SFGAm-(7-26) Farewell to a good friend

Associated parks:
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For those of you reading this, I recommend you read the Cedar Point review I did as this is a mere continuation of that trip report.

Anyways, getting the girls out of bed for this park was almost impossible. Two days at the Po!nt had wiped them out and we found that most of us would be dragging the entire day. We arrived at the park at 11:00 to a very full parking lot. I made a mental note not to visit this park on a Friday again and then parked my car. Lines were very long everywhere so I purchased some fast passes.

Those of you that have read my posts in the past know that I am a huge defender of my home park, Great America and that I feel that it is the best run park in the chain, but visiting right after a visit to Cedar Point put things in perspective. The park was noticibly dirtier. The clientelle was more obnoxious. There was no "zip" in the employees, and they were only running two trains on Raging Bull for christsakes. Watching the ride operations on Viper and Eagle just made me plain sick.

Anyways, I have reviewed this park to death this year, so I wont go into a lot of boring details.

Deja Vu was down most of the day. Riders were trapped on the first spike twice during the day for twenty minutes each time. V2 was open but we were doing so much other stuff that I never got a chance to get on it so I have still yet to ride an impulse but I think that not fitting on Wicked Twister has spelled my doom for ever getting to ride it.

Raging Bull and Viper were both running real nice. Catherine who had previously told me she hated Viper became a Viper convert. Marisa got her first ride on Raging Bull and she loved it. Both Catherine and Marisa claimed that they liked Raging Bull way more than Magnum. I tend to agree. I would say I like it a tiny bit more than Millie too.

Catherine and Marisa and I all did Batman and once again we all agreed that Raptor is so much better than Batman.

We ended the night with a farewell ride on Whizzer. It broke down when we got to the front of the line but we waited while they fixed the ride. It was a full half hour but I spent the entire time talking to a ride op about the ride and watched them push a train off the midcourse brakes. I couldnt think of a better way to say good bye. I rode in the very front and had a great night time ride. Probably one of my best. I teared up when I got off and patted the front of the car one last time as I got out. I am going to miss the old girl. I am hoping to make one more visit before the 11th but I am not counting on it.

I thought to close out this trip report, I would share a Whizzer memory, one that many Chicagoan's might remember from way back. Think back to the early 80's when the Bozo Show was a regular show on channel 9. I remember they filmed an entire episode at Great America and that the show featured a chase scene around the park which culminated on the Whizzer. Anyways, about a month later and for about 4 years after that, one of the stock commercials for channel 9 was a shot of Bozo riding the Whizzer and the song "kids of Chicago, having a good time, they are watching, Channel Nine". Anyways, that is the memory I have to share with you. We need to start a luv thread sometime soon before they close her down for good.

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

Nice trip report again Kick The Sky. I'm sad to see Whizzer go, especially since i have never ridden any Schwarzkompf rides, stupid Six Flags and their removing of rides.

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(Former Signature replaced due to bad joke with accident) The Beast at night-Two peas in a pod?

I don't see any pictures of Whizzer on the SFGAm site, and we are going next week. Is Whizzer the same type of coaster that the Jumbo Jet was at CP?

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

Kick The Sky said:

For those of you reading this, I recommend Those of you that have read my posts in the past know that I am a huge defender of my home park, Great America and that I feel that it is the best run park in the chain, but visiting right after a visit to Cedar Point put things in perspective. The park was noticibly dirtier. The clientelle was more obnoxious. There was no "zip" in the employees, and they were only running two trains on Raging Bull for christsakes. Watching the ride operations on Viper and Eagle just made me plain sick.

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hmmmm...so i guess that my preference of CP over SFGAm is NOT so unusual.

ANYway, i agree about the love thread for Whizzer. how about an on-line goodbye card or something? or maybe even a card signed by all who ride it on the last day?
woulr the park allow somone to stand at the exit with it and ask for goodbye wishes??
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SAVE THE WHIZZER!!!

*** This post was edited by servo3000 on 7/29/2002. ***

CPLady: Actually, the Whizzer is the Speed Racer model which had many different configurations. The only other standing Speed Racer is in South America. There are a few pics out at rcdb.com to help you visualize the coaster.

Servo3000: I am now realy considering making my way down there the last day, even if I have to get to the park ultra-late. I would be happy to sign a goodbye card on the last day if you make it down.

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

thinking about it...only problem is, i have to work until 3PM and wouldn't get there til 5 or later. i really don't want to pay 40.00 admission and 10.00 parking for half a day or less....

will let you know.

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SAVE THE WHIZZER!!!

What's wrong with the operations on Viper? I've been there several times this year and each time the crew has been dispatching trains as soon as it's clear to do so (when the other train dives past the station). I've certainly never seen them stacking at all, and if they're not stacking, then operations are as flawless as they can be.

-Nate

Hrm...$40 admission after 5 pm? This means they don't have a twilight ticket. I wondered about that because I didn't see one listed on the website either.

Bummer as we'll probably be arriving late Tuesday afternoon and I was hoping to get a little night time riding in before our full day on Wednesday.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

coasterdude: They are always stacking that other train on Viper. Half the problem is that they arent measuring kids before they enter the cue so they have to get the kid out of the train to measure him and then recheck all the restraints. On this last visit it was the worst I had ever seen it. They were lucky to be dispatching a train every five minutes.

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

CPLady - While the park doesn't offer a Twilight ticket, you can pick up a "Twicket" (is that what they're calling them this year?) for $10.

Pay your $40 on Tuesday night, and buy a "Twicket" for $10 on your way out to use on Wednesday.

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"Look outside, I know that you'll recognize it's summertime." - The Flaming Lips "It's Summertime (throbbing orange pallbearers)"

I wish their website would provide information like this. I searched it and the only information I get on Twicket is for Six Flags Great Adventure ("restrictions apply" but there is nothing describing these "restrictions"). There is absolutely NOTHING like this listed for Great Americal.

Anyway, let me get this straight....I pay $40, then go to Guest Relations and pay an additional $10 to get a second day pass. What are the restrictions they mentioned?

Also, do they offer the extra charge Fast Pass that allows you to ride a limited number of rides without standing in the long lines?

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

That's right, pay the $40 admission and then buy the $10 "Twicket" later. I don't know of any restrictions, but I'd just call the park to make sure they're still offering it before I went. Keep in mind that I haven't personally been out to the park since the end of May, so that's what I'm basing my info on.

That's the version of Fast Pass SFGAm uses, but I haven't used it this year and don't know the specifics.

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"Look outside, I know that you'll recognize it's summertime." - The Flaming Lips "It's Summertime (throbbing orange pallbearers)"

Thanks for the info. Guess I'll just write the phone number down and give them a call. We'll be staying at the Hampton Inn which is supposedly fairly close and also sells tickets to the park, but I don't want to pay $10 for parking then find out I'd have to pay another $40 the next day if Twicket isn't available.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

FastPass is 10 bucks for 4 rides. They almost always have the following rides on the FastPass list...

Raging Bull, Batman, Giant Drop, Roaring Rapids, Whizzer, Iron Wolf, V2

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Bob Hansen

A proud CoasterBuzz Member

"So you think your'e really brave, gonna see the DEMONS cave.
You silly dude, your'e only food, for the DEMON"

CPLady said:
"I wish their website would provide information like this. I searched it and the only information I get on Twicket is for Six Flags Great Adventure ("restrictions apply" but there is nothing describing these "restrictions"). There is absolutely NOTHING like this listed for Great Americal.
"

Well that's because there is no "twicket" at Great America. That is to say, the name has been changed. It is now called the "MVP: Multi Visit Program" and there is a significant difference between that and the old twickets. With MVP (like the old twickets) you can pay $10 and return on the next day. But you now ALSO have the option to pay $15 and return on ANY operating day.

If you search the SF site for "MVP", there is a detailed press release about it. Though I'll agree that is something that at the very least should be posted on the pricing page.

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"To get inside this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do

I just went last week. Present yourself in person at the guest relations,and you can either buy a next day pass for $10,or an any day pass for $15. No restrictions that I noticed.

Oh, MVP. I wasn't sure what it was called this year.

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"Look outside, I know that you'll recognize it's summertime." - The Flaming Lips "It's Summertime (throbbing orange pallbearers)"

Actually MVP is the program by which one can by a Twicket, second day anytime in 2002, or pay to upgrade to a season's pass. They do still call it a twicket. At least they did 2 weeks ago when I was there.

The Twicket, second day anytime in 2002, or MVP (whatever you want to call it these days) can not be purchased at guest relations. You have to go to the season pass processing center (According to the MVP signs, so look for them to be 100% sure.) to buy them which is location in Hometown Square by the "firehouse". (Next to Triple Play.) Which is conveniently located right across the square from the Whizzer.

Luckily I bought my pass at SFKK this year. I certainly would not be making much of my pass this year otherwise.

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Whizzer tribute page http://www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/sfgam/whizzer.html
Zero G Thrills http://www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/

*** This post was edited by beast7369 on 7/30/2002. ***

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