Great Adventure, 10/24/14

I got to the park at around 5:15, there was no early entry again for Gold Passholders. There hasn't been early entry any Friday I have been there this month. Kingda Ka and El Toro were both listed on the closed rides board and I hoped that wasn't accurate since with 2 of the most popular coasters closed would mean much longer lines for everything else.

I went to Zumanjaro first thinking the line would get bad later on and was able to get on the first cycle. By the time the cycle was finished, it looked like it was already a 4 or 5 cycle wait. I wasn't that excited about Zumanjaro when it was announced and after riding it on a few trips to the park, I like the ride a lot more than I would have thought. The drop is a lot better compared to S&S Turbo Drops. The only problem is you have to get to the ride at opening or late in the day or else you will be waiting in an hour plus line.

Kingda Ka had reopened after that the line was just after the Flashpass merge point and the line took around 15 minutes for the last row of the 3rd car. I hope the park can work with the state to get both Kingda Ka and Zumanjaro to run at the same time since Kingda Ka's line really moves a lot slower now.

El Toro was next with a 2 train wait for the 5th car and Bizarro was a walk on for the last row with double stacking almost every time.

Nitro's line was on the stairs and after I went back to the ride 20 minutes later after dinner, the line had gotten almost to the switchbacks and it was 30 minutes including a small breakdown with the train stopping on the lift. They were really trying to dispatch the trains fast.

Batman was around 20 minutes for the first row and like the past few weeks, the dispatches were also very fast with very little stacking. By the time I walked down the exit ramp, the line had started to fill the switchbacks after the tunnel and was into the park area.

The Dark Knight had a very short line and took 10 minutes from entering the queue to getting into the ride vehicles. I walked around for a 2nd lap when I saw the pre-show doors were open after exiting the building after the first ride. The Bat Signal at the end of the ride is working again. Walking past Skull Mountain, it was closed and the Skyway had opened up (it was closed at opening).

Deja Vu was a 2 cycle wait and Buccaneer had a short wait and I was able to get on the next cycle using the new middle row queue since almost everyone was in the queue for the end rows. Adding separate queue lines was a good idea for anyone who doesn't mind sitting in a middle row getting to skip some of the line.

Skull Mountain opened again and was a 4 train wait for the last row. I walked around again waiting for the last row.

Nitro's line was now in the switchbacks so I went back to Batman riding the coaster twice, each time with a station wait.

I walked back to the other side of the park and went to Runway Mine Train riding twice with no wait.

I decided to check out Kingda Ka and Zumanajro's lines and got to Zumanjaro a little after 11:20. There was no wait and they allowed a re-ride. What I wasn't expecting to hear was that was the final ride cycle of the night since it was only around 11:35.

I thought I would try Kingda Ka again but the line was already closed. I know both Kingda Ka and Zumanjaro have been closing early even with no line so I thought I would try Superman or Green Lantern. Walking past the parachutes, they were closed which wasn't a good sign. Both Superman and Green Lantern were closed as well. Neither were cycling trains so it looked like they hadn't just closed the line a few minutes ago.

Walking back to the other side of the park I thought I would try Nitro but when I saw Sky Screamer and Deja Vu were both closed, I knew the chances of Nitro being open were not good. Deja Vu has the lights on the ride turned off so like the other rides had been closed for a little while.

As expected, Nitro, Batman, The Dark Knight, Fender Bender and Skull Mountain had all closed as well.

I saw some people ask a guard if the park was open until 12:00 and they were told the park is. Someone asked if the park is open until 12:00, why aren't the rides open until 12:00. They didn't have an answer.

If the park is going to close the ride lines at around 11:30, they should mention it on the website or the ride hours board (something like "Park is open until 12:00, rides lines will close at 11:30") so people expect it and not be disappointed especially when it seems random what time they decide to close the lines even if there is no wait. On Columbus Day, they closed Zumanjaro at 9:50, only 10 minutes early. I hope this is just something they are doing because of the midnight closings and doesn't start next year where if the park closes at 8:00, they close all the ride lines at 7:30.

It was still an overall good trip to the park though and wasn't that crowded for the week before Halloween.