Associated parks:
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Ahh, a weekend off with the guys for some hard core coastering. Day 1 started with our flight into Baltimore (super cheap) and the drive up to Jersey. This was my very first time to Great Adventure. Despite reading so much negativity, I was determined to go with an open mind. I was pleasantly surprised to find a quite beautiful park awaiting our arrival. In the gates just in time for the 5:00 rope drop, we head over for our first ride of the trip....
Nitro
Highs: Major air, great layout, the usual B&M smoothness, and my favorite comfy coaster seats/lap bars.
Lows: Ummmm.....sadness that the lap pad covers had been vandalized a bit?
The Verdict: B&M delivers an *explosive* (pun intended) hyper that puts my formerly high-ranked Raging Bull to utter shame.
WOW! I was literally *blown away* (again intended) by this ride. I'd never been on such on air machine before (not knowing that my definition of "air machine" would be bettered the very next day). Next door, we couldn't pass up...
Batman: The Ride
Highs: Tight layout, and here the vandalism adds to the theming.
Lows: Seated in row 3, it felt like there was a square wheel on our car.
The Verdict: The first B&M I've ever ridden that wasn't smooth running.
I was quite surprised by what had to have been a bad wheel. It literally felt like the wheels were riding on gravel. After the caped crusader, we jog over to get his sidekick....
The Chiller (Robin side)
Highs: Fun launch, fun flips, and a really cool overall visual/theming package.
Lows: While I appreciate the move away from OTSRs, those lap bars were cramped. Will it ever race again?
The Verdict: I'll add my voice to saying that the lap bar barrel roll is just the coolest.
Once we got off, stood in the tunnel underneath the launch track, hoping to get a neat view. As we waited, a couple of guys leaving past us said that the ride had gone down. Oops, we broke it! As I only saw it run once more during the evening, we counted ourselves lucky. Along our meandering along the lakeside were...
Skull Mountian
Highs: Interesting riding in the dark
Lows: I actually found myself wishing for moments of something to look at, ala Disaster Transport.
The Verdict: An OK ride made better by Levi, one of the nicest, quickest-hustling ride-ops I've ever seen.
Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train
Highs: You sure can't beat the capacity of a 20-car train.
Lows: There wasn't a sign with the ride's name on it anywhere that I could see.
The Verdict: Ahhh, credit whoring at it's finest.
Runaway Mine Train
Highs: Really cool Old West fort station house
Lows: I really don't fit in some of these little trains.
The Verdict: In keeping with the western theme, you could've called this one Jerky.
After getting those credits out of the way, we head to the lime green monster...
Medusa
Highs: Great pacing of the inversions, with a cool entrance-way framed by the cobra roll.
Lows: Since when does a mythological Greek monster inhabit the Old West?
The Verdict: There are good reasons why B&M is selling copies of this one.
Unfortunately for the count (but fortunately for my neck), Viper was not running. So, it's next door to....
Rolling Thunder
Highs: Interesting not-sure-where-it's-going layout.
Lows: Yet another racer not racing
The Verdict: Rough and neglected, it truly is "Rotting Lumber".
Back towards the front of the park, we encounter our first real wait (only 25 minutes) for...
Superman: Ultimate Flight
Highs: Just like SFGAm, I love that pretzel loop
Lows: Can't we get some tall buildings to fly around?
The Verdict: Every time I ride one of these B&M Flyers makes me excited for the next iteration.
After a brief pause to watch the motorcycle stunt guys riding around in the little steel ball, it's...
Great American Scream Machine
Highs: Not as brutal as its sister Shockwave
Lows: The MCBR literally was stopping the train for an instant.
The Verdict: Another example that the Arrow mega-loopers are not long for this world.
Once we had hit all the coasters (and after a full day of travel) we decided it was one more lap on Nitro then out. By this time it was dark, and we got a back seat ride. Wow, again! I absolutely love this ride. On the way out on the climb into the turn around, we were pointed straight at the glowing moon. Too cool!
Overall, I was highly impressed with my visit to SFGAdv. I figure that I got extremely lucky with almost no waiting, and only one incident of blatant line-jumping. My kudos to the whole crew for a nicely decorated Fright Fest as well. I will definitely be visiting this park again.
Next up, Dorney!
Later,
EV
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"Everybody has desperate days of quiet questioning.
Everybody has times when they feel like they don't fit in."
- Color Theory, So Many Ways, 2001
*** This post was edited by EchoVictor 10/9/2003 1:40:00 PM ***
PS: How was the Rolling Thunder Station? The lead said he did it up really nice.
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Matrix Revolutions
November 5, 2003
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