Could Holiday In The Park come to SFGAm? JRA says "Maybe"

[DejaVu2001]

Jim Reid-Anderson talked mainly about Fright Fest today, but also talked about Holiday In The Park saying that event has been hugely popular and they want to continue expanding it saying "maybe at some point, we'll look at this park right here."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/l ... story.html

[Dan The Coaster Man]

I think the winter conditions around here are too much for amusement park operation sadly. However I'm all for a Holiday in the Park. I doubt it will happen, but if it does I will be a very happy guy.

I went to SFOG Holiday in the Park last thanksgiving. It was fun and good actually. Kinda exceeded my "Six Flags Expectations". The biggest down side was that only half the park was open. A couple areas were closed off, like Gotham City. But the rest was nice. They had many lights, peppermint scent, and they even set up some fire pits to gather around and get warm.

[DejaVu2001]

Six Flags Great Adventure IS doing it this year, and they've got pretty much the same winter we have. So I recommend paying close attention to how successful theirs is. If it works there, I'd put money on 2016 here. I mean hey, they've already got the lights for the Carousel

[anewman35]

I'd trust this writer more if he hadn't written the article "Prediction: Great America's 'major announcement' is Green Lantern coaster". (And, yes, I know he has quotes, but depending on the context of them (for example, did JRA just bring it up totally on his own or was he asked about it first?) this could mean different things).

[anewman35]

Looking at the climate of Great Adventure and Great America (I used Antioch, since it was the closest city I could find that had climate info on Wikipedia), Great Adventure averages winter high temperatures about 10 degrees warmer than here... but we get less precipitation, so maybe that kinda evens out?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_T ... ey#Climate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioch,_Illinois#Climate

[MrsTaxi]

I really hope they add this to the 2016 season! I think it would be pretty popular at Great America.

[JaminOut]

The only problem I could see with it is what rides could actually be open? Skytrek, Columbia Carousel, Dark Knight, and Justice League?


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[DejaVu2001]

^ Actually a lot more rides than you think. Just about every ride except the water rides has operated in freezing weather. The only non water rides that absolutely could not run at all during the event would be Whirligig, Yogi's Yahoo River, Rocky Road Rescue Squad, and Tot's Surrey Livery Carriages as those rides must be disassembled before there's any significant snowfall.

[Coaster Justin]

I've wanted it to happen for awhile and since Great Adventure is getting one, I don't see why we can't get one either.


Stuff I can see operating:
Dark Knight
Justice League
Pictorium
Carousel
Grand Music Hall
Rue Le Dodge
Train
Chubasco

[Guy_With_A_Stick]

With our 5° average for winter, I wouldn't think too many rides would run.

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[Coaster Justin]

With our 5° average for winter, I wouldn't think too many rides would run.

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Well... according to Accuweather

Average for November- From 38 to 54
Average for December- From 29 to 41
Average for January- From 28 to 31


Please post where Gurnee got 5 degrees. Also, most of those rides I listed were indoor attractions.

[Guy_With_A_Stick]

^For the past 2 years, we've gotten brutally cold winters. Many of the school's busses couldn't start because it was so cold. If the pattern continues, we might not see a HITP. And I was saying most rides in general.

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[anewman35]

New Jersey isn't exactly a tropical paradise. If it works there (and that remains to be seen), it could work here.

Also, a lot of zoos do very successful holiday light things, so it's not like nobody will go outside in cold weather...

[Coaster Justin]

New Jersey isn't exactly a tropical paradise. If it works there (and that remains to be seen), it could work here.

Also, a lot of zoos do very successful holiday light things, so it's not like nobody will go outside in cold weather...

Great Escape is in middle New York and they did a Christmas Event.

[B&MGuy35]

The festival I'm guessing would run through the beginning of January and most of the cold comes after that. The shortest day of the year is December 21st and it's just gets progressively colder through January so I say it's possible!

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[Iron Wolf 90-11]

They could also turn the pond in front of Columbia Carousel into an ice skating rink.

[Coaster Justin]

They could also turn the pond in front of Columbia Carousel into an ice skating rink.

And Buccaneer Battle too.

[Coaster Justin]

I said earlier that the Great Escape had a Holiday event in 2009 and was wondering what was included. Anyway this is based on a TripAdvisor post but this is what was available.

"The only rides for the over 48" crowd were the spinny rides (the Trabant, the Blizzard, and the Balloon Race.) They had an ice rink and will have a large sledding hill once it's cold enough. (Alpine Alley Snowhill has a height requirement of 42") Also, the sky ride, carousel, and train were open in addition to a couple of kiddie rides in Looney Tunes. The shows and characters were all very well done. There were a few outdoor fireplaces, and heatlamps outside ride areas. Santa and Mrs Claus had a large waiting line, so we didn't bother. There were Reindeer in the petting zoo and plenty of holiday lights. Overall, a very nice experience for the family. HTH."


I bring this up because A: Great Escape is probably colder than Great America and B: To show that amusement rides can operate (Carousel, Train, Etc) in the Cold. I doubt we'll get a snowhill.

I only edited one part of the TR and it was to fix a typo.

[anewman35]

Great Adventure plans to run lots of rides, including some coasters that we have too...

"Holiday in the Park also features nearly 30 thrilling rides such as SkyScreamer, Carousel, Big Wheel, Parachutes and Tea Cups. Children can enjoy pint-sized thrills in the Adventure Seaport area. Coaster fans can challenge world-class rides like Nitro, BATMAN™: The Ride, THE GREEN LANTERN and SUPERMAN – Ultimate Flight, THE DARK KNIGHT Coaster and Skull Mountain, weather permitting. - See more at: https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure ... cumJY.dpuf"

[UWW-10]

^ Considering that all the outdoor coasters that would run (weather permitting) are B&M's...I know for a fact that they still run in fairly cold (yet above zero temps)...I want to say somewhere around 35 degrees is the lowest temp they can still operate in safely...although I can't say it would be a very pleasant ride experience...

[Muck Finnesota]

Being able to get your Batman The Ride fix during the winter sounds like a good plan to me. Last Blast in 2002 was far and away the most memorable visit I've ever had to Great America; not quite winter, but the conditions weren't too far off. Sleet may have even made a guest appearance during the mini Iron Wolf marathon we did at the end of the day that Sunday. What a time. I can't believe that was 13 years ago...

[Coaster Justin]

Being able to get your Batman The Ride fix during the winter sounds like a good plan to me. Last Blast in 2002 was far and away the most memorable visit I've ever had to Great America; not quite winter, but the conditions weren't too far off. Sleet may have even made a guest appearance during the mini Iron Wolf marathon we did at the end of the day that Sunday. What a time. I can't believe that was 13 years ago...

That was great, Almost nobody in the park, 1/2 priced food, souvenirs and games and like 6 rides in a row of Batman.

Only time I've played a game at Great America (Water shooter near Orbit and won my sis a soccer bean ball)

[dlmtechnology]

They could also turn the pond in front of Columbia Carousel into an ice skating rink.

I don't think they would do this, the reflection pond is nothing more then a mini in-ground pool and it has underground pipes that need to be winterized else they burst....blowing out the lines, filling them with pool anti-freeze, plugging the tubes and then refilling the pond and hoping that the ice forms on top or installing some sort of cooling system to keep the water frozen and hoping that all of this doesn't knock the plugs out and start mixing with the anti-freeze is not something I think they would want to do....I know with my pool I wouldn't even think of risking that.

Then there is the idea of getting a zamboni up there to smooth the ice every day, not to mention, who wants to wear Six Flag Ice Skates that probably cost $50 to rent for the day.

[DejaVu2001]

^ King's Island had ice skating on their International Street fountain at Winterfest in 2005. I'm not sure exactly how they did it, but it is possible.

[[jonrev]]

If this happens, there's probably zero chance of them opening the entire park, let alone any of the major coasters. This wouldn't be something guests would spend all day at due to the climate, so opening the whole park makes zero sense.

A friend and I were talking about this last month. A realistic way of doing it would be:

Carousel Plaza
-Carousel open
-Carolers in front of carousel - alternate between Hometown and Carousel
-Ice skating in pond (if doable)
-Relevant merch in the stores
-Classic Christmas flicks (I'd say keep them short, at least work with whatever cartoons Warner Brothers has distribution rights to) in Pictorium

Orleans Place
-Rue le Dodge open
-TDK open
-Shops, arcade open
-Hot chocolate at the funnel cake place

Hometown Square
-Scenic Railway runs round-trip with a festive light show (think Winter Wonderland at the Cuneo Mansion in Vernon Hills, but on a train). Have it stop in a cordoned section of County Fair - we'll get to that in a second.
-Meet & greet with Looney Tunes characters in holiday garb at the gazebo
-LAFF-quality relevant show in Grand Music Hall
-Stage show and parade?
-Carolers at gazebo between M&G's
-Aunt Marthas open, serving "Christmas Goose" and other holiday dishes.
-Firehouse open, serving hot chocolate
-Trudy's open, serving holiday sweets (candy canes and stuff)
-Pass processing open... gotta market next season somehow
-Whizzer open with "Sleigh Ride" theme; obviously pending train cooperation with cold + snowfall
-Fun Machine open
-Triple Play open

County Fair - cordoned to Goliath/Train station area
-"The North Pole". Do a damn-good job theming it.
-Funnel Cakes: meet Santa. Again, do a damn-good job theming it; anything like what Fright Fest is this year (garbage) and it's going to fail miserably, but if done right it can look like his workshop. The exterior shape of that building would fit the theme.
-Fiddler's open

Ride operations would obviously be subject to their mechanical ability to deal with the climate, and operators willing to work in said climate. Also if they're smart they'll charge a relevant admission fee for the reduced size of the park + free/cheap parking. I don't know what the other parks charge for HitP.