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Great Adventure: Where is the promised growth?

 

Tommy's Inn at Millstone, a log cabin of a building across Route 537 from Six Flags Great Adventure, isn't really an inn, but it doesn't stop the theme park's visitors from calling the restaurant in search of a place to stay.

Owner Tommy Savastano is tempted to tell them he is willing to rent out his office.

 

"Name your price," Savastano said with a grin. "It's a slow day."

 

As Six Flags Great Adventure opens for its 44th season, elected officials think they are finally taking steps that would attract developers who want to build hotels and restaurants on Route 537, bringing ancillary businesses that are part and parcel to just about every other giant amusement park in America.

 

They have reached an agreement with the theme park and at least one other developer to help pay for a project that would deliver the water service that businesses need to operate.

 

If the project goes through, it could bring to an end a question that has been asked now for generations. Six Flags Great Adventure attracts visitors from New York and Philadelphia who have easy access from the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and Interstate 195. Why is the closest brand-name hotel nine miles away?

 

'Coming to the table'

 

"You have plenty of people coming to the table now," said Mayor Michael Reina, who has pushed for commercial development along Route 537 since he was elected nearly a decade ago as a way to offset property taxes. "We're going to have some movement."Savastano, 55, of Jackson, has owned and operated Tommy's since he bought what was the Millstone Pub 17 years ago. He affixed the word "inn" to reflect his plan to make it more inviting to his guests. And he thought he would benefit from an influx of visitors to the park, which is a little more than a mile down Route 537.

 

But he pointed to woods across the street.

 

Route 537 divides Monmouth and Ocean counties with Millstone to the north and Jackson to the south. There's a McDonald's, Burger King, Wawa and Dunkin' Donuts adjacent to Tommy's in Millstone. There's a modest strip center featuring Farley's Homemade Ice Cream in Jackson. And all around are acres of woods, whose trees hide a theme park that boasts of breakneck thrill rides.

 

The rural landscape is an anomaly for similar tourist attractions. A check of the TripAdvisor website shows Hershey Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, has two dozen hotels within three miles of its gates; Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, has six hotels less than a mile away; Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts, has 10 hotels within five miles.

 

Six Flags Great Adventure? The theme park partners with Hotels Unlimited, a West Windsor-based hotel operator, to offer discounts to visitors. The closest, the Radisson Hotel in Freehold Township, is 15 minutes away; the farthest, the Doubletree in Tinton Falls, is a half-hour away.

 

"Six Flags Great Adventure, Safari and Hurricane Harbor provide ample entertainment for guests to span a multi-day visit," spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher- Fitzgerald said in an email. "Many of our guests travel from out of state and even internationally, and they would certainly benefit from hotels nearby."

 

Six Flags Great Adventure attracted about 3 million visitors in 2015, making it the 19th most-visited amusement park nationwide, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association, a trade group.

 

Grand plans

 

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Great Adventure's first president, Warner LeRoy, told the Asbury Park Press just before its opening in 1974 that a hotel was part of the park's future plans. Six Flags, the amusement park giant, acquired Great Adventure three years later. And the idea gained and lost momentum over the years.

 

Six Flags itself could be the biggest beneficiary. It owns 2,200 acres. And it received approval from the Jackson Planning Board in January 1998 to build a four-story, 200-room hotel and an 8,800-square-foot restaurant on Route 537.

 

But the plan fizzled. While Six Flags has a water treatment plant that serves the park and connects its sewer system to the Jackson Township Municipal Utilities Authority, it needed public water and sewer lines to reach Route 537. Given Jackson's sheer size of more than 100 square miles, the project could cost as much as $20 million, David Harpell, executive director of the Jackson MUA, said.

It explains the four-decade delay. "Somebody has to pay for it," said William Allmann, chairman of the Jackson MUA.

 

The MUA thinks it has bridged the gap. It signed agreements with Six Flags and Leigh Realty, which is building the Jackson 21 residential community, to help pay for the water project. It needs environmental approval from the state. But it could go out to a public bid this spring and be completed in 2019, Harpell said.

 

The MUA is continuing to negotiate with Six Flags about sewer service, Harpell said.

Growing demand

And there are hints that demand is picking up. More than five acres in Jackson adjacent to Six Flags— zoned commercial — is for sale, a sign on Route 537 says. The contact from Byron Real Estate Co. Inc. didn't return a call for comment.

 

"You have a job creator, you have a revenue enhancer not seen in this area in a long time," Mayor Reina said. "I’m excited. I’m also seeing a vision finally come to reality."

Still, one expert said the water and sewer service is only part of the equation. Developers need to be convinced that Six Flags can attract more than day-trippers. In that respect, Six Flags' location about an hour from both New York City and Philadelphia is both a blessing and a curse.

 

"It's within a commuting distance," said Peter Reinhart, director of the Kislak Real Estate Institute at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. "It's a long day, but it's doable."

 

For now, Tommy's Inn is simply operating in the shadows of Six Flags, and life isn't easy. The amusement park at times feels more like a competitor than a draw. It has expanded its menu, offering not only staples like funnel cake but also gluten-free meals. Like Atlantic City casinos, the park gives guests more incentive to stay at the property longer, spending their money there, nolt at businesses such as Tommy's.

 

Tommy's business once spiked 30 percent during the season. Now, it sees an increase of 12 percent to 15 percent, Savastano said.

 

"You need to be savvy and aggressive to make it," he said. "I’m here 17 years, and you walk in here and people say, 'Where is everybody?' I tell them, 'If I knew, I’d be there.' But we do OK."

 

"We do our parties, a great banquet room back there, a lot of parties, lunch and dinner, karaoke on Friday night," Savastano said. "So we do get a nice influx of people in the area. They all live here. But if you have Six Flags, that becomes just, for me, a bonus."

 

 

Michael L. Diamond; 732-643-4038; mdiamond@gannettnj.com

Article Source

What does the Joker look like at night during the regular season? I've only seen it at night during HITP.

Darkness with just 'The Joker' sign on the ride glowing.

Another huge problem with safari load/unload time is nothing to do with the ride-- but guests. There are rules for children that 90% of people choose to ignore, and then have to move around seats, people love to play musical chairs and believe it or not the biggest issue is seatbelts-- people do not know how to buckle them a lot of the times and even when they switched to different color seat belts for each seat they still get it wrong.

Because of this in the summer time when they are running max trucks, trucks can be lined up 6+ deep in the woods because the trucks cannot be sent out fast.

Also when they are running a low amount of trucks they sometimes space departures out so they can do their best to have trucks spaced out without trucks being too close or too far away.

does this involve wine?

Yup! It's a wine festival/sampling event.

I heard a few ads on the radio about opening weekend and just saw a commercial for 'spring break'... not sure if my mom was watching live tv or the DVR but it was on there.

Great report Harry.

 

But where is the new Season Pass Processing located?

Processing takes place at the gate..If there are issues, or other things that need to be done on the pass, its now right outside the exit gate in the building by the bathrooms. That building is now strictly a pass center.

Great photos. It's crazy to me how some stuff in the ride is being hand painted and didn't already come painted and ready to put together.

To be honest I cannot imagine trying to get out of a parking garage when traffic leaving some nights is awful enough. People would never be able to get out of the spaces and whatnot.

The whole parking lot is going to be redone over I believe 3 years or something like that. They're doing it by sections.

I feel like icee's are more fluffy and airy where slurpees are more solid.

so now will the park have icee ERT?

All depends what's in the deal with them.

I travel 537 all the time and have never seen a junkyard, so it must not be visible from the road. My daughter worked there at one point so I'll ask her if she ever saw the junkyard on the way in to work.

You can kind of see it during the fall when trees aren't grown in, otherwise during the summer i feel like you really have to look hard.

Currently watching, and hooked on - Shameless !

1) Will Google Maps will update Six Flags Great Adventure to show Justice League Battle for Metropolis in this month or next month.

2) Will Showcase Theater will be opening during under construction of Justice League Battle for Metropolis next month?

1- you need to ask Google that. I'm pretty sure they don't update their maps based off new amusement park rides.

2- Probably will be used when needed. There probably isn't going to be a daily show in there so it will be used for special events and whatnot and construction does not effect the use of showcase.

 

3 baby giraffes born in 6 months at Six Flags Great Adventure

 

 

 

New Year's Day baby Xena and her mother, Georgia, outside the giraffe barn Monday, Feb. 27 (Courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure

 

 

By Cristina Rojas | For NJ.com

Email the author | Follow on Twitter

on March 03, 2017 at 10:01 AM, updated March 03, 2017 at 12:57 PM

 

 

 

JACKSON -- There's three new additions to the safari at Six Flags Great Adventure.

 

The theme park announced Friday that three female reticulated giraffe calves have been born in recent months.

 

Charly was born in August to mom Noel. Eddie was born in November to mom Priscilla. And Xena was born on New Year's Day to mom Georgia.

 

Georgia, who became a mother again, is also grandmother to Charly and Mika, who was born in October 2014.

 

 

Six Flags spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher said the giraffes were named by the animal care team member who was there during their birth or first discovered them after their birth.

 

Eddie and Charly now each stand about 8 feet tall and Xena is 6-feet-5-inches.

 

"They are all doing great," Siebeneicher said. "All of their mothers are experienced moms who have had calves before."

 

The park has 13 giraffes and guests can see them on the Safari Off Road Adventure beginning April 1 when the park opens for the season.

 

Giraffe gestation lasts about 13 to 15 months with typically calf born at about 150 to 200 pounds.

When they're fully grown, the new arrivals could stand 16 feet tall and weigh 1,800 pounds, the park said.

SOURCE

For anyone not following the park on Snapchat, looks like SORA - or safari discoveries/wild walkway will be recieving 2 baby alligators.

Whoops. Sorry for the wrong topic. That's what I get for doing it quickly While I'm running around.

Final season of Bates Motel starts tonight a 10PM!

I'm not ready for it!!! This recap episode is making me feel all the feels from how last season ended!

This is February right? Feels like April. During a break from bike riding my daughter says she wished GA was open today just for us. Conversation turned into which rides we wanted to go on but then turned into a pick the ride that you wanted to re-ride all day. Oldest said she wanted to ride the sky screamer all day. My youngest wanted to ride Harley Quinn all day. Wife wanted Nitro all day and I wanted Zumanjaro. Sure wish the park was open to see how many re-rides we would have actually done.

Anyone here set a crazy record for re-rides? What ride was it?

I support your zumanajro decision. Such a re-rideable ride.

As for records just about any video or film shoot at the park requires a bunch of re rides.

Zumanajro- probably 10-15+ rides for just for closeup shots of the one vehicle. Total for the day was probably 40-50+

Joker was a 2 day ordeal and much Dramamine was involved on day 2 as it was longer although repeat rides were a little harder due to flipping and switching people in and out. Total for first day was maybe 10-15. 2nd day was prob 30-40+.

Oh how I hope this happens.

Sixflags fun please don't double post asking the same thing.

No there is not going to be one. It's pointless when there's already a path on each side.

I really liked how the building looked overall with the hands

They will post something when they post something.....

Exciting things probably aren't happening.

Patience young grasshopper

Saw that yesterday as well. Didn't they JUST raise them not that long ago??

This was a cute video and its cool that they showed some of the behind the scenes areas.