NO GOLIATH and WAIT WHAT?

I know why the park has a later start to its season than many others. I wasn't criticizing them for that.

My only point was that the park, which already has more time to get something ready for the start of the season than many others because of its late start that stems from the fact that Chicago has nasty winters, put the word out that the ride would open Memorial Day weekend. I can indeed have sympathy for someone who would take the park's word for it seeing as they were apparently so confident. They could've taken the CGA approach which just gave a generic idea of when GoldStriker would open and then I'd be on the other side of this issue. People make plans based on claims like that, and when those specific claims prove to be inaccurate, even when the circumstances creating that inaccuracy are unforeseen, I can have sympathy for those who are inconvenienced by it.

Honestly, the biggest issue here isn't even so much poor planning despite my earlier claim that it seemed that way. I know the Windy City got rocked. It's the fact that made a statement of certainty after all was said and done. Sometimes it's better to play it safe and just ballpark things.

In the future, though, please don't be so condescendingly sarcastic with me. There are more effective ways of getting your point across.

I would also take into account that RMC had a big growth year...a really big growth year. Hard to believe how much they had going on this year with trackwork projects and the 2 new coasters. They might have been a bit optimistic about how much they could get done...

...and might have even completed all the projects on time had the weather cooperated.

And who's to say weather was even involved in the delay?

It may well be that when Bobbie1951 called the park, the coaster was on track to be completed as announced. Subsequent to that something may have happened, not necessarily weather related.

slithernoggin said:

And who's to say weather was even involved in the delay?

The first sentence of this article, which was posted here a few days ago.

I made my point poorly. Which, of course, is not unusual.

What I was trying to say was that when the question was asked, the answer given may well have been correct.

Good weather or bad weather, a park has no excuse to not have a new ride open on opening day. If it was important to them to get the ride open, they would get it open. They could easily hire more hands to help it to open on time. They could have started building it earlier than it needed to be if they wanted to make sure. Other parks do it without a hitch, easily.

It's just good customer service to not disappoint your visitors. Get it open. Get people talking about it. Hype it up. "I've already bee to Six Flags this year. It was fun, but there new ride was not open yet." Not everyone goes to the park every weekend. Some kids get to go once a year. Opening a newly announced ride late allows the hype fizzle out. It's not rocket science.

Keep...Hype...Alive!

LostKause said:

If it was important to them to get the ride open, they would get it open.

You managed to explain why your whole post is wrong within your post.

More people don't help when there's a specific job to be done. They just get in the way. Would you rather it be done right or on time?

This isn't just Six Flags. Universal has done it, Cedar Point has done it. I can't think of a park that hasn't.

Well, only big, corporate parks screw up and don't open their rides on time.

Places like Knoebels would never let a ride get delayed.

Remember the time Hersheypark announced a coaster and then never built it?

There's no excuse for any of those examples. Delaying an amusement ride opening is unacceptable, no matter what. Period. Exclamation point. One.

Well, maybe not unacceptable. I just don't get why it would be a problem to not have a new ride open opening day. I feel strongly about this. At least admire my passion. :D

It's not a tract home or a cookie cutter McDonalds that contractors throw up every other month. We're talking about a multi million dollar construction project, whose components were manufactured hundreds or even thousands of miles away and have to fit in with the plans and the already completed on site construction. Sh*t happens and that causes delays.

It's hard to open if the ride isn't ready by then.

I don't see this as a 'problem'. It's what it is.

1) I assume that a park projects a new coaster to draw people to its park for multiple years. With that type of time frame why, exactly, does a week (or even a month) matter?

2) CP closed 2 rides early so that Gatekeeper could open on time. Was that "unacceptable?" Did not people plan visits, purchase airline tickets, etc based on Space Spiral & Disaster Transport being open? Why should people who demand that a new ride be ready for Opening Day get preference over fans of the old ride(s)?

3) Given that a park like Cedar Point or Great America has its biggest draw from late June thru late August, why should a park spend extra $$$ trying to get a ride open for it's NON-PEAK time?

4) Cubs fans have passion. Cards fans have World Series Championships. :)

You know what happens when you open a ride that isn't completed?

Final Destination 3. ;~P

Kaato!

I don't expect anyone to know what this is, but it is hilarious:

I'm glad to hear you can still by turkey legs for $2 extra. That was added last year. Opening day all the up charge signage was gone. We figured it was taken away. You want something to really get mad about Great America offers the least food items on the dining pass of any Six Flags Park. Great Adventure has a 3 page list. Great America barely a one page list.

Goliath: So it was announced around Labor Day. They should have started work then not after the park closed for the season. The park figured it would be a mild winter...surprise. If Chicago had 28 below zero days how many did Gurnee have? Gurnee is always colder and snowier then Metro Chicago.
The park promised in the news Goliath would be topped off by weeks end. Then came heavy rain and nope not going to happen. Also with the higher parts wind plays a bigger factor. It has been very windy around here of late and more is coming next week.

I call watching Goliath construction equal to watching paint dry. I hope it will be ready for Media day. I will not bet on it, looking at the web camera today. Yes, Six Flags dropped the ball on this one.

I love when enthusiasts say things like "the park figured..." How can you possibly know what a park is thinking?

I also love it when enthusiasts take circumstantial evidence and turn it against a park in order to complain. Maybe construction started after the park closed for a reason. There's plans, permits, contractors, insurance, safety, and all kinds of things that might've dictated when they were finally able to move on the project. We dont really know. I can't imagine that you sit in a position to know who around there is dropping balls, or who's inaccurately predicting an entire season's weather.

I also love it when enthusiasts crybaby about having to wait for a project to finish. I can't tell you the number of times it's happened at parks near me. It's disappointing, ok, but in the end goes no further than a topic of discussion. You're going to have to accept that it's coming later, and please quit throwing stones at "the park" for wrecking your week.

Waiting for Goliath to open cant be half as boring as your whiny posts about your home park that you apparently love to hate.