Six Flags Great Adventure
Written: Aug 15 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great coasters, attractions for everyone
Cons: Very expensive, crowded
The Bottom Line: Six Flags Great Adventure may be expensive, but it's by far one of the best theme parks around. It's got everything for everyone, and it's lots of fun!
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| titan45's Full Review: Six Flags Great Adventure |
Considered one of the top parks in America, Six Flags Great Adventure boasts some of the top coasters and attractions in the industry. Whether you're looking for white-kunckle terror or state-of-the art motions sims and anything in between, you can be sure SFGA has it. But, parks with good rides can still be below average due to high pricing, unfriendly service, and basically many other problems. Fortunately, Six Flags does a decent job of fixing these problems, while maintaining great rides for an overall fun experience.
Deep Pockets for a Great Adventure
As you've probably heard countless times, Six Flags is a very high priced park. From the entry fee to the food prices, you'll definitely be spending loads of money to fully enjoy the park. While this is a valid complaint, most all major theme parks suffer to some degree from this sort of problem. Still, you should try to play accountant before heading off to park with your friends and family so that you can minimize your expenses. If you live near the park and plan on going more than once, it can't be stressed enough to get a Season Pass. Since Adult tickets run at around 50 dollars and children's at about 25, you'll be paying at least $100 up at the gate. Souveneirs, food, etc, may bring this up to $200, so a season pass will really cut off those entrance fee expenses. Still, if you are from out of the state or live far off and plan this trip once a year, then paying the price isn't so bad, especially since the rides are well worth it.
Travel Guide
Now, about getting in the park. Wake up early! If you really want to go on all those cool rides without long waits, then get up and head to the park as soon as you can. Six Flags opens up at 10 a.m., and most rides are without any lines, so go ahead and try them out! Chances are, an hour or so after you hit the ride, a huge line will have formed! And don't worry about being tired in the morning. Those coasters will get you up!
Six Flags is a very well-laid out park, but that doesn't mean that you won't end up with jello-like legs at the end of your day. The park runs like a sun, with branching areas like Movietown and Frontiers. The place is easy to traverse even without a map, but still, get one. Your best bet is to plan out where you will go and when. This will really cut down the walking you'll have to do, and you won't feel quite so tired when you come home. Unfortunately, I didn't like the idea of a "routine", so I paid the price with my legs feeling like they were about to fall off.
The Rides...The Rides!
Here is the meat and potatoes of the review/guide. The rides of course. Six Flags has rides A through Z, rides that anyone can enjoy. I've included ratings and descriptions so you can get a better look of the best and worst of the park. So here goes!
Ride: Movietown Water Effect
Type: Log Flume
Rating: D+
Description: Take a ride up movietown, and then plunge down 60 feet into the water...and get soaked!
My Take: This ride is pretty lackluster. You go up, turn, and fall down again, getting soaked. That's probably the only redeeming quality of the ride. If there is any semblance of a line, don't ride this. There really is no point this, even the drop isn't that good.
Ride: Congo River Rapids
Type: River Rapids
Rating: C-
Description: Head through the Congo River Rapids, and brave the unstable terrain, waterfalls, and frequent plunges! Get ready to be soaked..over and over again!
My Take: I think that River Rapids are the most unoriginal rides yet. Sure, there are some that are fun, but most are typically similiar to those in every other park and completely boring. Why not strap on some extra safety bars and make a plunge or two? Anyway, go ahead on this ride if you want, but the lines get ridculously long, skip this. It's not worth the wait, and the lines can get longer than those for even the roller coasters.
Ride: Escape from Dino Island
Type: 3D Motion Simulator
Rating: B+
Description: Dino Island has gone crazy with dinosaurs, and now it's up to you to stop a crazed T-Rex and save those trapped on Dino Island! Gear up..it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
My Take: I have always liked Motion Simulators and put the designers up on the level with those of coaster designers. Why? In coasters, you really are moving, but in motion Sims, the brain must be tricked to believe you are moving forward and backward. Anyway, the 3D effect also adds to the fun of the ride, as now you feel like you are there, and you're moving like in a motion sim! The mix is a great one, making for a thoroughly enjoyable ride. One thing that should have been cut was the cheesy mission briefing, which takes an unnecessarily long time to get through. Instead, they should have just put the briefing on the wait line to make the wait time shorter.
Ride: Skull Mountain
Type: In-the-dark coaster
Rating: C
Descritpion: Head into Skull Mountain and brave the unkown fears of this abandoned mine shaft...in complete darkness!
My Take: A mld coaster made better by the fact that it is in the dark, so you don't know what's next. It's mainly for kids, though. The ride really makes you wish for a real coaster in the dark at SFGA!
Ride: Batman: The Ride
Type: Inverted Coaster
Rating: A
Description: Fly high above Gotham City as Batman, plunging down treacherous drops and spinning through huge loops..do you have what it takes?
My take: Back in '93, when inverted coasters were newer, Batman was probably the park's best of the lot. Even today, almost 10 years later, the ride hasn't lost any of it's fun or charm. You start off up the chain hill, falling down a curved drop, into a loop, and then through an inline twist..heckuva start, huh? The ride is super smooth with inversions at every corner. The best part is when you get pulled into the opposite direction you were expecting, really makes you feel like spaghetti! The ride is a pure adrenaline rush, and is worth going on as many times as you can! I'm still looking for one of the songs they were playing on the waiting line...too bad I can't find it...
Ride: Medusa
Type: Floorless Coaster
Rating: A
Description: Head onto the world's first floorless coaster, Medusa, as you wind through a treacherous mining zone, where there is danger at every turn!
My Take: One of the best at the park, Medusa is crazy! My friend and I called Medusa the "inverted but not inverted" coaster, since it has inverted seat, but stands above the track. Many say that this adds to the coaster, but I really didn't feel anything different. The ride itself, though, is excellent! The inversions are really exciting, and there is a nasty little hidden area that will have you screaming even before you hit it! The ride is packed with cool inversions and surprises, and should feed any coaster lover's appetite.
Ride: Nitro
Type: Hypercoaster
Rating: A-
Description: Get ready for Nitro, an astounding mile of steel with an amazing 215 foot plunge into the abyss! Take on the camelbacks, helixes, and other crazy twists and turns...at near 80 mph!!
My take: Bollinger & Mabillard's (Did I say that right?) newest hypercoaster looms high above Six Flags, and astounding 230 feet above the ground! The first drop really makes the coaster, it's really something else! Nitro is exceptionally smooth as well..so it makes for a great ride! The only problem with Nitro is that there are no inversions, just ups and downs. Although that brings the coaster down, the ups and downs are still great, inlcuding some great camelback hills that give great airtime, and an intense helix (I had an hourlong headache after that!).
Rides Not Reviewed
Batman & Robin: The Chiller
*Blast off from 0-70 in just 4 seconds and save Gotham from the clutches of Mr. Freeze, as Batman or Robin. Hurdle through the air, and then get sent flying back to Earth!
Rolling Thunder
*Head on to the one and only Woodie in the park, as you face off against treacherous turns, camelback hills, and more!
Runaway Mine Train
*Take on the runaway mine train and head through the caves and water as you plunge and rise at quick speeds!
The Great American Scream Machine
*One of the tallest, fastest, and scariest coasters in the park...you'll be sure to scream! Take on treacherous loops, diving twists and more through the Great American Scream Machine!
Viper
*You've never ridden a coaster like this! Head through loops, heartline twists and more...inside a cage! Take on the Viper and ride the belly of the snake...if you can!
Spinmeister
*Spinning hasn't been like this! Take on every possible angle as you spin everywhere...and get some serious nausea!
Of course, there are loads of rides not mentioned here, but these are the main ones. You can't possibly finish the park in a day, try everything you can to get on whatever rides!
There are also many stunt shows around, and they are entertaining as well. Concerts are free with a season pass, and a nice way to cool off after a long day at the park. Arcades and such are also littered through the place, so there's much more to do than go on rides!
I didn't have any run-ins with the staff, since I was mostly quiet, but it goes without saying that just like everywhere, Six Flags has a mix of good and bad employees. There are many nice people willing to help you as there are those who are asking to be punched...but you can't expect everyone to be nice. Still, the opinion varies from person to person.
Overall, Six Flags GA is a great park to get to. The rides are fantastic, and there's more than a day's worth of fun, so you'll never get bored. It does cost a bit much, but it's all worth it once you get into the park. So get in now...before it's too late!
Recommended:
Yes
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titan45
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Location: New Jersey
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