Six Flags Great America looking good/improving

Went to the park Saturday for Pride night. It was my first time to the park this year, and my first Pride night. I had no idea we are getting a grand new entrance. It's way pushed out, seems like they might be making the plaza in front of the carousel much bigger. There are those Cedar Fair concrete squares all over that area, a huge step up from the SF blacktop.

The rides were running great, and MaxxForce was running 2 trains - I thought they had given up on that. The coasters were tighter than last year, and the classics (especially Lobster) were running mad cycles. It feels that Great America is getting new life breathed into it. It's about time such a great park gets the care it deserves. And finally, a grand and appropriate entrance!

Whizzer now has green mesh walls on both sides coming into the station. The announcement to remain seated still repeats 3 times. It also seems they have closed the single rider line on Goliath (not a fan of that ride, but that still stinks). We didn't ride the new ride but it looks fantastic at night all lit up.

I am hoping that we will see the same approach for the rest of the former SF chain

A friend was telling me about how the numbers at Great America were among the highest in the chain (and how Great Adventure and Magic Mountain have longer running seasons), so hopefully they really invest.

There is so much opportunity for them to make money, but the service has got to be there. Many people that used to go to the park/while growing up, etc., simply don't go anymore due to decades of poor service.

SFGreat America was one of the highest performing parks in the chain back in the day. Jim Wintrode was an excellent GM when rides like Shockwave and B:TR were built. Once Premier Parks took over Jim got out and things have never been the same since.

I don’t have much faith in Zimmerman and Fisher but I suspect that if they know the historical financials of the park they will invest to get it back to its legacy reputation. After all, they are sitting on enormous debt now and at some point it can’t be ignored.