SFGAm: possible 3 mil plus attendance in 2005?

I'm thinking of the Yogi Berra line about "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded."

Growing up in Chicago, it was common knowledge that Great America would be horribly crowded on Saturdays. But the last few times I've been to the park in recent years, regardless of the day, it's been packed to the gills.

Price has to be a huge factor, too. I live in San Antonio now, and I purchased both a Six Flags season pass and a Sea World season pass for a combined $96... $6 more than an individual undiscounted season pass to SFGAm. Granted, those two parks combined still don't equal the greatness of one SFGAm, but still.

I kept thinking last weekend, when the temp here in Chicago was 70 and the sun was shining...three weeks until GAm opens! Three weeks?

Extending the season on the front end help drive the over-all attendance figures a bit. The "late" opening (relative to other parks)doesn't help.

Hmmm, doesn't seem to hurt CP, though, so nevermind.

My prediction? Hurricane Harbor is packed every day. Get there early before they shut the doors. To answer Moosh's question about the market, well, there isn't much of one. The dearth of water parks in the Chicagoland area has always baffled me....

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Marko said: Finally make it the norm to run all coasters at full capacity every day - including Deja Vu! And cheerful employees, hire more of them, fire the droopy/unhappy ones.

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I don't know how often you visit SFGAm, or when you usually do. But it is the norm for them to run all coasters at full capacity everyday, including Deja Vu. The only time you don't see them running all coasters to full capacity, is the last few weeks of August when staffing at the park usually gets very bad. This past year I think Deja Vu was down more due to staffing issues then it was due to mechanical issues.

I totally dissagree with this.

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CoasterDude316 said:
I don't know how often you visit SFGAm, or when you usually do. But it is the norm for them to run all coasters at full capacity everyday, including Deja Vu. The only time you don't see them running all coasters to full capacity, is the last few weeks of August when staffing at the park usually gets very bad.

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I probably was at the park 25 times last summer, and spent a great deal of time sitting on the steps of Raging Bull WAITING for them to add the extra trains. They do not typically begin or end the day with RB running at full capacity...on any given day. Maybe they are better prepared for some weekends, holidays, etc. But if you need to run at full capacity, my guess is the park (or ride) are crowded, so why waste more time trying to get the ride to run full capacity.

I am hoping that the water park will clear out some of the lines in the park though :)

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Marko said: (snipped)

For example the station for Viper is absolutely ridiculous - how is guest experience enhanced by being packed in like sardines? Spruce up the queues for RB and Viper as well, the old west tumbleweed theme is looking more like Sanford and Son's lot. I'd vote for more landscaping all the way around the park too.

Mark

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Viper is indeed one of the stations where they need someone regulating the flow into the station. During the times they have done this it's been much appreciated. I've also seen them do this on occasion at V2 and Raging Bull. I know it's another staff person but it's one of those little things that matters to some people in terms of good customer service and operations.

^ I agree. I LOVE Viper, but I really really despise of the station. When there is an employee stopping you from entering the station, that makes my day. Raging Bull isn't as bad because once you are in the station, the line goes fast. I almost always see this done on V2.

Hopefully with the waterpark Sfgam will make a lot of money, and also shorten some of the lines on a hot summer day! :)

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2Hostyl said:
Add to that, they have a shorter operating season than say PKI and Chicago weather is insane, oppressively hot one day, a deluge of thunderstorms the next. That'd keep me away more days.
lata, jeremy

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What are you talking about? PKI isn't crowded on Saturdays in the Summer and it doesn't get hot or rain in Cincinati?
Also 2005 Season Operating Days:
SFGAm 136
PKI 133

Let's face every big park is crowded on Summer Saturdays and most face u predictable weather.

Mike

Weather is weather everywhere, but on really hot days @ PKI one can just saunter over to the waterpark to cool off. There was no such option @ SFGAm so on those really hot days, I'm sure more people opted to stay away.

Also, assuming your counting is right, good catch on the days. I simply assumed since PKI opened earlier that they had more open days. I wasnt sufficiently anal to count (still aint ;)).

Olsor, please tell me you've got a Schlitterbahn season pass....as a pretty solid *non-waterpark* person, when asked (at USH) what the best park I ever visited was....I considered it for a few seconds and said "Schlitterbahn, followed by SFoT, Knoebels, and HW in no particular order"....Texas rules!

Chicago, that's just too cold in the winter...and too crowded...I'd need a whole summer's heat just to thaw out WITHOUT the waterpark...but I'm part reptile...;)

edit: jeremy, good to have you back....tell 'her' we need you HERE sometimes too, LOL...:)
*** Edited 4/14/2005 5:05:32 AM UTC by rollergator***

I agree with the others who say that they have been at SFGAm in July and they only run two trains on RB until mid-afternoon. It is insane. the lines are two hours long and they are only running two then it takes them 20 minutes to add the third. GRRRRRR