SFGAm Scenic Strolls, Bittersweet Endings
Associated parks:
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Well, I made it a point to go to Great America this Sunday, if not to catch construction, then to ride the usual great collection of coasters. We were ready to brave crowds upon exiting I-94, but as we pulled into the parking lot, it became apparent that this was not going to be a crowdy day. My lucky streak continues! We pulled into a vacant spot near Shockwave, and I ran to the big pile of track to snap a few pictures. It is very sad to see track from this monster just sitting there, when we only rode it a few weeks earlier. I convinced my non-enthusiast friends to walk up to the employee parking lot, but we turned around halfway after the group of people in front of us was stopped by security. So we walked over to the main gate to start our day.
First up was Demon. After seeing the line for Deja Vu, and deciding we weren't going to touch it with a 10 foot pole, we noticed Demon had no line at all. Somthing about seeing a once mighty Arrow beast sitting dismantled on the front lot put me in the mood for an Arrow manufactured ride. We got two rides on Demon, one in front, and one in back. The difference is *tremendous*. Both front and back are smooth, but the back passes out massive ejector airtime like theres no tomorrow. Magnificent. I love Arrow. 7/10
Next up was Iron Wolf. Mandatory front row ride, 5 minute wait. Short but sweet. This ride defines B&M intensity. It gets smoother every time. I've described this ride many a times in past TRs, so I'll move on now. :) 8/10.
Following Iron Wolf was an astoundingly short wait for V2. About 10 minutes. I finally met Eddie (SkyWhirlGuy) whom I'd talked to frequently for the past year on AIM. The line in the station was messy, so I hopped in the last row, while the rest of my party hit row 2. Another great ride, though it is becoming a bit routine. 9/10.
After we got off V2, we went towards Batman. An exceptionally short line, it began by the sewar entry point. These lines were even shorter than during the regular season. We grabbed a last row ride, and were treated to a smooth, intense ride. Great pacing on this Beemer. 9/10
We decided to take a break, and stroll around the park. Orleans Place is indeed very deserted. Hopefully Superman will breath some life into it next year. We walked around until we got to Whizzer. Another short wait, another great ride. I'm happy this ride stayed. It isn't thrilling, but it certainly is different... I love the high speed turns. 6/10
Next up was Deja Vu. By now it was around 3, we'd been in the park since noon. The line seemed a tad bit shorter than it did when we first saw it, so we decided to wait it out. It was well worth the wait. :) Smooth, Intense, Vekoma. Most enthusiasts won't utter those three words in the same sentence, but this ride does it. It was behaving fairly well today. 10/10.
Next up was Viper. Good God... Thats all I can really say. One of the best woodies in the world located at a Six Flags park. This is a perfect ride. The wait was a bit lengthy, clocking in at around 30 minutes, but every minute was more than worth it. 10/10
Following Viper was Raging Bull. Waited about 10 minutes, headed straight for row 9. Rode it twice. This great ride seems to perform better in the cold. It was outstanding. 'Nuff said. :) 9/10.
We left the park at around 5, and tried our luck again with the employee parking lot. This time we drove there, and made it in. No security in sight. Made sure my digital camera's batteries were full this time, and snapped pictures until my finger grew tired. This part of the day alone made the trip worth it. Even though we left the park about 4 hours early, it was a very fun day at the homepak. I'm starting to see how Shockwave's removal will benefit the park. Orlean's Place is in dire need of an attraction that will draw guests to it. I will miss Shockwave, but I look forward to Superman in '03. :)
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.
*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 10/7/2002. ***
Good TR, but let's see some of those pictures.
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SFGAm: 1)DV 2)V2 3)AE Blue 4)Viper 5)Bull
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.
*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 10/7/2002. ***
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Top 3 coasters at SFGAm: 1. DeJavu 2. Raging Bull 3. Viper
My pics can be found at www.americacoaster.com
If you still want more, then I'll gladly send them.
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.
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