Saturday  - September 1st, 2012 Labor Day Weekend - the unofficial end to summer.  Is it me or do the seasons seem to go faster and faster? Today we take a look at all three Great Adventure parks including the areas which will be impacted by the newly announced 2013 additions.  Enjoy!
Hurricane Harbor has fewer than three days left in the 2012 season and the crowds poured into the park heavier than all that water in the big tipping bucket!  Many of the areas were very crowded especially with the lazy river being temporarily closed.
Hurricane Harbor will be installing an eighth water slide next season - Big Wave Racer, which will be a six lane, 1800 foot enclosed and open mat racing slide.  The ride will be built towards the front of the park in the heavily wooded area near the Aquatopia restaurant.  Anyone familiar with the park knows that the area near the front gate tends to be much less crowded than the outlying water slides and water features.
The Wild Safari will also be closing in several weeks on September 30th, 2012.  Starting next season car navigation of the park will be replaced with large off-road transport vehicles which will depart from the theme park.   Meanwhile, tourists and locals seem to be rushing to the Safari to experience this unique New Jersey institution before the changes take place.
The dirt piles that were imported several years ago when Kingda Ka was built seem to be the initial test area for off-road handling.	This is what makes our Safari so great!  You don't see so many newborns in Disney or Busch's safari attractions.	The rhinos and elephants will soon have some fancy new transports to observe traversing their area.
It will be interesting to see how the pecking birds will be displayed.	This new thing has been in the park for several weeks but I haven't mentioned it before.  Looks like test stairs or an emergency exit for the new trucks.
Camp Aventura will be an area of the new Safari Off-Road Adventure were guests can get up close and learn about the animal kingdom.	The tire tracks above may be a hint of one of the adventures that awaits riders next season.  True off-roading!	How they prevent the bears from hitching a ride will be another thing that will need to be resolved.
	Access to the former Safari Exploration Station (now an area used for a children's learning camp) will most likely be off-limits after September 30th.
	New promotions all around the theme park.
	Labor Day fireworks - September 1&2!
As mentioned, the Safari Off-Road Adventure will depart from inside the theme park from near the area to the right of the Northern Star Arena.  It will proceed through some areas which are currently behind the scenes sections of the park and enter the Safari through the current tiger section.
The loading area and queue will occupy the region just outside of the arena.  This area will look completely different next season.
Many of the Safari Discoveries exhibits will soon be incorporated into the new Camp Adventura attraction.
And lastly, Fright Fest work continues with a lot of new props and structures.  Setup work should kick into high gear when the theme park closes on Tuesday, ending daily operation for the 2012 season.  Fright Fest begins early this year on September 21st and runs through October 28th.