JamesMC

The last time I have visited Six Flags St. Louis, "Evel Knieval" (before the name change) was the new ride (and fun), but the thing I remember most was one of the older (age wise)park employees telling me the park was "looking into" a "Flyer"....something that would run to the north of "Screaming Eagle" and back down towards where the waterpark is, due to the elevation changes. I might have posted this to the rumor/crazy ideas thread a few years ago, but I have always thought then and now that this would be a "Significant" coaster for the park....hope it happens one day. I have absolutely no concrete proof, just an employee yapping at me during the line of Screaming Eagle....and again, this was years ago...........

Last time I was at the park, Bull was running three trains, but always stacking two.....not the best dispatching I've ever seen. No one in the station seemed to be that concerned, which is a shame. This ride is a people eater if loaded/dispatched correctly.

If the new ride is a B&M, I would vote for a flying coaster, with a big Pretzel Loop and a water element a la Manta, launched or not. Otherwise it is for sure a TOGO/Vekoma Stand-Up Suspended SLC, with PTC trains and RMC track.

I started brainstorming....... What do you need to spend 66 days at sea (outside of Beer....I am sure HW is not calling their new ride "Beer" or "Ale" or "Kegger" for that matter.)? Two things: Wind Water Sky is blue Water is blue What follows ships around for 66 days? "Seabirds" What color are some of their eggs? Teal (a kind of blue and also a kind of seabird called a teal) http://me.usharbors.com/image-gallery/spring-maine-seabirds-and-beauty-camouflage My bet and my .02 a "Flying" coaster or a "Winged" coaster.............

Fiddler's Fling or Whirligig at Six Flags Great America....even Hometown Fun Machine....the flats are fun!

Launched Flyer...........???????

"Shuffling" peeps in my way on the exit queue, I don't care how fast you walk or don't walk, but don't take up the entire exit queue

I hope I am not bending a rule here, but I recently posted this to the "Ask Alvey" forum, and I think that it has merit in this thread... Here are the six completely different responses I received when I asked six different employees about how to find the single rider line. 1:) We no longer have the single rider line. Everyone except Flash Pass has to wait the same amount of time. 2:) We are not offering single rider lines today. 3:) Yeah, the single rider line, there's no rhyme or reason. Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don't. It's not an option today. 4:) It depends on the "lead" in the station. If they need single riders they'll let you do it. 5:) Yeah, you can do a single rider. You have to wait in the line until you get to the Flash Pass entrance (from the overflow queue), but when you get there, just tell them you are a single rider and they will let you in." Which they DID not! At this point it did not matter because the ride went down due to a power outage at the whole park.....everything stopped. 6:) If we are only running one train we 'always' have a single rider line...... At this point I asked again, when does the single rider line function....I was very polite and I proceeded to tell them that I know that they don't make the rules for the single rider line, but my question was, when does it actually exist? Absolutely none of them could give me a valid answer.....all the ops just said "This is what we were told" and I believe them.......it's just not consistent.

My .02 Here's what I hope doesn't happen but has a 50/50 chance of happening...... SFMM pays for medical bills, (which is justified), But now the ride re-opens with one less train..... Bad Rap with the ride.....and "Less" riders going on the ride....(due to diminished capacity)....spirals out from there.... 2 years from now......."Get your last rides in on NINJA"....new ride coming in 2018! Sounds like the end of the "Suspended-Coaster" era if you listen real hard....Ugh!

I wouldn't even care....IF....they had not made a point of saying there would be a single rider line......I was like "WOW", and I just kind of ended up as "Ugh!" Anywho, fantastic coaster, can't wait for the last couple weeks Great America is still open daily BUT the kids are back in school. I'll get my credits for sure...........I don't want summer to end, however, I do have some ride time planned for Goliath!

Goliath at SFGA in the dark..... This is a really, really good new ride! Yay for my homepark......I just wish it was a little closer to home instead of 78 miles.

And let's don't forget "Viper" at Six Flags Great America....not for the station queue, but that exit line is WAY longer than the ride itself.... I try to be the first person thru the exit turnstile, only because I am a fast walker and there's nothing worse than trying to get off of a ride and be saddled behind some shuffling peeps meandering, when all I want to do is get to the next ride.

Thanks for the new title,.........and thanks for your reply to that other question in the forum that is now locked. I appreciate your answer and I understand your position...I didn't mean to get on a 'soapbox' about it. Again, thank you sincerely.

I would "and don't kill me" modify The Beast at King's Island...... And I love the ride...but....if I won PowerBall and could give K.I. a couple million.... Make the first drop a little steeper..... Keep the airtime hill.... Get rid of the old "Brake Shed" and put another airtime hill.... After the underground tunnel...have the ride shoot straight out for another 'airtime hill' and then turn right.... Can't change the helix.....no reason to. But, I'd add yet another airtime hill before the final brake run. Seriously missing at least a 'bunny hop' or something. And mostly....I'd add all the water back to the front of the ride.....that used to look so cool.......with the pond and the watermill.

Screamin' Demon at King's Island....a shuttle coaster

I know TPR has a sense of humor..... I get it..... I do not get offended easily...... HOWEVER..... I don't like the use of the term retarded....and here's why..... My cousin Craig was born completely normal....Unfortunately, he fell down the stairs at two years old with a concussion and a resulting high fever.....he is two years older than me and has the mental capacity of a 12-13 year old because of this. He is a low capacity functioning adult... My mother had a series of strokes and is now in a nursing home for three years....she is "mentally aware" but "physically retarded"....she can never ever go home again......she cannot walk or complete a sentence......She understands everything, but cannot respond...... Retarded as a word is just not funny.... I don't mind Crazy, Nut Job, Weirdo, Loony, Freaky, etc. etc...... Would you ever say "Retarded" at the Special Olympics if you were on the sidelines???? It's not their fault.....and it really isn't funny. Could we please drop this word from member titles...... Just a suggestion...... Thank you!

Oh beloved Title Fairy... Oh, Gracious one.... Humble me is scratching at your door like a fieldmouse. I have been known by many names....lots of them involve 4 letter words that are not nice for the website. At my job, people call me "The Captain" People who know me as friends call me "Zonk" because of my Hungarian last name. (See Larry Csonka....Miami Dolphins...we are related......though I am mostly Polish ((not polish as in shoe shine)) ) I call myself the "Coaster Nerd" My wife calls me infrequently because I don't like the phone............. Use your magic....please Bestow upon me a title fitting for my circumstance. And if you cannot do that, please send me your address and I will send you fifty cents to sway your opinion and grant me my title. Unfortunately, I will have to deduct the the postage from the fifty cents....just saying.....

^ Yup...then I woke up and realized that you are still not (wrongfully) the CEO of SFGA.............Ugh! Could you at least apply for the job?

Robb.... Today was finally the day I got to ride "Goliath" at SFGA...........yay for me. However, way back when the ride was announced, it was stated that there would be a single rider line. Bonus points for me, because I am usually at the park by myself. My wife buys me a season pass every year for my birthday, but as she is not a roller coaster enthusiast, I usually go alone. I knew "Goliath" would not be ready by the projected date, which didn't surprise me considering our very harsh winter here, but I had the occasions to visit the parks three times prior to the new ride opening to the public. That's cool and I understand, things have to be tested and be safe....I anticipated this. However, when I went to the park on a short visit (meaning I could not physically be at the park before 2 p.m.) I was certainly looking forward to getting my Goliath credit using the single rider line we were promised. Now that the ride is officially open. Here are the six completely different responses I received when I asked six different employees about how to find the single rider line. 1:) We no longer have the single rider line. Everyone except Flash Pass has to wait the same amount of time. 2:) We are not offering single rider lines today. 3:) Yeah, the single rider line, there's no rhyme or reason. Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don't. It's not an option today. 4:) It depends on the "lead" in the station. If they need single riders they'll let you do it. 5:) Yeah, you can do a single rider. You have to wait in the line until you get to the Flash Pass entrance (from the overflow queue), but when you get there, just tell them you are a single rider and they will let you in." Which they DID not! At this point it did not matter because the ride went down due to a power outage at the whole park.....everything stopped. At this point I asked again, when does the single rider line function....I was very polite and I proceeded to tell them that I know that they don't make the rules for the single rider line, but my question was, when does it actually exist? Absolutely none of them could give me a valid answer.....all the ops just said "This is what we were told" and I believe them.......it's just not consistent. Finally another line attendant/op/ gave me another answer........... 6:)We always have a single rider line when we are only running one train...that's about it. I wish there were single rider lines on everything, but I know that's not going to happen....... This one was kind of promised.......I just want an official "binding" answer on when I can go to SFGA and ride Goliath and be able to use the single rider line......If it's not gonna happen that's allright (in the sense that I cannot correct all the injustices of the world), but I do want to know one way or the other. Does Goliath have a single rider line or not, and what are the restrictions? Just looking for a concrete definitive rule....right now, there is not one. And that's a little frustrating.

FINALLY.....got to ride "Goliath" but it was not without it's share of hiccups. Due to circumstances beyond my control...I could not get to the park before two p.m. Had to park in the "overflow" lot, although at the front but my mission today was all about Goliath. Got in line at 2:10 and by 2:30 the ride had stopped...........waited in line, and the ride restarted, just as more dark storm clouds started to gather over the park. (For those of you that are not from the area, we had two 'Monster' stormfronts and tornadoes roll thru Illinois and Indiana yesterday......looked like a repeat). Ride ran maybe 6-10 more cycles and went down for the count again. They changed the public service announcement from, "Goliath hopes to be back up and running soon...." to "Goliath will be down for a LENGTHY amount of time, and perhaps it would be best to leave the line and go enjoy other attractions." Almost everyone left the line, but since this was my 4th visit to the park this year and my only goal was a credit on "Goliath" (I've already been on the other rides multiple times...) so I stayed put, but got to advance to almost the staircase because everyone scattered. It was a long wait, two hours plus, however, when the ride did re-open, I was on the either 5th or 6th train dispatched............ What a ride! It is relentless after the drop until the final brake run. The first drop is great (I usually ride in the back and on this ride, no exception).... I didn't understand how you could have 'airtime pop's' on an overbanked turn, now I understand. Although the restraints are so snug, you can't float on the first airtime hill, if the restraints weren't as snug, you'd need hundreds of medical personnel on hand to scoop up the ejected riders.....intense. The dive loop is amazing and what follows is pure bliss. The Zero G Stall......nothing like it. You feel weightless and for just a half second too long....it does not seem natural. Yay! 2nd overbanked turn is fun, but not as intense, and final bump before brake run gives one last pop of airtime. Got a back to back ride after the first time because of a vacant seat in the middle. I was scowled at by the ride ops but never approached. My bad. And honestly, I did wait over two hours for a "90" min line with two breakdowns....I am not beating myself up over this. There was NO Single Rider Line today.....I will be posting a ? to the Ask Alvey thread because of all the nonsense I got from park employees today.....I know it's not their fault personally, but when I ask a question six times, I don't expect six completely different answers about something that Hank Salemi said was going to be one of the perks for single riders. My wife buys me a season pass for my BDay every year, as she is not a ride enthusiast and does not go with me....and I was really looking forward to this.............not today. Anywho, got on 4 times total.....and it really is a great ride. Best attraction that has ever stood on the old footprint of the Ferris Wheel, Z-Force, Iron Wolf....and the old "Whirligig" queue...... Nice job SFGA and RMC...............really! Also.....yes, the power grid did go out for about an hour at the park today. (It happened to me last year too)........literally nothing was running during that time. I have no idea what caused it, because it actually had gotten sunny and mild when everything went dead. In any case, got some walking shoes broken in just circling the park until things started to reopen. Prob won't be going back for 3 weeks, but I will definitely get back in line for Goliath!!!!!!!!!!!!

Except of course on TPR.................

^ how true...........however, I have a "dumb phone" that could be a "smart phone"....I could spend and extra $500 a year to watch tiny movies....get on the internet....listen to music.....make sure that I post a reply the instant one of my friends decides to post a life changing moment on FaceBook for the 20th time of any particular day..... I am not "That Bored Of Life".......nor do I think the tiniest thing I do in my day to day business needs to be validated by posting it. I grew up without all of that and I am particularly fine with "not connecting" to the world the second an idea/thought/ etc....happens to pop into my head. That's called communication (without wireless). I was well into my 20's when the first reliable cell phone service was around and really, except for emergencies...we could all do very well without it.

I am also "seeing" a tall swing ride where "Rajun Cajun" once stood.......perfect spot.

90% of the time I am by myself....my wife is not a coaster enthusiast (although she buys me my Six Flags Season Pass for my Birthday every year...fav gift) and my "weekend" is Mon/Tues when all my other friends are pulling 9-5's....I have no problem going alone. I am not stuck eating when I don't want to eat, going to shows I don't want to see, and waiting for rides that I don't want to go on, or pleading with someone to go on a ride with me....... I chit chat with various peeps who are in line, I people watch, and I go on what I want to ride when I want to ride. The only downside is the water-park where they have rides designed for 3 or more peeps......can't go on those. If you can't be your own best companion, your best companion will be lacking......

People who spit on the lift/station track for any "flying" coaster. Yay, you're mouth has saliva! Good for you that you know how to work that!!! Body fluids are neat stuff....glad you are getting to showcase your talent!