Ample Time To Visit SFOG?

Hello!

I'm taking a week vacation to WDW this coming June. I'll be staying at the Polynesian Resort from June 15-21. Needless to say, I'm incredibly excited by this. This will be my 3rd trip to WDW. My last trip was June, 1998.

Friday, June 14 will be spent leaving C-Bus (Columbus) via interstate to Symrna, GA- a suburb of Atlanta. I'll be spending the night at the Symrna Holiday Inn Express. The next morning the trek continues to WDW. I'm planning on leaving C-Bus at 4:00AM which should put me in Greater Atlanta at 12:30-1:30PM, approximately.

While there, I'm thinking it would be fun to visit SFOG since I've never been (and to try out S:UF, lol). Mapquest says that its approximately 11 miles from my hotel to the park. Given that I'll probably be worn out from the drive (I'm going with family so I won't be driving the whole distance), hotel check in and settling in, and a little (I stress little) rest, would say 3PM-8PM (5 hours) sound like a good length for a trip to SFOG?

The official SFOG website lists the park closing at 8PM the day I'm planning on going. At parks I'm familiar with I turn into a "commando." I can do a lot of "damage" in 5 hours easy. But, since I'm unfamiliar with the park, I would need to time to get my bearings straight. Any SFOG fanatics have any advice for me? This Ohio man would love any information you might have. Thanks!

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OHIcOaster
"Back seat, no hands."

5 hrs should be enough time to hit the major rides.  But in the middle of June the park might be fairly crowded.  If your up to spending the money, use the Lo-Q system so you can be out of line for one ride and in line for another.

I went to that park last October for Fright Fest-I don't know about regular days, but IMHO five hours there (especially if you want to hit SUF) won't be enough time.  SUF brand new-first of its type in the US-it'll have a looong line, DejaVu is a slow loader, GA Scorcher had an "average" wait - 1 hr, Mindbender was about 45 mins (I loved this one...), BTR - can skip it...it's everywhere ;) , GreatAmerican Scream machine - great PTC woodie.  love the airtime - had about a 30-45 min wait.

So basically, if you have a Season pass to SF - go!  (Heck even if you don't still go and ride SUF and whatever else you can!)  Just realize that you (probably) won't be able to hit all the rides.  It's a beautiful park - my second favorite scenery-wise.

Just remember - The worst day coaster riding is still better than a day without coasters!

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"It's Deja Vu all over again." - Yogi Berra

You would be hard pressed, but it may be possible. The 'must-rides' are Superman, Deja Vu, Acrophobia, Mindbender, and Georgia Cyclone, but there are so many more great coasters and rides like Scorcher, Batman, and GASM.

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|| Jonathan Hawkins ||
http://www.starcoasters.com
http://www.thrillspot.com

This is my home park. If I am correct, that day will be the 15th. This is a saturday. If you get LoQ, I would guess that you could use LoQ on Superman: Ultimate Flight as soon as you get there. Since GASM is the clostest ride, I would go there. There will probably be about a 1-1.5 hour wait for it on a Saturday. (My step-sister went there on Sat. and she waited 2.5 hours for GASM, but that was like a week or two after Deja Vu opened.) I would suggest that you skip Deja Vu, especially if you have been on it before. Lines for Deja Vu: 2.5-3 hours. Go next to MindBender. The lines will be 45min-1 hour. This is a great ride. Skip B:TR. Then go to the front of the park. Ride Georgia Cyclone (Lines: 1-1.5 hours). I would go next to Georgia Scorcher (45min-1 hour) because Acrophobia will probably be too long of a wait. Right about then your LoQ should go off and you can go to the back of the park and ride S:UF. It should be about 7:00 or 7:30, go back to the front of the park and ride Acrophobia. It is the end of the day and the line for it shouldn't be too bad. If you have time after Acrophobia, go ride Georgia Cyclone again because it is the nearest. Right about now it should be 8:00 (if all my calculations are correct). If I were you, I would try to come some other time on a weekday. The lines would be much more manageable then. Have a great trip!
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SFOGeorgia.
Can't wait for Superman: Ultimate Flight
Drachen Fire, RIP: 1992-1998 Dismantled 2002

Thank you very much to everyone who helped me. SFOGeorgia, I'll be there on Friday, June 14th . LoQ sounds like the way to go. I'll be a Six Flags season pass holder again next season so the admission price won't be a problem. I'm glad to hear its a beautiful park redman822- that is one of the major things I look for in a park. Reading their website it sounds easy to get to. Does I-20 ever intersect I-75?
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OHIcOaster
"Back seat, no hands."

*** This post was edited by OHIcOaster on 2/24/2002. ***

I am one of those who REALLY avoids Saturdays at parks, and I've never seen lines THAT bad at SFoG, save for Deja Vu...if you can skip that, and it's horrendous capacity issues, I think you can do all the other major rides.  MUST-do rides include MindBender, GASM (best of the coasters with that name), and of course S:UF.  Dahlonega is definitely funky and cool, one of the oldest mine trains, not intense, but fun!
Ga Cyclone was *supposed* to get a rehab, I really hope it got some TLC, 'cause it was a great Cy-clone a few years' back.  MindBender is excellent, get at least two rides...Ga Scorcher is a fantastic stand-up, short but intense...never seems to have a big line when I go, I think the longest I've waited for other than front row is ~15-20 minutes...keep your hands down as GASM heads into the brake run, the shed's a little "tight", LMAO...
We'll be up there sometime around opening weekend or the next, I guess.  Just showing Jill pics of the AMAZING ground clearances on S:UF.  She was like "wow, THAT is what the other flyers were missing...".  Got to LOVE them coaster-chicks, even if they're NOT from New England...PPPers should be able to appreciate that;)...
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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

*** This post was edited by rollergator on 2/24/2002. ***

I go to school in Smyrna, so I can help you with directions.  I think the hotel you are staying in is off of I-285 at S. Atlanta Road or S. Cobb Drive.  Simply get on 285 go South to I-20 West and you're basically there.  If you take I-75 to I-20, you'll go out of your way and through downtown traffic.  Smyrna and SFOG are both on the west side of town.

As for the park, if you have that much time definitely go with Lo-Q.  There's only a limited number available each day, but you can reserve one via telephone or Internet.  You should be able to hit all major rides within that time frame at least once, maybe more.

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"Hello to Yogi, Hello to Booboo, Hello to Scooby Doo. Barney and Fred say hi..." --King's Dominion's Singing Mushrooms

Sorry about that OHIcOaster. The ride times on Friday will be much more pleasant. Go ahead and ride B:TR and maybe even Deja Vu. You'll have ALOT more time on a Friday. Still, don't go on Ninja. ROUGH!!! If you realy want to, go ahead, but don't say i didn't warn you
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SFOGeorgia.
Can't wait for Superman: Ultimate Flight
Drachen Fire, RIP: 1992-1998 Dismantled 2002

*** This post was edited by SFOGeorgia on 2/24/2002. ***