Today, we find ourselves at Six Flags Great Adventure as a stop on the 2022 rollercoaster east coast road trip. This park has been a long-awaited destination for me. I recall observing the construction of the world's tallest rollercoaster, Kingda Ka, on older amusement industry websites, and being fascinated by the design of Nitro when I played the classic game RollerCoaster Tycoon. Once we were through the park entrance, it was off to the first ride of the day, which was the new Jersey Devil rollercoaster.
Jersey Devil
Upon arriving at Jersey Devil, I realized the need to store my belongings in a locker, which can be somewhat inconvenient due to the associated cost. Luckily, I managed to find a solution by using the lockers located near Nitro, where I safely stored my items.
The ride experience on Jersey Devil was quite enjoyable. Prior to this, I had only been on one single rail rollercoaster, the Wonder-Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Jersey Devil features trains with one person per car, a track length of 3,000ft, and a 122ft tall drop. The ride offered decent airtime moments, although it was considered one of the weaker single rail coasters due to its slower second half. Overall, it was an alright experience.
Nitro
Nitro had been a rollercoaster I had been eager to experience for some time. The attraction definitely met my high expectations, featuring a towering 230ft hill and a lengthy 5,394ft track with plenty of thrilling moments. I ranked this ride as the second best in the park, and it is likely my second favorite hyper coaster, just after Behemoth at Canada's Wonderland.
Batman the ride
Okay, so Batman the Ride is a classic attraction at Six Flags. If you've experienced one of the inverted rollercoasters named Batman the Ride, you've essentially experienced them all. This ride ascends to 105 feet and features a total of 5 inversions. In general, it offers the typical intensity and is a solid ride overall, similar to other Batman-themed attractions. Next up was the Dark Knight Rollercoaster.
The Dark Knight Rollercoaster
The Dark Knight Rollercoaster is designed around the movie featuring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as the Joker. The attraction had satisfactory theming for a Six Flags park and the ride itself resembled a wild mouse in an enclosed space. It serves as a suitable family rollercoaster for its intended purpose.
Skull Mountain
Afterwards, I decided to take a brief pause and grabbed some rather disappointing Chinese cuisine at Chop Six before making my way to Skull Mountain, another indoor family rollercoaster. While this ride lacked any significant theming, it did feature some nice disco lights inside, which I heard was only a temporary addition. Generally, if the building was better illuminated, the experience would be less intense. With that, it was onto the next family rollercoaster.
Harley Quins Crazy Train
There is not to much to say on Harley Quins Crazy train except that the roller-coaster is a mirror image of Cat-Woman's Whip at Six Flags Great Adventure. The rollercoaster is also unique for having a very long train that probably stretches the length of most of the hills. It's a great family rollercoaster for those who do not want the short kiddie roller-coasters.
Houdini's Great Escape
Taking a break from the rollercoasters, I opted for Houdini's Great Escape to escape the heat. This Vekoma Mad-House ride is themed around the Great Houdini showcasing his latest magic trick, with park guests participating. In this attraction, riders sit on bench seats with a lap bar in a room that rotates back and forth, creating the sensation of being upside down at times. It was impressive to find such a well-themed attraction at a Six Flags park.
Green Lantern
Returning to the rollercoasters, the next attraction was Green Lantern. Formerly known as Chang at Kentucky Kingdom, this stand-up rollercoaster stands at 154 feet tall and reaches a maximum speed of 63 mph. The ride was quite rough due to its shoulder restraints and bicycle seat setup, making it a one-time experience rather than one you'd want to ride again.
Superman Ultimate Flight
Following Green Lantern was the flying rollercoaster, where riders experience a flying sensation as they ride face down under the track along its 2,759ft length. The pretzel loop inversion on this ride is known to be one of the most intense you can experience. In general, it's an exciting ride, but due to long waiting times, it's advisable to ride it early in the day.
Kingda Ka
As the day was ending, I still had Kingda Ka, El Toro, and the newly named floorless rollercoaster, Medusa, to try. To my surprise, Kingda Ka had no queue, allowing me to quickly get on the ride and secure a front-row seat. The experience was intense, and I found it to be superior to Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. It wasn't just because of its towering height of 456 feet or its incredible speed of 128 mph, but rather due to its unexpectedly sudden launch that caught me off guard. The launch happened without warning, adding to the excitement. Additionally, I managed to ride Kingda Ka three times in a row, giving me a significant adrenaline rush. The only drawback was the over-the-shoulder restraints. Overall, Kingda Ka became my favorite roller coaster in the park.
El Toro
Following my ride on Kingda Ka, I made my way to the highly praised Intamin wooden rollercoaster, El Toro. Standing at 181 feet tall, this rollercoaster is a must-ride for many roller coaster enthusiasts due to its exhilarating air time hills spread across its 4,400 feet of track. However, I must admit that I didn't quite enjoy the experience. The ride felt quite rough, and although the air time was decent, I found myself eagerly awaiting its conclusion. Perhaps a re-tracking of the ride is in order for the future.
Runaway Mine Train and Medusa
I was off to hit my last rides of the day. The first was the Runaway mine train which was on the way to Medusa. This was pretty cool mine train rollercoaster that had a neat layout going over the lagoon near El-toro. I just wish it had a little bit more theming or landscaping around it.
Next up was Medusa, the newly re-themed (albeit loosely re-themed) floorless rollercoaster. This ride, renowned as the first of its kind, features 7 inversions along its 3,985ft track. However, I must admit that my experience fell short of expectations. While on the ride, there was some minor head banging, which was not the main issue. What truly detracted from the experience was the presence of a sewage truck emptying human waste from a nearby septic tank right next to Medusa. The overpowering smell of raw sewage lingered throughout the entire ride. Despite the ride itself being decent, the combination of airborne sewage is an experience I would prefer not to repeat.
Overall
Overall, Six Flags Great Adventure is a worthwhile destination for rollercoaster enthusiasts and families seeking a fun day out, especially if they are located close to the coast. I would definitely revisit if I found myself near Atlantic City again.
With that, I hope you enjoyed the trip report and as always Keep on Coast'n'
Pictures of the Visit are below:
We Have arrived at Six Flags Great Adventure!
So Fun Fact, At the Time of this trip report, I was able to get a North-East Six Flags Season Pass for 75 dollars with parking included. I have no idea how SixFlags makes money...
Six Flag's Larger Then Life product placement will always lead you to the ride your looking for if you are lost.
The Under-the-sun festival was taking place during my visit. I presume it is related to the floating umbrellas and the M&M's scattered on the ground.
With so many Batman The Ride Clones at Six Flags parks, is there really a need to spell out the word "Batman"?
The Skyride offered some lovely perspectives of the park.
Oh man, Superman's entry is looking a bit rusty these days.
Holy smokes, Green Lanterns Entrance is even more sunbleached and it has a newer sign then Superman....
The time has arrived for the legendary Kingda-Ka!
The ride towers over everything around it.
El Toro is currently running quite poorly. I regret not being able to ride it when it was operating as smoothly as it did in the past.
Moving on to Medusa! This ride on this particular day had a strong smell of raw sewage, making it a unique experience that you wouldn't want to repeat.
The giant Marquee ride certainly doesn't resemble the shape of Bizzaro Superman at all.
With that, it was off to hit the pier side parks on the ocean.
That's all for now!
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