GoBears

I have a gold pass to my home park, SFGAm, so I decided to head down to Texas for a father and son trip with my dad before I start college. I'll obviously save a lot of money by heading down there since I don't have to pay for admission or parking; just flight, hotel, and a rental car. I do have a few questions regarding Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. 1. I'm around 190 lbs but I have bigger thighs. Will I be able to ride NTG and Iron Rattler? I only ask this because of issues people were having with RMC rides after the NTG accident. I know the trains are built by Gerstlauer rather than RMC but I just wanted to be sure. 2. What are some cheap yet decent hotels near both parks? 3. What kind of lines might I expect for the rides of the week of May 19th-23rd? Thanks, Tyler

The Incredible Hulk in the cobra roll and Maverick on the first drop in the back row.

Here's the latest from this morning. More work is being done on the tunnel.

Six Flags Great America - 65 miles Mt. Olympus - 110 miles Indiana Beach - 203 miles

I think this for the other side of the retaining wall which is the tunnel for the bottom of the zero-g stall beside the bottom of the first drop.

They are digging out the tunnel right now.

Both are still fantastic B&M inverts, just not quite as exciting without them dueling.

It must be a little bit cold outside...

From what I've heard, Raging Bull's trim on the camelback has been there since it opened in 1999. For me it would be V2's holding brake on the back spike. That added to the excitement and I was sad when they stopped using it, though I understand why they stopped. Edit: Another thing I forgot to add is when Dragon Challenge stopped dueling. I got to ride it right before they stopped it. My favorite part was when both trains were heading towards each other before swooping upwards.

Here's the latest from this evening.

Most likely Goliath or if I happen to get to the park before it opens, Raging Bull. I usually start off every year with Bull in the back row.

The important thing is to keep everyone safe so they are better off resuming after the snow clears up a bit and the temperature isn't way below zero.

The Goliath crew hasn't worked since last Sunday. Looks like the park gave them a nice Holiday break which is obviously the right thing to do. I'm excited to see the rest of the ride take shape over the next few months. Also, I hope everyone has a blessed 2014.

Whizzer at SFGAm when I was 3 in 1998. I probably went on a dragon coaster at a local fair before then but that was my first coaster at a park.

According to the Sun Times who spoke with SFGAm PR Katy Enrique, Goliath is set to open Memorial Day weekend (which we already knew) which is May 24-26 but have an invite only unveiling on May 22nd. I'm assuming that's a media day. I wonder if they are still planning a season pass holder preview like Brandon Bruce told me. Source

I'm only calling it a floater hill because that's what RMC and SFGAm are referring to it as. As far as what you'll actually experience, ejector air would be great.

It's the bottom of the overbanked turn and the start of the floater hill.

Right now those platforms are being used to assemble the bents and then they stack them up. After they get so many done, they bring a crane over and start lifting them into place. The overbanked turn will soon occupy that space.

First pieces of track were installed a couple hours ago.

In other news, it appears spirits are hanging around the supports of Goliath, or perhaps it's just the snow swirling around. Anyways, I just caught this cool image on the construction cam.

I thought the same thing until the structure for the floater hill started going up and I realized just how narrow the space actually is. I mean, I knew it was skinny but once you see the 2nd smallest part of the ride's structure (floater hill) take up almost half the width, it's quite amazing. I realize wooden coasters can go underneath higher sections of track and be supported by the same bents but I'm not complaining at all. I applaud SFGAm for adding this kind of thrill ride in such a compact area, and not just any thrill ride but a 3 world record breaking one. Goliath is going to be action packed from start to finish without a dull spot in between it appears. I would take that over an extra few hundred feet of track any day. Can't wait until May!

I can see the flumes and the Wilderness Theater being taken out for a larger attraction (perhaps a family coaster or a more modern water ride) sometime in the next decade. I know they've had to do a few repairs, mostly to the Yankee Clipper side in recent years. The entrance could be in Yankee or Yukon.

You know what I mean. I didn't mean born in that era but was alive to see that era of the park. Here's the latest image of the construction site today.

I got that info straight from the park. They said the base of the Z-Force station was recycled and then the Wolf station was then built there. Perhaps they mean the queue line was reused for Iron Wolf or they're wrong altogether. Thanks for the correction though. I corrected my earlier post. I wasn't born in that era so I never got to see Z-Force.

They started putting bents up for the valley at the bottom of the over bank turn and the start of the floater hill.