Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[glouthan]

Just looked at the wheels of the train and they are polyurethane. Interesting - can't figure out what that is for.

[WildStangAlex]

Just looked at the wheels of the train and they are polyurethane. Interesting - can't figure out what that is for.

 

Hank confirmed this last fall. Noise I believe was the biggest reason, but should be a bit smoother, too.

[Goooose]

Maybe if Hurricane Harbor had been a second gate, or an additional fee sooner, they wouldnt need to be jacking up the parking prices so much! Pure speculation here.

[Password121]

Maybe if Hurricane Harbor had been a second gate, or an additional fee sooner, they wouldnt need to be jacking up the parking prices so much! Pure speculation here.

Or undo everything the company did from '98 to '10. (Kidding)

[Duff]

Or undo everything the company did from '98 to '10. (Kidding)

 

All kidding aside, there were some odd choices during those years from a business standpoint. Like opening Deja Vu and Vertical Velocity both in the same year. Marketing just ONE of those coasters effectively could have interested the public enough to drive traffic to the park. *scratches head*

[Ed Farmer]

There are new signs this year as you drive toward the parking gate stating if you parked elsewhere you will be towed...

 

Hold on, these signs are near the entrance to SFGAm's lot? Unless you're using Burger King or some other fast food place/gas station right on top of the lot entrance, how is this even remotely enforceable?

[thedirtyspaniard]

Gurnee Mills, as someone said earlier, is your best bet if you want to park for free and stay at the park for the whole day.

 

However, I have a long-time trick I've done for the past few years to visit the park without being stabbed in the pocket when having a season pass with no parking pass:

 

NOTE:This doesn't work if you plan on visiting for the whole day, only about the last few hours (usually the 2 or 3 hours before the park closes.)

 

Basically, if you show up about 2 or 3 hours before the park closes, there will be no parking attendants in the booths of the lot and you will be able to park closer to the front gate (since some people will have left already) and most importantly, for free. It's one of my favorite ways to visit the park, especially since I had to work during the day on weekdays and the park empties out a bit more at night. Of course you also need to add that to the fact that rides at night are more fun and you've got yourself a pretty good deal. I'm sure multiple people are already aware of this anyway, but I thought I'd just throw it out there.

[The49er]

Basically, if you show up about 2 or 3 hours before the park closes, there will be no parking attendants in the booths of the lot and you will be able to park closer to the front gate (since some people will have left already) and most importantly, for free. It's one of my favorite ways to visit the park, especially since I had to work during the day on weekdays and the park empties out a bit more at night. Of course you also need to add that to the fact that rides at night are more fun and you've got yourself a pretty good deal. I'm sure multiple people are already aware of this anyway, but I thought I'd just throw it out there.

 

That might be more common than you (or I, for that matter) would think. For instance, I ran into the same situation at BGW and had a blast.

[AndCamSS]

A question about parking fee avoidance, where is the nearest all day parking lot to SFGAM? This is my first year with a season pass and a car and I don't intend to submit to robbery ($25wtf) every time I visit. Thanks in advance.

Across the street by Burger King. It's illegal though I think.

 

You will get towed at Burger King. Gurnee keeps an eye on that lot for this reason. You might be able to park at the McDonalds, but I think the same towing signs are up there. I just haven't seen the tow trucks out in person like I have at Burger King. I know people who have parked at Key Lime Cove but that's a bit of a walk.

[anewman35]

A question about parking fee avoidance, where is the nearest all day parking lot to SFGAM? This is my first year with a season pass and a car and I don't intend to submit to robbery ($25wtf) every time I visit. Thanks in advance.

 

Well, you can get a parking pass, but I think they charge about $100 for them at this point. What you really need to do is take advantage of the early season pass offer they usually have in August or September, if you can get four people together to buy passes everybody gets free gold upgrades and free parking passes, It's really a very good deal.

[anewman35]

Maybe if Hurricane Harbor had been a second gate, or an additional fee sooner, they wouldnt need to be jacking up the parking prices so much! Pure speculation here.

 

If I'm not mistaken, Great Adventure (and maybe others) does have Hurricane Harbor as a second gate and still charges as much for parking. Basically, Six Flags is going to charge whatever they can get away with, and the park still always seems pretty full at $25, so clearly it's working. Also, I tend to think that most of what they do (like giving a $5 charge to HH this year for non-passholders) is really just to sell passes, so it makes sense to jack up parking at the same time that the Season Pass offer is "buy four passes get one parking pass free".

[Pyrozooka0]

^ Yes - because the one thing SFGAm needs to *more* freaking advertising. The park is borderline intolerable as it is..

 

I personally dont mind train wraps as long as they are somewhat clever.

For instance, I actually liked the Georgia Scorcher's old GA Natural Gas wrap. Same goes for the Blue Man Group ad posted above and the idea of a Big Red train wrap for the red trains on AE.

[WildStangAlex]

I see a concrete truck on the Goliath Site. Could this contain that elusive "grout" for the track we've been waiting for?

[NAMTABSFGAm]

I doubt it since they still haven't completed the track. I think it might be for the tunnel/underground portion, but who knows.

[GoBears]

In case no one else got the memo, today is "Turn Your Crane Facing Southwest" Day...

 

[RandallDuell]

I guess I had never really thought about it before, but I didn't realize that Yankee Clipper was open already (it's early in the season, and the trough is always empty when I see pics of the webcam................but, not only is it open but (and this is the part I never thought about) obviously there is no water in the trough when the ride isn't running. Once I thought about it, it's painfully obvious why they wouldn't be running the pumps/keeping water in there...I just had never thought about it.

 

Anyway, this picture shows a boat in the trough ALONG with people (just starting to arrive) in the Wilderness Theater (for a cheerleading thing) on Sunday.

 

[aCoasterStory]

A question about parking fee avoidance, where is the nearest all day parking lot to SFGAM? This is my first year with a season pass and a car and I don't intend to submit to robbery ($25wtf) every time I visit. Thanks in advance.

 

Well, you can get a parking pass, but I think they charge about $100 for them at this point. What you really need to do is take advantage of the early season pass offer they usually have in August or September, if you can get four people together to buy passes everybody gets free gold upgrades and free parking passes, It's really a very good deal.

 

I don't know about SFGAm, but at SFOG the difference between the regular & gold season passes is only $25. Parking is $20 here, but I still don't know why you wouldn't shell out that extra $5 to save on all the rest of your trips for the rest of the year. What's even more fun is that they sell a season parking pass for $60.

 

I really don't understand the Six Flags pricing model.

[WildStangAlex]

^Awesome! I tried to do that all Sunday after riding on Saturday

[thefatman22]

there getting ready to put another piece of steel up

[GrapesLie]

^ Wow I just cannot wait for this thing to open! Is it just me or does a opening for end of May or Early June seem a little hopeful! Although I guess the lift and drop is all that's really left. Testing can't take that long really. But still t just seems like a lot to do in a short amount of time! Either way I can't wait to ride this monster!

[GoBears]

New piece...

 

[rcjp]

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted but..... TRAINS!

[Grantwhoplayspiano]

I really hope this is open by May 24th... How likely is that in reality? I'm going on the 27th and will likely not be able to go back in the next few years. The construction crew seems to be moving pretty quickly though.

[DJeXeL]

^^It was posted 4 pages ago.

[rcjp]

Oooops Sorry

Didn't look that far back (and missed it then for some reason)