GoBears

The steel supports for Goliath's lift are officially on site!

Didn't read through the whole topic but I can see why people aren't a fan of Six Flags. However, it definitely varies by park. Some SF parks I could care less about visiting, while others I would love to visit. I think I'm blessed to have a great home park like Six Flags Great America because they take care of their rides very well and aren't horrible when it comes to theming... I mean, considering it's a Six Flags park. They also have a nice collection of roller coasters and flat rides. I never cared for their food, but it's not a big deal since Gurnee has a million places to eat within 3 miles from the park so I usually just get my hand stamped, go out for lunch, and then come back to the park.

FIrst of all, why are two park managers providing the first aid rather than Security and/or an EMT? It just seems so poorly handled, between that and the employee running to the bathroom instead of doing something. From the sound of this, they could/should get in serious trouble. Lap bars don't just pop open randomly unless something's really wrong, and this isn't a new ride... I respect that without all the information, we can't make a solid judgement, but this makes the park look really bad, and their reputation isn't helping them in the least. I think I posted this last year either in this topic or another one regarding spinning wild mouse coasters where my lap bar popped up a couple clicks before stopping inches above my lap while riding Opa back in 2010 and now this happened. Startled me but fortunately it was towards the end of the ride. Mine didn't fly all the way open but enough for me to easily get out of it. I know this one uses individual lap bars rather than the restraints like Ragin' Cajun. I honestly don't know how some of the rides pass inspections there but I haven't returned to the park in quite a few years and probably never will.

The crane to the right appears to be in Camp Cartoon. The had another crane just like that the other week in Camp Cartoon putting cars on a kids ride so I'm not sure if that's for the first drop of Goliath. It wouldn't surprise me to see the first drop and zero-G stall started shortly but they kind of have to finish the overbank turn first before the drop and zero-G stall actually go vertical else they can't back the crane out of the middle of the ride to drive under the airtime hill. With that said, I could see them starting and finishing the first drop and zero-G stall before completing the remaining sections of the dive loop.

More track going up for the overbank this morning.

Pretty much what Woodie Warrior said. I went this past Thursday and Friday and the dispatch times were some of the longest I've ever seen for a ride with 2 trains. They tell you to sit down upon boarding, buckle your seatbelt, and don't pull the lap restraint down yet. They send the ride attendants to check every seatbelt to make sure they're fastened tightly. Then they send the ride attendants the other direction to help pull down lap bars and make sure they're secure. I mean, Powder Keg's line which I heard moves the slowest in the park was actually moving faster than Outlaw Run and both were running 2 trains. I certainly wish they moved faster, but I won't bash the park too much since I realize this is for the safety of the guests. They're just being extra cautious but it's better to be safe than move too quickly I guess.

Never heard this before! Actually, on first read I thought you were making a sarcastic joke, but when I look closer I can see there's "real" track before the broken part. Just makes the fact they themed it all the more awesome. I didn't know that until I went but I thought it was cool.

Sorry I didn't get many photos of the park. :/ I only took my phone into the park the first day I went and only for a few hours, mainly so I could get some photos of the cave. Overall I had a great time and really enjoyed myself besides some ride breakdowns the first day (Thursday) I went to the park. Entering Cardinals and Blues territory... yuck. Go Cubs and Blackhawks! After a 10 hour drive, I finally made it to Branson! I didn't do anything the first day I arrived which was Wednesday because it was later in the day and the park was closing in a couple hours. I did visit some shops along the strip and downtown area. I had to stop at the Farm House Restaurant and I'm so glad I did. Best fried chicken I ever had! Here's a view of Table Rock Lake from the resort I stayed at which was Still Waters Resort. On my first day at the park, I visited Marvel Cave after getting a ride on Outlaw Run and Wildfire. Photos don't do the entrance room of this cave justice. When you reach the bottom of the entrance room and look up, you can't believe how far you've already walked down and you're not even a quarter way into the tour yet. I forgot the name of our tour guides but one of the two said that he was newer. They both did a great job though. My favorite room of the tour. I think it was called the waterfall room or something. Maybe I'm confusing it with another room, but this did a waterfall. Long way down. People weren't joking when they said you can't see Outlaw Run from anywhere in the park until you get right up to the ride. I couldn't see it anywhere except the entrance of the ride and from the station of Powder Keg where I took this photo. Cool fact I learned about Powder Keg: The back spike that never gets used isn't just there for decoration (which makes sense because that would be an expensive piece of decor). It's there in case the train doesn't clear the first hill from the launch and it rolls backwards. Makes sense, I just never realized that. A little girl really didn't want to ride after she got strapped in so they released the harness and she exited the ride screaming and crying. She waited right outside the gate in the station for her friend to come back but the worker in the station was doing a great job putting a smile on her face while she waited. The staff here was so friendly in every area of the park. One final photo I took before I securely tucked my phone away. I loved the entrance and station theme for Outlaw Run. I had a great time and got on all the attractions I wanted to ride... Outlaw Run - 3 rides: I went in with very high expectations and it still blew me away. Best roller coaster I ever ridden. I rode in the front, front row of the last car, and the very back. My favorite seat was actually the 2nd to last row. My favorite parts of the ride were the first drop and the drop out of the banked turn that runs underneath the lift hill structure. The element after the first drop, wave turn, and the double barrel roll finish were all incredible as well. Wildfire - 1 ride: I was a little nervous about riding this because I tend to get sick on rides with a lot of inversions but I figured if I was ok on Outlaw Run, I could handle this. I was quite impressed by this B&M sit down. I wouldn't say it was as good as The Incredible Hulk for me but a solid looping coaster none the less. Powder Keg - 1 ride: I was a bit disappointed in this ride. The launch was pretty thrilling, but the rest of the ride hurt on the transitions. Not an awful ride, but not a favorite of mine. I would've given it another chance but it kept breaking down. Fire In the Hole - 1 ride: The drops were little bumpy but it was a fun classic ride with some cheesy but decent theming throughout. Thunderation - 1 ride: By far the best of the 4 Arrow mine trains I've been on. The others being Cedar Creek, River King, and Adventure Express. Marvel Cave - 1 tour: Amazing cave with a lot of cool history. You'll also get a nice little workout. Great little park with excellent staff. The food was also really good! Wish I could've stayed a little longer but we had to head home early on the 2nd day for certain reasons.

Only got on 3 rides today and did the Marvel Cave tour. Didn't have great luck early on. I'll post a few photos when I get back home on Saturday. Arrived at the park closer to 9 and explored the Hospitality House and some of the shops around the square at the entrance of the city. After the pledge and anthem, my dad and I headed straight for Outlaw Run only to find that it was down because they were removing a train due to problems. They held everyone at the entrance but a guy came down the line that was waiting to ride and assured us that it will be running in 10-15 minutes. After about 45 minutes or so and still not letting people get in the queue line, they said that they fixed whatever problem was with the 2nd train and they were adding it back onto the track. They did some test runs and after about an hour (10:30 or so) they finally opened the ride. My dad and I got on the second train of the day towards the back of the train. I haven't been on many roller coaster in my lifetime, maybe only about 70, but this was definitely the best I've ever experienced. Even though there was an hour delay, it was definitely worth the wait. I was expecting the element right after the first drop to be the craziest part of the ride, but the first drop and the drop out of the turn that's beneath the lift structure were my favorite parts. The double barrel roll was fun and got some hang time on it. Despite the slow start, things were looking good and I was filled with adrenaline after riding Outlaw Run. Next, I headed to Powder Keg. Got into the station after about 20 minutes of waiting but then it broke down and they told everyone to leave. One of the trains got stuck on the lift and they had to go get everyone off the lift. Two broken down rides to start the day. Next up was Wildfire and I was quite surprised by it. It was smoother than I thought it would be and the inversions didn't make me that dizzy so I enjoyed it. Went and ate at the restaurant by the entrance with all the wheels inside. By this time the weather was a lot warmer so we checked to see when the next Marvel Cave tour was and headed out to the parking lot to take our coats off. Went back to the Hospitality House and waited for the next Marvel Cave tour. Waited about 30 minutes and then our tour began at 1:20. I really enjoyed it and worked up a good little sweat. After it got done, I saw that Powder Keg was operating again so we headed back over there. This time we were able to ride it. The launch was pretty intense but it did toss me around a little on some of the turns. My dad doesn't have the best neck so it hurt him a bit. He wasn't feeling too well after but we still went back to Outlaw Run to check the line. As soon as we entered the line, it broke down again. As soon as we left the line, it started running again. We decided not to wait because my dad wasn't feeling great after Powder Keg so we headed back to our resort. Hopefully our trip back to the park tomorrow is better so I can ride Outlaw Run a few more times and try out Fire In the Hole and Thunderation.

I'm quite excited to ride my first RMC on Thursday. I can't wait until Goliath opens too!

SFGAm is actually one of the more simple layouts as far as Six Flags parks go. As someone mentioned above me, it's just a big circle with an extension on one side where they expanded in 1996 with Southwest Territory. It just has a solid lineup of attractions overall between family and thrilling flat rides and roller coasters. The addition of Goliath will especially help the park's coaster lineup which has always been solid, but they've been missing an extreme coaster. Goliath should take care of that. I've only been to two Six Flags parks. SFGAm is my home park and I visit there frequently. I went to SFSTl for the first time last year and enjoyed myself even though I was only there for a day. I'll have to go with SFGAm but I will hopefully visit SFOT and SFFT next year so I'll see if that changes.

Outlaw Run, here I come! Goodbye northern Illinois and your horrible weather. It's suppose to be in the 70's on Thursday and Friday in Branson.

You should be alright. The expected opening date is May 24th and they're still on track for that opening. Plus, the weather is starting to slightly improve which I'm sure is easier on the workers. The overbank turn and dive loop should be finished in the next couple weeks and the remaining sections (lift and zero-G stall) should be finished by the end of April which gives plenty of time for testing and making finishing touches to the queue and station in May.

Cedar Point!

Six Flags did make the right move. Prosthetics come in all shapes and sizes (lengths and widths) depending on the person's body. A lot of rides, specifically ones with just lap bars, puts most of the pressure on your upper thighs to hold you in. That can be very dangerous with someone with 2 prosthetics. My mom has been an amputee as of 2011 when she lost her right leg to cancer so I know how frustrated one can get by not being able to participate in certain activities. It's very difficult to watch and I feel horrible for handicapped people who are denied from certain activities, even if it is for the best to keep them safe. However, this was for the rider's safety I understand what the park did. I saw some people boycotting Six Flags on FB saying that they should offer a full refund because he didn't know about the policy. It would be a nice gesture for Six Flags to do so but Six Flags does have that policy posted on both their website and parks I believe.

I would think May will be when they begin testing, work on the queue line, and finish the station.

Can you blame them? This is overall the coldest and worst winter I've experienced in my lifetime and I've lived in northern Illinois my whole life. They've done a good job considering the conditions. They're still on track to open May 24th.

More progress was made on the dive loop today.

I certainly hope it's better than the mobile version...

I would love to see a flat ride of some sort like an S&S swing come to Six Flags Great America. We have a solid collection of flat rides, but not too many thrilling or newer ones. Park president, Hank Salemi, is also pushing to get an interactive dark ride so that might be a cool addition for next year or perhaps 2016 for the park's 40th anniversary.

Mine will be Outlaw Run this coming Thursday. I'm so excited to finally ride an RMC and I'll be able to make comparisons when Goliath opens at my home park this May!

Here's a photo of the new seat belts too. Photo credit: Kate Frazier

They added belts on Outlaw Run? Please tell me that's not true. Yes, they added seat belts. From what I've heard, they don't effect the ride experience that much which is good. Here's the only photo I could find from this season (since the park just opened a couple days ago) that shows the new seat belts.

I was one of the people that went on the Goliath tour in January. That question was brought up during the tour and Brandon (from SF) said he doesn't think the trains will, however, he said he wouldn't be surprised if they ended up having them. Since Outlaw Run had them added, it wouldn't surprise me to see them on Goliath for extra safety.

From someone over at SDC Fans, he said they were a lot better than last year.