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California Great America (CGA) Discussion Thread


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Haven't been on Stealth as it was always closed when I visited the park. I have however been on Firehawk and Batwing and I personally prefer Vekoma Flying Dutchmans over B&M flyers.

 

I know I'll catch some heat for that statement

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^I actually feel the same way. The only two flyers I've been on was Stealth and Tatsu. Stealth felt a lot more "free" to me because there weren't any grab bars like there are on B&M flyers. It felt like I felt more of a "flying" sensation on Stealth then Tatsu.

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It's fun to see on the video a few things, beyond what has already been said:

 

1.) How CLEAN everything looked

 

2.) The ORIGINAL support structure over the lake (It's not sinking, don't nobody panic)

 

3.) The LACK of spot welds on the track! The camera angle really made it easy to see the rails themselves.

 

So why is it a bit rougher than we remember? Well, it's amazingly been 17 years since it debuted and most* steel coasters have operational lives around 25 years. So to say this coaster has see nit's golden days is a fair statement. Now, being B&M, it should last...but maybe not age as gracefully as we could hope? Waiting for B&M fanboy hate in 3...2...1....go!

 

On Invertigo, the reason behind it's "Vekoma Smoothness" some would say, "SMOOTH AS GLASS!" (Thank you very much) is due to the manufacturer. Vekoma designs most of their rides, but contracts (outsources) the fabrication of the track to other companies, usually Fabriweld. (Which makes them the "bargain" steel manufacturer.) Except they didn't do this for the first two Invertigo's. (Mostly because they were originally designed to use LIMS and not chains. The ensuing delay made it faster to just rebuild the damn things by themselves.) The first two Invertigo's were designed AND manufactured by Vekoma. Stealth, on the other hand, was fabricated by Fabriweld and it didn't age too well!

"zomggzzz!!!!! u said that fliught deck is be rough!!!! nooooo itzz tha grreatestt ride innn daaa worllddd omgzz b&ms last like 4everrrrr!!! flight dek is never no gonna die!!!11!! lol b7m foreverrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!'

Sorry. I had to.

 

On a serious not, Flight Deck sure looked great in those days. The whole area just looked nicer. Well I guess it's safe to put it this way: 1994>2010.

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I hope you guys got your last rides on Invertigo according to screamscape they are going to start taking it down feb 1 and no new plans for 2011 but maybe for 2012 And that they will try to fit the GCI in that area or a whole new ride. Im really sad if this is true because it is my favorite ride in the park over Flight Deck.

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Wow...that came out of left field. So our new for 2011 is taking a coaster out... This really sucks, though I had a feeling its days were numbered after that acci-glitch happened followed by its extended closure. On the other hand, why would the park get the coaster back up and running only to remove it not even a full season later? Just doesn't make sense to me. And where is Screamscape getting this info from? Well, if this is the case I am glad I was able to finish my 2010 season on Invertigo. I will however miss our beloved Vekoma and the grey-out spots it delivers.

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I feel sick. Let's celebrate the 35th anniversary by...removing Invertigo? I hope Screamscape's sources are completely false. Why not get rid of Vortex? I would be fully supportive of that. I thought it was a little weird on one of the Haunt's radio ads, where it said something along the lines of "Come ride Flight Deck, Vortex, Demon, and Grizzly," with no mention of Invertigo.

 

Well, I guess this means that we are finally getting that GCI and/or another coaster. But it's hard to get excited when they're removing arguably the best ride in the park.

 

Attendance will likely hit new lows. It's hard to attract guests when your newest coaster is 18 years old...

 

Ugh, I don't know what to say. If true, I will seriously reconsider renewing my season pass.

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Technically, their newest coaster would still have to be Psycho Mouse...so Flight Deck would be their second newest coaster...no, Taxi Jam! In all seriousness, if this is the case, this could be a rough season. I still plan on getting a pass anyway as there's still Drop Tower and Flight Deck to ride...plus Haunt. I've dealt with most of last season without Invertigo so this shouldn't be too hard to adapt to.

 

I do feel sorry for the guys who run CGA's Facebook as now they have to face the GP and speculation...like they've already started to see.

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Technically, their newest coaster would still have to be Psycho Mouse...so Flight Deck would be their second newest coaster...no, Taxi Jam! In all seriousness, if this is the case, this could be a rough season. I still plan on getting a pass anyway as there's still Drop Tower and Flight Deck to ride...plus Haunt. I've dealt with most of last season without Invertigo so this shouldn't be too hard to adapt to.

 

I do feel sorry for the guys who run CGA's Facebook as now they have to face the GP and speculation...like they've already started to see.

 

Oh yeah I forgot about those two but of course thats easy to do

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If Invertigo is leaving, that leaves the park with one good coaster. I really hope that they get a new coaster for 2012 or that park is going to die. I've only visited on a weekday in the summer, and both times there was never a line longer than ten minutes for anything other than the water park rides and the log flume (which were 15-20). I'm tentatively planning to go back up to nor cal in 2012 to visit my relatives and do a mini-trip of the four parks up there, but if CGA doesn't get a new coaster I may give that one a miss.

 

I only rode Invertigo once. It was a pretty good ride, second best in the park in my opinion (after Flight Deck). I wonder if it will be scrapped, sold, or relocated. I can think of a couple Cedar Fair parks that could use it.

 

So that now makes Flight Deck the youngest coaster in the park *sigh*

 

Youngest major coaster. Taxi Jam opened in 1999 and Psycho Mouse opened in 2001. Still, ten years without a coaster is too long for a major park. How many other major parks have gone ten years without a new coaster? I can't think of any if parks that aren't thrill focused are excluded.

 

^^Beat me to it.

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I have a feeling that the GCI will be re-designed to fill the Invertigo spot for 2012. If that's the case, there will probably land clearing and preparation throughout the whole season. Greased Lightning gone with no coaster replacement. Stealth gone with no coaster replacement. Invertigo soon to be gone. The park has done some dumb things in the past, but there is no way they are going to let this season slide, by removing arguably the best coaster (with Flight Deck), and not put in a new ride this season to simmer down the soon to be very upset and angry guests. Looks like SFDK can now market their park with the most coasters in Northern California.

 

On a side note, Two-Face (SFA) gone, and now Invertigo. Does this mean anything for the Invertigo at Kings Island?

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WOW! Are they TRYING to make this park a crap shoot? Invertigo is a great coaster and it grooves right into the park's (minimal) coaster roster. Why didn't they plan properly and just remove Grizzly? That ride is abysmal! It looks like Great America's process of withering away has just sped up.

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As much as the coaster enthusiast world hates Grizzly, it has the longest lines of the coasters behind Flight Deck an Psycho Mouse. I bet the maintenance costs to continue to make sure that the incident never happens again, mixed with the bad publicity the park got for the ride during and after the incident, was just an arrow pointing to the removal of it. As much as I liked the ride, and am upset that nothing is replacing it this season, I'm excited to hear about what is going to replace it. Let's be honest, there are SO MANY better options out there of coasters that can replace a boomerang, albeit an inverted one. GCI's are amazing coasters, and after experiencing Terminator at SFMM, I would love to see that project resurrected.

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As much as the coaster enthusiast world hates Grizzly, it has the longest lines of the coasters behind Flight Deck an Psycho Mouse. I bet the maintenance costs to continue to make sure that the incident never happens again, mixed with the bad publicity the park got for the ride during and after the incident, was just an arrow pointing to the removal of it. As much as I liked the ride, and am upset that nothing is replacing it this season, I'm excited to hear about what is going to replace it. Let's be honest, there are SO MANY better options out there of coasters that can replace a boomerang, albeit an inverted one. GCI's are amazing coasters, and after experiencing Terminator at SFMM, I would love to see that project resurrected.

 

True, but there is already a GCI (Roar at DK) nearby. The problem with Northern California is that theme parks lack in diversity. Something like an Intamin woody (CA doesn't contain one) would be fantastic. Like I've stated before, Great America is a park with potential, but if they replace Invertigo with a gimmicky dark ride, flat, upcharge, whatever..you can count me out and I'll just have to to head down to Universal, SFMM and Knott's for CA thrills.

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OK, well I seem to be alone on this one, but the park is no longer dying, its dead. I have a very hard time believing that they will replace Invertigo with a new ride/coaster. IF the rumors are true, and they are in fact removing Invertgo, that will be the beginning to the end. Nothing will take its place, not a new GCI, and (sorry Scott), not even a wind seeker. I hate to see it happen, but with all this douche-bagerry and the 49'ers. I doubt it. Anywhere else in the country theme parks survive next to major stadiums with success...I think there is enough "bad blood" in this case to seal the deal on CGA's fate.

 

Dan "PLEASE prove me wrong" Strickland

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OK, well I seem to be alone on this one, but the park is no longer dying, its dead. I have a very hard time believing that they will replace Invertigo with a new ride/coaster. IF the rumors are true, and they are in fact removing Invertgo, that will be the beginning to the end. Nothing will take its place, not a new GCI, and (sorry Scott), not even a wind seeker. I hate to see it happen, but with all this douche-bagerry and the 49'ers. I doubt it. Anywhere else in the country theme parks survive next to major stadiums with success...I think there is enough "bad blood" in this case to seal the deal on CGA's fate.

 

Dan "PLEASE prove me wrong" Strickland

 

Oh you are not alone I feel the same way. I am thinking at best if anything does go in that spot it will be a hand me down from another park, (I wonder if Knott's is still looking to get rid of Screamin Swing) It no doubt a sad shadow of the park we grew up going to isn't it. I agree with you 100% about Invertigo going to Cedar Point if it is going anywhere it will be there to boost the coaster count

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