New Changes in store next year at SFGAM?

I heard that they could be removing shockwave and the whizzer. Hopefully, in the whizzer's place, they put a really cool ride intended for people who do not ride many roller coasters, but is cool enough that veteran roller coaster enthusiasts will enjoy it. In shockwave's place they should put either a 4-D or less likely, but more to hope for-a tera coaster. The space is there for a tera coaster(I think) and it would be a huge selling point of the park for years to come(ala Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point). The sad story of Deja-Vu would be forgotten if they don't end up fixing it and are forced to replace it. SFMM is not getting any revolutionary coasters for at least 2 years. SFGAdv just got Nitro. SFoT(or is it Astroworld) just received Titan. Many other parks received flying coasters. SFGAM is the primary theme park for the tri-state area of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, therefore, the amount of people that go there definately can improve.

SFGAM is not going to remove any coasters. They even said so themselves. There is plenty of room for a new ride such as a B&M Flying Coaster. SFGAM doesn't have the cash flow to build a Tera Coaster and why do they need one when they got Raging Bull. Also Whizzer is staying as long as it can before it becomes too much of a maintence nightmare.

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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorie Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

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coaster895 said:
Also Whizzer is staying as long as it can before it becomes too much of a maintence nightmare.

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Don't be so sure of that. ;) If you haven't ridden it yet (and you plan on ever riding it) you'd better get to the park this year. The countdown has started.........

Rampage, shhh... Don't let the semi-common knowlage out

Is what I want to see next year is a Lo-Que system like at SFoG. In theory, it sounds 1000 times better than FastLane.

In response to below: A terra-coaster is a enthusiast-coined word for a coaster that goes over 400 feet tall, and is full circut. IMO, it's a worthless term, because a coaster type is decided on by the company, not enthusiasts.

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Deja Vu count: 1
Will it go up this year? Doubtful...

*** This post was edited by TrBiggar on 6/1/2002. ***

What is a tera-coaster?

Rampage, Do you know this for a fact that Whizzer is being removed after this season? I wonder because I know there has always been the rumor that its going to be removed for the last 3-4 years. I was just wondering if you know this for a fact or are you just speculating.

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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorie Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

coaster 895, everything is speculation. Personally, I have a strong feeling that Whizzer, unfortunately, will be out after this year. I have been riding alot lately, so I don't miss it. Also, just because Six Flags says something, doesn't mean it will happen. Didn't they "say" no rides would go into the wildlife side of SFWoA? Where is the new hyper coaster going to be? Don't they say that Deja Vu has "returned" on their commercials? Has it returned? Maybe if you think it has returned as a nice statue. I think Whizzer will go sooner than Shockwave will for some reason. It would seem the park would rather get rid of a huge ride that nobody likes, rather than a huge(in terms of taking up space) ride that families can enjoy. Maybe it has to do with maintenance. Anyway, I see a B&M flyer replacing Whizzer next year, if they do add anything. I hate to say it, but I would honestly rather keep Whizzer. It is a classic, and it is something families can enjoy. Flyers are more of a novelty ride. If they add a flyer, intertwine it with Shockwave.

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MRKARNO said:
Hopefully, in the whizzer's place, they put a really cool ride intended for people who do not ride many roller coasters, but is cool enough that veteran roller coaster enthusiasts will enjoy it.

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Excuse me but wouldn't that be Whizzer?

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SFGA2001 said:

I hate to say it, but I would honestly rather keep Whizzer.

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Why be ashamed of that? I have never ridden it or been to SFGAm, but being a Schwarzkopf fan, I do not want it removed. The world has seen too many Schwarzkopf coasters run for the last time.

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Why would they remove Whizzer next year when they just reupholstered the trains this past winter?

While all these steel coasters etc. sound great and while I'm pretty sure it's not coming, I'd really like to see a nice sizeable but not immense (aka The Boss) CCI. While it would be quite a challenge, I think it would be really awesome if they could put a CCI in Orleans Place which could use a little sprucing up. I know it's a space nightmare but if you were flying by those buildings or Shockwave, it would make it very impressive and it would be somewhat akin to Cornball Express which I've heard nothing but good things about.
Sadly, I don't see another year for the Whizzer which is very devestating because it was my second coaster and they already got rid of my first coaster (Rolling Thunder). However, it is bittersweet because that ravine would make an excellent space for a B&M flyer (although I'd rather see a 4-d obviously) But all in all I'd still rather have the Whizzer stay, if they take that out, there is virtually no "beginner coaster" that is big enough for a 10 year old or higher. Other parks (don't cream me for this) like CP have several of these coasters and while that makes me think that SFGAm does not add rides just to increase their count like SFMM recently did by tagging on that Goliath Jr. to bring them into the light by being the Coaster Capital of the World. But if SFGAm removes Whizzer I fear that it will turn those less thrill seeking guests astray.

That's my life in a nutshell.

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Tuesday's Gone With The Wind.
Elijah Rock.
Is it written in the stars?
La Vie Boheme!!!

Uh, reupholstered? What!? Last year I rode it, and I rode it this year. Last year it was in excelent condition, and so was this year. I don't think they did anything but maybe remove the upholstry and put it back on, like they should when they take apart the trains for inspection in the winter.

And even if it was, that doesn't mean a thing. Sky Whirl had some nice looking new paint on it in 2000. We all know what happend to it in 2001.

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Deja Vu count: 1
Will it go up this year? Doubtful...

Although enthusiasts may enjoy whizzer, when a ride gets to a certain point, it becomes harder and harder to guarentee that it will be safe and open. Whizzer is one of two roller coasters at SFGAM that opened in 1976, the other being Demon. I think a coaster as revolutionary as flying coaster at Elitch Gardens without the inversions would be a good replacement. I have a few non-roller coaster enthusiasts who will ride only that roller coaster at SFGAM who would be upset if they took it out and did not replace it. With the terrain currently in that spot, a flying coaster would be well suited with near misses by the pond and trees, but they might fill the pond and cut down the trees. I think the Six Flags corporation owes it's customers in the Chicagoland area an apology for their false marketing("Two new coasters, one season" when it wasn't finished until fright fest and "Deja Vu now open" when it closed after just a few days of operation). They thought they could attract customers cheaply by adding two non-full circuit roller coasters and calling it two coasters, but the more anticipated one failed for the most part. In my opinion, Deja Vu is a failure. Six Flags Great America is one of the few of the biggest Six Flags parks to not receive a major roller coaster in the past three years(including this one). I think we deserve the best from Six Flags Inc., no matter where they put the ride or if they take Shockwave or Whizzer down.

I forgot, I for one really don't believe they will take Shockwave down. Up here in good old Wisconsin, my friends love Shockwave, they do say that it's bumpy, but they feel like they've accomplished something big every time they ride it which makes them love it, I really don't see this coaster going.

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Tuesday's Gone With The Wind.
Elijah Rock.
Is it written in the stars?
La Vie Boheme!!!

I suggest if anyone wants to ride Whizzer they get to Great America within the next two months ;)

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Top 5 Coasters 1.Deja Vu(SFGAm)2.Raging Bull(SFGAm)3.Millennium Force(CP)4.CornBall Express(IB)5.Viper(SFGAm)
CoasterWorld

Don't look for anything big in 2003. 2003 will be the year of the Giant wheel. I still think 2004 will bring a flying coaster.

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SFGA2001 said:
I think Whizzer will go sooner than Shockwave will for some reason. It would seem the park would rather get rid of a huge ride that nobody likes.

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Quiet you. :) If in fact no one liked Shockwave then it *wouldn't* be here today. I am a very big fan of Shockwave, and personally, I just can't seem to figure out what the heck everyone is doing wrong to get such horrible rides, but as I said before, I think people are exaggerating about just how rough this ride is the same as a Vet. exaggerates his war stories.

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Wash away us all. Take us with the floods.

*** This post was edited by RagingBullGuy on 6/2/2002. ***

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CoasterDude316 said:

I suggest if anyone wants to ride Whizzer they get to Great America within the next two months

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Top 5 Coasters 1.Deja Vu(SFGAm)2.Raging Bull(SFGAm)3.Millennium Force(CP)4.CornBall Express(IB)5.Viper(SFGAm)
CoasterWorld

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Like Jeff says... Those who know don't tell and those who tell don't know

*** This post was edited by JoNoJ27 on 6/2/2002. ***

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JoNoJ27 said:
Why would they remove Whizzer next year when they just reupholstered the trains this past winter?

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Easier to find a buyer from South America when it looks good....and from what I understand, they either hed to do it or remove it then.

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SWOOSH
http://www.themeparksonline.org
(In cyberspace no one can hear you scream)

Yep, those who do know are smart enough not to say anything, and those who DON'T know are the ones who make up crazy rumors.

Everyone knows that Whizzer is already a maintenance nightmare. There are NO available parts, so they have to make them, and cannibalize the remaining 3rd train, which is never leaving the shop again. You have to look at a standpoint of dollars. It's either remove a ride that is expensive to maintain (Whizzer) and save money, or remove a ride thats incredible EASY to maintain (Shockwave) and continue to lose money on the Whizzer in parts and labor. Getting new parts for an Arrow Looper is like getting parts for an 89 Oldsmobile Cutlass, EASY. Getting parts for the Whizzer is like getting a Delorean fixed, Hard and Expensive.

I'm not saying whats going to happen, but all of you can draw your own conclusions from what I've said. I've drawn mine.

I agree that the Whizzer is in reaal dire straits right now, but I ask: Why can't the people at the new Schwarzkopf (the ones who built the trains for Taz's Texas Tornado on display at the IAAPA convention 2 years ago) create a new rolling stock for the ride to keep it alive? I'm almost certain (from my deductions anyway) that SFGAm wouldn't get rid of this fabulous ride if it didn't absolutely need to. At this point, w/o parts, they are nearing that point.

So, if it is still the least bit economical, I say that they should exhaust every option they have before doing the inevitable.

*** This post was edited by I-Nar on 6/2/2002. ***