Bring the original park back, along with the complete fabric of it being family oriented with something for everyone. People want variety and GA (and other parks) seem to have lost that trade. That's why I compare Knott's Berry Farm to the original GA.
In terms of rides, bring back Freefall, Enterprise, Swabichian and Flying Wave.
You hit the nail on the head! I've been saying this for years!! Six Flags has put their "corporate branding" in front of every park... They'd rather you just know the park as Six Flags and not Great Adventure. This was the beginning of the fall... Thanks mostly to Time Warner, all of the parks now resemble one another... They all have the same rides (or at least the same names) and the same contracted food venues, and the same insane "nickel and dime you to death" approach to profitability. There is a lack of family thrill rides, restaurants, shops and food stands. Everything is cheap, mass produced junk in my opinion. Gone are the unique "park only" souvenirs...
For the park on a whole, attention to detail is completely lost. It's the detail that makes the park shine! The hours of the park should be extended to what they were for years: 10 am - Midnight (Until 2:00 am on concert nights.) 10 am - 8 or 10 pm in off-season.
As for the rides, I would love to see a focus on more flat rides that made the park fun for the whole family... Bring back rides and things such as:
1. Flying Wave - (Yes the new swing ride is cool, but not everyone wants to go so high up in the air!)
2. Antique Cars - (They could be electric today!)
3. Grand Prix - (Well, an updated version - something like it without an up-charge. Up-charge rides should not exist in a pay-one price park in my opinion! They don't attract as much of a crowd, and they cost a lot to ride - not worth it again, in my opinion.)
4. Enterprise
5. Monster (Standard ride at ANY park... How we don't have one now, is beyond me!)
6. Rotor - (Another standard park ride... Great for kids!)
7. Tilt-a-Whirl - (Standard fare... Awesome family ride.)
8. Musik Express - (Himalaya ride is desperately needed - with an awesome sound system!)
9. Hydro Flume/Splashwater Falls - (You just NEED another flume/water/boat ride!)
10. Original Roaring Rapids - (Turn on the wave machines again, reprofile the ride - making it longer and more intense. Incorporate lessons learned from other improved rapids rides...)
11. Haunted Castle - (Yes, there's a stigma attached to having one again after the fire, but a great ride-through experience would be fantastic. The Haunted Mansion at Disney does really well... <hint><hint>)
12. The Right Stuff - (This was the only title that worked well in that building! The other movies in my opinion fell short and nothing else matches the decor and theme of the building. Perhaps some other sort of "flight" video can be shot instead?)
13. Super Sidewinder - (This ride got screwed on the attention it deserved... it was moved to a desolate area of the park where it suffered from lack of attendance. It was difficult to find... but was a fun ride for families!)
14. Super Tee Pee - (Yes, those 9-ton logs were heavy and expensive, but how many parks could lay claim to the world's largest tee pee? 35+ years of service, it deserves to be rebuilt!)
15. NIGHTLY FIREWORKS! - (They should also be done at 9;15 pm as they've always been done - before the park closes. This leaves time to enjoy rides and food afterwards, so the parking lot isn't at a stand-still for hours!)
16. Sarajevo Bobsleds - (Great family ride.)
17. Swabinchen - (Another fun family ride.)
Rides that need love... attention/rehabilitation:
1. Rolling Thunder - track work needed desperately! Original sign needs to be brought back, it was SO original with the lighting and sounds of thunder! Trains need carriage work as well.
2. Runaway Mine Train - trains should be refitted with all the original ornamentation that's been removed. (i.e., brass lanterns, copper tinting to smoke stacks etc.) Details are important!
3. Musik Express - Either rehab it, or replace it with a new one!
4. Skull Mountain - (Needs love... the curtains and interior looks trashy and poorly maintained.)
5. Nitro - (A covered queue would be nice.)
That's all I can think of at the moment....!
