Adrenaline, screams, and thrills on your summer to-do list? Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ certainly takes the crown in the Northeast for rollercoaster enthusiasts, and their new coaster “Green Lantern” is no exception.
Great Adventure is known for its distinct variety of coasters – Kingda Ka as the tallest coaster in the world (458 ft. high) at 128 mph, Nitro as one of the top steel coasters by golden ticket standards, Batman the Ride’s infamous inverted experience, and now the park makes its debut with its first ever stand up thrill with Green Lantern.
The wait for the ride wasn’t nearly as bad as Superman – Ultimate Flight, only about 25 min. The sprinklers surrounding the waiting line will get you more soaked than Congo River Rapids, which is nice on a 90 degree day in July. The line itself moved quickly, as there was an additional waiting line for single passenger riders that ride operators delegated efficiently.
As for the ride, it was fun with a few flaws. As a tall girl (5 ft. 10in.), I was worried about the standup seating: Would I be too tall? Would my boyfriend fall out because he is short? What if you’re a tall man with huge shoulders and can’t get the harness over you? My curious worries subsided once we arrived at the platform. Everything was adjustable – the height, the piece that went between passengers’ legs, the harness itself, etc. Everyone had a customized seat that was stabilized.
I’m not one to get scared on coasters, but once we pulled away from the station and started ascending on the lift hill, I wanted off. There was an uneasiness of whether or not the ride was actually safe. All of your blood pressure goes directly to your feet as you’re trying to hold onto the handles on the harness and pull yourself up. You’re heavy and feel as if you’ll fall out, and the ride hasn’t even REALLY started yet.
Once at the top, you turn slowly as if it is time to face fate. We sat in the last row to get ultimate speed since the ride didn’t look very fast in the preview videos.
The first drop leaves you catching your breath – it’s a fun free for all from there.
You feel as if you’re flying (definitely more so than Superman – Ultimate Flight) because of the angles of the turns and flips. I didn’t see anyone put their hands up the entire ride, more than likely out of fear of falling, but overall it had good speed, great lifts and turns, sometimes feeling as if you’re walking high speed over the ground.
Surprisingly, the acceleration of the ride makes you forget that all the weight is on your feet until you’re waiting to get back into the station as the other car is the loading.
Green Lantern isn’t one of my top 5 coasters, but it’s definitely a unique experience because of the stand-up aspect. It’s fun, your feet will feel numb afterward, and if you’re a guy, you’ll end up “adjusting yourself” a million times (as at least five shouted out as they were exiting).
