Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[Ccron10]

Can't wait to check it out next month! So would you say that if you can ride El Toro and Outlaw Run, the restraint can accommodate you? That is pretty much the biggest question I have about it and with what happened with Texas Giant, it wouldn't shock me to see them being more restrictive.

[GigaG]

Unforgiving restraints? How would it compare to Intamin t-bars in terms of unfriendliness to large riders?

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Rode it twice today (Middle row and Last row) and I was amazed by it. I'm torn between it and Raging Bull for best coaster in the park. Also met Alan S. who's a really down to Earth dude and got to hug Jim Reid Anderson who is also a cool dude.

[FaithPlus1]

Rode it twice today (Middle row and Last row) and I was amazed by it. I'm torn between it and Raging Bull for best coaster in the park. Also met Alan S. who's a really down to Earth dude and got to hug Jim Reid Anderson who is also a cool dude.

 

Why did you hug Jim Reid? Just wondering.

[tribar]

Cool! Glad people like it. For those that have ridden it, would you say it's the best ride in the park? Superior to raging bull?

 

Without Goliath, the park already has about 5 coasters that are superior to Rating Bull

[kristenstep23]

Raging Bull and Diamondback are tied for my favorite ride ever. Yes I have been to Cedar Point too. I am a huge B and M fan! Can't wait to ride Goliath hopefully tomorrow.

[Panky]

RB is definitely in the top 5. And RB is used as a meter because it is the most popular ride in the park.

[G$ Kurt]

Yes its most popular amongst GP but in most enthusiast circles RB is a respected, but low rated ride. So for a discussion here, it is not a good bar to measure up to. B:TR, Viper are definatly better rides than RB.

[Panky]

Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards have had RB in the teens 12 of the last 14 years.

[G$ Kurt]

^And Amusements Today Golden Ticket awards are hardly representative of any real enthusiasts opinions. Golden Ticket awards are a glorified marketing ploy that don't really represent any majority opinion.

[TyRush]

Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards have had RB in the teens 12 of the last 14 years.

They also I-305 at number 10.....

[glouthan]

^^Exactly. Millennium forceless wins EVERY year! Now, I didn't mean to get off topic

[StatMan22]

Yes its most popular amongst GP but in most enthusiast circles RB is a respected, but low rated ride. So for a discussion here, it is not a good bar to measure up to. B:TR, Viper are definatly better rides than RB.

 

I think that's a pretty bold statement. For what it's worth, the Mitch Hawker poll has Raging Bull as the best steel coaster in the park at 76 overall. Some others are:

Batman 87

X-Flight 112

Superman 149

Whizzer 222

 

But I'm not in the business of telling people which rides are good-everybody has their own favorites, which is great for discussion! Personally Raging Bull was best in the park for me, but Goliath takes that spot, as it's such a unique and awesome ride.

Edited June 18, 2014 by StatMan22

[TXman308]

Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards have had RB in the teens 12 of the last 14 years.

 

People (Enthusiasts) have differing views over the Golden Ticket Awards and their credibility. A more accurate Coaster Poll is Mitch Hawker, which takes into account ride experience (# of coasters someone has been on), as well as mutual comparisons. Raging Bull has still done alright, but has fallen in the rankings; this year it finished at 76.

 

http://www.ushsho.com/steelpoll13yeartable2013.htm

 

Not saying Raging Bull isn't a fun ride (though it's trimmed as hell), but I have a feeling Goliath will blow it out of the water.

[glouthan]

Just in case anyone who wasn't at the park today wanted to see the opening ceremony, here it is:

I was pleasantly surprised by this opening ceremony. I expected just a speech, but I was wrong.

[Iron Wolf 90-11]

Can't wait to ride Goliath hopefully tomorrow.

Don't count on it with the weather that's expected for tomorrow.

[EricGarbo]

So I'm officially the first person to ride for the cycle: every roller coaster currently in the park an adult is able to ride.

[SFGAmFan1976]

Aren't adults allowed on Spaceley's and Little Dipper along with the other coasters?

[BBH]

Yeah, all coasters are open for all guests to ride provided you're not above a height or weight restriction.

[GreatAmerican2234]

Just in case anyone who wasn't at the park today wanted to see the opening ceremony, here it is:

I was pleasantly surprised by this opening ceremony. I expected just a speech, but I was wrong.

 

These ceremonies get me every time. I know it's for themeing but I just always think they are a little too much, X-Flight's also, in my opinion, its should just be the cut of the ribbon and a few fireworks and thats it. But hey, its just my view on them.

 

Question: What is the difference between the soft opening and hard opening?

[Goooose]

Opening ceremonies are so awkward. Like its supposed to be dramatic but its really just funny and then you feel bad.

 

http://us995.cbslocal.com/2014/06/18/watch-jax-rides-goliath-at-six-flags/

Check this vid out of my first ride on Goliath! Im on the left not mic'd up. I let my arms go deadweight through the negative g float, dive loop, overbank and zero g stall so you can see the forces each element delivers. Twas fun! Ill write more later. In the meantime check out my instagram upload,

, a photo I took of the zero g stall

,

 

And coaster101.com's POV provided by sfgam and shared via their Facebook: (

). I cant help my urge to share this because the first pov that circulated was soo not good.

 

Check out this photo from sfgamworld.com's facebook page of the extended queue set up for tomorrow/this weekend/this summer's crowds. It reminds me of the massive old American Eagle switchbacks except that those stayed for 25 years.

 

As for media day it was a lot of fun and there was great momentum and enthusiasm and energy in the morning but I could tell that people were exhausted in the afternoon following the storms and dealing with the lost time for getting live shots. They lost about 2 hours from the wheel shredding incident and the t storms. The ride is really quiet and this was noticeable when it all of a sudden sounded like a blown tire or like a kid had taped a playing card into the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Again, ill contribute a review later. I'm a little spent right now!

 

Edited June 18, 2014 by Goooose

[TyRush]

Question: What is the difference between the soft opening and hard opening?

You should have learned that in health class

[djboss302]

Check out this photo from sfgamworld.com's facebook page of the extended queue set up for tomorrow/this weekend/this summer's crowds. It reminds me of the massive old American Eagle switchbacks except that those stayed for 25 years.

 

They might as well make those permanent considering how short the old Iron Wolf queue is.

[Iron Wolf 90-11]

Check out this photo from sfgamworld.com's facebook page of the extended queue set up for tomorrow/this weekend/this summer's crowds. It reminds me of the massive old American Eagle switchbacks except that those stayed for 25 years.

 

They might as well make those permanent considering how short the old Iron Wolf queue is.

It will be interesting with the train station being right there though.

 

 

For those of you that attended Media Day, do you have any pictures to share and how many rides did you get on Goliath?

[glouthan]

Opening ceremonies are so awkward. Like its supposed to be dramatic but its really just funny and then you feel bad.

I'm with you on that one. The gladiators were a nice touch and looked good until they came up close. They just started to pile in and it just looked bad. It would have been much more effective if they marched in to the ride's queue instead of doing some awkward trot/run. I know this is Six Flags, but I feel that if you are going to go with something, they should plan it out first.