I got to the park around 9:45 to get primetime (early ride opening for season pass holders only) on Batwing. First thing I run into four enthusiasts from New England who were taking part in Coastercon at Hersheypark. They were excited to take a nostalgic ride on Wild One. I say nostalgic because some of them had rode it before they moved it to Maryland! Well we walked back and Batwing isn't running, but they substituted S:ROS instead which is never a bad thing. I run into more enthusiasts. We hear the eta on Batwing is 2pm so I go and ride other things and run into Wild One aka Eric. We hang out for most of the day but he's trying to find people from RRC the whole time. We're very happy because we got to ride two rides that are mechanical problems-Iron Eagle and Typhoon Seacoaster which came on line around 1:00pm. After eating a cheap, but filling lunch of 4 bread sticks and marinara sauce we went back over to Batwing. Big group of people waiting by the gates to the path. All the sudden we see people running down to the ride and then all these people walking back. These people learned a lesson which is 'just because they say the ride is going open at 2pm doesn't mean at exactly 2pm'. Apparently they barged through the gates to ride. I ride Superman again and I see them cycle a train. I then see Tim a ride op walking up with another ride op and 3 security guards from Batwing about 2:30pm. Tim signals to me that the ride is opening! I quickly grab Wild One and his found RRC buddies out of the S:ROS giftshop and another enthusiast who was about to leave the park. It runs ok and then the train stops on the lift. They do some cycling and people get on again. Then a lapbar goes down, but the guys from Vekoma are still there so along with a park maintenance guy who stayed with the ride most of the afternoon, they fixed the lapbar right in front of us. From then on the ride ran without incident until closing! I grabbed two more rides on it including one with 2Hostyl aka Jeremy. I swear I've never taken that many rides on S:ROS in one day, but it was worth it to catch Batwing early on. While waiting in line we run into more enthusiast, some local. The general concensus from the enthusiast I talked to about Batwing is that everyone is loving it and they definitely dig the trees and landscaping around the ride. The best comment was from John the guy who almost left. He thanked me repeatedly for not letting him leave. He loved it! I was told they'll have the second train running by the weekend once it's inspected. BTW they were training people on the Skycoaster today so I imagine it'll be opening any day now also. I had a great day and it was cool to run into so many enthusiast, both the locals and the out-of-towners that I had never met.
*** This post was edited by Intamin Fan on 6/19/2001. ***
*** This post was edited by Intamin Fan on 6/19/2001. ***
Hopefully they'll have all three trains going by july 7th! I can't wait to ride.
t-minus 17 days and counting till my first flight on batwing!
Are season pass holders from other 6 Flags allowed to participate in the early pass holder time thingy?
I don't think so. At least not at Great America.
-------------
Let the bears pay the Bear Tax, I pay the Homer Tax.
Great TR IntaminFan! And let me thank you one more time for not letting me leave the park--Batwing was the capper to a great day :)
CoasterBoy, I'm a passholder at SFKK, and they *did* allow me to participate in the "early pass holder time thingy." I think I got in about 8 rides on S:ROS before the GP got in.
Jon
