SFGAm Updates as of 6/1

Hey y'all...Let me just say, I was incensed by my trip to Great America today. Some recent changes to the park...

In an effort to pick our pockets even deeper, they have now instituted a "preferred parking" program. This program, in addition to the $10 you already pay for regular parking, makes you pay 5 additional hard earned dollars to park somewhat close to the entrance. It's not a huge sum, but when you're a college-bound senior, every dollar counts.

Also, I was shocked by how careless the ride-ops were today. Normally, It doesn't bother me, but today, they seemed especially careless. For some reason, five people thought they could ride Raging Bull in one row, and then this guy had to go back and wait in the gates...only problem is, they didn't really pay attention, and after the gates shut (and the man realized that the ride wasn't 5-across), the guy was still left on the platform, not behind the gates. Especially with the recent tragedy on that ride-you would think they would pay attention, but they didn't. They were about to dispatch the train, when someone noticed it and called out-causing the ride to be E-stopped, and a 15 minute downtime.

On a lighter note-I was speaking with the line op at the front of superman, and I asked "So what's the story with Déjà vu?" and her response was "It'll most likely be down for another month and a half." I asked her what was wrong, and she said she didn't know, but she did know that one of the others had already reopened. Take it with a grain of salt-but poor Great America, a 6 million dollar investment that is eating away at possible income. Oh well-maybe one day it'll run...

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Welcome to Six Flags Great America, home of the fastlane, preferred parking, and delay-ja vu! We have now officially been deemed the world-wide wait!

I thought if they opened Deja Vu it would be in July with the larger crowds.

As for Raging Bull, thats just plain dumb and pathetic. You think at least 1 of the ops would notice that someone was on the platform. But that guy should of also said something first.

So can season pass holders with parking passes park anywhere?

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Buy "Stereotype Be" from Kevin Max at Amazon.com

No, you get a special ticket to enter the preferred parking. it is just fenced off w/ portable red & blue fences. It is like the first 2 or so rows of cars, right in the center. The only thing I dont like about it is it makes the park look more crowded than it actually is.

So THAT was the problem with Bull earlier today!

The best part was when the ride stopped on the MCBR... Everyone got out of line. I mean EVERYONE. Unless you were in the station, you were walking out of the line when the thing restarted.

Being the stubborn bastard that I am, I stayed in line, and made up about 15 minutes during a 5 minute E-Stop.

On Deja Vu - the track is still out in the station, there are no trains (of course), but the queue covers are up...

And Batman's wheel covers are back on one of the trains. The others are sitting in the shed where the final brakes are.

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com

I was actually one of the idiots that got out of line at the 15 minutes E-stop at about 10:45ish...Boy, did I feel dumb when the moment I started walking down the stairs, the ride started again.

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Welcome to Six Flags Great America, home of the fastlane and delay-ja vu! We have now officially been deemed the world-wide wait!

My cousin went to Sfgam a few weeks ago and she took a pic of Batman going through the corkscrew. She then gave me the picture and I examined it and realized that it did not have the wheel covers on. Does anyone know why?
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Top 5 favorite coasters I have ridden on:
1. Millennium Force
2. Magnum
3. Montu
4. Legend
5. Mr. Freeze

v2 fiend, please stop complaining. You don't have to pay the extra money do you, no. Its a fastlane type deal. If people want to waste their money like that, then they can. Just leave the policy alone, its actually very smart. This considering the amount of people who would pay for it.

Also, are you sure the E-stop was hit? I dont think that they would hit an E-stop unless that person fell on the track. I dont think someone being on the platform is an Emergency situation. It may just be me, but E-stop stands for Emergency Stop right (sarcasm on a stick there).

Six Flags Great America probably isn't running Vu for a reason. The company obviously knows what's wrong with the ride, but they most likely won't tell their ride ops. That information you were given is most likely false and I wouldn't hold them to their word.

The wheel covers at batman are most likely being fixed or something. Don't hold me to my word, but that would probably be the reason.

"But that guy should of also said something first."

Should be "But that guy should have also said something first."

They probably didn't E-Stop Raging Bull. They probably stopped the dispatch of the train by letting go of the green dispatch buttons. An E-Stop would require a total reboot of the computer and would probably take longer than 15 minutes.

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Mike
Favorite Wood: Viper at SFGAM,Shivering Timbers
Favorite Steel: Magnum and Raging Bull

Why would you need to fix the wheel covers and also what is there to fix on them? Sorry I am asking about this so much but I have been wondering this ever since I received the picture.

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Top 5 favorite coasters I have ridden on:
1. Millennium Force
2. Magnum
3. Montu
4. Legend
5. Mr. Freeze

The wheel covers have been off for quite a while. They are actually laying inside the station at the brake run, off to the left. It looks like they may have been re-painted.

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
*** This post was edited by DEK 6/2/2003 1:24:50 PM ***

The wheel covers are not something to worry about. Last year, one of the trains didn't have them all year... at least this year it looks as if they are ready to be put back on.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Well, I can say for certain that one of the trains is running with wheel covers...

It didn't make the ride any better or worse... It doesn't matter.

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com

Hey, thanks for the English lesson, booya.

I believe that they (the wheel covers) are new parts. They are a completely different design than they used to be. They used to have purple bats raised on them, now they have red arrows (for what possible pupose, I don't know). They are a nice touch, however.

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***Gotta love RAGING BULL!!!***

Fixing them as in, they could have had cracks, or as you have read a new paint job.

No problem SFGAMan.

I was there on May 31st and the wheel covers are off because they were repainting them and as for the preferred parking deal , we used it on sat and I feel its a great offer. Espically on a day when the lot is packed. A extra $5 is well worth it.

No, those red arrows were there on the old covers too.

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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.

Yeah, as preferred parking is concerned, I don't think it'd be such a bad deal if you arrive at the park at like 3:00 PM on a Saturday and the main lot is closed off. Parking back near the Tri-State is no one's idea of a fun stroll.

That said, I'd only pay $5 with the parking pass, so really, it isn't too expensive either.

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation." - David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
http://www.loopscrew.com

I noticed that the handicap parking spaces are within the preferred parking boundary fences. Do you just show the guy manning that area your handicap plate or temporary handicap sign?

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"