The Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark!

The Great Escape finally had their long-delayed press release on their new on-site hotel & indoor waterpark:

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatescape/ParkPress/Hotel_Overview.html

http://www.sixflags.com/parks/greatescape/Lodging/index.html

Overall... it looks promising for this park. They finally have their own on-site hotel so guests can stay close to the park.
The indoor waterpark, however, looks like it leaves a little to be desired. I'm not sure how other indoor waterparks are, but it doesn't have all THAT much to offer aside from 3 slides, an "adventure" river, water playhouse, and intead of a wavepool have a "flowrider" which is kind of like a bodyboard/surfing wave.

This is definately showing Six Flags committment to turn this park around from a small forgettful park to one which will become a staple for the local area attracting a whole new audience.

I wonder if we'll see more of these based on the popularity of this one. It looks like a very good product and should be mighty impressive when it's finished. I'd guess if SF finds they can really pull in money from a hotel, you could easily see more of these hotel/indoor waterpark complexes built... I'm especially thinking at SFGAdv.

Seeing as there's no hotel really close to SFGAdv, an hotel like that there would be full all the time!

Is the Great Escape even worth staying at for more than a day?

There's been talk of a hotel and "city walk" type shopping center in the large lot across from SFMM for years now.

I thought that that would be a good addition for them, matthew. If they'd re-paint everything, open all their coasters, and add some major flats (a new drop tower, some Huss Giants, etc), then the park, with that, could be really great.

The Great Escape is worth staying at for more then a day, but to me. It's just nostalgic. I love The Comet. I could ride it all day every day. I think you could go to the park for a day, spend a night at the lodge, spend a half day at the waterpark(since it doesn't seem to be very. . . time consuming) and finish the day at the park.

Just another notch for the belt(the waterpark). Also, it'll be dead in the middle of the winter. Now I can surf! :)

They're counting a lot more than theme park guests...as well they'd better for a $31 million investment. They're counting on snagging the skiers during the winter months.

-'Playa

*** Edited 4/27/2005 10:28:35 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***

From where... Gore? That may be but I thought Gore was a good hour (at least) away from TGE.

There is West Mountain. It's a ski place about 15 minutes from TGE. I work there in the winter. It's very small mountain but it could pick up with the addition of the hotel.

It will definitely be beneficial for both. People at West Mountain may want to stay at the new lodge while people staying at the lodge may want to ski (or tube) over at West.

UBRHINO, I really don't know how the hotel would help west mountain.

If people are in the adirodacks skiing, they'd be skiing at Gore Mountain or Whiteface if they are going for a multiday trip.

Is Great Escape worth spending more than a day at? No. But there are plenty of other things to do in the area as well during the summer.

During the winter, all there is is skiing, but during the summer I'm sure it'll do great.

I wish SFDL had the guest services and management that Great Escape has. They don't have the greatest rides but I had a blast there last summer. There was barely anyone in line for Comet and they had two trains and fast ride ops.

All the rides are open, unlike SFDL who randomly closes rides, and even though it was crowded the waits were minimal.

The only thing I dislike about the park is that their Boomerang is much more rough than Darien's.

Really? Many people consider TGE's Boomerang to be one of the smoothest.

I think the hotel may help West Mountain. People who come up to the Lodge will be looking for things to do. People with kids will love the Tubing Park at West Mountain.

West is definitely small. It's so close though. The people who aren't "expert" skiers will really like it. The people who don't ski will love to tube there.

I don't think it will be a drastic change or anything, but I think with the addition of the hotel, there may be a small increase in attendance at West.

I guess we'll see. :)

Meh, West sucks. Trust me. Horrible.

I'm looking forward to the addition, and I want to go up there on opening day.