Remembering Great Adventure

[candc]

Hi Y'all.  I've been going to Six Flags Great Adventure since the park opened way back in the early 70's.  I've seen it evolve and grow throughout the years and it keeps getting better and better.

Back then, they had so many spinning rides that didn't last more than a season or two, like the Swiss Bob, The Pretty Monster (like an octopus if I remember correctly), The Alpine Blitz, Tilt-A-Whirl, and The Condor (a few parks still have this old classic - I rode it last year at Hershey Park).

And of course, there were several coasters (or coster-like rides) which were always fun.  I loved Little Thunder & The Wild Rider when I was a little kid.  And the Sarajevo Bobsled was a fun spinning coaster which brings back lots of memories.  I saw novelty-coasters come and go too, like Big Fury, Ultra Twister, Shockwave, & Lightning Loops.  Unfortunately, there were several tragedies back in those days, including deaths on Lighting Loops and the walk-through Haunted Castle - and those rides were quickly removed from the park.  It made room for new stuff!

But the park certainly seems pretty safe these days, and has more than doubled in size since it's opening.  The rides are certainly more intense, but still offering some mild ones for those who can't handle cool rides like El Toro, Nitro, Medusa, Kingda-Ka!  lol

If I had a choice on things to get rid of in the park, I'd start with Batman & Robin: The Chiller.  While it's been a fun ride, it is always problematic.  There are better launch coasters out there that could replace The Chiller.  And actually, if they also got rid of the old Batman Stuntshow theatre and even Freefall, they'd gain lots of space to build a new coaster in that area of the park in the years to come.

I'd like to see them add a huge Power Tower (like King's Dominion has) by Granny's Chicken (where Evolution was).  Hopefully, they'll also add new flat rides where rides are no longer, such as Spinmiester & Chaos.  It would be cool if they brought back the old paddleboats that one could ride on the lake by the log flume - those were fun.

Anyway, those are some memories I have of rides I grew up with, and I still love The Parachutes, The Runaway Mine Train & Rolling Thunder!  Those have stood the test of time and still provide a great ride!

Hope to read some of your memories...then and now.

Carlos

[WadeJ]

My memories date back to the early-mid 80's.  I do remember Free Fall opening for sure so I can at least remember back that far lol.

It is amazing looking back and notice the decline in the the 80's until Scream Machine in 1989 and then the cycle hit again in the late 90's into the early 00's.  And here we are again in the middle of a major rebirth.

The biggest thing that always sticks in my head is the nasty bumps I'd get on my shins from the Lightning Loops stairs because I'd always run back around to ride it again and again.  I also remember how AMAZING Scream Machine was and how proud I was to conquer it.  And of course, RT always being my fav

[Dubya91]

Well, I dont and can't remember back into the 80's as that is before my time, what I do remember is...Late 90's to the Present.

I remember going into the park and the water tower would have the WB logo on it. I also remember how much spacier the parking lot was before S:UF and the commercial for Nitro, where I think they used either Sugar Ray or RHCP for the song, and you see the guy with his cheeks flapping back. The next thing I remember is Time Warp and Evolution, all though I never rode them, I always remember them being closed, but on occasion running. Where spongebob is used to be Escpae from Din Island, then turned into The Right Stuff and now Spongebob. I also remember seeing the commercials for S:UF and when it first opened. I Also remember the Season Pass entrance which, if left in-tact today, would be probably right on KK's launch track, They do need to bring this back, I also remember riding Viper in like 02 and 03', That area of the park was very very barren, quiet and empty and would be away from everybody to relax, Taz Twister would be there and the same for the Rodeo Stampede along with the que for Viper. Finally, In the mail, I got a thing for Kingda Ka and it made me very excited and tracked it being built. And now here we are today, looking back! Thats all I remember, it's not much, but i am just throwing my 2 cents into this thread

[Nozzy]

I remember the park from the early 90s a little bit, mainly memories of waiting for my dad when he was on coasters.  I remember Batman getting built, and I remember going on The Right Stuff the week that it opened.  I remember River Adventures, although I never went on most of the slides, and back when Skull Mountain was announced.  I remember seeing Chiller get built and sit there for a season, although they used to have lots of pretty lights on the station that are gone now.  I remember Superman's opening day, I was on the first train open to the public, and everything since then.

I hope to see the Runaway Train at least get all 3 trains back on the transfer, although I'd love to see it run 3, Rolling Thunder get back to running four, and the return of good flat rides that would actually stay.

[Dubya91]

Ah, I also remember wanting to go on the Water Slide where I believe Nitro's Station currently is right now, but my mom said no cause we wanted to go on Congo Rapids!