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Park Review - Six Flags Chicago
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ldnayman
May 14, 2012, 11:07:37 AM5/14/12
to
Did Six Flags Great America (Chicago) this weekend, and I have to say
I was very impressed. I'd put it at the top of the heap of the Six
Flags parks I've been to. Impressive coaster collection.
This is the most "airtime" filled park I've ever been to. I'll start
with their two best coasters - Raging Bull and American Eagle. Raging
Bull is another fantastic BM hyper coaster with tons of air. I had
heard bitchings about trim brakes but there's really only one hill
that I think they could have backed off the trim a tiny bit, and even
that gives you that patented blast of air when you drop out of the
trim run. It's also got an interesting final third, where the usual BM
bunny hills are replaced by a neato twisty section. I wouldn't rank it
higher than my current fave Apollo's Chariot but it's tied or slightly
ahead of Nitro.
American Eagle was one hell of a sleeper. It's huge and impressive,
but I figured it was going to be another butchered, bastardized old
Six Flags woodie in the vein of SFNE's Cyclone. I couldn't have been
more wrong about that. The first hill is fantastic with a pop of air
at the end and some crazy but not jarring vibrations all the way down.
After that it's a bunch of airtime hills, that wild huge helix, and a
couple more airtime hills, including the last one which is the best. I
was half a foot out of my feet easily everytime. This massive coaster
goes toward the top of my woodie list, easy. They were running three
trains (2 blue, 1 red) which was a bit odd, so they rarely raced,
which I guess would have been fun...but regardless this is a kickass
coaster. And not rough.
The VIper was another pleasant surprise. The first "cyclone" clone
I've ever ridden, I gotta say it delivers a much better ride. The only
thing better on the original cyclone is the first drop, which seems
steeper and faster on the real one. Besides that the VIper is
smoother, faster, and has tons of air.
The x-flight would probably be my 4th favorite coaster there. It's the
first BM "novelty" coaster I've really dug - much better than the
standup coasters or the Superman flight. IT's a really cool, smooth,
lumbering ride that manages to be graceful as well. Great ride from
any seat, great view. Only complaint is it's a bit short.
After that the Demon was a real blast. I love these old arrow coasters
for their loops, corkscrews, and short lines, and this one delivered.
Not as good as Loch Ness of course, but it's really nice that this
thing is still at the park, and it still seemed pretty popular. People
like this thing, even if there's never more than a 5 minute wait for
it.
I didn't bother with any of the familiar "clones," - Batman, Superman,
and Velocity (same as possessed at Dorney). THose rides aren't my
favorites anyway - Batman is my least favorite inverted (too intense
for me) and I'm not a fan of Superman. But I know many people love
those rides. They round out a really good collection of coasters. Like
I said, I was very impressed by this place and I'll be back sometime.
Gotta love any park with such a high quality collection of wood, and
fine steel.
Even the Whizzer was fun. I guess the only thing the place is missing
is a great launched coaster, but anybody that counts the place as
their home park has to be happy with what they get. I also love the
way the good rides are all close together - I never went to the "left"
side of the park all day. The Eagle, X-Flight, Raging Bull, Demon,
Whizzer, Viper, and Drop tower are all relatively close together on
the same side of the park, and that's where I stayed.
Nothing like Six Flags Jersey where all of the good rides are far
apart from each other - El Toro, Kingda Ka, and Nitro are all in
completely different corners of the park and seem as far apart from
each other as can be. Traveling between them means enduring sun and
obnoxious midway games.
As far as coaster collections go, this place has to rank up there with
my favorites Busch and Hershey, and I'd say surpasses Kings Dominion
for me.
Another fun bit is that one of the entrances allows you to basically
drive through the back end of the park, and even drive literally
through the American Eagle which was fun. Nice work Chicago!
As far as the crowds, they were pretty light I suppose but I don't
have anything to compare it to. Reviews I've read of their Fright Fest
said it was basically hell. It was mother's day and early in the
season, but they were definitly selling lots of season passes due to
the "x-flight season pass holder" promotion. The X-flight line looked
to be about 45 minutes...it was shorter on Saturday night (we did a
couple hours saturday night for 2 rides on the demon and two on x-
flight - about 30 minutes for x-flight).
Besides that lines were about 30 minutes for raging bull, 20 minutes
for viper, 30 minutes for Whizzer, 2 or 3 ride cycles for American
Eagle and Demon. We did do the gold fast pass on Sunday, so the lines
were basically nill for us. But it would have been "doable" without
the fast pass I think for people who go to the park a lot. I didn't
see anybody else get the fast pass, I don't think they sold many
yesterday.
I never eat park food so I can't review it, but it looked like the
usual crap, no surprise there.
I was very impressed. I'd put it at the top of the heap of the Six
Flags parks I've been to. Impressive coaster collection.
This is the most "airtime" filled park I've ever been to. I'll start
with their two best coasters - Raging Bull and American Eagle. Raging
Bull is another fantastic BM hyper coaster with tons of air. I had
heard bitchings about trim brakes but there's really only one hill
that I think they could have backed off the trim a tiny bit, and even
that gives you that patented blast of air when you drop out of the
trim run. It's also got an interesting final third, where the usual BM
bunny hills are replaced by a neato twisty section. I wouldn't rank it
higher than my current fave Apollo's Chariot but it's tied or slightly
ahead of Nitro.
American Eagle was one hell of a sleeper. It's huge and impressive,
but I figured it was going to be another butchered, bastardized old
Six Flags woodie in the vein of SFNE's Cyclone. I couldn't have been
more wrong about that. The first hill is fantastic with a pop of air
at the end and some crazy but not jarring vibrations all the way down.
After that it's a bunch of airtime hills, that wild huge helix, and a
couple more airtime hills, including the last one which is the best. I
was half a foot out of my feet easily everytime. This massive coaster
goes toward the top of my woodie list, easy. They were running three
trains (2 blue, 1 red) which was a bit odd, so they rarely raced,
which I guess would have been fun...but regardless this is a kickass
coaster. And not rough.
The VIper was another pleasant surprise. The first "cyclone" clone
I've ever ridden, I gotta say it delivers a much better ride. The only
thing better on the original cyclone is the first drop, which seems
steeper and faster on the real one. Besides that the VIper is
smoother, faster, and has tons of air.
The x-flight would probably be my 4th favorite coaster there. It's the
first BM "novelty" coaster I've really dug - much better than the
standup coasters or the Superman flight. IT's a really cool, smooth,
lumbering ride that manages to be graceful as well. Great ride from
any seat, great view. Only complaint is it's a bit short.
After that the Demon was a real blast. I love these old arrow coasters
for their loops, corkscrews, and short lines, and this one delivered.
Not as good as Loch Ness of course, but it's really nice that this
thing is still at the park, and it still seemed pretty popular. People
like this thing, even if there's never more than a 5 minute wait for
it.
I didn't bother with any of the familiar "clones," - Batman, Superman,
and Velocity (same as possessed at Dorney). THose rides aren't my
favorites anyway - Batman is my least favorite inverted (too intense
for me) and I'm not a fan of Superman. But I know many people love
those rides. They round out a really good collection of coasters. Like
I said, I was very impressed by this place and I'll be back sometime.
Gotta love any park with such a high quality collection of wood, and
fine steel.
Even the Whizzer was fun. I guess the only thing the place is missing
is a great launched coaster, but anybody that counts the place as
their home park has to be happy with what they get. I also love the
way the good rides are all close together - I never went to the "left"
side of the park all day. The Eagle, X-Flight, Raging Bull, Demon,
Whizzer, Viper, and Drop tower are all relatively close together on
the same side of the park, and that's where I stayed.
Nothing like Six Flags Jersey where all of the good rides are far
apart from each other - El Toro, Kingda Ka, and Nitro are all in
completely different corners of the park and seem as far apart from
each other as can be. Traveling between them means enduring sun and
obnoxious midway games.
As far as coaster collections go, this place has to rank up there with
my favorites Busch and Hershey, and I'd say surpasses Kings Dominion
for me.
Another fun bit is that one of the entrances allows you to basically
drive through the back end of the park, and even drive literally
through the American Eagle which was fun. Nice work Chicago!
As far as the crowds, they were pretty light I suppose but I don't
have anything to compare it to. Reviews I've read of their Fright Fest
said it was basically hell. It was mother's day and early in the
season, but they were definitly selling lots of season passes due to
the "x-flight season pass holder" promotion. The X-flight line looked
to be about 45 minutes...it was shorter on Saturday night (we did a
couple hours saturday night for 2 rides on the demon and two on x-
flight - about 30 minutes for x-flight).
Besides that lines were about 30 minutes for raging bull, 20 minutes
for viper, 30 minutes for Whizzer, 2 or 3 ride cycles for American
Eagle and Demon. We did do the gold fast pass on Sunday, so the lines
were basically nill for us. But it would have been "doable" without
the fast pass I think for people who go to the park a lot. I didn't
see anybody else get the fast pass, I don't think they sold many
yesterday.
I never eat park food so I can't review it, but it looked like the
usual crap, no surprise there.
David Sandborg
May 14, 2012, 8:55:34 PM5/14/12
to
Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
report, particularly if it's positive!
In article
<b1549fed-0a4b-474b...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
think some of that, though a diminishing amount, is due to its heritage
from when it was a Marriott park. There's a tradition of quality that
hasn't entirely died out. Though there are definitely things I'd have
liked to see remain.
> This is the most "airtime" filled park I've ever been to. I'll start
> with their two best coasters - Raging Bull and American Eagle. Raging
> Bull is another fantastic BM hyper coaster with tons of air. I had
> heard bitchings about trim brakes but there's really only one hill
> that I think they could have backed off the trim a tiny bit, and even
> that gives you that patented blast of air when you drop out of the
> trim run. It's also got an interesting final third, where the usual BM
> bunny hills are replaced by a neato twisty section. I wouldn't rank it
> higher than my current fave Apollo's Chariot but it's tied or slightly
> ahead of Nitro.
I have to admit, I've never "gotten" Raging Bull. I just don't really
care for the high turns, and prefer the more out and back-y B&M hyper
layouts.
> American Eagle was one hell of a sleeper. It's huge and impressive,
> but I figured it was going to be another butchered, bastardized old
> Six Flags woodie in the vein of SFNE's Cyclone. I couldn't have been
> more wrong about that. The first hill is fantastic with a pop of air
> at the end and some crazy but not jarring vibrations all the way down.
> After that it's a bunch of airtime hills, that wild huge helix, and a
> couple more airtime hills, including the last one which is the best. I
> was half a foot out of my feet easily everytime. This massive coaster
> goes toward the top of my woodie list, easy. They were running three
> trains (2 blue, 1 red) which was a bit odd, so they rarely raced,
> which I guess would have been fun...but regardless this is a kickass
> coaster. And not rough.
Huh, this is a surprise to me. I loved Eagle when I was a kid long ago,
but I'm not sure how much of that was inexperience versus it truly being
a good ride. But for a long time I thought it had been pretty mediocre.
The track style is odd and rides funny to me, though not really in a
rough or unpleasant way. But I don't remember too much airtime and the
helix just seems odd, particularly on a racing coaster. But I'm sure
glad you like it. I certainly have fond memories of it.
> The VIper was another pleasant surprise. The first "cyclone" clone
> I've ever ridden, I gotta say it delivers a much better ride. The only
> thing better on the original cyclone is the first drop, which seems
> steeper and faster on the real one. Besides that the VIper is
> smoother, faster, and has tons of air.
I really like Viper. It's not really very faithful to the spirit of the
original in my opinion, having a somewhat more modern aesthetic.
Nevertheless it's a good ride, and a pretty consistent performer.
> The x-flight would probably be my 4th favorite coaster there. It's the
> first BM "novelty" coaster I've really dug - much better than the
> standup coasters or the Superman flight. IT's a really cool, smooth,
> lumbering ride that manages to be graceful as well. Great ride from
> any seat, great view. Only complaint is it's a bit short.
I haven't ridden it yet, of course. I hope to get a chance to later
this year. I do kind of regret the loss of Iron Wolf, not for what it
had become, but for what it was. In its early years I thought it was a
fantastic ride. I hope it does better in its new location.
> After that the Demon was a real blast. I love these old arrow coasters
> for their loops, corkscrews, and short lines, and this one delivered.
> Not as good as Loch Ness of course, but it's really nice that this
> thing is still at the park, and it still seemed pretty popular. People
> like this thing, even if there's never more than a 5 minute wait for
> it.
I have always had a bit of an antipathy to the Demon since I liked the
old airtime hills of Turn of the Century. But it's a pretty fun ride in
its own right, I guess.
> I didn't bother with any of the familiar "clones," - Batman, Superman,
> and Velocity (same as possessed at Dorney). THose rides aren't my
> favorites anyway - Batman is my least favorite inverted (too intense
> for me) and I'm not a fan of Superman. But I know many people love
> those rides. They round out a really good collection of coasters. Like
> I said, I was very impressed by this place and I'll be back sometime.
> Gotta love any park with such a high quality collection of wood, and
> fine steel.
I'm not a big Superman fan, but I wouldn't miss Batman. I'd probably
try not to miss Velocity either since the nearest clone to me is long
gone. Otherwise I'd probably take it more for granted.
> Even the Whizzer was fun.
I'm glad they kept it.
> I guess the only thing the place is missing
> is a great launched coaster, but anybody that counts the place as
> their home park has to be happy with what they get. I also love the
> way the good rides are all close together - I never went to the "left"
> side of the park all day. The Eagle, X-Flight, Raging Bull, Demon,
> Whizzer, Viper, and Drop tower are all relatively close together on
> the same side of the park, and that's where I stayed.
I guess that's a factor of your opinion. I personally like Batman and
like to get a night ride on it before finishing up with a Viper ride, so
I do have to rush a bit to get it all in. As with so many other parks,
better cross-park transportation would be a help. Or a cut-through path
to divide the oval (Dave Althoff will probably have some comments here!).
> Nothing like Six Flags Jersey where all of the good rides are far
> apart from each other - El Toro, Kingda Ka, and Nitro are all in
> completely different corners of the park and seem as far apart from
> each other as can be. Traveling between them means enduring sun and
> obnoxious midway games.
I don't like those games, and I don't care about Kingda Ka. And SFGAd
has a sky ride, which can help with the cross-park trips too. I tend to
give Great Adventure more credit than many others, though.
> As far as coaster collections go, this place has to rank up there with
> my favorites Busch and Hershey, and I'd say surpasses Kings Dominion
> for me.
I think they have a pretty good collection, if not a great one. But I
like the park as a whole, perhaps partly still because of fond memories
from my past.
> Another fun bit is that one of the entrances allows you to basically
> drive through the back end of the park, and even drive literally
> through the American Eagle which was fun. Nice work Chicago!
>
> As far as the crowds, they were pretty light I suppose but I don't
> have anything to compare it to. Reviews I've read of their Fright Fest
> said it was basically hell. It was mother's day and early in the
> season, but they were definitly selling lots of season passes due to
> the "x-flight season pass holder" promotion. The X-flight line looked
> to be about 45 minutes...it was shorter on Saturday night (we did a
> couple hours saturday night for 2 rides on the demon and two on x-
> flight - about 30 minutes for x-flight).
I have had good and bad days there, but have never been unable to
ultimately have a satisfying day.
> Besides that lines were about 30 minutes for raging bull, 20 minutes
> for viper, 30 minutes for Whizzer, 2 or 3 ride cycles for American
> Eagle and Demon. We did do the gold fast pass on Sunday, so the lines
> were basically nill for us. But it would have been "doable" without
> the fast pass I think for people who go to the park a lot. I didn't
> see anybody else get the fast pass, I don't think they sold many
> yesterday.
>
> I never eat park food so I can't review it, but it looked like the
> usual crap, no surprise there.
Back in the Marriott days, they had some good choices. On one of my
more recent visits I noticed how little variety there was left, very
standard amusement park foods. But I think there are still some decent
places at the farmer's market area.
--
Dave Sandborg
Remove Spam-away to respond via e-mail.
report, particularly if it's positive!
In article
<b1549fed-0a4b-474b...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
ldnayman <ldna...@aol.com> wrote:
> Did Six Flags Great America (Chicago) this weekend, and I have to say
> I was very impressed. I'd put it at the top of the heap of the Six
> Flags parks I've been to. Impressive coaster collection.
I've always thought SFGAm is one of the better Six Flags parks. I also
> Did Six Flags Great America (Chicago) this weekend, and I have to say
> I was very impressed. I'd put it at the top of the heap of the Six
> Flags parks I've been to. Impressive coaster collection.
think some of that, though a diminishing amount, is due to its heritage
from when it was a Marriott park. There's a tradition of quality that
hasn't entirely died out. Though there are definitely things I'd have
liked to see remain.
> This is the most "airtime" filled park I've ever been to. I'll start
> with their two best coasters - Raging Bull and American Eagle. Raging
> Bull is another fantastic BM hyper coaster with tons of air. I had
> heard bitchings about trim brakes but there's really only one hill
> that I think they could have backed off the trim a tiny bit, and even
> that gives you that patented blast of air when you drop out of the
> trim run. It's also got an interesting final third, where the usual BM
> bunny hills are replaced by a neato twisty section. I wouldn't rank it
> higher than my current fave Apollo's Chariot but it's tied or slightly
> ahead of Nitro.
care for the high turns, and prefer the more out and back-y B&M hyper
layouts.
> American Eagle was one hell of a sleeper. It's huge and impressive,
> but I figured it was going to be another butchered, bastardized old
> Six Flags woodie in the vein of SFNE's Cyclone. I couldn't have been
> more wrong about that. The first hill is fantastic with a pop of air
> at the end and some crazy but not jarring vibrations all the way down.
> After that it's a bunch of airtime hills, that wild huge helix, and a
> couple more airtime hills, including the last one which is the best. I
> was half a foot out of my feet easily everytime. This massive coaster
> goes toward the top of my woodie list, easy. They were running three
> trains (2 blue, 1 red) which was a bit odd, so they rarely raced,
> which I guess would have been fun...but regardless this is a kickass
> coaster. And not rough.
but I'm not sure how much of that was inexperience versus it truly being
a good ride. But for a long time I thought it had been pretty mediocre.
The track style is odd and rides funny to me, though not really in a
rough or unpleasant way. But I don't remember too much airtime and the
helix just seems odd, particularly on a racing coaster. But I'm sure
glad you like it. I certainly have fond memories of it.
> The VIper was another pleasant surprise. The first "cyclone" clone
> I've ever ridden, I gotta say it delivers a much better ride. The only
> thing better on the original cyclone is the first drop, which seems
> steeper and faster on the real one. Besides that the VIper is
> smoother, faster, and has tons of air.
original in my opinion, having a somewhat more modern aesthetic.
Nevertheless it's a good ride, and a pretty consistent performer.
> The x-flight would probably be my 4th favorite coaster there. It's the
> first BM "novelty" coaster I've really dug - much better than the
> standup coasters or the Superman flight. IT's a really cool, smooth,
> lumbering ride that manages to be graceful as well. Great ride from
> any seat, great view. Only complaint is it's a bit short.
this year. I do kind of regret the loss of Iron Wolf, not for what it
had become, but for what it was. In its early years I thought it was a
fantastic ride. I hope it does better in its new location.
> After that the Demon was a real blast. I love these old arrow coasters
> for their loops, corkscrews, and short lines, and this one delivered.
> Not as good as Loch Ness of course, but it's really nice that this
> thing is still at the park, and it still seemed pretty popular. People
> like this thing, even if there's never more than a 5 minute wait for
> it.
old airtime hills of Turn of the Century. But it's a pretty fun ride in
its own right, I guess.
> I didn't bother with any of the familiar "clones," - Batman, Superman,
> and Velocity (same as possessed at Dorney). THose rides aren't my
> favorites anyway - Batman is my least favorite inverted (too intense
> for me) and I'm not a fan of Superman. But I know many people love
> those rides. They round out a really good collection of coasters. Like
> I said, I was very impressed by this place and I'll be back sometime.
> Gotta love any park with such a high quality collection of wood, and
> fine steel.
try not to miss Velocity either since the nearest clone to me is long
gone. Otherwise I'd probably take it more for granted.
> Even the Whizzer was fun.
> I guess the only thing the place is missing
> is a great launched coaster, but anybody that counts the place as
> their home park has to be happy with what they get. I also love the
> way the good rides are all close together - I never went to the "left"
> side of the park all day. The Eagle, X-Flight, Raging Bull, Demon,
> Whizzer, Viper, and Drop tower are all relatively close together on
> the same side of the park, and that's where I stayed.
like to get a night ride on it before finishing up with a Viper ride, so
I do have to rush a bit to get it all in. As with so many other parks,
better cross-park transportation would be a help. Or a cut-through path
to divide the oval (Dave Althoff will probably have some comments here!).
> Nothing like Six Flags Jersey where all of the good rides are far
> apart from each other - El Toro, Kingda Ka, and Nitro are all in
> completely different corners of the park and seem as far apart from
> each other as can be. Traveling between them means enduring sun and
> obnoxious midway games.
has a sky ride, which can help with the cross-park trips too. I tend to
give Great Adventure more credit than many others, though.
> As far as coaster collections go, this place has to rank up there with
> my favorites Busch and Hershey, and I'd say surpasses Kings Dominion
> for me.
like the park as a whole, perhaps partly still because of fond memories
from my past.
> Another fun bit is that one of the entrances allows you to basically
> drive through the back end of the park, and even drive literally
> through the American Eagle which was fun. Nice work Chicago!
>
> As far as the crowds, they were pretty light I suppose but I don't
> have anything to compare it to. Reviews I've read of their Fright Fest
> said it was basically hell. It was mother's day and early in the
> season, but they were definitly selling lots of season passes due to
> the "x-flight season pass holder" promotion. The X-flight line looked
> to be about 45 minutes...it was shorter on Saturday night (we did a
> couple hours saturday night for 2 rides on the demon and two on x-
> flight - about 30 minutes for x-flight).
ultimately have a satisfying day.
> Besides that lines were about 30 minutes for raging bull, 20 minutes
> for viper, 30 minutes for Whizzer, 2 or 3 ride cycles for American
> Eagle and Demon. We did do the gold fast pass on Sunday, so the lines
> were basically nill for us. But it would have been "doable" without
> the fast pass I think for people who go to the park a lot. I didn't
> see anybody else get the fast pass, I don't think they sold many
> yesterday.
>
> I never eat park food so I can't review it, but it looked like the
> usual crap, no surprise there.
more recent visits I noticed how little variety there was left, very
standard amusement park foods. But I think there are still some decent
places at the farmer's market area.
--
Dave Sandborg
Remove Spam-away to respond via e-mail.
Surf Dance Chris
May 14, 2012, 10:43:48 PM5/14/12
to
On May 14, 8:55 pm, David Sandborg <sandd...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com>
wrote:
I've only been to SFGAm once, in Summer 2003. I remember being very
impressed with operations as a whole during the visit, despite it
being right in the middle of the huge low period in the Six Flags
timeline, as far as guest service and operations in general were. I
was almost surprised at how good my day was, as I was really expecting
it to be a "credit" day. I'd probably rank it first in Six Flags parks
I'd like to visit again.
wrote:
> Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
> report, particularly if it's positive!
>
> In article
> <b1549fed-0a4b-474b-a079-06dd8ce4f...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
> report, particularly if it's positive!
>
> In article
impressed with operations as a whole during the visit, despite it
being right in the middle of the huge low period in the Six Flags
timeline, as far as guest service and operations in general were. I
was almost surprised at how good my day was, as I was really expecting
it to be a "credit" day. I'd probably rank it first in Six Flags parks
I'd like to visit again.
ldnayman
May 14, 2012, 11:30:11 PM5/14/12
to
On May 14, 5:55 pm, David Sandborg <sandd...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com>
wrote:
>
neat break between the out and back runs. Who knows, maybe this is
riding better than it used to, I don't know. There are hardly any
brakes on it, it was fast, and like I said, the back offered tons of
airtime, maybe the most I've ever had on a woodie (I'm in the El Toro
Doesn't Count camp). I read some reviews last night on the net and
they seem to be all over the place, running from something akin to
what I'd say about Rolling Thunder (total shit) to the rave I just
gave it, so maybe it has it's good days and bad days. Yesterday was a
very good day. No joke, it makes the place a destination for me.
>
> I really like Viper. It's not really very faithful to the spirit of the
> original in my opinion, having a somewhat more modern aesthetic.
> Nevertheless it's a good ride, and a pretty consistent performer.
>
Yeah, I've ridden the Cyclone dozens of time, and certainly this seems
like a loose adaptation of the layout. It's basically the same but has
many noticeable differences. Great ride either way, and pains me to
say it better than the original.
> I haven't ridden it yet, of course. I hope to get a chance to later
> this year. I do kind of regret the loss of Iron Wolf, not for what it
> had become, but for what it was. In its early years I thought it was a
> fantastic ride. I hope it does better in its new location.
I'll be taking in the Iron Wolf sometime this summer for sure as I
make frequent trips to the MD area. Can't say I'm too excited as
standups aren't my favorite, but that park hasn't has a new coaster in
well over a decade so at least it's SOMETHING.
>
> I have always had a bit of an antipathy to the Demon since I liked the
> old airtime hills of Turn of the Century. But it's a pretty fun ride in
> its own right, I guess.
Can only imagine what that was like. I will say that I got some
surprising air in the 2nd to last seat - wasn't exactly awesome as my
knees hit the top of the car but I sure didn't see it coming.
> I'm not a big Superman fan, but I wouldn't miss Batman. I'd probably
> try not to miss Velocity either since the nearest clone to me is long
> gone. Otherwise I'd probably take it more for granted.
>
Well, they got a Batman at Six Flags Jersey - and just about every
other six flags park in the world - so didn't really see the need to
hit it. My friend did when I went out to the car to get something.
That ride is too much for me anyway, the g-forces ruin my day
generally. I'm done riding it I think. And they got a V2 clone at
Dorney, another home park (and the holding brake works), so again just
didn't see the need. When I'm at a spot I've never been to like I was
yesterday, and I'm really digging some coasters I won't have a chance
to ride again, I'll stick with them.
wrote:
>
> Huh, this is a surprise to me. I loved Eagle when I was a kid long ago,
> but I'm not sure how much of that was inexperience versus it truly being
> a good ride. But for a long time I thought it had been pretty mediocre.
> The track style is odd and rides funny to me, though not really in a
> rough or unpleasant way. But I don't remember too much airtime and the
> helix just seems odd, particularly on a racing coaster. But I'm sure
> glad you like it. I certainly have fond memories of it.
I will say the Helix isn't my favorite part of the ride, but it is a
> but I'm not sure how much of that was inexperience versus it truly being
> a good ride. But for a long time I thought it had been pretty mediocre.
> The track style is odd and rides funny to me, though not really in a
> rough or unpleasant way. But I don't remember too much airtime and the
> helix just seems odd, particularly on a racing coaster. But I'm sure
> glad you like it. I certainly have fond memories of it.
neat break between the out and back runs. Who knows, maybe this is
riding better than it used to, I don't know. There are hardly any
brakes on it, it was fast, and like I said, the back offered tons of
airtime, maybe the most I've ever had on a woodie (I'm in the El Toro
Doesn't Count camp). I read some reviews last night on the net and
they seem to be all over the place, running from something akin to
what I'd say about Rolling Thunder (total shit) to the rave I just
gave it, so maybe it has it's good days and bad days. Yesterday was a
very good day. No joke, it makes the place a destination for me.
>
> I really like Viper. It's not really very faithful to the spirit of the
> original in my opinion, having a somewhat more modern aesthetic.
> Nevertheless it's a good ride, and a pretty consistent performer.
>
like a loose adaptation of the layout. It's basically the same but has
many noticeable differences. Great ride either way, and pains me to
say it better than the original.
> I haven't ridden it yet, of course. I hope to get a chance to later
> this year. I do kind of regret the loss of Iron Wolf, not for what it
> had become, but for what it was. In its early years I thought it was a
> fantastic ride. I hope it does better in its new location.
make frequent trips to the MD area. Can't say I'm too excited as
standups aren't my favorite, but that park hasn't has a new coaster in
well over a decade so at least it's SOMETHING.
>
> I have always had a bit of an antipathy to the Demon since I liked the
> old airtime hills of Turn of the Century. But it's a pretty fun ride in
> its own right, I guess.
surprising air in the 2nd to last seat - wasn't exactly awesome as my
knees hit the top of the car but I sure didn't see it coming.
> I'm not a big Superman fan, but I wouldn't miss Batman. I'd probably
> try not to miss Velocity either since the nearest clone to me is long
> gone. Otherwise I'd probably take it more for granted.
>
other six flags park in the world - so didn't really see the need to
hit it. My friend did when I went out to the car to get something.
That ride is too much for me anyway, the g-forces ruin my day
generally. I'm done riding it I think. And they got a V2 clone at
Dorney, another home park (and the holding brake works), so again just
didn't see the need. When I'm at a spot I've never been to like I was
yesterday, and I'm really digging some coasters I won't have a chance
to ride again, I'll stick with them.
David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply
May 15, 2012, 4:13:22 AM5/15/12
to
On Mon, 14 May 2012 20:55:34 -0400, David Sandborg
<sand...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
>report, particularly if it's positive!
>
>In article
><b1549fed-0a4b-474b...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
> ldnayman <ldna...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Did Six Flags Great America (Chicago) this weekend, and I have to say
>> I was very impressed. I'd put it at the top of the heap of the Six
>> Flags parks I've been to. Impressive coaster collection.
>
>I've always thought SFGAm is one of the better Six Flags parks. I also
>think some of that, though a diminishing amount, is due to its heritage
>from when it was a Marriott park. There's a tradition of quality that
>hasn't entirely died out. Though there are definitely things I'd have
>liked to see remain.
Agreed on SFGAm in general. For overall experience, I'd put SFGAm and SFoG
<sand...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
>report, particularly if it's positive!
>
>In article
><b1549fed-0a4b-474b...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
> ldnayman <ldna...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Did Six Flags Great America (Chicago) this weekend, and I have to say
>> I was very impressed. I'd put it at the top of the heap of the Six
>> Flags parks I've been to. Impressive coaster collection.
>
>I've always thought SFGAm is one of the better Six Flags parks. I also
>think some of that, though a diminishing amount, is due to its heritage
>from when it was a Marriott park. There's a tradition of quality that
>hasn't entirely died out. Though there are definitely things I'd have
>liked to see remain.
towards the top of the heap., although I'd give SFGAdv the edge for actual
coasters.
>> This is the most "airtime" filled park I've ever been to. I'll start
>> with their two best coasters - Raging Bull and American Eagle. Raging
>> Bull is another fantastic BM hyper coaster with tons of air. I had
>> heard bitchings about trim brakes but there's really only one hill
>> that I think they could have backed off the trim a tiny bit, and even
>> that gives you that patented blast of air when you drop out of the
>> trim run. It's also got an interesting final third, where the usual BM
>> bunny hills are replaced by a neato twisty section. I wouldn't rank it
>> higher than my current fave Apollo's Chariot but it's tied or slightly
>> ahead of Nitro.
>
>I have to admit, I've never "gotten" Raging Bull. I just don't really
>care for the high turns, and prefer the more out and back-y B&M hyper
>layouts.
any of the B&M hypers, although I'm otherwise quite the B&M fanboy. but
Bull is probably the worst of their hypers, IMHO.
But "tons of air"? I've NEVER gotten that on Raging Bull!
>> American Eagle was one hell of a sleeper. It's huge and impressive,
>> but I figured it was going to be another butchered, bastardized old
>> Six Flags woodie in the vein of SFNE's Cyclone. I couldn't have been
>> more wrong about that. The first hill is fantastic with a pop of air
>> at the end and some crazy but not jarring vibrations all the way down.
>> After that it's a bunch of airtime hills, that wild huge helix, and a
>> couple more airtime hills, including the last one which is the best. I
>> was half a foot out of my feet easily everytime. This massive coaster
>> goes toward the top of my woodie list, easy. They were running three
>> trains (2 blue, 1 red) which was a bit odd, so they rarely raced,
>> which I guess would have been fun...but regardless this is a kickass
>> coaster. And not rough.
>
>Huh, this is a surprise to me. I loved Eagle when I was a kid long ago,
>but I'm not sure how much of that was inexperience versus it truly being
>a good ride. But for a long time I thought it had been pretty mediocre.
>The track style is odd and rides funny to me, though not really in a
>rough or unpleasant way. But I don't remember too much airtime and the
>helix just seems odd, particularly on a racing coaster. But I'm sure
>glad you like it. I certainly have fond memories of it.
decent ride, but I've never considered it anything special. I'll ride it
when I'm there, but I wouldn't wait in a long line for it.
>> The VIper was another pleasant surprise. The first "cyclone" clone
>> I've ever ridden, I gotta say it delivers a much better ride. The only
>> thing better on the original cyclone is the first drop, which seems
>> steeper and faster on the real one. Besides that the VIper is
>> smoother, faster, and has tons of air.
>
>I really like Viper. It's not really very faithful to the spirit of the
>original in my opinion, having a somewhat more modern aesthetic.
>Nevertheless it's a good ride, and a pretty consistent performer.
rides on it. But that's mostly my own fault, since I almost never manage
to be at that park at night, for some reason.
>> I didn't bother with any of the familiar "clones," - Batman, Superman,
>> and Velocity (same as possessed at Dorney). THose rides aren't my
>> favorites anyway - Batman is my least favorite inverted (too intense
>> for me) and I'm not a fan of Superman. But I know many people love
>> those rides. They round out a really good collection of coasters. Like
>> I said, I was very impressed by this place and I'll be back sometime.
>> Gotta love any park with such a high quality collection of wood, and
>> fine steel.
>
>I'm not a big Superman fan, but I wouldn't miss Batman. I'd probably
>try not to miss Velocity either since the nearest clone to me is long
>gone. Otherwise I'd probably take it more for granted.
I can always ride them elsewhere.
>> Nothing like Six Flags Jersey where all of the good rides are far
>> apart from each other - El Toro, Kingda Ka, and Nitro are all in
>> completely different corners of the park and seem as far apart from
>> each other as can be. Traveling between them means enduring sun and
>> obnoxious midway games.
>
>I don't like those games, and I don't care about Kingda Ka. And SFGAd
>has a sky ride, which can help with the cross-park trips too. I tend to
>give Great Adventure more credit than many others, though.
And I rarely feel the need for a return visit during the same day for more
rides on Nitro anyways. I usually ride Batman and Nitro as much as I'd like
(and can, depending on the lines), then don't bother going back to that
part of the park.
>> As far as coaster collections go, this place has to rank up there with
>> my favorites Busch and Hershey, and I'd say surpasses Kings Dominion
>> for me.
>
>I think they have a pretty good collection, if not a great one. But I
>like the park as a whole, perhaps partly still because of fond memories
>from my past.
parts, mainly because it has a really good balance of decent, diverse
rides, good operations and friendly staff. And while I haven't tried it
out, their water park is wildly popular. And while none of their coasters
are a top 10 ride for me, they have a really good overall collection.
"With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censured,
the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us
all irrevocably." -Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
"The Drumhead", _Star Trek: The Next Generation_
ldnayman
May 15, 2012, 10:57:14 AM5/15/12
to
On May 15, 1:13 am, "David H.--REMOVE \"STOPSPAM\" to reply"
Hey man, I'm not making up tons of air. Virtually every hill my ass is
off the seat. That counts as tons of air to me. Maybe it's running
better than it used to.
As far as El Toro and Ka- yes, they are literally right next to each
other. But there is no path between them, so you have a very long walk
from one to the other. There is a cut through that helps a little by
the Seal tank, but it closes early and is a non-factor when I'm there
(later in the day).
<davidhhhSTOPS...@bellatlantic.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 14 May 2012 20:55:34 -0400, David Sandborg
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <sandd...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> >Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
> >report, particularly if it's positive!
>
> >In article
> ><b1549fed-0a4b-474b-a079-06dd8ce4f...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
> On Mon, 14 May 2012 20:55:34 -0400, David Sandborg
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <sandd...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> >Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
> >report, particularly if it's positive!
>
> >In article
off the seat. That counts as tons of air to me. Maybe it's running
better than it used to.
As far as El Toro and Ka- yes, they are literally right next to each
other. But there is no path between them, so you have a very long walk
from one to the other. There is a cut through that helps a little by
the Seal tank, but it closes early and is a non-factor when I'm there
(later in the day).
Wolf
May 16, 2012, 1:12:25 AM5/16/12
to
"David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply" <davidhhh...@bellatlantic.net>
wrote in message news:ac34r7dgp33ko6p1f...@4ax.com...
next to each other in the same manner that Millennium Force and Gemini are
right next to each other. Not only is Rolling Thunder in between, but
there's a fairly long walk through the nominal Asia section to get to Kingda
Ka.
--
|\-/|
<0 0>
=(o)=
-Wolf
Mark Rosenzweig
May 16, 2012, 9:49:03 AM5/16/12
to
On May 15, 10:57 am, ldnayman <ldnay...@aol.com> wrote:
>
> Hey man, I'm not making up tons of air. Virtually every hill my ass is
> off the seat. That counts as tons of air to me. Maybe it's running
> better than it used to.
Raging Bull has some strong pops of negatives. To me far and away the
>
> Hey man, I'm not making up tons of air. Virtually every hill my ass is
> off the seat. That counts as tons of air to me. Maybe it's running
> better than it used to.
best first drop on any B&M Hyper (the tight dip/rollover helps
compared to Apollo's more drawn out opening sequence). It has a solid
drop off the mid-course and ensuing camelback. Then the drop into the
figure-8 finale is pretty strong (all this from the back of the
train).
>
Mark Rosenzweig
May 16, 2012, 9:50:40 AM5/16/12
to
On May 16, 1:12 am, "Wolf" <bill.buss...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply" <davidhhhSTOPS...@bellatlantic.net>
> wrote in messagenews:ac34r7dgp33ko6p1f...@4ax.com...
The entrance to Golden Kingdom from the Carnivale/Toro area has been
blocked off since last season. So to walk from El Toro to Ka, one
must backtrack all the way to the Boardwalk and enter the only
entrance to Golden Kingdom next to the Top Spin. Distance-wise, it is
probably just as long of a walk as walking from El Toro to Skull
Mountain.
> "David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply" <davidhhhSTOPS...@bellatlantic.net>
> wrote in messagenews:ac34r7dgp33ko6p1f...@4ax.com...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 14 May 2012 20:55:34 -0400, David Sandborg
> > <sandd...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> >>Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
> >>report, particularly if it's positive!
>
> >>In article
> >><b1549fed-0a4b-474b-a079-06dd8ce4f...@vi6g2000pbc.googlegroups.com>,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 14 May 2012 20:55:34 -0400, David Sandborg
> > <sandd...@Spam-away.ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
> >>Great America was my old home park, so I'm always glad to see a trip
> >>report, particularly if it's positive!
>
> >>In article
blocked off since last season. So to walk from El Toro to Ka, one
must backtrack all the way to the Boardwalk and enter the only
entrance to Golden Kingdom next to the Top Spin. Distance-wise, it is
probably just as long of a walk as walking from El Toro to Skull
Mountain.
Surf Dance Chris
May 16, 2012, 10:08:26 AM5/16/12
to
(where Temple Of the Tiger used to be), then through the animal
exhibit (where the tortoises are now and where the regular tiger
display was), then out and through the gift shop on the corner across
from where the Taz Tornado used to be (can't remember the name of the
gift shop). Maybe that area isn't always open?
Mark Rosenzweig
May 16, 2012, 11:17:29 AM5/16/12
to
ldnayman
May 16, 2012, 11:31:41 AM5/16/12
to
On May 16, 11:17 am, Mark Rosenzweig <markscottr...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> It was blocked off on Friday last week.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Of course it was.
Six Flags NJ wants to FORCE customers to walk through their shitty
midway.
I really, really hate the place. Shame it's my home park.
>
> It was blocked off on Friday last week.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Of course it was.
Six Flags NJ wants to FORCE customers to walk through their shitty
midway.
I really, really hate the place. Shame it's my home park.
ansley
May 16, 2012, 12:42:32 PM5/16/12
to
Ted
Surf Dance Chris
May 16, 2012, 1:22:37 PM5/16/12
to
stadium houses the sea lions now (or it did last year). I'm guessing
the tigers went to the safari.
The regular tiger viewing area is now a display for other animals like
the two tortoises that used to be near the entrance of golden kingdom,
and other various animals. There's actually a pathway through the
exhibit, so you walk where the tigers used to actually be.
Also there were lammas last year where the tortoises used to be by the
entrance of Golden Kingdom.
I like tigers and most kinds of cats, and really enjoyed Temple of the
Tiger, so inwas quite disappointed when I heard it had closed.
skiguy777
May 16, 2012, 2:23:03 PM5/16/12
to
> > > Six Flags NJ wants to FORCE customers to walk through their shitty
> > > midway.
It's the city name.
SFC = Six Flags Chicago (and yes, I know it's near Milwaukee)
SFW = Six Flags Washington
SFNJ = Six Flags New Jersey
The only one that doesn't seem to have a problem, is SFMM, because everyone knows what that is. The others need new abbreviations.
David H.--REMOVE "STOPSPAM" to reply
May 16, 2012, 9:31:52 PM5/16/12
to
problem.
ansley
May 17, 2012, 11:56:39 AM5/17/12
to davidhhh...@bellatlantic.net
On Thursday, May 17, 2012 8:31:52 AM UTC+7, David H.--REMOVE STOPSPAM to reply wrote:
> On Wed, 16 May 2012 11:23:03 -0700 (PDT), skiguy777
> <skig...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >> > > Six Flags NJ wants to FORCE customers to walk through their shitty
> >> > > midway.
> >
> >I'm just glad the OP called it Six Flags Chicago, I hate the abbreviations for Great America and Great Adventure.
> >
> >It's the city name.
> >
> >SFC = Six Flags Chicago (and yes, I know it's near Milwaukee)
> >SFW = Six Flags Washington
> >SFNJ = Six Flags New Jersey
> >
> >The only one that doesn't seem to have a problem, is SFMM, because everyone knows what that is. The others need new abbreviations.
>
> For the nearly 20 years I've been on here, it's never really been a
> problem.
>
>
Ditto, perfectly happy with the abbreviations used on RRC for close to twenty years. Here's what I could call the current SF parks.
> On Wed, 16 May 2012 11:23:03 -0700 (PDT), skiguy777
> <skig...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >> > > Six Flags NJ wants to FORCE customers to walk through their shitty
> >> > > midway.
> >
> >I'm just glad the OP called it Six Flags Chicago, I hate the abbreviations for Great America and Great Adventure.
> >
> >It's the city name.
> >
> >SFC = Six Flags Chicago (and yes, I know it's near Milwaukee)
> >SFW = Six Flags Washington
> >SFNJ = Six Flags New Jersey
> >
> >The only one that doesn't seem to have a problem, is SFMM, because everyone knows what that is. The others need new abbreviations.
>
> For the nearly 20 years I've been on here, it's never really been a
> problem.
>
>
SFGAd
SFGAm
SFMM
SFNE
SFA
SFoG
SFoT
SFSL (Don't think it is really called SFoMA any more.)
SFFT
SFDK
SFM (Six Flags Mexico)
I think I got all o them...
Ted
ldnayman
May 17, 2012, 1:16:47 PM5/17/12
to
>
> - Show quoted text -
I'm with the original complainer. It's really easy to say "Six Flags
> - Show quoted text -
NJ" or "Six Flags DC," at least at the start of a post.
We post here so infrequently that the time-saving benefits of
abbreviations don't really seem to be needed.
Surf Dance Chris
May 18, 2012, 11:33:38 PM5/18/12
to
open at some point this season. It has a sign there that says open
10:30-6, although when I passed just before 5 it was blocked off with
an employee standing in front. The side by the Candy and Coasters shop
was blocked by a large gate/wall.
Wolf
May 20, 2012, 12:14:24 AM5/20/12
to
> I'm just glad the OP called it Six Flags Chicago, I hate the abbreviations
> for Great America and Great Adventure.
>
> It's the city name.
>
> SFC = Six Flags Chicago (and yes, I know it's near Milwaukee)
> SFW = Six Flags Washington
It's in Maryland.
> for Great America and Great Adventure.
>
> It's the city name.
>
> SFC = Six Flags Chicago (and yes, I know it's near Milwaukee)
> SFW = Six Flags Washington
Mark Rosenzweig
May 22, 2012, 9:26:30 AM5/22/12
to
On May 20, 12:14 am, "Wolf" <bill.buss...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > SFW = Six Flags Washington
>
> It's in Maryland.
>
We don't want it.
> > SFW = Six Flags Washington
>
> It's in Maryland.
>
Andrew Brawley
May 28, 2012, 10:47:23 PM5/28/12
to
On Wed, 16 May 2012 06:49:03 -0700 (PDT), Mark Rosenzweig <marksc...@gmail.com>
wrote:
I'll second what Mark said. The Bull is definitely a back seat ride. But the first
drop from there is just sublime. The yank, pop, and float all the way down is
delicious. And I like the directional changes. It may be somewhat lacking in airtime
compared to other hypers, but the other moments that Mark mentioned are great fun.
It's just a different kind of ride being a "hyper twister". And personally, I like
the spaghetti bowl finale.
wrote:
drop from there is just sublime. The yank, pop, and float all the way down is
delicious. And I like the directional changes. It may be somewhat lacking in airtime
compared to other hypers, but the other moments that Mark mentioned are great fun.
It's just a different kind of ride being a "hyper twister". And personally, I like
the spaghetti bowl finale.
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