Six Flags Great Adventure 10/16/09 (Friday)

The idea was that I was planning to go to SFGADV on Friday, October 16 for the majority of the 6 hours they were open (5-11). This plan was changed by spending 1.5 hours at the new Wegman’s in Collegeville (awesome) and a few other errands. All told, we got to the park by 7 30. I assumed it was not to be too crowded since there was off-and-on rains, it was pretty cold (upper thirties probably), and it was a Friday night. The weather report I saw said the rain would stay very light all night, so I did not whatsoever expect the park to close. And least important, it was going to be my first real Photo TR, but this did not happen.

We called the park at 7 15 to see which/if any rides were closed (I assumed Kingda Ka) and they informed us the park was closing at 8 00. I was planning on calling earlier, but I forgot. In some ways I am happy we did not call earlier, since we may not have gone to the park (as we probably could not have made it out any earlier). They told us they were closing for weather and attendance at 8 00, and at 7 00 it was not even raining, so I was suspicious it was just for attendance reasons. Needless to say, I was a little upset, as I am from St. Louis and this was to be my first time at the park.

We get to the park, ran in and headed to the left to El Toro. Someone said Kingda Ka was running, but I was not sure what to believe as others said it was closed, I did not see/hear it running and I did not think it ran in the rain. After asking multiple people, we found El Toro. Then we heard Kingda Ka was closed, so we headed on the walk to Bizarro. All these treks between/to rides were long. Then, we had 13 minutes left until 8 00, and I was not sure whether to head to S:UF or Nitro. Since I saw that Nitro was on the other side of the park, and did not know how far this was, I was a little nervous in risking a last ride. We decided to run/walk to Nitro anyway, and after again asking people for directions and following a group of people, made it with 3 minutes until 8:00 for the last train of the night. Since we had 30 minutes, and all coasters were running 1 train, there was no way I was going to wait for a certain seat.

Coaster Reviews:
El Toro: I rode this while the rain was still coming down pretty hard, and we sat in the third row to the back. It was so intense, even the lift hill. That first drop was crazy, it just kept going. The speed of the ride was incredible, but in my opinion, the airtime in great, but the first drop is definitely the best part of the ride. I don’t think any coaster has achieved perfection (El Toro has no scenery or theme), but I give this the highest rating of any coaster so far. 9.5/10

Bizarro: Before Bizarro, I had ridden two B&M sit down looping coasters, Kraken and Wildfire. I was not expecting a lot of this ride, but was very surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed the theme on Bizarro, the sound could have been improved, but I think it enhanced the ride. The flame throwers were cool, as were the shields, mist and the buildings. The ride itself ran well, with the Zero-G roll being the best part. The only real negative was that there was a little shaky section was on the Cobra Roll (not so bad).
I think the non-curving drops on B&M loopers are more intense, but the drop was still very fun. I would not classify the ride as that intense, which in some ways is a good thing, as it caters to a lot of people. My dad really enjoyed the ride. 9/10

Nitro: I can in with high expectations for my first B&M hyper, and for the most part, I was not disappointed. If I sound harsh, it is because I am talking of the places where I was disappointed, but I enjoyed the ride very much. I sat in the 3rd to last row, as the first two and back two rows were filled. The ride was a good night ride as it leaves the main area of the park, which El Toro does not really do. I also enjoyed the seats as the rider feels very open. The first drop was great, as was the trip until the turnaround, which I think could be made more interesting. The way back provided some good floater air, up until the helix. The helix added some variety to the hills, and was pretty intense. The little hills up until the helix and after did not do too much for me. And, honestly, what’s the point of a MCBR with like 90 percent of the ride done (I understand the need of brakes, but why so late)? Compared to the other hypercoaster I have ridden, Mamba, it is a much better ride since it does not quit on its “ride home.” However, Mamba felt faster but I assume this was since I rode Mamba in the very front. Nitro and El Toro seem like very similar coaster (yes, I know they are of different construction wood/steel), with El Toro being the more intense. 9/10 (better than Bizarro)

Comments:
It’s not bad I did not have a coaster shirt on (I don’t have one), since with so few people there, and with me hitting the big rides that were open, I very well could have run into other forum members or park enthusiasts.

I was also told by a person riding Bizarro that the Ride Op earlier told him that the park closed by 8 00 if they did not have the required 2,000 visitors. Is this true? I know it was empty, as even the big coasters were walk-ons with a one train operation.

I will add pictures and possibly some more comments later this week…

I love Wegman's, first off! (You mean the grocery store, correct?)

Anyway, I didn't really notice it until you mentioned it- that the "music" on Bizarro actually enhanced the ride. I thought when I was on it that it was really unnecessary, but now I think that it just kinda made it a jumble, like some wacko thing was going on, which actually fits perfectly into the theme! Wow!

Yes, El toro is so intense! Did you mean 3rd to last row as in the first row of the last car? If so, that's also where I rode my last ride on El toro... weird, huh?

If you loved Nitro, then BOY do you have a ways! (That's not an insult.) There's so much more! You loved the speed, right? You don't understand how much airtime those clamshell-harnesses can do for you! Just try Goliath at SFOG or Apollo's Chariot at BGE, if you ever get the chance! And make sure to get the back! :D sorry, I can get riled up sometimes... but what's better about Nitro from other B&M hypers is that it's the fastest in the US, and you'll never find one so far out from the rest of the park. AC is pretty far, but it's right next to the entrance from the highway. It's still awesome at night, but the lights are a little close...

Ok, one last thing: You probably thought El toro and Nitro were so similar because of how smooth they both were. Just think about it for a sec- I'm sure you were in a rush, so you didn't notice, but el toro is SO SMOOTH. It's prefabricated, so it's so much smoother! you probably didn't even realize it was a woodie! Just think about it, and respond back... :)

2. And yeah, the music on Bizarro distinguishes it from other rides. Without the music, it would not feel as intense or as fun. I keep replaying the "Bizarro #1" quote in my head.

3. And I don't know about which car on El Toro, I just know there were 2 rows of people (as in 4 people) behind where I sat.

4. Nitro, yes I loved it, but I did expect more speed. The ride into the woods was great, and unexpected. I also liked how I did not really see the first drop coming and then my stomach dropped before I saw what was happening.

5. It's impossible not to notice the smoothness of El Toro. This is the basis for my comparison. Both are fast, and revved up out and back coasters. After the lots of hills, Nitro has the helix and the hammerhead, while El Toro has the high speed turns. Both had good airtime, with El Toro having more extreme air (but not necessarily more overall). But yes, if El Toro were not smooth, the two coasters could not be compared easily. And yes, I did realize it was a wood coaster (;

Haha just wondering if you noticed. And what I love about el toro is that they get you to the top of the hill in like literally 5-7 seconds, and then they kinda slow you down so they can actually build your adrenaline, where the lift hill doesn't have time to do!

Oh, and go make ride reports on the top left "park reviews" button.

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