When is Six Flags Great Adventure least crowded?
The largest of all the Six Flags parks, Great Adventure boasts over 50 rides, including 13 roller coasters. If thrills aren’t your thing, there’s the neighboring Six Flags Wild Safari animal park, one of the largest drive-through safaris outside of Africa.
Six Flags Great Adventure has something for everyone, but what about the crowds? Some days are busier than others. Here are some of the best and worst times of the year to visit the park.
March – April
Opening Day – Great Adventure’s operating season finally begins in late March or early April. Big crowds and long lines are the norm for opening day and through the opening weekend.
Spring Break – The week after opening day is typically Spring Break time for most of the schools in the area. That means the park is open all week long and it’s usually packed. Your best bet for lighter crowds would be on the Sundays after Spring Break week.
May
Weekdays – Great Adventure is open on Thursday-Sunday in May and the weekdays are usually least crowded, although the crowds do tend to pick up a bit on Fridays.
Memorial Day Weekend – Memorial Day marks the start of the summer season and Six Flags gets very crowded for the three-day weekend. The park is still open on the weekdays following Memorial Day, so try to go after the holiday if you can for less crowds and shorter wait times.
June
Summer Season – Six Flags Great Adventure is open everyday in June, as the park gets ready for the summer crowds. Weekdays are again the least crowded days, while Saturdays tend to be the busiest.
More schools start to get out for the summer in mid to late June, so the earlier in the month you go, the less crowded it will be. The summer crowds start to get a lot worse on the last week of June.
July
4th of July Weekend – The summer crowds are out in full force by July, and it’s typically very busy for the 4th of July.
There’s really not much relief from the summer crowds in all of July, including on weekdays, so be prepared.
August
Summer Season – The big summer crowds are still around in all of August.
September
Labor Day Weekend – Great Adventure is typically very crowded for the three-day weekend, as the summer season finally comes to an end.
The park is only open on weekends in September, and Sundays are the least crowded days.
October
Columbus Day Weekend – The three-day weekend attracts big crowds to the park. Be prepared for long lines.
Fright Fest – Fright Fest takes over for the Halloween season on Fridays and the weekends in October. The event is very popular, so try to get there early.
For crowd predictions of upcoming dates, as well as historical crowd ratings, check out the Six Flags Great Adventure Crowd Calendar.
Have you been to Six Flags Great Adventure? How crowded was it when you visited? When do you think is the best time to go? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Image: diffusor
The last week of August is usually when it’s manageable again.
We (myself, my husband and my 2 children ages 13 and 15) will be traveling to New York the week of Aug 16-24. Im wondering first if you would recommend the New Jersey park over the Massachusetts Park. We are coming from Canada and will be passing the Massachusetts Park. And second, will it be worth it without fast passes?
I think Great Adventure is the better park. That’s the last week of the summer season, so Flash Passes might be helpful. You can purchase them at the park on the day you go if the lines are too long.
es, six flags great adventure is much better. I have been to both parks, and the Massachusetts park is not a great one. Definitely go with the park in New Jersey- then you can also say that you Have ridden the tallest roller coaster in the world!
How about Thursday Aug 13th?
I’d be prepared for it to be busy since the summer season crowds are still out. Get there early!
I’m planning to go this Thursday… is it advisable to buy the Flash Pass (never been to this park in NJ)… also, if you wait to see when you’re there, might they be sold out.. it says limited availability I think on the FP’s online.
I think FP would be helpful since schools in the area are still on summer break. It’s possible that they can sell out, but I don’t think they will on a weekday this late in the season. They’re usually still available if you get there early.
For the past two years we went to Great Adventure during Fright Fest. We always got the middle(Gold) Flash pass. During the day the waits with it were never more then 30 minutes. However, in the late afternoon closer to dinner time people started pouring in by what looked like the tens of thousands. The regular coaster ride lines were upwards of 3+ hours(not a typo) The flash pass wait times went upwards to closer to an hour wait to ride one ride. If we get the platinum flash pass this year for fright fest, what do you think the 3+ hour ride waits will be on the platinum flash pass? Maybe 30 minutes tops? Thanks!
For the past two years we went to Great Adventure during Fright Fest. We always got the middle(Gold) Flash pass. During the day the waits with it were never more then 30 minutes. However, in the late afternoon closer to dinner time people started pouring in by what looked like the tens of thousands. The regular coaster ride lines were upwards of 3+ hours(not a typo) The flash pass wait times went upwards to closer to an hour wait to ride one ride. If we get the platinum flash pass this year for fright fest, what do you think the 3+ hour ride waits will be on the platinum flash pass? Maybe 30 minutes tops? Thanks Sam!