Six Flags great adventure - it really is great!
It is not a secret to anyone that even remotely knows me (and even you, since I keep writing about this quite a lot), that I love amusement parks. The bigger, faster and intense the rides in an amusement park are, the more I will love it.
And since April is known as the opening season for a lot of the amusement parks in the United states of America, I was really excited these past few months, because I knew I will visit at least one amusement park right after it opens.
My biggest ‘problem’ was deciding which park I would like to go to, since the United states of America have some pretty great amusement parks, especially compared to the amusement parks in Europe. Before visiting the Six Flags Great Adventure, my absolute favourite amusement park that I have ever visited, was Cedar point in Sandusky, Ohio, and I thought that nothing can top that experience. But I did not want to go to Cedar point again, since I have already been there quite a few times in the last season.
So I was looking for a park that is not on the other side of the country, but still has some great rides. And the park that fit that description perfectly, is the Six Flags Great Adventure. They have less roller coasters than Cedar point, but their rides are much more interesting and unique. Their roller coaster line up includes a standing - up roller coaster (I know, right!), the free flying roller coaster, the tallest drop tower in the world, and the tallest roller coaster in the world… and more!
I hope you now understand why I was so excited to go to this park. But how did I like it, and more importantly, how did I plan my visitto the park? Well this is the reason why I wrote this post, so feel free to keep reading to find out.
Six Flags Great Adventure, as seen from the parking lot. Pretty amazing, I know!
Where is Six Flags Great Adventure situated?
Six Flags Great Adventure is situated in Jackson, New Jersey, in a rural area. To get there from the New York city, it would take you around an hour… well, or several hours, depending on traffic. To get to the park from basically anywhere, you really need your own car, because the area is rural, and basically, the park is situated in the middle of nowhere.
There are a few hotels that are situated a walking distance away from the park, but for me, they are just too expensive. I cannot justify spending around two hundred dollars per night just for the sake of being able to walk to the park.
So whenever I go to amusement parks, I choose places to stay that are a little bit outside of the park area (a thirty minute drive away is my limit). Just think of all the money you save that way - I found a place on AirBnb for twenty dollars per night, and it was situated only a twenty minute drive away from the park.
During summer months, a bus company from New York city offers a shuttle to and from the park from New York, which is amazing. The only problem is that the park is, from what I have heard, extremely crowded in summer months, and the lines for roller coasters can take over three hours. No thanks! Well, you can also always use Uber or Lyft, but having your own car is just much more convenient.
How to get there?
Like I have already mentioned, Six Flags great adventure is situated in a rural area of New Jersey with a very limited public transportation system. But the good thing is that the park is situated very close to major highways, and also only about an hour away from both Philadelphia and New York city.
If you are flying there, it will be much cheaper to fly into the Philadelphia airport, and that way, you will also avoid all the traffic in New York city. Trust me, you do not want to drive through the Big Apple during rush hours. Been there, done that. Once, never again.
The closest major highway is the Interstate 195. Regardless on the direction you are coming from, you will have to take the exit 16A and then follow the route 537 which will take you to the park. As soon as you exit the highway, you will notice big signs that will direct you to the park, so do not worry about getting lost.
Best time to go
When you are deciding when to visit the Six Flags Great adventure, you should consider two very important factors - the time of the week and the weather.
In general, I would strongly advise you against going to the park in summer months, because it will simply be too crowded (and way too hot), but if you have to go in summer, go there during the week. In other seasons, best days to go to the park are from Monday to Thursday, and maybe Fridays.
Regarding the weather - bad weather keeps the crowds away! On sunny days, everybody will go to the park to enjoy it, meanwhile most people do not consider going there on days with a less than perfect weather forecast.
I am not saying that you should go to the park when thunderstorms are predicted throughout the day. But if the forecast is cloudy, not too windy, and a few showers are predicted, these days are perfect time to go.
Of course, there is always a risk that some of the rides will be closed down because of the wind or rain, but last time I was there on a rainy day, and all of the rides were running, except Superman - the ultimate flight, Kingda Ka and Zumanajaro - Drop of doom.
Tickets, flash pass and season passes
If you are considering visiting the Six Flags great adventure more than once, I would strongly suggest you to get a season pass. But more about it at the end of this paragraph. A regular daily admission ticket will cost you anywhere between forty five and seventy dollars, depending on the time of the year and the day of the week, if you buy the ticket online (and quite a few dollars more if you buy tickets at the gate on the day of your visit).
If you do not feel like waiting in loooooooooong park lines, you do not necessarily have to visit the park on the days that are not busy, thanks to the awesome offer, called the Flash pass. The Flash pass will basically reduce your waiting in line, so you can enjoy as many rides as possible in a single day.
But how does it work? You will get a little device (that kinda looks like the Tamagotchi toy), where you can pick your desired times to ride the rides. Once that time gets closer, the device will remind you to make your way towards the ride, and all you have to do is go to that ride and enjoy it. Without having to wait in line, of course.
There are three different versions of the Flash pass. The first one is called Regular flash pass and it is the cheapest among the three passes offered, and it will ‘only’ cost you thirty five dollars (plus tax, so you are looking at around forty dollars for the total price). with this Flash pass option, you will still have to ‘wait’ in line, but without actually having to stand in line. Sounds impossible? Well, let me explain.
The Regular flash pass will reserve you a spot in line, and it will notify you thirty minutes before your turn to ride, and in the mean time, while you are waiting in that ‘virtual line’, you can move around the park and enjoy other rides. Pretty cool, right? Well, the next two Flash pass options are even cooler… and more expensive, obviously.
The second Flash pass is a little more expensive. It is called Gold flash pass, and to enjoy its benefits, you will have to pay fifty five dollars (again, plus tax). this Flash pass option will also allow you to wait in a ‘virtual’ line, but at the same time, it will reduce your waiting time for up to fifty percent.
If you buy just a regular Flash pass and the line for your desired ride is one hour long, you will still have to wait for an hour to get on that ride. Meanwhile, with the Gold flash pass, you would only have to wait for thirty minutes.
The third Flash pass option is the most expensive, but, if you ask me, it is totally worth getting it if you would like to ride as many rides as possible. It is called Platinum flash pass, and it costs, drum roll, ninety dollars (plus tax). But let me tell you why I would totally spend that money on this Flash pass with a smile on my face.
With the Platinum flash pass, your wait in line will be reduced to, drum roll, zero minutes! You will literally have to pick the ride you want to ride, walk to it and get on. With no wait at all. How awesome is that? Well, this is the reason the Platinum flash pass quantity is very limited, so if I were you, I would secure it as soon as I could.
Well, I have not yet mentioned that with all three Flash pass options, you only get to ride the rides once (with some exceptions - the Platinum flash pass will allow you to re - ride selected rides), and if you want to ride them more than once, you will have to wait in actual lines.
You can either buy a Flash pass online in advance and then simply pick it up at the park on the day of your visit, or buy it at the park. I would strongly suggest you that, if you are considering getting the Flash pass, you get it as soon as you can, because the park only offers a limited number of Flash passes in a single day, because that is how they ensure the lines really are shorter for the Flash pass holders.
How about season passes? Getting a season pass at Six Flags is the best deal of any amusement park chain I have heard of. Why? Because a season pass does not only entitle you to an unlimited entry into the Six flags Great adventure, but also to all other Six Flags parks in the United States of America.
I was extremely surprised when I heard that for the first time, and I was sure there has to be a catch somewhere, but apparently, there is not. So - with a season pass, you can go to any Six Flags park for free. Start planning your trips, what are you waiting for?
If you are as lucky as me and you are buying a season pass during the sale, you will also have free parking with the unlimited visits. And that is quite a deal, since a daily basic parking usually costs twenty five dollars! With the season pass, you will also be entitled to several food, drink and shopping discounts, and you will also be able to buy discounted tickets for your friends.
A regular season pass price is around one hundred and thirty dollars, but since I was lucky enough to buy mine during the sale, I only paid a little over ninety dollars. Best investment of my life… well, almost.
Rides, safari and water park
If you do not like big roller coasters, then do not go to Six Flags great adventure, because you will be bored. I mean, the park has a kids’ area, but it is more meant for thrill seekers. And I just do not understand why some people bring small kids there (in strollers!), not being able to ride anything. Oh well, to each their own.
I am a thrill seeker, and I loved this park. In this paragraph, I will tell you more about my favourite rides there.
The first ride that I did, was called Joker - the freefly coaster. Sounds intriguing? It is! In fact, this is probably the most unique roller coaster that I have ever been on, and I have been on quite a few. But before I tell you more about it, let me tell you this - Joker - the freefly coaster is one of the three rides in this park that does not allow loose articles at all. You have to put everything in a locker, which costs one dollar for two hours (which is a great deal for an amusement park). The other two rides that do not allow loose articles, are Nitro and El Toro.
But let me tell you a little bit more about this very special roller coaster. When you look at it, it might appear boring, because it has no big drops or loops whatsoever. But let me assure you that this roller coaster is intense enoughthat I was really thankful that I did not eat any food before I went on it!
This is Joker - the freefly coaster, and it is amazing!
So what makes Joker - the freefly coaster so special? The answer is its seats. ‘Ordinary’ roller coasters have seats that do not move. Joker - the freefly coaster’s seats rotate 360 degrees! So when this roller coaster reaches one of these bumps, your seat will rotate all the way around, and you will be moving forward at the same time. Now just try to imagine how awesome (well, and confusing and disorientating) it feels.
The ride itself is really short, but very intense, and I had to sit down for a few moments after I got off the ride. The configuration of the seats is also interesting - there are two seats in a row, and you can either face backwards or forward. But either way, you will be facing the two people opposite you (and laugh at their terrified faces). If you choose to face backwards, your seat will go forward first, and you will be the first one that will be flipped over.
Next ride that I did, is called Skyscreamer. Not very inviting, right? Skyscreamer is similar to one of these typical carnival carousel rides… with that difference that this ride is much much bigger and taller than your average carnival ride. Well, I guess they named it Skyscreamer for a reason.
The restraints on this ride are minimal, which is what makes it so thrilling. So once you are all buckled in, the ride will start spinning while taking you up quite a few feet in the air. In fact, you will have a beautiful view of the park from up there.
And some good news for social media freaks - this is one of a few rides in the park where you are allowed to take pictures or videos during the ride. Just keep in mind that if you drop your phone from that height, it will most likely not survive the fall. If ride operators will see you using a cell phone on other rides, you will be removed from the park. Trust me, it is not worth being removed from the park just for the sake of a new Facebook profile picture.
Justice league: battle for metropolis is an indoor 4 - D shooting ride. Think of it as a roller coaster, combined with a movie, where you are in charge. Just like in, for example, Universal Studios in Orlando, this ride allows you to shoot (with a fake gun, of course), and trying to save the city from evil forces. While this is not the most thrilling ride, it still has some elements of surprise, which I am not going to spoil, because that would not be a surprise anymore.
Batman - the ride is a very intense inverted roller coaster. And it has Batman colours - yellow and black! For the most intense experience, sit either in the front or the back row. The wait for these two rows might be longer, but it is well worth it, if you are a fan of that amazing, butterfly feeling in your stomach, like me.
But why do front and back rows on Batman - the ride feel so great? Well, if you are sitting in a front row, you will feel these G - forces because of the weight of the train behind you. On the other hand, if you sit in the back row, you will feel the forces, pulling you forward. But the bottom line is that, regardless on where on the train you are sitting, Batman - the ride is a great roller coaster.
And the awesomeness starts with the first drop already - the drop is steep, and it is followed by a double loop and a zero - gravity roll. Batman - the ride is not the most gentle roller coaster, but once the ride is over, you will not regret going on it, despite the pain in your neck.
Nitro is one of these roller coasters that do not need to turn you upside down to be awesome. In fact, Nitro is a roller coaster that could not look more simple - a few steep hills and that is it. Its colours are beautiful - bright yellow and blue, and they go together perfectly with the blue sky (if you are lucky and it is sunny on the day you are visiting the park).
This is one of the three rides in the park that does not allow any loose articles, not even fanny packs. The reason for that is the following - this ride only has a lap bar, since the roller coaster has no loops, and the lap bar would go directly over the fanny pack, meaning a potential safety hazard.
One of the things that I love about this ride is how fast it goes up the lift hill. Most roller coasters take forever to get to the top of the lift hill, but not Nitro - you will be up there in seconds, and then the awesomeness can start.
The first drop is excellent, and you will feel the most if you sit either in the front row or in the back row. This ride also has a fair amount of good airtime, so do not eat too much before riding it!
Batman - the dark knight is an indoor roller coaster, and, to be honest, I was a little bit disappointed about it. I mean, you cannot expect much from an indoor roller coaster, right? I still loved the visual effects, but thrill lovers will walk away from this ride a little bit disappointed.
Once you enter the queue, some movies will play on a big screen, serving as an intro to the ride, then the room will turn dark and you can enter the loading area. This ride somehow reminds me of the famous Space mountain in the Walt Disney world in Orlando, Florida. Well, it is a little more thrilling than the Space mountain, but it still did not satisfy my G - force needs.
Green Lantern is the first standing up roller coaster that I have ever done, and before I went on it, I have to admit that I was just a little nervous. Why? Because I have read several online reviews, claiming that the ride on any standing up roller coaster is incredibly painful. I mean, if you think about it - having to stand up when a roller coaster goes through the loop indeed sounds just a little bit too unpleasant.
But I was pleasantly surprised about the fact how smooth the ride on the Green lantern actually is. Despite the fact that this is a pretty fast roller coaster, its unique restraint system made this ride much smoother than I thought. And I cannot even put it into words how weird it feels to stand up on a roller coaster. Well, I can try - it feels so wrong, but so right at the same time.
Riding on the Superman - ultimate flight will indeed make you feel like Superman. This is a roller coaster where you will not be sitting, and you will not be standing up, either. You will be lying down, facing the ground, and you will feel like you are flying. But beware, this ride has some really sharp turns and unexpected loops - do not eat or drink anything just before going on it.
This is my second ‘flying’ roller coaster that I have ever done. The other one is Firehawk at Kings island, and I have to say that Superman - ultimate flight is much more pleasant. On this ride, I did not have the feeling that I will slip out of the restraints, and the ride was way smootherthan Firehawk.
Green Lantern and Superman - the ultimate flight are situated pretty close together.
Bizarro is a very, well, bizarre roller coaster. Situated far away from everything in the park, but visible from far away due to its purple tracks, this is one of the longest rides in the park, and since it is not really close to any other rides, that means shorter lines.
The seats and the shoulder restraints on this ride are not the most comfortable, and in combination with the fact that this is an older roller coaster, the results of riding Bizarro can be a little painful. Do not get me wrong, this ride is definitely a must - do at the park, just prepare for a little bit of pain.
El Toro is an amazing wooden roller coaster. The only thing that makes it not completely perfect is that this is the last one of three rides in the Six Flags Great Adventure park that does not allow loose articles on it. Well, but the rules are there for a reason.
To make this ride as exciting and stomach - turning as possible, you can do three things. You can either sit in the front row, in the back row, and/or keep the leg restraint a little loose, which will result in a feeling that you will fly out of your seat.
The first drop on El Toro is almost straight down, and it is followed by a really sharp turn, so you can only imagine how amazing that feels like. And despite the fact that this is a wooden roller coaster, this is a surprisingly smooth ride.
El Diablo is a roller coaster, but at the same time, it is not really a roller coaster. Let me explain. This ride contains of simply one big loop. But what does the ride experience look like then? Once you sit down and secure yourself with a shoulder restraint, the ride will go forward, then backward, then forward and backward again, until it will do the full loop. Then, you will stay turned upside downfor a few seconds, following by three full, fast and dizzying loops. This is definitely a very unique ride!
This ride may look small and innocent, comparing to other, bigger rides in the park, but they did not name it El Diablo ('devil') for no reason!
Zumanajaro - Drop of doom is the tallest drop ride… in the world!!! and if that is not enough for you, this ride also offers a virtual reality experience! Well, the virtual reality part involves spiders, and I was more terrified of these spiders than I was of the drop itself, but I have to say that this is probably the most intense amusement park ride that I have ever done.
The Zumanajaro - Drop of doom is actually mounted onto the Kingda Ka roller coaster, and if you are lucky, you will be dropped just at the same time as when the Kingda Ka train is launched. Needless to say that you will have superb views of the park from the top of this ride. After all, you will be over four hundred feet up in the air! Just a friendly advice - do not look straight down!
Kingda Ka is the tallest roller coaster in the world, and at some point, it was also the fastest. In fact, it is so tall that it is called a strata coaster! But how fast is it? Well, you will be launched from zero to two hundred kilometers per hour in less than three seconds. I agree, that is super fast!
What makes this ride so interesting, is not only its speed and the enormous hill, but also the fact that there is no countdownbefore the launch, so you will have no idea when the ride starts. Which makes for interesting ride photos. I was almost more scared to look at the photo of my face that I was of the ride itself. And my face expression on this ride was indeed terrible.I do not think I have ever looked more scared on any of the amusement park ride photos.
Zumanajaro - Drop of doom and Kingda Ka. Are you ready?
Twister is another unique ride that you can find at Six Flags Great Adventure. It will basically just spin you around multiple times, so you will have no idea which direction is up and which direction is down. This is usually always a ride with short lines, so if you need a break from bigger rides, head to Twister.
Harley Quinn crazy train is more of a kids roller coaster.several online reviews mentioned that this ride is apparently a must - do, but I was not as impressed as I thought I will be. Well, but now I can say I was on it, since one of the people online said that you have not really been to the park if you have not done that ride.
Runaway mine train is very similar to the Harley Quinn crazy train, and it is situated very close to Bizarro. While not the most thrilling roller coaster, the Runaway mine train offers some cool views of the park before the first drop. The restraints are a little uncomfortable, but I would ride that ride again.
Deja Vu is an innocent - looking flat ride, that is guaranteed to make you dizzy. It does not turn you upside down, but it will somehow spin you in straight lines, and to make the ride even more dizzying than it already is, choose one point in the distance and look in that direction for the whole duration of the ride. I dare you!
Cyborg - Cyber spin is a brand new ride. Well, in fact it has not officially opened yet. It somehow reminds me of Twister, but there is one major difference. Twister will only spin you in a circle, while Cyborg - Cyber spin will spin you in four different directions. I am really looking forward to ride it when it opens in May.
Six Flags great adventure also offers safari. Yes, real safari, where you can see giraffes, zebras and so on, and they even have real safari vehicles! The safari is included in the admission price, the only downside is that you sometimes have to wait for a long time for your turn. But it is totally worth it, especially when you need a break from all the thrill rides that the park offers.
If you think that Six Flags Great adventure is an amazing place, prepare to be even more amazed - they also have a water park, called Hurricane Harbor, and it is apparently rated as one of the water parks in the region. While I have not visited the Hurricane Harbor yet, because it was closed during my last visit, I will do so in June, when I am visiting the Six Flags great adventure again.
The Hurricane Harbor water park is situated right next to the Six Flags great adventure’s parking lot, so I was able to see some of the water slides, and I have to say that they look pretty thrilling. And at this point, I am really looking forward to trying out all the slides in the water park.
Food and drinks in the park
Just like with any other major amusement park in the United states of America, you are not allowed to bring your own food inside the park. You are only allowed to bring in an unopened water bottle. Seriously, you cannot even bring a small granola bar, because they will throw it away during the bag inspection at the park entrance.
There is plenty of restaurants and drink stations inside the park, but there is a major problem - the service is terribly slow. I literally waited for over one hour to get a slice of pizza. And apparently, this is common in this park, and it was not an exception.
Food and drinks are not as pricey as I expected, and they actually have a pretty good selection. But to avoid waiting in such a long line during my next visit, I will simply bring my own food with me and leave it in the car. Once I get hungry enough, I will get my hand stamped at the exit (which will allow me to re - enter the park) and eat the food in the car. Problem solved.
A few tips for the best day at the park
Take advantage on lockers - locker rental costs only one dollar for two hours! So my advice would be to rent a locker for these two hours, do the rides that do not allow loose articles on them, then pick up your bags or whatever you have with you, and do the rest of the rides.
Six Flags Great Adventure also offers all day locker rental for fifteen dollars, and two hour locker rental, where you can move your items from ride to ride. This option costs eight dollars, so needless to say that a regular locker rental is the best deal.
Bring a lot of sunblock, a zip - lock bag and a water bottle. The sunblock is an obvious choice. Well, you can also buy it at the park, but you will pay like three times more than you would if you buy it in a pharmacy.
A water bottle is great so you do not have to pay for the drinks - simply refill it at a water fountain. And if you are visiting the park on a rainy day, or you are planning to do any of the water rides (or both), simply put your valuables in a zip - lock bag so they will not get wet.
Do not try to skip the line. It might be tempting to get in front of someone in line, but Six Flags Great Adventure has a very strict ‘no line skipping’ policy. If someone sees you do that they will kick you out of the park, and you will get no refund. If you are really so desperate for no wait, you can always get the Platinum flash pass.
Check the ride waiting times on the park’s mobile app. This way, you can already plan which ride you will do next while you are standing in line, and therefore maximize the amount of rides that you will do in the park.
And the most important advice - have fun! Six Flags Great Adventure is an amazing park and I am sure you will love it.
A short conclusion…
I did not have very high expectations before visiting the Six Flags Great Adventure. I have been to Cedar Point several times, which is apparently one of the best amusement parks in the world, and I loved it, but I have to say that I liked the Six Flags Great Adventure more.
After all, they have so many unique roller coasters that Cedar Point does not have, such as the standing up roller coaster, or the Superman - ultimate flight. I am really looking forward to return to the park next month, and hopefully do all the amazing rides there again.
