Rolling Thunder's removal is sad, yes, but I think it's for the best. Honestly, it was not a very popular ride, and it must've cost a lot to maintain it. The ride took forever to load, and the ride itself was very mediocre and painful. But I think people are confused about the reasoning behind the ride's removal. To be fair, the press release makes it sound like Rolling Thunder is just being replaced by the monkey exhibit. And while that may be true for this season, I don't think that'll be the case in the following seasons. We've all seen how big Rolling Thunder is, and that clears up a lot of space for future development. The monkey exhibit, part of which will be in Safari Discoveries, won't take up all of Rolling Thunder's footprint, and I'm sure an excellent roller coaster, whether it be family-friendly or more thrilling, will take its place sometime in the near future.
Is Great Adventure a perfect place with plenty to do for families? No. But is it closer than it was 5 years ago? Yes, by far. I remember when I first got my season pass back when Bizarro was the park's new addition, everyone was complaining about the park's lack of flat rides. Since then, we've seen Houdini and Tango re-open, all of Adventure Alley's new and relocated attractions open, and we've even got added a stand-up coaster to our already-impressive coaster lineup. We've been without a drop tower for a long time, and now we're getting that. I think GADV is on its way to becoming an amazing, family-friendly park, and Rolling Thunder's removal is just a step along the way. Sure, we'll miss it, but I'm sure that it will clear the way for something else amazing.