Thunderbolt

Exactly GAcoaster. People are taking this story completely out of context. Those medical detectors are there not just to prevent weapons from entering the park. They also present the appearance of a secure and safe environment (even if they can be circumvented). It's a shame people are taking this as an affront on their values.

Great Adventure offered to admit the patron, provided he changed his shirt. I do not see the problem there. As a private concern, on private property, they are entitled to refuse service for any reason. While I too did not find the shirt offensive, I respect Six Flag's position and offer to compromise. In reality, this is no different than a restaurant refusing service because you lacked proper shoes. That being said, how security allegedly spoke to the guest unacceptable. I can't believe they were so crass. Usually I would say the conversations were embellished, but I found the same attitude from Six Flags personnel with far more frivolous concerns. In deference to this gentleman's service, I would have comped him a "clearance" t-shirt and admitted him. I'd also discuss the matter in a setting where guests aren't present. You also ask to speak outside the presence of young children. Saying "I don’t care, get out of the park." is unacceptable. Anyone who's watched "Roadhouse" knows the #1 rule in dealing with unruly guests. Always be nice and choose your words delicately. If the gentleman refused a free t-shirt, then Six Flags would also be 100% justified and this is a non-story. If Mr. Alejandro refused to accept it, he has no ground to stand on. As a person from a family long history of military service, being a "vet" does not entitle you to be a jerk. Six Flags Over Texas maybe would have admitted this guest. As the Supreme Court of the United States has stated over numerous cases, decency / offending standards are determined locally. What plays in Dallas also does not play in Austin. If SFOT were in Austin, Mr. Alejandro likely would have been refused admission, had he refused to change his shirt. Again, I did not find his shirt offensive. I also agree others may have. The shirt does not bare military insignia. Someone would not be able to establish context, with a superficial glance. That is the reality. Great Adventure's security may pick and choose what rules they enforce. Largely it comes down to what they feel they can easily control. I know there are far worse matters overlooked at the park. Making this story about a "gun rights" issue is ridiculous in my opinion.

I agree. Why pay adults money, when we can pay 12 year olds with Churros and exit passes for future visits? I don't see why politics has to be injected into this discussion. Alas, it has been. Six Flags filed for bankruptcy due to incompetent management, failure to market a premium product, not being able to earn a full price or industry comparable gate admission, purchasing Dick Clark Productions, over aggressive expansion, and inability to even meet their debt to bondholders ("PIERS", in fact, they DEFAULTED on their debt at EVERY level). Why do you think Six Flags keeps aggressively raising parking fees? Because customers can't escape that, unlike the front gate. Perhaps if Six Flags raised their wages, they could attract and keep more seasoned employees. People who are not texting or staring at a phone all day. Six Flags's woes are more impacted by their "margins above all" mentality, than employee salary. I followed Six Flags financial statements for a long time. I never once heard hourly salary of seasonal employees to be an issue, impacting the "bottom line". An aside: You can't tell me $5,000 per park wouldn't buy a TON of floating tubes for Hurricane Harbor. Especially at the numbers Six Flags would order. $5,000 is like a grain of sand on a CapEx Beach. There is zero excuse for the abysmal operations at Hurricane Harbor, other than park and corporate management not caring about the product they sell as long as it's "good enough".

Sarcasm?

"Joust-A-Bout" boat for the next version?

I am enjoying the photos from the "Great Adventure History Museum" a lot. Just wish I could visit the park in time to see it. Great Adventure should really keep this attraction open, and offer classic items /gifts for sale. I'd probably purchase a t-shirt with the rainbow Great Adventure logo on it. The sign section along sparks so many memories. Loved seeing the "Calypso" seat too. If they had anything from the "Swiss Bob" in there, I might have been ejected from the park for trying to sit in it! Nobody built better flats than Anton Schwarzkopf. I just wish Intamin would resurrect his catalog. Who made the paper flowers? I remember when those were sold in the entrance plaza as a child. Were they in storage, or made especially for the museum?

I'd like to see the state report confirming this. Park employees are not privy to such details, and their info is often speculation. Regardless, this was a poor decision by Six Flags Management. They made the decision to build this attraction. Instead of a proven design such as a "Gyro Drop", they decided to slap a drop tower on "Kingda Ka". Worse, they chose Intamin to engineer the project. Perhaps they should have consulted the state commission, to be certain whatever was planned would meet their concerns. Obviously this did not happen. I'd love to petition the commission for the operating permit, and see the truth. Alas, my life is too busy for that.

If the tower stress / sway is the ultimate factor, then the state would be correct in not allowing both rides to operate simultaneously. That would also put the blame back on Six Flags and Intamin, as they were responsible for engineering efforts. The more I think of this, the more a freestanding drop tower seems like a more prudent decision. I truly wonder if power requirements are the ultimate issue. It must take an insane amount of electricity to launch "Kingda Ka". "Zumanjaro" would add to the drain more. Perhaps the grid or conduit in that section of the park can't handle the requirements. I remember a similar situation with "Batman & Robin: The Chiller". No need to chance overwhelming the circuit so to speak.

I would like to read the report, before condemning the state outright. Park officials will never be candid with details, and we all know that management often makes bone head decisions all on their own. To me, the fact "Kingda Ka" can not launch at the same time as "Zumanjaro", seems like a sign of extremely poor planning by Six Flags, Great Adventure, and Intamin. For a project of this scale, you'd hope that all these factors would be taken into consideration BEFORE signing contracts. Great Adventure would have been better off building a Gyro Drop tower in "Frontier Adventures" IMO.

Never realized Great Adventure had "Sci-Fi" in storage this whole time. Must have missed that part in your Spotlight.

This may sound crazy, but I *almost* want to visit Great Adventure just to see this! My first since 2008! Is the "Calypso" car still there? Man I loved that ride as a kid.

You better pray nobody gets hurt. Should Six Flags be so foolish, they won't stand a chance in court. They may lose their operating licenses outright, which means the end of Great Adventure. Insurance will also not cover any losses, as the park decided to operate an attraction without proper certification. I understand Americans today want to blame "the state" for everything. We have no idea what the reason for the delay is beyond speculation. Perhaps Great Adventure misfiled the application or filed it late? Perhaps the inspector did not show, because of a failure to correct a previously scrutinized citation? Perhaps there are just too few inspectors in the State? I certainly do not know, but this is all a matter of public record. Should the State of New Jersey be so bold to "spite" a major tourist attraction, it would be very bad for Governor Christie's Presidential hopes. It could also open the State of New Jersey to serious lawsuits. Six Flags is not small company.

If it only meant the return of the "Calypso" and "Monster Spin", I'd be ecstatic.

With all due respect, I think it's unfair to blame the State of New Jersey for "Kingda Ka's" relocated footpath. "Kingda Ka" opened with full support of state inspectors. The approval included its original queue house and path. After a major malfunction, which allegedly included parts flying into guest accessible areas, *management* made the decision with input from its insurance company. Six Flags could easily have enclosed the footpath near the launch zone, with heavy duty clear plastic walls. They chose the less costly option, and relocated the path. To be clear, insurance and management, not the State of New Jersey made the decision. Government reviewed and approved it. State findings are public record, and if it were the state, you'd be able to read the decision. As for the lap bar versus OTSR, it was stated that the latter was chosen for faster dispatch times. Now, whether or not "Kingda Ka" and "Zumanjaro" can launch at the same time, I suspect something else. Perhaps the conduit and grid can not handle the required energy. I would imagine there are vast power requirements to launch both rides simultaneously. Maybe Great Adventure did not bother to upgrade the infrastructure? It's really incumbent upon Six Flags to do their due diligence about ride operation requirements, and safety regulations *before* building attractions. It's not the State of New Jersey's fault that Six Flag's management continues to fail so greatly at this. Regulations exist everywhere. If you're a true professional businessperson, you work within the confines and adjust your models accordingly. I would wager theme parks in the European Union face far greater scrutiny than their U.S. Counterparts. New Jersey is hardly a "nanny state".

I don't know personally which is the more profitable of the two (Great Adventure vs. Magic Mountain), but it has been said Six Flags Great America is the most profitable park in the chain. I remember Kieran Burke stating this specifically. Mark Shapiro echoed it if I recall correctly. Magic Mountain receives a high season pass customer base. As long as Six Flags "gives away the gate", I don't see actual attendance numbers numbers mattering. A season pass can easily be procured, for the price of a single day entry. It's all about "in park spending". Six Flags will never break "in park spending" numbers out on a individual property basis. With Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm in the same market (and "I-5 Corridor"), Six Flags refuses to compete with either in the theme category. Instead, it keeps chasing the failed "thrill park" strategy.

Wow, that's a huge crowd! Reminds me of the few Memorial Day Holidays I attended at Great Adventure. Those crowds were huge in the 1980s! Cars completely filled the main parking lot and poured over into the grassy openings. Great Adventure really could pull in crowds back then!

Hmmm...Florida was added into the mix? Originally Six Flags was barred from using Time Warner IP in the State of Florida. Time Warner wanted Florida negotiated seperatley. They hoped to either build a "Movie World" park there themselves, or gain better licensing terms due to its destination status.

Per the agreement negotiated between Time Warner and Premier Parks, Six Flags has rights to the Looney Tunes Characters for all markets in the U.S. except Las Vegas and Florida.

Hi RobertDavid! While we usually agree on most items; I couldn't disagree more on this. The current color scheme is agreeably awful, but "Parachuter's Perch" is a fantastic family attraction. It is everything the park needs. A ride that can be enjoyed by an entire family. Yes, it's tall, but also slow enough not to overwhelm the senses. "Parachuter's Perch" is also one of the few attractions guests with disabilities can ride. I travel with a "Quadriplegic" friend, who requires a "max assist" transfer to board. Due to "Parachuter's Perch" lack of force, and the fact the benches accommodate 2 guests, we can safely allow him to have fun too. Even in the re-imagined Disney California Adventure, Intamin's Jr. Parachutes remain. Great Adventure has many problems, but "Parachuter's Perch" shouldn't even be on the radar. Paint the sucker a less obnoxious color, but don't toss it away. P.S., Great Adventure History's sublime "Parachuter's Perch" spotlight showcases even more reasons this ride belongs. History comes full circle.

Sounds like Six Flags better plan a nightly fireworks show, before this property is developed. It will be impossible to host after the fact. Oh, and if you're not a nice person, please call now!

That is fantastic news! Nothing beats a Schwarzkopf Enterprise.

Epcot is largely given a pass because it's Disney, and Disney can do nothing wrong. With that being said, Disney has done more to destroy Epcot than Six Flags has done to Great Adventure. Maybe it's because I'm older, and can fondly remember EPCOT Center in 1991. Future World felt like (what I'd imagine) a real "World's Fair". The attractions were entertaining, immersive, and actually educational. "Spaceship Earth" was narrated by the iconic Walter Cronkite. "Universe of Energy" wasn't attempting cheesy gags, and presented a better show (with those cool turning mirrors). "Horizons" was hands down my personal favorite attraction, and was like the "Carousel of Progress" 100 years from now. "World of Motion" with its futuristic wheel building, and the history of man's modes of transit. "Journey Into Imagination" with "Figment" and "The Dreamfinder" was a classic, as was "The Electric Playground" upstairs. I loved "Kitchen Kabaret" and "Listen to the Land" at "The Land" (coincidently, I still like this pavilion despite missing the animatronics and "Bonnie Appetite"). Lastly, "The Living Seas" was immersive with "Sea Base Alpha" and the "Hydrolaters". Like "The Land" and "Communicore", it now seems like an 80's Shopping Mall. Granted, maintaing a vision of the future is hard and expensive. Sadly, Epcot's "Future World" today feels every bit as out of place (and sometimes moribund) as the "Carousel of Progress's" finale. Perhaps they should rip the sucker out, and just build "Disney Sea" in "Future World", and leave "World Showcase" as is. I know, such talk is heresy. I never was a fan of "Test Track", but it's good for what it is. I guess I miss "World of Motion" and the animatronics more.

Does Great Adventure transport guests from the Hurricane Harbor lot, to the main entrance?

Cable MVPDs being given the right to encrypt "Broadcast Basic" cable. "Clear QAM" is officially dead. Now we are all screwed with accepting crappy User Interfaces, from companies that don't care.

Let's try an experiment. If an unruly guest and security officer engage physically, and the guest is shot; how will that effect park reputation? How many people would be hurt during the inevitable stampede of fleeing guests? I guarantee the park will be found at fault. Forget the lawsuits, Great Adventure will suffer immeasurably in the court of public opinion (the one that matters most). NOBODY will bring their kids back to the park. Media will DESTROY the place. Imagine how much worse the 1987 Season would have been if there was 4 Cable News Networks and the World Wide Web (2 stabbings, a shooting, and the "Lightnin' Loops" death)? Had Great Adventure lost its food & beverage licenses (and they almost did), Six Flags was prepared to shut it down. That's why "Shockwave" went to Great America. The Orlando Parks suffer the same "riff raff" that plagues Great Adventure. Yet Downtown Disney and Universal Citywalk remain with unarmed security (Don't forget, Florida is a "Stand Your Ground" state). Guns mainly provide a false sense of security (i.e. "The Old West"). Six Flags deserves some of the blame for guest culture. These issues have persisted for decades. Nobody in Corporate has taken the initiative to hire the staff to enforce the code of conduct. Camera systems are cheap, and provide an easy way for the park to prove anything charged. Considering the lack of "1987 repeats", I'd say the metal detectors provide enough weapon deterrents, Now it's time Great Adventure to turn on some lights and stop being passive. I'll make this my last public post on the matter. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss it further.