GCI Wooden Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hey, we are thinking of heading to the park during the second or third week of June (most likely on a Tuesday or Wednesday). Will lines be a problem? Also, I want to get on all the coasters, what is the best way to start the day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Wolf 90-11 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hey, we are thinking of heading to the park during the second or third week of June (most likely on a Tuesday or Wednesday). Will lines be a problem? Also, I want to get on all the coasters, what is the best way to start the day? I go to Great America over 25 times a year so I have experience at the park. I think that lines will most likely be a problem but not as bad if you went later in summer. Most kids are out of school by this time so it shouldn't be filled with schools taking trips. It is still pretty early in the summer season too. So I think you should be good without flash pass. When you enter Carousel Plaza, you can either go to the right which would lead you into Hometown Square or you can go to the left which will lead you into Orleans Place. What I normally do, and suggest you doing is taking the left path through Orleans Place because majority of people go to the right for Hometown Square. If you really want to ride Goliath, X-Flight, or Raging Bull a lot then I would suggest hitting those pretty early in the day. If you wanted to do that, I would say start in the back of the park and then work your way up to front. I would eat at JB's BBQ in Southwest Territory. It has some of the the best food in the park and you can get beer and mixed and alcoholic drinks there. In addition there are tv's to watch sporting events on. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Would it be better to start with Goliath or start with Raging Bull? I'm thinking to start with Goliath because Raging Bull and X-Flight are high capacity B&M coasters, is this a good idea? Also, Whizzer, it looks like it is low capacity, do the lines get long for this one often? The mouse-in-a-box, how does this one do line-wise? I know that at Valleyfair the mouse sometimes has the longest line in the park, so I was wondering if this is the same everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willthegolfer Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Whizzer does usually have a fairly lengthy line. It generally has similar wait times as the major coasters in the park. On a Wednesday, however, it should be no more than 30 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VF15 Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 ^^ Yep, hit Goliath first since it's capacity is low compared to the B&Ms in the park. Although, they do have a single-rider line that you could use, but I don't know if it will be run the same way next year. You had to wait in the overflow queue until you got to the main entrance where they would give you a single-rider pass (it will probably depends on whether or not they are still using the overflow queue next year). The Dark Knight Coaster (mouse-in-a-box) had a pretty long line in addition to being a low-capacity ride, so this is a ride you could probably skip if you're not that concerned about credits. Haven't ridden Whizzer yet, so I wouldn't know. Also, Superman: Ultimate Flight is one that you should ride early in the day because during the past two times I went to this park, I never saw the wait time go below 75 minutes. Of course, I'm not a local to this park, so someone else will probably be able to give better advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ok, thanks for the responses! However, we will be visiting this park on Monday (6-8-15), how will this effect our visit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^ While a Monday would be better than a weekend, in the summer there are always a lot of people at the park. Don't expect any walk ons, and you will need a Flash Pass if you want to ride all 14 coasters. Batman is skippable if you've ridden it elsewhere, though it is the best of its clones that I've ridden. Superman and Dark Knight are also skippable as they're just not up to par with the other coasters. Don't miss anything else. I liked Raging Bull far less than I thought I would, and I liked Demon and Viper much more than I expected, so your experience will depend on your own preferences. The three best coasters there are Goliath, Whizzer, and American Eagle. They have a large selection of good flats, too, if you're into those. There's nothing unique, so it's not a must, but on the other hand, most guests are there for the coasters, so the flats generally have very short lines, and a lot are walk ons. Giant Drop was my favourite flat. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 How much does a flash pass cost? I couldn't find it on their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VF15 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^ Not completely sure, but I think it's $55 for Regular, $80 for Gold, and $115 for Platinum (please correct me if I'm wrong). I would at least buy the Gold level Flash Pass because Regular really won't do much for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GwaziBSRider1 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Their website says that prices for this year will be available in the Spring. It also looks like Goliath is only available on Platinum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 OK, I feel really stupid asking this, but how does Flash Pass work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VF15 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^ Regular makes you wait as long as everyone else but not in line. Gold cuts normal wait time in half with no waiting in line. Platinum reduces wait time by 90% (ex. 100 minute wait time, you ride in 10 minutes) and you get to reride without changing seats. Goliath is only available on the Platinum level, and I don't think they allow rerides on Goliath and V2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Ok, so you register into a virtual queue, and the Q-Bot gives you a time to be at that ride, correct? Can you register into multiple rides at once so you can go from ride to ride to ride without stopping? And what if you are late to the ride (Example: The bot says to be at the ride at 12:30 but you get to the ride at 12:45, what happens?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Turbo Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^If you are late it keeps your reservation for that ride until you ride it or cancel it. You cannot reserve multiple rides, but you can book you next ride once you have checked in for the ride and merged with the regular queue. Many times by the time you ride and then walk to the next ride your reservation with be up, that is if you are using the Gold or Platinum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GwaziBSRider1 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^ You left out the part where the damn thing keeps vibrating until you get to the ride! I used one at Dollywood a few years ago, and I was on the train when my time came up for Wild Eagle. That thing drove me crazy with its constant reminders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThemeParkJunkie51290 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Ok, so you register into a virtual queue, and the Q-Bot gives you a time to be at that ride, correct? Can you register into multiple rides at once so you can go from ride to ride to ride without stopping? And what if you are late to the ride (Example: The bot says to be at the ride at 12:30 but you get to the ride at 12:45, what happens?) Depending on your finance, I suggest getting the Platinum Flash Pass! That way you don't have to wait long at all! Anytime I visit a Cedar Fair Park or Six Flags Park I always invest in the "best of the best." Fast Lane Plus or Platinum Flash Pass (including adding a coaster if need be). I only visit a theme park once so I have to get the most out of my day. I plan on going to SFGA next year on my way to Minnesota, but I'm not sure. Just take a little extra funds just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaceBoarder Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 You will have about a 10-20 minute wait once you merge with the line after the Flash Pass entrance... Does the Flash Pass account for this when you select your time? I.E. Wait time is listed at 60 minutes... Available "check in" time listed is 45-50 minutes till you can check in... Also, prices last year were $50/75/110.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 You will have about a 10-20 minute wait once you merge with the line after the Flash Pass entrance... Does the Flash Pass account for this when you select your time? I.E. Wait time is listed at 60 minutes... Available "check in" time listed is 45-50 minutes till you can check in... Also, prices last year were $50/75/110.... No, the calculation is very simple. If the regular queue is 60 minutes, then the platinum will tell you a 6 minute wait. You must wait until it buzzes to check-in, then you join the regular queue. Where that point is varies from ride to ride. In my experience, X-Flight had the longest wait from the check-in point, while for Goliath, the two flumes, and the rapids ride, after checking in, you were on the next train/log/raft. I got the platinum flash pass, and it was great! I reserved the next ride as soon as possible, and I only had to wait a couple of times for the flash pass to buzz. In fact, when it happened, it took me by surprise, because otherwise it was ready for me before I arrived at the next ride. So yes, it's expensive--$110 last year. But you NEED it. Without it, you will spend your entire day standing in hot queues (most of them are not covered). With it, you get to ride more, yes--but you also get to take your time and enjoy the scenery. It is a well-themed and beautiful park, not something I usually say about Six Flags, so take it in. You'll be glad you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaceBoarder Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 You will have about a 10-20 minute wait once you merge with the line after the Flash Pass entrance... Does the Flash Pass account for this when you select your time? I.E. Wait time is listed at 60 minutes... Available "check in" time listed is 45-50 minutes till you can check in... Also, prices last year were $50/75/110.... No, the calculation is very simple. If the regular queue is 60 minutes, then the platinum will tell you a 6 minute wait. You must wait until it buzzes to check-in, then you join the regular queue. Where that point is varies from ride to ride. In my experience, X-Flight had the longest wait from the check-in point, while for Goliath, the two flumes, and the rapids ride, after checking in, you were on the next train/log/raft. I got the platinum flash pass, and it was great! I reserved the next ride as soon as possible, and I only had to wait a couple of times for the flash pass to buzz. In fact, when it happened, it took me by surprise, because otherwise it was ready for me before I arrived at the next ride. So yes, it's expensive--$110 last year. But you NEED it. Without it, you will spend your entire day standing in hot queues (most of them are not covered). With it, you get to ride more, yes--but you also get to take your time and enjoy the scenery. It is a well-themed and beautiful park, not something I usually say about Six Flags, so take it in. You'll be glad you did. That's what I was questioning... Sign outside says 60 minutes... You have to wait 6 minutes till the timer buzzes... Then you have another 10-15 minute wait once you check in at the Flash Pass Entrance... Almost all of the roller coasters will merge the Flash Pass line with the regular line at the stairs heading into the station... Usually people are lined up down the stairs... It's fairly consistent among the coasters, so I didn't know if the wait time after check-in was accounted for by the pass... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytterbiumanalyst Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 ^ And that is exactly why the advertising for the Flash Pass says "up to 90% off." Theoretically you could get 90% off your wait time, but in reality, it's usually about 60-75% off. Which is still fantastic, and well worth the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anewman35 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 So yes, it's expensive--$110 last year. But you NEED it. Without it, you will spend your entire day standing in hot queues (most of them are not covered). With it, you get to ride more, yes--but you also get to take your time and enjoy the scenery. It is a well-themed and beautiful park, not something I usually say about Six Flags, so take it in. You'll be glad you did. No, you really don't NEED it. Plenty of people have perfectly nice days there without spending close to twice what it cost to get in. I guess if you have the money and have nothing better to spend it on, go for it, but to some people (like me) that's a LOT of money, and I really don't think anybody should be made to feel like there's no point going if they're not going to spend over $100 a person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 So yes, it's expensive--$110 last year. But you NEED it. Without it, you will spend your entire day standing in hot queues (most of them are not covered). With it, you get to ride more, yes--but you also get to take your time and enjoy the scenery. It is a well-themed and beautiful park, not something I usually say about Six Flags, so take it in. You'll be glad you did. No, you really don't NEED it. Plenty of people have perfectly nice days there without spending close to twice what it cost to get in. I guess if you have the money and have nothing better to spend it on, go for it, but to some people (like me) that's a LOT of money, and I really don't think anybody should be made to feel like there's no point going if they're not going to spend over $100 a person. It's over $100 a person PLUS admission! If we think that Flash Pass is necessary, we would go with Gold because Platinum is REALLY expensive (even Gold is really expensive). Thank you guys for all the responses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeydad Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I've always been against these q-bots and all because of the price...but this year we are thinking different. When we hit Carowinds in June we have one day to get our credits, so we'll be purchasing a Fast Lane. But SF is getting a bit out of control on their pricing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishCasual Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Does anyone know what crowds are going to be like during early June? From 5th-12th of June. Me and my family are going to Chicago and they want to find out what crowds, Flash Pass, etc are like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willthegolfer Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Crowds won't be terrible during the week, but expect A LOT of school grouos. Crowds on days with school groups should thin later in the day though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now