Six Flags Great Adventure

[JulieWent]

We may go to Six Flags Great Adventure over the summer. What is it like? What were the coasters like? How good were the coasters? If anyone can give info about the park, please answer my questions.
Austin

 

[OhMari]

Where is this.
There is a Great America in Gurnee IL

 

[barbeml]

Great Adventure (which many of us in Jersey refer to as "Gang Adventure") used to be a beautiful family park. Now, not so much. You couldn't pay me to go there. Unless something has turned around in a big way recently, no thanks.

 

[Karel]

The only Great Adventure I know is in NJ.

How old are you? How much fun you will have will depend on your age. When I was young, one summer my boyfriend and I had a season's pass.

Now I might go if it's free. Maybe.

 

[LoraJ]

Last time I went there I got a huge migrane. The coasters are getting old and bang your head around a lot.

I really like the water park next door though.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

We went to Great Adventure the weekend of Labor Day this year. Don't expect the Disney thrills. DD and DH rode Kingda Ka, our sole reason for the trip. The Golden Kingdom is nicely themed. But we were quickly disgusted with the maintenance level of the park and the number of rides that were not operating. Waiting in line for Nitro there was gum all over the wall along the stairs and really could have used a paint job. The food is way over-priced, but decent.

When I'm planning to visit one of the amusement parks closer to home, Dorneypark, Hersheypark, Knoebels, Great Adventure, I go to the discussion boards at www.thrillnetwork.com.

 

[damo]

We're doing the great East Coast Coaster trip this summer. Great Adventure is on the list as is Dorney, Hershey, Knoebels, SF New England, Great Escape and La Ronde.

We had heard that Six Flags Magic Mountain was just terrible before we went. We really enjoyed it. You've got to love coasters to love these parks.

We heard so much praise about Knotts and we hated it.

 

[LtlTee]

But we were quickly disgusted with the maintenance level of the park and the number of rides that were not operating. Waiting in line for Nitro there was gum all over the wall along the stairs and really could have used a paint job.

This was our experience also. It was kind of depressing.

 

[JulieWent]

Damo,
My son (Austin) is currently hoping to convince us to take us on a mini-east coast coaster trip this summer. He wants to try Great Adventure (because of Nitro, I think) and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. He's got a few others on his list, too, but I don't know what they are. Since I'm the mom, I'm thinking of the "educational" places we can visit -- Washington, D.C., New York City, etc. He is 10, though, and an extreme coaster enthusiast, so I suspect that there are some amusement parks in our future. I'll be interested in hearing your suggestions.
Julie -- mom to Austin

 

[damo]

Damo,
My son (Austin) is currently hoping to convince us to take us on a mini-east coast coaster trip this summer. He wants to try Great Adventure (because of Nitro, I think) and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. He's got a few others on his list, too, but I don't know what they are. Since I'm the mom, I'm thinking of the "educational" places we can visit -- Washington, D.C., New York City, etc. He is 10, though, and an extreme coaster enthusiast, so I suspect that there are some amusement parks in our future. I'll be interested in hearing your suggestions.
Julie -- mom to Austin

Welcome to the "Coaster Vacation Club"!!! My son is 16 but we have been planning our vacations around coasters for a long time. He is up to around 180 different coasters ridden and hopes to add many more next summer.

Three summers ago we did Busch Gardens and Paramount King's Dominion (after doing Kennywood in Pittsburgh and Hersheypark). Williamsburg is great fun and has a lot of educational possibilites. We tried to avoid the big cities and did the more rural route.

The past two summers we have done west coast trips and fell in love with California. So much for the big city rule!!! Since my kids are both teens, there were lots of great things for them to see and do.

My son is in the process of planning his European Coaster tour. That'll be two summers from now.

If you plan it carefully, they will never know that they are actually learning something at the same time!!!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

This was our experience also. It was kind of depressing.

From that point on the rest of our day was just blah. Prior to that we were having a decent time of it.

 

[PrincessCLM]

Been several times. It definitely doesn't have the magic of Disney or even Hershey Park.
A couple of the coasters do give you headaches (ahhhh Great American Scream Machine), but I did enjoy Kingda Ka.
You can buy a Q-Bot, which is the same concept as Fast Pass to use with many of the coasters.

 

[tmt martins]

Damo,
My son (Austin) is currently hoping to convince us to take us on a mini-east coast coaster trip this summer. He wants to try Great Adventure (because of Nitro, I think) and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. He's got a few others on his list, too, but I don't know what they are. Since I'm the mom, I'm thinking of the "educational" places we can visit -- Washington, D.C., New York City, etc. He is 10, though, and an extreme coaster enthusiast, so I suspect that there are some amusement parks in our future. I'll be interested in hearing your suggestions.
Julie -- mom to Austin

Washington also has a SIX FLAGS about 30 mins from the city .It has a water park included with some new water rides .I like the coasters there and DD is starting to ride them as well .We have had season passes for about 4 years now .It's about 40 mins from B-More and it's nice to go even if just fro a few hours.
Like others have posted Rides are down alot but with Daniel Snyder ( REDSKINS ) taking over hope he will start changes at HOME.

 

[Slacking]

We're doing the great East Coast Coaster trip this summer. Great Adventure is on the list as is Dorney, Hershey, Knoebels, SF New England, Great Escape and La Ronde.

We had heard that Six Flags Magic Mountain was just terrible before we went. We really enjoyed it. You've got to love coasters to love these parks.

We heard so much praise about Knotts and we hated it.

I was the same way. I liked Magic Mountain a lot, and hated Knotts. It was a shame though because I last visited Knotts in the early 90's and it was awesome, but the current management has ruined the park, imo.

I LOVE Knoebels. Make sure you ride the Haunted House, my favorite dark ride.

But, Hershey is my favorite amusement park ever. Great atmosphere, great rides, all around a fantastic park. Their new in 06 peanut butter/ chocolate extreme sports dark ride sounds ummm.... interesting, but its a great park.

Back to the original post, Great Adventure has a wide variety of coasters. If you go to a park for thrills and coasters, you'll like it. Medusa is fantastic. I havent been there since tat ride opened, but they have added 3 large coasters since and in 06 will be opening El Toro, a large woodie (and they took down Viper!!)

 

[Slacking]

Damo, thats awesome your son is planning a European Coaster trip. looks like some great parks and coasters over there. I place I would LOOOOOOVE to go though is Japan. Hopefully I'll have the money some day to make it out there/

 

[damo]

Damo, thats awesome your son is planning a European Coaster trip. looks like some great parks and coasters over there. I place I would LOOOOOOVE to go though is Japan. Hopefully I'll have the money some day to make it out there/

Oh he would LOVE to do an Asia trip. He'll have to do that one on his own time with his own money AFTER university!!!

 

[drgnfly30]

DH gets free tix to Six Flags Great Adventure every year from work... let's put it this way.. I'll be selling them this year to buy Dorney Park tix instead!!

 

[JulieWent]

Welcome to the "Coaster Vacation Club"!!! My son is 16 but we have been planning our vacations around coasters for a long time. He is up to around 180 different coasters ridden and hopes to add many more next summer.

Three summers ago we did Busch Gardens and Paramount King's Dominion (after doing Kennywood in Pittsburgh and Hersheypark). Williamsburg is great fun and has a lot of educational possibilites. We tried to avoid the big cities and did the more rural route.

The past two summers we have done west coast trips and fell in love with California. So much for the big city rule!!! Since my kids are both teens, there were lots of great things for them to see and do.

My son is in the process of planning his European Coaster tour. That'll be two summers from now.

If you plan it carefully, they will never know that they are actually learning something at the same time!!!

Oh! I am soooo incredibly glad we're not the only family out there planning vacations around roller coaster locations. DS wants to include Kennywood on the list, and all I can think of was, "Pittsburg? We're going to Pittsburg on vacation?" And when he asks when we're going to Cedar Point, I try to imagine how we'll present that to our friends. "I know you're going to the beach, and the people down the road are going to Europe on vacation. We thought we'd go to Ohio." I'll take comfort in knowing there are a few people out there who understand. (And I like the idea of planning the European coaster tour. Maybe I'll plan that one!) Julie

 

[damo]

My rationale is that we can only have family vacations for so long, so let's do things that they really want to do. There will be enough time when they have left home to do the things that DH and I want. It has also inspired my son to study engineering so he can become a coaster designer! So there is good that can come out of it all.

My son really liked Kennywood and he loves CP. When you do Cedar Point make sure you go to Geauga Lake as well. It is a fun park too!

 

[msdznyduck]

Great Adventure (which many of us in Jersey refer to as "Gang Adventure") used to be a beautiful family park. Now, not so much. You couldn't pay me to go there. Unless something has turned around in a big way recently, no thanks.

Me either......I used to take the kids a time or two during the summer.....no more! I think the last time we went was about 8 yrs ago or so, and it was awful. VERY long lines, and "Gang Adventure" is the right name for it.