Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[coasterer]

I was also there on Sunday, and really, it was pretty nice. We only stayed until 2, but in that time, rode El Toro 6 times right at opening, Bizarro 4 where there wer only about 10 people on each ride, Nitro 14, where we rode back row I think 12 of those 14 times, Batman 6, and Kingda Ka 4. All of these we were able to just sit on without getting off. The weather was beautiful, and the park looked great and was running incredibly smoothly. Judging by others' experiences, I probably saw a bunch of you, and maybe even rode in the same train as you.

 

Also, does anyone know what Mark Kane was wearing? I feel like I might have run into him on Nitro.

[coasterfreak101]

I went with three friends on Monday and spent from 1030a-7p in the park (minus the extra stops and trips outside to the locker for the two girls, because they aren't good parkies like the boyfriend and myself). Final coaster ride count was:

 

Kingda Ka x1 (20mins)

El Toro x5 (5-10mins)

Bizarro x2 (15mins)

Nitro x4 (5mins)

Batman: The Ride x2 (5mins)

The Dark Knight x3 (5mins)

Superman: Ultimate Flight x1 (20mins)

Great American Scream Machine x1 (5mins)

Skull Mountain x1 (5mins)

 

Note: Some of those five-minute waits were really like a two-minute wait for two trains to go by. Seriously. It was 73* outside and the walkways felt more crowded than any lines. Perfect day, and after realizing that it really only takes 2.5 hours, not 3, when I drive, I think I'll be back plenty!

[Hercules]

I honestly can't believe some of these reports about the crowds that are being given. I haven't been to the park in April in about 4 years now. I know that the park was never really busy the first month of operation, even with nice spring weather. But 12 rides in an hour on El Toro? Rides being walk-on's for the majority of the day - espeically the bigger attractions? Wow. That is just crazy.

[YoshiFan]

Here's a report from my trip to the park yesterday

I got to the park around 2:30 and saw the closed rides board had the usual rides like Houdini and Congo Rapids listed but I also saw Rolling Thunder, Parachutes and Twister and the Skyway closed. That meant besides the coasters, only 5 flats and the log flume were operating.

 

I went to Blackbeard's first. They added more switchbacks since they made a real queue last October. It was a little under 10 minutes. Skull Mountain was next, 4 or 5 train wait for the last row. There was a lot of light in the building today. There was also a chair near the pumpkin in the final helix which seemed strange. I went back for another ride and went to Nitro next.

 

The line was on the stairs with 3 trains running. Dispatches were a little slower than usual with stacking and some double stacking. By the time I rode twice, the line was past the 30 minute sign so went to Batman. The line was just past the turnstyle and even though I was only in the tunnel a few minutes, it was horribly hot and stuffy. They really need some fans or air conditioning in there. Dispatches were kind of slow and I forgot how forceful the ride was.

 

I saw they were getting Twister open and Superman had a station wait but I skipped it today because I didn't want to ride it with your head tilted down the entire time thinking it would give me a headache again (I went to the dentist on Monday and didn't feel well from that)

 

Scream Machine was running 2 trains but I walked right onto the front row, not too rough today. Kingda Ka had 3 trains running and was just under 20 minutes total which was the longest wait of the day. For some reason everyone went to the left side of the station and the right side with just 1 train running had less people waiting.

 

Rolling Thunder had also opened with just the left side running. In the work area, I saw the green train was somewhat taken apart with the headrests missing. The dispatches were a little faster today which was good to see.

 

El Toro had a short line out of the station and went to Runaway Mine Train. 2 trains running and most rows were a 1 or 2 train wait. I saw the Log Flume looked to have around a 30 minute line so I went back to Runaway Mine Train for 2 more rides and went to Bizarro which had a line just out of the station. 2 trains running and no stacking.

 

The Log Flume had a much shorter line and was around 15 minutes. They were really trying to make sure the logs went out with both sections of each log with riders.

 

It was 7:15 at this point and with 45 minutes left I went to the Dark Knight which was a walk on into the pre-show and I was able to stay on for a re-ride. Nitro was down to 2 trains and again on the stairs. I got 1 more ride and finished the day at Skull Mountain which was a walk on. I got 5 more rides and it was 8:05 at that point so the park was closed.

 

It was the best trip of the year so far and thankfully crowds weren't bad at all.

[Speeddeamon128]

I'm looking forward to my first trip to GADV in 2010 which will be on April 23rd since I'm down in Orlando now, I'm just coming up for the weekend. I'm bringing my roommate who has never been there before so hopefully we can get on everything easily. HE just has to be sad & pathetic since I already have Blackbeard & Road Runner

[YoshiFan]

I like Blackbeard's enough to ride it once every few visits if the line is short. It is fun to sit in the last row with the train being so long, you get pulled over the first drop and it throws you around if you sit in the middle of the seat.

[coasterer]

Hey guys,

Today (Friday), the park was pretty dead. We got to the park around 1, and everything was only a one/two train wait, or a walk on for the whole day. Bizarro never had a line, and neither did Nitro (both ran two trains), and both El Toro (1 train )and Kingda Ka were like a one/two train wait. It got pretty cold, especially after 5, but we managed to get a ton of rides in. The crews were doin a great job. Our rides for the day:

El Toro-16x

Bizarro-3x

Kingda Ka-3x

Nitro-21x

Batman-6x

Runaway Mine Train-1x

for a nice even total of 50. Also, I got my first coaster evac on Nitro!! There was something wrong with the controls, and they took us off the train right at the bottom of the lift. We got to walk down the stairs and around the base of the ride under the lift a bit, and through a few back entrances back up to the platform. It was really kinda neat, and while I kinda wish it had been higher up on the lift so we could have gotten a nicer view and more time on the lift stairs, I was still largely satisfied. All in all, it was a pretty great time!

[YoshiFan]

Wow I wouldn't have thought it would be that empty since I thought people might go to the park after school or work with it being a Friday.

 

I might go Sunday and hope crowds are light then too.

[NYJin2010tm]

I'm thinking about going Sunday too. According to reports I'm getting thru facebook lines aren't too bad today either.

[larrygator]

There is a sign at the entrance to Houdini's Great Escape that it will open May 28th.

 

Crowds are light so far today. 12 rides on El Toro before 1130 without getting off the train.

Edited April 11, 2010 by larrygator

[YoshiFan]

Trip report from today, it was a very good day for riding without long waits

 

Another trip to the park, the 2nd time this week but since the park is closed during the week now, I probably won't be going as much.

 

I got to the park a little after 12:00 and the lot wasn't that crowded. From the lot I sat Superman had a long line but Scream Machine was a walk on.

 

First ride was Nitro, 2 trains running with the line on the stairs so a little over 5 minutes. I got 2 rides and went to Skull Mountain, 1 train wait and I stayed on for a re-ride. The Skyway was closed the entire time I was at the park, that makes it closed for 3 out of 4 visits to the park this year.

 

Blackbeard's was loading with no wait so I stopped there quickly and went to Frontier Adventures. The Log Flume appeared to have a short line but with only 12 boats running, it was almost a half hour (I wouldn't have waited if I knew it wasn't at full capacity). Runaway Mine Train had 2 trains running, 1 train wait then I walked around for another ride and stayed on the train for a 3rd ride.

 

Bizarro had 2 trains running with very little stacking. The line was at the 30 minute sign and was around 15 minutes.

 

Rolling Thunder had just the left side open, 1 train wait. Kingda Ka had a station wait but the station was packed today. 3 trains running, it took about 5 minutes to get to the area to pick a row and for some reason the front row line only had an extra 2 train wait (4 train wait total, but the middle rows were a 2 train wait). A few minutes after that the front row line was almost full so I guess it was just one of those lucky moments since it was just under 20 minutes total in line.

 

Scream Machine was running 2 trains, 1 train wait since I didn't want one of the back rows and I got a re-ride. Superman's line was on the stairs but I didn't feel like riding because it looked like dispatches were very slow and I hate being on the brake run with your head tilted down.

 

Dark Knight had around a 5 minute wait to get into the pre-show and then around 10 minutes for the pre-show and line after that. They waited until the room was full to start the pre-show and I really wish there was a way to bypass it since after close to 30 times watching it, it is boring.

 

Batman had a 1 train wait and I moved to an empty row for a re-ride, I saw Nitro's line was past the 30 minute sign so it was around 15 minutes probably and I had to get home anyway so I left after Batman.

 

Crowds were a lot lighter than I was expecting, considering it was such a nice day with no clouds and around 75 degrees out.

[Hercules]

I figured I would just throw this out there - I am thinking about going to the park on Sunday. Will anyone else be there?

[larrygator]

I figured I would just throw this out there - I am thinking about going to the park on Sunday. Will anyone else be there?

 

Jay - I love my Sunday morning rides on El Toro. I might be there, if so I can be found on El Toro from 10:30 - 11:30, I just sent you a PM.

[Zack44]

I'm defianately going on the 24th. I'm very excited since it's my first visit of the new season, but early weather forecasts say rain and showers alternating through the day.

 

Good Side: You'll be surprised on how many people get scared off by the rain. The rides'll be ripe for the pickin'!

Bad Side: A lot of rides might be closed because of either the rain (Ka) or just because of low attendance.

 

Oh well, I'll just have to wait and see.

[Ilgiramondo]

Hi,

I go to the SFGA at 2may.

Someone have tried the platinum flashpass?

I want to know if I need to buy the gold or the platinum.

 

Thanks

[acq10uaz]

^Go platinum. It may be a lot more expensive but if it is your only day in the park, get it. If the line is really long the longest your going to wait is 10 minutes. Plus you get to ride it twice. If the line is somewhat short the longest your going to wait is 3 minutes. It works like a normal Flash Pass and you wear a wrist band so the ride ops know that your platinum and can ride twice. You just sit in the same seat.

[Ilgiramondo]

Thanks acq10uaz.

 

Someone know why the price for 1 day ticket and 2 person was 49,99$ x 2 = 99,98$ and 2 season pass cost only 79,99$?

The season pass price is less than the 1 day ticket?

[CardCraze]

How crowded does Great Adventure get? Like on a Saturday, how long is the average wait for a coaster =/?

[YoshiFan]

It depends on when in the season, until June it won't be too crowded but summer Saturday's are packed (in July and August most days are crowded including weekdays) and Saturday's in October are some of the most crowded days all season.

[deathbydinn]

Now this is just insane.

What makes it look even worse is that you can see the second car doesn't have any ads on it.

[tatertot3710]

Wow....That is so terrible looking.

[CardCraze]

I notice Six Flags always beats the sponsers to death with ads. Like for example at Six Flags America they have big "Snickers" advertisments draped over "The Wild One" and "Stride" advertisments lining the sides of the "Mind Eraser" que.

 

It just seems to me that they need to lighten up on some of the ads. Advertising on say streetposts and trashcans and etc. is one thing, but it's an entirely different level when you start advertising on coasters.

[deathbydinn]

They have tv in the queues, why not just advertise on there? A stride commercial playing in the line would be much more effective than ads for it on one car on a coaster.

[Mr. Starr]

They have tv in the queues, why not just advertise on there? A stride commercial playing in the line would be much more effective than ads for it on one car on a coaster.

 

I think it's the amount of attention that the ads receive. People don't get talking about ads in the queue playing on TVs, but ads plastered all over the coaster train gets peoples attention, because, well, you don't normally see an ad on a coaster train

[nitrofan]

At least the train ads don't usually last very long.