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Way too early 2020 predictions!

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Postby CoasterRiderSC on March 1st, 2019, 10:30 am
SaveTheWAVE wrote:Little Dipper is a piece of history. It will, in my opinion, eventually receive ACE Historic Coaster Landmark status.



Well, Whizzer is a piece of history as well but I know there are some on here that would like to see it go!
MY problems with LD are that it's terribly inefficient and something better could occupy that spot. There could be 100 people in line and that will take 45 minutes of waiting to get on!

I do understand the history piece but we can't keep rides around just for historical sake. If that's the case Eagle should NEVER be torn down
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Postby CoasterRiderSC on March 1st, 2019, 10:36 am
^^

THat looks pretty cool! Reminds me a little bit of Steel Hawg in terms of size. That would be a great addition! I do think a spinning coaster like Pandemonium would also work well here too!
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Postby CoasterRiderSC on March 1st, 2019, 10:40 am
JackGlass wrote:Wow, that looks awesome!

Ever since that New Texas Giant incident, it seems like Six Flags really doesn't want to work with Gerstlauer. I wish they would bury the hatchet and start working with each other again. Those smaller Eurofighters are really cheap and would be great for smaller parks like La Ronde and St. Louis

As far as little Dipper goes. It's historic and takes up a small footprint. Plus, families love it. It does a great job at diversifying out Coaster collection.


You do make a point of LD diversifying our lineup. I certainly hope they don't take down Sprocket Rockets though because that's a cool ride for kids and it provides some great vantage points of Goliath first drop!! Gives little one's something to look forward to :)
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Postby _FuryBull_330_ on March 1st, 2019, 1:51 pm
CoasterRiderSC wrote:I don't understand why we would want to keep Buccaneer Battle? And why should we keep Little Dipper? That ride is terribly inefficient . Put a new kids coaster there and get rid of that 60+ year old ride.

What, Little Dipper is my whole entire childhood right there. From Melrose Park to Great America, I wouldn't want them to take it down. Plus that ride gets long lines everytime I'm at Great America.
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Postby CoasterRiderSC on March 1st, 2019, 4:39 pm
_FuryBull_330_ wrote:
CoasterRiderSC wrote:I don't understand why we would want to keep Buccaneer Battle? And why should we keep Little Dipper? That ride is terribly inefficient . Put a new kids coaster there and get rid of that 60+ year old ride.

What, Little Dipper is my whole entire childhood right there. From Melrose Park to Great America, I wouldn't want them to take it down. Plus that ride gets long lines everytime I'm at Great America.



LOL It gets "long lines" because it's probably one of the most inefficient rides in terms of loading and unloading. Others are Big (Un) Easy Balloons and Hometown Fun Machine. The lines are never really that long it's a matter of the inefficiency.
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Postby RobSFGAm on March 1st, 2019, 4:55 pm
My guess that since Maxx Force is going to be a launch coaster, I would say that V2 is on the short list. They will then still have a launch (Maxx Force) to keep the coaster diversity. Plus they can still move V2 to another SF park as a new attraction since it has life left in it.
The log and boat rides getting up there in age too, that is a huge area for them to work with if you were to clear all three someday.
One downside is that I would think if all three rides went, we would lose the water/ponds (they would fill it in).
All just thoughts, no facts to back it up.
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Postby SFGAM_Hog on March 1st, 2019, 6:40 pm
^ Why can't a park have more than one launch coaster? Multiple parks do. Maxx Force will provide an extremely different experience I'm sure. I hope they don't take V2 out anytime soon. It's such a fun ride and is amazing in the dark!
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Postby JackGlass on March 1st, 2019, 7:26 pm
Yeah, V2 and Maxx Force are very different. The only similarity is they're both launched coasters. Magic Mountain has Superman, Full Throttle and West Coast Racers. Discovery Kingdom has V2 and Superman. So I don't think we're in any danger of loosing V2.

I'm still sticking with my prediction for 2020. A Skywarp in Trail Blazers plot (Due to recent clearing and perfect dimensions) and a concolidation of the two kids areas, with a Bugs Bunny Boomtown retheme. Possibly another small kids coaster too.

I don't expect anything too big, since we just got Maxx Force. But Great America is a star in corprates eyes, so I think we will get something decent, just not that expensive! I think 2020 will be Great Adventures year!
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Postby gottastrata33 on March 1st, 2019, 10:42 pm
Oh boy here I go...
This message, in its entirety isn't directed at one person but at overall comments made.

LD clearly isn't losing ridership. Its perfect for children. For families. It was my first roller coaster & taking my cousin on it as her first roller coaster literally put a bubble in my throat. For her to experience the same feeling I had 20yrs prior was magical. so am I biased? Oh hell yeah, 100% but I also understand tradition, character & park/chicago history.

Do you ride it? Are you really that concerned about these said "100 people" 45min waits? (Which personally I call BS on.) You want history to go with not so valid reasoning (something "better" which I'm sure you mean some compact intense over in 25sec thrill ride) & wanting that to go is the park losing A LOT of its character. Ive said it before, Little Dipper was one of the parks BEST decsions they've ever made. The only thing that would make it better than it is being right where she is, is removing the go karts & adding a children's section for families to enjoy the new & old. Im clearly over some of you not understanding that everything in the park isn't fxxking about you. There are thousands of other people, people who can't enjoy the rides we do but can ride rides such as LD...the dark knight, Whizzer. Axing it will upset more people than please a handful of enthusiasts & I have faith the park is a lot more intelligent than that...clearly they are. They snuck into an auction & saved the thing when they didn't have to. It was smart. It stays. Next.
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Postby jmanporty7 on March 1st, 2019, 11:14 pm
Whizzer and Little Dipper are great coasters for this park to have. Whizzer is such an iconic and historical ride for this park, while LD is important to the Chicago area.

But then we got the Dark Knight....LOVE the movie (it is my all time fav movie FYI). But the ride is very underwhelming, and I highly doubt anyone is as connected to TDK as compared to Whizzer and LD.
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Postby gottastrata33 on March 2nd, 2019, 1:20 am
Its not just "connections". Its what people are willing to/can ride. Not everyone can ride intense attractions & DK is not as dull as you all make it out to be but it is more tame than a few attractions at the park.
I dream of the 400ft "Great American SkyScreamer". x
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Postby anewman35 on March 2nd, 2019, 9:48 am
My kids are basically afraid of everything, and the only coasters in the park they will go on are Whizzer, Little Dipper, Sprocket Rockets and The Dark Knight. I can't imagine we're the only ones in that boat. Just because as adults we might think that rides are pretty lame, doesn't mean that they don't have a place in the park...
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Postby ChicagoCoasters on March 2nd, 2019, 10:48 am
I really do hope they keep Little Dipper. It is a piece of history and an ACE Coaster Classic. What if they removed the go karts, removed Kidzopolis but relocated all the rides to the go kart spot. Make it one big kids area with all the Kidzopolis Rides, some new rides, and Little Dipper all right there. That would be cool although it would be pretty close to Camp Cartoon but I think that has its benefits. Then maybe in a few years add a new coaster to the vacant Kidzopolis plot of land. Maybe a Raptor or a T-Rex. Remember this is all speculation. One thing I don't think will even come to SFGAm is any kind of a skywarp. For two reasons.
1. We already have Mardi Gras Hangover. I know, I know, you guys are gonna say that SFDK has a super loop and a skywarp. That doesn't mean we have to have both.
2. Skywarps aren't very reliable. Harley Quinn's Crazy "Coaster" didn't open til August. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. And when it did open, it was down a lot and the people who rode it said it was rough and not much fun.
I personally don't want one here but others might. I just think it would be a waist of money because of low ridership and downtime.
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Postby JackGlass on March 2nd, 2019, 6:35 pm
Out of curiosity, who owns Europa park in Germany? Does MACK actually own that park and operate it?

I just saw a video of that park today and WOW. I wouldn't mind if those people purchased Six Flags, lol
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Postby SFGAM_Hog on March 2nd, 2019, 6:55 pm
From the SFNE's page about their 2019 addition that indoor spinning Cyborg ride it sounds like there might actually be some decent theming and a story to it. Depending on how big the ride is, I think it would be cool to have in Metropolis Plaza!
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Postby BCarroll on March 3rd, 2019, 12:06 pm
I hope that one of the focuses of 2020 should be re-painting some rides. Superman, by far, needs a re-paint. Going up the lift, you can see the bare steel on the turn before the zero-g roll. Depending on V2's future, a re-paint is in store for our impulse too. Finally, RB is due for a re-paint again. It will have been 12 years since the 2008 re-paint and it's really starting to fade. Not to mention, the nice, glossy, fresh, Maxx Force, will be gleaming right next to it. Bull is also one of the main attractions seen from the tollway. A vivid Bull and Maxx Force would be a welcoming sight! Of course, I'd LOVE to see an RMC Raptor instead :)
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Postby SFGAM_Hog on March 3rd, 2019, 12:30 pm
Agreed! Repaint Superman and Raging Bull. They need it the most in my opinion!
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Postby JackGlass on March 3rd, 2019, 6:10 pm
V2, Raging Bull and Superman all look really bad.

It seems like they hold off repainting a ride until another one is installed next to it. They repainted Batman right before they installed Joker. They repainted Whizzer right before they installed Maxx Force.

Maybe they have plans to put a coaster in the Bus Parking lot, and that's why they're waiting to repaint Superman. Maybe V2 will get a retheme and that's why they haven't repainted it yet. Who knows! Just a guess!
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Postby SFGAM_Hog on March 3rd, 2019, 7:09 pm
Next they'll paint Raging Bull's turn-a-round!
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Postby DejaVu2001 on March 3rd, 2019, 7:29 pm
Well, Whizzer's paint job didn't get finished last year, so I'm hoping that gets done this spring.
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Postby UnclePennybags on March 3rd, 2019, 8:54 pm
A prediction for 2020? I don't foresee SFGAm getting another coaster in 2020. I also don't see the next ride going in the Buccaneer Battle (BB) plat. Doing so would probably require that demolition of BB commence during the 2019 season. I just don't see extensive demolitions happening in the park two years in a row. Possible, but I don't think likely.

I'm with previous posts that have predicted additions to, or consolidation of, Camp Cartoon, Kidzopolis, and/or Hometown park. I'd love to see a consolidation of all three in the Winner's Circle plat, but there isn't enough land there (Sprocket Rockets and Krazy Kars consume a lot of space). Also, I don't see SFGAm giving up the Go Karts.

If we *did* get a major ride in 2020, I'd expect a cloned flat. I found a pretty good chart online that summarized the most cloned rides at Six Flags parks:

https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters ... _installed

Five rides were listed in the chart. Three can already be found at SFGAm: 13 of 15 Six Flags parks have Larson Loops (Mardi Gras Hangover); 7 of 15 have Justice Leagues (Battle for Metropolis); and 7 of 15 have S&S Free Spins (The Joker).

Of the two rides not currently at SFGAm, 11 of 15 Six Flags parks have Funtime Star Flyers (SkyScreamers), and 9 of 15 have Zamperla Discoveries (8 Giga/Giant, one Midi). I'd consider it likely that we'd get one of these two rides whenever we get our next flat ride:

SkyScreamer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuj9AySgAg

Giga Discovery:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svTHq1BZVEA

Previous posts have commented on a SkyScreamer being too tall for Gurnee. However, 9 of 11 Star Flyers at Six Flags parks are 243 feet high or shorter. Only two are 400 feet in height. Furthermore, when Six Flags New England (SFNE) submitted plans to their local community for a 385 foot SkyScreamer, they were given approval for a ride up to 410 feet. This means Star Flyer heights may be variable. If Gurnee drew a line in the sand at 300 feet, Funtime could probably build a SkyScreamer to meet this exact requirement.

Discoveries pose a different problem. At Kennywood, the footprint of the ride is pretty much contained by a rectangle bounding the support footers. However, each Discovery I checked at Six Flags parks had empty spaces well beyond the ride supports in both directions of the pendulum swing, effectively doubling the length of the ride footprint. There's probably safety concerns with dropped objects hitting guests if they were lost at the nadir of the swing. At this point, objects would be moving horizontally at almost 70 mph.

Where to put these rides? The BB plat would fit just about any flat ride, but space would be wasted. This land would be better used for a smaller coaster in the future.

You could relocate Revolution and drop a SkyScreamer there. It would look great, but it's probably not safe enough without a land buffer. Same thing with a Discovery.

Image
Image

If you relocate River Rocker, you could probably drop either ride there. However, a Giga Discovery would be slightly longer than shown in this picture. I'd think you'd want to hug Justice League (JL) so you could make more room on the Giant Drop side. Any lost objects would then either fall to the grass or beat up the outside facade of JL.

Image
Image

SFNE replaced their Skycoaster with a SkyScreamer. If we did the same and replaced Dare Devil Dive (DDD), this location would be a natural fit. However, as with the Go Karts, I don't see SFGAm giving up DDD because of the additional revenue it brings from ride fees.

Image

Replacing the Wilderness Theater with a SkyScreamer would work if you didn't mind adding traffic to the Logger's Run throughway.

Image

Finally, no one talks about the old Hilltopper (Industrial Revolution) location for new rides. A Giga Discovery might fit here. I'm not sure if this land is still level, but it'd be awesome turning the corner at Strutter's and seeing this bad boy swinging back and forth behind Lobster. The biggest issue here is the narrowness of this location due to the water feature behind Lobster, forcing the ride to be closer to Demon than I'd think the park would want. Yes, Hilltopper was here, but that was decades ago.

Image
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Postby JackGlass on March 3rd, 2019, 9:12 pm
Damn! That Sky Screamer looks awesome in Dare Devil Dives plot!

Also if you look at the last picture, you can see the Trail Blazers site has been almost completely gutted.
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Postby Goku1910 on March 4th, 2019, 12:53 pm
Trail Blazer's spot hasn't changed in years. It's windows have broken and the backdrop has been fading away. I'm betting that will remain standing until Demon goes with it.....and it'll be a long time before that happens.
As for ride paint, yep, a ton of rides look terrible. Hard to believe Bull was already painted once...
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Postby CoasterRiderSC on March 5th, 2019, 11:25 am
gottastrata33 wrote:Oh boy here I go...
This message, in its entirety isn't directed at one person but at overall comments made.

LD clearly isn't losing ridership. Its perfect for children. For families. It was my first roller coaster & taking my cousin on it as her first roller coaster literally put a bubble in my throat. For her to experience the same feeling I had 20yrs prior was magical. so am I biased? Oh hell yeah, 100% but I also understand tradition, character & park/chicago history.

Do you ride it? Are you really that concerned about these said "100 people" 45min waits? (Which personally I call BS on.) You want history to go with not so valid reasoning (something "better" which I'm sure you mean some compact intense over in 25sec thrill ride) & wanting that to go is the park losing A LOT of its character. Ive said it before, Little Dipper was one of the parks BEST decsions they've ever made. The only thing that would make it better than it is being right where she is, is removing the go karts & adding a children's section for families to enjoy the new & old. Im clearly over some of you not understanding that everything in the park isn't fxxking about you. There are thousands of other people, people who can't enjoy the rides we do but can ride rides such as LD...the dark knight, Whizzer. Axing it will upset more people than please a handful of enthusiasts & I have faith the park is a lot more intelligent than that...clearly they are. They snuck into an auction & saved the thing when they didn't have to. It was smart. It stays. Next.


Here I Go Again (like the Whitesnake song!) --- I am NOT saying let's tear down Little Dipper to put a thrill machine in its place! That's never been my complaint. If you remember, I'm always arguing the merits and value of Dark Knight ( which I still don't get the hatred for that ride, but that's another discussion)! And having 2 kids I totally get the value and importance of having family coasters!

My complaints are these:
1) The station is not organized well at all. There are no "rows" like Sprockets (and EVERY other coaster has). It's chaos trying to get onto the ride. There should be a measuring stick in the middle of the ride so if there's a doubt, the kid doesn't have to be walked all the way back to the entry point
2) Long stop before return: the ride stops for quite a long wait RIGHT BEFORE entering the station. What's the point of that? There's only ONE train
3) Not enough shade in line

And YES I do actually go on this ride. My 4yo (and wife!) like to go on this ride. The line will appear short but due to it's extreme inefficiency it's always 30-45 minutes wait for this thing.

Maybe once my 4yo outgrows the ride, my pain point goes away and I won't care anymore about whether this ride stays or not. Yes, I understand the history aspect, but to say it's the best decision SF has made for this park is quite a stretch. I do believe you're very emotional about this ride and quite attached to it. I get it. You "cut your teeth" riding this ride. For what it's worth, I rode this ride too as a youngster, going to Kiddieland with day camp! I think keeping Whizzer was a much more important decision by SF than to rescue this ride from the scrap heap.

And be honest, if we did NOT have this ride, would it make that much of a difference? As for a replacement I really liked Whistle Punk Chaser at Dollywood. That would be a nice replacement, themed for our park of course.
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Postby CoasterRiderSC on March 5th, 2019, 11:29 am
jmanporty7 wrote:Whizzer and Little Dipper are great coasters for this park to have. Whizzer is such an iconic and historical ride for this park, while LD is important to the Chicago area.

But then we got the Dark Knight....LOVE the movie (it is my all time fav movie FYI). But the ride is very underwhelming, and I highly doubt anyone is as connected to TDK as compared to Whizzer and LD.


Everyone is talking about diversity of our lineup. Well, Dark Knight fills SEVERAL niches:
Dark Ride
Family Coaster
Themed Ride (in my opinion it's 2nd only to Batman for its theming)
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