Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) Discussion Thread

[Masquerade]

Ban Bet: Ka's top hat remains, but the rest of the new track winds through the newly-razed areas like a roided Pantheon layout with a 700ft. spike.

Suck it, Saudi's.

[prozach626]

On 11/14/2024 at 10:48 AM, Zand said:

The communication from this park about...well...everything is atrocious.

Maybe so, but there's no obligation to communicate with park fans or enthusiastic guests at all. I'm not necessarily speaking about you, but enthusiasts seem to think they're owed something such as last rides or up-to-date information. This is just a vague announcement to save face with consumers to tell them they aren't just intending to remove a bunch of rides without replacing them with something worthwhile. They don't owe us shit.

 

  

On 11/14/2024 at 7:00 PM, Zand said:

The park slapped everyone in the face for their 50th anniversary and Cedar Fair finished off the season by kicking everyone in the balls to go along with it.

Who's everyone? Enthusiasts? So they mildly upset a few people by strategically running a business?

[Zand]

4 hours ago, prozach626 said:

Maybe so, but there's no obligation to communicate with park fans or enthusiastic guests at all. I'm not necessarily speaking about you, but enthusiasts seem to think they're owed something such as last rides or up-to-date information. This is just a vague announcement to save face with consumers to tell them they aren't just intending to remove a bunch of rides without replacing them with something worthwhile. They don't owe us shit.

 

  

Who's everyone? Enthusiasts? So they mildly upset a few people by strategically running a business?

I don't really have doubts that Cedar Fair will turn this park into something resembling Kings Island or Canada's Wonderland in the next 10 years (and that's a good thing) but the way this whole year went from beginning to now was a disaster for the park and I don't think it can be understated.

Aside from the new coaster coming for the 50th anniversary that in typical Six Flags fashion was pushed off over and over until being delayed a whole year, the park was also to refurbish the Ferris Wheel and Log Flume, both park originals. The Ferris Wheel started the season looking like an eyesore and was finally ready to go in...July? The Log Flume spent the better part of two years closed for refurb and finally did open this summer...the last week of August. Meanwhile, the operations at the park were a trainwreck this year. One train ops were the rule rather than the exception this year. You can call the park a dump all you want and I'm not inclined to disagree, but one thing they've always done well is run coasters to their maximum capacity almost always. One train ops on Nitro during some parts of Frightfest was just the icing on the cake.

Oh...Frightfest. The park was supposed to debut Frightfest Extreme or whatever they called it in mid September with a separate gate and all that. They ended up pushing that off to October because surprise surprise... mismanagement and disjointedness. 

TLDR: This whole season was a failure from opening day right up to removing 6 rides with no notice.

As far as the closed rides... I get it, Kingda Ka was a maintenance nightmare and ultimately not that great of a coaster. But it was still renowned among more than just enthusiasts (I mean...it was the #9 trend in the country on Twitter last Thursday) and generally if a park is shutting down a ride like that out of choice instead of out of necessity, they would tell you that it's on its last season. We know that the decision was not made at park level, but the lack of communication from above is where the problem is.

Also, the tallest drop tower in the world (which spent most of the season closed for some reason) was a part of these ride closures but they just kind of forgot about it in their press release. Is the world's tallest drop tower that much of an afterthought to them that they did not even acknowledge it's existence?

Lastly, I think there is more angst about the removal of the Skyway than there is about the removal of Kingda Ka, especially amongst park regulars. If you want to be a premier theme park, you need to have transport rides. Great Adventure has no trains or monorails, and now it also has no Skyway. 18 years ago this park had 3 thriving kids areas, two world class brand new Intamins to round out one of the best coaster lineups in the world, and also still had FIVE active show theaters (which has dwindled down to three inactive and two demolished show theaters). They were so close to being a Cedar Point type destination and then Six Flags went bankrupt and the park went to shit. Other than a handful of somewhat decent additions over the past 10 years, the park has been in a slow decay ever since 2007 and this year just felt like the biggest down slide of all of them, and to end it like this is...yes...a kick in the nuts.

Like I said, I believe Cedar Fair will lead this park the right way in the next decade. But I also believe that the next few years are gonna hurt. I'm not ready for the inevitable removal of El Toro in the next few years, but I know it's coming. This is a result of Six Flags f*cking off with the maintenance for its entire existence. I hope the payoff in the long run makes this park the destination it deserves to be.

[michaellynn4]

The only real way an opinion can matter is when it affects the almighty dollar. I haven’t been pleased with Six Flags for some time now, so I haven’t given them a dime since 2019 and don’t intend to for the foreseeable future, depending on how the next couple of years go post merger. 

[abovethesink]

13 hours ago, michaellynn4 said:

The only real way an opinion can matter is when it affects the almighty dollar. I haven’t been pleased with Six Flags for some time now, so I haven’t given them a dime since 2019 and don’t intend to for the foreseeable future, depending on how the next couple of years go post merger. 

I mean you're right, but in a kind of pointless way. People aren't going to stop engaging with their passions and hobbies. So we will just bitch and continue to give them money. 

[prozach626]

Get new hobbies.......

 

19 hours ago, Zand said:

I don't really have doubts that Cedar Fair will turn this park into something resembling Kings Island or Canada's Wonderland in the next 10 years (and that's a good thing) but the way this whole year went from beginning to now was a disaster for the park and I don't think it can be understated.

Aside from the new coaster coming for the 50th anniversary that in typical Six Flags fashion was pushed off over and over until being delayed a whole year, the park was also to refurbish the Ferris Wheel and Log Flume, both park originals. The Ferris Wheel started the season looking like an eyesore and was finally ready to go in...July? The Log Flume spent the better part of two years closed for refurb and finally did open this summer...the last week of August. Meanwhile, the operations at the park were a trainwreck this year. One train ops were the rule rather than the exception this year. 

SFStl is my home park, so I don't really feel bad for people who visit Great Adventure. Especially since other awesome parks are so close.

Our carousel has been hilariously undergoing refurbishment for over four years. Our last thrill roller coaster we got in 2013 was a 27 year old used boomerang from SFoT. Prior to that, it was a small-mid size GCI in 2008, American Thunder. Meanwhile, parks like Great Adventure and Magic Mountain get new additions constantly, which I suppose doesn't stop the parks from being shitholes for the American Family. In addition to all that, we weren't named on the new investments statement.

Getting rid of the skyway is dumb. That's a good classic family ride. I wouldn't think it's too hard to maintain.

[michaellynn4]

5 hours ago, abovethesink said:

So we will just bitch and continue to give them money. 

I mean you do you, but talk about pointless…

[prozach626]

I can appreciate the honesty. I bitch about plenty I continue to do...

[michaellynn4]

20 hours ago, prozach626 said:

Getting rid of the skyway is dumb. That's a good classic family ride. I wouldn't think it's too hard to maintain.

Bummed about it as well, but it was anticipated. The cables need to be completely replaced every ten years or so, and there was apparently discussion about removing them the last time the cables were redone due to the cost factor. Plus it already cannibalized all remaining parts from other Six Flags sky rides that already had fallen, like SFNE's.

That said, if the company was remotely interested in anything other than the bottom line like some other parks, I'm sure they would've been able to figure something out. Another reason why I'll gladly give my money to other parks in the meantime if I absolutely need to scratch my coaster itch.

[prozach626]

11 hours ago, michaellynn4 said:

That said, if the company was remotely interested in anything other than the bottom line like some other parks, I'm sure they would've been able to figure something out.

Not every park can be Kings Island, Knoebels, or Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Seems like we're getting the worst of both worlds from the merger. I suppose it's really early in the game.

[Zand]

In a recent survey from Great Adventure one of the questions was something along the lines of "what attractions would you NOT miss if they were removed from the park" and I was like "haven't you removed enough already?!?"

I also pleaded with them to not replace Kingda Ka with a shuttle spinner

[michaellynn4]

Green Lantern officially being scrapped, not relocated. From Coaster Spot on Twitter:

[Zand]

Also seeing reports on Twitter that Harley Quinn Crazy Train derailed last night. It's just one thing after another at this place.

Maybe Cedar Fair knows what they're doing by closing Kingda Ka because it was probably getting close to also derailing (but at 128mph) and launching its train into the baboon habitat.