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Great America Becomes California's Great America


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I'm still hoping for a Maverick-like clone for 2009.

 

Maverick was (mostly) well loved by everyone, works (unlike TTD), and with a few mods, will fit in the area behind the former IMAX theater and Demon.

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BUMP

 

Theme Park Will Start New Year with New Attraction, New Show, and a Brand New Name

 

California's Great America Logo. (PRNewsFoto/California's Great America)

 

SANTA CLARA, CA UNITED STATES

 

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Great America will be

transformed in 2008 starting with a new name -- California's Great America.

Part of the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company's family of theme parks,

California's Great America's new name signifies exciting new additions to

the popular attraction as well as a 14 million dollar investment from the

Cedar Fair Entertainment Company over the next two years.

 

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071025/AQTH164LOGO)

 

New Rides

Taking guests head-over-heels this season will be FireFall. This new

thrill ride will take 40 brave riders to a height of 60 feet, then subject

them to 360 degree vertical arcs as they twist, turn and spin through both

fire and water effects. FireFall is manufactured by Huss of Germany and

promises to be the hottest ticket in 2008.

In 2009, California's Great America will add to its roster of thrill

rides a new world-class wooden coaster. This copious coaster will boast a

lift of 104 feet and take riders on a two minute ride at 52 mph through a

twisting first drop, low to the ground S-turn, and a high speed station

fly-by! Designed by Great Coasters International, this ride promises to

take coaster enthusiasts to new heights.

 

New Ice Show

Bringing back an old time favorite for the entire family, California's

Great America will debut an all-new Ice Show Spectacular to their summer

line-up. Performed in the newly named "Great America Theatre" the Ice Show

Spectacular will feature a professional ensemble of skaters, dazzling sets,

colorful costumes, and plenty of surprises!

 

New Hours

California's Great America will also be offering new and longer

operating hours for the 2008 season, staying open as late as 10:00 PM the

majority of the summer. Extended operating hours will give guests more time

to enjoy the park and all the new attractions.

 

New Seasonal Event

In 2008 throughout the month of October, California's Great America

will be bringing Halloween Haunt to the Bay Area. From the creative team of

Knott's Scary Farm's Halloween Haunt, voted the "Number One Halloween Event

in the World" by Amusement Today, this ultimate, in-your-face, Halloween

extravaganza features walk-through mazes, scare zones, themed rides and

Halloween themed shows. And for the junior set, California's Great America

will continue its kid-friendly, non-scare Halloween themed daytime event,

"Nick-Or-Treat."

 

New Passes

Great America has three different Season Pass options, starting with

the Season Pass for California's Great America admission only, the Gold

Pass which includes California's Great America and Gilroy Gardens, and the

Platinum Pass which allows admittance to ALL Cedar Fair properties,

including Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California. As an added bonus, ALL

pass types include FREE Parking at California's Great America.

"Ultimately, it is all about providing our guests with new and exciting

reasons to visit," says Bill Lentz, General Manager of California's Great

America, "and we feel that these new additions for the 2008 season will

accomplish just that."

 

California's Great America is owned and operated by Cedar Fair

Entertainment Company. In addition to California's Great America, Cedar

Fair owns and operates 10 other amusement parks, five outdoor water parks,

one indoor water park resort and six hotels. Cedar Fair also owns and

operates Star Trek: The Experience, an interactive adventure located in Las

Vegas, and operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy, Calif.

under a management contract.

 

For more information visit pgathrills.com or call (408) 986-5841.

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Though the fact that the name "California's Great America" doesn't make any sense and has me sort of put off, I'm super excited for a GCI to make it to CA. This one's pretty small too, but then again, the Kentucky Rumbler's my favorite wood and thus, I'm confident this baby will be able to pack a punch.

 

Boo to them making us wait until '09 though!

 

-Jahan

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I'm super excited for a GCI to make it to CA.

 

You forget about Discovery Kingdom's Roar?

 

I hope it gives Roar (my #1 cali woodie) a run for its money.

 

We don't know if it will be replacing the Grizzly, though. 1 for 1 coaster trade-offs is not the way to build a world class amusement park. If the Pictorium is demolished, it will be another Marriott era attraction gone.

 

You're right, we don't know for sure. But I see replacing the Grizzly with another woodie is the right call for restoring GA to its better days. Having the Grizz and another woodie doesn't make sense to me. The Grizzly has zero airtime, HURTS, has uncomfortable seating in the trains, and is slower than all hell. My grandma can get out and walk faster than it takes its turns.

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We don't know if it will be replacing the Grizzly, though. 1 for 1 coaster trade-offs is not the way to build a world class amusement park.

 

Ya, and by keeping Grizzly, there is no way Great America will ever achieve that status.

 

Is there anybody out there that doesn't agree with the fact that Grizzly is by far one of the worst wooden roller coasters ever built?

 

Grizzly sits on a lot of real estate inside park borders, and with its removal, there is clearly enough space for the new upcoming Renegade clone. I doubt the park is about to go and remove existing building facilities to shoehorn this coaster in --- when they can just remove one of their least popular rides which happens to also take up a lot of space.

 

While it is good news I have to wonder if its just a marketing ploy to get a better deal for the land they are renting in the stadium deal. Seems funny to me that in all the time of CF, have they ever announced a coaster more then a year and a half out.

 

On the flipside, it could also be the company showing how serious they are about committing to operating the park. No company that is intending to unload a property in the near future is going to drop $14 million in improvements on it.

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Wow...my guess was right! I'm glad this is heading a good direction and an Ice Skating show will definitely be worth adding as a lot of those shows were taken out. And a 2 minute ride...sweet! Something's telling me as well that Grizz is going to be on the chopping block for the new GCI to come in. I noticed/felt this way because Grizzly was actually trying to give some airtime last Sunday when I rode it...but the roughness killed it/kept me from having my hands up.

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I heard from reliable sources that the new coaster will be put in the land where the Whizzer once stood, and where the Imax (to be demolished) is now. Although Grizzly was voted the worst wooden coaster in the world, it is EXTREMELY popular to the families, because the height requirement is only 44". The line for it can get REALLY long during the summer.

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Well guys, looks like CGA is staying put and finally getting a real new coaster!

 

I think I can hear just about everybody in NorCal saying "About darn time."

 

As for the other things mentioned in the press release. FireFall sounds like an awesome name for a Top Spin!

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While it is good news I have to wonder if its just a marketing ploy to get a better deal for the land they are renting in the stadium deal. Seems funny to me that in all the time of CF, have they ever announced a coaster more then a year and a half out.

 

On the flipside, it could also be the company showing how serious they are about committing to operating the park. No company that is intending to unload a property in the near future is going to drop $14 million in improvements on it.

 

If you can show me just one example of CF ever in their history announcing a major new coaster 2 seasons in advance, I'll buy that. There's a good reason parks don't announce their major additions so far in advance, especially in a competitive market like NorCal with SF just down the road.

 

Just like fixing up a junked house or business before selling, any improvements add value and justification for jacking up the asking price. They have to add something to keep attendance up while they still own the park, the contract and planning for this coaster was obviously drawn up long before this recent sell off issue came up. The unusual timing of this announcement for an 09' addition smells very fishy to me, I wouldn't necessarily count this good news as proof of their intentions not to sell off. Sounds more like they're laying it all out on the table to get the best asking price possible.

 

Renegade clone is a good addition for CGA, but still won't get me back to the park. Can't justify what they charge for what little quality they offer, but can guarantee SFDK will now be stepping up and adding something big for 09'!

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I hope its not going to be like Roar. I hate Roar. I was hoping for something as intense as Stealth. Maybe it will make the Grizzly seem not as bad? I like the name at least California's Great America. It works well because SFGA is its sister park & shared alot of the same rides & theming. I like how CF is really turning things around for California's Great America.

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^That CF is announcing its future plans?

 

If anything, I think it is the park trying to improve its image since after 2003. Enthusiasts were pretty steamed about Stealth's removal for a so-so waterpark and removal of some classic rides throughout the past few years with Paramount adding little or no additions. Then a few weeks ago, you had the local press saying that Great America may close and be used for a new stadium for the 49ers.

 

The addition of the wooden coaster kind of 'cements' this park's fate that it is going to stay. Look at Geauga Lake, CF is likely not going to salvage the wooden coasters there except for their trains.

 

Besides, we barely know anything about this wooden coaster except that its a GCI and it is 104 feet tall with speeds of 52 mph. Likely a Renegade clone, but at least the park is finally getting something. Along with some much needed TLC.

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