Differences between SFGAm and PGA
LarryMcP
No problem. Both parks have web sites that will show you a map and
attraction list.... you can go to those web sites and have a look at how
things have changed.
- Larry McP
Giggletta
>Does anyone know what differences now exist between SFGAm and PGA?
Here are some of the differences. If you have further questions, I'll try
to answer them.
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL (purchased by Six Flags in 1984)
features seven lands: Carousel Plaza, Hometown Square, County Fair,
Southwest Territory (new land added in 1996), Yukon Territory, Yankee
Harbor, and Orleans Place. Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara, CA
(purchased by Kings Entertainment in 1985 and then by Paramount in 1992?)
features eight lands: Carousel Plaza, Hometown Square, County Fair, Yukon
Territory, Nicklelodeon's Splat City (rethemed in 1996-once part of Yukon
Territory), Hanna-Barbera's Fort Fun (rethemed in 1985-once part of Yukon
Territory), Yankee Harbor, and Orleans Place.
Six Flags Great America
Carousel Plaza is the park's entrance. Features the double decker
carousel THE COLUMBIA; SPACE SHUTTLE AMERICA ride simulator;, SKY TREK
TOWER sky cabin observatory; and IMAX movie theatre THE PICTORIUM.
Hometown Square is a quaint 1920's town. Features THE GRAND MUSIC
HALL for live stage shows; THE WHIZZER roller coaster; a collection of
kiddie rides called HOMETOWN PARK; SCENIC RAILWAY; carnival type thrill
rides such as ORBIT (Enterprise); HOMETOWN FUN MACHINE (Scrambler); and
TRIPLE PLAY (Troika).
Southwest Territory is a western gold mining town. Features THE
VIPER wooden roller coaster; WARNER BROS. WESTERN STUNT SHOW; THE GIANT
DROP (New freefall ride); RIVER ROCKER Pirat ride; and carnival type thrill
rides such as TRAILBLAZER (Falling Star); CHUBASCO (teacups); and RICOCHET.
County Fair is a turn of the century midwest county fair. Features
DEMON ( a loopin roller coaster); the wooden dual racer AMERICAN EAGLE;
stand up roller coaster IRON WOLF; triple arm Ferris Wheel SKY
WHIRL;AMERI-GO-ROUND (antique carousel); SPLASHWATER FALLS (Shoot the
Chutes); GREAT AMERICAN RACEWAY car ride; SCENIC RAILWAY; the FARMER'S
,MARKET food court; GAMES GALLERY (A large collection of games); and
carnival thrill rides such as HAY BALER (Himalaya without music); FIDDLER'S
FLING (Calypso).
Yukon Territory is a Klondike gold rush town, circa 1890. Features
LOGGER'S RUN log flume; SNOWSHOE SALOON country saloon show; WILDERNESS
THEATRE (once an outdoor dolphin show, now vacant); BUGS BUNNY YUKON
ADVENTURE (kiddie park).
Yankee Harbor is a late 19th century New England fishing village with
Gotham City accessories. Features YANKEE CLIPPER boat flume; BATMAN THE
RIDE (first inverted roller coaster); carnival type thrill rides such as
EAST RIVER CRAWLER (Monster); and WHIRLIGIG (Wave Swinger).
Orleans Place is 1850's New Orleans. Features SHOCK WAVE
(multi-inversion roller coaster); ROARING RAPIDS river rapids ride; POWER
DIVE (Looping Starship); THEATRE ROYALE (Features Bugs Bunny Show); CONDOR
(a thrill ride); and carnival type thrill rides such as RUE LE DODGE
(Bumper Cars); and CAJUN CLIFFHANGER (Rotor).
Paramount's Great America
Carousel Plaza is the park's entrance. Features the double decker
carousel THE COLUMBIA; SKY TOWER sky cabin observatory; and IMAX movie
theatre THE PICTORIUM.
Hometown Square is a quaint 1920's town. Features THE GRAND MUSIC
HALL for live stage shows; THE VORTEX stand up roller coaster; SKY HAWK (a
thrill ride); SCENIC RAILWAY; WHITEWATER FALLS (Shoot the Chutes); carnival
type thrill rides such as TRIPLE PLAY (Troika).
County Fair is a turn of the century midwest county fair. Features
DEMON ( a looping roller coaster); the wooden roller coaster THE
GRIZZLEY; triple arm Ferris Wheel THE TRIPLE WHEEL; DROP ZONE (new freefall
ride); BARNEY OLDFIELD SPEEDWAY car ride; EAGLE'S FLIGHT sky ride; SCENIC
RAILWAY; the FARMER'S ,MARKET food court; GAMES GALLERY (A large collection
of games); and carnival thrill rides such as BERSERKER (Bayvearn Curve);
and FIDDLER'S FLING (Calypso).
Yukon Territory is a Klondike gold rush town, circa 1890. Features
LOGGER'S RUN log flume; SNOWSHOE SALOON country saloon show.
Nicklelodeon's Splat City is an interactive kiddie park with a slime
zone theme. There is an interactive game show in the former WILDERNESS
THEATRE and a kiddie roller coaster. Before 1996, this area was known as
SMURF WOODS. It was a new land added in 1986.
Hanna-Barbera's Fort Fun is a collection of kiddie rides and
attractions based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. Prior to 1985,
this area was known as KIDS KINGDOM, a new land that was once part of Yukon
Territory.
Yankee Harbor is a late 19th century New England fishing village with
Gotham City accessories. Features YANKEE CLIPPER boat flume; REVOLUTION
(Looping Starship); DAYS OF THUNDER motion simulator; TIDAL WAVE (shuttle
loop roller coaster); carnival type thrill rides such as LOBSTER (Monster).
Orleans Place is 1850's New Orleans. Features TOP GUN (inverted
roller coaster); RIP ROARIN' RAPIDS river rapids ride; TIMBERWOLF
AMPHITHEATRE for concerts; THEATRE ROYALE for live stage shows; DELTA
FLYER sky ride; and carnival type thrill rides such as RUE LE DODGE (Bumper
Cars); and ORLEANS ORBIT (Enterprise).
When the park's first opened they were identical. For the most part, they
got the same big attractions, but sometimes not always the same smaller
attractions. For example, I know that Six Flags Great America had another
antique car ride in Orleans Place called Traffique Jam and another skyride
called the Southern Cross which was a roundtrip skyride that criss crossed
the Delta Flyer/Eagle's Flight. They also received many more carnival type
thrill rides like Hay Baler, Cajun Cliffhanger, Hometown Fun Machine, Big
Top (Now the RICOCHET) and Yukon Yahoo (a ride they no longer have.)
American Eagle was the only major attraction that the California park never
got. However, the California park did get Kids Kingdom where the IL park
just had the interactive playground FORT FUN.
At one time both parks featured these rides: WHIZZER, TIDAL WAVE;
AMERI-GO -ROUND; TURN OF THE CENTURY; EAGLE'S FLIGHT/DELTA FLYER; BOTTOM'S
UP; THE EDGE; WHIRLIGIG. The IL park removed the Tidal Wave to make way
for Batman and I don't know the reason for the removal of the skyrides.
The CA park removed the Ameri-Go-Round to make way for the Drop Zone and
removed the Whirligig for The Edge. I don't know why they took out
Whizzer. The Turn of the Century was a roller coaster that was replaced in
both parks with the Demon. Bottom's Up was a thrill ride that was in
HOmetown Square that was removed to make way for new attractions. The Edge
left the CA park because of the arrival of Drop Zone and was removed from
the IL park because of an accident.