I think we all just need to deal with the fact that the Whizzer's space is perfect for the Whizzer. The Whizzer is a terrain speed racer and was put in that space in 1976. For those of us who visited the park that year, and every year since, Whizzer is the landmark, defining coaster at GAm. For us old-timers, Shockwave was an abomination! Imagine, a parking lot coaster! It took some of us a while to warm up to Demon, too, as Turn of the Century was one of the two original coasters in the park. I do understand why many are upset at the loss of Shockwave. I feel the same way when any of the original rides are removed. And I admit that I grew to hate the Wave over the years so I'm more than a bit biased in that regard. I'll be curious to hear what all the Shockwave lovers are saying after a season of riding the S:UF clone.
As for visuals, while impressive, I found Shockwave visually unappealing. On the other hand, approaching from the south on the Tollway, the sight of the American Eagle a mile before the Grand Ave. exit used to send my heart racing.
Surveyor marks on the ground beneath Shockwave cut right through the center of the structure. If the new ride is going here, in a smaller footprint, with it's color scheme and unique trains (compared to other coasters in the park), it will still be impressive to the GP as they arrive.
Speaking of the GP, when the flier was "confirmed" once the track started to arrive, I told about a dozen members of the GP (my normal, non-enthusiast friends) about GAm's new ride for 2003. None had even heard of a flier before and all thought it sounded very cool. A couple asked which one was Shockwave when I told them it was going. The all know and love Whizzer, by the way, but maybe it's a generational thing.
I remember cursing Deja Vu when it made Sky Whirl disappear. After a few laps on DV this year, I'm grateful for the kick-butt rides I had and thank SF for bringing this clone to my home park. So long, Sky Whirl. We had some good times but it's time to move on, clone or not. Let me tell ya, I had the chance to ride Superman:Krypton last year and if SF wants to send a clone of that amazing beast our way, I'm all for it!
Now, what's this "no space" comment in the announcement? Is SF unable to develop all the acreage they own surrounding the park? Zoning issues? Money?
Chitown said:
Nothing new to that strategy (SF) Great American. Z-Force removed for Iron Wolf. Tidal Wave removed for Batman:TR.
*** This post was edited by (SF)Great American on 9/26/2002. ***
-Nate
Chitown, you've been pulling that "we already have an arrow looper" argument out of your butt since day 1. :) I don't think the average parkgoer will say "well...we still have Demon.." in response to Shockwave's exit. Nor do I, an enthusiast. Shockwave was a towering beast with insane, almost unbearable (towards the end) intensity. Demon is a very basic little looper. In my opinion, the two rides aren't all that comparable.
That gives rise to another (slightly off-topic) question: Is there a more intense ride than Shockwave in its '02 form -- devilishly fast, rough, intense, and painful? I honestly have never had a coaster experience as jarring as this year's Shockwave ride.
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SFGAm: 1)DV 2)V2 3)AE Blue 4)Viper 5)Bull
(SF)GA: where's the nearest flyer? where's the nearest B&M flier? and how many GP are going to drive or fly all the way to those places? this is a perfect move for SFGA. just because they're not catering to your specific tastes doesn't mean that they're not making a good choice. suck it up and ride the fantastic coaster that is coming to SFGA next year. and people said I was ungrateful when I was hoping for an original theme.
putting anything between Whizzer and Viper is a bad idea. there is little room there for the ride itself let along access for the queue line to a major midway.
putting a whole new area around the flier would be a great idea. a midway could be put in between the flier and the entrance that goes out by the parking lot and ends around the drop off zone. it could just be a finger sticking out or it could wrap around the other side of the flier and connect to Orleans Place at some other point.
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-Bob (formerly Coaster Jedi)
Do any of you know how to build a sundial out of a pen and a donut?
uh oh, sounds like someone has a case of the mondays.
SFGA Bob: I agree with everything you said except for the area between Viper, Whizzer, Go-Karts, and the Pictorium. Ride the Sky Trek Tower once and take a look - that space is *huge*! Here are a few pictures to back that up:
http://home.attbi.com/~geoff2222/sfgam/viper.html (2nd pic)
http://www.coastergallery.com/1999/SFGA24.html
http://www.weezil.com/sfgam/sfgam23.htm
Or just look to the right of the Viper queue once. I'm guessing the only reason they didn't put the flyer there is because it would have required a custom design (and it was too late to create that after the Whizzer thing).
-Nate
Hey, SFGA Bob, lighten up. The only reason I haven't said anythign about this is because I thought that to any coaster enthusiast, it would be obvious: I will be absoloutly thrilled to ride a new flyer next year. Ever since I first saw Project: Stealth on TV, I have wanted to ride one, and I think it's awesome that there's going to be one at my home park. I just think that it would have been a better idea to actually get a custom ride that woudl have allowed Shock Wave to stay. You know, a new ride right next to it would almost certainly have increased Shock Waves's popularity next year. If they had gotten new trains as well, that inflated popularity just might have stayed after Superman's novelty died down to its regular ridership. The result? Capacity-wise, two new coasters for the price of one and a little bit. I just think that wouls have made sense. Oh, yeah; while I'm excited about the flyer, some of my excitment died down when I realized I would be flying over a parking lot. But when we get right down to it, I am still glad we're getting a new coaster next year, and am very glad it's a flyer.
(Oh, and I hate Superman. As in the character. I know that won't effect the ride itself, but, still)
Bull fan said:
Chitown, you've been pulling that "we already have an arrow looper" argument out of your butt since day 1.
And I will continue to pull it out of my..*arse* for all eternity. Demon is a more accepted, more popular, less painful brother of "Da Big Blue*. My point in bringing this into the equation is we will have an even more rounded out variety of coasters. Alot of the public looked at Shockwave as a bigger version of Demon.
Not all that comparable? Come on!! Same rolling stock, same track, same inversion elements. It is very comparable.
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2 superheroes in Gurnee next season? Oh the humanity.
*** This post was edited by Chitown on 9/27/2002. ***
well personaly i hope within the next couple of years that sfgam puts a new ride between whizzer and viper. then a couple of years down the road replace american eagle with a new wooden coaster possably reusing the old lifthill. this would give the park more room to build new things along with maybe a new theamed area.
coasterdude318, what you don't see in those pictures is that The Whizzer is spread out almost entirely thoughout that clump of trees. So, refrain from using the space those tress take up, and try to picture Viper in that area (a small, coaster, by modern standards). About the only thing I can see fitting there is a shuttle, and we already have two of those.
Sfgamfreak1169: You are not to speak of "when the Eagle comes down" in my pressence again. While it may indeed come down sometime in the future, it's not inevitable that it will do so any time soon. It's still popular, and one of Great America's signature rides.
*** This post was edited by (SF)Great American on 9/27/2002. ***
Yes, I would ask that our moderators ban anyone who has the audacity to mention the possibility of Eagle's removal.
Chitown, Shockwave was Demon on major steroids. Again I will assert that they are very different experiences.
And here's another possibility. Could they take down that pointless Space Shuttle America anytime soon? Now there's a ride that never seems to have any lines...most likely because it bites the big one. That could open up some space for a new coaster.
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SFGAm: 1)DV 2)V2 3)AE Blue 4)Viper 5)Bull
just a few little comments...
1.) Demon also has a lower height requirement than Shock Wave did (42" i believe vs Shock Wave's 54")
2.) Even though the land might be better to accomodate a flyer over by SW Territory, my opinion would be that is the worst place to put it. The North end of the part drastically needs something out there. When I would go this year, there was almost no reason to run over there other than SW, and that was only if i was desperate. There is enough big rides on the South end of the park. They can easily create scenery to fly through wherever they put it. One of the reasons SW never had scenery around it was there was no need.
and 3.) Bull Fan, I think there is a more "intense" ride. I was lucky enough to visit Six Flags Mexico this past week and rode Medusa. It is a CCI designed woodie that I must say is the roughest ride i have ever ridden (way worse than SW ever was). I swear, if there were OTSH's on that woodie, i woulda had bruises all over my head/shoulders.
I maintain my opinion that a very decent-sized coaster could easily fit there (even easier of those stupid Go-Karts were taken out!).
-Nate
(SF)Great American said:
While taknig out Space Shuttle America would be cool, putting a coaster there would ruin Carousel Plaza's atmosphere, which I think is something they want to keep. Maybe it would work if they got a Premeir dark ride?
Here's the deal about that. Why not put a small Wild Mouse coaster in the area of Carousel Plaza. That would be a perfect fit. Small footprint and another family style coaster.
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BMCOASTER
bmcoaster@wi.rr.com
Closed topic.