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Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread


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Hey, dose anybody know what's up with Condor? Every time I go to the park now it's always closed. I'm afraid their going to remove it and replace it with a skyscreamer (which I don't really like because Six Flags' version of the tower swings look more lose and less safe than Ceder Fair's version). I like Condor, it's a simple fun ride. If anybody knows what's up with it please tell me.

 

The Starflyer swings at SF parks have proven to be reliable--more reliable than Cedar Fair's Windseeker version--and do you really think the rides are not safe just because the seats are supported by chains? They are very safe.

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I would think that there are better areas of the park to place a Sky Screamer. If they put one in Condor's plot your primary view would be of the parking lot. Just my little observation though.

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I have a feeling that SFGAm will get a Sky Screamer next year, mainly because almost all the other "big" Six Flags parks have them, but I doubt they would remove Condor in order to build it. They just opened up the plot of land where Sky Trail was, which is right in the middle of the park, but then again they might need that land if they remove Demon within the next few years, or if they want to add in another upcharge attraction.

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I'm going to the park in just under a month, and I have some questions, mainly about Goliath (the one coaster I haven't ridden there yet.) As a non-season passholder, will getting there early, with the intention to go straight to Goliath and get on it quickly (and hopefully a couple of times), be beneficial? I have seen some talk in this thread of passholders getting early entry, as well as people being held back for a "walk-back". What exactly does that entail, and does it preclude beating the crowd back there? Last time I was at SFGAm, it was the first year of X-Flight, and my friend and I were among the very first people at the park (forgot the time change from Michigan - thought we had arrived at Wally World!), hustled back to X-Flight, and got on the very first train of the day, also getting in two rides back to back with no waiting. I wondered if a scenario like that is possible with Goliath, or if there a lot of other factors in play now to prevent that. Mainly, I want to temper my expectations going in, so I'm not disappointed if things don't play out so swimmingly again!

 

Also regarding Goliath, are you allowed to pick where you sit? Or is it doing the assigned seating thing that seems to be in vogue with all new coasters these days? (I completely disagree with such a practice, even though I understand their reasoning, but that's a different conversation for a different time and place.) If you are allowed to choose, where is the best place to ride the ride? I'm assuming the very front (for the view) and the very back (for the airtime/pull over the lift hill), but which should I target doing my first ride?

 

We're not doing Fast Pass, regardless of the lines, so what kinds of crowds have there been so far this Summer, during the middle of the week? (I'll be there on a Wednesday.) I know that's a hard question to answer, as things like that vary greatly, but I'm just trying to get a sense, again to prepare my thinking in advance.

 

Lastly, what is parking running there now? I think I read somewhere that it is $25... Is that actually right? That's obscene, but I know pretty much par for the course for event/amusement park parking these days.

 

Thanks in advance to all you regulars for all your help! I look forward to getting back to your park, and finally getting on my first RMC!

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I need to ask some of you locals who visit the park on a regular basis. I'm going to Six Flags Great America July 30 August 3 for 4 days. I got the Regular Pass which includes the water park and I will do the water park if it will be a humid day one of the four days I will be there. Buying the Regular Pass acts like a season pass? Will that save me money for my four visits? Regular Pass doesn't say anything on parking? 4 night stay was $189.17 at the Travel Lodge in Waukegan 12 minutes from Six Flags Great America on Grand Ave. And does Grand Ave run right by Six Flags Great America? Saturday for sure I'm buying the flash pass.

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For DILinator, getting to the park early will help. If they let the Gold Season Pass crowd in early, they hold them back at the front of the park. They don't walk them back to Goliath, until they start letting in everyone else. If you're at the front of the regular lines, you can be near the front of the line for Goliath.

Sometimes, they let everyone in at the same time. On those days, they usually just let everyone run all the way back to Goliath. If you run, you can get to the front of the line for Goliath. There's also a single rider line for Goliath, if you want to ride again.

If you want the front or the back of Goliath, they usually let you pick your seats. I've never had a problem. The back row is best for the first drop, but the front row is the best for everything else. I almost always sit in the front row.

For ACES, a regular season pass does not include parking. You will need to pay for parking each day. I think parking is $25, but I'm not 100% sure. I have a gold pass, so I don't need to pay for parking. Also, Grand Ave does run right past Six Flags Great America.

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I'm going to the park in just under a month, and I have some questions, mainly about Goliath (the one coaster I haven't ridden there yet.) As a non-season passholder, will getting there early, with the intention to go straight to Goliath and get on it quickly (and hopefully a couple of times), be beneficial? I have seen some talk in this thread of passholders getting early entry, as well as people being held back for a "walk-back". What exactly does that entail, and does it preclude beating the crowd back there? Last time I was at SFGAm, it was the first year of X-Flight, and my friend and I were among the very first people at the park (forgot the time change from Michigan - thought we had arrived at Wally World!), hustled back to X-Flight, and got on the very first train of the day, also getting in two rides back to back with no waiting. I wondered if a scenario like that is possible with Goliath, or if there a lot of other factors in play now to prevent that. Mainly, I want to temper my expectations going in, so I'm not disappointed if things don't play out so swimmingly again!

 

Also regarding Goliath, are you allowed to pick where you sit? Or is it doing the assigned seating thing that seems to be in vogue with all new coasters these days? (I completely disagree with such a practice, even though I understand their reasoning, but that's a different conversation for a different time and place.) If you are allowed to choose, where is the best place to ride the ride? I'm assuming the very front (for the view) and the very back (for the airtime/pull over the lift hill), but which should I target doing my first ride?

 

We're not doing Fast Pass, regardless of the lines, so what kinds of crowds have there been so far this Summer, during the middle of the week? (I'll be there on a Wednesday.) I know that's a hard question to answer, as things like that vary greatly, but I'm just trying to get a sense, again to prepare my thinking in advance.

 

Lastly, what is parking running there now? I think I read somewhere that it is $25... Is that actually right? That's obscene, but I know pretty much par for the course for event/amusement park parking these days.

 

Thanks in advance to all you regulars for all your help! I look forward to getting back to your park, and finally getting on my first RMC!

 

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with the ride when I rode it in the front last year. Got my second ride this year - in the back seat. So much more fun. The front is great for the view..but you miss out on airtime on the first drop, both turn and drops. The main airtime hill is spectacular on both ends of the train. But trust me - you'd rather be whipped over the hill rather than be leaning against your restraint with your butt in the seat halfway down the hill.

 

I don't think I've heard anyone claim Goliath's front seat as their favorite seat. Prove me wrong? O:

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Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with the ride when I rode it in the front last year. Got my second ride this year - in the back seat. So much more fun. The front is great for the view..but you miss out on airtime on the first drop, both turn and drops. The main airtime hill is spectacular on both ends of the train. But trust me - you'd rather be whipped over the hill rather than be leaning against your restraint with your butt in the seat halfway down the hill.

 

I don't think I've heard anyone claim Goliath's front seat as their favorite seat. Prove me wrong? O:

 

I feel similarly to ole Jizzy here. I rode the front seat first last year and was underwhelmed. I later got a back seat and enjoyed it much more.

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I will be visiting the park on Saturday for the first time. How long can I expect to wait? Tips? I am a counselor at a computer camp, so Saturday is the only day I will be able to go.

 

I would be willing to plunk down for a flash pass, but my friends (who are also underpaid counselors) aren't.

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I will be visiting the park on Saturday for the first time. How long can I expect to wait? Tips? I am a counselor at a computer camp, so Saturday is the only day I will be able to go.

 

I would be willing to plunk down for a flash pass, but my friends (who are also underpaid counselors) aren't.

 

On a Saturday, I would assume they will walk everyone back to Goliath at around 10:00 AM. Arrive at the park early, before 9:30 AM. This will give you a chance to be near the front of the line for Goliath. It should be a very short wait to ride.

Superman has a single rider line, so you can use that to avoid a long wait. That will allow you to ride Superman later in the day. If it's a busy day, most of the lines will get long. I would hit the most popular coasters first, before the lines get really long. If you hope to ride every coaster, you just need to plan on waiting in a few long lines.

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I will be visiting the park on Saturday (I know, it'll be packed) and have a few questions:

1. Do they let people through the gates before the listed 10:30 opening time?

2. Which path is faster to get back to Goliath, East Or West?

3. Does the park give out free cups of water (like the Cedar Fair parks do)?

4. What are the best places to eat lunch?

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I will be visiting the park on Saturday (I know, it'll be packed) and have a few questions:

1. Do they let people through the gates before the listed 10:30 opening time?

2. Which path is faster to get back to Goliath, East Or West?

3. Does the park give out free cups of water (like the Cedar Fair parks do)?

4. What are the best places to eat lunch?

 

1. Yes. If you have a Gold season pass or Discover card, you can enter the park around 9:30. If not, you can enter around 10:00 am, but there will be a larger group in that entrance so you will likely want to get there before 9:30 anyway.

 

2. East, or Left at the Carousel. If you are there before opening at the times mentioned above, security will walk the whole group back to Goliath at 10 am. Be prepared for the walk to suck with people jockeying for position in very small spaces.

 

3. Yes they do. Very small cups. You can also bring a water bottle into the park and fill it up at drinking fountains.

 

4. I like JB's BBQ in Southwest Territory or the Go Fresh Cafe in the front of the park in between the Carousel and the bumper cars. Both of them seem to not have much of a line in the early afternoon and have pretty decent food for Great America. If I were you, I'd avoid the food court by X-Flight like it's the plague. That place is crazy busy and has horrendous operations.

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If I were you, I'd avoid the food court by X-Flight like it's the plague. That place is crazy busy and has horrendous operations.

This is good advice, I made the mistake of going to the food court by X-Flight on my visit to the park.

 

I did get a very good barbeque sandwich out of it, though.

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I'll second JB's at Great America. It's a full sit down place with air conditioning, that was most welcome even in the relatively cool Chicago summer. The food was good and we fed 5 of us for around $50, which is just dirt cheap for Six Flags.

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Hey! I just noticed that either yesterday, or today, Google Maps updated their satellite image of SFGAm, as it now includes Goliath instead of the vacant Iron Wolf spot! Now, they just needs to get down in there and get a Street View tour of the park!

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I will be visiting the park on Saturday (I know, it'll be packed) and have a few questions:

3. Does the park give out free cups of water (like the Cedar Fair parks do)?

4. What are the best places to eat lunch?

 

There are some good places to eat at Great America, but it's only fair to warn you how slow the food lines move. I've waited over an hour for food in the past few years, I no longer even attempt to eat in the park. Overpriced food is one thing, poor quality (cold fries and/or cold cheese for your fries, wrong orders, etc.) is another... but when you combine those with painfully long waits, that does it for me.

 

For example, in Angelo's (cross the street from Batman), there is 1 register where there used to be 4.

 

The same goes for free cups of water. You have to wait in that line to get them - same for refills on drinks; the places that have Coke Freestyle machines are typically VERY backed up with long, unorganized lines. And when you finally get up there, you bet your flavor will be out (how could they run out of regular Coke?); ice is typically gone on a hot day as well. I don't know why they haven't figured out how to replenish this stuff, but it happens again and again. I drink from fountains now, haven't spent a dime in the park in 3 years.

 

I usually bring a cooler in my trunk and go out to the car for a meal, then leave the park for another, if I'm at the park that long.

 

Of course it's all a trade off; you could eat at a time when it's not too busy... but then again, they shut down places when they're not busy. Don't mean to be a bummer, I love my home park. But gotta be honest; the service is way below that of a Cedar Fair or Disney park (but with comparable prices).

 

The BEST thing about Great America, I think, is our awesome selection of flat rides and coasters. Don't miss the classic flats - Fiddler's Fling, Orbit, East River Crawler (Lobster), Hometown Fun Machine and Triple Play. Like anything at a park, they are better at night! Not to mention 2 classic log flumes...

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So I was reading a bit of Wikipedia, and I saw that Superman was originally going to replace Whizzer. I can't imagine how the park would be different with S-UF being in the middle of the park.

 

That would have been the worst decision the park ever made. So glad they kept Whizzer, even at the expense of Shockwave.

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If I remember/learned correctly, SFGAm announced that Whizzer was closing, as parks do so patrons can get their last rides in, and the public went nuts via newspapers and other avenues, so the park decided to keep Whizzer.

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So I was reading a bit of Wikipedia, and I saw that Superman was originally going to replace Whizzer. I can't imagine how the park would be different with S-UF being in the middle of the park.

That sounds like a downgrade to me...

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^It would have been! Plenty of folks (coaster club people and the public) spoke their minds, called the park and wrote their letters (as did I, in a polite and non-demanding way). It worked! The Whizzer is the heart and soul of the park; the trees are overgrown and hang over the ride. Night rides are so cool under those trees!

 

I know this isn't the most popular place for ACE stuff, but they gave the ride a preservation or landmark plaque out in front of the ride. Very cool!

 

Many locals took their first coaster ride on Whizzer; either Whizzer or Little Dipper at Kiddieland. Great America has both now!

 

The ride has regained some of it's old popularity; I've seen longer lines for Whizzer than X-Flight

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Tornado passed just south of the park tonight. A lot of damage along the path. Have not heard of any at the park. Hope everyone who was at the park or nearby is okay. Our sirens went off, as it passed just south of us.

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Tornado passed just south of the park tonight. A lot of damage along the path. Have not heard of any at the park. Hope everyone who was at the park or nearby is okay. Our sirens went off, as it passed just south of us.

 

I live less than a mile from the park (I can see the Search lights for Sky Trek Tower from my Driveway) and didn't experience any problems apart from losing TV for awhile.

 

Not like a few years ago when the entire park had to close due to electricity being down all over Lake County and then limited operations for a few days.

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