Is SFGADV really THAT bad?

Sometime during the summer I'm going to take a trip to the eastern PA parks. I'm going to be there four days and I was planning on going to HP, DP, and Knoebels. Earlier in the year I was also planning to go to SFGADV one of the days, but recently I heard how terriuble of a park SFGADV was and how stressful and terrrible of a park it was and also overrun with linejumpers and gangs. Is it really that bad to where I'll just spend the fourth day at HP or is it worth it to go to SFGADV?

I have always enjoyed my previous visits to Great Adventure. The coasters alone make the park a must visit. Go, and you'll be pleasently surprised. Just don't go on a Saturday.

It's a fabulous park. Just don't go if you MUST have an enjoyable woodie to make a park for you. You will kick yourself in the nuts.

This is an awesome park. I don't know how someone could think this park is really that bad. It didn't seem to have any line-jumping or gangs when I went in 2002. Definately worth it. *** Edited 11/29/2003 10:32:51 PM UTC by matt c***

SFGADV is great. I dont know why so many people think its over run with gangs and all, thats *ridiculous*. You all must be affraid of New Yorkers or Jersey folk for some reason. Some people in the crowd can be a pain here and there but its well worth the visit. You wont be disapointed.

Honestly, being raised in the mid-west I can see where some people would think that GAdv's guests are "gang-bangers" or whatever, but the park's guests really aren't that at all! Just because someone dresses "thug-ish" doesn't mean they are.

Yeah, some of the flats may never open again (Jump) and Rolling Thunder absolutely blows, but the park really is a great place. The ride op's are exceptional (especially for what they are made to do with less-than minimum staffing!), and the rides are awesome!

Even though I absolutely loath the parks management, it really is a great park and I'd highly recommend going. I'd also recommend taking a break from the park and going through the Safari. Just stay away from the Monkey area unless you've got good car insurance ;)

Ignore what you hear/read and check it out for yourself. The place does not have "gangs" or thugs and is not over-run by line-jumpers. The same crap goes on that happens everywhere else I've been in this country. And as rOLLocOASt stated, the ride op's are GREAT.

There where several occasions this season in which the only non-operational rides were the hydra flume (the main log flume was running) and the HUSS jump which never really works anyway. The food is good and the lines move well.

RT should be excellent next season as most of the bad spots are being retracked right now.

I'm not sure about about the monkey area re-opening again in the safari though. It was closed off almost this entire season because of how destructive they had become. Cars were leaving without mirrors and windshield wipers.

As for this thread, I predict it will become a gadv vs. CP bash in about 1 day so enjoy your visit :)

With a Six Flags Park you never know. You don't know till you try. Just because I might not have liked it doesn't mean you won't like it eitgher. With the complains I have had about that park "gang bangers" weren't one of them. I also didn't think the ops weren't that bad; infact, the Nitro ops were the fatest I've seem on a roller coaster.

Ride Ops great? Some crews were exceptional (Nitro during Fright Fest comes to mind) but the Medusa crew was stacking all three trains almost all season long. It was pretty pathetic.

Okay, it seems I will be spending one of my days there, besides I really don't think I could pass up Nitro.

I will have to disagree with a lot of the
sentiment that's been voiced here, and echo what
you've probably heard before. Both of the times
I went to SFGAdv, and especially this year, the
overall atmosphere of the park was horrid, and the
vast majority of the people in line all around my
wife an I all day were constantly smoking, dropping
the F-Bomb, and giving us looks like they would
rather kill us then have us in line near them.
And there was rampant line-jumping, including
shoving my wife out of their way to get by. It
was truly a bad experience from an environmental
point of view. This was on a Saturday however,
and that might make a difference.

However, despite all that, I would still recommend
going there if you've never been, just for the
fact that it's got one of the greatest coaster
collections there is. Nitro alone is worth the
trip out there, and there are many other good
as well. The reason I wanted to mention my foul
experience is the make you aware of the fact that
despite what some people have said, there is
certainly a chance that you may run into some
really bad behavior there, as evidenced both
times I went there. (And no, it has never been
even remotely like that anywhere else I've been).
But I still say go for it, and enjoy your trip as
best you can! :) *** Edited 11/30/2003 5:56:59 AM UTC by DILinator***

There aren't gangs. No, those people are mobsters. Geeze, do I have to teach you people everything? :)

Andy - Yeah sometimes those Medusa op's are lazy, but they still beat the Mantis crew hands down (which has more crew members and only 2 train operation ;))

DILinator - GAdv's crowds can get alittle rough once in awhile on a Saturday, but most major park do. I've seen some huge fights involving 40+ people at CP during the 2 years that I worked there, and not once did I see any major "disturbances" like that at GAdv during my time there.

IMO I think that GAdv gets their bad rap mainly to some of the people from the surrounding areas (NYC, Joisey City & Newark, Philly). There are alot of great people from NYC and Philly, but not everyone will be "friendly" or even "semi-decent members of society".

If it makes you feel any better, there are metal detectors and tons of security guards (even if you don't see them.. They're there.) The only place you'll have to worry about is the parking lot! Oh wait, this isn't PKI or SFA ;) *** Edited 11/30/2003 8:37:11 AM UTC by rOLLocOASt***

Every trip I've made to SFGAdv has been overwhemingly positive. The area to the right of the main entrance, with the ferris wheel and such under the trees is one of the most gorgeous areas of any park I've ever been to. Actually, all the areas near the lake are very nice. I've never had a bad experience at SFGAdv, but then again, I go to parks to have fun and its a rare day indeed when I don't. :)

It has it's good days and bad days, just like any other park. It's has it's share of line jumpers and deliquents/whiney parents just like any other park would on any given day.

Overall the park is awesome (including the Safari)and the ride ops have been very cool. Nitro, Revolution, and The Chiller are worth it alone. Actually the NJ Turnpike is where you need to watch yourself. ;-)

-Tina

It depends what you want. If you want a complete park package with a great atmosphere, fairly fast ride ops, and lesser crowds, go spend your day at HP. If you're just a coaster nut, SFGAdv is a great place, since it has the most diverse collection of roller coasters on the east coast. I didn't have a problem with any of the gangs there, I just had a problem with the ridiculously slow ride ops (3 trains stacking on both Medusa and Nitro) and the fact that half the rides closed early or didn't open at all. The state of the park itself was also run-down.

But hey, I may have caught the park on a bad day, and yours could be much better. You might also want to consider that Hershey is adding Storm Runner next year. ;)

Not because this is my *home* theme park, but I believe that this is one of the better Six Flags properties. Yeah yeah Medusa stacks, but damn the Superman / Nitro / Freefall and Scream Machine crew more than made up for it. And yes you will find people there decked out in Sean John, Fubu, and Enyce, but trust me, most of them are punks anyhow. And yes not everyone smiles and bid you good day. Us East coasters do not believe in smiling when not necessary ;). Like many have said, go with an open mind, and you will be pleasantly surprised.

I generally give Great Adventure a pretty good grade. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I've used Lo-Q the last two years I've been there. I love the fact that they have two log flumes. I can never go either without making a stop at Houdini's Great Escape (Vekoma Mad House). While I never did get a chance to ride Evolution, I have ridden the Jump three years ago, and I hope it'll be back up this year. Just stay off of Viper, and you'll be fine.

GADV is an awesome place. Don't listen to these bozos who went once and hated it because of some stupid line jumpers or people with long black capes. The coasters rock, and even though it's expensive, it's worth it.

Gangs? I've been to the park twice(97 & 02) and had no such problems. The park has AWESOME coasters! Go check it out.

Corey