Delayed Report - GReat Adventure - July 29, 2007 - Rain and Concert Lines

The mission - to go solo and to see if 1, I could have a good time mid summer on a Sunday and 2, if the park could prove that it could still provide a good time, mid summer on a Sunday.

Weather - Cloudy, good chance of passing showers throughout the day. I did it solo.

Trip there - left Long Island at 7:00, thinking the park opend at 10. (It was 10:30) I still take the long way, route 9 into 537 and stopping at a cool little diner on 537. Almost no traffic and my newly installed E-Z pass worked perfectly.

Parking - I know $15 bucks is a lot. I did get a Sunday New York Daily News and another poster map. The lot still has pot holes that could swallow a mini bus. I took the last open spot near the SUperman station and walked in.

Security - Again a lot of guards explaining the Code of conduct. This is a good thing. I hope they don't let up on this.

Pre-opening - nothing new here. You get the justice league and the looney tunes and a guy on stilts. Green Lantern was the same guy as my last trip report. Wonder Woman was here this time (cute, but no Lynda Carter) and when the rope dropped I again headed west towards Nitro.

Nitro - Great smooth clean front seat ride. THREE TRAINS WERE ON AND RUNNING! (I was elated)

Congo rapids - since there was no line I did it. I had a solo boat and I wanted to see if all the weight (me) was in one area, would it increase or decrease my chances of getting wet. I thought I would naturally lean into a few ripples, but that wasn't the case. I returned to the dock completely dry. (The waterfall was still not working).

Nitro - I couldn't resist another spin as long as I was there. I took the back this time which was more forceful and felt a few more bumps. When we got back, very few people were waiting. I did the (soon to be copyrighted) "One cheak sneak" and I was back on in the middle of the train. After two laps, one of the ops said, "buddy, just one more, ok?" When we got back he said, "Ah...just stay on."

At this point the sky was getting darker and I thanked the op and wanted to head down to the east end to get on Ka and Medussa. While waiting for the sky ride, we were told there is now lightening in the area and it was shutting down.

It turned out that all of the rides were doing this except for the tea cups and the carousel. I asked about Skull Mountain because it was indoors, but when I got there I was told it too was effected.

Then it hit...monsoon rains, heavy lightening, roaring thunder, the whole deal. I was on a bench under the character cafe watching every drop of moisture New Jersey had pour down on Jackson. (Some of the bolts were quite imporessive)

When the rain let up an hour later I went to the boardwalk to the fish place. It is no longer Chippy's/ The fish was good, though not nearly as good as it used to be, and the pieces were smaller. I ate it in at a table at the sit-down restaurant nearby.

Though the rain was letting up, most of the rides were still closed so I walked over to Medussa. I know this sounds really lame but as a country fan, I LOVE the music they play in the Western Area near the log flume and runaway train.

MEdussa - we were told that the rides were closed due to lightening in the area, but that we were welcomed to stay if we wanted to. THen it poured again and again and again. At least we were sheltered in there. The ride ops were nice about answering questions from the crowd (about 50 people - which dwindled down to 8.) They asked if anyone knew any games to play while we were waiting. Then they annoucing facts about Heinz Ketchup, the ride's sponsor.

At first the rain was freshing and relaxing while I was sitting on the bench. Now it was annying. We were told that the park may close in which case, we would get a ticket for another day. (I thought that was fair) I also learned that most of the ops are part time employees and if they get sent home early, they do NOT get paid for the time they could have been working. I also was told that since there was a concert scheduled in the park, they would do everything possible to make sure it ran. A VERY long line was building from the theatre entrance to the Runaway train to see the Plain White Ts.

One op told me that he loved how things have changed for the better for employees though as they get ERT on certain times after the park closes and parties at Hurricane Harbor. He didn't think they would be getting a major new coaster for a few years, and that the waterpark will be upgraded, he thought, in 2009.

Every time the phone rang, the team got more and more excited. One was to pwer down. One was to let us stay. One was to see who was there. One was to power up. One was to load and we were off. The total delay from 3 - 3.5 hours.

Medussa - This ride doesn't disappoint. It is a nice layout and (in my opinion) doesn't break down too often. In the front row life was good. Smooth and minimal headbanging.

Tango - I finally got on this thing. I don't know. It was like a small Rock'n tug with less force. It looks like it has some good spinning action, but it just was...lame.

Observation - One thing about the park...when it is raning, you don't see security, cleaners, or ops. (Only food people) when the rides are up, they all seem to open at once.

Tigers - they are big, they have claws, they are behind glass and cages. Make sure they stay there.

Ka - Insanely short line, all four stations going...waited for front seat. Here is what happened.

We pull out and I watch the train ahead rip down the track and up the hill. I see the spray from the water hitting the cable. I wait for the catch to come back and I wait (Could I have missed it?) What's going on? The train before us is already back at the station. LOOK! I saw a chubby grey bunny hop from the grass under the tracks. How cute. Huh? We started going backwards. Then we stop. People on line are looking at me and I said something stupid like, "You should have thought of that before we left." Then we are back in the station at the boarding gate in front of where we started. The other side is going and returning.

This is the part that gets me. None of the ops said anything. Not a word. Then we went back up to the starting area, heard the schpiel and took off.

The ride was really moving, perhaps my best launch, lots of air lots of fun. I felt like I hit a sprinkle of moisture on the way up and perhaps some gnats or something...not like the peppering I got from Kracken last year, but something on the way up and down the spire.

When we got back we were told (as usual) to exit. WHen we did, I asked about what had happend. I was told, "Ah that happens sometimes. Sometimes we just need to reset a train." I decided to ask someone else on the way out who explained that one of hte fins on the track might not have been perfectly alligned. What a ride and a spectacular edition to the park.

One the sky ride back, I saw Ka launces, toro trains and meddusa's impressive layout behind the fort. (I love the sky ride at Great Adventure.)

I went on a few other rides before I left. (Waveswinger - Skull mountain [no efffects or sounds this time] and a couple of other things that I can't think of)

Bathrooms - Most were good, the one near the Character Cafe was a bit cramped and dirty during the rain delay.

Food - Down a bit from last time and very expensive

Security - Didn't see much during rain delay and after the front gate, but I only saw one case of line cutting and one smoker in a que.

Closures: CHiller and Houdini were closed. Most everything else was going strong.

Ops - Very good. They might need a staff meeting in how to entertain a station during a rain delay.

Atmosphere - People were angry when the storm passed, the sun was coming out, but the rides still weren't moving. They have to wait until storms are a certain number of miles away.

Once the rides opened back up, people were having a great time. I saw a few older peeps in the parks who were enjoying the tigers and spending time with the grandkids. I also saw quite a few teens trying to go bit further than "sucking face" on the lines. Ah to be young...

Bottom line is that people were having a very good time, the ride lines were reasonable and most of the coasters had 2 -3 trains, with Ka using all 4.

Impressions & Possible Discussion -

1) I never saw such a line for a concert at a park. Unless I'm missing something, the Plain White Ts had one hit, granted a big one. Do they really merit a line towards Runaway Train? Are concerts like that a huge deal to parks? If so, I hope they have a concert every day so the ride lines will be shorter.

"Hey there Delilah can't you see it's really raining. I am stuck here at Medussa and I'm really not complaing...can't you see...from the soundcheck these guys sing off-key...now I am wet and and have to pee..."

Sorry about that.

2) Now back to the mission...in 2007, can you go to Great Adventure on a Sunday (midsummer) and have a good time without a gold bot?

Answer: Inconclusive! THe predicted weather caused many people not to come and the actual rain (I'm sure) made a lot of people turn back.

I am slated to return next week WITH THE FAMILY, so hopefully I will have a more accurate answer, and a different type of report. (Perhaps with less spelling and grammar errors!)

"Thank you for reading and for hopefully responding...to the nonsense I have posted with mistakes in prose astounding, cant you see...Deliliah get away from me... Don't like at all those plain white ts....Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh......"