Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[CPSFMMCW]

Man. That's gonna be terrifying. But really awesome!!

[Password121]

Zumanjaro was testing all morning and into the afternoon pretty consistently. It's good news after seeing no activity at it for a few days. The gondolas were being lifted at full speed too. They get to the top of the tower really quickly.

So I guess that means still no word on opening? I heard there is a commercial shoot on the 25th, so my best guess would be media day the 26th and preview/opening the 27th/28th.

Ryan, or anybody, have you heard if there will be a pass holder preview, or will it just open right up after media day?

 

I'm not sure. I keep hearing rumors through coaster sites that it'll open June 26th but the park has yet to announce an opening day yet. We should all probably wait a little before we get our hopes too high. Hopefully it will open by then though. And check out this new testing video. jdc12192 over at GreatAdventureHistory.com just posted it.

Funny, I'm a member on that site, I was just looking at the same video.

It is odd that the far right (or left) gondola is delayed by so many feet by the base of the drop. It must a very slight delay in the release mechanism, unless the broken/bent screen creates enough wind resistancemto slow it down they much.

[jetsplumber]

so how did the far right gondola already get a broken screen?

[El Toro_Ryan]

Zumanjaro was testing all morning and into the afternoon pretty consistently. It's good news after seeing no activity at it for a few days. The gondolas were being lifted at full speed too. They get to the top of the tower really quickly.

So I guess that means still no word on opening? I heard there is a commercial shoot on the 25th, so my best guess would be media day the 26th and preview/opening the 27th/28th.

Ryan, or anybody, have you heard if there will be a pass holder preview, or will it just open right up after media day?

 

I'm not sure. I keep hearing rumors through coaster sites that it'll open June 26th but the park has yet to announce an opening day yet. We should all probably wait a little before we get our hopes too high. Hopefully it will open by then though. And check out this new testing video. jdc12192 over at GreatAdventureHistory.com just posted it.

Funny, I'm a member on that site, I was just looking at the same video.

It is odd that the far right (or left) gondola is delayed by so many feet by the base of the drop. It must a very slight delay in the release mechanism, unless the broken/bent screen creates enough wind resistancemto slow it down they much.

 

To me, it just looks like the left gondola is being released last. Play it back slowly and you can see it. Does anyone know if the gondolas on Lex Luther not drop at the exact same time?

 

so how did the far right gondola already get a broken screen?

Maybe something was dropped on it but I think it's been fixed. It looked normal in person today and I've heard someone saying they saw maintenance hammering away at it to fix the bend behind Bizarro.

[burningstroller]

This is kind of a base question. I have a SFNE season pass...do the bring a friend free coupons work at other SF parks?

[yankeeman311]

This is kind of a base question. I have a SFNE season pass...do the bring a friend free coupons work at other SF parks?

 

No unfortunately it's only at the park you buy the pass at.

[saweetdude05]

This is kind of a base question. I have a SFNE season pass...do the bring a friend free coupons work at other SF parks?

 

It depends, I have a SFGAdv pass and there is a bring a friend free coupon to bring someone to SFNE for free, as well as the one to bring someone to SFGAdv.

[Password121]

It was mentioned on Great Adventure History that Zumanjaro's commercial shoot has been delayed, no new date was given. In all likelihood, this rules out a June opening.

[ScreaminNewEngland]

It better be open on the 11th!

[Seddy]

So I have arrived in New Jersey... Can't wait to get to the park tomorrow morning. Hey Ryan, I'd love to get a picture with you. I'll be wearing black basketball shorts and a Batman tank top. I have a Batman logo tattoo on my right shoulder and a spider web tattoo on my left. El Toro will be my first ride of the day so make sure you let me know when you'll be working so I can catch you at the tide.

[alpengeist04]

It was mentioned on Great Adventure History that Zumanjaro's commercial shoot has been delayed, no new date was given. In all likelihood, this rules out a June opening.

 

I guess it's not a good year to be opening a drop tower here in the US.

[El Toro_Ryan]

So I have arrived in New Jersey... Can't wait to get to the park tomorrow morning. Hey Ryan, I'd love to get a picture with you. I'll be wearing black basketball shorts and a Batman tank top. I have a Batman logo tattoo on my right shoulder and a spider web tattoo on my left. El Toro will be my first ride of the day so make sure you let me know when you'll be working so I can catch you at the tide.

 

Nice, I'd be happy to take a picture with you. I work today until 8 and tomorrow from 9:30 to 10. I'll either be at El Toro or Tango which is the small flat ride next to Toro.

[Seddy]

I'm having a great day at the park... Kinga Ka has been closed all day but they recently started launching test runs so I'm about to hit up El Toro for the 3rd time (I friggin LOVE that ride!) And pray that I see a train full of guests going over Ka's top hat.

[njcoasterguy34]

...I'm about to hit up El Toro for the 3rd time (I friggin LOVE that ride!)...

 

I was at Great Adventure yesterday and must have ridden El Toro at least 3 or 4 times. My final time was after dark as my last ride of the day. That ride is awesome in the dark.

[JonnyRCT3]

Question.

 

What would one consider the airtime on Kingda Ka's camleback hill? Is it light floater air, comparable to B&M hypers?

 

Personal physics project.

[Brassinthegrass]

I never even feel the floater on the hill... I would say its quite low, if anything I don't even thing it hits 0 G's

[CPSFMMCW]

yeah you're going so fast that you don't really feel the airtime. But from what it is, I'd say more floater. But its not too noticeable. Its almost a mix of both. But again, its hard to feel it.

[larrygator]

I call it uneventful.

[coasterbill]

The airtime on that hill is non existant.

[Canobie Coaster]

I notice it up front. I'd say it's floater.

[Seddy]

After a GREAT DAY in New Jersey, Its trip report time!!!!

 

We arrived at the park around 9:30, parked, and walked to the gate (or so I thought). I see Six Flags has implemented a new security check system where they check bags and make you go through the metal detector before you actually get to the main gate. Maybe this is old news to some, but I haven't been to a Six Flags park since 2010. LOL. It seemed to work in their favor but people were skipping lines like crazy and it was a little irritating. Either way, after about 30 minutes I was scanning my pass and my right index finger. We waited in the 'Main Street' area until Security removed their barricade right at 10:30. I believe they let Season Pass holders through like 5 minutes early but I didn't feel like fighting through the crowd to find out. We immediately headed towards the Golden Kingdom since I read by several other members that Kingda Ka was open on the weekends.

 

I was a little upset when I saw the sign saying that Kingda Ka was gonna be closed, but I knew that El Toro was open so we continued walking towards Green Lantern and Superman. The lines for those weren't too bad at the beginning but we decided not to ride them just yet. Onward to EL TORO! OLE! It was basically a walk on, I knew I wanted to ride in the very back and OOOOOOH WEE!!!! I was NOT expecting it to be as great as it was!!! That first drop brought the pain and that bad boy was MOVING! I was literally in tears by the time we hit that first turn around that TOOK MY BREATH AWAY! That right-left-right near the end was the GREATEST finale I have experienced on a coaster. WOW... Just WOW!

 

After my first ride, I walked around and did it again. Again in the very back and I swear, it was better than the first time. It is such a great roller coaster and I am glad that i'm only 2 and a half hours away from it! Although the Great American Scream Machine (SFOG) is so close to my heart due to me actually operating it back in 2005, I have to say that El Toro is now my FAVORITE wooden coaster.

 

After finishing my second round on El Toro, we headed to Bizarro. It was my very first floorless coaster so I had to ride in the front for my first experience. Bizarro was also a walk on and I think we waited an extra 5 minutes for the front. It is a very smooth ride and those inversions are INSANE! I was a little upset when I realized they removed the speakers from the seats, but it was still a great ride. So good, that I had to ride it again... This time in the back! I loved it!! Getting pulled from the lift of any coaster is always fun, BUT getting pulled and then yanked to the left is just friggin bonkers!

 

Next up, we headed to the Sky Ride so we could get to the other side of the park. The line for the Sky Ride was a little long but I didn't feel like walking so we waited. I'm glad we did wait because I got some great pictures while riding across the park. When we got off the Sky Ride, we headed for Nitro... By this time the park was a little more crowded so Nitro's line was a bit lengthy. I think we waited about 45 minutes but it was worth it! I've ridden Goliath (SFOG) many times and Nitro is like 100 times better. Even though Goliath hops over the Scorcher, Nitro's dash through the woods felt like I was in another world. Of course I rode in the back (I always ride Goliath the back LOL) and it felt like that first drop lasted forever. Goliath's helix aint got nothing on Nitro's and it was so smooth to have been running for over 13 years. We were actually supposed to load in the C-Train, but I remembered the warnings from you good people here at TPR and kindly let another group go ahead of us. I felt kinda sorry for them but hey, I was not about to ruin my first ride on one of the best coasters in the northeast!

 

Next we hit up Batman The Ride. I've ridden the clone in Georgia and even though the theming is much better back home, the Jersey clone seemed a bit more serious. LMAO! Batman is one of my few front-row rides so thats where I sat. To this day, Batman is definitely one of my favorite steel coasters. It was the reason behind my first tattoo! After leaving Batman, we headed to The Dark Knight. I wasn't expecting it to be as fun at it was but I really enjoyed it. Those turns were so sudden (maybe it was because it was so dark) and those little dips definitely caught me off guard. Leaving The Dark Knight, we headed to Skull Mountain. It was actually pretty fun with the exception of those hard seats.

 

After wrapping up the eastern section of the park, we headed back west. My friend just HAD to ride Green Lantern due to that being his favorite superhero. I rode Green Lantern back in 2005 when it was in Kentucky (as Chang) so it really wasn't a must-ride in my book. The wait was about 30-45 minutes to my surprise, and I have to say that the Lantern Team was really moving. I dont think the returning train stacked for more than 10 seconds (if it did stack) before the next train was dispatched. I personally have never had the "male-rider" problem with stand-ups so Green Lantern was actually quite enjoyable. While we were waiting for GL, I heard a horn that I knew from a YouTube video I added to my favorites back in 2006. Could it be?!!! I immediately looked up at Kingda Ka and sure enough, an empty train flew up the track and over the tophat. I knew then that it would eventually open up. (Im sayin... why test it if you're not gonna open it right?)

 

Next we got in line for Superman. I was looking at the line while we were waiting for Green Lantern and it didn't look that bad. Unfortunately, it can be said that the Jersey clone is just like its brother in Georgia when it comes to reliability. As soon as we got to the front of the switchbacks before the steps leading up to the station, it broke down. Oh well... We left the line and headed back toward the Golden Kingdom entrance. The closed sign was still up and something told me to wait right there for just a few minutes but my friend wanted to ride El Toro again. FIRST MISTAKE OF THE DAY!!!

 

We headed back towards Toro, put our stuff in a locker and got in line. Ofcourse at this point, the line was back to the switchbacks, but it is a great ride so I didn't mind waiting... BUT WAIT!!! I just so happened to look up at Kingda Ka and I noticed a train going over the camel hump with people on it!!!! Right then and there we got out of Toro's line, got our stuff out the locker and proceeded back to the Golden Kingdom. While walking, I noticed someone working solo at Tango. My eyes are pretty good so I looked at the nametag when he turned around and it was Ryan! I walked up the ramp, introduced myself and got a picture with him. Nice meeting you Ryan!

 

After the mini-photo shoot, we headed straight to Kingda Ka. The wait was about 45 minutes at this point but by the time we got to the front of the switch-backs, it was PACKED. The Flash Pass operation they had going really slowed things down too. Either way, I got up to the station and (due to the reviews in this thread) I knew I had to ride in the front. At this point, I didn't mind the extra 45 minute wait. We had people in front of us that were keeping us occupied by making jokes about the Flash Pass riders that thought they were VIP and tried to load through the exit gates. It was soooo funny seeing them get turned around. LOL! But seriously... Whats up with this single sided operation?! I hope that when Zumanjaro opens, they get back to their roots and have those trains dispatching 2 at a time.

 

Kingda Ka is honestly the first roller coaster that actually scared me. And this was before I even lowered my shoulder harness. That launch is something serious and I literally SCREAMED from the take off to the brakes after the camel-hump. The front seat is definitely an experience that words cant even describe. I'm so glad I finally got to experience it for myself!

 

After leaving Kingda Ka, we headed towards the front gate. Overall it was a very good day. The $8 for a locker wasn't bad at all, especially since we were able to use lockers for the entire day. I had a TON of fun and I give Six Flags Great Adventure 2 thumbs up and a round of applause. The employees were friendly and I was complimented several times (by employees and other guests) by my outfit and my Batman Logo tattoo on my shoulder. LOL. I cant wait to go back! Oh.. And my voice is gone! LOL

 

Coaster Count

El Toro x2

Bizarro x2

Nitro x1

Batman The Ride x1

The Dark Knight x1

Skull Mountain x1

Green Lantern x1

Kingda Ka (FRONT ROW) x1

Not bad for 8 hours...

 

And now... its Photo time!!!

What a nice welcome!

First we gotta pay our parking fee...

Can you tell I had a massive hangover from the night before? LOL

Its not THAT bad but its alot of people here before 10:30...

The tallest coaster in the USA awaits me...

I thought this was a nice shot. I call it 'Ka watching over Toro'.

Another nice shot of 2 record breaking machines!

Bizarro's Number One!!! Bizarro! Bizarro! Bizarro! Bizarro!

I snapped this while in line for the Sky Ride. Some baby chicks in a nest waiting on momma to come back with lunch. Awww...

Superman and The Green Lantern saving the universe!

Toro and Ka once again...

Another beautiful shot thanks to the Sky Ride.

Nitro is calling me!!

And I answered that call! Lets go!!!

After Nitro had its way with me, I needed a Newport... But ooooh! I hear a roar that I remember quite well!

Although I dont agree with this color scheme, the ride itself continues to pack a punch!

Nitro again!

Why so serious?

I couldn't miss a photo-op with the Batmobile!!!

I thought Skull Mountain's enclosure looked great!

Ride Signs fascinate me. I thought Green Lanterns sign looked great!

2 B&M's... 2 hero's...

Yet another familiar layout....

Look! Its Ryan!!!

I just had to purchase my On-Ride photo!! HANDS UP! SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS!!

[ScreaminNewEngland]

Nice report!

 

I am going friday, July 11th and I'm thinking about flash pass platinum. How will the crowds be? I want to get of everything as much as possible.

[Nitro1118]

^^Great TR!

 

Nice report!

 

I am going friday, July 11th and I'm thinking about flash pass platinum. How will the crowds be? I want to get of everything as much as possible.

 

Obviously that would be ideal if you want to get in as many rides as possible. However, if you get there at opening, you should be able to get multiple laps on most coasters without much issue. Zumanjaro is an x-factor as I'm not sure of its capacity, operations, popularity and reliability yet (I'd expect a long, slow line with the occasional breakdown).

 

I'd say a regular flash pass should be sufficient enough to do what you want to do.

[rcjp]

Question.

 

What would one consider the airtime on Kingda Ka's camleback hill? Is it light floater air, comparable to B&M hypers?

 

Personal physics project.

I would say it is light floater, like on B&M hypers. Only you don't really feel it because the restraint, by then, is really tight, but I did notice there was some.

[boldikus]

The last time I rode KK I noticed the floater air on the camelhump, I had never noticed it before. Very light floater air but I was up and out of my seat for a good couple of seconds.