Important Message to Six Flags NJ after questionable 50th season

Let me start off by saying this. I am in no way looking to discourage anyone from going to Six Flags Great Adventure in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I'm a season pass holder myself, as are my sons, and we go quite a bit throughout the year.

In fact, we're very lucky to have such a park that's centrally located in the state, in Jackson, NJ. And with the park officially now 50 years old, there's no reason for us not to celebrate.

It's a fantastic park, full of incredible rides and awesome experiences, and I encourage anyone who hasn't visited yet to add that to their list of must-dos. With that said, I think there's a common frustration most of us with season passes have been feeling about this questionable 50th season.

And that frustration is valid. Just take a look at how the entire season has gone thus far. We were told a new coaster, The Flash, would be premiering as part of the 50th celebrations. That has now been pushed off to 2025.

The old Saw Mill Log Flume was supposed to be refurbished and open for the summer season. And although it did eventually open, that didn't happen until the tail end of the summer, just in time for the cooler weather to arrive.

The giant wheel was also delayed, and gondolas were still missing when the summer season kicked off. That, too was supposed to be open and ready to go sooner.

Then there's the sudden closure of the Sky Ride that led to rumors of the ride being removed. At the moment, there is no truth to this.

READ MORE: SKY RIDE AT SIX FLAGS, NJ, NOT PERMANENTLY CLOSED - HERE'S THE SCOOP

Now that we're into the fall, there have been multiple delays regarding the park's annual Fright Fest celebrations. More specifically, delays with their evening attractions that are part of Fright Fest extreme (see what the park has said about that here).

Again, all reasons for annual season pass holders to feel frustrated over such a questionable season that promised so much for the park's 50th year. It's very disappointing when you're told one thing is coming, but then it never happens.

But it's even more disappointing when it happens again, and again, and again during the same season when most of us have already paid a pretty penny to enter the park.

Now, do I believe people are going to abandon the park in the future over this? Absolutely not. In fact, I believe the same fan base will return again next year with much of the same crowds that travel from far and near to experience all the thrills Six Flags Great Adventure has to offer.

What should the park learn from this? Here's a little message for those who run the ship in Jackson, NJ.

First off, we're excited about the recent merger with Cedar Fair. Hopefully, that'll help keep things under control at the New Jersey-based park and address some of the issues happening now.

READ MORE: MASSIVE MERGER INVOLVING GREAT ADVENTURE, NJ, & DORNEY PARK, PA

As we move forward, it's important to recognize exactly where Great Adventure failed this year, and what they can do to rectify it in the future. And it's a simple lesson that all of us should really follow.

They over-promised and under-delivered. It's just that simple. They wanted to get so much done for this huge milestone year but clearly didn't have the resources necessary to pull it off.

As the old saying goes, it's much better to underpromise and over-deliver. Had the park focused on even just one attraction, say, the log flume, for the 50th year, that would've been awesome within itself.

And maybe with the new roller coaster to say the 50th season marks the beginning as we head toward 2025. Updates on the progress of the coaster with tons of pictures would also be cool to follow.

But that way, should it open in 2024, it would've been over-delivering and a huge win for the park. Instead, that all happened the other way around and it turned out to be a big disappointment.

The same can be said for Fright Fest Extreme. Yes, it would've been awesome if those attractions were ready to go on Friday, Sept. 13, but it never happened. Hence, all the preview weekends.

Maybe in this case it would've been smarter not to rush it so quickly only days after Labor Day and instead advertise it for weekends in October. Regular Fright Fest during the day could still open, and if Fright Fest Extreme were to be ready sooner, that would also be a big win.

Instead, every weekend in September has been a preview weekend, which clearly has disappointed those who spent a lot to experience these attractions on these specific days just to be told it's not ready yet at the last minute.

Again, sometimes less is more. And if you can squeeze more out of that, it becomes a bonus. So as Six Flags marches toward 2025, I hope they really understand that trying to overdo it will only burn you in the end.

The park has a loyal following, and we're all excited for what's next to come. But please, learn from this flop of a year that could've otherwise been a win if you had simply just underpromised, and overdelivered. One big win with some bonuses here and there is way better than multiple disappointments.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.