Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

Hey everybody!

 

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at Six Flags Great America, this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion. For pictures and videos of the park as well as past updates, see TPR's Park Index Page.

 

Official Park Website

 

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

 

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2006

January 15th, 2006 - SFGAm waterpark to get ProSlide Tornado in 2006 - SEE BELOW!

 

2007

January 17th, 2007 - Wiggles World coming to SFGAm

September 27th, 2007 - Dark Knight indoor Mack Wild Mouse announced

October 29th, 2007 - Deja Vu to be removed

 

2009

June 20th, 2009 - Mini PTR

July 18th, 2009 - PTR

October 1st, 2009 - Fright Fest Details

November 24th, 2009 - SFGAm buys Kiddieland's Little Dipper

November 29th, 2009 - Chang in storage at SFGAm

 

2010

Jan. 25th, 2010 - Little Dipper Construction Update

March 10th, 2010 - Park readies the Little Dipper for the 2010 season

April 13th, 2010 - Re-construction begins on the Little Dipper

April 15th, 2010 - Park partners with Goodwill for the start of season

June 12th, 2010 - Great America gets OK on 150-ft.-high coaster

June 22nd, 2010 - Chang no longer coming to SFGAm?

August 31st, 2010 - Facebook has attraction announcement on Sept. 1st

September 1st, 2010 - Announcement of Hurricane Harbor Expansion

 

2011

June 5th, 2011 - Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor photo & video!

August 5th, 2011 - Iron Wolf removal confirmed, closes September 5th

September 1st, 2011 - X Flight B&M Wing Rider Coaster announced!

 

2012

February 1st, 2012 - Huge X Flight construction photo update!

April 12th, 2012 - X-Flight Begins Testing!

August 30th, 2012 - igNIGHT - Grand Finale Announced!

 

2013

January 19th, 2013 - Batman to run BACKWARDS in 2013!

January 25th, 2013 - Six Flags Great America IN THE SNOW!!!

August 29th, 2013 - Goliath is announced

 

2014

January 22nd, 2014 - Goliath Construction Tour photos

June 6th, 2014 - Goliath POV

June 18th, 2014 - Goliath opens

August 28th, 2014 - Three kiddie rides to be restored and re-installed along with refreshing of Carousel Plaza and Hometown Square for 2015

 

2015

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis announced for 2016

 

2016

September 1st, 2016 - Joker Roller Coaster announced for 2017

 

2017

August 31st, 2017 - 100 ft Larson Super Loop announced or 2018

 

2018

April 11th, 2018 - "Holiday in the Park: event announced for 2018!

August 22nd, 2018 - Hell Fest maze announced for Fright Fest!

August 30th, 2018 - Maxx Force announced for 2019

 

2019

July 2nd, 2019 - Maxx Force Media Day coverage

August 29rh, 2019 - Water Coaster announced for 2020

 

2024

August 15th, 2024 - Wrath of Rakshasa dive coaster announced for 2025!

 

 

Original Post:

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http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sixflags/23528/

 

SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA'S HURRICANE HARBOR WATER PARK TO ADD GIANT "TORNADO" ATTRACTION IN 2006

 

Award Winning Water Thrill Ride will Touch Down Spring 2006 in Gurnee, IL

 

Gurnee, IL - Just one year after the launch of the brand new Caribbean themed water park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags Great America has announced that it will be adding yet another thrilling and unique family water slide experience to its already astonishing collection of water attractions. This spring, the award-winning giant Tornado slide will take the Midwest's most popular water park by storm.

[Joe Cool]

Sweet! So now pretty much every HH as one of these now.

[QuakerOaties]

^ GADV still doesn't have one. I'm a bit surprised! We haven't had new slides since 2001.

 

Mark "Then again, we get spoiled through additions at the theme park" Luskus

[Scaparri]

The ProSlide Tornado is the Vekoma Boomerang of water parks. They sell like crazy, look cool, and fit into a small space, but in reality, really aren't that good.

[DATman]

^I likes SFMM's.

 

 

 

 

They just need to be longer.

 

This is a great addition to an already great waterpark. I went last summer, and did HH, as it was free w/ admission, and had a lot of fun. Their play structure is a blast, as well as their mat racer!

[dj snow]

They... really aren't that good.

 

I agree. I think they do the job of adding a marquee attraction to a waterpark--certainly they're visually impressive and fun to watch. But the actual experience of the ride doesn't really "do it" for me. Not to mention, the throughput is not especially good either.

 

I think my opinions on the ride experience are in the minority though, since these rides seem to be very popular every time I visit a waterpark with one. So as an investment, I think they tend to be a good one. Congrats to Great America on this new addition.

[sfmmFREAK]

i haven't been to any hurricane harbor

[ParkTrips]

I personally love the Tornado's. The ones I have been on rank second only to the master blaster type of rides in my book.

 

I'd really like my park to add one. Someday...

[Mind Eraser]

Scaparri wrote:

The ProSlide Tornado is the Vekoma Boomerang of water parks. They sell like crazy, look cool, and fit into a small space, but in reality, really aren't that good.

I totally agree. The Tornado slides look fantastic but the best part of the experience is the big, steep drop into the main section. The actual funnel part is really uncomfortable. Way too turbulent for a waterslide.

[SharkTums]

I agree about the general roughness of the funnel. I've seen it rip two peoples bathing suits, and really rough people up!

 

It almost needs to have a little less water in there because when you hit it, it feels like hitting concrete. I know it has to be there to slow you down, but I really can only ride it once or twice in a day.

[Jew]

I think they're fun...I just wish more parks would opt for custom versions.

[waterviper]

I have a serious rant about this so called "TORNADO"!!!

 

Ok the top half of this thing doesn't need to be there! This slide is pretty much a half pipe!!!

 

All you do is slide back and forth on the sides. There is absolutely nothing tornadic about this ride!!! They just build it that way and then slap that stupid name on it to make it look fancy and presentable!!!! Pfffft!!!!!

 

Those toylet bowl slides where you slide around in circles in the bowl until you fall in the hole in the middle into a pool is more of a "TORNADO" waterslide if you ask me!! As a matter of fact that would look pretty damn awesome to theme those toylet bowl slides to a tornado. The outside of the bowl would have a tornado prop wrapped around it!!!

 

But nope they have to take a half pipe, throw a curved top on it and call it "TORNADO"!!!

 

This probably the most false advertising for a waterslide yet!!!!

 

Mike "but it does look like it would be fun to ride " Black

[M_Force_4_ever]

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/sixflags/23528/

 

SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA'S HURRICANE HARBOR WATER PARK TO ADD GIANT "TORNADO" ATTRACTION IN 2006

 

Award Winning Water Thrill Ride will Touch Down Spring 2006 in Gurnee, IL

 

Gurnee, IL - Just one year after the launch of the brand new Caribbean themed water park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags Great America has announced that it will be adding yet another thrilling and unique family water slide experience to its already astonishing collection of water attractions. This spring, the award-winning giant Tornado slide will take the Midwest's most popular water park by storm.

and this is news how?

[Token Yankee Guy]

hahaha, the second picture in the press release is SFNE's Tornado. They did a good job at photoshopping in changing the tunnel to a checkerboard.

[ParkTrips]

and this is news how?

 

Umm... well, I don't know what's so hard to understand but if you don't think its news than that's fine by me

[DATman]

If it were like the one going into Soak City (Knotts), it'd be WAY better.

[shesaidboom]

I remember watching a show on the Discovery Channel several years ago about the manufacturer trying to sell these things at some sort of convention and nobody wanting to buy one. They said in the program that if they didn't sell one they'd give up and lose a bunch of money, but they ended up making one sale. They then had a bunch of problems in constructing the thing and the buyer almost cancelled the project. Now so many water parks have these things. I wish I remembered what the show was called.

[nannerdw]

I don't understand why they build the top half of the funnel. It seems like a big waste of materials, IMO.

 

I guess they have it on there to make it look more impressive and make lots of stupid people think that it's a "water slide with a loop". I have heard way too many people ask, "Do you actually go upside down at the top of it?" And even after they watch people go through it, they are still convinced that they will go over the top!

[DRWP2005]

I've actually known about this going in for awhile there. Six Flags got a package deal on them from ProSlide, and this isn't the last one being built as part of that package. I've never been on one, but talking to the people from ProSlide all they do is praise this ride, and they really consider it one of thier best attractions. I'm sure the water level could be adjusted to a level were it wouldn't hurt so much, and still be safe for all the riders, but most parks don't like to do that because ProSlide sends out a guy to commission the slide, and he sets all the settings for water flow to what he feels are the right settings. It's actually a really fun process to watch and be a part of.

[coaster1]

Nice the third photo is from Arlington, TX and Harbor there ... the parking lot Tornado.

[M_Force_4_ever]

and this is news how?

 

Umm... well, I don't know what's so hard to understand but if you don't think its news than that's fine by me

well the thing is that I (and many other enthusiasts) have known about this since before SFGAm's HH even opened

[WildStangAlex]

Check it out. Here it comes, Chicago!

 

http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=270226

[Scaparri]

Though I think the Wiggles is one of the worst children's shows I've ever seen (whatever happen to Eureka's Castle or Fraggle Rock?), it seems to be hugely popular with kids and I'm really glad they picked where they did to put it in. I've always hated that tent at the entrance of American and thought it was so awkward.

[SFGAm Shock Wave]

Hate to rain on your parade, but Wiggles World is going under the tent. The tent isnt leaving.

[crazyrider06]

ok out of all play areas that can be made why does wiggles world have to go in? dont get me wrong play areas are good for the kids and i see why they want to put one in, but the wiggles? common