Photo TR: My "Judge For Yourself" Trip to SFGAm/Mt. Olympus!

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

PART 1: Six Flags Great America

 

Trip Report (July 11, 2017): Hola! After many years of passing by this park when I took trips to Chicago, I decided it was time to make that much needed vacation to this park. And since my oldest brother was getting married, that put the icing on the cake (pun intended)!

 

Six Flags Great America is truly a wonderful and amazing park! It's definitely one of the better Six Flags parks in the chain. The atmosphere was lovely . . . employees seemed to love their jobs . . . it was clean IMO . . . and my experience throughout the day was FANTASTIC! True, it did rain late afternoon, but it wasn't awful. It was drizzling/steady at moments. But that didn't stop the roller coasters from running. OH NO! The only exception was Little Dipper. They couldn't run the coaster in the rain because they had issues before when the coaster train would just stop and roll back in the station. YIKES! Out of the 14 coasters, I managed to get on 13! That's correct, 13! Little Dipper just had to be a butthole! Oh well . . . better that than a major coaster.

 

If you haven't been to Six Flags Great America, I suggest you do. You want be disappointed! Just go in the park with a positive attitude, and set your expectations at a tolerable level, and you'll have much fun. TRUST ME, I DID!

 

*Roller Coasters:

 

American Eagle: Amazing ride! I managed to ride both Blue and Red! I also got a chance to race against the other side! So much fun!

 

Batman: The Ride: Being able to ride the ORIGINAL B&M invert was such an honor! It was forceful . . . intense . . . and did I mention INTENSE?!

 

Dark Night: I loved it! It was cute . . . fun . . . and a "surprising" moment I didn't expect! Hush, Hush! LOL!

 

Demon: It was a nice ride. Hurt my shoulders a little bit, but it was manageable.

 

Goliath: OMG! OMG! OMG! THIS ROLLER COASTER WAS GREAT FROM START TO FINISH! THAT DROP . . . THE INVERSIONS . . . THAT STALL! I COULD GO ON FOR DAYS AND DAYS AND DAYS AND . . . You get my point.

 

Joker: New for 2017 was my first S&S 4D Freefly coaster. It was interesting . . . VERY interesting. Fun indeed!

 

Raging Bull: Parks need to build more hyper twister roller coasters! I sat in the last row and got some decent airtime. Fun throughout the entire ride!

 

Spacely's Sprocket Rockets: Yes . . . I rode this! . . . Yes . . . I'm a grown man . . . Yes . . . It's a kiddie coaster . . . and YES . . . I needed the credit!

 

Superman-Ultimate Flight: Even though it's a clone, it was a great ride. Especially that pretzel loop!

 

Vertical Velocity: Wow! This coaster provided some good weightless moments. I wasn't expecting that.

 

Viper: AMAZING ROLLER COASTERS! It truly was a great ride! Airtime after airtime! Some head-chopper effects as well.

 

Whizzer: I was so thankful to be able to ride such a classic coaster. It was a good ride!

 

X-Flight: This is one wing coaster I wouldn't mind being a clone elsewhere! It was fantastic and entertaining, and don't get me started on the keyhole effects . . . just pure excitement all the throughout the ride!

 

*Other Thrill Rides/Attractions:

 

Giant Drop: I love drop towers! Amazing views . . . and then that unexpected drop . . . just thrilling!

 

JLBFM: These dark rides are the perfect match for a Six Flags park! It's a great way to cool off throughout the day!

 

Scenic Railway: I love taking a ride on the trains at theme parks. It's a nice way of relaxing from a full day of walking.

 

Sky Trek Tower: Amazing views of the park and city!

 

But enough of me talking! You probably came to see a video of my visit or some pictures . . . well . . . scroll below!

 

I'M NOT THE BEST VLOGGER, BUT I TRY:

 

 

. . . OR YOU COULD LOOK AT PICTURES!

YES! I MADE IT!

MY GREAT DAY AWAITS ME!

NICE! VERY NICE!

I SEE YOU!

MANDATORY PHOTO SHOT!

NICE VIEWS OF THE PARK AND SURROUNDING CITY!

WHERE DOES THIS LEAD ME?

AMAZING!

IS THAT JOKER AND BATMAN PLAYING TOGETHER?

WELL, LOOK AT THAT!

PLATINUM FLASH PASS WAS DEFINITELY NEEDED!

SUCH A CLASSIC!

I SEE YOU RAGING BULL!

LOL!

WOW!

YOU SO FUNNY DAFFY!

JUST LOOK AT IT!

SSSSS . . .

GREAT RIDE INDEED!

CAN YOU SPOT THE TRAIN?

SO PHOTOGENIC!

SO BEAUTIFUL!

SOME THEMING I SEE!

DROP TOWERS ARE TRULY FUN!

LOVED IT!

ONCE AGAIN . . . PHOTOGENIC!

WHAT'S THAT I SEE?

IT WASN'T THAT BAD.

HURT MY SHOULDERS A BIT, BUT IT WAS A MANAGEABLE RIDE.

I'M DROOLING!

WOW!

SUCH A GREAT WING COASTER!

CONTROL TOWER!

YES!

I RODE BOTH SIDES!

TRAIN RIDE WAS RELAXING!

OMG! OMG! OMG! THE JEWEL ATTRACTION!

THAT DROP!

THAT INVERSION!

ISN'T IT FANTASTIC!

THAT STALL!

I'M STILL DROOLING!

WORDS CAN'T DESCRIBE IT ENOUGH!

YES . . . I GOT THIS CREDIT!

SAY WHAT YOU WANT. LOL!

BUT I MISSED THIS CREDIT.

IT JUST HAD TO RAIN. TISK, TISK.

SO MUCH FUN!

RIDING THE FIRST INVERTED B&M WAS SUCH AN HONOR!

IT WAS TRULY INTENSE!

HAPPY RIDERS!

MY FIRST FREEFLY COASTER!

THRILLING . . .

DIFFERENT . . .

AND WEIRD IN A GREAT WAY!

I LOVE INDOOR ROLLER COASTERS!

EVEN THOUGH A CLONE, I FOUND IT ENJOYABLE!

THAT PRETZEL LOOP THOUGH!

A CLASSIC RIDE!

A GREAT DAY AT A GREAT PARK! STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 . . . MT. OLYMPUS THEME PARK!

Edited July 26, 2017 by ThemeParkJunkie51290

[coasterbill]

Great report! I'm completely perplexed as to why this doesn't have more comments but hopefully mine starts a trend because this report deserves some.

 

We have this park on our radar later this year so this was a great read. I didn't get a chance to watch the vlog yet but I definitely will when I'm not at the office.

[Hilltopper39]

I've only been to SFGAM once several years ago around 2005 or so. It was a nice park and I had a great day but I wasn't blown away by it. I'd love to go back sometime because they've added a ton of stuff since that visit, Goliath, Dark Knight, X-Flight, Justice League.

 

I still love Vertical Velocity and all of those Intamin Impule coasters, those things are awesome.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Great report! I'm completely perplexed as to why this doesn't have more comments but hopefully mine starts a trend because this report deserves some.

 

We have this park on our radar later this year so this was a great read. I didn't get a chance to watch the vlog yet but I definitely will when I'm not at the office.

 

Thanks! You're going to love it! Also, I think everyone is waiting for the Mt. Olympus trip review. They can't believe I had a wonderful experience.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

I've only been to SFGAM once several years ago around 2005 or so. It was a nice park and I had a great day but I wasn't blown away by it. I'd love to go back sometime because they've added a ton of stuff since that visit, Goliath, Dark Knight, X-Flight, Justice League.

 

I still love Vertical Velocity and all of those Intamin Impule coasters, those things are awesome.

 

You should definitely visit again when you get a chance! So many thrilling rides have been added! But I understand because I usually visit a park once, so theme parks I visited early in life has added so much since then. I just like to visit as many parks as I can.

[theredskull84]

Awesome report! This has been my home park my entire life, so it's always great to read positive outside reviews. You can also count me in as looking forward to the Mt Olympus report as I'm in the minority of always having a blast there.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Awesome report! This has been my home park my entire life, so it's always great to read positive outside reviews. You can also count me in as looking forward to the Mt Olympus report as I'm in the minority of always having a blast there.

 

Thanks! And I'm glad Mt. Olympus isnt bad in your book. Lol. Even though it was a quick visit, I had no complaints. Mostly geared towards the water park fan based, but the dry park was fun as well.

[805Andrew]

Nice TR. Looks like SF Great America has a lot to do and not just coasters. I'll have to visit this park when I finally decide to visit Chicago. It looks like it is a full day park for a first time visitor. Looking forward to hearing about your experience at Mt. Olympus.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Nice TR. Looks like SF Great America has a lot to do and not just coasters. I'll have to visit this park when I finally decide to visit Chicago. It looks like it is a full day park for a first time visitor. Looking forward to hearing about your experience at Mt. Olympus.

 

Thanks! I'm working on it now, and I can't wait to see what everyone else have to say.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Glad you had a great time, and glad you went with the Platinum Pass. Those two things are related.

 

Great America really is one of the better Six Flags parks. It gets a bad reputation because of long lines and poor operations, and while that reputation is fully deserved, it's also totally solved by the Platinum Pass!

 

The lineup of coasters is fantastic; they have something for everyone, and in general they're good coasters. I don't care for Superman or Raging Bull myself, but it seems there are plenty of people who love those, so it may be a personal preference.

 

Don't feel embarrassed by Spacely's; it's actually a very good family coaster. Too bad you missed out on Little Dipper; the ride is good, but the history and importance of that ride to Chicago are what really makes it special. So glad Six Flags stepped in to save it.

[boldikus]

Some really great photos! Thanks for sharing!

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Glad you had a great time, and glad you went with the Platinum Pass. Those two things are related.

 

Great America really is one of the better Six Flags parks. It gets a bad reputation because of long lines and poor operations, and while that reputation is fully deserved, it's also totally solved by the Platinum Pass!

 

The lineup of coasters is fantastic; they have something for everyone, and in general they're good coasters. I don't care for Superman or Raging Bull myself, but it seems there are plenty of people who love those, so it may be a personal preference.

 

Don't feel embarrassed by Spacely's; it's actually a very good family coaster. Too bad you missed out on Little Dipper; the ride is good, but the history and importance of that ride to Chicago are what really makes it special. So glad Six Flags stepped in to save it.

 

Thanks! SFGAM is a well rounded park, and caters to everyone. I really do hate I couldn't get the Little Dipper credit, but life goes on. I tried waiting it out, but that it started drizzling again and it was downhill from there (pun not intended). LOL. But at least I got 13 new coaster credits. So I'm thankful!

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Some really great photos! Thanks for sharing!

 

Thank you! I try my best!

[thrillrider]

Nice report!

 

By chance, did you get a chance to check out the EFX show while at the park? If not, it was amazing.

[prozach626]

Nice pictures. I really enjoy Raging Bull looming over the Southwest Territory. It makes for a really cool back drop. SF Great America is an underrated park. I'm happy to have it within about five hours from me.

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Nice report!

 

By chance, did you get a chance to check out the EFX show while at the park? If not, it was amazing.

 

Sadly, I didn't. But I heard it's a great show!

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Nice pictures. I really enjoy Raging Bull looming over the Southwest Territory. It makes for a really cool back drop. SF Great America is an underrated park. I'm happy to have it within about five hours from me.

 

Thanks! And you should be proud to have SFGAM close to you! I really enjoyed my day!

[PKI Jizzman]

Great report! Goliath is one odd ride that impresses in every element it has.

 

I just wish the park had a better frisbee.

[BrianGC]

Awesome trip report! I've personally never been huge fan of this park. Aside from Goliath and maybe Viper, nothing ever really stood out to me. All the coasters are definitely fun, though. Glad you had a great time!!

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

PART 2: Mt. Olympus Theme Park

 

Trip Report (July 12, 2017): Hola! So this is the trip report that everyone's been waiting for . . . "HOW THE HECK DID HE HAVE FUN AT MT. OLYMPUS THEME PARK?" . . . "WHY DIDN'T HE HAVE A BAD DAY?" . . . "WHY HE DIDN'T GO VISIT THE OTHER AMUSEMENT DOWN THE ROAD WHICH IS WAY BETTER THAN THIS DUMP?" So many questions, and yet I have ONE answer to them all. What's the trick on having a fun day a Mt. Olympus Theme Park? Drumroll please . . .

 

KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS IN THE PROPER PLACE!

 

We all love theme parks, and we expect certain things from those theme parks that we visit . . . BUT . . . just like humans . . . every theme park is different! What you might expect at Disney, you can't expect at Universal. What you expect at Universal, you can't expect at Six Flags. And what you expect at Six Flags, you SURELY can't expect at Mt. Olympus Theme Park. SIMPLE! Treat each park for what it is, and not for what you want it to be! I didn't go into Mt. Olympus knowing that this is going to be a TOP 10 park, nor did I go in knowing theming was going to be TOP 10 worthy . . . OF COURSE NOT! I excepted the park for what it was: A small theme/water park mostly geared towards the water park fan base. Nothing more . . . nothing less. It was just that!

 

Even though the park isn't on the scale we would like it to be, I found my quick visit to be enjoyable and worthwhile. The operations were decent, and I didn't spend long waiting in line. It was a quick stop on my way to Minnesota, so much time wasn't spent here. I grabbed the credits, plus a ride on Manticore, and I was out. With that being said, I don't have many pictures, nor is my vlog very long. It's just a little something to show that the park wasn't as terrible as everyone made it out to be. Would I visit this park again? I highly doubt it, but I do recommend a visit if you haven't already.

 

*Roller Coasters:

 

Zeus: It was a great ride indeed!

 

Pegasus: I found it enjoyable!

 

Cyclops: I didn't get a chance to ride in the last row, but it did provide some good airtime!

 

Hades 360: The jewel of this park! The pre-drop was great! Going through that underground tunnel and inversion was FANTASTIC! It's definitely worth a ride!

 

*Other attraction:

 

Manticore: Fun! Just your typical swing ride.

 

Enough of me talking, you're here for some footage, or pictures! Scroll down and you shall find!

 

ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT THE BEST VLOGGER, BUT I TRY:

 

 

OR YOU COULD LOOK AT PICTURES INSTEAD:

I'M HERE! SUCH A NICE ENTRANCE

THE JEWEL OF THE PARK!

SO PRETTY!

I SEE COASTER TRACK!

GLAD TO BE HERE!

MANDATORY PHOTO SHOT!

JUST LOOK AT IT!

NICE!

I NEED THAT IN MY BACKYARD!

FUN!

HISTORY IS VERY IMPORTANT!

SADLY, NO CREDIT FOR ME.

IT LOOKS FUN THOUGH!

MANTICORE!

IT PROVIDED SOME GREAT VIEWS OF THE PARK!

JUST IN CASE YOU FORGOT WHERE I WAS!

FOOD!

GIFT SHOP!

CANDY!

COFFEE!

SWEETS!

NO WATER PARK ON MY VISIT.

VIEW FROM BACK OF PARK!

I DIDN'T GO IN THE INSIDE, BUT IT LOOKS MAGNIFICENT FROM THE OUTSIDE!

VIEW FROM THE BACK AGAIN.

WHAT'S THAT I SEE?

FISHING!

I SEE COASTER TRACK AGAIN!

NO LAST ROW, BUT I STILL GOT SOME AIRTIME!

I'M GOING TO HADES! GOOD OR BAD?

I'M DROOLING ALL OVER THE PLACE!

AGGRESSIVE TODAY?...SO OTHER DAYS AREN'T AGGRESSIVE?...I'M CONFUSED!

I SEE YOU HIDING!

STILL TRYING TO HIDE!

I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME!

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! Mt. Olympus is one of those parks that I need to experience for myself just like you. I'd like to think a park with 4 wooden coasters can't be that bad...

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Great report! Mt. Olympus is one of those parks that I need to experience for myself just like you. I'd like to think a park with 4 wooden coasters can't be that bad...

 

Thanks! You truly need to make a visit! It's a nice little park, and I couldn't give it a bad rating. Every park has its up and down. You just have to experience that park for yourself. You what know unless you go.

[Steely Dan]

.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Steely Dan

[ThemeParkJunkie51290]

Great write ups for both SFGAM and Mt. O.

 

SFGAM has a really really solid overall coaster line-up, it just don't have what i'd call an "enthusiast's line-up". What it has is very good and extremely varied and well rounded, but very little at the park would generally be considered "top class" that would make a typical enthusiast cross a continent or an ocean just to ride. It's like the world's largest collection of B+ coasters. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, it just is what it is.

 

 

As for Mt. O, I too am one of those weirdos that's doesn't hate the place. I get why people hate the place, but I personally don't. Most of that revolves around my love for hades. I'll be damned if that's not on of the most inventive, unique, and interesting coaster layouts of all time. I mean, pitch black 800' long subterranean tunnels! TWO of them!!!!!! Sign me up!

 

 

 

But it's rough and the ops suck, so burn it..... burn it with fire now....... or so the tired stupid old song goes.

 

Thanks! I tried my best to capture some good photos, and hopefully everyone else enjoys them. As far as Mt. Olympus, they should keep it around some more years. Maybe a Giga coaster make come!

[JT325]

Great reports and pictures! Sooooo happy you did have a good time at Mt. Olympus. I think it really helped that you went in with a good attitude. And thank you for reminding me how important that can be... it helped me a great deal at my 2 days at SFMM last week.

 

Bummed you didn't get to ride Little Dipper. Next time you are in these parts, perhaps one of us locals can show you around... and make sure you get to some hidden gems if you have time. Little Amerricka, Santa's Village...