the car doesn't always make it over the top

On Sunday, Dan and I spent the day at Six Flags Great Adventure with Katie and Jimmy and our friends Matt and Heather.

Here's the breakdown of the day, intertwined with reviews of the roller coasters.

Arrived at the park just as they were about to open. As we pulled into the parking lot, I saw something that made me do a double-take, as I couldn't believe I was really seeing what I thought I was seeing...

Well, here... see for yourself...


Dan said "That's Kingda Ka" - he had seen a documentary on it, and when had mentioned it when I told him we were going to Great Adventure. This started the debate which raged internally for me the entire day... would I or wouldn't I?

SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE FLIGHT
My first roller coaster in a pretty long time. You sit in the seat, and then the seat rotates up, so that you are facing the ground - as if you were flying like Superman.
It's one thing to be sitting in a car, on a track - but another thing entirely to be facing the ground with nothing beneath you , and only the shoulder harness and ankle restraints holding you in. I was suprised at how scared I was, especially as we entered the first loop - going down, HEAD FIRST. My low point, was when we reached the top of the first hill, about to plunge, head first, I yelled out "I'd rather give birth do another baby than do this!"
I'm going to give this coaster a B+ for legitimately scaring me.

At this point in the day, everyone was going to ride "Kingda Ka".

THE GREAT AMERICAN SCREAM MACHINE
I had been on this one several times back in high school - and once I even got my mother to go on it with me - so I knew it would be no biggie. It's a good starter coaster - decent drop, a few loops. Grade: C

Matt announced there was no way he was riding "Kingda Ka". I thought that I probably wouldn't have the guts to either.

THE DARK KNIGHT
Space Mountain x lame = the Dark Knight coaster.
Grade: D

BATMAN THE RIDE
The last two times I had been at Great Adventure - both in 1994, this ride was new, and I waited almost 3 hours each time to get on it. This time we walked right on! It's one where you sit with your feet dangling and the car hangs below the track.
I LOVE this coaster! It's a smooth ride with a decent drop and some good loops and twists.
Grade: A

Decided I probably could handle "Kingda Ka".

NITRO
Holy crap. This coaster is insane.
First of all, the ride up to the top is very high and very long. Then when you get up there, you see that this coaster is not a short ride - it's HUGE! There are no upside down loops, but a lot of corkscrew twists and drops. Katie had warned, that there is one part where due to G-force, it's common to black out.
Sure enough - when we went through the one turn, suddenly, everything began to fade from the outside towards the inside and then for a second I completely blacked out. But then, I was fully alert again for two last humps and the coast into the station.
Grade: B (I'd give it an A, but that's the first time anything ever made me black out like that, and I didn't like it.)

Lunch time. - We were all feeling kind of sick and dizzy, so we sat down to eat and re-collect ourselves.

Dan announced that he would NOT be riding "Kingda Ka". I continued to stress over it.

MEDUSA
At this point, I was really not feeling well - very dizzy from the heat and roller coasters. But, as Medusa was the only steel coaster left in the park (besides THE coaster) we went for it. Heather had said we could "digest while we waited in line" Good plan - but there was no line, so we got on, full stomachs and all. - Except for Dan, who decided he was done.
It is a good coaster - very much like Batman The Ride - feet dangling. But with this one, even though it has dangling feet, you are still up above the track.
Grade: B+

Matt decided he too was done with rides.

Then, it was time to face it.

As we walked towards the final coaster, I changed my mind constantly back and forth between doing it and not. I wanted to, and I knew I would be very disappointed in myself if I didn't, but I was SCARED!

Prolonging the enevitable, we stopped and watched some Tigers. They were gorgeous - but one scared us pretty badly. We were pressed against a huge glass window, and all of a sudden a huge tiger LEAPED out of a pond and right towards us, splashing the window with water. We all jumped pretty high!

GRR... still have to make a decision...

Stopped at a bench and the boys were sitting down. This is when Jimmy - who had spent the entire day saying "of course I'm going on that!" changed his mind, and said he couldn't do it.

So - that left the girls.

Here's a link with a video of the ride... check it out.
http://www.sixflags.com/greatAdventure/rides/Kingdaka.aspx

Heather, said, OK - let's go.

I said "damn it"

Katie, Heather and I walked to the line.

There was a sign that said "The car does not always make it over the top. If this happens, it will come back down and set for re-launch. This is a normal occurance."

I said "you've got to be kidding me...". Katie pushed me forward.

We got on the line, and saw a sign that said "120 minute wait from this point". We said, no way we were waiting, and started to walk away.

We realized that that wait time was only if the line winded back and forth through a whole area - which it did not. The true wait was only 15 minutes.

Got back on the line. Feeling totally sick and completely scared.

Timed the ride from "launch" until the end - it was 20 seconds. Decided there was nothing I couldn't handle for 20 seconds.

Got into the car. Told the girl checking the harness to "MAKE IT TIGHT!" She pressed down hard - I lost circulation in my legs, but felt secure.

Car moved into position. This was the scariest part. That few seconds felt like FOREVER. I kept saying stupid things like "I can't do this, this is insane, I am so scared" - Katie told me to shut up. Heather seemed totally chill - but she has jumped out of a plane before, so this didn't phase her.

Launch. 0-128 mph in 3 seconds. All we felt was SPEED.

About to go up. Yelled "OH MY GOD" - by then we were at the top.
Let out a chuckle, because the view was just way too cool.
Then we were down.
As we went over the big hump at the end, there was a feeling of total weightlessness.
Then it was over, and I said. "That was awesome."

My only regret was not doing it from the front row.

It was time to go home. On the way out, we bought Lauren a Batman cape. It goes great with her pink jelly high-heels.