My family went to Fright fest this past weekend. We have gone several times over the years. This year went up in price for the haunted houses. Really $24.99 INSANE.... The frustrating part is that the park is only open from 5:00 Pm to 9:00Pm for Fright Fest. The one house doesn't open till 6:30Pm. When your waiting in line for 1 1/2 hours just to get into 1 house there is no way you will get in all of them in 4 hours. Disappointed. read more

The water park was closed and it was the only reason we came. No where did it say it was closed, and the facebook page even posted and image of the water park saying the park was now open daily. read more

The park is in a shambles. We were there the second day of opening this year. Management has spent zero money or zero effort in refreshing the park. Everything is rusty or paint chipped. Garbage on the ground everywhere and employees wearing dirty uniforms. The highlight of the trip was the waterpark, in particular the tornado waterslide. The waterslide park is terribly designed, you have to put your shoes on to walk between slides because the surface is not meant for walking barefoot. The park was unkept, unclean, and a distant memory of a time forgotten place to be. The food was disgusting and a huge rip off. I don't mind paying extra for food at the park, at least make it good. Several rides were closed down and unusable. I never saw supervisors or management walking the grounds inspecting. Management has failed this park. read more

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3 month ago me family went here. The food tasted like dog. Food. Don't eat at the Chicken Chalet. The food tasted like dog food that expired 6 millennium ago and gave me explosive diarrhea and salmonella. The only good rollercoasters I got on to was Contor. Flashback should be called Crackback because I felt like it cracked my spine in half. Comet didn't not flip or loop and launched me out of my seat almost killing me. They need better restrainers on Comet. Steamin Demon gave me a headache. Frankie's mine train was too fast for me and big. Someone fell out of the steaming demon which by the way I think was converting people to satanism. Too many old men were on the kiddie roller coaster of Frankie's mine train. Save your money and go to universal, universal is a lot cheaper and is only 15 miles down from dinsey which is the best dinsey park for familis. I had an explosive diharrea on stemimg demon and it fell on a guy. Then later my cousin did while going upside down and me watching him from below it fell on me. Also the guy on comet threw up on me twice 3 time read more

If I can give this place a 0 star I would. My family and I are staying at the lodge. We have 3 kids under 5. This would be our 3rd time here and it will be the last. The service of the ft desk and managerial staff is sooooo terrible. The life guards each have there own rules . Ex. My daughter was going up and down on the blue and green slide in the timber house, they changed life guards and then told us she can't be on there . Broke her heart. So I took her to the little kitty pool. And I was livid, there was a guard watching these 2-3 tall kids had to be 8-10. Running jumping and going down the slide. Pushed my daughter out of the way. I went to the guard and said is this really how this place runs now rude not a family caring place it once was. Will definitely go to PA next time. I'm a soda drinker,so I brought the refill cup ,40$ and the machine don't work. Either they have no ice or no soda. I had to walk on one floor to get ice then the next floor to fill it . I can't believe I brought it. If I had known it was going to be like this I wouldn't. The build a bear is out of order. We get to our room, mind you it's 90" outside our rooms ac was broken. I called the fr desk. The guy came and kick started it. Then our tv broke. I'm so disappointed. And it's my daughters 5th birthday. She's heartbroken! read more

I've been here a number of times in my 45 years on this planet and I've got to admit this will likely be my last visit. Many rides, attractions, eatery's and shops are shuttered closed. The ones that are open are definitely looking quite haggard and in need of attention. Menus are typical of fair type food but when you cannot bring your own in it would be nice if healthier selections were available for those minding their dietary intake. Prices are fair I suppose but for what is spent to attend, park and eat at what is actually provided is lackluster at best. read more

Whatever the pass is that they give that lets people jump the line is one of the worst ideas I've ever seen. There isn't anything much more disheartening than waiting in line 40 minutes, getting to the front, excited for you and your kids to get the great seat you've been waiting for...... and then having some person run up, jump the line and take the prime spot. This place is terrible. Also, the food is garbage, terribly expensive, and you're not allowed to bring your own food or drinks. $65 for a day is a complete rip off. Don't come here. This place is awful. read more

Great park for family and kids to have fun. Smaller than other parks but still a lot of character

Great. Rides were fun. But $70 for two burgers & two kids chicken fingers & fries, is outrageous! read more

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My sister and I took our kids (3,4,&8) for one night. The water park is great. There was plenty for all thee of them to do for the approximately 8 hours we spent there (afternoon before check in and morning of checkout). Food was just ok. Overpriced junk food is the only option in the water park. We had Jonny Rockets for dinner which was a nice treat. We had our breakfast off site at the Silo which was good. Would have been nice to have some healthier options right on site. Check in was tough. When we arrived at noon, we were told that our room would be ready by 4:30, not 4 as they were running behind. We left the water park at 4:40 and there was a huge line at the desk. People in front of us were in line for the second time around as they were told to keep checking ever ten minutes. The line was so long though that it would have taken at least 20 minutes an attempt. There were many people upset, rightfully so. We were lucky and only had to wait in line for one attempt. The rooms were ok. The TV in one of the rooms was not working and the room was a bit dated. Overall, it was a nice, quick getaway for a night. We would probably try one of the other water parks in the Poconos or Great Wolf next time around. read more

Was planning on attending for two days but called it quits after a day. Park itself is alright; however, crowded and some rides appeared to be shut down. Most importantly, purchased x2 meal plans and they only had one restaurant "accepting" meal plans the day that we attended; however, unfortunately they refused to accept the meal plans so we ended up having to pay out of pocket. Six Flags staff would not correct the issue with our meal plans and we ended up wasting a couple hours being transferred around trying to correct the issue while Six Flags staff placed blame on themselves. read more

I actually have been to the great Escape since I was in highschool 20 years ago, this was before Six Flags got involved. I still give my 4 stars because reading most of the reviews just reminds me of great Escape when I was a kid aka mall rat and being there with my friends. Going from the boomerang to the steaming demon you had to go through the old story book town that was warn down. Most of the park was warn down and needed a face lift, it slowly did as me and friends aged. Before it was common for multiple areas to under construction and closed. The rugged edge Great Escape had while we grew up made the best memories. When Six Flags took over I was kinda devastated because they were going to completely change the park. Yes the update some but kept the old good and added a water park. But kept the original feel for us locals. Sorry if you're not from here and don't understand. If you are from a small town remember everything you did as a kid and something coming in and changing everything you remember from your childhood, happy memories from your past you will never be able to see your kids make though memories for themselves....oh and to everyone giving bad reviews after Covid try and remember how hard places were finding employees and unfortunately when that happens they have to hire last minute opportunities so they can just open their doors!! read more

I would love six fries great adventure in Jackson New Jersey to have more family rides . I've been going to SixFlags for a lot of years with my mother she's 86 years old God bless my queen but we noticed that the park has closed down the biggest wonder wheel I I normally take her there because there's no other rides that fit her knees they do have a carousel but there's no benches that she could sit down I would like changes in the park you know and I am also a SixFlags member with my mother as well please make changes in the park especially these buses that we have to come from New York Port Authority to Six Flags great adventure they leave early . me as a member it's not fair I can never enjoy holiday in the park because there no buses please make changes and more safety there are a lot of things still happening in the park thank you for listening to my voice read more

This damn place took me to the cleaners, they sure did... I was constantly mumbling blasphemies all day as they practically grabbed me by the legs, turned me upside down, and shook with vigor. Go figure the first time they hit you in the wallet is before you even get into the park. A cool $20 for a parking spot, the criminal bastards. I tell you, if I had a nickel for every time I cussed under my breath for the ungodly six hours at The Great Escape, It'd nearly cover the cost of parking. Ever been bent over at the waist knowing your dignity was about to be robbed, but were not certain for how much? I visit my proctologist once a month. Waiting in line to buy tickets at The Great Escape was just like visiting my proctologist. We ended up paying nearly $200 dollars before even getting into the park. A season pass for me, the wife, and the granddaughter. She's an 18 year old girl with a job, yet the wife still insists we spoil her rotten. Good thing she's the world to me... I became further irate when the pipsqueak security guard made me dump my flask at the gate, saying all this pish posh about not allowing food and drinks into the park. I affably told him it was my medicine, but the humor was lost on the prick. The granddaughter took this as an opportunity to chastise me for drinking... just like her god damned mother, and grandmother before her. Real f*#@ing cute. The granddaughter and her friends wanted to ride "The Boomerang" first, but we had to wait for the slowest train possibly in the history of locomotives to pass the entrance first. I didn't think anything could get much slower... that is until I was in line for "The Boomerang." I can safely say the same for nearly every other line in the park. We ate wretched, lower class food at aristocratic prices. One pizza, a dainty basket of fries, and a fountain drink was the same price as the co-pay at the ass doctor. It wasn't enough to feed 5 people, so naturally I had to buy another one to satiate them because, well frankly, Grandpa is a generous guy when he's consumed several overpriced $10 beers. I felt like a stuck pig bleeding his pension away for one horrendous day at The Great Escape. By the time we made it to the gift shop, oh that god damn gift shop, my wallet had been stripped a small fortune and they STILL wanted more. Some god damned sweater, a hat, and an oversized lollipop. I flat out refused to buy the lollipop. To much sugar in those things if you ask me. The fourth circle of hell has pierced the surface in Lake George at The Great Escape. I give it one star for absolutely no other reason than not being able to give it zero. 4 stars off for literally being hell on earth. read more

Where has my Great Escape gone? I have been coming to this place since I was a little kid, Over 25 years. I can remember when the Comet came in '94. Which was kinda a big deal for the area. After an absence for a few years, I was shocked. I guess I expected better by now. For a "Theme" Park that was bought by Six Flags, and the money charged to get in, Should have been better.This whole place needs that guy Rick Dale from American Restorations to come and revamp things. As much as I love Great Escape, its is in need of a huge overhaul. CHARGING FOR PARKING!! When the hell did that happen? Cleanliness-Although the employees do their best to keep up with it, (bathrooms/trash cans, ect.) it still amazes me how sloppy the general public is. Clean up after yourself! SplashWater Kingdom...watch your feet, it will hack up your toes real good. Of course theirs the lack of seating since people have to hog them. Or you can pay $175 for a cabana...:-/ Rides-Lets see I cant remember a time in the past that I have seen the bobsled ride actually working, paint is peeling off, and I remember when I had the opportunity to ride it, it felt like the car was going to tip over. Nightmare was broken too...And the Steamin Demon...USE CAUTION. This 28 year old roller coaster will slam you around in that seat, and leave you with a sore neck. Some rides that let little one's on with an adult is crap because their selective with how small apparently, I took my three year old on the bumper cars and the guy behind me who also had a small child was turned away. Desperado Plunge....who wants to see all the crap on the far side of the park? Or the dirty log cutters at the end? So many empty seats on almost all of the rides, that's just sad. Even Universal Studios has single rider lines. FAST PASS is stupid since theirs maybe 3 rides you would use it for, or should i say NEED it for. Most of the lines are short are you that impatient? Not to mention I SAW people getting on without the bracelets. Be ready to get solicited, on your way toward splashwater kingdom, win a Car or a trip, whatever just to get your information and try to sell you a timeshare. IDK. Buying those cups and getting the refill band just for that day is actually worth it, after that you can bring the cup back and you can pay 99 cents to refill...still worth getting if you have a group. Over all I was just dissapointed....If you try to voice your concerns on their FB page they just get deleted. read more

Lines are short. Lines are short. Lines are short. This was a comment that I constantly heard when I was doing research into a recent trip to Great Escape. What I learned however in reality, was that while the lines may be short - they don't move. The majority of the lines are short because people have given up and walked away. Many of the times, I noticed that the park wasn't even filling their cars to capacity. If there were 4 or 5 seats open on a roller coaster, rather than searching for single riders they would just let it go. So it was frustrating to say the least. Additionally, the line for the new attraction - Cliffhanger (waterslide) moved slowly because there was an average of 3 or 4 minutes between drops. I have been to many parks in my day, and this was by far the most disappointing experience. Alot of the bigger parks may have longer lines - but their flow is much more natural. And as a sidenote, when I expressed my concerns on Great Escapes Facebook Page, they responded by deleting my comments. So yeah, felt it necessary to post a negative and harsh review. read more

I struggled with this review. My kids had a GREAT time on the roller-coasters and some of the more adventurous rides. I am way too much of a wimp to try them, but I did manage to get on a few. The downside is all of the commercialism and added expenses. OK, so I have to pay to park - $13 seems like a lot considering you still have to walk what seemed like half a mile to get to the entrance. Inside the park the food is ridiculously expensive - $8 or 9 for a foot-long hot dog????? I understand the principles of marketing to a captive audience, but I also know a rip-off. It was $29 for a pizza - looked about as appetizing as something from the freezer case at Price Chopper. There are also rides that are in addition to the admission price - really?? It was like being at a carnival only you first had to pay to get in. And the commercialism was overthetop - every ride was sponsored by some candy (Snickers, Skittles, Starburst) it was just too much. The worst part of our visit was patiently waiting in line, enjoying conversation, anticipating getting on the ride, only to have those rich enough to buy a Fastpass jump ahead and make you wait another turn. On top of the $45 to get in, you who have the means, can buy a special ticket for an additional $25 to flaunt your wealth and bypass the masses. It just seems wrong. I am sure we'll go back, but it will take a while. read more

This park to me is an example of the what can go wrong with capitalism. There were some fairly fun rides and the water park was well done, but overall there was something completely soulless about the experience. As others have noted, the overriding "theme" of this park is how much the park can take advantage of having you captive within its boundaries to get as much money out of you while delivering the minimum value. The food - in particular - was really really unhealthy and extremely pricey. If I had to do this over I would: * Park outside the park at one of the more reasonably priced alternative lots. * Bring in a water bottle - I think they allow one per person * Eat a full meal before I came in to minimize the impact of buying food within the park * Try to go at a time that was not so crowded. * Plan to spend more time at the water park read more

We all know and expect this place to not be amazing, after all it's a amusement park near the Adirondacks - not at a vacation spot in Florida or a busy area like 6 Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. You could really go either way with this place, depending on how you enjoy your trip. My experience wasn't exceptionable and not even comparable to about every other amusement park I have been to. However if you're not a thrill junkie, this may be the place for you. Safety/Cleanliness: The safety here is non existent. Bags weren't even checked upon arrival. It was extremely, extremely poor. The ride was pretty clean although I found a tampon on the ride line for the Comet, come on man! Rides: ALL the rides and roller coasters should be and probably are on the brink of shut down by inspection. With a few exceptions, most rides are old. Even new rides like the Screamin' Demon still whip your neck and are really short. Sasquatch was smaller than the drop ride they have down the shore in Wildwood, but I guess the option of 2 different rides made up for it. The way the rides are loaded is pretty bad too - when waiting on line for the Bobsled, nearly all cars weren't full, with even some having 2 full rows open. Another thing - I was glad they allowed the placement of bags next to the boarding station (unlike $1 lockers at Great Adventure). The water park wasnt exciting and quite crowded. AND it was open for only 5 hours? Give me a break. Shows: Route 66 and the Jungle Show were both actually quite entertaining (the only 2 I saw). Besides the annoying voice of the girl that spoke at the Jungle Show, I actually enjoyed it. As a way to distract visitors from the weak rides and to attract the large amount of families here, I think they did well with the shows. Food: We thought we would get a Family Bucket of chicken but 60$ later, we had a bucket of 90% greasy French fries and a couple of poor excuses for chicken strips thrown on top. You have got to me kidding me; what a rip off. The dire need for proper, healthy, and good food is essential for a good park experience. I have seen a healthier choice of food at McDonald's. Overall, this place is totally outdated. If you're a local looking for something to do on a shitty day, go for it. But if you're on vacation, go to Lake George and enjoy the beautiful Adirondacks properly - outdoors hiking, swimming, boating, etc. Don't take what could be a fantastic trip to beautiful Lake George or anywhere else prevented by a stop to this place. Ultimately, don't expect a Six Flags Great Adventure or Disney World when coming here. Perhaps take a trip to the Magic Forest down the road and have about as much fun for a cheaper price. read more

This was my 8 year old twin grandson's Christmas Gift. And it was not good!! Upon our arrival, we checked in at approximate 2:15 pm. We knew were were early, but were going to take advantage of the water park as recommended by your staff. I was told that our room was almost ready and just waiting on a housekeeping supervisor to check it out and they would call when ready. At approximately 3:15 pm we were notified that our room was ready. I went to the front desk and got the key card. Unfortunately, around 5:15 pm, the water park was shut down with no explanation. We went to our room to unpack and found that the room was only 1/2 clean. There were gummy bears on the top bunk, and there was a child's sock under the blankets of the bottom bunk bed and the other on the floor. TThe sheets were not changed on either the bunk beds nor queen bed. Also, the queen bed had feathers on top of it; as well as a whole bunch of dirt. Aren't we in a COVID 19 pandemic, and they think it is fine to leave bedding dirty!!! I went down to the front desk and spoke to a girl who was entering the reception area She brusquely said, "I can help you, but you gotta get in line". I stood in line again, and reported this to a different girl behind the desk. She just gave me a blank stare. A blond women (maybe a supervisor) overheard and said she would contact the housekeeping supervisor to get the room checked and cleaned. They were full, so there was no other room to offer. They asked if we would allow them entrance. Let them know that they could go in we would go get some dinner in Town. She instead gave us each a voucher to Johnny Rockets. When we came back, the room was clean, the blankets and sheets changed AND the toilet paper was rolled up nicely with a sticker. Due to the time, we did not attempt to go back to the water park, but note that it was partially open when we got back from dinner at 6:30. The next morning we got up so we could go to the water park when it first opens. The boys were excited to get going, as 9:30 is a long time after their 7 am breakfast. Arrived at 9:30 as sign states it is open, but water park did not open. It finally opened at approximately 9:45; however only some of the areas were open. There were also no towels available. Towels didn't show up at all. At approximately 10:15/10:30 am (no clocks in the water park) we were all ushered out again. No explanation, no information, just closed out. I went to the front desk, as we have spent over $800 for these two nights/3 days and we haven't even been able to enjoy the water park. There is NOTHING ELSE TO DO at this location. I spoke with "James" regarding how disappointing this visit is. He nodded nicely, spent 30 minutes checking on the water park issues, and finally offered me two Arcade cards for the boys to play. He was full of excuses as to why this was happening including that there were not enough lifeguards, that 4 people called off, that they were short staffed. I advised him that because they were having issues, it was causing their guests to have unhappy experiences. He suggested we do some of the activities that were offered. That is a laugh, the activities are all geared for little kids. We finally were allowed back into the water park about 11:15; however the Lazy River, the Big Slides, The Boogie Board areas were all closed intermittently throughout the morning. As expected, the water park closed again for their daily maintenance at 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm. We returned to the water park later that afternoon, and it was still the same lifeguards who had been there and only some of the areas were open for use just like in the morning. Close some areas to move lifeguards to other areas. Very disappointing. We checked out at 11:00 am and I let the 1st girl that I had spoken to that was rude, know about all of the issues. She just stared at me blankly the whole time. She is either numb to all of the problems, or she just doesn't care. I couldn't tell which. We stayed in the water park until they closed it at 1:00 for maintenance. Went to the Arcade, which had 1/3 of the games not working. Couldn't even find enough games to play with the money that we put on the cards for the boys. Six Flags has gone down hill at this location. We had chosen this resort due to the reputation that Six Flags has with it's other areas; however, it was definately an eye opener as to how far down they can go. I do not recommend read more

I've been to Great Adventure in NJ several times, so this park paled in comparison. Okay if you live in the area and it's the only amusement park around, but definitely not one of the better Six Flags out there. The amount of thrill rides here is seriously lacking. Which is fine for a scaredy-cat like me, but left a very limited amount of options for my more risk-seeking fiance. There was one "real" roller coaster that was open and the ride lasted for, I estimate, less than 30 seconds and included one loop. Compare that to the Great American Scream Machine at Great Adventure, which has eight loops! There, frankly, is no comparison. The other big roller coasters were closed when we went there, although we did get to ride the mine-themed roller coaster for kids. The Condor was our least favorite ride - small radius spins at a high altitude led to lots of nausea and near-vomiting for the both of us. Just a very unpleasant experience overall, though the more resilient child in the car in front of us seemed to be having a great time. After the nausea set in, we settled for the paddle boat ride as a finale before we left, which was actually my favorite part as it helped calm my stomach down and relaxed me, even though there was nothing interesting to be seen on the ride. We went on the water rides as well, but these were few and overall unremarkable. This park definitely looks on the old side and in serious need of updating. read more

This place is the best. 1) Awesome, thrilling rides 2) Short lines for rides 3) Low price for admission I had a much better time here than Disneyland, which had lame rides with long lines and, well, we all know about the price at Disneyland. I did a single day and wanted to come back for more. Two days would probably be enough. read more

Took the advantage of the Labor Day season pass special which was an awesome price. I reluctantly bought 1 meal plan just to be safe (which costs a lot more than the season pass). When I got there (my first time) with the family I found this park to be much smaller than Great Adventure in NJ. It wasn't a disappointment but it is much more suited for my son and nephew. They both are 8 and there are plenty of rides for them. They liked the park and that was important. The thing that really gets me is that unlike Disney, you cannot bring your own food or water into the park. This can be a real issue for people with limited incomes who want to let their children have some fun but can't afford the CRAZY prices for food inside the park. For a slice of pizza and a SMALL side salad, it's $10.99 (and I was surprised it didn't include a drink for that price) Add $4 for kiddie cup or $4.30 for a small (according to McDonalds standards) it becomes a total price-gouging ripoff. A pretzel was $6. The hot dog was $9!! I understand if they need to make a profit but it has to be reasonable. Disney allows refrigerator sized coolers filled with drinks and food in their parks and people still buy tons of food. I believe having high priced food like this ends up alienating more. If it wasn't for the food pricing, I would rate this 4-5 stars. As for the Meal plan pass, $75 is a good deal for those who live locally and come every week. For me (3.5 hrs away), if I come 3 times in a season, that would be a lot - so I might break even IF I eat twice a day. The problem is that the dinner meal can only be bought between 3-5pm. After 5pm, everything closes so you can't get to take advantage of the food (which happened in my case). For the drink plan, if you spend the $15 to buy a souvenir cup, additional days you can get unlimited refills for $6. I felt like I was drinking like crazy during the day and I only got 5 refills. Instead of buying the $6 wristband, many of you would be better off paying $0.99 per refill instead. It's worth buying the cup if you plan on visiting the park more than 1 day as ala-carte drink pricing is a ridiculous $4-$5 for less. The water park is pretty good and the kids had lots of fun. There were plenty of chairs with large umbrellas so paying the $50 for a private cabana might not be a good idea if the park is not that busy.. I like the smaller park - less walking around but these food prices are an incredible turnoff. Unfortunately, I have the season pass - so I'll have to endure the prices throughout 2015 - but I won't be renewing after that. read more

I have two girls ages 3 and 6. For the last two seasons we have taken advantage of the season pass. This makes visits quite cheap. We don't have to pay for parking each time, don't have to pay for admission. We go right when it opens. We get the season long popcorn and soda deals, so you pay up front for the container, but refills are only a dollar all season long. We are typically out of there by lunch time before it gets really crowded or the girls want one of the more expensive meals. They have a season pass meal plan as well, which is a good value for people who visit frequently, but the food isn't that good. We typically go about once a week and the girls enjoy it even though they aren't big enough for all the rides yet. There is plenty for them to do, sometimes my wife takes them for the water park as well. But the park can be ridiculous with the money grab if you aren't on your guard. 20 bucks to park?! Even though I don't pay that with my season pass, it ticks me off every time I enter or leave the parking lot. That makes this my first and last impression of the day. Inside everything is overpriced, and like I said, most of the food is pretty terrible. Games are always going to be an expensive rip off, and the vendors will approach you and ask you to play. You can't cross the bridge without being asked to sign up for a sweepstakes, and of course, the only exit is right through the gift shop. But there are many pros. If you play it right, you can do it on a very reasonable budget. And if you avoid the peak tourist times, the wait time for rides is also pretty short. There are shows and other attractions that people of all ages can enjoy. We will continue to get our season passes and visit frequently, but we can't give it a full endorsement. read more

This is a charming theme park. Picturesque, hilly, a lot of shade. Drawbacks are things are really spread out, add the hills and it's a tiring day (but what theme park isn't tiring?). Very clean. We usually get the special access pass when we go to Six Flags Jackson NJ but didn't need to do that here, not crowded at all. Good thing to bc guest relations was packed and nothing was happening quickly in there. Waterpark way in the back of park, and split up into two parts, kind of a trek. Very clean too. We did not eat in the park. read more

The worst park I have ever been to. Six Flags needs to revoke their name from this place. Half the rides are broken, went here expecting roller coasters but feels more like a carnival. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

The Great Escape is an older amusement park (originally built under a different name in 1954). It's located about 15 minutes south of Lake George; a single ticket includes access to both dry rides (roller coasters, etc) and the water park (wave pool, water slides). Six Flags parks can be a lot of fun, but they do require a bit of planning to fully enjoy at a reasonable price. There are many, many opportunities to be ripped off or just nickel and dimed. It's important to stay hydrated on hot, sunny days and Six Flags will charge you dearly for the privilege - a large soda costs $6.50! There are water fountains in the park, but they are rare and hard to find. Food is overpriced as well. There are lots of other ways to waste money as well: difficult to win carnival games, souvenirs shops galore, photos, cabanas, etc. Compared to Great Adventure (a larger park located closer to NYC), The Great Escape is smaller in scale and has less intense rides. This makes it more family friendly and, at least on the day we went, less crowded. Like any theme park, it's valuable to go early. Get there a few minutes before the park opens and you'll have the park nearly to yourself for a few hours. Lines peak in the early afternoon. Splashwater Kingdom is a nice waterpark, but has a few issues. The rides are somewhat separated from each other, so you'll do a bit of walking (on hot pavement) between attractions. It's a good hike from the wave pool to the lazy river. The wave pool is OK, but a good amount of the deep end is blocked off (for safety reasons I guess) - so it's gets crowded, and normal adults will be able to stand even at the deepest part your allowed in. Cleanliness of the park is below Disney standards but wasn't terrible. How much you enjoy this park will depend on how much planning you put into it. Come in the afternoon on a hot, sunny weekend, buy tickets at the gate, stand in line to get an overpriced lunch, and then in longer lines for a handful of rides, and then in another line for an overpriced dinner and you'll have a miserable day. Go on a less crowded day, buy discounted tickets in advance, go on the popular rides early, and limit purchases and you can have a lot of fun. read more

NOBODY's reviewed this yet? Granted, it is upstate, but from Albany its less than an hour if you're speedy. Screamin Demon greets you with it's green, orange, black colors, the flagship coaster at this place. Parking is ample. I think it closed down for a bit and then re-opened. Say you need a vacation and was looking upstate, toward the Adirondacks, but its summer and Lake George seems like something you'd do. Or, on the way to Lake Placid or something. Maybe you have a family. And maybe you hate the banality of Six Flags. Great Escape is kind of like an amusement park that's just solid. Its not part of a icon-heavy chain, the prices aren't outrageous (although everyone knows that theme parks are just getting ridiculous these days). Its got just about every great ride that you'll want out of a park and Splashwater Kingdom is a really good water park, not huge but it packs enough in to rival zoom flume and waterslide world. I'm not even a roller coaster fan (I went on the Comet, their wooden coaster twice, believe me I almost lost my lunch), and I still love this place, because its got a great indoor scrambler, rotor, ferris wheel, Black Cobra is great, great arcade and game center, and plenty of picnic-y food stands and shade. They have great little theme parks for the kids to play, and the kids have their own designated rides (everything/ride is height sensitive). Its still my favorite amusement park, and it is a great way to spend the day, no matter your age. Because sometimes, Six Flags can be trying (with their prices and their cartoony vibe). read more

The park was awesome. It was still a bit chilly so the water park wasn't open. We had a great time

After a long day at this park, myself and my group felt that there were a few too many unfortunate experiences to ever want to go back. When you pay $60 something per person for a park, your hope is that it's going to be so fun that every dollar was worth the price of admission. But we left feeling like we'd wasted money. First, the staff seemed leaning towards incompetent from the moment we tried to get into the park. We were trying to get early admission by bringing coke cans, as advertised on their site, and were directed to the wrong booth, wasting many minutes of valuable time in the wrong line. By the time it was all settled and we were finally walking into the park it was already regular open hours, so we wasted money on coke cans and we wasted lots of time. And whenever we stood in line for food or drinks, we were blown away by how S-L-O-W it went, every time. When everyone is ordering premade sandwiches and chicken wings, there's just no good reason for it to take as long as it did. The staff seemed to be in no hurry whatsoever. Next, the park itself...when we got inside the park and started getting in lines for rides, we found that the first 3 we tried were either not open yet (the first one still had to be tested for the day, despite the fact that the park was already open, so we had to wait for that to be finished), or were having issues (once in line for the next 2 rides, we learned that we'd have to wait for maintenance to show up and take a look). The cherry on top was the cost of food and drinks. Obviously you expect these things to be pricey in parks, and this one is NO exception. But, again, when you're having a great time, at least you can feel it's all worth it. Between the park not functioning properly, the slow staff, and the over-priced food, we honestly couldn't wait to go home. --- I'm adding a positive note hours later. After my mother-in-law realized she'd lost an extremely sentimental piece of jewelry at the park, we went back in hopes of finding it. The staff was helpful, especially one Blake, a lifeguard. He let us into the lazy river and wave pool, which were already closed for the day. Blake helped us look all around and even took off his shoes to get in the pool and search. We never found the necklace, but we were touched and grateful for his kindness. read more

I go to Great Escape every year with my kids and my father, and frankly, it's about all I can take. As others have mentioned, it's damned expensive. When we started this little tradition about six years ago, it didn't take us long to realize that we were getting GOUGED. We've since taken measures to minimize expenses: 1) We used to meet right at the park, meaning my dad and I would each have to pay for parking. Now we leave one car in the WalMart parking lot, located a few miles away, cutting parking down to $20. 2) We bring a cooler and leave it in the car (no outside food or drinks are allowed inside the park). This is probably the biggest one. Packing sandwiches, drinks, and snacks saves at least a hundred dollars per visit. 3) We do ONLY rides. No games, no feats of strength, no locker rentals, no nothing. The goal is to spend ZERO dollars once we're in the park. 4) Buying tickets ahead of time. Like, MONTHS ahead of time. This is usually my dad's department -- the tickets are usually Christmas gifts for the kids and me. I'm not sure how much he saves by buying them when he does, but I know it's at least a LITTLE cheaper. In general, we hit the 'dry' rides when the park opens (10:00 am), go back to the car to eat lunch in air conditioned comfort, and then head back to the water park for the afternoon. The kids have a fine time. The water park is the highlight for them. I'm way past the age where I like to spin around in circles, so rides like the swings (and even the carousel) are out for me. I'm a fan of The Comet roller coaster (the old school wooden one). The Raging River is OK, and if I'm feeling daring, I'll do the Sasquatch. Everything else is pretty meh. read more

I live nearby and we stopped going here. Unless you are a super-fan and have bought a season pass (that entitles you to free meals, parking, lots of discounts) this is MUCH too expensive. Even if you sniff around and find a "discount" to use to get in, it's still too much money for what you get. Bathrooms are routinely FILTHY and wastebaskets overflowing and too many people in the water. Storybook houses have graffiti in them. Everything is so LOUD, even the kiddies' shows. The Frightfest is nice, as the park isn't usually as crowded & depending on the day, you might luck out & find very few people there which is great as you can do instant-repeats on rides when there are no lines. On one trip, we needed to use the 1st aid facilities, and they had the over the counter med my child desperately needed, but refused to dispense it as it was expired. :( read more

This place was a lot more fun when I was a kid, but maybe that's because I was a kid then. Anyways, we still like to make it up here every once in a while. Pricing is very expensive considering what the park has to offer. This year we were able to score a deal during the winter by being able to purchase four season passes for the price of four single admission tickets. Plus free parking all season if we showed up on opening day. Which we did. Otherwise parking is $20 a day and a single admission ticket will run you about $60 each. A lot of the memories have been removed from the park that were always a blast from my childhood. Jungle Land, one of my favorite attractions, is closed up. The shoe is no longer accessible. It used to be a slide back when Great Escape was known as Storytown USA. I've noticed that quite a few rides either only open for short periods of time or don't open up at all during some visits to the park. The last couple times I visited I wanted to go on the Raging River, but unfortunately was met by two garbage cans blocking the entry way. The river was definitely not raging. The Bobsled is another one that I like to go on, but you have to constantly check back to see if it's operating. The sign says that it does close at 6pm, but often times you'll look up and the ride is bare. Ride times are pretty short as well from what I remember. Rides, like the Screaming Eagle for instance, only run for about 60 seconds at a time, but the lines at this park are much shorter than what they use to be like in the past and are nothing like the lines at Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ. With the cons set aside, the park does still have some decent roller coasters and has some excellent water parks. The Comet roller coaster I think is everyone's favorite, but the Boomerang isn't too bad either. Water park includes a wave pool and several water slides. Both for adults and kids. Plus, you gotta love the Lazy River and that big bucket that slowly fills up to dump all that water onto you. Desperado's Plung is still in full operation as well. It's not in the waterpark, but you'll definitely be cooled off at the end. Great Escape is good for a visit here and there. If we didn't have season passes, we probably wouldn't have gone at all this year. But that doesn't mean we would've never gone back in the years to come. Just don't set your expectations too high. read more

This place is halfway decent overall. The comet rollercoaster and bobsled were the best rides. It was a hot day and the waterpark located in the back was packed with very long lines. My biggest complaints: 1. Lack of shade - most of the lines to the rides were unshaded and we roasted in the hot sun. 2. Expensive concessions, typical of Six Flags parks. Also long lines just to get a drink - they were understaffed. 3. Ride attendants - I understand safety, however they could have moved people through the rides much faster, they appeared to be pretty apathetic. 4. Long walk from the parking lot to the waterpark The first three are pretty fixable, come on Six Flags, step it up. read more

My parents took my son Wyatt on a vacation for his birthday to this 6lags. Wyatt got hurt on a ride, he went to wave an his arm bashed a piece of wood that was a part of the ride. The chick conducting the ride giggled an refused to stop it, the 6flags EMT doing the incident report had no idea what he was doing, the GM refused to speak with them until someone eventually called the police hours later due to their incompetence... and even now their "safety director/insurance" refuses to give us the incident report for his visit to the hospital and doctor afterwards. No emails, calls.. nada. Needless to say I will never spend a dime going to 6flags. They really don't care about their patrons, only their pockets. #boycotting6flags read more

This place needs help. Literally. Restaurants and rides frequently closed. Lines are long. Hand sanitizer stations empty. If you don't have staff to open food places, allow people to bring in their own. We had a pretzel for our lunch. Only thing we could find. read more

Unfortunately, the park is not what it used to be. The Great Escape is in serious need of a little love and attention. The rides and features need to be painted and better maintained. Several rides need to be either repaired, replaced or removed. The first ride I went on was one that I particularly enjoyed as a kid. You sit in kind of sleighs and go around (up and down on a fixed track) while music plays and lights flash, then it goes backwards. Except that wasn't the ride anymore. Now there are no working lights and no music, and the ride only goes forward. Every year I go, they've removed more rides without adding new ones. And while it happened some time ago, I'm still resentful of the removal of the Magical Mystery Ride, which was an indoor scrambler with a strobe light and classic rock playing at high volume. The prices are ridiculous. We went for "Family Fun Day" sponsored by a local credit union, so we got a really good deal out of it, but the crappy beer costs $8! A soft-serve ice cream cone costs $5.50. I understand that prices are inflated at amusement parks, but this just seemed excessive. This year's trip was still fun - I generally have a good time at any amusement park - but I was more aware of the neglect than I have been in previous visits. I'm not sure if it's just gotten *that* bad or if I was just in a space to notice more than usual, but it seemed rather glaring. The water parks, in particular, while not my thing, seem to make people happy. I greatly enjoyed people watching this cross-section of Americana. People seem less body-conscious in the water park, even wearing bathing suits. There's something refreshing about seeing actual "normal" bodies across all demographics. I approve of them ending their affiliation with Looney Tunes and felt that the park greatly benefited by having fewer costumed characters wandering around. I also was intrigued. It also seemed a lot less commercial which, when visiting with little kids, is something I appreciate. I saw three ambulance golf carts while we were there, one of which actually removed an unconscious (it looked like) person from one of the water rides. I don't think I had ever before seen emergency services in a theme park. read more

This was an meh experience. The lines moved very slow and the workers were not very good except this one guy at the dance party that was killing it. The food was acceptable. The rides were not very thrilling except for a few. The ski lift kind of ride looked and felt like it was going to fall apart. Lines were long and slow. We could not go on more than 5 rides in one day. We were going to go on flashback, but the ride only went every 5-10 minutes and when it did the line would barely move. The park was also a little small. read more

We bought our tickets in advance under a promotion so it was about $35 a person. Great value! It's worth the money to buy the premiere parking and the re-fillable cups. Very charming area for little ones and great rollercoasters. read more

This place is really going down hill. Went last weekend with the family and what a joke half the rides weren't running and only one food place open. Waste of money! read more