Earlier start this morning as the last bus from New Jersey Transit (Port Authority next door) building on 9th Ave for Six Flags left at 9:30am. We purchased our package tickets, bus far and theme park entrance, for a total of US$108 and caught the 9am bus. It was close to full.
The bus went through the Lincoln Tunnel and passed Newark Airport and Elizabeth. Took 1hr 13mins to arrive at Six Flags. We stowed our gear in a locker for US$12 for the day and entered the park. Massive parking lot there and I asked the guy on the gate how many people he was expecting today - forty thousand! The park opened just as we got there, at 10:30, when it was supposed to open at 10am.
First ride was Superman Ultimate Flight - not bad but hurt the neck and back a bit. Second ride was Green Lantern, twice, which was really good. Next - Kingda Ka - the tallest coaster in the world and the fastest in North America. What a blast - literally and metaphorically. Did that twice. Wasn't as scary as we'd anticipated - The Boy wanted to build up to it and wasn't ready so early in the visit to the park for it. Gee, the queue can reach 120 mins for this ride.
The guy at the front of the park told us that El Toro was the best coaster in the park. It was a wooden coaster, very fast (fastest wooden coaster in the world) and quite a long ride. I'd have to agree with him regarding how good it was. Felt a bit sick afterwards, it was quite bumpy, and so we only rode it once. Must do though.
Went on a kiddie ride, Runaway Mine Train, which wasn't bad. We had two turns on that also. Took a Skyride cable car there and back before riding Bizarro. This was one of the best rides and we had a couple of goes on it.
Across the other side of the park was Batman The Ride. Indication was for a 30 mins wait but 20 mins later we had ridden it - short but very sweet ride. Nearby was Nitro - 230ft high, 215ft drop, 80mph - and almost nothing to hold you into your seat! This was the scariest ride in the park.
Sky Screamer, a new attraction that rises 248ft and revolves at up to 45mph, was a 30 minute wait and hardly worth the effort. Great view though. Couple of rides on the kiddie ride, Blackbeard's Lost Treasure Train, which was good, one on Swashbuckler, The Boy rode the Buccaneer (swinging boat) and then we did a few parachute jumps at the Parachute Training Center - Edwards AFB.
Dinner consisted of chicken strips and cheese and bacon covered fries which have to be my favourite heart attack-inducing, artery-clogging food.
The Boy wanted more rides. As it was becoming dark we took the cable car again to view the park from above before he took two turns on Twister and another 2-3 goes on Green Lantern. Back to the parachute ride and a little boy joined us as he was too short to go alone and his parents were on the Superman ride. Only too happy to oblige - he was too small to go on the ride by himself. Apparently he comes to the park every Sunday when his dad is on leave or every Thursday otherwise. Interesting to meet a local.
Left just after 8pm to catch the bus - not really knowing what time it would be there. When we arrived we were told that buses would be available from 6~9:30. In actual fact NJ Transit realised that only 157 passengers that day went to the park and they would fit into 3 buses. First bus came at 6 and once filled it returned to Manhattan. We reached the bus around 8:30 and waited another 15 mins before it was full and we could leave. Some of the passengers weren't happy as they had waited for nearly an hour an a half before the bus departed. The lady driver caned it home and, even though we stopped at Newark Penn Station, something we didn't do on the way to the park, she took 1hr 12mins to get back - in the dark.
Fantastic day. Was one of the "must do" items on our itinerary.
Photo Album Vol I
Photo Album Vol II
Photo Album Vol III
Photo Album Vol IV (Final)
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