Six Flags Great Adventure 2015 Improvements

[TTD03]

Despite all their issues, I think Great Adventure is really turning around. In the 4 times I have visited so far this year, I have noticed a constant improvement in the park. Lets review a few of them:

1. Early Entry.
The park recently changed to a new Early Entry system. The way it used to work is everyone got to enter the park, and were held off at the fountain. Then at 10:20, the Season Pass holders were let in early at a corner of the fountain. The system was a mess and non season pass holders were getting into the park. It didn't work. This year, they have changed it so that only Season Pass holders can enter the gates, starting at 10 AM on a 10:30 opening. You can now walk past the fountain all the way up to where the games start. You get held here, but its a much larger space and only season pass holders, so you know that no non passholders are getting in. And best of all, at 10:15 they let you free. So now you get 5 extra minutes for early entry. I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but those 5 minutes are really helpful.

2. Rides Opening on Time:
1. El Toro is still a mess, but for the other rides things are opening on time nowadays. Ka and Zu are the worst at opening on Time. If either is open before 11 on a 10:30 opening, consider yourself lucky. But on my most recent visit to the park, Zumanjaro opened at 10:28 and Ka opened at 10:35. Not perfect, but a huge improvement from an 11 AM opening.

3. Security:
I think they finally listened to the complaints. There is now Security that walks through the line constantly, specifically on Zumanjaro, Ka, and Nitro. Those are the worst.

4. Dining Plan and Snacks.
The dining plan has worked flawlessly this year, it's worked every time with ease and the snack option also has worked with ease. The only complaint I have is the official time for Lunch, Dinner, and Snack, is not officially known. It really depends on the person working to decide when it ends. There's no consistent time frame.

5. Staffing:
The rides have been better staffed on busier days. El Toro finally had 4 people loading it. Which helped almost end stacking completely. Nitro still only has 2 loaders, but hopefully that will change!

Overall I think the park is heading in the right direction, and with Old Country rumored to reopen and with Holiday in The Park coming, I think we are going to have a great year!

Most of these changes I noticed too. I really like the direction the park is going, it seems like they're finally listening. My only complaint is the efficiency with loading on El Toro. They're dispatching 1 train every 11 minutes (what I counted last time I went), which is crippling to capacity. In an empty station with only 4 people ahead of us we had to wait 30 minutes, which is horrendous. Of course, they're only running one train, but 11 minutes is the lead time before a tornado strikes in some states .

Also, I've seen people walk up the exit and board the train on some coasters. They're not flashpass holders, and I'm sure they aren't all handicaps. The GP is even more frustrated at this, and on Kingda Ka the entire station erupted with boos whenever they let an entire train of exit-boarders go on. But other than that, some good changes.

By the way, they will be adding a statue outside of El Diablo, and it looks menacing (in a good way)! I'll post a picture later.

[TTD03]

^ Oh I am one of those people,
They are called an Exit Pass, and it does exactly what you think. You get them from supervisors in an unpleasant situation. I just go so often that the supervisors know me and give a few everytime I see them. I'll ask for them on a crowded day, but if its a dead day, I won't bother. I use them on Kingda Ka, Zu, Superman, and Nitro.

I feel the Handicap system is getting abused more than the exit pass system, because the exit passes are monitored, the handicap passes are not,

^Man, you should have seen how mad the people in line got. I wish I had recorded it, it was insane. One of the operators said, "Did you know Six Flags Great Adventure will be open in the winter for Holiday In The Park?" and some guy was frustrated enough to yell, "Nobody cares! We're not coming again!"

[TTD03]

^ OOH shiit. That's terrible.
The only thing about exit passes is that you can't ride in the front. But on Nitro, I'll wait for the front row to have a group of 2 or 3 go, and then the attendent will let me ride in the front because I am not taking away a seat from someone else, I am just single riding in