SFGADV 8/4/07

It was my first trip Ever to SFGADv.

Yes, I went on a saturday and I went to the park around 3:00pm, but suprisingly their were not that many people and by the time 10:00pm came along the park was dead.

The day started off slow as our first ride was going to be El Toro but when we arrive to the Entrace of the ride it had just closed down due to technical diffuculties. So we headed across the bridge to Medusa. It was running two trains but stacking so the wait was 30 minutes. Ive been on Scream! at SFMM so this was nothing new to me and a bit rough for a B&M.(It could really use a paint job too)

After Medusa we headed back to El Toro and It was open and running two trains. What really sucked is that you wait 30 minutes for this ride becuase the front of the train is where you enter the entrance and I guess alot of people like riding in the front? So the whole back of the station is empty! (like no one in line for any of the back seats.) So the steps leading up to the station and inside the front of the station is packed and conjested( In normal staions dont you usually enter in the middle?). Finally a staff member told poeple to spread out and move to open lines(which helped the line move so much fast..see el toro later in the TR). So for the ride, El Toro is my favorite wooden coaster to date! Its just Fun and full of airtime and speed. Ive never gone over hills and banked turns at such high speeds on a wooden coaser and the first drop just takes your breath away! Its soo smooth the entire ride and the seats are very comfortable. Its the perect coaster. It gave that out of control feeling like Maverick at CP.

After El Toro we headed to Kingda Ka, but it had an 1hr and 1/2 wait, so we said screw that and went to Spongebob 3D because their was Air Conditioning and it was so hot outside! It was a very bad experience. We waited inside the theatre for the movie to start for about 10 mintes for a two minute ride. Big disappointment the ride was. Chasing after a pickle?..hmmm

Next was Nitro and I was looking forward to this ride for so long. The wait was 10 minutes and running 3 trains with no stacking. Thank God. This coaster has so much floater-air-time on all the hills. I just love the whole floaty feeling you get on the entire coaster. It doesnt move too fast, but its not moving too slow. Very good Coaster.

After Nitro we got a quick ride on batman. I still don't know how these B&M inverts can have stacking? You pull down the OTSR and go..But none the less its always a fun and in your face ride that's just enjoyable.

After Batman we got food at Nathans Hotdogs and by this time it was 9:00pm so we decided to go back to Nitro and ride. Out of nowhere the park was practically empty and we got 3 rides on Nitro back to back for a total time of about 10 minutes (At night this coaster is so much fun. It's pitch black and you travel through the trees and you can feel the changes in temperature from the bottom of the hills by the water(swamps)to the top of the hills where its warm air. Next we hit Batman again since its right next to Nitro. After batman we headed over to El toro for about a 10 minute wait and got right back in line for another 10 minute wait. Its so intense at night. I just love this coaster. Its my second favorite right after Millenium force(Night rides on MF are just amazing). After El Toro we headed to Kingda Ka and literally waited 5 minutes. I did not like this ride. The OTSR and The hill after the drop is painful and I got no airtime! It just wasnt fun and it hurt! So taller and Faster and Longer sometimes isnt always better. After Kinda we got 2 rides on Superman:Ultimate Flight. Although this coaster could use a little more ummphh..Its still a great and smooth ride and you can't beat the feeling you get throughout your body at the bottom the pretzel inversion.

Side Notes:

We also did Skull Mountain, but yea...nuff said.

The Park has a very conjested layout and they dont utilize the lake behind the park. I felt closed in alot!

The Restrooms are filthy and the staff is rude.

We bought one of those refill souvenier cups and it had a leak and while exiting the park we wanted to get a new one. So we went up to one of the shops that had the cups on display and when arriving to the window the lady shook her head (In the "No" direction) before she even knew what we wanted. So I had to yell at her and tell her that she can't tell a customer no before she even knew what we were going to ask.

Another Staff memeber that worked at the Ben and Jerrys didnt even put Ice in our drinks that we bought so she rolled her eyes when I had to ask her to please do so. Why wouldnt we want Ice?

Other than that it was a fairly nice park. Althoguh I do think the Entrance fee is too high at a whopping $59.99 without a water park included. But I guess with the "Riff Raff (Sp?)" in that area raising the admission price is necesaary so that you dont have that "problem" . Is it wrong to do that? No, because I didnt know wether to feel safe or scared with all the Police and security walking around that park. It was the most Ive ever seen.

But yea. It was a great trip esp. at Night when lines were non existant and the sun went down! *** Edited 8/5/2007 4:02:31 PM UTC by Nathan Alex***

You found the Batman crew to be slow, really? On my trip a few days earlier I actually commented them for being so fast. I guess it depends on the crew. I couldn't agree with you anymore about El Toro being the best ride there is at night with the exception of Millennium Force. I also find it funny that you have this TR up one day after your trip. I'm still making mine about my trip on wednesday and it wont be ready for a few more days. I'm just so busy.

So, was this visit in 2005?

^heh, And he still remembers like it was yesterday.

When I went, the Batman crew was the rudest at the park. And If I can remember, Medusa is the oldest Floorless.

Also, when I went to SFGAd the lines were always missed marked. Especially Kingda Ka, it said an hour, but we were at teh 15minue mark in 10 minutes. It's just their method of line control at the platform divide.

And El Toro is amazing at night. But it sounds like a normal SF trip. Cleanliness in question, Rude staff, Confusing Park, Tampered souvenirs. Except the food is still good at SF's.

When I was there a few weeks a

it was in 2007..I jsut typed it wrong..lol

I am only going to comment on your admission fee, anyone who pays full price at a SF park is a complete idiot when they offer so many discounts. You can get discounts online or any store that sells Coke products. You should really visit a website for any park you plan on going to so you can find out little things that will mak your visit more enjoyable.

http://www.gadv.com/

Fixed the date for you, man. :)

---

Ajrides said:
I am only going to comment on your admission fee, anyone who pays full price at a SF park is a complete idiot when they offer so many discounts. You can get discounts online or any store that sells Coke products. You should really visit a website for any park you plan on going to so you can find out little things that will mak your visit more enjoyable.

[/quote]

We actually only paid $20 a person since we were arriving at 3:00pm. We got tickets from a friend, but I was commenting about the price because I feel the same way you do. It was way overpriced, but for certain reasons! *** Edited 8/6/2007 12:07:59 AM UTC by Nathan Alex***

---

I can't believe GA costs more than Cedar Point. It should be the other way around.

^Fan boy. Do the research and you'll find that the New Jersey area is a lot more expensive to live in than Sandusky Ohio.

Anyway, I found the comment about paint on one coaster (Medusa, which I don't think looks that bad) out of a whole park to be surprising. This is another person who references CP where a whole lot of coasters need new paint.

From Dragster to Raptor to Millenium Force--which needed the biggest repainting of them all. It used to be the same color as my car--Midnight Blue or a really dark blue. Well, as a former boss of mine said--"Those days are over."

Maybe it's a perception thing, but I didn't find any of the employees to be rude last week. Then again, I live on the east coast in Maryland so maybe I don't notice it? I remember a woman I worked with in 1995 who had recently moved from Texas to Maryland. She thought we were some of the rudest people she had ever met.

After going on several trips to the midwest in recent years, you can see a difference once you return back northeast. The driving gets much more aggressive for one thing.

^So what! It does not matter at all about the area, it matters about the park! You really can't take anyone saying something negative things about your park can you? Please, oh please, do not tell me that you think Six Flags is not expensive, because it is. Cedar Point should be more expensive than GA, because Cedar Point is bigger, it is a resort, more coasters, more rides, has a nice beach front, has shows, etc.

And about the painting, Medusa does need it bad, Kingda Ka is starting to look bad, and Nitro also really needs it. I've never seen someone deny Nitro, that's for sure. And that's just coasters I'm talking about! Saw Mill Log Flume really really needs it and some of the falts and thrills needed it too. *** Edited 8/6/2007 5:31:16 PM UTC by CedarPoint837***

Wasn't Nitro just painted a year or two ago? Medusa is quite faded though, I'll give ya that.

Batman was recently painted or so It looked that way. It looked very nice/new on my trip.

^^ As far as I know Nitro was not painted, in fact when I was there the week before last I was thinking that the pink running rails of the track looked pretty faded. I could be wrong though.

How is Kingda Ka's airtime hill painful??? I consider it a good addition to the ride not necessarily for airtime but because you experience that great speed for a bit longer.

Also, I don't know, but I never seem to have bad experiences that people talk about with GAdv's staff when I'm there. In general, they are always fairly friendly to me and the ride ops are often very energetic. *** Edited 8/7/2007 3:33:40 AM UTC by CC676***

^^^^

I guess it was just the day I went. It was very hot and humid and a Saturday so I can see why the staff would be in a bad/foul mood. But don't work at an amusement park if your not one for PR, hospitality, communication or People Pleasing. When I go to an amusement park I should not expect a bad experience, and unfortunately that is what many SF Parks are capable of.

Kingda Ka's hill was just not what I was expecting. It slammed me forward after the hill and I was sitting on the leg divider piece on the seat. It was very uncomfortable.

I was also staying in New York for a week and drove to SFGADV on my way home and The people and staff at the park were very similar to stereotypical “New-Yorkers”. Rude, Fast-paced, self-centered, arrogant and always in a hurry.

This is just my take on what I experienced. If you had a picture perfect trip congrats to you, I only wish I and anyone else who returns or goes for the first time can experience the same!