Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[deathbydinn]

Here's another small Twitter update.

 

 

The entrance sans ticket booths.

 

 

TVs going up in JBs Smokehouse

 

 

With Ben and Jerrys leaving, Firehouse Pizza is getting frozen yogurt!

[Rollercoaster Rider]

I'm just glad the park is losing Franchise Food Places. A Mac & Cheese Hot Dog sounds good.

[sfkk]

Does anyone think that six flags might move great american raceway to iron wolf's old location? I think that great american raceway was a great family attraction that deserves to be kept! Whenever I go to other parks the antique car rides always have a decent wait and are very popular.

[11slataus]

I suppose it's possible, as they have kept the cars. But I see it as highly unlikely. In my view the cars will either be used as parts for other parks or just scrapped altogether. Car rides--while classic and fun--just aren't big draws today. I think--especially since they have kept Iron Wolf's station--that a new coaster will be there eventually.

[sfkk]

It does make sense to put a rollercoaster there sence they kept the station. I think a launched coaster like full throttle would go nicely in there. Maybe in a few years, just a thought.

[G$ Kurt]

It's funny, that station is actually from Zforce. It would be neat to see it with a third coaster. I can't think of any other station that has outlived that many coasters.

[xChris125x]

It's funny, that station is actually from Zforce. It would be neat to see it with a third coaster. I can't think of any other station that has outlived that many coasters.

 

Phantom's Revenge station was used for Steel Phantom and the Laser Loop

[vacoaster09]

Busch Gardens's Williamsburg took theirs out and they are doing just fine without. Although they are fun, I don't think we will see them return unless they can find a way to incorporate them into a childrens area refurb. The Camp Cartoon refurb has been a long-time rumor.

[CMV]

That area haunted by/formerly home to Iron Wolf is pretty narrow, and really wouldn't allow a car ride track shaped like anything but a paperclip. That area is also right across the fence from an employee area, and I doubt they want to listen to that racket all day. People tend to forget how loud those things were.

[deathbydinn]

^ And that area could really go to much better use than a car ride, considering that they could utilize the old Wilderness Theater area as well. It is kinda funny how when the park first opened car rides were popular enough to warrant having two in the park, but now they really aren't popular enough to even justify keeping one open as I can think of quite a few parks who have removed theirs recently.

 

In other news, opening day is just a few weeks away and the park posted a video showing them getting stuff ready.

 

 

They also posted that there will be a pass holder only showing of Screams and Dreams 3 at noon on opening day.

[CoasterNick3157]

By looking at the video looks like V2 finally got new restraints.

[robbalvey]

UPDATE! We now have a good amount of riders that are under 30 years of age, so I'm happy to announce this is now open to ALL AGES! Please follow the same instructions below!

 

-------------------------------------

 

Hey Chicago area TPR Members! We need riders for Six Flags Great America's Batman Backwards Media Event on May 9th! You'll be riding the coaster for the media shoots and there is a very good chance you might be interviewed for local television news stations!

 

We need riders to be available as early as 4am on May 9th and to stay as late as possible. There might also be some need for riders on May 8th. Please include in your email if you are available on the 8th as well.

 

This initial casting call is open to EVERYONE. If you can make the media day, please send an email to robbalvey@themeparkreview.com with the following information:

 

- Your Full Name

- Your TPR Forum Screen Name or Club TPR Member Number

- Your Age

- If you are male or female

- Your email address

- Your mailing address

- Your Phone Number

- If you are also available on May 8th

- A little something about yourself

- A picture is always helpful!

 

We have a limited number of spots available and we will contact you if you have made the list. You MUST be a member of Theme Park Review - If you have a friend or a guest you want to bring, you MUST send me their contact details within your email. Guests will have to be approved by us before they will be allowed to attend the event.

 

Sending the email does NOT automatically mean you made the cut for the filming! We will contact you if you have made the list. Also, remember this is a "MEDIA DAY" and *NOT* an "ERT SESSION", and while at many media days you may get to ride a lot, there is always a good amount of "hurry up and wait", as that's just how things are.

 

We want to provide the park with VERY ENTHUSIASTIC people who want to be part of this exciting experience. You also need to be a patient person and have a flexible schedule. People who complain or have a low tolerance for waiting around should not sign up for this media day.

 

That's it! Send me your email and have an AWESOME time!

 

--Robb

[NAMTABSFGAm]

On the topic of the Great American Raceway cars. On Twitter Six Flags Great America clearly said that the cars weren't returning. They tweeted that "No they are gone, and no plans for use at the park." on April 2nd when somebody asked of they would return.

[vacoaster09]

That is awesome Robb... thanks. Even more of a reason to be TPR member... such awesome perks like being invited to Media events.

[deathbydinn]

So Hometown Square is going to look a lot different this summer.

 

 

 

The finished product:

 

 

 

And no the train station is not going away, this will just be in front of it. At NCC they said the handicap entrances will now be the only entrances and that you'll walk through the set to get to the stage, but the renderings looked different then so I'm not sure if that's still the plan. I would guess that the train will be closed though, or only running full circuit from County Fair. Hometown Square in general will probably be a mess opening day.

 

And then there's the new front gate.

 

 

Nice to see they put some effort into making it look similar to the old entrance. Metal detectors are now where the ticket booths were and ticket sales are in the light blue building by Superman. The old photo building has also been changed to a lost and found with windows both inside and outside of the gate.

 

All pictures from

[BenFreeze]

^Nice update. I didn't realize they will be projecting different images onto the stage structure. Looks like it'll be pretty cool!

[Jerrykoala2112]

Anyone heading to the park this weekend for opening weekend? It's gonna be the same weather as it has always been (cloudy and chance of rain) and I think a few rides will be closed. But it's been a long off-season anyways

[mcjaco]

^ Have fun guys, hope to see some of you at dinner!

[BenFreeze]

The park posted a POV of Batman backwards:

 

Edited May 4, 2013 by robbalvey

[Jerrykoala2112]

This is the way I interpreted backwards Batman.

 

[Zcev5454]

This is the way I interpreted backwards Batman.

 

How did I know someone would do this...

[A.J.]

That's pretty funny, but terribly misleading. I'd expect a lot of dislikes on your video unless you change the title to say "fake" or something.

 

As for the ride itself - it looks like they've added a pilot car. I wonder if they'll decorate it like Busch Gardens did with Alpengeist's?

[coasterbill]

I would like this if the park still gave you the option to ride forward, but I really don't understand it. The ride is already great and doesn't need stupid gimmicks.

[Ed Farmer]

The ride is already great and doesn't need stupid gimmicks.

 

It's a curious thing that Batman is the one they chose to tinker with like this, especially with the Intamin Impulse Coaster also featuring an inverted train travelling backwards right next door to it (and it's yellow too!), and Deja Vu (even more similarly) not long removed from the park. Meh. I'm sure they have their reasons. I'm glad it's a temporary thing, though.

 

On a related note- weren't the reversed trains on the Freeze coasters also advertised as a temporary deal? I know they don't have to work around a specially made chassis getting passed around the chain like with Batman, but I don't recall seeing anything about them restoring things back to normal.

[Zcev5454]

^ I haven't seen anything about changing the trains on Freeze back. Originally it was a temporary deal, but it seems like the GP likes this a lot more.