Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[kumba830]

You're going on Sunday? Hmm...I was maybe planning on going Saturday...

 

 

It would be for only like two hours, then maybe an hour or two before closing time.

[Mr. Starr]

Haha it looks like I'm only going for a few hours on Thursday after my last day of finals!

[monsterfan99]

^Enjoy those few hours, today was walk-on on everything.

[deathbydinn]

Any news from tonights zoning meeting?

 

Little Dipper pictures fromhere.

[traincrossin]

According to SFGAmWorld, Little Dipper will open tomorrow (Thurs) at 10am with the park and there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony.

[Airtime&Gravity]

According to SFGAM world, the Zoning Board approved the construction of the ride. The representative from the park said that it will be a relocated ride, has a large footprint, is made by B&M, and is a stand-up coaster. So I guess Iron Love will soon be leaving the park instead of receiving some "new" trains. I'm a little disappointed that Chang is being rebuilt at SFGAM, and while it is a great ride, I would have liked to see an expansion in flats or the water park. I'll still ride it, it'll be one of the park's best coasters, but I just have to wonder how the park will get people to ride it given Iron Wolf's reputation.

 

Little Dipper is looking great, and I'm surprised they have the lettering on the station. When I was there Saturday, it didn't look like there was any place to wire it to. Six Flags did a good job of rebuilding it, and it should be very popular with families.

[deathbydinn]

Well thats good...and bad. I would actually be sad to see IW go, it has a special place in my heart. It is possible that they when they said stand up coaster that it's coming to the park as a stand up coaster, because the park doesn't know if it could be converted to sitdown yet.

[DixieSquare]

We have a spyshot of the ride's location diagram from the zoning board meeting:

http://sfgamzone.com/index.php?showtopic=1819

Not liking how it's taking over the entrance plaza.

Edited May 29, 2010 by DixieSquare

[kumba830]

^A little close to the entrance... I wonder if they will have to re-arrange some of the Entry Plaza to fit in the ride.

[angryemobeaver]

I'm glad to see my nearest Six Flags (or is SFSTL closer?) get another coaster. I never did get to ride Chang, so it'll be nice to ride it. I hope they can somehow find a way to have floorless trains.

[monsterfan99]

^At the meeting it was stated it will be a stand-up coaster.

[traincrossin]

^For now Hey, we can dream right?

[monsterfan99]

^You sure can, like I hope Iron Wolf is on it's way out

[tedten]

I hope Iron Wolf is on it's way out as well. And personally, I have no problem with it staying a standup. I've only ridden 3 standing coasters but Chang was by far the smoothest. I only hope that it ages well at SFGAm. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't, I'm just paranoid.

[Jojo19799]

So I guess Iron Love will soon be leaving the park instead of receiving some "new" trains.

 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

I refuse to believe this until further info has been supplied to me.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Jojo19799

[AndCamSS]

According to the photo capture at the meeting, this is how the ride will be placed. This really surprises me because it goes way out to the parking lot and blocks half the front entrance.

It would have made more sense to me if it had been placed how I guessed it would have, which is like this...

[Airtime&Gravity]

^Your idea, while aesthetically is better, would have taken out a lot of parking spaces, and it might not work due to the lazy river. The location the park chose takes out a few rows, but most of the parking lot taken in just open pavement serving no real purpose.

 

 

I'm indifferent to receiving Chang. It's a good coaster, and while I'm glad that the park will be getting a major thrill coaster, I just don't think it is the right ride for SFGAM.

[AndCamSS]

Mine doesnt take out THAT many more parking spots than the planned one does. Regular spots yes, but the other takes out the front row of disability parking and some regular spots. Plus we dont know how many extras besides the ones the coaster is on top of will be lost as well. I highly doubt you will be able to park RIGHT up against it! lol

 

I also heard a rumor about getting a 3rd train which to me seems like a waste since it takes so long to load stand ups correctly. Hell, even CP doesnt run 3 trains on Mantis! It would be cool if the trains could get audio treatment like the Bizarro coasters have.

[jynx242]

For those of you worried about Chang - if you haven't ridden it - you are in for a treat. When I rode it at SFKK it was amazing! My favorite stand-up.

[robbalvey]

Mine doesnt take out THAT many more parking spots than the planned one does. Regular spots yes, but the other takes out the front row of disability parking and some regular spots.

Keep in mind though that sometimes the placement of a ride isn't always about what you see on the surface. There might be underground gas lines or other infastructure that has disallowed them to place a ride where you'd think it would make more sense, but in reality, the costs behind altering the way something was set up at the park 30+ years ago makes it more difficult.

[AndCamSS]

^Yep we have no idea about any of that for sure. Looks strange how its just out there in front of the entrance. Then again the whole thing is a little strange!

[Mr. Starr]

So I guess Iron Love will soon be leaving the park instead of receiving some "new" trains.

 

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

I refuse to believe this until further info has been supplied to me.

 

Ditto.

[robbalvey]

Then again the whole thing is a little strange!

Agreed. There has been quite a bit "strange" lately that Six Flags has done that makes me go "huh?"

 

- Building a new woodie on top of a demolished bad woodie and "general public" don't realize it's a brand new ride.

- Speding money on effects like on-board audio only to remove them in less than a year.

- Adding an SLC to a park that already has a B&M Invert.

- Adding a kiddie coaster to a park that, as much as they pretend they want it to be family friendly, is about thrill rides...and then postponing that ride?

- Adding a B&M stand-up coaster to a park that already has a B&M stand-up coaster, but justifying it by spending even MORE money by either removing the other stand up or changing the train type?

- Purchasing three "Family Coasters" (Wild Mouse) but theming them to a movie license that is NOT a "family movie" (Dark Knight.)

- Totally re-constructing a major signature attraction wood coaster into a steel coaster, taking 2 years to do it, having no proven examples that said technology will actually work?

- Adding water attractions to some Hurricane Harbor locations and not even advertizing them AT ALL? (Mr. Six's Splash Island opens at SFMM's Hurricane Harbor this weekend and heard almost nothing about it!)

- While at the same time NOT adding any major capital to some parks that could really use it (SFA, SFDK, etc)?

- The CEO that apparently got the company out of bankruptcy...is no longer CEO.

- And let's be honest here, as much as I am "for" the whole Bizarro/X2/Monster Mansion change overs & upgrades, have they REALLY increased attendance?

 

I agree that the Six Flags parks are more pleasant to visit these last couple of years, and I'm actually very HAPPY to see them doing some things that think outside the box, but I think it's still very fair to question some, if not all of these decisions.

 

--Robb

Edited May 27, 2010 by robbalvey

[ConleyKE]

^ Not to mention SFGAm adding a wild mouse, with a spinning wild mouse just a few steps away. I concur, some very strange decisions lately.

[robbalvey]

^ Heh, I forgot about that one...just added it to my list!

 

To be fair, had they themed the mice to something more "family friendly" or the ride inside that building been a bit more intense, it might have worked.

 

And while we're on the subject of mis-themed rides. A "Terminator" wood coaster. C'mon. I don't care what kind of excuse you make for it. It just doesn't fit.

 

--Robb

Edited May 27, 2010 by robbalvey