Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) Discussion Thread

Thanks for confirming!

A water coaster is an awesome addition to any park, honestly something I personally would appreciate as much as a coaster.

I really like how’s there’s been a “resurgence” of these in the United States.

Also, get off the high horse: you guys already have an RMC, American Eagle isn’t getting the treatment. Meanwhile, other parks have NOTHING. Goliath might be the weakest RMC but it’s still one of the best coasters in the entire chain.

So, when I went into Mooseburger Lodge to cool down, I noticed a darkened space that looks like it's a saloon... Have they ever had a saloon show there? Is there a reason that area is open (there weren't any chains or signs or whatever to keep people from wandering down into that area) but unused?

So, when I went into Mooseburger Lodge to cool down, I noticed a darkened space that looks like it's a saloon... Have they ever had a saloon show there? Is there a reason that area is open (there weren't any chains or signs or whatever to keep people from wandering down into that area) but unused?

They have shows there every year.

It’s called the Snowshoe Taphouse

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

World's Tallest Water Coaster!

Six Flags Great America, the Thrill Capital of the Midwest, continues its record-breaking streak in 2020 with the world-record water coaster, Tsunami Surge. Towering an incredible 86 feet in height, this innovative water coaster will be the tallest-of-its-kind in the world. Riders will reach a top speed of 28 mph over 950 feet of enclosed tunnels and open-air slides with three gravity-defying blasts and five breathtaking drops. Tsunami Surge will also feature AquaLucent technology, giving riders the sensation of traveling at the speed of light as brilliant colors and dreamlike imagery heighten the ride experience.

Yay more water coasters! This is a good fit for them, and the "tallest" hook plays well to their strengths.

*breathes fresh air*

Oh good, nothing hinting at an RMC Eagle.

In all seriousness, this looks pretty awesome. I'm glad to see my home park is finally getting something new at Hurricane Harbor, since we haven't gotten anything new there since Riptide Bay in 2011!

I'm not a Water Park guy, but I AM a Water Coaster guy, so this will actually get me to go into Hurricane Harbor for the first time ever next year! GAm is my "home" SF park, and I've never been in there. I also haven't been since 2016, so I'm planning to take advantage if their steal of a Flash Sale, and get myself and my kids Memberships. It's shaping up to be a Six Flags year, next year!

Also, does anybody have any idea where in Hurricane Harbor this will go? It seems like it'd have to be a decently sized area.

WOW!! Nice addition guys! Congrats!

Also, does anybody have any idea where in Hurricane Harbor this will go? It seems like it'd have to be a decently sized area.

Press release says Riptide Bay. There's still some land right in-between Riptide Bay and Maxx Force that's likely where it will go, they didn't even bother doing any landscaping on it this year which was a pretty good hint it was just temporary...

^Thanks for that! I haven't seen the official press release yet. It looks like it'll be one of the first things you come to in the water park, which is nice for me, since I'm not likely to spend much time in the park, and I won't have to go far into it!

Really happy to see Hurricane Harbor get something new after a 9 year drought. This thing sounds awesome!

Guess I'll be going to Great America's water park the next time I visit! I do hope this one has more standard drops than the one Fiesta Texas added a few years ago since that one really only had the saucer turns for the downhill bits.

Out of curiosity, what was the previous record holder for the tallest water coaster?

Guess I'll be going to Great America's water park the next time I visit! I do hope this one has more standard drops than the one Fiesta Texas added a few years ago since that one really only had the saucer turns for the downhill bits.

 

Out of curiosity, what was the previous record holder for the tallest water coaster?

Massiv is 82feet tall

It’s at Schlitterbahn in Texas

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Water coaster us awesome. This is one of the most well rounded Hurricane Harbors tbh

Does anyone know where in the water park this will go?

Hello again, SFGam regulars! I got SF Memberships for myself and my kids for next year, during the Flash Sale, and need to go activate them, and take advantage of the goodies this season. So I've targeted October 4th and 5th for my trip to SFGAm, as it's before the blackout dates in October, but far enough away I can budget for it. I know that Fright Fest will be going, and it's a Saturday, so it will likely be crowded. Still, I wondered what kind of crowds to expect, as this would be my first time going to GAm during the Halloween season. Do the Haunted Houses (which we won't be doing) take people away from the coaster lines much? Or do they have negligible effect, since they're an upcharge.

I also have questions regarding the Flash Pass at SFGam. I've never used a Flash Pass before, but understand the basics of how it works. However, what I was wondering is whether the Regular Flash Pass where you wait the length of whatever the line currently is, is worth it? Or should I get either Gold or Platinum to make it worth getting? I can't afford the Platinum regardless, but I could perhaps see doing the Gold, if it had a noticeably tangible effect on wait times throughout the day, greatly enhancing our experience on a very crowded day. I know that Maxx Force isn't on the Gold or Regular FP, but is any coaster or ride really affected by the FP, other than Goliath? Because if that's the only coaster we'd really need to FP on, I'm not sure if it's worth it.

With our Membership purchase during the Flash Sale, we also got the one free skip the line pass per person (and I got an extra one for getting a Platinum Membership), so I was wondering how those worked. Do you just go through the FP entrance and get right on the coaster? Is there still a wait? Are all coasters included? These were just some of the things I was curious about in advance.

Would it be advisable, in anybody's opinion, to wait until the beginning of November to go instead, in order to avoid bigger crowds? Or would they still be pretty substantial? I went a few years ago around that time, and found the crowds manageable, though the food stands were so busy all day long, we couldn't get anything to eat, and got hangry, and left the park early.

One last question, and thanks in advance for any and all answers to my questions! I just like to be prepared in advance when I go on trips, especially when my kids are involved. Regarding Maxx Force, would it work to get to the park a half hour before open on the Saturday (whether in October or November), and go directly to the coaster, which is not far from the front gate. and get on pretty quickly? I was just curious how that type of strategy has worked out for anybody who's tried it this year. Additionally, with regard to the Golden Tickets, that get a friend in free, do you have to go to the ticket sales with the friend, before entering the lines for the park, in order to redeem those? It's a small distinction, but one that could definitely add some time to the beginning of the day, and scuttle any plans to get on Maxx Force quickly at park's open. Thanks again for the help, as I look forward to making another trip out to this fun Six Flags park!

I can't speak to crowds or strategy, but Flash Pass at SF parks differs greatly from Fast Lane at CF parks. At SF parks:

1. You are issued an electronic key fob/watch (depending on park) for your group.

2. You choose which ride you want to ride that's on the plan.

3. The device gives you a return time, which will be your time to ride.*

4. At the designated time, you go through the Flash Pass entrance and meet an employee who scans you device and "checks you in."

5. You then proceed to the station, or in the case of some rides like X-Flight, a merge point before going up the stairs to the station.

*The return time given varies based on what level of Flash Pass you have.

Regular = your return time will be approximately the wait of the standby queue.

Gold = your return time will be approximately 50% of the standby queue length.

Platinum = your return time will be approximately 10% of the standby queue length.

Yes, I think it's stupid and overly complicated compared to CF's system too, but what're you gonna do?

Don't bother with the regular Flash Pass. Gold should be fine. What you do is that as soon as the employee checks you into the ride, go and reserve another one. You'll probably have about a 10 minute wait from the check in point, so that time is spent "waiting" for your next ride. A lot of times a 30-40 minute real world wait will be zero by using this system, because of the time spent queueing in the station and walking to the next ride.

^,^^ Thanks for the FP info! That's kind of what I was wondering, what the actual experience was like, how to best strategically use it, and whether the Regular was worth it (it didn't seem like it would be, so thanks for confirming that.) So, I take it that there will still likely be some people in the FP line, who also had set their FP time similarly? That's what I'm getting from the 10 minute wait comment. It actually seems like a pretty efficient system, if you can time it right, and make it work for you!

If anybody can give any insight into any of the crowd questions, or the best way to do Maxx Force (since that's not going to be a FP ride anyway), that'd be great! Thanks again!

I went over 4th of July and most of the coasters where the pass is beneficial have merge points such that you're going to have to wait for 15 minutes or so. As Andrew said, just make sure you select your next ride as soon as you've been scanned in, and by the time you're done waiting from the merge point, riding, and walking to your next ride, it will be ready. I would agree that the platinum is not worth the cost...i got it and wished I had gotten gold.

It ended up storming when we left the park for dinner before having gotten on maxx force(it wasn't even on platinum on our visit), so we went back the next day and it was late to open, the queue seemed to be about 50 minutes consistently and I would say it was moderately crowded when we were there. None of the switchbacks were finished yet, so it was a straight shot from the station to maybe 30 feet past the actual entrance onto the path outside the ride. I know that doesnt answer your opening question, but hopefully gives some insight to how long the line will take.

Early October crowds will be significant, especially with weather being nice. As mentioned, the Flash Pass will allow you to "keep moving" but it won't eliminate all waiting. I would go a step further and mention that you are probably looking at 15-40 minutes in real time from when you enter the Flash Pass entrance to when you are walking down the exit ramp. This works quite well with Gold since Platinum FP has the same wait in real time.

For Maxx Force, your strategy sounds solid. It's one of those deals where you will just have to bite the bullet and wait 60-90 minutes. Also of note, you might want to head to American Eagle right after Maxx since Eagle doesn't have a Flash Pass lane. With expected crowds, it WILL get a line, possibly over 60 minutes.

Since you are traveling with kids, you are going to want to plan your meal strategy in advance. Food service at this park is putrid. During Fright Fest, it's common for food queues to be 60+ minutes. Usually you can leave the park, hit a fast food spot (most major chains are within 10 min of the park), and return in the same amount of time that you would spend inside. Food is almost guaranteed to be higher quality going this route as well. You also have nicer, sit-down options if you want to add an additional 20-30 minutes and relax a bit. Your bill may still come out ahead with the sit-down options. Packing a cooler is also a viable option, as you will see tailgaters here for the above reasons.

Also, IDK if my trip was just a fluke, but on my visit (mid July Friday), Maxx Force didn't open until 3-4pm. The guy out front said S&S was testing it, or something along those lines.

Why SFGAm will need to do something with American Eagle. RMC?

American Eagle will be 40 on May 23, 2021 … What should Great America Do? We know the ride is showing its age. The trains are original and ride control systems have not been updated since the fin breaks, the individual lapbars were added in 1985. From Rumors circulating the trains useful life span is over and are in need of replacement. The lap bars are custom and uncomfortable, and the buss bar unlock mech is painful and slow. The entrance to the ride is now an afterthought and the queue is strait line.

American Eagle takes up a large plot of land and at one point was the parks signature attraction. The entrance to the queue was grand the queue house was enormous and ride was amazing. While the ride is still fun, it takes up much too much land to remain as is in the condition it’s in, what are the options?

1 – DO nothing, again takes up too much land to and is in need of lots of TLC costing lots of money.

2- Do cheap updates, repurpose trains from Texas Giant or just buy new trains and replace the breaks and control systems/ Ride experience remains the same.

3- Refurbish the coaster. Have GCI come in and re-track the coaster, add new trains and updated control system. While I like this idea, it’s a lot of money to re-add an attraction you already have. The ride experience would not change too much and while it was a great ride in its time- will that get the park the ROI it would need from such a large project and high cost.

4- Tear it down, install a Giga in its place. – Its SF, doubtful that will happen, plus it’s still a loved ride much like whizzer and there would be a backlash to its total demise. Plus it has good bones and looks wonderful on the skyline.

5.- Tear it down and add nothing- Its SF that could happen!

6- RMC it.. Ok yes there is RMC just 200 feet away entrance to entrance however American Steel, Steel Eagle, Screaming Eagle, or whatever name the RMC conversion would add to it, would not be anything like Goliath and more like AE just bigger, taller and faster and more amazing. Goliath is wood, has no lateral reverse turns, no duel or racing, and is much shorter, more compact and different style ride than the New American Eagle would (could) be.

Here is what it could be.

• RMC eagle would be done for the 40th to be opened on Sunday May 23, 2021.

• Height would be increased to 180 feet, with a 200 foot drop. Drop would be near or over 90 degree ( Bigger and steeper than Goliath)

• Would be racing/Dueling coaster not a double loop.

• Would be steel I-Box ( Not wood like Goliath)

• Would feature NO inversions ( Goliath has 2)

• Built for massive first drop – speed, change of direction, dueling and racing, a hyper racing hybrid. Also Goliath is not as twisted as all the other RMCs are.

• Would be as long as Eagle is now, about 5000 feet per side.

• The Barrel helix would be more twisted and feature more change in direction, a high-five element and be more dueling then racing.

• The return run would feature more side to side banking, higher hills with more air and end with a faster last helix that would be at 90 degree banking.

• The ride profile would look very similar to what it is now, and remain white with blue track and red hand rails.

What’s the take away? You have a signature, unique, one of kind RMC that will never be done again. It would only add RMC features to the park and the only duplication from Goliath would be the first drop. Nothing else of the two rides will be the same, and since Goliath lacks much of what makes other RMC conversions so great, nothing is lost in the conversion. It would dominate the southern skyline of the park and would be more impressive from outside the park and visible for miles.

Great America is land locked, and has limited space to expand. With the coaster count at 15 we are at the point where each new coaster will likely see one go at the same time. American eagle becoming a new version of itself makes a lot of sense. What other coasters will go to make room for new ones. I see American Eagle, Demon, Superman, X-Flight, V2 and even Whizzer all leaving in favor of something new in the next 20 years. … Any comments to this?

American Eagle was perfectly fine when I rode it back in 2017. I have a hard time believing that it's deteriorated to an "unrideable" status in just two years. You're over thinking it.

Besides, this is Six Flags. Great America just got Maxx Force. You won't be seeing another multi-million dollar investment for quite a while. Take your giant frisbee and enjoy it.

EDIT: We all said the same thing I just said the last two times you brought this up.