Six Flags Great Adventure?

[m!ssemmx0]

My 9th grade class is going to Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ on June 12th. My dad is coming with me so I don't have to be alone (thank god! They almost didn't let him go...they were going to have someone from my school help me, which would have been a bit of a problem...). I've never been, and neither has he. I have no idea what I will and won't be able to do, being that I'll need to use a wheelchair (walking long distances can be an issue for me, since in parks-like Disney, Hershey, etc.-I get tired easily because there's A LOT of ground to cover). Are there any restrictions for me, even if I am able to get out of the chair and walk on my own if I have to?

Thanks!!
~Emily

 

[WheeledTraveler]

When you first get to the parks, you need to go to guest services and get a card (essentially their equivalent of a GAC, however, wheelchair and ECV users need to get them as well). They'll also give you a list of how rides are accessed. There are a few rides (and I don't have the list from last year in front of me so can't tell you which ones) that you have to be able to walk up some stairs to access no matter what (there is no accessible entrance to those rides), but as far as I could tell they'd let you ride anything you can get yourself on either by yourself or with minimal help from someone with you. I use a wheelchair for most things, but can walk a little bit and they had no problems with my riding coasters.

Most rides wheelchair access is through the ride exit. They will let you and *one* other person go through that way. This was annoying for me when I went (I was on a senior class trip with my college graduating class) because it meant I spent a lot of time waiting for friends or just separated from most of the group I was hanging out with.

The other thing I had some problems with were some of the "accessible" ways to access restaurants and stuff really weren't. The biggest problem for this was Best of the West where the accessible entrance (it's located kinda in the middle of a flume ride) was a huge humping bridge that was far too steep almost for people walking, much less those of us on wheels.

I hope you have fun! I'd say just don't expect anything like a near-Disney experience

 

[Brightsy]

I live really close to Great Adventures, close enough to have season passes. Anyways, when you get there go to guess relations. Ask for a VIG pass (Very Important Guest). SOme rides are accesible, like the Dark Knight. Most rides you'll use a different entrance , like the first replier said.
You won't have as magical a time, alas. Also, using the alternate entrance and all you won't be able to get front row on most coasters. Some of the rides have a part of the ride reserved for VIG users. If it's really crowded what they might do is write a time down on your VIG pass, turns into kind of a fastpass of sorts. That can be a pain on a lot of rides (like El Toro) which have long convoluted handicap entrances. (Picture an excited 7 yr. old w/ Autism trucking gamely all the way up to the handicao entrance to a big 'coaster only to be told he'd have to leave and come back in 45 minutes...was not fun trying to explain that to my son. Esp. since every other time we used his VIG we got to go on almost right away, thus setting a pattern...*sigh*)
Anyways, I'm sure you'll have fun!