Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[WildStangAlex]

^Don't forget Space Shuttle America and Trailblazer (anyone remember that?). Great America really doesn't have to remove a ride to make a new one at this time.

 

this is true. i can see them fitting something the like flying coaster @ elitch gardens in the spot of SSA.

 

But seriously, they most likely need to make a LARGE coaster, because the last 2 have been mice. I am all for H20 park expansion too! A rocket, and large speed slide would be great additions to an already great park experience!

[Jerrykoala2112]

Notice how I said we didn't have A LOT of room, you guys assume I said we have no room whatso ever. Even the SWF area isn't big enough to have a major coaster, whether you want a floorless or a mega lite. There is not a lot of room, SSA will probably be for hurricane harbou so we can take that out of the pictures.

 

All I am saying is we don't have a lot room for a new big coaster. My only idea is behind the main games gallery in county fair. There is a good chunck of land there.

[Airtime&Gravity]

Yeah, I'm positive that we are not getting Chang, and I hope we get some more flats before we get a new coaster. I would much rather see a dark ride, screaming swing, sky swat, star flyer, or some other giant thrill ride added before a new coaster is. Plus, as much as I'd like one, we don't really need a coaster as we have a great collection already.

 

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Areas for future expansion:

 

- behind the games in County Fair

- Where the Wilderness theater is, although, some of the picnic area would also have to be taken out

-the area between: Whizzer, Raging Bull, and the Pictorium (could also be for HH)

-Splash Water Falls site

-While I'd hate to see it, they could also remove the log flumes. They take up a huge amount of space, but if Six Flags does mark that area for expansion, hopefully they pull an Indiana Beach and build over and around the flumes (if it's a coaster).

 

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Now, time for some photos from my trip last weekend. The park was dead up until my last hour there, so I was able to get a lot of rides in, in the limited time I had. Nearly everything was a walk on or a one or two train wait. Those that didn't had a wait time of 15 minutes max with the exception of Superman which was 30 minutes. However, a lot of rides were having mechanical problems, but with the exception of V2, they reopened a little later.

Again, note small crowds

Ricochet

V2

Iron Wolf

Revolution, note small line

Superman

Batman again

Whiligig and Batman

American Eagle

Demon was fun

Raging Bull again

Viper was fun, but not near its potential

Raging Bull was great Saturday, and I got some nice airtime since I wasn't stapled into my seat.

[Jerrykoala2112]

I would love to see a coaster where the log flumes are, but while the log flumes are standing. I wouldn't mind a coaster there racing the people on the log flumes.

 

If SFGAM gets Chang, I will hate it. Iron Wolf is the first B&M stand up and first B&M with that matter, and if we get rid of it, I won't be in a good mood.

 

A ride behind the county fair games or a ride by Viper Whizzer and the pictorium would be a really great area and a good plot of land for a new coaster.

 

I actually thought of this a couple minutes ago....What if SFGAM got a water coaster like Jouney to Atlantis in the water park? or by the water park to help the theme? Or they could get a water coaster like Hershey Parks...although that coaster has terrible capactiy. Just an idea...

[CHILLERLC1]

I'm thinking of combining both Shockwave themes if Chang does comes to the park. SFMM had "Shockwave - Can you stand it?" and you can tout that "Lightning strikes twice" the return of Shockwave to the park just in another form.

[Jerrykoala2112]

I thought that lightning strikes twice thing was for Cedar Fair...

[CHILLERLC1]

It does in nature. It can happen again.

[JamesMC]

When Iron Wolf first came to Great America I LOVED it.

 

Now for me, it's kinda of a head-bash credit. At some point during the season I HAVE to ride it but usually once is enough for every two visits.

I Love the other 3 B&M's at the park, but as for this one, well, it just hasn't aged that well.

 

I'd rather have Chang than Iron Wolf any day.

 

However, Chang is Just Not Going To Fit where Iron Wolf is standing right now, without them taking out the train station/funnel cake place/and prob the old Wascal's/Johnny Rockets . . .

 

What's worse (and I was AT the park yesterday, which was a Ghost Town and in the span of 5.5 hours I got on 45 rides/rerides . . .a new record for me- and I've been at the park since 1979) was there were two maintenence people near the operator booth on Whizzer at about 5 p.m. (I am not sure if there had been an E-Stop or some other issue but for whatever reason they were there). They were pointing near the lift spiral and watching intently.

After the ride before mine, they moved to the stairway exit (which is near the rear of the coaster where I was standing on the platform) and I quite clearly heard the (older/more senior) looking tech make a little comment like (not verbatim, but) 'Won't be an issue after next year"....

 

I have absolutely no context for the conversation, but with today's little blurb on Screamscape . . .

 

If Whizzer were to be removed and probably Hometown Fun Machine, most of Chang WOULD actually fit in that space, especially if they ran the incline and turnaround out behind those shops on the way out towards Pictorium. Just looking at the Satellite pic on Google of Chang kinda shows it.

 

I DO NOT want to see Whizzer go, it's a silly little ride but I love it. And they'd have to take out all those trees too, which would be a shame.

 

They also could probably take out one or the other of Logger's Run/Yankee Clipper and have enough room for Chang (which would be my preference anyway).

 

We shall see.

 

Ummmm, if anyone is reading this who works for Six Flags, I'd really kinda like Chang and a Giga-Coaster. Just please leave the Whizzer.

[mcjaco]

Ummmm, if anyone is reading this who works for Six Flags, I'd really kinda like Chang and a Giga-Coaster. Just please leave the Whizzer.

 

They do read it.

 

I'll quote what I was told from a person in management last year, "We don't know what's happening here until Upper [management] makes an announcement, or a delivery of track shows up."

[Cameron]

And "it won't be an issue next year" could mean anything .. maybe a new control system will be installed this off-season, or a troublesome train is getting rehabbed .. It could be a zillion things. In this Six Flags age of "blaa blaa blaa FAMILY blaa blaa", I'd be surprised to see Whizzer removed for a second stand-up coaster (when most parks don't even have one).

 

To me this rumor is just too insanely ridiculous to warrant even an ounce of thought.

 

Cameron.

[uwgbdork]

Not that I am saying SFGam would ever end up with the headliner coaster from another park but i would not be surprised if they would throw in a new stand up. The park does have a history of repeating itself, especially in the coaster parts.

 

Shockwave/Demon - Arrow Loopers, (granted shockwave was way larger)

Dark Knight/ Ragin Cajun - yay for crappy mice

Yankee Clipper/ Loggers run - you don't fool me with a boat vs log

[kumba830]

They also have a lot of repeat Shops so I don't see why we wouldn't have TWO stand-ups.

 

Seriously having two of some types of rides is ok (especially arrow loopers because that was really the only good looping coaster you could get back in the day), But Two Stand-ups You have to be kidding me!

 

Do you ever see two B&M Inverts, or Intamin loopers? I think with rides like those, another of the same type is just plain rubbish!

 

I think this Chang rumor is just garbage!

[traincrossin]

I think this Chang rumor is just garbage!

Agreed. But then again I didn't believe the splash battle rumor either I'm keeping my mouth shut until media day (when is that anyways?)

[Jerrykoala2112]

How could their be a Media Day without the announcement of a new ride yet?

 

But I think SF is better off investing in a new coaster rather then moving a big honking stand up like Chang. It is a giant coaster to relocate and would cost a lot to repair the parks and repaint it all and move and stuff. If the relocation of Mind Eraser to Michigan's Adventure costed 3 million...Chang would cost much more. Deja Vu was sold for 500k but the whole thing costed 4 million to rebuild and everything.

 

I say invest in a newer ride.

[mcjaco]

^ I'd love to know where you got your figures. Those sound way too much.

[JamesMC]

As much as I hate to lose any coaster for any reason, I'd be happy if Six Flags Great America upgraded to Chang in favor of Iron Wolf.

 

I don't want to lose the Stand-up, but I'd like a better one. And as much as I LOVE B&M's, Iron Wolf is just NOT aging gracefully. When it was new and smooth I'd be disappointed if I didn't get on it 3 times in a visit. Now I'm lucky if I feel the gumption to ride it once every other visit.

 

If Chang does come to 6FGAM (and I am by no means convinced it will . . .) it just WILL Not fit where Iron Wolf stands without dismantling more than it's orginal footprint.

 

Which is why The Whizzer comment I posted from the ride-tech's didn't matter to me until I heard the next day that Chang was on it's way.

 

I don't want to lose Iron Wolf and Whizzer just to put Chang where Whizzer is located.(and where it would actually fit...ugh)

 

If we are going to lose Whizzer, please, just let it be a Giga from Intamin that takes its place.

 

However, if we were to lose Iron Wolf and Yankee Clipper to get Chang, that would be worth it.

 

As long as they put in a Tony Hawk where Wolf is now . . .

 

My .02 (which might actually be more like .03)

[WildStangAlex]

They also have a lot of repeat Shops so I don't see why we wouldn't have TWO stand-ups.

 

Seriously having two of some types of rides is ok (especially arrow loopers because that was really the only good looping coaster you could get back in the day), But Two Stand-ups You have to be kidding me!

 

Do you ever see two B&M Inverts, or Intamin loopers? I think with rides like those, another of the same type is just plain rubbish!

 

I think this Chang rumor is just garbage!

 

Cedar point has two "suspended" coasters. Both Raptor and Iron Dragon hang from the track.

[Jerrykoala2112]

So does Wicked Twister ^

 

 

But I would rather have the mini intamin mega coaster where Iron Wolf is. Maybe not a 200ft tall one since we have raging bull. But I would totally be up for a new intamin. There is area behind whizzer so I am not sure if we need that coaster gone.

[WildStangAlex]

It'd be nice to have a mega-lite in our park, but I don't see that happening with Raging Bull.

[traincrossin]

It'd be nice to have a mega-lite in our park, but I don't see that happening with Raging Bull.

I think it would be nice to see a mega-lite in any park!

[Olsor]

Nothing very tall is likely to ever be built on the easternmost edge of the park due to neighbor complaints about noise.

 

I have to believe Demon is reaching the end of its shelf life, too, especially with plenty of other Arrow loopers heading to the scrap heap (including Shockwave). The plot of land Demon sits on could be used in some interesting ways with how it interacts with walkways.

[THE ONE]

And "it won't be an issue next year" could mean anything .. maybe a new control system will be installed this off-season, or a troublesome train is getting rehabbed .. It could be a zillion things. In this Six Flags age of "blaa blaa blaa FAMILY blaa blaa", I'd be surprised to see Whizzer removed for a second stand-up coaster (when most parks don't even have one).

 

To me this rumor is just too insanely ridiculous to warrant even an ounce of thought.

 

Cameron.

 

Plus look @ the effort that Six Flags has put into saving and rehabbing the Shockwave @ SFOT, I really don't think the Whizzer is going anywhere, but I could be wrong. I would look @ the Demon first, just think if they took the Demon out that would leave the room they need for Chang and them some.

[monsterfan99]

I don't see Demon going anywhere. Arrows tend to be very reliable, plus they have refurbed all the trains in the last year.

[Jerrykoala2112]

Exactly! Most parks don't refurb trains and then take down the coaster in the following year year(s).

 

Could anyone imagine riding Whizzer with 5 carts? I mean. 1 would be in the station boarding, 1 would be unloading behind it, 2 would be on the lift, and 1 would be enjoying it's ride. That sounds pretty amazing to me!

[mcjaco]

^ When you post figures, and someone asks you where you got them from, you should answer.