Great Adventure - Friday, August 3, 2012

Ok, I'm going through every ride. Been there...done that...just a few thoughts...

It was VERY hot today. Very little relief with a lot of humidity. No sneaky side trips through commercial stips - I just took the turnpike and 195.

I know this is rediculus, but my wife wanted me to get her some coffee before I set out solo. The Dunkin Doughnuts we like is near a Long Island Rail Road train station. I have to admit that I felt a little guilty today. I am going to Great Adventure...and they are going to work. It was weird, and I got over it quickly.

After giving away a few freebies to families with kids, I noticed a bin to feed the hungry. Apparently there are many people who want to dump their unopened food instead of taking back to the car or throwin it away. Unfortunately, most of the food in there were things that don't fit to easily into some of the better food groups. Doritos, Chips, and other salty treats were 90 percent of what was in there. Ah...suplus cheese...Doodles!)

Every year I think that there can't be more commercial signage and every year there is. On the Congo Rapids there were signs promoting Terra Nova on Fox. Wasn't that show cancelled? Also the stupid signs about being hungry..."If you weren't hungry you wouldn't be talking to this pole." Perhaps it should have said... "If this sign wasn't here, you wouldn't be reading it."

I have mixed feelings about pre-recorded ride announcements. (One of my old bosses used to do some of the warning notices at Bush Gardens). On the other hand, I don't like announcements from people who talk too fast or I can't understand. The announcement from the skyway (Near the Panda Restaurant) used to sound like an Orville Reddenbocker type of guy and he made the speil worth listening too. Now there are too many commercials over the loudspeaker along with the more corporate sounding spiel. Bring back Orville.

I have never seen so many print ads and announcements for a Broadway Show. Is this the main audience 6 flags is targeting? Moms and dads might like it but there isn't one kid, tween or teenager who is going to say to his or her friends..."Hey...that sounds like a great idea...lets get tickets for Jersey Boys!"

The new Sky Screemer is a fun ride. It doesn't tilt like the wave swingers, but the view is fantastic. How does it compare to the new Cedar Fair swings?

The new Scrambler, Deja Vu, is a smaller model and it had some nice force to it. The cycle could have been longer and I had a private charter. The young lady who ran the ride thanked me because I closed the car and dropped the pin in.

The park was very clean today. It has been for some time. The bathrooms were in very good condition (Even after I used them) and security was not an issue anywhere.

I finally rode Green Lantern. It's a step up from what screem machine had become, but I found it hard on "the boys" and uncomfortable. I also feel that Nitro has forgotten what a smooth ride it used to be. Kudos to the park for having 3 trains going on each.

What the heck is that? I am used to seeing car promotions, time-share salesmen and other assorted riff raff at Great Adventure...but a white blow up igloo? It had Coke plastered on the sides of the dome and a caption that said Sweater Shreader or something like it. I was nosey and went in. Holy Smokes....It was 60 degrees in there and they had a bar set up and there were uniformed employees doling out Coke. There was loud music, a guy taking photos of people in front of British Landmarks and monitors showing the Coke tie-ins with the Olympics. It was so comfortable in there that nobody wanted to leave. Finally, a corporate promotion that made the day better! You should have seen the faces of the people who came into the place. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert.

There was only one sign that had Mr. 6. I still like that logo and campaign.

Later in the day, I left the park, went to Keansburg to fish on the pier. I didn't catch anything, but it was nice to be there too.

Thank you for reading this.

I have never noticed so much signage around the park for advertisements, but usually when I go to Great Adventure, my friends and I are pretty singularly focused. Perhaps it has gotten worse, as I have only been there once in the past two seasons (trying to change that very soon).

Nitro IS forgotten a lot, I think, and it is a shame. It is not the most forceful coaster on the planet, but it is definitely one of my favorites, and the drop on it never ceases to scare me just a little. It is the second biggest reason I GO to Great Adventure.

I actually really enjoy Green Lantern, but then again, I am a girl, so...

Good trip report!

Richie Reflux said:

The new Sky Screemer is a fun ride. It doesn't tilt like the wave swingers, but the view is fantastic. How does it compare to the new Cedar Fair swings?

The only Windseeker I've been on is KD's. I found GAdv's ride to be much freer, faster, and , I believe it had a longer cycle. Those are all plusses in the Book Of Mike. Thanks for the report, Richie. I'm heading down Saturday.