SharkTums Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Somewhere in Orlando, Tyler is crying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her0ofLime Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 (edited) We announced today that the park is removing Wheelie to make room for SkyScreamer in 2013. Here is the press release with more information: Six Flags Over Georgia to Retire Classic Wheelie Ride to Make Room for 2013 Thrills Guests invited to pay final respects to spinning ride that debuted in 1977 AUSTELL, Ga. – October 10, 2012 – Six Flags Over Georgia will say goodbye to a classic thrill ride in 2012 as it makes room for the new-for-2013 SkyScreamer, the tallest ride ever to be built at the theme park. Wheelie, a ride that spins passengers around and around (and upside down), will be retired at the end of the 2012 season. Wheelie was introduced at Six Flags Over Georgia in 1977 in the park’s U.S.A. section – close to where the mega-coaster Goliath now stands. In 1985, the ride was moved to its current location in the park’s Lickskillet section. Since its debut, Wheelie has thrilled millions of riders by spinning them horizontally and vertically through intense revolutions at high speeds. Guests can pay their final respects by taking one last ride during the remaining weekends of Fright Fest. The ride will close to the public at the end of the season on October 28, 2012. Wheelie is being removed to make room for the park’s newest thrill ride. SkyScreamer will spin guests in a 98-foot circle at speeds of 40 miles per hour atop a 24-story tower. Thirty-two guests board the ride and sit two across in open-air swings as they climb to the top of the tower while spinning round and round, high above the ground below. 2013 Six Flags Over Georgia Season Passes are now on sale at the lowest prices of the year and provide unlimited visits for the rest of the 2012 season (including Fright Fest) and all of 2013. For as low as $49.99 per pass, guests that purchase 4 or more will receive a free upgrade to a Gold Season Pass which includes free admission and free season parking to any Six Flags Theme Park with every pass. Offer expires October 28, 2012. Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia runs weekends only through October 28. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays. The park is also open 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday, October 26. For more information about Six Flags Over Georgia visit sixflags.com/overgeorgia. I know you guys never like to see parks remove rides (we don't either), but at some point, rides pass their expected life and, due to a number of reasons, must be retired. We are excited that we will be replacing Wheelie with another exciting thrill ride that will be a family favorite just like Wheelie has been since 1977. CURSES! FOILED AGAIN! Oh well, glad to see a new ride anyway, i'm coming for Fright Fest, so i'll be sure to get one last ride. Edited October 10, 2012 by Her0ofLime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netdvn Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 It's a shame to see two SF parks lose classic rides in the same year. Then again, maybe it's just me but I feel, a small ride like this would go great at Magic Mountain or Great Adventure. Anyone know if the ride is getting scrapped or sold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneyfan1313 Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Sad to see a classic ride go, but progress is a good thing! Are there any "modern" enterprises out there that are like the ones from the 70s and 80s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParkTrips Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Disappointing, but understandable, to hear about the fate of Wheelie. Great to hear about the new ride though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrlittle Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 I wish I would of taken advantage of ERT on Wheelie at Deep South Bash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirspanky53 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 So will there be a construction Web cam at the sky screamer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Finn Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 ^^Thats what I'm saying. I blew my opportunity. At least I rode Monster Mansion like 5 times. That made it all worth it in the end. The rise served its duty, and they are replacing it. I gots nothing to complain about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmerleeberry Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 "Oh well, there goes another enterprise ride" I was at Six Flags over Georgia this year, but I didn't ride Wheelie (the park was crowd-ded that day, my friend was with me and he doesn't like rides like this, and I wasn't feeling too keen that day - a condition I would finally beat when I headed to St. Louis one month later), but I have rode Wheelie in the past and plenty of other enterprises. Although I'm sad to see Wheelie go just like Free Fall and Starship Looper, I'm delighted that this park will get its own Skyscreamer, a ride I first rode in Six Flags St. Louis and found it to be a smooth and fun ride. Hey, it could have been worse: they could have announced that they were taking Mind Bender out and one million people in the state of Georgia would have cried "NOOOOOO!!!!!" "I'm not perfect; I just love to ride!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayCoasterGuy Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 I made a new video for the Wild Rides segment on Mind Bender http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZVaX3AvH_c The powers that be seem hell-bent on NOT letting anywhere hear The Cars' "Dontcha Stop" so I put Blondie's "Horizontal Twist" (horizontal - you know, horizontal loop, get it?) to the video. I threw in a cool new(ish) picture of Debbie at the end for the Blondie fans. AND note Mind Bender with 3 old school head rests in each seat. Would be fun to sqeeze 3 in a seat (if I was a kid!) but I think the main reason for that was to have something behind riders' heads during all that "lateral action" - especially in the horizontal loop. The ride has nice, soft and wide head rests now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midgetman82 Posted October 20, 2012 Share Posted October 20, 2012 It is sad to see another Enterprise go, and I hate that no company seems to be making any more. Oh well. Those chairswings are pretty fun. I rode my first at Holiday World, the Sparkler (I know they're not the same), and liked it very much. It's not amazing, in fact it was a little more nerve wracking than it was thrilling, but it was fun nonetheless. I'm sure it'll be a hit, and with a pretty good view of the lake and Ninja and whatever else is around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack4343 Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 (edited) My 7 year old daughter actually broke out in tears when she found out about the Wheelie. Even I was like "What???!!!" I have been riding that ride since my youth (I'm 42 now), so I've been fortunate enough to have enjoyed that ride many times. The ride seems to be running as smooth as ever though I can imagine the costs involved in keeping a 35 year old ride operational. As an earlier post stated, at least it wasn't the Mindbender! Hopefully me and the family will be able to get to the park this weekend for an hour or so to give the Wheelie one last ride. Here's a few pics I took of The Wheelie in 2010. Edited October 21, 2012 by Jack4343 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.J. Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Mindbender seating three across? Very interesting. Does that mean that the lap restraint used to be a single long bar that went across the entire row of seats as opposed to two individual bars like Schwarzkopf/Gerstlauer coasters are today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayCoasterGuy Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Mindbender seating three across? Very interesting. Does that mean that the lap restraint used to be a single long bar that went across the entire row of seats as opposed to two individual bars like Schwarzkopf/Gerstlauer coasters are today? No, I apologize for the confusing post. There were 3 across headrests - so where the ride has lateral forces at the same time it has strong positive forces (most notably, the 'helix' or 'horizontal loop') riders heads would have more headrest space and not fall back between the 2 headrests. Those original Intamin headrests were thin; so if your head went too far to the right or left, there would be no headrest behind your head. There were always 2 lap bars; they never allowed 3 across seating. But it is a nice thought, isn't it!? I'm sure someone could explain it much better than me - I'm tired. On a related note, I just got back from Great America and got the last train out on Whizzer (another Anton Schwarzkopf coaster). Very happy about that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her0ofLime Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 the Mindbender! THE Mindbender? Really? Oh well, you have a good point atleast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrillrider Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Here is a picture of the banner that is in front of the wheelie. I took this picture 2 weeks ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jps294 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 So sad.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 At least they gave it some decent going away recognition. Does kinda seem that SFOG has been slowly removing their older flat rides.... Great Gasp, Free Fall, Looping Starship, and now this... Any of them that I'm leaving out? The indoor Scrambler is still there, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFOGdude25 Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 ^Nope. They took that out with the addition of Dare Devil Dive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simaticable Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 At least they gave it some decent going away recognition. Does kinda seem that SFOG has been slowly removing their older flat rides.... Great Gasp, Free Fall, Looping Starship, and now this... Any of them that I'm leaving out? The indoor Scrambler is still there, right? At least they can't remove the carousel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her0ofLime Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 ^ Or really anything on Carosuel Hill, for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 At least they gave it some decent going away recognition. Does kinda seem that SFOG has been slowly removing their older flat rides.... Great Gasp, Free Fall, Looping Starship, and now this... Any of them that I'm leaving out? The indoor Scrambler is still there, right? I blame Magic Mountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her0ofLime Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Here is a picture of the banner that is in front of the wheelie. I took this picture 2 weeks ago. Not only do they remove a great ride, but they remove it with a pun! Jeez, give it some respect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voxelmatic Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 ^It was a good parting pun... well, I'm wheelie upset they took this out and not that new-fangled Whistlestop Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theonetheonlyJT Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I was just thinking about how the new Sky Screamer would look around the hill area and how it will tower over the hill, also that spot by the carousel were you can look at wheelie will be a wheelie nice spot to watch Sky Screamer. I blame Magic Mountain. Yes, the curse of Magic Mountain Not only do they remove a great ride, but they remove it with a pun! Jeez, give it some respect! At least they didn't blow it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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