California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread

[CreditCrazy]

I'm visiting SFDK and CGA in July and I know it's going to be crowded. Is there anyway I could get all 8 credits (hit all 8 coasters) in 1 day or would I need to do it in 2 days or something? Because I know Cedar Fair parks don't have flash pass.

 

You can get all 8 coasters done at CGA in about 4 hours or less. You really could get them done in about 2 hours, but I say 4 hours because Grizzly doesn't open until about 12:00 and you want to get there at opening.

[sfmmrules!]

If the new coaster is coming next year then when would they start building it?

[ebl]

^ I'd say no later than summer. Terminator started going up in October 2008 and will open seven months later, so that sounds like a reasonable plan...

 

Eric

[CGA_88]

^Yeah, but Terminator is built on one big cement slab. The proposed land where the new coaster would go is not level and still has old Whizzer footers, which would take a little longer to build because there is a lot of land clearing to do.

[ebl]

^ If I recall, the proposed coaster is also a GCII. That means it, too, will most likely have the giant concrete slab since that seems to be the way they're being built nowadays. It's true that they may have to do some leveling for this, which is why I said "summer." Starting it then allows seven or eight months of construction before opening day if it opens late in March or April.

 

Eric

[Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess]

You can get all 8 coasters done at CGA in about 4 hours or less. You really could get them done in about 2 hours, but I say 4 hours because Grizzly doesn't open until about 12:00 and you want to get there at opening.

 

So the lineups aren't that bad even during July?

 

There won't be 2 hour lineups?

 

~ Jess "Has no patience for queueing sometimes" Chan

[KGA29]

You can get all 8 coasters done at CGA in about 4 hours or less. You really could get them done in about 2 hours, but I say 4 hours because Grizzly doesn't open until about 12:00 and you want to get there at opening.

 

So the lineups aren't that bad even during July?

 

There won't be 2 hour lineups?

 

~ Jess "Has no patience for queueing sometimes" Chan

 

2 hours? No way. On a busy summer weekend, Flight Deck's line MIGHT get up to 30 min. On a weekday, it's usually 20 min during the most crowded parts of the day. Invertigo might have a 45 min line, Grizzly and Psycho Mouse (depending on crowds) can also have long lines, but the rest of the coasters have short lines almost always.

 

So since the coasters don't take up a ton of time, I recommend riding a bunch of CGA's flats. They really do have a good collection: Drop zone, Survivor, Firefall, Delirium, Flying Eagles, and classic rides like Berserker (bayern curve) and Centrifuge.

[Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess]

Ah ok thanks. (I'm just worried because when I was at SFOT I wasn't expecting crowds to be so bad but almost every major coaster had lineups up to 2 hours, thank god I had my flashpass)

 

I do plan on doing afew of the flats. I'm kinda nervous about touching Drop Tower as I'm afriad of heights and I hate the anticipation when I rode the one in Canada's Wonderland. I'm trying to build up the courage! (My dad might ride with me as he's never ridden a tower ride before and he's just as nervous)

 

Is Firefall painful? Like most HUSS Top Spins?

 

Flight Deck I"m pretty excited to ride too, is it as good as Batman: THe Ride? I know it has less inversions and it's that long of a ride either.

 

~ Jess "I lost my B&M virginity to B:TR" Chan

[CGA_88]

FireFall is painful, but the program it runs on is a lot better IMO than other Top Spins in the U.S., as long as the gondola is full. I personally like Flight Deck a lot better than the Batman clones. I just feel like it is more intense and is really unique. even though it is short.

 

And definitely ride the flats, they do have a really good collection of old style flats (Orbit, Centrifuge, Berserker, etc.) and the "newer" ones (Drop Tower, FireFall, Delirium, Survivor, etc.) And they also have Flying Eagles, but I don't know whether to consider that old or new.

[CreditCrazy]

Yeah, CGA lines really don't get that bad. I think I went on a Sunday in July and I rode Flight Deck 3 times and waited about 10 minutes max. Vortex had no wait, Pyscho Mouse was about 25 minutes, Grizzly was about 10, I did Invertigo pretty close to opening and it had no line but I still had to wait about 10 minutes, so I would suggest going there after opening. Demon had no line, Reptar didn't have one, Taxi Jam didn't have one, and the flats weren't too long either from what I saw. I was at the park from probably opening-5, but I also did water rides, a couple re-rides, and the water park.

[Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess]

And would anyone be able to tell me which rides have on ride photos for sale? Because I love buying ride photos to add to my growing collection.

[KGA29]

And would anyone be able to tell me which rides have on ride photos for sale? Because I love buying ride photos to add to my growing collection.

 

Flight Deck has videos

Vortex has photos

Psycho Mouse has photos

Logger's Run has photos

 

Demon and Invertigo used to have photos like 4 years ago, but not anymore.

[Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess]

Thanks. I love on ride photos lol

 

Speaking of Demon, I heard from my cousin (from No Cal) that Demon was having abit of loading problems/delays and all that. Is it some sort of technical thing?

 

Still, delay or no delay, I'm excited to ride demon too!

[sfmmrules!]

I have an old black and white on ride photo from the Demon that I got in 1993! & I have a Top Gun one from 1997 & A Vortex one from 1999. I wanted to get an Invertigo one but the shoulder harness blocked me in the picture since they were too big!

[ghost007jas]

Thanks. I love on ride photos lol

 

Speaking of Demon, I heard from my cousin (from No Cal) that Demon was having abit of loading problems/delays and all that. Is it some sort of technical thing?

 

Still, delay or no delay, I'm excited to ride demon too!

 

The few times I went to Great America when I lived up there the wait for Demon was never more than five minutes, even during the summer. So.. I don't know what kind of delay this could be if the wait times for this ride are the same as I remember.

[sfmmrules!]

I remember when the que lines used to be so full-Top Gun streched all the way to the carasoul, Vortex had a full que, & even the Demon's line streched to the entrance. Even Drop Zone's line was full. Gone are those days.

[CGA_88]

And would anyone be able to tell me which rides have on ride photos for sale? Because I love buying ride photos to add to my growing collection.

 

Flight Deck has videos

Vortex has photos

Psycho Mouse has photos

Logger's Run has photos

 

Demon and Invertigo used to have photos like 4 years ago, but not anymore.

 

Not anymore. As of opening day, Flight Deck no longer sells videos, and Vortex no longer sells photos. The only rides that still do on-ride pictures is Psycho Mouse and Loggers Run. Taxi Jam did last year, but I'm not sure about this year.

[CreditCrazy]

I remember when the que lines used to be so full-Top Gun streched all the way to the carasoul, Vortex had a full que, & even the Demon's line streched to the entrance. Even Drop Zone's line was full. Gone are those days.

 

In the two times I have visited CGA it has been the complete opposite of full lines for most rides. And as much as I love not waiting for rides and almost having the park to myself, I like to see excitement at parks. People there, workers walking around selling balloons, popcorn stands with lines, colorful decorations everywhere and people playing games. And that is gone, which really is sad IMO.

[Angry_Gumball]

The last time I went to CGA (Well it was PGA at the time) before the past couple seasons was in 1999. It was a summer saturday evening (close to 10pm) and Drop Tower (Zone) still had about 20 minutes worth of waiting. Now, it's a 2-cycle wait or a walk-on depending how many cabins are working.

[Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess]

Really I thought Flight Deck still has photos/videos. Because I see all these Flight Deck videos on youtube without the "top gun" themeing.

[CGA_88]

Starting this season, Vortex and Flight Deck no longer offer on-ride photos and/or videos.

[Crazy_Behemoth_Lady_Jess]

You know for sure? Or is it just temporarly? Was it announced?

 

I noticed alot of parks are removing their on ride photos for various rides! Is it because not enough people buy them?!

[CGA_88]

Well, I went to the park and the Flight Deck video booth is closed and the cameras on the back of the cars are missing and the computers on the desk from the Vortex photo booths are gone. And why would a park announce the removal of something so small and not of importance as on-ride pictures videos? Personally, I think on-ride pictures are a joke. The videos are alright, but every time I go on a ride that has pictures/videos, I don't even bother looking at them.

[sfmmrules!]

I'll be able to go to one park only this year on my birthday in July & it's a choice between SFDK & CGA. I can't decide. I can't go on any spinning rides but I go on all the roller coasters & water rides. Which one should I go to?

[CreditCrazy]

I'll be able to go to one park only this year on my birthday in July & it's a choice between SFDK & CGA. I can't decide. I can't go on any spinning rides but I go on all the roller coasters & water rides. Which one should I go to?

 

SFDK all the way. Even without riding THBS and even without a waterpark SFDK still completely kills CGA and every other amusement park I've been to (I've been to 24).