My thoughts on Six Flags, NJ’s big opening day of 2025

Well, the first weekend of the 2025 Six Flags Great Adventure season in Jackson, NJ, is now in the rearview mirror. Going forward, the theme park will be open every weekend up until the summer, when it'll shift to being open daily.

I was at the theme park for opening day on March 29, and I will say yes, there were some issues the park was dealing with. So much so that select online groups have been going out of their way to complain about it all.

I'm going to give this a full stop right now and say that the park did a fantastic job kicking off the season. But I do feel it's important to mention that some of the issues from that day are actually good problems to have.

Lines are too long

This is the biggest one that I really think will define how the 2025 season goes. But hold on, how do long lines equate to that?

Well, for one, I don't think the park anticipated opening day to be mostly sunny with highs in the mid-80s. It was an absolutely beautiful day to get out there, which so many people did.

As is typical this time of year at the park, not everything was open quite yet. Staffing is usually light, and most of the rides and facilities that were open were running for the first time after a long off-season.

But thanks to the unusually beautiful weather, the park was jam-packed with people, and that was so great to see. We were all out there to have a fun time, which is what matters most.

Nobody will go in 2025

Look, I get some are still upset about so many rides being removed, but it's time to move on from that. It's time to see what's next for the park, including watching it all unfold throughout the 2025 season.

And the fact that the biggest, yet-to-be-announced attraction will be built right out front by the parking lot makes it all the more exciting. Think about it, we get a front row seat to watch the construction unfold.

As for all the naysayers who said nobody would go in 2025? I'm really happy they were proven wrong on day one. Great Adventure is really a great park, and I encourage everyone to pay them a visit this season and to see for themselves all the positive changes that are underway.

Too many breakdowns

Again, it was day one, and issues are bound to pop up after a long, cold winter of inactivity. But in reality, the park's maintenance team was super quick to get things back up and running again.

That also includes The Flash: Vertical Velocity. Yes, it had some downtime, but it was the first time it ever opened to the public. If anything, you want to iron out all the issues now, ahead of the bigger crowds that have yet to come.

And for the record, we did get on The Flash, and it was a great ride. I personally highly recommend it, especially for those of us who used to ride The Chiller. It seriously reminds me of that... fun throwback vibes.

Complainers will always complain

I truly love Great Adventure, and so do my sons. In fact, they can't wait to see what the future brings there, and neither can I.

We did notice the improvements like landscaping and building refreshes, and it all looked great. Again, I have nothing but good things to say about the park, which is why I thought it was important to get ahead of those negative keyboard warriors who like to put down anything when they get that first chance to do so.

Yes, I'll miss some old rides too, but if the park didn't change, it would never be able to survive into the future. As much as we don't want to let go of the past, it's exciting to watch this transition now underway.

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.