Park Review
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Jackson, New Jersey April 15, 2001 Yesterday, I went to Great Adventure early in the day, got there just at opening, and was able to beat the crowds for getting my pass processed and for most rides. When driving into the lot, I showed my last year's season parking pass to the attendant. Right away, he asked me if I was buying a new pass this year. When I said "yes," he waved me through without charging me the now $10 (!) parking fee. While I was in line paying for my pass, I overheard a group of guys trying to get their $10 back. The cashier asked for their receipt, but they said the parking attendant didn't give them one. They were still fighting it out when I left, but it just goes to show you that some employees are better than others, and if you want something you may need to ask for it. The first coaster of the day was Great American Scream Machine ('cause it was right by the season pass processing center). Wonderfully smooth with no headbanging. I'd forgotten how good this ride could be. With no discomfort, this ride returns from a "only ride it for the count" coaster to one of the best steelies around. It's fun and disorienting. Later in the day, I rode it again, but it was not as smooth. Some of the headbanging returned, and it wasn't fun anymore. I know I rode both times in the same seat (left side, first row, sixth car), and I know the second ride was on the blue train. Maybe my first ride was on the red train. Anybody (Chris K?) know if there's a difference between trains? Then I headed over to the main event: Nitro! First off, Great Adventure seems to have completely given up the concept of theming. Nitro has simply been placed behind B:TR. It's just there. It's pretty, bright, and has a logo embedded in the concrete. But GrAdv used to be a "theme" park. Have they given up all pretense and simply become an amusement park? Second, the queue for Nitro reflects another disturbing trend: no shade. Another white concrete pad with shiny metal cattle chutes. This one's gonna� be tough in the heat of the summer. Hey Six Flags! Give us all a break and throw up a little awning over some lines, please. Okay, on with the show. Nitro. My first ride was in the first row. Cute signs on the lift hill show you when you pass the height of some famous landmarks (Sphinx, Tower of London, Arc de Triumph, Niagara Falls, etc.). Then you�re over the top, without the usual B&M post-lift flat spot. Whoo-eee, what a great view down that first drop. It sure looks steeper from here than it does from the ground. Anybody know the official angle of descent? So it's down that first hill, up the next, veer left and down the next hill, and...snooze. This is boring. Oh here comes the helix. More snooze. Off the block brake, and some so-called bunny hops. Yawn. I know I'm jaded, but this coaster is dull. It's my first B&M hyper, but I've been on Arrow, Morgan, and Intamin hypers, all of which are more fun. At the risk of raising Chris K's ire, I'd say that Steel Force was better. There's more, and more lengthy, sustained float time there, and the helix on Steel Force is long, fast, and powerful. Nitro's is small and was barely felt. Nitro, in the front row, has almost no air at all. And because it's so fast, it doesn't feel like it lasts as long as SF, or Medusa at GrAdv (those who like Nitro might say it seems shorter because it's more fun, but I'm skeptical). Fortunately there are no lines this day, so I gave Nitro another chance or five. Moving farther back, the ride improves. Finally, in the last row, this ride comes alive. Great air right from the pullover all the way down the first drop, completely off the seat. Various amounts of air on all other hills, and a nice float down the very last bunny hop before the final brakes. The helix is more powerful in the back, too! Okay, I guess Nitro can stay. But take my advice, only ride the front for the visuals, otherwise get as far back as you can. And try to avoid getting stapled in too tight. If I had my way, I would put a heartline spin in the far turnaround. Also, last week there was a discussion of wheel contact. I checked GASM, Medusa, and Nitro. Both B&Ms had constant contact between all of the wheels and the track, but Arrow's GASM has space not only between the upstops and the track, but also between both sets of side wheels (brain fart...I just forgot what they're called) and the track. Plenty of slack = plenty of headbanging. Oh, one more part of this report. I finally saw Evolution being run. It's the first time I've seen this ride operating. So I went on it. Took a while, since right before I boarded, someone got sick and they had to shut down for a short while to clean it. Anyway, if you like this sort of thing, well, then, this is the sort of thing you like. It's a spinning ride. I won't try to describe it fully, but it's a little bit like an Enterprise. The problem for me, though, is I've discovered I don't react well to spinning rides. I had to take a long break after this to let my stomach settle. But if you can handle it, and don't mind waiting for the excruciatingly slow boarding process, this is a fun ride to try. I can see why some people would like it, but never again for me. Jon Zucker
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