Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[ytterbiumanalyst]

[DaMarkSta]

Mouse in a box!

[Canobie Coaster]

If SFNE and Great Adventure are any indication, they'll run pretty much anything that's staffed or not water based.

[coasterbill]

I'll be very curious to see what coaster runs in the Chicago Christmas cold . . . .

 

Dark Knight is obvious, Batman the Ride is confirmed on the website, Joker and Superman are shown in B Roll from Great Adventure which is not a confirmation, but it’s also highly plausible.

 

My assumption would be Dark Knight and the B&Ms will run (aside from Raging Bull as that area will likely be closed). Anything else in that area is a crapshoot though I’d lean towards all of them being closed aside from the kiddy coasters if I had to venture a guess.

 

That’s totally based on me flat out guessing based on what they’re doing elsewhere though.

[TurnOfTheCentury]

I'll be very curious to see what coaster runs in the Chicago Christmas cold . . . .

 

Dark Knight is obvious, Batman the Ride is confirmed on the website, Joker and Superman are shown in B Roll from Great Adventure which is not a confirmation, but it’s also highly plausible.

 

My assumption would be Dark Knight and the B&Ms will run (aside from Raging Bull as that area will likely be closed). Anything else in that area is a crapshoot though I’d lean towards all of them being closed aside from the kiddy coasters if I had to venture a guess.

 

That’s totally based on me flat out guessing based on what they’re doing elsewhere though.

 

Seems reasonable. Will be interesting to ride something like Batman if we get one of those polar vortices.

[TurnOfTheCentury]

If SFNE and Great Adventure are any indication, they'll run pretty much anything that's staffed or not water based.

 

with respect, Chicago winters can be degrees of magnitude colder (having lived in both Boston and Chicago, I can attest to Chicago winters having some horrific wind chill days and deep dips, even if the high averages in January are only about 5 degrees apart between the cities.).

[Ed Farmer]

Will be interesting to ride something like Batman if we get one of those polar vortices.

I've actually been praying for exactly that ever since I learned it was possible.

[coasterbill]

If SFNE and Great Adventure are any indication, they'll run pretty much anything that's staffed or not water based.

 

with respect, Chicago winters can be degrees of magnitude colder (having lived in both Boston and Chicago, I can attest to Chicago winters having some horrific wind chill days and deep dips, even if the high averages in January are only about 5 degrees apart between the cities.).

 

You also have to remember that the parks are willing to lose some days for weather. Like yeah... if it’s a high of 10 degrees the park is going to close that day and they’re cool with that. New England didn’t open for like 5 days and they considered it enough of a success to state that on a conference call and then expanded the event to Great America after seeing how that performed (though it did get down to 10 degrees one night in New England last year and Mind Eraser ran in it).

[TurnOfTheCentury]

If SFNE and Great Adventure are any indication, they'll run pretty much anything that's staffed or not water based.

 

with respect, Chicago winters can be degrees of magnitude colder (having lived in both Boston and Chicago, I can attest to Chicago winters having some horrific wind chill days and deep dips, even if the high averages in January are only about 5 degrees apart between the cities.).

 

You also have to remember that the parks are willing to lose some days for weather. Like yeah... if it’s a high of 10 degrees the park is going to close that day and they’re cool with that. New England didn’t open for like 5 days and they considered it enough of a success to state that on a conference call and then expanded the event to Great America after seeing how that performed (though it did get down to 10 degrees one night in New England last year and Mind Eraser ran in it).

 

So amazing that they can run these rides that cold.

I will definitely check it out. With a tauntaun, of course.

[TurnOfTheCentury]

Will be interesting to ride something like Batman if we get one of those polar vortices.

I've actually been praying for exactly that ever since I learned it was possible.

 

[Danrarbc]

Batman STL ran in to the low teens last year until ice buildup shut it down. If it was a drier cold it would have probably worked fine even lower. Ice even shut the ferris wheel down.

 

Chicago is probably going to run in to the same issue. Moisture will shut things down before raw temperature will.

[Tuly]

Hi everyone I know this probably is a frequently asked question but my family is planning a trip to Six flags on the weekend of the 28th-30th and we noticed that fright fest hours have started! I just wanted to know if we should plan to go Friday from 5-9 or Saturday, depending on which day will have shorter lines and less crowded overall while still getting to most rides in. Thanks!

[Ed Farmer]

You should definitely shoot for Friday.

[RaceBoarder]

https://www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/news/six-flags-magic-waters

 

 

Six Flags will manage Magic Waters, a waterpark in Rockford, IL....

 

Ho hum.... Park is out in the middle of nowhere... Probably a good thing if you live in Rockford, but not really doing much for the rest of the Chicago area...

[jedimaster1227]

https://www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/news/six-flags-magic-waters

 

Six Flags is adding Magic Waters in Rockford, IL to their list of water parks! Six Flags will operate the park starting in Spring 2019!

 

 

The Rockford Park District Board of Commissioners has approved a lease agreement that allows Six Flags Entertainment Corporation to operate Magic Waters Waterpark starting in the spring of 2019. This lease agreement is expected to be signed in the near future, and allows the largest regional theme park company in the world to bring its unique and innovative brand to the Rockford market.

 

Magic Waters Waterpark, a 43-acre waterpark located in Rockford, Illinois, has been owned and operated by the Rockford Park District since 1988. The park features a wide array of tube slides and body slides; an expansive children’s play area; a 1200 ft. lazy river; and Tsunami Bay, Illinois’ largest wavepool.

 

“We are excited about the prospect of welcoming Magic Waters to the Six Flags family of parks,” said Six Flags Great America Park President Hank Salemi. “This is a fantastic property that complements our theme and waterpark in Gurnee and provides tremendous added value for our Season Passholders and Members. We look forward to bringing our unique and innovative brand of thrills to this important market.”

 

The lease agreement is expected to be finalized in the near future and commence in spring of 2019.

 

"The Rockford Park District has always had a strong culture of collaboration,” said Jay Sandine, Rockford Park District Executive Director. “Partnering with Six Flags means great things for our community and will enhance the experience for local families looking for affordable family fun. By having the Six Flags brand in this market we expect a major increase in tourism which will have significant economic impact for our community. Six Flags will continue to make capital investments in the waterpark, which frees up District resources to invest in our communities’ priorities such as parks, playgrounds, and youth.”

 

When the lease begins, Six Flags Gold Season Passes and Memberships will offer admission to Six Flags Great America, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Magic Waters and any other Six Flags theme park, as well as free parking and special admission offers for friends.

Edited October 10, 2018 by jedimaster1227

[Danrarbc]

This is a very odd deal for Six Flags. The park is basically 75 miles from both Chicago and Milwaukee and while it is the largest water park anywhere near Chicago there are still options closer and if you're in Milwaukee the Dells would probably be your destination.

[coasterbill]

They want to grow their membership base. I don't think the goal is to get Six Flags passholders to venture out to Magic Waters in droves (though some people will and that's a win for Six Flags too), I think the goal is to get people who visit Magic Waters to buy memberships, visit Great America and add to their growing subscription base.

 

This is pretty much just a repeat of what they were doing like 10-15 years ago when they operated parks like Wyandot Lake, though I guess you could argue that they''ll likely have more success with retention due to their new membership model. Hell, even if they decide to cut this place loose in a few years I wouldn't be shocked if (depending on the verbiage of the membership agreement) they just keep billing these people anyway and actually retain a lot of them.

[Danrarbc]

I suppose it's true that they may be looking at moving people the opposite direction. But how many memberships can they really start in Rockford?

[coasterbill]

I feel like Six Flags probably got a great deal here.

 

From what I can tell, the park was being run by the local parks district (so like... the people who are responsible for small public community parks) and it sounds like it was too large and volatile for them to handle. The head of the park district recently said that they wanted to sell or lease it because "Magic Waters because it’s so weather-dependent out there and when we have a bad summer, it really affects the whole park district financially.” (link).

 

So it looks like it was a burden on the city and they had bipartisan support to unload it. I don't think this is going to lead to massive growth or anything, but if Six Flags sees a small increase in their passholder base (they've undoubtedly added a lot of value to the Six Flags membership for anyone in this area) and if this place is even slightly profitable it's probably a good deal for the right price.

[Danrarbc]

I feel like Six Flags probably got a great deal here.

 

From what I can tell, the park was being run by the local parks district (so like... the people who are responsible for small public community parks) and it sounds like it was too large and volatile for them to handle. The head of the park district recently said that they wanted to sell or lease it because "Magic Waters because it’s so weather-dependent out there and when we have a bad summer, it really affects the whole park district financially.” (link).

 

So it looks like it was a burden on the city and they had bipartisan support to unload it. I don't think this is going to lead to massive growth or anything, but if Six Flags sees a small increase in their passholder base (they've undoubtedly added a lot of value to the Six Flags membership for anyone in this area) and if this place is even slightly profitable it's probably a good deal for the right price.

Yeah I kinda forgot this was a lease agreement, not a purchase, for a second.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Sounds good to me. Rockford isn't very far from Great America, so for residents there getting both parks for one price is probably appealing. Win for Rockford Parks District, win for Six Flags.

[Danrarbc]

During my visit this weekend I definitely saw lights installed for HITP in every single section of the park including Southwest Territory. Great America is almost certainly going to attempt to open the entire park.

 

As for rides X-Flight might be the biggest question B&M-wise. There are a few stall elements designed to hang you upside down for longer than you'd experience on older style rides. As the wheel lubricant thickens those stalls might become rollbacks. Goliath will probably be fine. American Eagle and Viper both have those high turns that you take at lower speeds - they might not run once the low 20s hit.

 

Nitro in Great Adventure doesn't handle the cold as well as other rides in that park, but Raging Bull seems to be a bit more 'downhill' of a layout. With the trim off I could actually see it running pretty well at low temps. If it has to stop on the MCBR it might crawl back to the station though.

 

I would say Chicago is probably going to Six Flags' hardest winter test, but St. Louis already hit single digit temperatures and showed what some limits are. Heaters in the stations aimed at the rolling stock can help. Great Adventure has some but they aren't used in St. Louis, maybe that could have kept a few rides running. I hope Sky Trek Tower is reopened for the event - it'd be a great way to see the lights.

[coasterbill]

I'm shocked that they're seriously going to open the entire park but Justice League's location did put them in a tough spot.

 

The coaster collection is bound to be really solid. Batman is confirmed, Dark Knight is a given, Superman and Joker are shown in their promo video and they run them at their other cold weather parks so I would think those will most likely be open. Already that's impressive, and anything else is a bonus. I feel like X Flight is highly likely and the other steel coasters are mostly a toss up. I don't *really* expect them to open Raging Bull but that would be hilarious and I mean... they are Six Flags. I wouldn't put be shocked if they go for it.

 

As for rides X-Flight might be the biggest question B&M-wise. There are a few stall elements designed to hang you upside down for longer than you'd experience on older style rides. As the wheel lubricant thickens those stalls might become rollbacks. Goliath will probably be fine. American Eagle and Viper both have those high turns that you take at lower speeds - they might not run once the low 20s hit.

 

Nitro in Great Adventure doesn't handle the cold as well as other rides in that park, but Raging Bull seems to be a bit more 'downhill' of a layout. With the trim off I could actually see it running pretty well at low temps. If it has to stop on the MCBR it might crawl back to the station though.

 

I would say Chicago is probably going to Six Flags' hardest winter test, but St. Louis already hit single digit temperatures and showed what some limits are. Heaters in the stations aimed at the rolling stock can help. Great Adventure has some but they aren't used in St. Louis, maybe that could have kept a few rides running. I hope Sky Trek Tower is reopened for the event - it'd be a great way to see the lights.

 

Great Adventure doesn't use wheel heaters on anything but New England does on every single coaster (aside from Fireball and Flashback). I would expect Great America to use them also (though Batman honestly doesn't need them and Superman probably doesn't either).

 

Personally I'd be shocked if they open Goliath. I'd be even more shocked if they open Viper and American Eagle though. They're set way back and they're honestly just easy to close since nobody would really care. Plus do you really expect them to shovel that American Eagle queue? Thoughts and prayers for the poor bastard that has to do that.

 

Even with all of the pathways open I would expect a decent amount of closed coasters.

[B&MGuy35]

I’m confused on why so many are shocked about the whole park opening. It was confirmed by the park after the announcement of HITP that it would be. Plus lights went up months ago now that pretty much confirmed it. I’m thinking Viper & Whizzer May be periodically closed due to MF construction but maybe the bulk of it will start after the holidays.

[coasterbill]

I’m confused on why so many are shocked about the whole park opening.

 

Because it's the only seasonal park in the chain where they opened the entire park except for Six Flags over Texas (which probably won't be seasonal for long) and it's insane and amazing because it's north of Chicago in December.

 

That said, just because all of the midways are open doesn't mean all of the coasters will be. Nobody should seriously expect that.