Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

[Jojo19799]

Personally I think it's strange that just after emerging from bankruptcy, Shapiro is no longer CEO.

[Airtime&Gravity]

According to SFGAM world, Little Dipper is 36" with an adult and 42" without one.

 

Six Flags has made some questionable decisions over the past few years, but like Robb said, the parks are more enjoyable. With the company having emerged from bankruptcy, it'll be interesting to see what happens. They still have a ways to go at some parks, but overall, they seem to be doing much better.

 

I still question why SFGAM is getting Chang, but I can see this helping the park in the long run. I hope it ends up being a good addition for the park, but given Iron Wolf's reputation, I fear that this will become a failed attraction. I hope I'm wrong, but I think people will pass on the ride due to Iron Wolf.

[robbalvey]

given Iron Wolf's reputation, I fear that this will become a failed attraction. I hope I'm wrong, but I think people will pass on the ride due to Iron Wolf.

This is kind of what has happened with Terminator. I still to this day hear people who say "Do you want to ride Psyclone?" "No." because all the see is a wood coaster in the same location of the park.

 

And if you didn't visit the park from end of 2007 to the start of 2009, you'd have no idea that one wood coaster was removed and another one was built. And hell, I know GP people who had season passes in 2008 that STILL thought Terminator was Psyclone because they simply don't pay attention to construction in the park because they just thought "Psyclone was closed for the day."

 

--Robb

[angryemobeaver]

I still question why SFGAM is getting Chang, but I can see this helping the park in the long run. I hope it ends up being a good addition for the park, but given Iron Wolf's reputation, I fear that this will become a failed attraction. I hope I'm wrong, but I think people will pass on the ride due to Iron Wolf.

I see what you mean, but wasn't Chang actually one of the better standups? I never got to ride it, but at Cedar Point Mantis almost always has a partially full queue. And thats saying alot when the park has so many better rides and attractions. But than again, people say Iron Wolf is horrible (I actually liked it, but I don't like Mantis) so it is a weird decision to build another standup in the same park.

[AndCamSS]

I think people might see the difference between Iron Wolf and Chang seeing as they will both be there at the same time and one is much larger than the other. At the same time they may not like Iron Wolf and see that you also stand up on this one and make the connection. I guess we will just have to see but it sure is screwy. I do know that Chang is one of the smoother of the stand ups and that the most similar ride to it (Mantis) still can have some long lines on crowded days. Just whatever they do, don't paint it blue and white or else people might think we brought back Shockwave (because they both were big and had inversions) like the SFMM people think Terminator is Psyclone!

 

As for Iron Wolf, nothing has been said about any changes to, or removal of, Iron Wolf. I did know ahead of time that Chang was going to stay a stand up and I was hoping that would turn out wrong as a floorless conversion would have been cool!

[deathbydinn]

Just a random thought here, if IW stays could that be converted to sitdown?

[AndCamSS]

^See Robb's comment about Psyclone/Terminator and that was a completely new ride! We would notice but I bet most people would not. Not only that but it has never been done before (Unless you want to count Sheikra).

[SharkTums]

According to SFGAM world, Little Dipper is 36" with an adult and 42" without one.

 

Awesome! Another Six Flags park that understands Family and Height Restrictions!

 

Another woodie credit for KT this summer!

[deathbydinn]

^^True, the GP probably wouldn't notice unless they had really good marketing. Hell I heard someone say Deja Vu is gone because it ran on the same batteries as V2 and they ran out, so yeah they would need REALLY good marketing to teach the GP. And for the record, a few coasters have been converted to stand up for a few season and then gone back to sit down, and there is one coaster running stand up and sit down trains...but that is a Togo!

[AndCamSS]

^Oddly enough that almost sounds like what happened when Deja Vu opened! For a little while they had to close Demon to run Deja Vu due to a power issue that eventually got resolved.

[Airtime&Gravity]

A ropes course is coming to the site where the rock wall was.

 

SFGAM's Facebook

[Mr. Starr]

Wow, they really are adding a lot more to the park this year. I'm glad to see all of this change!

[KDCOASTERFAN]

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

 

SFDK not getting capital?well what do you call THBS then?

 

SFGRAM doesn't need this ride as they already have a standup that's 20 years old....sometimes I think they should just close the majority of the parks but only the four that they give rides to,lord knows they'd have a lot to relocate from the remaining parks to not worry about having to pay for new ride designs well into the next decade.

[CHILLERLC1]

All I care about is protecting Whizzer. I still need to get it and the whole park. As strange as it is to be in the park I'll accept another ride on Chang. Hopefully it will have 3 trains back?

 

As for Chang making it look weird at the front entrance I got over S:UF being placed where it was at SFGADV. I think Chang is a more natural front entrance addition than Dominator.

[DixieSquare]

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.

 

There are tons of spraypainted markings for ComEd electrical where he positioned the lift and drop (with more behind the fence for Hurricane Harbor), which may put that placement out of the question.

 

 

The rumors I had heard until last night was something along the lines of this:

...this would've made sense, as that leaves them room to expand Hurricane Harbor.

 

I will be posting video from last nights meeting to the Zone, probably after midnight.

Edited May 28, 2010 by DixieSquare

[PriestofSyrinx]

I actually like the fact that part of the proposed Chang positioning is in the front entrance.

 

I mean that it will become a star attraction, and people will get to see it up close and see it run over them as they enter the park, pumpimng up the peeps even more for the day.

 

For example: Goliath at SFOG. The star attraction goes over the entrance plaza, pumping guests for the day and already making them happy before they enter...

[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

 

SFDK not getting capital?well what do you call THBS then?

Hey pal, try reading and understanding my post before giving me s**t about it.

 

Thank you!

 

--Robb

[ArizonaGuy]

^^

Agreed. Key word in your post was *Say it with me KDCOASTER FAN* "MAJOR"

 

Oh yeh Robb.....we also need to add to your "huh?" list.....

Six Flags installing a B:TR at SFFT and renaming it "Goliath" even though I believe it's the 3rd or 4th tallest coaster in the park.

 

Personally.....I hope they keep Chang as a Stand up and don't switch the trains out to Floorless. If they do...oh well...it's another coaster for the park.

[deathbydinn]

^^

Agreed. Key word in your post was *Say it with me KDCOASTER FAN* "MAJOR"

 

Oh yeh Robb.....we also need to add to your "huh?" list.....

Six Flags installing a B:TR at SFFT and renaming it "Goliath" even though I believe it's the 3rd or 4th tallest coaster in the park.

 

Personally.....I hope they keep Chang as a Stand up and don't switch the trains out to Floorless. If they do...oh well...it's another coaster for the park.

 

And they were already two BTR's in the state, with one being in San Antonio! I really hope it doesn't stay a stand up and if it does I hope IW can stay and possibly undergo a conversion.

[BaMiTsPaT]

^Yes if it does go into the park I hope it does not end up like La Ronde did with two inverts, but in this case two stand-ups. IMO Iron Wolf is the classic so if they were going to change anything, give that the chang trains and get chang some new floorless or sit-down trains.

[robbalvey]

IMO Iron Wolf is the classic.

Saying that Iron Wolf is a classic is kind of like saying Deep Throat is a classic.

[Mr. Starr]

IMO Iron Wolf is the classic.

Saying that Iron Wolf is a classic is kind of like saying Deep Throat is a classic.

 

This, this wins.

[knottslover77]

^^

 

 

Oh yeh Robb.....we also need to add to your "huh?" list.....

Six Flags installing a B:TR at SFFT and renaming it "Goliath" even though I believe it's the 3rd or 4th tallest coaster in the park.

 

 

I think that is because Six Flags didn't want to drop the extra money for Batman theming.

 

--Jay

[AndCamSS]

IMO Iron Wolf is the classic.

Saying that Iron Wolf is a classic is kind of like saying Deep Throat is a classic.

 

LMAO! Best post in the thread!

[Jojo19799]

Saying that Iron Wolf is a classic is kind of like saying Deep Throat is a classic.

 

Hmm...I thought it was.