New SFGAm Rides

I think SFGAm should NOT put a coaster in for five or six years. They need like five or six good flat rides. Such as a Top Spin, Frisbee, Top Scan, Space Shot, ect. What do you think they should put in and where. I don't want people saying they SFGAm gets too much and stuff like that this is and opinion of what would be nice. If you don't want to respond my question don't respond.

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"These Hardy Boy's books aren't too bad either. This one's about smugglers! They're all about smugglers dad. No, not this one, The Smugglers of Pirate's Cove, it's about pirates" This summer - SFOG, SFGAM, BGW, Las Vegas, SFMM, and KBF!!!

I think Great America has an EXCELLENT flat ride selection, there are quite a few, and they are UNIQUE, but a couple of modern ones wouldn't hurt, i would like a Frisbee or a Top Scan, but no coaster for 5 or 6 years, trust me the park woudn't get high marks for that, not only do coaster enthusiests like when a park gets a new coaster, the general public craves it. SFGAm has a good flat ride selection, and theirs doesnt need as much improvement as lets say SFMM.

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Things a bear-y fine, ridin' on the old Knott's bear-y line!

Id like to see some more thrilling flat rides put in SFGAm. For example I would want a Chance Chaos ride, Top Spin and other thrilling flat rides. The rides we have right now like Triple Play, Fiddlers Fling and Condor all are like Scrablers except each one does something different. I would like to see them open Power Dive back up because that was one of thier more thrilling rides.

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Booker T and Goldust at the Movies:"Thats right you suckas better find someplace to run, cause its me Booker T. Not only am I the Scorpian King, but im the 5 time WCW Champion, and I got a sword too. Now can you dig that Sucka!"

Well, as much as I loved Six Flags Great America, their is a list of changes that I really would like to see to the park:

(4) Shows. Sometimes you have to have a fall-back when the storm sweeps through, the toddler falls asleep, or to recover from heat prostration. With only rare exception, the shows at Great America are not worth the time. Again, I have been to too many other parks that put on professional quality shows to believe that it can't be done. Even the Wisconsin Dells understands the concept of showmanship.

(3)Landscaping and aesthetics. The grounds of Great America, aside from being clean, are not a pleasure to walk around. The grounds are not integrated into the rides as in other parks. Great America almost has a "carny" feel to it. Yes, I am here to ride, but I also want to enjoy the surroundings when I walk around and, most especially, when I have to wait in long lines. Is the complete lack of shaded areas meant to sell more overpriced beverages?

(2)Ride Operation. There were signs on many rides that said the ride didn't open until 11 or 12. (The park opens at 10am) The majority of these were non-rollercoaster rides. This was a disappointment because many of these attractions were for children or people that were not big coaster fans. I guess those people were just stuck walking around for an hour or two until these rides opened. My husband and I are roller coaster enthusiasts and the fact that these other rides were closed sent bored guests right into line for the roller coasters which made our wait longer. The rides that are specifically designed for small children (the airplanes, the fire engines that drive around in circles)have big signs posted out front that say they are only open on weekends. (Note: This may have been because school was still in session???) I wondered just what in the heck some of these poor parents were doing with their little ones all day. (We went on a Thursday).

(1)Food-Food prices go up again. Two piece chicken SPECIAL (leg and half breast) $6.59, one scoop mashed potatoes and a piece of bread. NO drink.
You can get a soda for $2.75, a 20oz bottle. Or the real deal $5.73 for a souviner cup with $2.35 refills all day!!!! WOW!!!!

There is not a single worthwhile place to eat in the entire park and it is all outrageously priced. Sure, you can get your hand stamped and make your way to a half dozen low-end fast food joints a mile from the front gate. You can pack a cooler, get your hand stamped, and eat in your car (always a pleasure when the mercury and humidity are in the 90's). Again, compare the fare at Great America with Busch Gardens or the Universal/Disney megaplex. It is clearly possible to sell food that is a notch above school cafeteria or movie theater quality.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Triple Play is far different than Fiddler's fling, and Condor is more like the Hometown Fun Machine.

Honestly, I don't think a Top Spin is worth it. I think a Giant Huss ride might be fun, but I honestly don't know where they'd put it.

If SF is going to do anything, they will add more coasters. Flat rides just don't generate the same excitement and free PR that rollercoasters do, and I don't want to see them remove any more flat rides, since we've lost 3 since 2000.

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Vertigo said:

Great America almost has a "carny" feel to it.

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I totally disagree with you. I think SFGAM is a very nice park. It has some decent landscaping. There are plenty of trees compared to some other parks. The trees may not shade the midway but there are some such as on Whizzer or Roaring Rapids. The only thing "Carny" about the park is Shockwave and well we just have to live with that. I think SFGAM is landscaped just fine. Its no BGW or Bonfante Gardens but compare it to some place like MA you will see its no where near having a carny feel to it.

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

Thank you above. How could a park that was designed by a hollywood director have a carny feel? Did you go into southwest territory and look around there. I bet you felt the carny feel there huh... What about hometown square which is the heart of the park, feel carny there... The only place at Great America that would have a carny feel would be the midway cames across from AE, which are meant to have a carny feel. And as for landscaping, we are doing just fine. There are way more trees in this park than other parks. And for flat rides, i don't think that we will get one. Im looking for a coaster in 2003, or something else big. Also, the food prices are comperable to other parks, and it isn't bad at all. Like the fajitas and fries in southwest territory, i would love to have that good of food every night for dinner. Also, in my 100+ times going there, i have never seen a sign that says that something wont open until a certain time. The only place that i have been to that had a sign like that was SWO for Kraken. Don't bash someones park just because you had one bad expirience on one day of your life...

*** This post was edited by Drop208 on 5/5/2002. ***

Another thing to remember about the landscaping...this is Suburban Illinois. It's very flat and there's not much landscaping there to begin with. Y'all aren't called "flatlanders" for nothing! ;)

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Quoth the Jaguar...."Check"

That guy I was talking with in line for Deja Vu is right... A lot of people (I did NOT say all people) have pre-concived notions about SFGAm, and they are all bad ones. Thats too bad, it's a very nice park. Want carny? Goto Valley Fair (no, not the CF fair, but the mall near hear, where there is a carnival set up.) Or for a real park, goto Bay Beach, Green Bay. That place is concrete everywhere, very few trees, and just a cheap feeling to the whole thing. At least rides are only 10 to 30 cents each.

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Webmaster of Travis's Websites of Infinite Boredom!
Less than 2 weeks until SFGAm opens!

Spacecase: But the really funny thing about the "flatlanders" crackis that most people from Illinois have never even heard that before. It's just some silly crap that evnious people in Wisconsin made up. I never heard that term till my sister moved up there.

Anyway, as far as eats go, when I was a shorty, I always ate in the Chicken place in Hometown Square. Then as a young, dumb and full of (naughty term removed) teen I always went for the "traditional" chilli dog over in the Farmers Market and when I cam of age, I chase it with an Ice Cold Miller Lite :). Now that I am more *mature* I head for the MooseBurger Lodge over in Yukon Territory. I stand by the statement that those burger were the best mass produced burger I've EVER had, even better than Fudrucker's. IMO, only homemade burgers taste better.

As for shade, there are PLENTY of shady spots to sit in. True, not all of the shade is produced by trees, but every area has somewhere either covered or A/Ced or both. And, with the extended queues of Viper and Batman, I recall all of the queues having some sort of cover. Perhaps not for the *entire* queue, but I invite you to show me one park that does.

As for rides, I've never seen a ride closed "due to staffing" or any other such nonsense. As for the signs you mentioned, I've not seen those either, though atmittedly, I've not gotten to the park much before noon ever.

On the shows, I havent seen a show (other than snippets of the Rainmaker show while in line for Bull) since like 1992-94 when I first saw the Batman Stunt Show, so they many indeed suck. But even Universal, a movie company, has shows that suck (e.g. Sinbad @ IOA by all accounts).

But I'm more than willing to admit that I am biased :)
lata,
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

Shoot, I forgot to address the real topic. Over the next five years, I'd like to see SFGAM get a themed mine type ride a dark ride and a HUSS Delirium (the water frisbee type thingy). I think that they could sufficiently hype those up. I remember the hype from Condor!
lata,
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

I think that SFGAm could easily expand their flat ride selection, I'd like to see some of the above rides mentioned. Rollercoasters should not make up the majority of the park. As for space, I think a rather large flat ride could fit in between Eagle, RB, Giant Drop Que and the Southwest Territory theater. As for the show's, I thought that the rock'n roll flashback or whatever it was the last two years was very entertaining, the Russian Circus was not though, I found myself waiting for American Eagle to drop. As for the food, I have to agree, it is not up to speed with BGW and the prices are unbeliebly outrageous, but where else are they supposed to get these big B&M's and powered Intamin's, if you want to complain about the food prices, then you might as well tell them to get rid of RB altogether and put up a Pinfari coaster or something. Quite frankly, those food prices are part of the reason I'm not a big fan of B&M. I mean you go to a park for the day when you don't have a season pass because you only go twice a year (me) and you pay $40.00 admission, $10.00-$12.00 for parking, $7.50 for a low priced quick lunch, $5.50 for two small snacks, and then a hefty $15.00 for dinner and beverages of the day. All in all, it comes out to be $80.00, try taking a family of four and it comes out to be $290, that's almost $300!!! Heck it's like hmmmm should we rent a cabin in up north Wisconsin for a week for $200 more or should we go to SFGAm for 8-10 hours? Tough decision there. So in conclusion, I can see where your coming from Vertigo, but then again when you want a park with a good coaster selection and reliable construction intervals, there is a price to pay.

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The below statement is true.
The above statement is false.

Constant Looping is a lack of creativity.

You people *really* eat that much at parks? No wonder there are so many people that are victims of the "theme park diets". In 18 years of park going, I never remembered eating more than on *meal* in a park. Granted, the pops/sodas/soft Drinks kill ya during the day, but I distinctly remember onlyeating in the park once. We eat before we go, once in the park, then eat after we leave. Of course, we never stay open till close either.....

And I have no idea what B&Ms have to do with food prices/quality. Both BGW and BGW have two B&Ms and IOA has three....but no one complains about the food in those places.
lata,
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

If everyone hates food prices tell them you dropped your food! I bet you anything you get it right back. lol

Addressing numerous issues:

1)Landscaping - Vertigo, have you ever even been to SFGAm? Out of all the parks I've been to, I can think of only a handful of parks that are as shaded and landscaped as SFGAm. Want some examples? Carousel Plaza currently has *hundreds* of blooming flowers surrounding the reflecting pool. There's a very cool little fountain/pond/stream near Mooseburger Lodge that's surrounded by tall, shady trees. Our B:TR has the best setting of them all *by far.* Whizzer is one of the most wooded coasters in existence. Heck, the only place that isn't tree-filled is Southwest Territory, and let's face it - how well would a grove of huge shady trees fit there? That area of the park fills treeless, yes, but that's the theme. And I think that SFGAm does a nice job with keeing the treeless areas shaded (not to mention that SW Territory *has* some cool landscaping with wildflowers and such).

2)Ride Operations - Name *one* park in the Six Flags chain that has better operations than SFGAm. The only complaint I've ever had is running one side of Eagle, and that's a fixed problem. Every time I've been to the park they've ran multiple trains on *everything* except, of course, V2, Deja Vu, and Spacely's. Heck, Shockwave even continues to run two even though the ride is a walk on! The only ride that ever stacks is Wolf, and I think we all know why (CP is the only park I've ever seen that can operate a standup without stacking consistently). I've never seen a ride at SFGAm not open with the park at 10am, and I go at least ten times every summer (one exception - Hometown Fun Machine).

3)Food prices are comparable to any other amusement park. If you don't like it, eat outside the park. There's an Olive Garden and a good Chinese place on Grand Ave, as well as several fast food choices. Otherwise, Mooseburger Lodge is great, and the tacos in Farmer's Market are a good deal.

4)I see nothing carny at SFGAm at all; in fact, it's the *best* themed Six Flags park out there. County Fair is a little carny, yes, but I believe that's the theme. That's how midwest county fairs are.

5)I would not mind in the least if SFGAm added flats instead of coasters. I'd love to see a Huss Frisbee, a Top Spin, Delirium - heck, most any flat ride unless it's from Zamperla or Chance. The park does have a good number of them, but some newer ones would be appreciated. And while I'm on the subject, anyone know when Orbit is going to open or why it's still sitting in pieces? Did they forget to put it together for opening day? :-)

I'll never understand people wishing for an S&S space shot when there's an Intamin giant drop. How many parks do we see with both? None - because it makes no logical sense to have two drop rides.

Heck, now that I think about it, I like SFGAm just the way it is. Give us something new in a few years - we're easily the best in the chain.

-Nate

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Vertigo said:

Well, as much as I loved Six Flags Great America, their is a list of changes that I really would like to see to the park:

(4) Shows. Sometimes you have to have a fall-back when the storm sweeps through, the toddler falls asleep, or to recover from heat prostration. With only rare exception, the shows at Great America are not worth the time. Again, I have been to too many other parks that put on professional quality shows to believe that it can't be done. Even the Wisconsin Dells understands the concept of showmanship.

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As far as shows are concerned I will agree that since Premier Parks took over, however, of many of the parks that I have been to, they have the BEST shows around to this day. Not one to go to shows, I still think Great America not only has some of the best entertainers around, they also have the best variety of entertainment around.

With all the other facts you got wrong in your post I seriously doubt you have ever been to Great America and if you have then it is the only park you have been to. Great America has arguably the best ride operations in the chain and is one of the best landscaped and themed parks in the chain. Their flat ride collection is marvelous and fairly well balanced.

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member
"We are not responsible for anything the Demon takes or breaks"

Ok, guys, you got me. I wanted to see how you would respond to what some crazy people at Epinion.com thought of the park. It wasn't really a joke actually, because I knew that you guys knew the truth about the park and could tell me if those complaints were anywhere near true. Thans for the input ;)

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

coasterdude318 said:

4)I see nothing carny at SFGAm at all; in fact, it's the *best* themed Six Flags park out there.

You haven't been to SFFT yet, have you? :) That park easily beats any SF park for theming two times over.

Other than that, great points all around. SFGAm is one of the better parks overall in the country, and I hope they'll continue to do a great job in the future! I sure hope Whizzer stays past this year, but if not, a new, shiny B&M would fit just nicely, I think!

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"I have a flashlight, enjoy the show!"

I dont like flat rides so i would perfer few new ones and would perfer more coasters, the more the merrier!!

I also think the food is awful and way over priced. Its sad that McDonalds is so much better. They should put a McDonalds in the park like SFSTL! The only thing edible is the pizza at Fireplace Station and the cheese fries.

I also dont think much of the shows!! I would perfer the old Batman/Wild West show over the acrobats and wish they could just do one show of Disney quality!! And why cant they change the imax movie several times a year and not have dated films???

Bob O: As *soon* as I saw your post I *knew* you had to be from the Wisconsin side of SFGAm, because *NOBODY* who grew up on Chicago style pizza would ever praise the FireHouse Pizza @ SFGAm. In fact, I'll go on record as saying that is the *worst* food offering they have in the park. We ate there *once* when I was young and have never been back. After that, we always went to the caferteria style place right across the way that had decent chicken.
lata,
jeremy
--who has suprisingly not seen a real Disney Show (unless you count Food Rocks! @ Epcot and I dont...)