anewman35 wrote:Saying "Joker isn't as well loved as Goliath" is like saying "Spacey's Sprocket Rockets isn't as well loved as Whizzer". Yes, they're technically in the same ride category, but one is a unique special thing and the other is a generic clone. I can't imagine anybody at Six Flags would think Joker was a failure because it wasn't as popular as Goliath.
My point was that when Goliath was brand new (and even in its 2nd year) lines were crazy long!!! Everyone LOVES that ride. I didn't hear anyone tell me "it's just OK".
Contrast that with Joker, where I've seen the lines getting shorter and shorter each time I have visited! And this is the NEW ride, people! It should have long lines all the time. The lines aren't short due to its amazing capacity, but rather because I think less and less people are riding it. And most of the people I have asked in person have said "yeah, it's just OK. Nothing special"
So based on this, I'm asserting that Joker isn't necessarily "clearly successful". I guess then you have to ask, how do we define "clearly successful" ?
Single Day Ride Count Record
50 rides 8/17/2018 (Without Flash Pass - Coasters After Dark)
You know, I still am shocked they had room to place a que, exit, entrance & grass on both sides of that thing! When construction was goin on I was thinkin that is really squeezed in there & it really isn't... which is weird. I love Joker. I know it's not the best & Ive already expressed my opinions on it for bein what it is but still, a fun addition.
& whatever is added next year will serve its purpose whether we like it, love it or hate it.
It will be hard to complain about the rumored "Superloop XL" if it comes with a water park expansion. I wonder if the "Superloop XL" has a longer train or more seats per row.
Great America will NEVER be able to go above the height of Sky Trek Tower. That restriction is in place because of the proximity to Waukegan Airport. It has NOTHING to do with Gurnee's zoning. Unless the airport is removed, the FAA won't allow anything to be built taller than that.
A water park expansion is unlikely. The water park is already at an optimal size and the last expansion was planned. The water park barely reaches capacity (I believe 9,000). There would be no reason to expand it when you already have goofy weather in Chicago to begin with. I don't think there will ever be a separate admission gate. The whole point of having the entrance where it is now is to get you to go through the park and play games, shop and eat.
Magic Mountain is different. It's in LA. It's a destination park. Great America attracts a lot more locals as it's the only theme park in this area. People go to Florida for DisneyWorld and Universal. People go to LA for Universal and DisneyWorld, and now Six Flags wants MM to be that destination park. It is the roller coaster capital of the world.
People aren't coming to Chicago to go to Great America unless your an enthusiast. That is why the park focuses on adding things that would attract to the GP (like Joker, SuperLoop, Justice League)
I understand & agree with some of even most of what you're saying but "things like Justice League" is not a low budget attraction. It's for SF theme parks to have rides along the lines but not as big as parks like Universal which is why SFMM (what you're saying is a destination park) built it. Six flags isn't as low budget as people make it out to be. They really do add a lot to their parks each year. I hate that it gets such a bad rep when in reality, it is a company that is consistently looking to add new innovations, companies & rides in general to their parks. They've introduced a lot & deserve more credit than they're given all because they make a couple odd decisions (mostly low capacity). Cedar Fair adds big rides but they go years upon years without adding a lot to many of their parks. All of their parks have the same cloned flower beds, buildings, fences etc. it's very "cookie cutter" from one park to the next. I understand his argument can go both ways as both companies do weird crap but I don't see the hate on SF.
I hope they add single tubes to the water slides for 2018. Why can't they have double tubes, and single tubes? I'm just sick of those double tubes on water slides. The double tubes are so hard to get out of after the slide, and they are uncomfortable compared to single tubes. Everytime, I get out of a slide with those double tubes, the tube goes flying in the air because it's such a big tube for only 1 person. It's NOT meant for one person. Have both double, and single. Why is it so difficult to have both like other waterparks? I even fell out of a double tube before. I would have never fell out of a single tube ever. Who would figure? One person goes in a single tube / 2 people go in a double tube..
They still should have single and double tubes though.
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Let's say that this tall swing ride is a Skyscreamer. If it is, I would expect death to Sky Trek Tower after 2018. Get your rides in! It's not getting the attendance it really should anymore, and a Skyscreamer is essentially a replacement for it (even though it's really not because a Skyscreamer isn't really the family ride because of fear of heights). These parks always do the same thing. They add a brand new ride, and than sooner or later the older ride that is close to the new ride, they get rid of.
You look at Space Spiral at Cedar Point, and they took that out a year after they added Wind Seeker. You are seeing it done with them adding Joker, and this year King Chaos is leaving. They do this same thing with water rides also.
Remember, Sky Trek Tower is also a 40 year old ride.
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
IF they get a SkyScreamer this year, it will be 200 feet or smaller. I don't see them taking out the one ride they have over 300 feet because they got a new ride that was 200 feet.
anewman35 wrote:IF they get a SkyScreamer this year, it will be 200 feet or smaller. I don't see them taking out the one ride they have over 300 feet because they got a new ride that was 200 feet.
200 feet in the air though is pretty tall. Fiesta Texas has one at 200 feet, and Discovery Kingdom is 150 feet. If it was 200 feet, that's only 27 feet lower than Giant Drop which people see as a tall ride. It would make sense to get a small one in order to get a Larson Looper also / cheaper. If it's a Larson Looper / Skyscreamer, I will ride the Skyscreamer only if it's a really short line, but it's not needed in my opinion. If we get the Skyscreamer (if that's what we get), I wouldn't wait over 5 minutes. I'll just ride the Ricochet (wind like Skyscreamer), Sky Trek Tower (for most likely a year because they will probably take it out after a year) (height like Skyscreamer), Whirlgig (wind like Skyscreamer), Condor (height like Skyscreamer), or Balloons (wind like Skyscreamer) instead. Almost no wait at the other Six Flags park for the Skyscreamer. A Skyscreamer would be such non-sense at this park. A waste..
As compared to bringing back the Orbit. As compared to buying a pendulum ride that is probably way better than Revolution is / different style of pendulum anyway. As compared to adding a Tilt-A-Whirl. As compared to adding a Flying Bobs. As compared to adding a Chance Wipeout. As compared to adding a Tivoli Orbiter. As compared to adding a Zamperla Power Surge, etc etc
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
^I waited 30 minutes for New England Sky Screamer while the park was relatively low crowds. I get its the tallest and all, but I don't see them having almost no wait at the other parks. I remember passing on SFGAd's because the line was over 15 minutes, and that one is 250ish feet
Sucker for a launch, custom audio and Viper | Coaster Count: 507
^I mean when I visit SFStL, and there is no wait. I will just ride it there instead if they add it to Great America, and it's over 5 minutes. To me though, it's just nothing that special.
Once you get the idea out of your head that the chain is going to break, and you will fall to your death, it's just swings high up in the air, and you feel wind in your face. How many people really go on Sky Trek Tower thinking they are going to fall out of the ride? Probably no one. It's just a mind-trick type of ride.
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
The idea that we'd get a Larson Loop AND a SkyScreamer (of any size) seems incredibly far fetched. Larson Loops usually (but not always) go in on their own, and I think SkyScreamers always have. We have no indication at all that we are even getting multiple things. It's not even like we've had a few dead years that would imply some really big year this year. Almost every year some people start thinking we're getting multiple things. We almost never actually get multiple things.
I think it's overwhelmingly likely we get one flat ride (that's not a SkyScreamer) or one flat ride (that's not a SkyScreamer) and they do something to the water park. Probably just the one flat ride. Maybe they reinstall Jester's too.
^SFNE added a Larson Looper & a Traffic Jam in the same year. SFFT added a Larson Looper, Disko, and a NEW Tilt-A-Whirl the same year. SFGAdv added a Skyscreamer, Bumper Cars, and a Scrambler the same year.
Yes, there was no Skyscreamer and Larson Looper the same year, but you could have multiple rides with a Larson Looper, or a Skyscreamer. To me, that's the difference between buying a 200 ft Skyscreamer and a 400 ft Skyscreamer (like at Over Texas). If you buy a 200 ft Skyscreamer, you have so much more money to work with to get another ride. Another 200 ft is a bunch more steel / more ride / more money.
I remember the deal with Great Adventure was that they asked the people whether they wanted a large Skyscreamer or a smaller Skyscreamer + some other rides. They people said they wanted a smaller one, so they received those other rides also.
Last edited by Ilovthevu' on August 24th, 2017, 9:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I've been staring at the world, waiting. All the trouble and all the pain we're facing. Too much light to be livin' in the dark. Why waste time? We only got one life. Together we can be the CHANGE. So go and let your heart burn bright"
Six Flags has put in 7 Super Loops. Twice they got other rides (neither time a SkyScreamer). They've put in 10 SkyScreamers. Once they put in other rides (not a Super Loop). There is zero indicaton we can expect multiple rides. You do the math.
And I don't know if that SFGAd SkyScreamer story is true or not, but I can tell you that their SkyScreamer was the biggest Six Flags had built to that point (and was bigger than the one Fiesta Texas built that same year)...
We are not getting a skyscreamer this year. I'm calling that. We are not getting a roller coaster. We are not getting 2 major flats. We are most likely getting one flat possibly a super loop.
As much as I would love to see a bunch of flat rides added next year (A mini war on lines, like Great Adventure had back in 1999) I doubt it would happen! They would rather span new additions out over years, rather than lumping them into a single season!
Right a ride a year spreads hype. I think we will eventually see new attractions in place of Buccaneer Battle and Pictorium. We will not see this all in 1 year.
So Screamecape shows a sign from Six Flags America with a Hurricane Harbor logo and the words "A Tide Is Turning...August 31st".
Given the rumor about OUR HH (and Six Flags clearly going all out to extend seasons and etc), that very possibly could mean it becoming it's own gate (would they use the water park logo like that if they were just adding a new ride?), and moreso maybe it means that Six Flags may so it more than one place (including here...?).
Edit: Now that I think about it, SFoT and SFoG have both also had some teasers than can be read this way. Hmm....
Okay looking at the teasers for the other parks alot of them hint at Hurricane Harbor so something with Hurricane Harbor at Great America and many other parks is very possible. I did notice many parks also have a ride closing or hint a ride is closing in their teasers. I wonder what that means. Maybe there is something with Hurricane Harbor. As far as King Chaos it sounds like it's leaving for a new ride that most Six Flags parks are getting. If that's true it's not something they have.
What new and exciting ride does Six Flags not have at any of it's parks?
Ilovthevu' wrote:^I mean when I visit SFStL, and there is no wait. I will just ride it there instead if they add it to Great America, and it's over 5 minutes. To me though, it's just nothing that special.
Once you get the idea out of your head that the chain is going to break, and you will fall to your death, it's just swings high up in the air, and you feel wind in your face. How many people really go on Sky Trek Tower thinking they are going to fall out of the ride? Probably no one. It's just a mind-trick type of ride.
I rode the Texas Skyscreamer at SFOT last year. It was amazing! Yes, "the idea of the chain is going to break and you will fall to your death" was on my mind much of the time (the chain links are very small but must be very strong!). However, the wind blowing in your face at that height is awesome, not to mention the air is a little thinner, and if the swing starts to "twist" on you (like it did for us) that makes the ride even more exciting.
Granted, IF we got a Skyscreamer it wouldn't be 400+ feet tall. But I would still welcome it with Open Arms!
As for the Sky Trek Tower, I don't believe anyone goes on that ride for excitement. It's a nice high level view of the park, has A/C and is very relaxing. But it is 40 years old and ridership is very low. It's always a walk on.
Single Day Ride Count Record
50 rides 8/17/2018 (Without Flash Pass - Coasters After Dark)
At this point in time, King Chaos is the only announced ride that is closing. With very little room in the park to add anything without taking something down, where would they put these "multiple" rides that everyone keeps talking about.
At this point, Susan Rosen will be back in the Pictorium for FF. A water park expansion in the Pictorium doesnt seem feasible because they wouldnt be able to start construction til at least November (maybe later since park is open for 3 weekends in November) and to get all that land cleared out, dug out, and ready for a water park expansion by Memorial Day seem unfeasable at this point.
So the only logic place for a ride is King Chaos spot, the World's Tallest and Fastest SuperLoop would fit perfectly there.
We need to be realistic about rumors and speculation and not just pull stuff out of our ass (like the V2 rumor).
