JamesMC Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Went to Great America yesterday and had 'planned' to take pix and make a TR....but: Here's what happened: Park slightly more crowded than previous Monday of last week (the Mon. b4 Memorial Day)... The Purple People Eater (Raging Bull) was down. The ONLY other time I have seen this ride open more than ten min. late was the debut season....and that was the first time I was there that year, it was still testing and didn't open at all....SO all of the people that would normally be occupied with this ride or Hurricane Harbor (which opens weekdays next week) were displaced....in other words....after the park opened, even with a 'light' crowd, Viper already had a 40 min wait...and American Eagle, same thing. They were testing the Blue Side, but it was not open, and for whatever reason, the ride ops were not on top of the game and were stacking the two Red trains. Giant Drop meanwhile (and I didn't ride it) was operating with only 2 of six gondolas. In the "Preseason" I am used to finding half the ride down, but this time it was 2/3rds....c'mon people, the Bull is down, we need to maximize capacity on ALL the other rides. In the other posts ^^ the pics where the "Rubble Runway" has replaced the Great America Raceway....from the 'smoking section' near the Demon....the fence has been covered by a protective green vinyl film....when I walked up to it, you could see thru it, slighly obscured...but that just makes me think that something IS going to be happening here. Actually rode "Aneurysm, The Ride", (A.K.A. Iron Wolf) and didn't die. I don't normally 'feel' old, but this ride makes me feel old. Wow, but I rode in the second row, and the normal Head Bashing was slighly less than normal. It made me feel better when the 3 teens in the row behind me also complained of getting a headache. For once I just had 'One' sore ear. American Eagle broke down for a couple hours mid-day...naturally right when I was at the stairs of the loading platform. The new Go-Karts added a bit of grass to the ride area....looks better, but still sticks out like a sore thumb. That area is going to be killer in the sun in the next couple of months and I don't mean killer in a good way. Yankee Clipper did not operate, but Logger's Run was running (go figure). Got in a fairly long line for Superman (behind some really foul mouthed 8th graders from Oak Lawn Homestead Middle School ((or so their T-shirts said))---I am not a puritan or a curmudgeon, but really, it's like these kids just learned the F-Word and all it's conjugations and I got to hear it for 45 min straight. Then as a topper the weather turned nasty and just as I got my seat, but before we were pulled into "Doggie Position", the ride shut due to weather....ugh!!!!!!!!!! Then, 20 min later the sun came out, the Itsy Bitsy Spider got to do his thing....The Bull opened, The American Eagle re-opened, with both sides, the waits turned to almost walk-on's and in two and half hours I tripled my ride count. Bull was a little slow at first, they were running 3 trains, but only 2 with people and one empty (however, last week the 3rd train was sitting on the Transfer Track and didn't even have the T-bar restraints on it...so that's an improvement) for awhile, but they did end up loading/using it by the end of the day. Riptide bay has 'real' and not cyclone fencing on the inside of the park near the Sky Tower...from the parking lot looks a little dicey still, BUT, they had all sorts of potted landscaping sitting in the lot this week just waiting to be installed. I won't be able to go back for about 3 weeks, but I'm sure by then it will be good to go.....looks fun, can't wait to try the new additions" And that's that. I thank my wife again for giving me a Season Pass for my birthday!!!! P.S. anyone know why Batman is not using the "Wheel Cover Assemblies" for either train this year...they are all just gathering dust in the station shed. I should mention that even when Bull and Eagle were down, the wait was about 15 min for the ride...those ride ops were on fire that day for dispatches. Kudos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFGAm Shock Wave Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 ^ They will probably get to Batman's wheel covers soon now that Raging Bull has all three trains operational. The four B&Ms and Whizzer are in the same maintenance section, so since the wheel covers on Batman are purely for looks, they get done last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesthyrian Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 One downside is that they have gone back to playing "I like to Move It" every hour, but if it helps keep the park clean, then I don't have a problem with it. the music at SFGAM is the WORST part of the park. It's like radio Disney on repeat... all three songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Farmer Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 /\ From what I've read, they've gone back to the old themed music and done away with the candy music of recent years. An excellent change IMO. Now if they would buck the decade long trend of adding low capacity, uninspired coasters- that would be significant. Not too likely though, if SFMM and SFOG's '11 additions are any indicator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrykoala2112 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Then, 20 min later the sun came out, the Itsy Bitsy Spider got to do his thing....The Bull opened, The American Eagle re-opened, with both sides, the waits turned to almost walk-on's and in two and half hours I tripled my ride count. Bull was a little slow at first, they were running 3 trains, but only 2 with people and one empty (however, last week the 3rd train was sitting on the Transfer Track and didn't even have the T-bar restraints on it...so that's an improvement) for awhile, but they did end up loading/using it by the end of the day. Just a random question.... Were you the couple that marathoned American Eagle blue side in the back before park closing? I went to SFGAm yesterday as well, and got 10 rides on American Eagle red side before park closing... Turned out to be a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesMC Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 No, ^ but I moved up a seat so that they could keep theirs....rode twice on the blue side and then switched over to the red side, then ran and got on Bull one more time and Superman twice. The Last 90 min were especially busy for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted June 6, 2011 Share Posted June 6, 2011 (edited) Six Flags Great America has sent us a press release regarding the debut of Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor, the water park's newest expansion. Get ready to splash, slide and surf. The Best Water Park in the Nation…Just Got Bigger! Six Flags Great America unveils Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor, a massive 4-acre water park expansion. With the new addition, Hurricane Harbor will boast 20 acres and offer more slides and attractions than any other water park in the state. Riptide Bay features four new daring slides with first-of-its-kind Skybox drops. Bombs away as the floor drops out from beneath you and you free-fall five stories into Dive Bomber’s loop or speed down Mega Wedgie’s 80 degree plunge. Race your friends and family on twin versions. New Riptide Bay features also include the only place to surf on Lake Michigan with Surf Rider, a 5-foot-wave surfing simulator, and Monsoon Lagoon, a 14,000 square foot activity pool complete with waterfalls and interactive spray elements. Families can splash through 400 feet of enclosed tubes in Wipeout, a double-funnel raft slide, or relax in new luxury cabanas, a gift shop and tiki snack bar. “Riptide Bay is the perfect addition to our park's extensive collection of thrills,” said Hank Salemi, Six Flags Great America Park President. “We expanded the water park due to popular demand, and are excited to provide guests of all ages with a variety of unique and thrilling slides and attractions, that can only be found at Six Flags Great America,” said Salemi. Hurricane Harbor opened in 2005. Construction on the Riptide Bay expansion began last fall. Riptide Bay at Hurricane Harbor is free with a season pass or park admission. Celebrating its 35th incredible year, Six Flags Great America is located between Chicago and Milwaukee and offers fun for the entire family with 14 heart-pounding roller coasters, a free 20-acre water park, spectacular shows, a nighttime illuminated parade and three children’s themed areas. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=50364_0602_16x9_9roc[/coastertube] Edited June 6, 2011 by jedimaster1227 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathbydinn Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Not exactly major news on anything coming in 2012, but while speculating somethings we could take into consideration: I’ve got a few more random names of interest discovered in the Six Flags online surveys. Some names kicked back for a survey focused more on SFGAm include: Shockwave, Typhoon, Runaway Mine Train, Big Bender, Justice Leaque Watchtower, Sky Coaster, The Blitz, El Toro, Batwing and Joker’s Jinx. Link Any get the survey with the full list of names? I know it's hard to work off of some of the names, and some are probably in their just to throw people off, but still, any hints are helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneRider92 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 If Great America were to get a new ride, names like Poltergeist, Atom Smasher, and Hellevator have a nice ring to them. However, if any park EVER got a drop tower and called it "OMG! 400", I think I might puke. An Insane model in the former Great American Raceway area would be excellent, but I agree that it would be better to get a high capacity ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathbydinn Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Curious what’s happening at Great America in 2012? Of course you are. I’ve been privy to a few meetings and actually have a bit of the inside scoop. (HUGH JACKMAN DOESN’T THOUGH! WHAT NOW, WOLVERINE?! [Ok you’re right I should just drop this.]) Anyways, the Chicago park is actually gonna fill a few of you guys in early. The first 100 people who raise at least $100 for Walk in the Park will get a special email this fall letting them know the 2012 news before it’s available to the public. The one who raises the most will be getting this info straight from Park President Hank Salemi himself. This is exciting news and you’re gonna want to be the first to hear it. For more info, head to their Facebook Page. And don’t waste too much time cause Walk in the Park is tomorrow at Great America. www.sixflags.com/blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Knotts Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 If Great America were to get a new ride, names like Poltergeist, Atom Smasher, and Hellevator have a nice ring to them. However, if any park EVER got a drop tower and called it "OMG! 400", I think I might puke. An Insane model in the former Great American Raceway area would be excellent, but I agree that it would be better to get a high capacity ride. As a company the last few seasons, the max amount spent on new additions seems to be around $10 million. Until that changes, I'm not sure what high capacity coasters you can purchase at that amount (GCI wood coasters are the best bet). SFOT decided to take that money and rebuild Texas Giant, a brilliant move. SFMM chose to spread it out over three attractions(one used, one modified and one new),SFOG went for Devil Dive (lower capacity, but still adds to the overall capacity and diversity of the park) and SFGadv chose to move and build a high capacity stand up from another park. Pretty creative for so little to work with if you ask me. If this trend continues into 2012, it will be interesting to see how SFGam responds (coaster-wise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Hey everybody, I'm going to be heading to Chicago in August for work and am planning on taking an extra day to head up to the park for a day. Is there any easy way to get to the park using public transportation or will I just be better off renting a car? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 ^No, there isn't a great way to get straight to the park using public transportation. You could take a train from Chicago that could get you to suburbs east and west of Gurnee, but you'd need a taxi to get to the park. That would take you a good two hours each way when you could just drive it in less than an hour each way with a rental car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 ^ That's kind of what I figured. I will just rent a car I guess. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airtime&Gravity Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 You can take a bus from either Schaumburg or Rosemont. The bus leaves around 9:00A.M, and will pick you up again at 10:15PM. The bus leaves Rosemont from the CTA station, so depending on where you stay, that is probably the best option. The bus is only available Friday-Sunday though. http://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/six_flags_express.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 ^ I'm not sure where we'll be staying, although it will be downtown as our offices are at the Sears Tower. Stayed at the Crowne Plaza last time, so I'm guessing it will probably be somewhere around there. I'm hoping to go during the week depending on what days my meetings are on, so yeah, certainly sounds like a car will be the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 ^ I'm not sure where we'll be staying, although it will be downtown as our offices are at the Sears Tower. Stayed at the Crowne Plaza last time, so I'm guessing it will probably be somewhere around there. I'm hoping to go during the week depending on what days my meetings are on, so yeah, certainly sounds like a car will be the way to go. Yeah, car is best, because otherwise, you'll be taking various modes of transportation and have long travel times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverguy59 Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Hey guys I'm visiting Chicago for the 4th of July holiday and a trip to Six Flags Great America has been planned. I'm really excited because the last time I was at this park Giant Drop had just opened! (which was 1997 for all of you who don't know). I was just wondering how have crowds been so far this year? More specifically how busy is it on the weekdays? We plan on going July 5th or 6th and I'm trying to figure out if it would be beneficial to buy a Flash Pass for the day or not. One last thing if I do get a Flash Pass can someone please explain the difference between the Regular, Gold and Platinum Flash Passes, I'm sort of confused on how it works. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jojo19799 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 ^If I were you, I would get a Flash Pass. I used a gold one several times before, and it's worth the money. Not all coasters are on the flash pass though (like Eagle, but the line is never horribly long). I'm only familiar with the gold flash pass. I believe it cuts your wait at least in half, maybe more. I just remember queing up a ride, and waiting maybe 15 mins at the very most before we were able to ride. I am not too familiar with the regular or platinum. I think with the platinum you can get a re-ride on the coaster (not 100% on this), but I have no clue about the regular flash pass. I'm sure they'll have more info on the website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 So it looks like I will be headed to SFGam on Sunday August 7th. I will most likely be at the park from opening until about 4:00 or 5:00. Taking the red-eye out of LAX at midnight, getting into ORD at 6am and just renting a car for the day at the aiport. Then will drive back to the airport and take the train into the city for the duration of my stay in Chicago. Meeting the rest of my CA co-workers when their flight gets in Sunday evening. If anybody is going to be around that day let me know, I'd love to hang out with some TPR peeps. I will be getting the Gold Flashpass however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFGAm Shock Wave Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 ^ Definitely a good call on the Gold Flash Pass. August 7th is the day the "Read to Succeed" tickets expire, so the park will be an absolute zoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 ^ Great ... sigh. Unfortunately it looks like it's the only day I'm going to have. I was shooting for a week day but looks like our meetings are set to begin on Monday afternoon. I will for sure pre-order my flash pass though. Are there any non Flash-Pass rides I need to get in first? Anybody have a good plan for tackling the park? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 ^I'm interested in tips for efficiently hitting the park too. We should be visiting on Fri Aug 19, coming from Cedar Pt. Any thoughts on how to avoid slow traffic through Chicago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFGAm Shock Wave Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 ^^ If you don't already have the credit, you should do Ragin' Cajun first, then go to American Eagle and ride which ever side is open (second side opens between 12 and 1). All the other coasters will be on Flash Pass, but I would recommend hitting Demon next after Eagle because Demon's Flash Pass is so poorly implemented that it may as well not even have Flash Pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 ^ Thanks ... don't have any of the credits there so that will come in handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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