The Great Escape Given Green Light For Expansion!

It should come to no surprise that after the environmental study was complete, The Great Escape finally has been given the OK to expand, after two long & greuling years of study, outcry from residents, and other local preservation groups/ordinances...

This is the article I found at a paper in the area verbatim:

---

The Great Escape recieved final approval on its ponderous environmental report from the Queensbury Town Planning Board, giving the park a green light to begin its list of desired improvements, including $50 million in new rides and infrastructure upgrades at the park. Great Escape officials said they plan to move slowly, but would like to nearly double the park's attendance, to 1.5 million visitors annually, over the coming decade.

---

Note: The reason this is not submitted to the news section is because there is no actual link. I got this from a free paper in the LG area.

Any thoughts?
I feel this will finally give The Great Escape a true signature ride as well as some more real thrill rides!! I can't wait... 2002 looks to be a real positive year for New York's amusement parks (referring to SFDL as the other one going to experience much needed improvements).

Anyone got any further news for rumored projects (ie: rides)?? 50 million sounds like a good amount, but how much will be dedicated towards new rides? Hopefully more than half... and hopefully, that's just for next year alone!! (gotta make up for the past 2 dry years, ya know?).

--------------
The Great Escape... Soon to become Six Flags Adirondack Escape!!!

Congradulations guys! Keep in mind, however, you most likely won't see a Six Flags Ohio sized makeover. Six Flags has stated they will slow down their spending. But $50 million is still a very large amount. The Geauga Lake/Six Flags Ohio transformation cost about $40 million, and we got 4 coasters, so I can only hope $50 million will bring more for the Great Escape.

-------------
Jes
Webmaster, Jes's Roller Coasters
http://www.jesms.cjb.net

SWEET!

Don't forget that it said rides and Improvements. Not all fifty million will go on new coasters. Known six flags, we will see a few clones a kiddie coasters, a few flat rides and the rest would be improvements.
-------------
Jordon "the jackal" Dunham
Team Berserk Blue

Well, they already got a Boomerang, and I know they most likely will NOT get a Vekoma SLC... so there really isn't much left for clones unless they get a V2/Superman: Ultimate Escape clone.

I would likely put money on 2 original coasters, 2 quality flat rides (ie: high thrills and new), and the rest on the hotel, overpass bridge, waste management system, and new front entrance.

The so-called convention center will probably be in the near future, but not for next season.

-------------
The Great Escape... Soon to become Six Flags Adirondack Escape!!!

Maybe you'll get lucky and get a B:TR Clone! That sounds on par for SF originality.

-------------
Cyclops. 1900 feet of CCI goodness.

It is about time that they get to expand. I do remember seeing an interveiw in the Albany Times Union that was with the CEO of the Great Escape. If I can remember correctly he mentioned something about 200 foot rides. Could this mean a hyper, or maybee an S&S tower??? We can only hope that the $50 Million is put to good use.

-------------
"Roller Coaster favorite ride, let me kiss you one last time"Blink 182

Well, from what I read in the "Chronicle", there is some kind of STUPID ordinance or something that prevents two things which will really hamper The Great Escape:

1) The noise levels and traffic... to keep them down, the park will always be closing early on weekdays at 8pm. 10pm on weekends.

2) Any lights on rides cannot be used for show on rides above tree levels. They can only be used for emergency... maybe like for planes to see. This may be a blow for any drop tower unless it remains dark on top except a little blinking white light. This may ALSO mean a hamper on hyper coasters like Intamin becase they luminate from the bottom up... Would that count?
This... also then counts out their chances of recieving a Giant Wheel (which never was a reality, but just as an example).

Looks like they have to make some minor sacrafices for much needed expansion!!!

-------------
The Great Escape... Soon to become Six Flags Adirondack Escape!!!
*** This post was edited by Dawg Byte on 6/28/2001. ***

That is great news. I hope they spend the money wisely. My only real concern for the future is that they don't alter The Comet. Although thats not likely to happen in the next couple of years (keeping my fingers crossed). They definatley could use another good coaster or two and some flat rides. Of course the more coasters the better, but I'm trying not to be greedy.

It would be nice to have my homepark offer something new. I was only up there once this season and they had the Boomerang closed. I rode The Comet 10 times. I was only there a few hours and nothing else seemed worth the wait in line or was closed.
*** This post was edited by Lisa Marie on 6/29/2001. ***

SF is doing a very good job with this sort of thing, as far as adding good attractions goes. I think they did an excellent job with SFWOA but of course, how well the actually park runs the rides is up for debate, which will be the same issue here. Hopefully, Great Escape can get a nice new CCI woodie perhaps, maybe something new with some loops, and some flat rides/general improvements, and the park will handle the operation as smoothly as can be expected.

-------------
The day that I spend more time analyzing the rides than screaming my head off like a moron is the day that I hope someone will kick my in the love sausage and tell me not to be a moron. - Jeff

I cant wait for the 2002 season. Over the last 2 years Great Escape has talked about adding new waterslides, and a 200ft+ ride. I really hope the park gets something worth waiting in line for. (Maybe GE will buy Drachen Fire from BGW...)

Does anyone know if the new SkyCoaster thats going in this season is being paid for with part of that $50 Million for next years expansion? *** This post was edited by CalvinJ23 on 6/29/2001. ***

Highly doubtful... besides, how much can a sky coaster cost? 1 million tops?

Hmm, as a look back on this topic...

It occurs that nothing has been done! No new waterslides, no 200 foot ride, nothing!!

After re-reading this "official" article I found in their local paper, I thought that they would have had the money set aside already, and then just start spending.
Maybe they are holding off for more revenue??
Does 9-11 have anything to do with it??

I also forgot about the lighting issues with the park.
With lighting having to be limited... will that basically screw the park out of any drop tower, and just be limited to tall coasters, since lights usually luminate the top of drop towers??

The area around the Great Escape sucks, they are so strict. I am pumped they may be getting new rides next year, but I mean, why so many regulations? I predict a Goliath (SFH) type ride, or maybe even a clone (how sweet would that be to have an Intamin mini hyper?). That and a 4-d (Delerium or the other design) would definitely make me the happiest NYer ever!

-----------------
Why ride rough coasters when you can ride smooth ones?
1.Medusa-SFGAdv 1.Batman:The Chiller 1.Mo

The area around SFA is very strict too. They had to fight to get S:ROS because the neighbors were concerned with the noise due to the previous year expansion. They said that Joker's Jinx was so loud they could here it in there house over the AC. I agree, JJ is a LITTLE loud, but not that loud. Just some whinny people trying to take the fun away! After a sound study was conducted, they were proven wrong and S:ROS and Batwing were apporved without a problem after that!

-----------------
So...you can't handle a rollercoaster huh? Well...you ARE the Weakest Link! Goodbye!
Number 1 Batwing Fan!

I don't see how a tower would be limited. most of the towers I see are painted and have an emergency light on the top. now there are some with lights, but those would just have to be taken out. you can replace the lights with a cool paint scheme and perhaps light it from below. then, for the rides that are just barely above tree level, plant some tall trees around them and you can have lights on those. I think that SF could still pull off something great with Great Escape (no pun intended). the thing that people are forgetting is that they said it was going to be a slow process. they said that they wanted to double attendance over the next *decade.* so just be patient and watch this park really bloom into something spectacular.

-----------------
-Bob (formerly Coaster Jedi)
Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park
"Your proctologist called, he found your head!" ~Jerry "The King" Lawler

Marine World got a $60 million dollar exspansion which included Medusa, Roar!, Cobra, and Roadrunner Express, Looney Toons Seaport and a grand total of 21 new rides in those three years. To believe that in 1997 the park featured only three mechanical rides, look what Six Flags gave to us in three years with $60 million. If you're going to get $5o million then I would definentely expect one large coaster to come and one or two filer coasters(As in not the park's centerpiece but still good coasters). IF you haven't visited Marine World since 1997, then you haven't visited Marine World. Same thing with visiting Geauga Lake and then visiting Six Flags Ohio. In both cases the old park's coditions aren't recognizable because they grew so much. Put Great Escape in Geauga Lake or Marine World Africa USA's position and fast forward three years. You will never think that this is Great Escape.

I can't believe no one has suggested the possibility of a ride similar to B:DK at SFNE. This seems like the perfect ride for The Great Escape, meeting the hight and other requirements, but still providing a good thrill. I also like the idea of a CCI woody as that would also fit under the hight limit and provide large amounts of thrills.

I must say, I'm sad to see the Rotor go :(, but I guess that's the way it goes. I also saw something in another recent thread about putting an exit off the Northway into the parking lot. This seems like a ridiculous waste of money since exit 20 is right there.

I just hope they put in a high quality coaster within the next couple years to make it worth it for me to stop by on one of my many trips up and down the Northway in the summer.

Im betting on SFDL losing its "coaster capital of NY" title when these improvements for Great Escape come around

Tommorow afternoon, pictures and video coming! ill be up at the park getting my pass processed. if you have a cable modem or access to a broadband connection email me at: calvinj23@msn.com and ill send the video to you via AIM

-----------------
John
Albany Entertainment:
http://home.nycap.rr.com/albanyent