doesn't take very long.

Slash was a big improvement over the show from last year.

Details of the show.

Let's finish it off by slicing a woman in half.

Aaaaaand, just leave her on stage for a while after the show.

Now for the mazes. First, Big Top Terror!

Circus gatekeeper.

Total Darkness involves your group holding onto a rope together with a flashlight at one end. Since it's in *ahem* total darkness, I didn't take any photos.

The Manor was next! Short but sweet!

Your host, explaining the legend of the maze.

Bloodshed is in the closed section of the Golden Kingdom.

[michaellynn4]

Additional photos:

Cell Block 6 is the new maze this year. Located in Freefall's former footprint, it reuses many aspects to the former Asylum maze, but does so in a much more cohesive way.

Voodoo Island is underneath the Log Flume.

Much thanks to Great Adventure for putting on a great event and delivering on many fronts! Go check out the event before it ends!

A PR meet and greet took place in the evening. We had the opportunity to speak with the new park president, Neal Thurman. He seems like a really great person and is very excited to be with us in New Jersey!

The atmosphere really stood out at night. Fog machines, lights, and sound effects really helped set the creepy mood.

[RyanJames]

Hey guys! Long time reader, new account holder

 

I'm staying in NYC until the 4th of Oct and I wanted to head to SFGAdv sometime this weekend, and I was curious if anyone would like to meet up and show me round the park (and mazes)? As much as I enjoy going to parks on my own it's always more fun with someone else! Ha

 

If anyone lives in NYC and wants to head down there with me that would be great! Just message me and let me know!

 

I'm a little stuck with how to get there from central NYC (Times Square) as a lot of people are saying different things so any travel tips or even a travel buddy would be great!

 

I'm from the U.K. and I really don't want to miss out on this park (el toro...duh )

 

Many thanks,

Ryan

Edited September 28, 2016 by RyanJames

[boldikus]

Nice photos and reporting, Mike!

[ericthewanderer]

I haven't been able to get to Great Adv. this year,but those pictures are fantastic!It's great that the Movietown area is getting revitalized-especially the theater.And the indoor part of Skull Mt.'s queue is the BRIGHTEST I've ever seen!

[CaptainCrush]

WONDERFUL TRIP REPORT! I hope I can visit later this year for FF! Which was the maze with the longest line so I know which one to hit first?

[michaellynn4]

I can't speak to how long each wait was since I had a VIP/press pass (I know, cool guy, right?), though I will say most mazes barely had lines at all. The only two mazes that had lines when I went through them were Cell Block 6 and Voodoo Island. The other five had a handful of people in line at most. I'd say that's more of an anomaly, though - if you plan on visiting, expect substantial lines. The placement of Cell Block 6 (sandwiched right between the Showcase Theater and Movietown Arena) and the fact that it's new would lend me to believe it'll have the longest lines of all, so go to that first.

[UrbanLegend]

The Great Adventure website says that Nitro and Skull Mountain are temporarily closed, which is a concerning surprise especially because I'll be going there tonight

Anybody got any word on why that might be?

[coasterbill]

Skull Mountain is "temporarily closed" because it's been replaced with "Rage of the Gargoyles Virtual Reality Coaster" which is now open.

 

I haven't heard anything about Nitro being closed.