ThibaultDC Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Hi all! First of all allow me to introduce myself. I'm Thibault from Belgium. I got intrigued by Rollercoasters and Theme Parks a couple of months ago, so when I was in Spain last month visiting my family, I visited Terra Mítica and Portaventura. Those were actually my first real Rollercoaster experiences.. Now I've planned a trip with friends to go to New York in september. Even though my friends are not really interested in Theme Parks/Rollercoasters, I'm quite determined to go to Six Flags Great Adventure in the weekend of the 22nd/23d of September. Now, I've got some questions .. First of all: transport: As we're visiting New York, we're not really planning on renting a car. I'm considering taking the bus to Jackson (http://www.njtransit.com/var/var_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=SixFlagsServiceTo). Does anyone have any experience with this service? Are these buses always full? Should I buy tickets in advance (and is this possible? Because I haven't really found anything on that webpage). How long does the bus ride take (about 2 hours I think?), Are there any alternatives? etcetera. Secondly: The crowds and waiting lines: If I read it correctly, it's the first weekend of the Fright Fest in SFGadv. I guess there will be a lot of people visiting the park? I know that all of this is quite hard to predict, but if there's anyone who has experience visiting this park on that time of the year, please don't hesitate on giving me some advice. Is there a difference between saturdays/sundays? My priority is to ride as much rollercoasters on one day as possible. Does the regular Flash Pass give a lot of advantage? Or is the golden flash pass the only one worth the money? Some of these questions might sound quite silly to you guys, but I'm quite inexperienced when it comes to visiting Theme Parks, especially those in America. Thanks in advance! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I know some people on here will be able to help you with the public transportation thing, but just as a warning...IT'S NOT GOOD! I'm sorry, but the vast majority of the US is terrible when it comes to public transportation and ALL of the US is terrible in public transportation outside of major cities. Good luck with that. As for the FlashPass, see what crowds look like and if they are bad or you want multiple rides on the big coasters then absolutely go for the Gold Flash Pass. I would never really go for Platinum, but I also wouldn't go for the entry level one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I305KD Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I've visited Great Adventure alot. But, I've never used public transportation to get there. As for lines, SharkTums was completly right. Wait and see how the crowds are. Then determine if you want the Flash Pass. The crowds can get large at times so watch out for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Flash Pass of some type is a necessity during Fright Fest. If the weather is nice, most major coasters will have at least a 45-60 minute wait. Sunday will be less crowded than Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThibaultDC Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Thanks for the replies! A question regarding the regular flash pass: Imagine you're waiting in line for a ride and the flash pass tells you you can go to the ride you asked for. Do I have to get to that ride in a certain amount of time before it expires? Or can I just wait until I have finished the ride I'm waiting for on that moment? Also, if there's anyone who knows something about the public transportation to the park, don't hesitate on letting me know. I'm quite afraid of not being able to go due to transportation problems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Well, getting to the park is going to be a big problem without a car. Most of the "big" parks in this country are in rural locations where land is plentiful and cheap. Getting to Trenton is no problem, though. You'll want to take the subway from wherever you stay in New York to Penn Station, situated between 7th and 8th Avenues and between 31st and 34th Streets. It's important to understand that New York actually has two independently functioning subway systems. One uses numbers for its lines, the other letters. You can transfer between them, but not always underground and it's usually a bit of a walk. The 1, 2, and 3 lines as well as the A, C, and E go directly to Penn Station, and from there you can transfer to an intercity train. The B, D, F, M, N, Q, and R trains get within one block of Penn Station, and then it's a quick walk on surface streets. Once you're at Penn Station, you'll have your choice of three types of trains: New Jersey Transit is the "local," making all stops; Amtrak Northeast Regional is the "standard," making only five stops between New York and Trenton; and Amtrak Acela Express is the high-speed train which makes only two stops between New York and Trenton. All three trains use the same tracks, so let time and price dictate your decision. New Jersey Transit completes the trip in approximately 90 minutes and costs $15.50 each way. Northeast Regional takes approximately 55 minutes and costs $40 each way. Acela Express takes approximately 45 minutes and costs $59 each way. Tickets can be purchased at the station or http://www.njtransit.com or http://www.amtrak.com. From Trenton, I'd say the only way to the park is a taxi. Taxi fare is likely to be quite expensive, as the park is 23 miles from Trenton Transit Center. Can't really help you on that leg of it, since I've never been to the park. And why yes, I am a train nerd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 ^^Once your ride time is good, it stays good till you either cancel it or go ride. It will not expire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 The NJ Transit is the best way to get to the park, hopefully someone with experience taking it can chime in, as I know quite a few people on this site have taken it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shivtim Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I took the NJ Transit bus a few years ago, and it was surprisingly easy. I took the one that went direct from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. It takes you right to the front gates of Six Flags. You can even buy a bus ticket that includes a Six Flags admission ticket. We bought our tickets on site at the Bus Terminal, and it wasn't a problem. Just make sure you don't miss the return bus! It's a little outdated, but check out the response on this thread: www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=605760#p605760 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThibaultDC Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 Thanks for your replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I took the NJ Transit bus a few years ago, and it was surprisingly easy. I took the one that went direct from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan. It takes you right to the front gates of Six Flags. You can even buy a bus ticket that includes a Six Flags admission ticket. We bought our tickets on site at the Bus Terminal, and it wasn't a problem. Just make sure you don't miss the return bus! It's a little outdated, but check out the response on this thread: www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=605760#p605760 Wow, that's awesome. No other state does transit like New Jersey does. Meanwhile, in Missouri, we voted down light rail in Kansas City, the St. Louis Green Line has been tied up for years, and Springfield doesn't look like it's ever going to get the new bus terminal it badly needs. All this while NJ runs a bus to a theme park. Kudos to them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPFanBoy Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 I would just get the GOLD flash pass, as said above. The regular doesn't do anything and the platinum costs too much money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 When we were at the park a few weeks ago a friend of ours from NYC came and joined us and used the bus. It was like $62 for the round-trip bus AND park ticket and he said it couldn't have been easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThibaultDC Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 When we were at the park a few weeks ago a friend of ours from NYC came and joined us and used the bus. It was like $62 for the round-trip bus AND park ticket and he said it couldn't have been easier. That's very reassuring. Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThibaultDC Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Are the Flash Passes sold out quickly? Not sure if I will have to buy it as soon as I enter the park, or if I could wait a couple of hours before deciding (when I'm sure the waiting lines will be too long by the afternoon). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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