Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[Arthur_Seaton 2]

I was afraid the air hill would be nothing

I'm curious about these little high-speed, low-to-the-ground hills that have been popping up as of late (RMC seems to use them a lot). They don't seem to have much of an effect when you pass over them, but they seem to intensify whatever upwards-facing element follows. I can't imagine that this one's noticeable at all. The ones at the bottom of Twisted Colossus' first drop barely even register, yet the double down on Hang Time totally yanks your seat out from under you.

[SFStl Fan 0]

Any guesses as to whether they're going to allow the Skip the line passes that some membership levels get on Maxx Force?

 

I'm hearing they will not be allowing the Skip the Line passes and will be posting signage regarding that. However, they don't know how long the restriction will be in effect as it will depend on crowd levels.

[joelwee 4]

Great report! This looks like a great ride, and I don't know why everyone gives it so much flak while raving about Dragster / Kingda Ka / Xcelerator. It's a short ride, but I'd take a short coaster with a kickass launch over a longer coaster with a mediocre launch.

[jlp94 0]

The ride was open tonight to passholders so I got to try it for the first time!

 

Here are my "enthusiast" thoughts on Maxx Force...

- The launch is AWESOME! Definitely what I expected! And soaring up into the first element is really cool.

- The ride is VERY smooth, though maybe it's too smooth

- After the first element, the ride was fast and smooth but not all that thrilling. I didn't feel any force in them and I was expecting to get thrown around a bit in the inversions but I didn't feel any whip at all. Though I didn't ride in the very front so that probably had something to do with it.

- The ride may be short and it feels shorter than a ride like Goliath but it does feel a bit longer than the 20 seconds it is which is good.

- The ride broke down twice through the 90 minute wait, and it was only open to passholders. Hopefully some of the bugs are found and fixed early on so the lines move quickly.

- There were some guys from S&S there inspecting the ride and how it performed which was totally cool! I had a bit of a nerd moment.

 

Overall, the ride is going to be a huge hit with the public. They'll line up for hours to give the record-breaking launch a try and that's great! As an enthusiast I definitely liked it but I probably wouldn't wait longer than 90 minutes for it. However, do note that I both didn't ride in the front and this is only the second day it's ever operated with people so it still has some time to warm up and I can still re-ride it!

 

Overall rating: 8/10, my #3 coaster in the park behind Goliath and Batman

 

Some photos I took...

Maxx Force REALLY adds to the park skyline! You can see it as far back as Raging Bull and Giant Drop on the interstate!

Being at the front of the park, it also adds to the Hurricane Harbor backdrop with Viper and Raging Bull.

My dad and I (thanks for taking me, dad!) were some of the later riders so we waited a total of 90 minutes with other passholders. The line will never be this short the rest of the season with the GP so I'm glad I rode it today!

Everyone anxiously awaits the record-breaking launch...

Overall I really liked the ride! It didn't blow me away, but it was fun and I came back smiling so I'd say Six Flags has a winner!

Here's a panorama view from the queue. My favorite photo op from waiting was when Raging Bull hit the turnaround at the same time Maxx Force hit the first inversion. Sadly I never had my phone out when this happened but I saw it which was still cool!

Here's the famous barrel roll that broke the record for the fastest inversion in the world! 60 mph the whole way through!

Some joy, some fear, some hands up, some holding on for dear life... how will YOU ride Maxx Force?

This inversion combo was my favorite part of the ride! Hitting it with all that speed was awesome, all the hangtime is awesome, and the views you get of the park are so unique!

By the time it was our turn to ride, it was dark out which made the launch all the more fun. Overall I had a great time at the park tonight and I wish them the best with the public opening tomorrow!

[RollingCoasting 0]

I was fortunate enough to grab a ride on Maxx Force today as well. I waited about 2 and 1/2 hours (Still 2 hours shorter than my first wait for Goliath) and have no regrets. The ride was amazing! Yes, it's short, but it packs in so much in such a short amount of time. Like most, the launch is my favorite part of the ride. I feel like people have always claimed that while SFGAm has a fairly well-rounded line-up, the park lacks in intense coasters. It's safe to say that is no longer the case. I would love to ride this thing over and over if the line wouldn't be so long. I will say though, for a coaster with not very good capacity the line seemed to move at an acceptable pace once in the switchbacks. My only gripe with the ride is that you're not allowed to put your hands up on the launch.

 

Also, I love the huge boom the air compressors make, it really adds to the excitement while waiting in line. I know most people find the alarm before the launch a little annoying, but I actually like it. This might sound dumb but I feel like it gives the coaster kind of a "sketchy" feel since the same alarm plays on the air launch coasters in China with the really funky banked turns and such.

 

Super happy to have this ride at my homepark. I can't wait to ride again!

[bert425 66]

Nice pics, JLP

 

thanks for sharing

[bert425 66]

Great report Steve! Maxx Force looks like a blast and that launch looks EPIC!

 

Does that little hop right after the launch give any airtime?

 

I was wondering the same thing.

 

and agreed, great report Steve. thanks for sharing.

[anonymouscactus 28]

My only gripe with the ride is that you're not allowed to put your hands up on the launch.

 

Huh? I can see them maybe not launching it until all arms are down but what is going to stop anyone from putting them up after the all clear/launch? I can't see how that can be enforced in any way shape or form. Unless I'm missing something.

 

It's probably not a good idea due to the forces, but, I'd imagine lots of people would do it. It's not any different from any other ride where they advise you to keep your arms inside the train at all times. Right? As soon as the launch starts on Dragster, everyone throws their hands up I can't see how this would be any different unless security is waiting at the exit and kicking people out, lol.

[Canobie Coaster 78]

^ I'm pretty sure they do the same thing on a lot of the hydraulic launch coasters.

[RollingCoasting 0]

You're right that they're probably not going to do anything about it, but they seemed to be strongly discouraging it, telling people to keep their hands down on the launch while coming by to check restraints. On the cycle right before mine, a dude put his hands up a few seconds before the launch and an op went on the microphone telling him to put them down. He seemed to have gotten away with it though as they launched the train.

 

Who knows, maybe they are only saying it in case the fingerprint scanner lady comes back to the park and decides to file a lawsuit because her son hurt his arms on the launch

[Arthur_Seaton 2]

but they seemed to be strongly discouraging it

Well, aside from in their promo shots that is.

Hands Up!

[diggerg56 0]

You're right that they're probably not going to do anything about it, but they seemed to be strongly discouraging it, telling people to keep their hands down on the launch while coming by to check restraints. On the cycle right before mine, a dude put his hands up a few seconds before the launch and an op went on the microphone telling him to put them down. He seemed to have gotten away with it though as they launched the train.

 

Who knows, maybe they are only saying it in case the fingerprint scanner lady comes back to the park and decides to file a lawsuit because her son hurt his arms on the launch

 

At Cedar Point for Top Thrill Dragster they have a recording the operator triggers that says "arms down" while you're waiting for launch. Some operators keep playing it until everyone puts their arms down, others don't. I haven't seen anyone's arms fly off yet.

[diggerg56 0]

Anyone notice if there us a single rider line for Maxx Force?

[jlp94 0]

^ There's supposed to be, they said so sometime back in Spring. But there's no indication of it yet.

[ilrider 0]

Anyone notice if there us a single rider line for Maxx Force?

 

There was not, but they were calling out for single riders near the station, so some riders got to jump ahead.

 

Great ride! My son and I got on this morning. That launch is nuts!

 

A guy put his hands up during the launch and was fine. I would not recommend it though. It is very forceful!

 

Operations were good, and the ride has not gone down yet, so looks like we have a pretty reliable new ride.

Edited July 4, 2019 by ilrider

[jlp94 0]

^ How long have the lines been? Up to 3-4 hours?

[prozach626 71]

- The ride is VERY smooth, though maybe it's too smooth

 

2019 - When not only can rides be criticized for being too rough, but they can finally be criticized for being too smooth. Personally, my only complaint was that the seats are too comfortable.

 

My only gripe with the ride is that you're not allowed to put your hands up on the launch.

 

It's a liability thing. If you send a thousand riders with their hands up someone is likely to strain a muscle and blame Six Flags.

[ilrider 0]

^ How long have the lines been? Up to 3-4 hours?

 

Worst I heard it got from a manager was 2 hours yesterday for the preview. We waited an hour 15 minutes this morning, but that was because we got in line when the Coke ERT started, well before the ride opened, to be near the front. It was 75 minutes when we left at 1:30 today. Not too bad at all. They are dispatching pretty quickly, and I honestly think this ride is scaring some people away. There were not a lot of young kids in line. My son is 10, but he has been riding everything for years and has no fear.

[Superbatboy 7]

This seems to be a success, wonder how many copy and paste jobs Six Flags will do with this model.

[southpuddle 10]

As a former TTD ride op, I’ve seen a handful of dislocated shoulders from people who had their hands up on the launch, so I understand. Granted, that’s only a handful out of tens of thousands of times I’ve witnessed it, but this is the reason for the rule, I’m sure.

[SteVeUrkle 0]

As a former TTD ride op, I’ve seen a handful of dislocated shoulders from people who had their hands up on the launch, so I understand. Granted, that’s only a handful out of tens of thousands of times I’ve witnessed it, but this is the reason for the rule, I’m sure.

 

I have not yet ridden an air-launched coaster, but undoubtedly the force based on the speed to second ratio means the launch is just as, if not more aggressive than the hydraulic launches. I could understand the parks having that warning just to save their butts if a dislocated shoulder from a rider were to happen.

 

I'm a pretty tough guy but as I'm getting older injuries suck. I imagine they have that policy just to cover their butts if someone does hurt themselves while riding. I keep my hands down on most launches these days, and honestly it does not affect the ride experience at all.

 

I still have not seen a response to the question about that little bump after the launch, does it give a pop of air at all?

[prozach626 71]

This seems to be a success, wonder how many copy and paste jobs Six Flags will do with this model.

 

It's a pretty big undertaking for a copy/paste ride. It's not like a free-spin. No one has said one word about SeaWorld/Busch having two Skyrocket 2 coasters, but people will undoubtedly complain if this ride were to be copied in just one other SF park.

 

I still have not seen a response to the question about that little bump after the launch, does it give a pop of air at all?

I'm not sure if these elements do much. My guess is that they seem like a good filler instead of longer stretches of straight track so that that coaster designers can put elements where they want without leaving any lull in the action.

Edited July 4, 2019 by prozach626

[thrillseeker4552 33]

This seems to be a success, wonder how many copy and paste jobs Six Flags will do with this model.

 

There are many parks in the Six Flags chain that could greatly benefit from a ride like Maxx Force (SFOG and SFNE come to mind). Hopefully they would develop custom layouts, but if Six Flags were to clone this ride I personally wouldn't mind at all.

 

It's also nice to hear the ride is running fairly consistently and efficiently. Given the issues Gale Force and Merlin's Mayhem had, it's nice to see S&S have a major win. I hope the same for Steel Curtain.

[ilrider 0]

As a former TTD ride op, I’ve seen a handful of dislocated shoulders from people who had their hands up on the launch, so I understand. Granted, that’s only a handful out of tens of thousands of times I’ve witnessed it, but this is the reason for the rule, I’m sure.

 

I have not yet ridden an air-launched coaster, but undoubtedly the force based on the speed to second ratio means the launch is just as, if not more aggressive than the hydraulic launches. I could understand the parks having that warning just to save their butts if a dislocated shoulder from a rider were to happen.

 

I'm a pretty tough guy but as I'm getting older injuries suck. I imagine they have that policy just to cover their butts if someone does hurt themselves while riding. I keep my hands down on most launches these days, and honestly it does not affect the ride experience at all.

 

I still have not seen a response to the question about that little bump after the launch, does it give a pop of air at all?

 

No, there really is no air on the bump after the launch that I noticed. It is just there for the track to pass under after coming back down from the double inversion. It does create a head chopper effect coming back down.

Edited July 4, 2019 by ilrider

[ilrider 0]

As a former TTD ride op, I’ve seen a handful of dislocated shoulders from people who had their hands up on the launch, so I understand. Granted, that’s only a handful out of tens of thousands of times I’ve witnessed it, but this is the reason for the rule, I’m sure.

 

I have not yet ridden an air-launched coaster, but undoubtedly the force based on the speed to second ratio means the launch is just as, if not more aggressive than the hydraulic launches. I could understand the parks having that warning just to save their butts if a dislocated shoulder from a rider were to happen.

 

I'm a pretty tough guy but as I'm getting older injuries suck. I imagine they have that policy just to cover their butts if someone does hurt themselves while riding. I keep my hands down on most launches these days, and honestly it does not affect the ride experience at all.

 

I still have not seen a response to the question about that little bump after the launch, does it give a pop of air at all?

 

Deleted due to duplicate post.