Six Flags Great America Demon

Anyone know what is going on with Demon. I'm not crushed, but all three times we've been to Great America this year, it's been closed (early May, June, and now August.) On the most recent visit, it did not appear that the trains were even in the station / on the track, which is surprising with Fright Fest just starting up in a few weeks.

It seems like several Six Flags parks have shuttered one minor coaster this year in the name of budget cuts. For Great America that coaster seems to be Demon.

It was running on our June visit. But I will say that ridership is very low. I think it's nostalga is wearing off.

Demon's been up and down the last few years. I'd say that staffing probably has some role. Doesn't it usually close around Fright Fest anyway?

I was there for my very first visit to the park a few weeks ago, and it was not open. I do recall hearing that all Six Flags parks were going to close one of their big rides for budget reasons, which really sucks. I was very much looking forward to riding Demon.

I mentioned this in the video I made about the park, if anyone is interested. I noticed a big problem with the design of some of the queues in the park.

You've almost mastered the link-bait thumbnail. You're just missing a picture of you with your mouth open. I mean, it works for Mr. Beast. 🙂

This one would be the confused face with your arms up in the air reaction.

Mulfinator:
I'd say that staffing probably has some role. Doesn't it usually close around Fright Fest anyway?

I can't say the status during Fright Fest - haven't been there in many, many years, but I know for the after season add on weekends (which may or may not happen this year), it generally has ran.

Riding the train, it didn't even appear that the coaster trains were on the track - at least there wasn't a train in the station. I don't recall seeing them on the rtansfer track when we walked out from Battle for Metropolis toward X Flight. It certainly could be staffing, but, wow, to an outsider, so much wasn't running for a warm Saturday at the end of prime season.

Demon is certainly not the roughest Arrow out there, nor the smoothest either, but then again, it is going on 50 years old now.

It also to me was telling (and again, can not necessarily compare with previous visits), but in going by on the train, absolutely no activity in any of the picnic grounds. In the past, on a Saturday, that would likely be unheard of.

I’m embarrassed to admit when I last visited the park, especially since I’m as close as Ohio. I think I’d pick up something like 10 new credits.
Demon is not one of them but it’s been a long time. More recently I rode its twin in California and it was an awful ride. Rough, old, and not very pretty.

Love love LOVE the Demon. Yeah, she's cranky and rough... but you can't beat that drop, disco tunnel, theme song, rocks, and all that flash. Ok, you probabably can. But I can't, I love that ride. Heard it was down and is "waiting on a new motor" and that the current motor was used for Goliath. Which is strange because the lift motor used on Demon was rumored to have come from Shock Wave.

Whatever, I just hope it opens soon. My friend thinks they will wait for a Fright Fest re-open so they can make a big fuss of it.

Edit - last year the black and yellow trains were new and fresh from a rehab with new harnesses. Like Whizzer, they rotate that 3rd train in and out for rehabs now. Whizzer has 5 trains; both coasters always had-on-track or ran 3 trains up until the pandemic.

Schwarzkopf76:

Heard it was down and is "waiting on a new motor"

Magnum blew a lift motor this summer and the ride was back open in a week. If that was the issue it seems like they could get it taken care of if they wanted to. But #money

But #Sixflagsaintinanykindofhurrytodoanything.

It seems at six flags is having big time cash flow issues. They can’t even open their kiddie coasters that were promised for this year. There are rides sitting closed in all parts and even complete sections of parks that have been closed. The parks are rather depressing not a way to grow attendance.

I had a thought. What if the closing of one attractions this year is a way for Six Flags to be able to afford new attractions for next year?

When a company has to close rides or entire areas of a park for financial reasons it’s probably time for new leadership or to sell the company.

I can remember the 1970’s/80’s and early 90’s when Six Flags was a brand that folks actually traveled across the country to visit.

Six Flags America has been pretty bad this summer. I went 20+ times and most of the times half the rides were closed, and if the coaster was open, it was only running one train. Fireball is closed for the year and they completely removed Zydeco Zinger from the Mardi Graw section of the park.

On that note. The new water coaster "RipQurl Blaster" is a complete bust this year. They announced in early spring that it was to open in "Summer 2023", however there has been ZERO progress so far. They ripped down the old slides and left the footers in March. I checked last week and that's EXCATLY how it looks today. No progress.

RipQurl Blaster

My dear friend lives in St Louis and they’ve discovered a non-announcement that a Giant Discovery that will be known as Joker: Carnival of Chaos. It shows up on SFStL’s website. No idea where it will go but they already have a Joker ride in the form of the old buccaneer swinging ship.
Maybe it will fill the hole created by Excalibur’s removal.
Anyway, he says maybe the addition will cause him to want to go back to his home park again, first time since ‘19. I said maybe he should just get a day ticket because it likely won’t be ready for the advertised ‘24 season.

Demon is back open with a long line reportedly. Woohoo! With a rumor the rocks will be rebuilt.

Long line => 1 train operation? :-)

Renewed popularity. 2 trains.