All set? All clear! 👌🏼 Aaron here, bringing you another special trip report for Coasters & Coffee. Today, I’m sharing the second of two reports from my recent trip to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. This massive park features 44 attractions, including 13 roller coasters, as well as a water park and a safari. In this post, I’ll be focusing on the park itself and the rides I experienced.
The Start of the Day
Heading into the day, I knew I was going to start by rope-dropping The Flash, as I figured that if the park was even moderately busy, the wait for it would be pretty long. I love that coaster (check out my in-depth review of it here) and couldn’t visit the park without getting at least one ride in. I originally planned to follow a loop from right to left around the park, hitting all the coasters at least once.
Pulling onto the road leading into the parking lot, I quickly realized my plan was going to change, as I was greeted by a line of about 60 tour buses, a sure sign of the dreaded school and summer camp trips that hit parks during the summer.
At this point, I started to accept that there was a good chance I’d need to get a Flash Pass if I wanted to hit all the coasters in one day. Standing at the gate and seeing the lines of people stretching all the way to the parking lot confirmed it. About 10 minutes before the park opened, I made the decision and purchased the Flash Pass Ultimate. Check out my Six Flags Great Adventure Flash Pass Ultimate Review to learn more about the pass and its value.
I’ll be honest, based on the popularity of my Hersheypark Fast Track Unlimited Review, I was not at all disappointed to have the opportunity to review another pass.
Thoughts on the Park
Despite living just an hour and a half away from Great Adventure, this was my first trip in over 10 years, as the park simply wasn’t a place I wanted to spend time due to its overall atmosphere and the unreliability of the rides.
During the Media Day event for The Flash: Vertical Velocity (read my review of the day and season preview here), I could see the effort that had been put into improving the park. And since I had an All Park Passport this year, I knew I wanted to make at least one trip. Plus, I really wanted to grab some more coaster credits!
Cleanliness and Appearance
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the park. It was clean and well-maintained, and the cleaning staff clearly works hard to keep areas like the bathrooms and dining spaces in good condition. Despite the park being packed with middle and high school-aged kids the day I visited, I didn’t notice any excess trash or litter either.
Staff and Ride Operations
Similar to my experience at the Media Day event, I was once again blown away by the staff and park operations. While I did encounter a few issues when trying to find certain locations, every staff member I asked sincerely tried to help guide me in the right direction. The ride staff, both in the queues and at the stations, were consistently fantastic. Train dispatches were quick and efficient, even with the added challenge of managing large groups of kids.
One thing I really loved about the ride staff was how engaged they were with guests. They regularly made fun remarks like, “Now enjoy your tangle with Medusa,” often throwing in an evil laugh at the end. It was such a fantastic touch. This is something I also really enjoy at Dorney Park, and I find it’s something Hersheypark is severely lacking.
At least during my visit I really feel the staff should be commended. I didn’t know until the very end of the day when I shared my positive feedback with a supervisor that every coaster was running understaffed. The control both operator at each ride was also checking rider restraints, which was being done so efficiently I thought it was just the way this park did things.
The security staff I also felt deserves some recognition.
Safety and Security
As I mentioned the park was packed with school kids along with occasional groups of adults. In any crowd you’re always going to have trouble, so definitely not trying to condemn all school kids here, but line jumping was a bit of a concern. On multiple occasions I watched a security take a person from a line for line jumping. Really the only time I saw line jumping go unpunished was at the end of my day on Dark Knight, where multiple people reported a girl for line jumping and the ride operator put her on the ride anyway then zipped up her jacket to hide her name tag. Karma struck here though as a chaperone from the girls group made her get off the ride and told her her day was done. Shout out to that chaperone!
The security guards, much like the rest of the staff, were courteous and always helpful. At one point I was locked out of my locker and couldn’t find anyone to help. I went over to the guard standing outside of Jersey Devil Coaster, who was absolutely awesome at making sure riders didn’t cause issues with loose articles too, and as soon as I told him my issue he was radioing for help. A locker attendant came in less than 5 minutes and helped me out.
Park Policies
I really appreciate how seriously the park takes loose articles. At their zero-tolerance coasters, they’ll actually make you prove that you don’t have anything in your pockets, not even a fanny pack. For all other rides, they make a sincere effort to ensure that loose items are either secured in a pocket with a closure or not brought on the ride at all.
One policy I didn’t love was that you’re not allowed to bring your own water into the park. I completely understand why this rule exists, but it’s still stinks to have to dump a full bottle of water at the gate, especially since refill stations weren’t easy to find. That said, they do exist, so shout-out to Great Adventure for at least offering an alternative to $5–$7 bottles of water.
Alright, enough about the park, right? Let’s get to the fun stuff, the rides! Well, at least for this report, it’s all about the coasters. But I’ll update this if I make it back later this year and try out more of the other attractions.
Six Flags Great Adventure Coaster Rankings
The Flash: Vertical Velocity (Park rating #1, overall #10):
I unapologetically love this coaster. You can check out my in-depth review here, but there’s truly not a single wasted second on this ride. The launches, while not the most intense, still offer some solid force, especially the reverse launch through the station. There’s a great mix of floater and ejector airtime, and let me tell you, that reverse spike is a thing of beauty. The inverted stall might even be my favorite element on any coaster, it delivers absolutely ridiculous hang time. Combine all these fun elements with an incredibly smooth ride experience, even while going backwards, and you’ve got a truly awesome coaster. There is also not a bad seat on the coaster, but I highly recommend sitting towards the back to really enjoy the reverse spike.
El Toro (Park Rating #2, overall #11):
The park has put a lot of effort into improving El Toro, especially following the 2022 investigation into the ride. That work clearly shows, as the ride was relatively smooth from a tracking perspective. The layout and speed of this coaster are absolutely insane. The first drop is, in my opinion, the best in the park, delivering an incredible amount of floater airtime. The rest of the layout combines both floater and intense ejector airtime with some of the wildest lateral forces you’ll experience
El Toro is a fantastic coaster, I almost ranked it number 1, however the intensity and way that the ride throws you around may be too much for some guests. It definitely will beat you up a little, but to me it is worth it.
Nitro (Park Rating #3, overall #14:
As an avid B&M hyper coaster fan I thought for sure Nitro was going to end up my first or second favorite coaster in the park. However, despite the size and speed, I found the first drop a bit disappointing, I got a back row ride and didn’t feel like there was much air time. I think the first drop and air time on Candymonioum is far superior. The layout for Nitro is great though, especially after the helix. I didn’t anticipate how forceful the helix was, and was surprised to have grayed out pretty significantly (though I was very dehydrated which didn’t help). The helix and airtime hills on the return run to the station were the highlight for me, as these hills were where I had the only noticeable airtime.
Nitro is a very good coaster with a great layout, I’d definitely love to get more rides on it in the future to see if it changes my ranking at all.
Medusa (Park Rating #4, overall #15:
Medusa has aged like a fine wine. Despite being 26 years old, this coaster is still very smooth, and the layout is fantastic. There is really no wasted time on this ride, as the seven inversions make for an action-packed experience. I thought each element was well-executed, with the loops being slightly forceful and the zero-g roll and corkscrews providing good airtime.
The first-ever floorless coaster nearly became my new favorite floorless, but ultimately, I enjoy Hydra too much for Medusa to overtake it. Maybe if they add a jojo roll one day (they obviously won’t), it will take the lead.
Jersey Devil Coaster (Park rating #5, overall #16):
Rounding out my top five for the park was the coaster I found most disappointing: Jersey Devil Coaster. I had very high expectations for this ride and actually thought it would end up as my number one in the park.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a fun coaster with a great first drop, especially in the back row. The first half, leading up to the brake run, is a ton of fun with decent speed and punchy elements. But after you hit the brake run, the train sort of meanders back to the station, and I found this part to be a pretty big letdown. The coaster makes great use of the plot of land it’s built on and is a good ride, just not as good as I expected it to be.
In my opinion, these five are the absolute must-ride coasters at the park. The next two coasters are ones I would definitely still recommend trying to ride after you’ve experienced the top five.
Superman: Ultimate Flight (Park rating #6, overall #21):
Superman: Ultimate Flight, while not quite a must-ride, is still a unique and fun coaster worth experiencing. The pretzel loop, especially in the back row, is an intense and forceful element. It’s probably my second favorite moment on any coaster in the park, only behind The Flash’s inverted stall. However, after that, the pacing slows down considerably, and the rest of the ride is relatively forgettable and unremarkable. The riding posture is also slightly uncomfortable.
Batman: The Ride (Park rating #7, overall #24):
Batman, Superman, and Medusa are all older B&Ms in the park that I found surprisingly smooth given their age. This is your standard Batman clone, though being the second one ever built gives it a bit of historic cool factor. The ride is smooth, and the layout is solid, with great pacing and strong elements. I only rank Superman higher because it has a standout element.
That wraps up the coasters truly worth diving into. As you can probably tell from my rankings, the park has a deep lineup of coasters, but in my opinion, nothing that reaches the level of being truly elite. The only real standouts are The Flash and El Toro.
Rounding out the line up are 5 coasters I’d say to just ride for the credits if you need them, then go ride the better stuff some more. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to ride Runaway Mine Train, but I suspect it would fall into this tier as well.
Rounding out the lineup are five coasters that I’d recommend riding just for the credit, if you need them, then heading back to the better ones for repeat rides.
The Dark Knight Coaster (Park rating #8, overall #36):
The Dark Knight is a decently smooth wild mouse coaster, made slightly unique by being enclosed in the dark. Unfortunately, most of the theming and effects are gone, which makes the experience feel a bit dull and somewhat depressing.
Harley Quinn’s Crazy Train (Park rating #9, Overall #42):
Harley Quinn’s Crazy Train is a surprisingly fun and fairly smooth kiddie coaster. I really enjoyed the layout, and there are some pretty forceful lateral forces. If you ride this with kids, just be sure to brace them, as it will throw them around quite a bit.
The Joker (Park rating #10, overall #43):
The Joker is an S&S Free Spin, of which about 12 currently exist. If you’ve ridden one before, you know what to expect. If not, it’s a short, space-filling coaster that is made moderately intense by the spinning of the seats.
Skull Mountain (Park rating #11, overall #44):
Skull Mountain is essentially an indoor kiddie coaster with a decent first drop. Overall, it’s a really boring ride. The skull missing its jaw is also a rather sad sight.
Lil Devil Coaster (Park rating #12, overall #49):
I really dislike this coaster and find it hard to imagine any other ride taking its place at the bottom of my list. It’s uncomfortable and unpleasant, much like most other Zamperla Family Coasters, but with the added bonus of a second-to-last right turn that feels like it’s trying to break your ribs. Don’t ride this, and definitely don’t let your kids ride it
Final Thoughts
Overall, I had a great time at Six Flags Great Adventure. I was thrilled that all the coasters, except for one that’s been closed for a while, were open. I think the park has made some positive changes recently, and this trip reinforced the optimism I expressed in my Six Flags Great Adventure Season Preview.
The coaster lineup at the park is deep, but leans more toward quantity than quality. The Flash and El Toro are very good, but they’re not the kind of coasters that can carry a park in the long term. The middle five, Nitro, Medusa, Jersey Devil Coaster, Superman, and Batman, are solid support coasters, but the park is in desperate need of a top-tier, elite-level attraction. Six Flags needs to get the new coaster for 2026 at Great Adventure right, not just to appease those upset by the removal of Kingda Ka, but to reestablish Six Flags Great Adventure as a true destination park.
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