Six Flags Great America's Whizzer to close Aug. 11

:( I didn't want to believe it, I tried to assure myself by saying it had long lines, but I knew this would come eventually. The sad thing is, it wasn't like they are strapped for space or anything, there is tons of room if they would just get creative. I hope they leave the trees for S:UF, I guess it would be cool to fly around through trees and stuff, but it still won't compare to Whizzer. See ya at the park on August 11.

So long, old friend. A generation has ended, but I look forward to the birth of the next generation. Hopefully 25 years from now, our new coaster will be your kid's "classic".

Hey Carol from Holiday world - Tell your bosses to get on the phone to Six Flags and buy the Whizzer for Holiday World. It be a great introduction to Steel for your park !

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Current favorite coasters:
Wooden: 1) Beast 2) Raven 3) Son of Beast 4) The Boss 5) Timber Wolf
Steel: 1) Raging Bull 2) Millennium Force 3) V2 4) Wild Thing 5) Mr. Freeze
Visit: http://www.dynamicgroove.com

I'm going to SFGAm this tuesday I will wait half the damn day to get on Whizzer one last time if I have to. In May of 1976 this wonderful not to big Roller Coaster opened to the public. Obviously it wasn't the best the world has seen but it was a pretty decent coaster for it's time. Why is it that Shwartopf Coasters always get dismantled or replaced faster than others? I will pay my last respects to Whizzer as it now stands next Tuesday July 30th. I will really miss it but will follow it wherever it goes next. It will be forever missed but enjoyed at another park.

My prediction for 2003.
I believe SFGAm will get a revolutionary B&M coaster unlike any other, that's SFGAm tradition. I'm not sure what it might get but I know that it will be B&M and it will make SFGAm the first park in history to have 4 B&M's in the park. I don't think it will be a flyer because it's not like SFGAm to just put in a B&M coaster that isn't original or unique.

All the best of luck to the Whizzer. And Farewell.

Also my first coaster, I remember riding it when i was a little kid. It's a great ride, especially at nighttime. I will miss it. The new ride had better be the best thing to ever come to Great America. A new B&M prototype of some sort would be awesome, but for some reason it seems like it will be a flyer.....who knows.

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SAD here too. It's totally classic. When I was a kid, couldn't wait to get to the park to ride Whizzer! Even when I could go on Tidal Wave and Demon, Whizzer was still something great.

If they wanted to keep it (which, IMO they should!) they could easily fork out some cash for new trains, electrical, whatever...

What's even more sick than the fact that some overblown (and overpriced and overrated to be I'm sure) B&M ride will go there, is that YOU KNOW they're gonna buzz down all those trees. Too bad : The only coaster company able to build around (and with!) trees is closed (I mean on hiatus).

Can't believe it's goin... I work only 15 mins from the park, so I'm gonna be going early for morning rides :)

One more thing... I think REVOLUTION (Magic Mountain) will be soon if this is the trend. And that's REALLY sad - but then so is the way Six Flags has transformed that ride over the years. I hope they do some big renovation project on it, but will that make all the execs money?

Poor thing, Ive always had fun on that ride. My first Roller Coaster ever and my friends and I still laugh on it. Its sad its leaving, and I doubt its going anywhere else. It will always be A part of Great America. :)

And Chit-Town I believe you all the way, but what recording did you hear?? Ive been there last two nights after work and havent heard anything?? Has anyone noticed the American Eagle and how fast it has been going the last few nights? I mean no brakes at all , at least it fealt like it, racing them all the way ! so fast the hills on the red side were just total whip-flash airtime , it was so fun! its been great the last few nights, they should keep it up!

If anyone has any doubts call the recorded information line for SFGAm at 847-249-1776.

Anyone up for a last minute, unplanned, uncoordinated Whizzer remembrance day. I am putting my votes for Satuday August 10 and Sunday Aug 11. At the moment I am planning to be there to ride it one more time. I went last weekend and was sure to get one last ride on it just in case it was true. Now it is known to be true that Whizzer will be gone! If anyone would like to meet me for one last day of riding the Whizzer email me! I will try to get as many people up to go to ride it as possible. I am looking to make it so that the line is so long that SFGAm officials just might reconsider removing it! One can hope anyway!

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See my coaster pics online at http://www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/

This is sad. I've never been to GAm before, but I can sympathize with you, PKI being my home park, has removed several classic family rides in the past few seasons. I'm thinking about making the 6 hour drive up there to get a chance to ride Whizzer.... hmm.. my 100th coaster spot is just around the corner.....

Tyler

Track record: 92

Interesting thing will be if SFGAm is in RCT II ... will the Whizzer be there or maybe this is how they'll announce the new attraction for 2003 ... hmmmmmm

All the preceding posts have said it better than I can, but for what it's worth, in my book, the Whizzer's last stand, is the final nail in the de-Mariott-izing of the park. If anyone else remembers back to the park's early years, the ride was called Willard's Whizzer, named after Mariott owner Willard Mariott.

This ride was and is a classic. It always felt like a living link to the old pre-Six Flags days. Not to bash Six Flags, because they certainly have made their mark on the park, but there was something homegrown about Mariott's ownership. The themed costumes, cheap prices, decent food, and focus on guest experience.

"Without suffering, life has no meaning."

"So...Whizzer...SFAW's new coaster for 2003? LOL!"

Haha, haha, NO!

Knowing Six Flags, this ride isnt going anywhere but to the scrap heap. Since Im on the topic of my home park, SFAW, Ill tell you what Six Flags does to good family rides. Instead of taking them out cleanly, they butcher the coaster so it cant be put back up.

i called the park myself right before this was posted and talked to a human being who said it IS being relocated to another park but didn't know where. so at least we have that.

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SAVE THE WHIZZER!!!

ChiTown said: "Thats the main reason you were going to SFGAm?"...

I can honestly say that Whizzer was one of the main reasons we took the route we did for the mega-trip post-SRM....I heard the runors, and seeing the "trends" out in the industry for the Schwarzkopf rides, I believed 'em....SO happy I got in my 3-4 spins before it's gone....If the *trends* continue, the park that will get Whizzer will probably be outside the US, which would be a bummer for us in the States...(SFM perhaps?)....

Finally, Anton's son was supposed to be in the business of supplying spare parts for these FANTASTIC classic rides.....where IS he, and why can't we keep our Schwarzkopfs running? I still have Mindbender 5 hours' away, and Scorpion 2 hours' away, but for how long?

Nothing, I mean NOTHING can duplicate the power and grace of an Anton original....

So far this has to be the most depressing July I have ever had.

First CCI goes down for the count.

Now Whizzer.

What next?

Hopefully whatever Six Flags Great America does get will be good.

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Whizzer tribute page http://www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/sfgam/whizzer.html
Zero G Thrills http://www.crosswinds.net/~zerogthrills/

hi, this is my first post to coasterbuzz, i just wanted to say that i have been hearing a lot of rumors that Martins fantasy island will be getting another coaster, and i cant help but wonder if the whizzer will be relocated here, is this possible or will it just be relocated to another six flags park (i have never ridden the whizzer but it looks really cool and i am also sad to see it go, i think all classic coasters should stay!)

Although it wasn't my very first, it was the first that wasn't wrapped up inside a mountain (Dizzeyland). Too bad I didn't get a chance to go to Chitown before it closed. I'll miss its charms.

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"If the beats were made of meat then they would have to be me ..." - L.L. Cool J

I've never been to SFGAm but am still very sad tht this is happening. I've always enjoyed seeing pics of it online, and thought it looked very fun. Maybe they'll move it to another park?

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Before you criticize somebidy, walk at least a mile in their shoes. That way, if they get mad, the're a mile away and barefoot!

Im glad that the park is removing the ride because it's worthless to today's coasters. It's not thrilling compared to coasters that are 200 feet and taller. Times change. Things change.

Don't get too excited because I can probably guess that the only thing going there is NOT a roller coaster.

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"Duff Man Says... Ohhh Yeah!"
Current Favorite Coasters:
1)Raging Bull 2)Millennium Force 3)Medusa (SFMW) 4)Vertical Velocity (SFGAm) 5)Dueling Dragons (Ice)