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Negatives and positives of the park.
30 posts
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I wanted to start a new topic to discuss this situation. Lately I have been reading alot of negative thoughts of the park and that it has gone downhill in alot of categories. I would like to see everyones list of the negatives and positives recently at the park. I was there last in 2012 and didn't have any issues so I am wondering what has been happening in the past 2 years.
I finally retired the Sarah Palin signature because she is now 100% irrelevant.
Operations have gone down the drain, 3 train stack on Bull is the new norm, not much better anywhere else in the park. That's my biggest complaint besides the park flat out lying to everyone with absurd statements like our Hurricane Harbor is the Nations Best Waterpark and SFGAm is the worlds cleanest theme park, I could live with that though.
Favorite Wood Coasters: The Voyage, Ravine Flyer II, Thunderhead, Balder
Favorite Steel: Steel Vengeance, Expedition GeForce, Olympia Looping Parks visited: 222, Coasters Ridden: Steel: 822, Wood: 178, Total: 1000
^Businesses will always exaggerate in order to get a marketing advantage; we'll just have to live with that.
I love the parks collection of rides, I think we have some great new technology with x flight and goliath, but we also have classics like batman and the eagle. But I have been very dissappear with the rest of the park. Everything feels dirty, crowded, cluttered, and run-down. The food they have is so bad I don't even eat it anymore. The landscaping has gone to hell. Any theming that was once here is almost gone. I just hate the entire feel of the park. I don't enjoy being there nearly as much as I do a park like CP. I think the problem is the parks target market doesn't really care about things like cleanliness, landscaping, theming, food, music, and all these other things. If I had a choice, I would not choose sfgam as my home park.
Either they are having the greatest/busiest year they've ever had, or they can no longer handle the crowds coming into their park. A typical summer day this season includes over an hour and a half wait just to get into the park if you didn't bring your tickets with you. Just the line to plunk down $50+ to enter the park takes an hour. That's ridiculous, and it pisses off all the parks guests before they even enter the park. Let's not mention the fact that the online "discount" doesn't include the $9 processing fee to print out your ticket at home. Are you kidding me? $25 for parking is crazy, and while prices rise quality stays the same or falls because a lot of the park needs upkeep, and its not being kept up with.
And Flash Pass - great if you have the money to purchase one, but those passes make lines for the rest of the guests nearly unbearable, which honestly isn't fair and just angers people even more. There is a general sense of being nickel and dimed too much, and the value (other than Goliath, if you can manage a ride since its efficiency is terrible) hasn't moved. It's just not been an efficient year for the park. Top 5 wood-5-Goliath 4-Ravine Flyer II 3-Phoenix 2-Voyage 1-El Toro
Top 5 Steel- 5-Velocicoaster 4- Maverick 3- Fury 325 2-Steel Vengeance 1-X2 Coaster Count: 444
^ I actually consider Flash Pass one of the positives of the parks. I think the qbot system does a good job of spreading the flash passers out, and not having to physically stand in line is a huge plus for me. It's definitely the best of the fast pass systems I've used.
It might be a positive for those who choose to (and can afford to) use it, but it's certainly a negative for those who don't. Maybe if you grew up with the park always having Flash Pass you don't get what the big deal is, but I grew up before Flash Pass existed and I think it's probably the single worst change the park has had (but I've ranted about that other places and I'm sure nobody cares). Yes, in the park (as in most aspects of life) you always were better off if you had more money, but the class system was never quite as obvious before they allowed people to cut right to the front of lines because they paid more.
^ Don't get me wrong I'd rather have a park with great operations and no fast pass system, or a fast pass that everyone gets like at Disney, but I'm just saying that relative to the other up-charge fast pass systems I've used it's a positive. Compared to the Fast Lane I used at Cedar Point for example, I think flash pass is better for both the people using it and those waiting in line.
The worst problem I've had at the park is that a few food stands ran out of the souvenir cups. I tried 3 different stands, which means I waited in line 3 times and roughly 20 minutes just to get a souvenir cup. For one of the single most promoted things in the park, this seemed really bad. This is the only thing I've had an issue with though. Nothing else really bothers me. Lines are lines, and I've accepted that they use the flash pass just to ring more money out of people. It's nice to use, but I wouldn't get it here since I've ridden everything here. Food has been crap for years, one reason why I refuse to get a dining pass. I think most of us are somewhat isolated from the costs of admission and parking though since we tend to take advantage of the sales that include the parking pass for no additional charge. I also don't think the season pass price has significantly risen over the last several years. I also think they were getting desperate to sell passes this year. My girlfriend passed on buying a pass when I bought it in October, but bought it in June when she got an email about a season pass sale. Got the parking pass with it for no charge, and didn't have to buy in the group of 4 or more like in October.
^ Yeah, I don't exactly understand the SF approach to season passes. A season pass cost more in 1999 than it does today, and with all the discounts and promotions they run I was able to get my gold pass for pretty much the cost of a one day ticket. Not that I wanna pay a lot, but it doesn't even seem like they're trying to take my money.
Well, you got to remember how a season pass works from SF point of view... Most people are "one time guests" in their eyes... That means that they only get one crack to get parking, concessions, and souvineer $$$$ from them... By offering a Season Pass for the cost of a 1-day admission, they are going to get people to come back a 2nd/3rd time and make that much more $$$ off of that person... I'm a perfect example of that... Normally I would just visit once per summer and usually just get a discount with a Coke can, or some other promo like that (usually about $40-45 for me)... This season I happened to find someone selling some Thrill Pass vouchers on Craigslist for the day a friend and I were going to go to the park... We got those for $30 each... I've now been to the park 4 times this year, so that's 3x the money from me that the park got... And that's all that the park is trying to do... They are trying to get the most money out of every person that they can...
I bought 4 season passes and got parking for free... Unfortunatly my genius brother put the cups in the dishwasher so I have to buy 2 more on Wednesday when I go back to the park
^Hey, I did that once when I was living in Texas. I had no idea they were ultra cheap made in China cups. Most things are dishwasher safe these days.
I finally retired the Sarah Palin signature because she is now 100% irrelevant.
^^Happened to us one year when my mom was over at our house and took it upon herself to do our dishes (neat freak). We took the damaged cups to a drink stand and the guy just gave us new ones, no cost. Worth a try.
God the customer service there is awful I used to not have problems but today as we are leaving it's like 6:57 and we stop at the arcade by superman just for the fun of it to try get something before we go and just as I'm about to put my dollar in the machine some employee that was watching over the arcade just turned the power off without saying a word and then went back into some room behind the arcade... That was so irritating
In general, to me the pros and cons are like this
Pros: - great coasters - great balance of rides - Its safe - easy park layout - good family coasters - lots of water rides - great waterpark Cons - slow Operations (though not as bad as some) - slow lines for food - REDICULOUSLY long waits to get into the park - Its always crowded - Needs more TLC, better landscaping, paint rides and buildings, - Lots of jerk people...that's not really to blame on Great America, though. 1. Bizarro 2. Expedition GeForce
3. X2 4. Top Thrill Dragster 5. El Toro 6. Goliath (SFGAm) 7. Millennium Force 8. Silver Star 9. Apollo's Chariot 10. Goliath (SFOG)
Flash pass is awful and should be done away with!!! Offer a fast-pass that is free and all have a chance to use it and enjoy your day or offer nothing at all. That is what would be done of the park had true concerns for there guests enjoyment.
And the reduction of hours is awful!!! Opening 1/2 hour later a day is just a horrible decision, and worst yet when frights fest starts and the park wont open till 1100am on Saturday/Sunday. Besides all the days the park closes earlier than it used to a few years back. Too many days early and late in the year the park closes hours earlier than they did a few years ago. All done to increase sales of flash pass with no concern over guest enjoyment. Six flags opens a new ride and hypes it big time, but removed a roller coaster am doesn't use the pictoruim most of the year and reduces park hours big time. I would prefer no new ride if they would put the park hours back to what is was a few years ago. You are lucky to be on a ride by 1045am as they start testing rides way too late and rarely have the big rides operational at park opening.
^ Fright Fest opening at 11 is nothing new, and is something a lot of other parks do as well as the crowds come later in the evening during Halloween events. Plus, with the park being open until midnight on Saturdays, it's the longest operating days of the year at 13 hours.
Flash Pass was designed with guests' enjoyment in mind and also a way to make a bunch of extra money. It's no different than going to a baseball game and paying more for a better seat. Flash Pass users paid for the right to have a quicker line. It is one of the best aspects of the park as it makes money and helps alleviate congestion. Guests without it may get pissed when a Flash Passer jumps in front of them, but they should realize that Flash Passes reduce the normal wait time, too.
The park's collection of rides is stellar, and they've done a great job being creative with the landlocked property. The water park isn't your standard "attached to an amusement park" park, either. CONS: The entrance is a joke. It's not a joke, actually. Jokes are funny. The entrance is a train wreck. Ticket booth is now hidden off by Superman, then a sea of humanity to get to the metal detectors, then another line after that to get into the park. No separate entrance if you have a handstamp, and a completely unused "priority" entrance for *cough* Discover card holders. -Sidebar: the Hurricane Harbor entrance is a mess, too. For the love of humanity, split the tickets up and build two entrances off the parking lot. I'm begging you, Great America. The lighting of the park could be world's better. A part from a few rides, the place is flat out boring at night. Food selection leaves a lot to be desired. The park is sandwiched in the middle of two unique food cultures, yet neither one makes much of an appearance in the park. Some simple things like proper ventilation, cooling and upkeep in certain places is needed. The lines for Batman and Goliath are near death traps when the temperature hits 80. Some TLC to things like American Eagle and Demon have looooong been needed.
Neg- lots of line cutting/hopping, slow operations, long lines.
Pos- good line of coasters and thrill rides.
How do you think that Flash Passes reduce the normal waiting time? If some people are getting on more rides (and getting on them faster), other people are getting less. There's no way around that.
It doesn't lessen how many rides other people get on when you consider that Flash Passers would likely be riding a ride if they didn't have Flash Pass at all. It takes them out of the normal wait time, speeds them up, and their vacancy from the regular line speeds up everyone else. I do think you can look at the Platinum Flash Pass and question its worth, but overall, Flash Pass is a boon for the park and isn't going anywhere. Nor should it.
I don't expect it to go anywhere, because it makes the park money. But I still have to say you're wrong - it's simply not possible to speed some people up without hurting other people. Let's put it this way: you and I both want to go on Raging Bull, which has an hour line. I don't have Flash Pass, you do (let's say you have a regular Flash Pass). We get in line at the same time. So, yes, for this particular ride I'm not hurt, because we're probably on the same train anyway (this is not true if you have a more expensive Flash Pass, in which I could be hurt). BUT - instead of waiting in line for Raging Bull, you get to do something else instead! So you decide to go on Viper while waiting. EVERY SINGLE PERSON in line behind you in Viper is a person farther back than they would be if Flash Pass didn't exist. And, sure, one person doesn't matter, but when lots of people do the same thing... If my logic is wrong on any of this, please explain it to me. I don't want to be a jerk, but I don't see how it's possible that you think it could be better for everyone without somehow bending the laws of time and space.
If Flash Pass holders ride the same number of rides as they normally do, and spend their extra time eating, relaxing,etc, it's a wash. But if they take more rides, because their wait is shorter, it absolutely slows down the queues and impacts everyone else.
Rides are capacity limited by the number of people who can fit on a train and the cycle time. When more more people want to get on a ride than there are seats currently available, that's when a queue forms. Here is a simple example. Let's say the queue for every roller coaster is a 1 hour wait, the ride time is 2 minutes, and guests bounce from one line to the next. That means that for each guest in line, they will occupy 1 seat for 2 minutes, every 60 minutes. While they are in the seat, everyone behind them has to wait. Introduce a Flash Pass holder. They only have to wait 30 minutes to get on a ride. If they only ride 1 ride every 60 minutes, they have the same impact as everyone else. 2 minutes of ride time every 60 minutes. But if they ride twice in 60 minutes, because their wait time is half, they are occupying a seat for 4 minutes, every 60 minutes. If Flash Passers don't go for additional rides, it's a pure money maker for the park. But if they go for extra rides, then any additional time they are in a seat is slowing things down for the rest.
Postives
*Probably the best all-around & rerideable coaster collection of any park in the world. *Excellent flat ride collection. They have managed to keep many of their classic flat rides in operation (although Sky Whirl is another story!) *The few live theatre shows that they do have (60's and country) are good quality with great talent *Season pass pricing is a bargain, especially if you attend other 6 flags parks. *Security bag checks and metal detectors at park entry. Although it makes delays, it does make for a safer park. Here in Ohio there is NO security at the gates, and this is a state where its legal to carry a concealed weapon! *regular Flashpass is ok because it is a virtual queue, not a line cut. Negatives *The park is about the most run down park I have seen this year out of about 12. Other than Carrousel Plaza, the landscaping is COMPLETLY neglected and has turned into weeds. Buidlings need painted. The whole park just feels dirty because of this. They really need to stop the slogan of World's Cleanest Theme Park." It's not. *Poor atmosphere in Yukon Territory after go-karts were installed, and definitely in Hometown Square after trees in gazebo area were removed and that junky home made stage installed. What about the orange contruction fence beside the path to the train? * Overall theming in each section continues to deteoriate with each new installation that is out of theme. *Lack of things for non-thrill riders to do. There is the train, a couple live shows, skytower, carrousel and that's about all. They are missing an entire market of customers with $ to spend here. *The poorest of all guest relations. They don't answer emails or comments. Dollywood actually sends a written letter in response to every email including postive comment emails. *gold and platinum flash pass line cutting systems, which seem to be the norm in the industry these days. This park could be the most amazing regional theme park in the country, but theme parks are more than just great rides. Unfortunately, Great America lacks in about all the other areas that they need to be great in, other than the rides themselves. Such a shame, there is so much potential. But is being run by a company highly in debt that has to grub all the profits it can instead of reinvesting them. But Chicago-Milwaukee has a huge popluation, and if they want to go to a park there is no other choice. So things don't have to be maintained or pleasant because of the lack of competition. Each visit to this park, it seems to get worse! *
I'm surprised there hasn't been much mention of F&B inside the park on this thread. This may be the norm for all Six Flags parks as they use the same vendors nationwide, but the quality of food the park sells is C-Grade at best. The more I visit theme parks the more important things like my lunch and dinner become to me, and I'm willing to spend $$$ for quality experiences in nicer restaurants.
Dollywood and LEGOLAND California show that great quality food can be had at regional theme parks, as their meals in restaurants prepped fresh in house each morning and it shows when you eat it. Does that mean the same for burgers and fries like all theme parks offer? No, but they have options, and those aren't even expensive options. Disney is a different story altogether, before I visit a Disney park I always put in a reservation for one of their better sit down restaurants. Whether its Blue Bayou in Disneyland or somewhere in Epcot, taking a break and having a good, unique meal is just another bonus of going to a theme park. And the fact that you need a reservation tells you that other guests agree. Six Flags needs to increase their F&B capacities first, as 45 minute long lines for a burger or chicken strip stand is just awful. I bought the dining pass this year, and I haven't really used it since June as I'd honestly rather wait and eat somewhere half ways decent. Top 5 wood-5-Goliath 4-Ravine Flyer II 3-Phoenix 2-Voyage 1-El Toro
Top 5 Steel- 5-Velocicoaster 4- Maverick 3- Fury 325 2-Steel Vengeance 1-X2 Coaster Count: 444
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