ilrider Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 ^I am only speculating of course, but I don't think Illinois will go full shutdown again anytime soon. Just today Pritzker sounded very optimistic (for him) and said the cases in Illinois hospitals are starting to flatten. Well over half of Illinois is vaccinated, and even though the delta variant is surging, we are in a better place than last fall. The positivity rate is just over 5% and dropped today, but was around 20% when we went full shutdown last year. I am a public school teacher here, and 4 weeks into the new school year, we have not had one case in our district of almost 4000 students and over 300 faculty and staff. The schools who are having outbreaks are not usually more than 5 cases per school, I just read this week. I think the indoor mask mandate will be the height of the mitigations for the time being, and right now that is the only place SFGAm is requiring masks, indoors. Hopefully you will be okay to take your trip out here. Have fun if you come! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tndank Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 Just an FYI: V2 is now closed until 2022. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 ^Sounds like it is getting rethemed to The Flash. Probably a new paint job to fit too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainUnknown Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Hey, a couple questions now that I'm 2 weeks from my visit on Saturday 9/25 during Fright Fest. Previously visited back in 2009. -I pre bought Platinum Flash Pass. The email I received about this talks about using it on my phone. Will I be able to get a physical band? -Any rides with mandatory fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo? Might have a bag/personal water bottle with me depending on this. -Does the park have bottle fillers? Are they active? -Recommendations for late-night eats within five miles of the park? Bonus points if Chicago-style deep dish. -X-Flight is the only ride I really need seat recommendations on -While it's currently not forecasted to rain, I'll ask anyway: does the park have an asinine rain policy? -Does Whizzer have a "no single riders" policy? -Any night rides I should prioritize? -Anything else I should know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Front. You can hang over the inverted drop and the keyhole elements are more effective. If you ride it again, choose the back row to get whipped (kinda) through the back row. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 1 hour ago, CaptainUnknown said: Hey, a couple questions now that I'm 2 weeks from my visit on Saturday 9/25 during Fright Fest. Previously visited back in 2009. -I pre bought Platinum Flash Pass. The email I received about this talks about using it on my phone. Will I be able to get a physical band? -Any rides with mandatory fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo? Might have a bag/personal water bottle with me depending on this. -Does the park have bottle fillers? Are they active? -Recommendations for late-night eats within five miles of the park? Bonus points if Chicago-style deep dish. -X-Flight is the only ride I really need seat recommendations on -While it's currently not forecasted to rain, I'll ask anyway: does the park have an asinine rain policy? -Does Whizzer have a "no single riders" policy? -Any night rides I should prioritize? -Anything else I should know? I’ll answer the ones I can: No mandatory lockers. Rides have free storage bins and racks. Get Chicago deep dish at Giordano’s 5 minutes west of the park on Grand Ave. Check hours ahead though, as some nights I know it closes at 9. X-flight seats I always like the back, but I always prefer the back on coasters. Row 4 can be used for larger riders. Rain policy is generally lightning closes the rides. Most run in the rain. Some rides such as Whizzer close in any rain. You can ride solo on Whizzer. Any coasters are good at night to me. Hit Raging Bull or Superman first. Maxx Force, you can come back to a bit later and it should not be too bad. Goliath gets busy pretty fast too, though it is in the very back of the park. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyUD06 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 @CaptainUnknownYou can still get the wristband. Just bring the voucher to the FP building 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 You used to be able to ride Whizzer with 3 in a seat! With no seatbelt, no airgates and 5 trains. But alas... either way, the ride runs better than new, a true classic (with classic trains). Ride Demon at night (so's you don't carry the headache, unless you can learn quick how to ride a new Arrow). 2nd to back seat (row 11). The drop kicks, enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Coaster Man Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 On 9/12/2021 at 7:51 PM, CaptainUnknown said: Hey, a couple questions now that I'm 2 weeks from my visit on Saturday 9/25 during Fright Fest. Previously visited back in 2009. -I pre bought Platinum Flash Pass. The email I received about this talks about using it on my phone. Will I be able to get a physical band? -Any rides with mandatory fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo? Might have a bag/personal water bottle with me depending on this. -Does the park have bottle fillers? Are they active? -Recommendations for late-night eats within five miles of the park? Bonus points if Chicago-style deep dish. -X-Flight is the only ride I really need seat recommendations on -While it's currently not forecasted to rain, I'll ask anyway: does the park have an asinine rain policy? -Does Whizzer have a "no single riders" policy? -Any night rides I should prioritize? -Anything else I should know? You will still be able to get the physical band. I would highly recommend using your phone though, unless your phone battery wont last all day. The flash pass line is brutal to wait for the physical band. The park has bottle fillers, but I cant say if they are currently on or off. Normal water fountains are on. Girodano's is the tourist classic for Chicago deep dish. I prefer Lou Malnati's, which is also nearby. I dont know the hours on the top of my head. I like front left seat the best. I only really do the left side. You can ride Whizzer by yourself, and it is insane how much room you have with only the seatbelt! I recommend Terror Twister II in the night for FF. Not a coaster, but its one of my favorite experiences. Other night rides would be Goliath, AE, Whizzer. Not many bad night rides but nothing like Kings Island where they are a must. _________________________________________ I went to the park this past Saturday. Not slammed like most Saturday's during FF! I was able to get on 7 rides, two meals and a snack in 6 hours. Not bad, especially considering I waited in Maxx Force's line only to be told I couldn't ride because of my arm cast. Speaking of food, I thought this was the best FF food service I had ever seen at the park. No line at strutters for lunch, no line for ice cream for snack, and spent ~30 mins at Chop 6 for dinner. Terror Twister II was slightly disappointing, music seemed really low compared to past years. Maybe because I did not ride at night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob325 Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 On 9/12/2021 at 11:14 AM, ilrider said: Sounds like it is getting rethemed to The Flash. Probably a new paint job to fit too. The Flash retheme (basically) confirmed! Pictures taken at the park yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bert425 Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 ^ um. .those are Shazam's colors too. . . . (tho, granted, I believe the sign noting it's closed makes some mention of "back in a Flash in 2022" right?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillseeker4552 Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Looks very nice. I'm happy that Six Flags is breeding new life into these Impulse coasters, especially after Wicked Twister's demise. Although the one at SFDK literally never operates ever so maybe "life" is a bit of a stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Coaster Man Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 When is the last time American Eagle Blue ran? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted November 5, 2021 Share Posted November 5, 2021 Great old b-roll footage of Turn of the Century. Note quick (proper!) dispatches and no air gates: One train drops, 2nd train engages lift, 3rd train enters station. I never rode TOC, but this is how I remember Demon operating when I was a kid. Good times. Still love Demon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilrider Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 ^Very cool! I had never seen TOC in action before. No air gates! Imagine the issues that would cause today. Now we have seatbelts on the carousel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyUD06 Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 30 minutes ago, ilrider said: ^Very cool! I had never seen TOC in action before. No air gates! Imagine the issues that would cause today. Now we have seatbelts on the carousel! Knoebel's has neither air gates nor seatbelts on like 99% of their rides. Just sayin'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 ^That's because it's in a place nowhere near Chicago (or Illinois). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IntaminLove Posted November 10, 2021 Share Posted November 10, 2021 If my memory is correct Magnum, Gemini, Mean Streak, and Blue Streak didn't have air gates until the mid to late 2000s. Better safe than sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT325 Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 ^I remember my shock when Gemini got seatbelts in the 90s. I mean... seatbelts on Gemini? What's the point? How are they going to run 6 trains? Oh well, times change. We used to announce on Blue Streak "seat belts are optional, you do not have to wear them." I miss the flat bench days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Coaster Man Posted January 10, 2022 Share Posted January 10, 2022 According to a tweet, park president Hank Salemi has passed away. RIP. I’ve talked to him shortly when I saw him walking around a couple times, and he wrote back to me when I wrote a letter to the park when I was younger. A great guy and will be missed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarFlags Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 I might be taking a trip to Chicago this spring. The calendar on the website is totally blank right now, anyone know when the park tends to announce opening day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Coaster Man Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Not sure when they usually announce. No word yet. The other day IB stated their opening day for April 30, I would imagine around there for SFGAm. For what it's worth, between SFOT cutting hours and SFStL's opening weekend moving back two weeks later than normal, and the fact their first weekday open including Fridays is May 27th, I wouldn't bank on much more than Saturday and Sundays in May. Granted SFGAm is a much larger draw than SFStL for both enthusiasts and gp, so maybe they will get some weekdays, but still, not sure what to expect with this new CEO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarFlags Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 On 1/30/2022 at 7:07 PM, CedarFlags said: I might be taking a trip to Chicago this spring. The calendar on the website is totally blank right now, anyone know when the park tends to announce opening day? The SFGAm Facebook is advertising a hiring event on Feb 19, so that probably explains why there's no operating calendar yet. They seem to not have a reliable prediction for their staffing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Coaster Man Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 SFStL has been hiring pretty hard, and they have an operating calendar through August, so I don't think that is why SFGAm hasn't announced their opening date. SFGAm is by far the biggest park that has not announced a date yet. They are also the only Six Flags park to not have done so. Nearby parks like Little Amerricka, SFStL, Bay Beach, MA, IB, Adventureland have their dates. There's a couple nearby parks like KK and Mt. Olympus that have not announced. But there are plenty of other parks in similar/worse climates like Silverwood, Great Escape and SFNE that have dates... so... I wonder if Hank Salemi's death has pushed the park back a few weeks. Supposedly new CEO is giving the power back to park presidents, and the combination of Hank's unexpected death and the fact I have not heard or seen anything about anyone stepping into the role since then.... its possible the park has been a bit scrambled the past few weeks with no leader. I'd like to think corporate would come in and handle everything, but just a thought I had. They didn't present at no coaster con in late Jan, a few weeks after he passed, and they seem to have been a staple every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prozach626 Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 They are probably waiting to see what lockdown measures Comrade Pritzker will have in place when it gets closer to opening day. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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