Associated parks:
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey, USA
I am not going to log in a full - feature report. I just wanted to make a few notes about what has changed and what I experienced on Operating Day # 2.
Weather: Sunny, Very breezy in the morning to somewhat milder in 50s in the afternoon.
Hours: The Park now opens at 11. I used to think it was 10:30 and I remember "back in the day" (For you young folks) at 10.
Parking: The "Speedy Park" was just ok. The guy at the gate scanned my pass and the preferred parking lot is now a little larger than it was, but you have to travel around the rim of the entire lot to pull in behind the handicapped lot and the regular parking. There are some electric car chargers on the perimeter. I do not know if they are extra and if they work - but some were being used.I saved about 5 min from where I used to park in the regular lot. Driving out - somewhat early - I felt that there were possible times for little kids to get hit walking into the park. A better fence might be needed.
Cleanliness: Most of the park looked good. Bathrooms clean. Some construction clutter near the lakefront. Deja Vu (Scrambler) was a mess! I remember writing about Keansburg a year or so ago - that it was left in disarray. (Gondolas just sitting on trailers.) This was Deja Vu's condition. (Very far from how Disney would display an unused ride.) I kind of felt sad for it. The main post was up...but the ride looked horrible.
Security: Maybe it's me, but I don't think that a Security Guard holding a "grabber" is a deterrent. The folks in the park were well-behaved and family oriented. I appreciated that they were there, but you can't effectively run after a youthful "evil-doer" with a squeegee. Casino Pier masters the "polite-but-firm" Security Guard message.
Event: On opening weekend, anyone with a seasons pass was able to get a wristband to ride everything twice. This was not really needed - as the crowds were light. Most coasters that were open were running 1 train and this made everything take much longer than it should.
Ride Count: This was not good. Yes, in March, there aren't too many people hoping to get on a water ride. That's understandable. But there were so many rides that were closed that should not have been. Medussa, Skull Mountain, Kingda Ka, Lantern, Harlequin Train, Superman were all down for the count. Tango, Scrambler, Sky Ride, Cyborg. There were some others that I'm forgetting. That and the double riding, made for long lines that were not moving. Oh! and The Battle for Metropolis (twiced with almost no wait) needs to re-calibrate their guns. I kept accidently shooting Superman again and I was STILL made an honorary member of the Justice League!) (TWICE!) They need to raise their standards.
Food Count: Many restaurants were also not open. (This included: Best of the West, Fat Burger, Chop Six) THe main ones on the main strip were open, but the ancillary ones on the corners were down and out. The burger that I had at "Yum Yum" was tiny, awful and prepared without any "love." Three times I bit into boney bits.
But yet, I had a good time: Despite all of the negatives, after what always seems like a long winter, I managed to have a very good time at an open park. I just "Liked" being around it. I enjoyed seeing happy people of all ages just having a nice day. I liked the weather and the promise of summer things to come. Damn, you don't realize how much you miss it until it starts to come back. It makes me jealous of those of you with quality year-round options. It was just as nice to travel on the N.J. Turnpike and go to a service center to use the facilities and re-fill my water bottle. I also went to the New Egypt Flea Market and Asbury Park - simply because I wanted to. (The new Puppy rescue is adorable!) Nothing says freedom like cruise control, Sunday morning countdown shows and hawks meandering in front of your upper windshield. It's back!
Thank you as always for reading this.
Here's To Shorter Lines & Longer Trip Reports!
Re: your comment about the security guard with a grabber. When I was a rides supervisor at a SF park about 25 or so years ago, we had a VP who mandated that every supervisor in the park carry a pan and broom. When I had a ride breakdown in my area, I used to find a place to ditch it while I was on my way there. My supervisor asked why I did that one time and I told him, "because I don't want guests to think, 'oh great, the janitor is here to fix it,' when I show up."
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