Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[coasterrich]

I'm after some advise please. I know "how busy is it going to be" is always a tricky question, but....

 

I'm flying over to California from the UK next week on business, but managed to arrange travel to fly in via Chicago on Saturday, and then on to San Jose on Monday. This leaves me with Saturday evening and Sunday to head up to Great America, one of only three/four major US parks still on my "to do" list.

 

Its likely to be the only time I make it to the park, so I'm prepared to spend a little more money if need be. My questions:

 

- I should have 2-3 hours at the park Saturday night if my flight is on time. Is it worth paying for a SP (over a normal park ticket) to get into the park for the last few hours?

- Whilst I general hate paid for Fast Passes, I'm going to make an exception here. Can anyone suggest which is the best FlashPass to purchase based on expected crowds on Sunday? I'm thinking Gold at the moment, knowing I'll be there on my own and can use Goliath's single rider?

- Any other tips for a first (and most likely only) timer?

 

Ta.

[GayCoasterGuy]

Great pictures! Looks like the park really have a huge hit with Goliath.

One thing I noticed that I never saw mentioned were the laterals coming into and out of the zero g stall.

Yes! Those transitions sorta remind me of transition into the spiral/twist thing on the long-gone Chiller at Great Adventure.

 

One thing about your review really stuck out - I've never heard anyone describe Whizzer's seats as uncomfortable. Different, unusual maybe unique, but certainly not uncomfortable. It's one of the most comfortable coasters I can think of. But if we all had the same opinions, life would be boring

 

I still wonder what the 2 Great Americas would be like if Cedar Fair owned the one in Chicago and and Six Flags owned the one San Francisco.

Interesting thought! There would be some major trade-offs. We'd probably have GREAT operations/hourly capacities on the coasters, but we may not have Whizzer (or at least most of the trees around it.) We probably wouldn't have 1/2 mile long walks to and from rides...

 

No one told you Eagle Red is better than Eagle Blue :/ Also, the sweet spot on Viper is the front car - specificially seat #3. You wouldn't believe the real air time in that seat.

Edited July 14, 2014 by GayCoasterGuy

[rcoaster10]

They're uncomfortable if you have 2 adults and you're sitting in the back. There's really nowhere for your legs to go and they awkwardly sit on the metal. They aren't nearly as bad as some seats, but definitely unique.

[GayCoasterGuy]

^I guess that depends on the mass between the 2 adults. Plus, gotta figure in I grew up riding it, so I know right where the legs go.

[glouthan]

^Agreed.

 

^^I would've gone immediately to a manager. That is absolutely unacceptable. And by "Unacceptable," I mean Six Flags.

 

I was going to go to guest services (I had his name), but it was getting close to the time you had to pick up the wristbands for the ERT event, so I decided not. I completely agree that it's unacceptable. They should train them by tell them what not say when operating a ride - Joking about ride deaths would be on the top of that list. I could never imagine this type of thing happening at a Cedar Fair park.

[DJeXeL]

All SF parks have those annoying operators that love to hear their own voices over the PA. SFMM for example, puts the most annoying operators at Tatsu and Scream.

[ilrider]

Went to the park yesterday, for the Goliath passholder ERT event. The line was very short for the event - I'm talking like 15 minutes! So, I ended up getting about five rides on it which was great! I think my favorite row has to be the back because of the whip throughout the coaster's elements. Goliath is definitely a solid coaster that deserves a spot in anyone's top ten list.

 

On a side note, the ride operators were very immature , annoying , and unprofessional. The Raging Bull crew really stood out to me as the worst. The operator working the mic was singing "Elmo's world" for quite some time, which was really annoying. However, that wasn't the worst. To quote him: "Okay guys let's play a game. How many people have died on the Raging bull?" That just really stood out to me as a big no no because you should never joke about ride safety when you are an operator.

 

A ride operator joking about deaths on any coaster should be fired immediately. just my opinion

 

What's even worse is, the one person who has died on RB was only a child (suffered from a congenital heart defect).

 

We had a horribly annoying ride op on the carousel a few weeks back who would not shut up the entire time the ride was in motion. He would not even start the ride until the other op on the lower level said some stupid thing. I suppose he thought he was making it fun, trying to lead cheers and such, but it's the carousel, a nice, relaxing ride with my kids upon which I enjoy listening to the music. He was just yelling into his mic. I know I was not the only one annoyed, because at one point he said, "A girl just said I should be quiet," to which I yelled, from the lower level, "I agree with her!" He actually shut up briefly.

 

There is a fine line between being fun and being obnoxious and over the line. I like some of the ops at the park who try to make a ride fun.

[diggerg56]

Since the park lets guests in 40 minutes early to get in line for Goliath, does anyone know when the toll booths to the parking lot open?

This past Sunday it was about 9:15ish. I was at the Washington Street Entrance. Looks like the main entrance opened at the same time by the cars entering the lot.

[Mr. Starr]

Was at the park yesterday too, and only knew of the ERT as we were walking into the park which was a nice surprise. Longest wait I saw for Goliath was 210 minutes but the longest we waited mid-day was an hour.

 

I would agree that the Raging Bull crew was pretty bad. Just a lot of fooling around, which is fine, but they were also stacking every train really bad. The Batman crew on the other hand was amazing.

 

Goliath ERT was great, almost no wait 30 minutes into it and the park handled the closing crowd very well. Great night ride, and I was told about the single rider process earlier in the day too. They have you wait in the overflow and then go up the Flash Pass stairs. The employee and security guard that I spoke to about it knew about it and didn't seem confused so I'd guess that they've gotten the process down.

[tribar]

^Agreed.

 

^^I would've gone immediately to a manager. That is absolutely unacceptable. And by "Unacceptable," I mean Six Flags.

 

I was going to go to guest services (I had his name), but it was getting close to the time you had to pick up the wristbands for the ERT event, so I decided not. I completely agree that it's unacceptable. They should train them by tell them what not say when operating a ride - Joking about ride deaths would be on the top of that list. I could never imagine this type of thing happening at a Cedar Fair park.

 

You're right, CF ops would just sit there and yell at people to hurry up and get on the ride quicker, than throw their arms up in the air when someone isn't quick enough

[Zcev5454]

For those that have ridden goliath, how tight are the restraints compared to B:TR or the old Premier LIMs (Mr Freeze, FoF)?

Thanks

[GayCoasterGuy]

^For someone that tends to be very restraint sensitive (I'm a fan of buzz bars, Anton trains.. that sorta thing), I didn't think Goliath was too bad. I was expecting bad/tight/uncomfortable, so that was my frame of mind. They do staple, for sure, but I've experienced worse. However, due to what the ride does and that hard plastic hump in the seat, it does knock around the boy parts.

[Invertalon]

I had no problem at all with the trains... I am 6'6" and 250lbs as a reference. I was not really stapled either, it was just firm on my lap.

 

For me, PTC trains for example are far more restrictive.

[CoasterGuy2000]

How are PTC trains restrictive? Whenever I've ridden them there's been a lap bar that doesn't come anywhere close to me and a seat belt that's kinda useless.

[Zcev5454]

Thanks! I'm headed there sometime later this month, whenever I get the time.

 

Does anyone have any advice on what order to do the rides, and different experiences than SFStl or other area parks?

 

I also plan on getting the Gold Flash Pass.

[coasterchitchat]

What do you think Six Flags Great America will get in 2015?

 

A SkyScreamer (well.. they haven't applied for a height variance yet.)

A Tsunami Soaker in Ragin Cajuin' spot? That'd be nice

I don't now anything else.

[FaithPlus1]

What do you think Six Flags Great America will get in 2015?

 

A SkyScreamer (well.. they haven't applied for a height variance yet.)

A Tsunami Soaker in Ragin Cajuin' spot? That'd be nice

I don't now anything else.

 

The other half of Goliath

[DJeXeL]

^^A new Churro cart.

[GayCoasterGuy]

^^Teehee Plus another train, the single rider line, and training for the ops.

[agerikson]

How are PTC trains restrictive? Whenever I've ridden them there's been a lap bar that doesn't come anywhere close to me and a seat belt that's kinda useless.

 

I can't speak for Invertalon but as someone with an nearly identical body type, PTC train lap bars can be uncomfortable since they always force my legs towards the center of the car due to their design. I always have to squeeze my legs together when riding.

[rcjp]

What do you think Six Flags Great America will get in 2015?

 

A SkyScreamer (well.. they haven't applied for a height variance yet.)

A Tsunami Soaker in Ragin Cajuin' spot? That'd be nice

I don't now anything else.

 

The other half of Goliath

[Iron Wolf 90-11]

A Tsunami Soaker in Ragin Cajuin' spot? That'd be nice.

Buccaneer Battle?

[Invertalon]

How are PTC trains restrictive? Whenever I've ridden them there's been a lap bar that doesn't come anywhere close to me and a seat belt that's kinda useless.

 

I can't speak for Invertalon but as someone with an nearly identical body type, PTC train lap bars can be uncomfortable since they always force my legs towards the center of the car due to their design. I always have to squeeze my legs together when riding.

 

Exactly... My legs are always jammed to the center and its not comfortable at all. The lapbar design for me, is terrible... Give me one of those wonderful millennium flyers any day!

[StatMan22]

Made a quick visit to the park after work yesterday. Arrived around 5:00 just as it started raining a bit-none of the rides shut down though so it helped with crowds some late in the day. Was able to do Viper x2, Raging Bull, Eagle Red x2, Goliath, Batman, Goliath, Eagle Blue, X-Flight, and Raging Bull in that order before leaving just after 9:00 PM.

 

Goliath single rider line seemed to be working very smoothly-this was my first time using it. Posted wait time was 90-110 minutes but it was about 10 minutes in the overflow line then straight to the station and onto a train. Love the single rider line and hope they keep it permanently! If you're a single rider and into marathoning coasters, you could have ridden it about 20-25 times in the last 5 hours of the park being open last night. I hadn't been to the park in a month or so, so I wanted to hit other rides too.

 

Generally speaking, ops were much better last night than they had been on my last couple visits. But Raging Bull was only running two trains again-does anyone know if this is standard practice now when it's not the weekends? I've not seen it running three trains all year, but I haven't been on a busy weekend yet. They were using a grouper (poor kid-he was overwhelmed-trains still going out with empty seats) and ops were a bit slow (the only ride I'd say that about yesterday), so I don't know if they could have even handled three trains.

[SingleRiderWill]

What do you think Six Flags Great America will get in 2015?

 

A SkyScreamer (well.. they haven't applied for a height variance yet.)

A Tsunami Soaker in Ragin Cajuin' spot? That'd be nice

I don't now anything else.

 

The other half of Goliath

 

I personally hope Hurricane Harbor gets a new addition such as a Proslide Tornado Wave or even a King Cobra type slide at SFGAd HH. Don't get me wrong, Hurricane Harbor is great as it is, but Im hoping for a new addition since Riptide Bay in 2011.