rcjp Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Ha! I remember this image. That's Sherry Herschend (one of SDC's co-founders) on the right after her first ride, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfgam11 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I rode this coaster after a 2 hour wait through the long, winding line. Surprised that they brought us all the way towards the train, but that's beside the point. Goliath was a very great ride, filled with airtime. Best part has to be the zero-g roll. Have never experienced anything like it on a roller coaster. Did anyone else happen to notice a bit of mist while in the tunnels? I felt a lot of it and it was quite surprising aha. Oh, and whatever happened to the water and mist effects on X-Flight? I miss those features Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Toro_Ryan Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I'm glad to hear the good reviews about Goliath. How would you guys who have ridden it stack it up to other really good woodies like Voyage or El Toro? And was it running one or two trains for opening day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfgam11 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I'm glad to hear the good reviews about Goliath. How would you guys who have ridden it stack it up to other really good woodies like Voyage or El Toro? And was it running one or two trains for opening day? It was running 2 trains today. Obviously, the Voyage is a lot longer than Goliath, but Goliath packs more of a punch than Voyage. El Toro seems to be the same thing, but the air time on Goliath is 10x better than El Toro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricGarbo Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Rode Goliath 6 times today in just over 2 hours. THANKS, SINGLE RIDER LINE! More rides/parks need this system, it works great! Here's me riding with Alan Schilke yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzvBZNwbKU Wait a minute, how are they running the single rider line? Is it functioning basically as the fast pass lane does? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goooose Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 I havent written a review yet because it is the hardest ride on earth to write a review of. And to explain why would be to write a review lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goooose Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Rode Goliath 6 times today in just over 2 hours. THANKS, SINGLE RIDER LINE! More rides/parks need this system, it works great! Here's me riding with Alan Schilke yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzvBZNwbKU You know when they show people on discovery channel specials for roller coasters who have been on a specific ride a thousant times? You are going to be that person for Goliath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricGarbo Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Rode Goliath 6 times today in just over 2 hours. THANKS, SINGLE RIDER LINE! More rides/parks need this system, it works great! Here's me riding with Alan Schilke yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzvBZNwbKU Wait a minute, how are they running the single rider line? Is it functioning basically as the fast pass lane does? They're using the same line for both. Life just got a whole lot sweeter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOLI4TH 2014 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 But do you have to stand in the line or can you just get in through the side gate for the single rider line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 the air time on Goliath is 10x better than El Toro. How is that even possible? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAL Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 We managed one afternoon ride through the single rider line. We had to wait through the extended queue until we reached the Flashpass queue. It took 40 minutes rather than 90-120. Someone said Goliath has more air than El Toro. No, just no. Air isn't Goliath's best trait. Phoenix has more. It is spectacular however. Taste is personal; I'd rather ride Goliath than Voyage, Ravine Flier, or Boulder Dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBears Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Here's my review of Goliath from yesterday. Apologies for some grammar errors and run on sentences. I was typing as quickly as I could as a severe storm was hitting. It was a very foggy morning upon entering the park, yet you could see a very faint darkness looming far behind the Columbia Carousel from the parking lot. The giant was finally ready to take on its challengers after almost 10 months of land clearing and construction. They let us into the park around 10:00, which is 30 minutes before the park actually opens, to head into County Fair to the entrance of Goliath. We stood outside the entrance for a little bit, but then they let us in to fill the queue. As we entered, they gave each of us a boarding pass that was required to ride. This is likely to prevent people from sneaking into the queue line further up since most of the queue line is exposed from the main path since the station is almost right off the midway. They sent the first train out right at 10:30 when the park officially opened. I only waited about 15 minutes to get on the ride. The cars were very comfortable and were slightly better than Rocky Mountain Construction's other roller coaster, Outlaw Run, as the lap bars and shin bars were formed to fit better. I chose the 2nd to last car since the back is usually the best for airtime compared to the cars towards the front. They checked all the seat belts first and then came around a 2nd time the other direction to check all the lap bars. We were ready to ride! The ride starts off by making a sharp left turn that gave you a little whip action that reminded me of Raging Bull's turn out of the station when sitting in the back car, just without the slight bank. You immediately ascend the 165 foot lift hill at a steep 45 degree angle after the turn. We reached the top of the ride pretty quickly (you can actually see the Chicago skyline from the top on a clear day, but it's kind of hard to turn around to look behind you) but we were soon heading down. The 180 foot plunge into a 15 foot tunnel was over in a blink of an eye and we sky-rocketed into a 120 foot overbank turn. You get a nice pop of air when exiting the overbank turn and immediately get some more brief seconds of air on the airtime hill that follows. You then ascend into the wooden dive loop that wasn't quite as intense as I imagined it would be. The next element is perhaps the biggest attention grabber of the ride. After exiting the dive loop, you enter the world's first Zero-G stall inversion. It's the strangest feeling inversion you can experience. You would think it would feel like you're going to fall out of your seat, but you sort of just float in the air while suspended completely upside down. There's really no words to describe this element, you just have to ride it for yourself. The ride finishes off with an overbank twist & shout turn and another pop of air while entering the brake run. You can finally breathe and try to get your heart rate back to normal as you enter the station. Overall, it's by far the best roller coaster that has ever come to Six Flags Great America in my opinion. Between the awesome airtime and insane inversions, it has everything you could want on a roller coaster. It cracks my top 5 roller coaster I've ever been on and while not quite as good as its older sister Outlaw Run, it's not far behind. That's a huge compliment considering how amazing Outlaw Run is. For the limited space that the park had to work with, Six Flags Great America and RMC did a fantastic job with Goliath! It's a must ride attraction. Now, here are a few photos I took while in line for the ride... Waiting for them to let us into the queue a few minutes after 10. Got my boarding pass! I'm rider #172. Glad I got here somewhat early and didn't have to wait in this line. Let's play "Who Can Spot Alan Schilke in This Pic?". Nice theming for the entrance... for a Six Flags attraction. Definitely a must ride coaster! My Review and Photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristenstep23 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Alright... I still need to get on goliath and need to figure out time to go now. Now that more people have gone. Larger riders... If I cleared Top Thrill and MF yesterday can I get on Goliath? Or should I wait and diet. I am losing weight either way. I don't want to waste a drive. Sometimes I think I am 25 and can drive 4 hrs to a park go all day and then drive 4 hrs home, but I can't anymore. 34 is different, I feel young and ready to go, but at the end of the day I am done and need to get a hotel I found out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBears Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Alright... I still need to get on goliath and need to figure out time to go now. Now that more people have gone. Larger riders... If I cleared Top Thrill and MF yesterday can I get on Goliath? Or should I wait and diet. I am losing weight either way. I don't want to waste a drive. Sometimes I think I am 25 and can drive 4 hrs to a park go all day and then drive 4 hrs home, but I can't anymore. 34 is different, I feel young and ready to go, but at the end of the day I am done and need to get a hotel I found out. The seatbelt on Millennium Force was very tight on me when I went 3 years ago. I think I've actually gained a little more since then (although I've also gotten a tad taller) and made it on both Outlaw Run and Goliath with room to spare this year. I can't make any guarantees, but I saw some very heavy people ride Goliath yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristenstep23 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Alright... I still need to get on goliath and need to figure out time to go now. Now that more people have gone. Larger riders... If I cleared Top Thrill and MF yesterday can I get on Goliath? Or should I wait and diet. I am losing weight either way. I don't want to waste a drive. Sometimes I think I am 25 and can drive 4 hrs to a park go all day and then drive 4 hrs home, but I can't anymore. 34 is different, I feel young and ready to go, but at the end of the day I am done and need to get a hotel I found out. The seatbelt on Millennium Force was very tight on me when I went 3 years ago. I think I've actually gained a little more since then (although I've also gotten a tad taller) and made it on both Outlaw Run and Goliath with room to spare this year. I can't make any guarantees, but I saw some very heavy people ride Goliath yesterday. Cool to know. I never have many issues, except Cedar Point. I had to make a decision the night before Goliath opening and bailed because of high chance of thunder. However in the morning it was clear. Made out like a bandit at CP though as all the rides were pretty much walk on. I rode Gatekeeper 5 times in an hour. I couldn't get on Mantis though due to size. Got on everything else. Never had an issue anywhere else. Kings island this year didn't have a single issue.thanks for the info. Last time I was in Gurnee no issues either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tororific Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 the air time on Goliath is 10x better than El Toro. How is that even possible? lol It's not. I don't believe it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XYZ Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 the air time on Goliath is 10x better than El Toro. How is that even possible? lol It's not. I don't believe it! It's -15 Gs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SingleRiderWill Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 One question, did anyone see the FlashPass line? does it join with the queue or does it go all the way to the station? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoBears Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80553658/Cool review by Chicago Tribune with some interesting bits of information in it, like that Great America had RMC sign a non-compete clause so that they couldnt produce a taller faster steeper wooden coaster that would unthrown Goliath for a specified number of years. Im working on a review but in the meantime, lets play a game and get this convo rolling. Lets call it "overheard at Media Day" or "leaks from media day." If you overheard something interesting and informative we havent heard yet while at media day, please share. If you had a great conversation / interview/ picked the brain of any RMC designers or leadership, please spill the beans! I dont expect to hear something that hasnt been announced-like a colossus story. But i think we would all appreciate any interesting facts regarding the designers, the ride, the design process, the elements, inspiration, engineering, etc. Here's one. Very Screamscape worthy. I was waiting in line with a high up member of the maintenance staff yesterday. He did a bunch of the electrical work on Goliath and rode it before everyone else, does ride maintenance, etc. He was talking to his wife and kids about the building of the ride. His (nearly) exact quote was "The Eagle's next. First we got Goliath then we have these guys redo the Eagle. It's a major investment but that was the long term goal." Now, why maintenance personnel would have access to the long term development strategy of the park is beyond me, but within organizations people talk and it's actual conversations with actual employees that can create a change in the organization/give the organization direction. We don't often get the chance to hear the back-door musings of the park personnel and it was funny to hear him say this. I'm one those people who thinks that all American Eagle needs is some re-tracking and new paint. With that said, simply re-tracking the ride and spending a ton of money on new paint won't necessarily draw in more guests to the ride. I have noticed a decline in attendance for the ride since I first started riding it over a decade ago. SFGAm is better off investing in I-Box track for the ride, repainting it, and adding new elements (such as an inversion or two to each side) with the I-box track so they can market it as a new ride instead of just spending millions to re-track it and repaint it only to see a slight increase in attendance if that. I could see an iron horse treatment coming to Eagle for the park's 40th anniversary in 2016 or sometime after that for a few reasons. The first one being what I said in the first paragraph. If they're going to spend millions to redo the ride, they might as well go all out to not only refresh the ride, but breathe new life into it which will attract thousands of people from all over to come ride Goliath and "Iron Eagle". The 2nd reason being marketing which tags along with my first reason. You're not going to bring it many guests to a ride that was re-tracked and repainted. Most of the GP won't care about that or will even notice it. That's a huge investment in itself and probably not worth it. Repainting a roller coaster is very expensive, especially when the coaster has more supports than just about any other wooden coaster in the world. I'm not a finance expert nor do I know how much they've put into X-Flight and Goliath over the last 3 years so I don't even know if they could do something like this. I could be wrong, but I just feel going the I-Box route, while more expensive initially, is far better for the park in the long run then spending millions refreshing the ride and probably not attracting that many more guests to ride it. Either direction they go, I would be happy with it. This has been my favorite coaster at the park for over 10 years now up until yesterday when I rode Goliath, but even I have to admit, it really needs some love. Yesterday was the first time I've ever heard multiple people from different groups mention how bad Eagle has gotten and I have to agree. I love a good classic shaky wooden coaster, but the helixes have been bad for some years and now the bottom of some of the drops are getting a bit too rough for my tastes. Perhaps I'm just being greedy and wanting RMC to do another project at the park, but in all honesty, would this really be a bad direction for the park to go with American Eagle? Again, I'm no finance expert and I understand this isn't some game where they can spend $10+ million every couple years, but I just wanted to share my thoughts. I would love to hear everyone else's thoughts on this too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggerg56 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 One question, did anyone see the FlashPass line? does it join with the queue or does it go all the way to the station? If they're using it as they intended there's a separate gate with a divider that runs up the entry stairs. I haven't actually seen it in actaion but that's the way others have described it. It also sounds like some single riders have been sent through there. Goliath is Platinum FlashPass only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 ^Yes, there is a separate gate by the stairs, and Flashpassers go up the right side of the stairs to the station. Did not see more than one pair of people using that entrance in the hour it took to get past it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfgam11 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 the air time on Goliath is 10x better than El Toro. How is that even possible? lol In my opinion it is haha. Just the length of airtime on Goliath was better than El Toro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glouthan Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 We all have our own opinions. I see no reason to question someone over their opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boldikus Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 This thing looks great, who even knows when I'll get to ride it. I have really been enjoying watching all the rider vids. That zero-g stall looks insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoopScreweD Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 The eagle is great how it is I'd rather they make a concerted effort to improve various facets of the park experience for the 40th anniversary including repainting. However I do feel that topper track on the small helixes at least would help immensely as now there the anticlimactic slow shuffle fest to the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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