JimPanky wrote:Anyone else going through roller coaster withdrawal? Tiger Terror anything. I need a dang coaster lol. My last ride was September 22nd 2019.
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WOW That’s a long time! I am but I was fortunate enough to go to several parks open this past summer so not in the same level of withdrawal as you are.
JimPanky wrote:Anyone else going through roller coaster withdrawal? Tiger Terror anything. I need a dang coaster lol. My last ride was September 22nd 2019.
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I last rode coasters in July Maverick (REALLY bad this year)
I made trips to SFStl. and Cedar Point this year so I was still able to ride some coasters.
This was my first summer in 25 years not riding a coaster at SFGAm. So that marked the end of a pretty long streak for me. I enjoyed walking around the park for a hour during Holiday in the Park, but hope they can open some rides up next season.
CoasterDave316 wrote:I made trips to SFStl. and Cedar Point this year so I was still able to ride some coasters.
This was my first summer in 25 years not riding a coaster at SFGAm. So that marked the end of a pretty long streak for me. I enjoyed walking around the park for a hour during Holiday in the Park, but hope they can open some rides up next season.
Wow I didn’t even think of that! This was my first year not riding a coaster there after a 40 year streak.
Really it's going to be about cases. Vaccines should help with cases. Some of these new variants might make cases worse. Time will tell. But nothing has changed the underlying dynamic that Illinois clearly considers Amusement Park a high risk thing so it might still be a while.
I do not think this summer will be that different from last in terms of the status and numbers of the virus. But I think there would be a chance SFGAm get's a second look as many parks successfully reopened with new procedures and regulations. I do not think there has been a breakout tied to an amusement park, so that should increase chances we actually get some rides.
Sucker for a launch, custom audio and Demon | Coaster Count: 629
Looks like it might be glitch. This is what it says now. It doesn’t say the date. Perhaps that’s the date they are want/planning to open on, which would be about a week or so later than normal. I’m not convinced the state would have given them an exact date of reopening
Six Flags Great America has posted on their website that they plan to open for the 2021 Season on May 1st. This date is still subject to approval from the state to open. Until there is confirmation from the state that they've signed off on this, I wouldn't get too excited
I tweeted them to ask if the State actually approved a date or if this is wishful thinking, I doubt I'll get a solid answer but we'll see.
Lake County is officially back in Phase 4 as of today (which is the same as it was all summer), and there's been nothing I'm aware of to alter that to allow for ride operation (not debating the reasoning behind that, just staying facts). So they'd either have to loosen Phase 4 restrictions or move to Phase 5.
To move to Phase 5: 'Testing, tracing and treatment are widely available throughout the state. Either a vaccine is developed to prevent additional spread of COVID-19, a treatment option is readily available that ensures health care capacity is no longer a concern, or there are no new cases over a sustained period'
So that's potentially not TOO far off, once vaccines can get more available to the general population...
coasterfanatic wrote:Looks like it might be glitch. This is what it says now. It doesn’t say the date. Perhaps that’s the date they are want/planning to open on, which would be about a week or so later than normal. I’m not convinced the state would have given them an exact date of reopening
It's currently on the desktop site but not on the mobile site. But, yeah, I think this is more when they want to open than any sort of guarantee.
coasterfanatic wrote:Looks like it might be glitch. This is what it says now. It doesn’t say the date. Perhaps that’s the date they are want/planning to open on, which would be about a week or so later than normal. I’m not convinced the state would have given them an exact date of reopening
It's currently on the desktop site but not on the mobile site. But, yeah, I think this is more when they want to open than any sort of guarantee.
Thank you. I haven’t checked the desktop site yet. I was about too. Strange how it’s not listed on mobile site.
And absolutely. Given that’s there no date for when vaccine will be available to the general public, I doubt they got approval this far in advance. Kind of surprised they released the date. And that is a bit later than normal too.
There's a lot of parks that have publicly announced dates without approval from their local /state governments. It's a bad idea in my opinion that will backfire spectacularly if they end up not opening, but plenty of parks are doing it.
So far, Santa's Village, SFGAm, Valleyfair, Canada's Wonderland, and California's Great America have announced 2021 opening dates
And of course let's not forget way back in July when Disneyland announced a reopening date . . . anyone remember how that worked out for them
anewman35 wrote:I tweeted them to ask if the State actually approved a date or if this is wishful thinking, I doubt I'll get a solid answer but we'll see.
Lake County is officially back in Phase 4 as of today (which is the same as it was all summer), and there's been nothing I'm aware of to alter that to allow for ride operation (not debating the reasoning behind that, just staying facts). So they'd either have to loosen Phase 4 restrictions or move to Phase 5.
To move to Phase 5: 'Testing, tracing and treatment are widely available throughout the state. Either a vaccine is developed to prevent additional spread of COVID-19, a treatment option is readily available that ensures health care capacity is no longer a concern, or there are no new cases over a sustained period'
So that's potentially not TOO far off, once vaccines can get more available to the general population...
One benefit of vaccinating seniors is that it should reduce the effect among the worst hit by covid. That should (hopefully) help numbers drop in both hospitalizations and deaths.
Barring any mutant strains, I think a socially distant season should be doable this summer. It will involve masks, but at this point I'll take it. Truth be told, reduced capacity and socially distanced sounds better at Great America than what we had before covid.
Opening date seems to have disappeared from the page. It is ridiculous if this park cannot open again this year. We went to three parks in three different states without any issues last year. With social distancing, masks, and possibly reservations to limit attendance, should be totally safe.
ilrider wrote:Opening date seems to have disappeared from the page. It is ridiculous if this park cannot open again this year. We went to three parks in three different states without any issues last year. With social distancing, masks, and possibly reservations to limit attendance, should be totally safe.
I doubt they have to close all season (although May may be a bit optimistic), especially if the reports about most people being able to get vaccines by summer are true (since if the State sticks to their rules, that's what there waiting for).
I will say 'I was at other parks without problems' isn't really that great an argument, because I'm sure even medical experts would agree that MOST of the time it's fine. The question (which I don't particularly think is worth debating here) basically is, is it worth having it open if it's fine 95% of the time (random made up number) but there might be an outbreak 5% or whatever. Different people/states/groups disagree on where that line is, obviously.
A Six Flags corporate press release reveals opening day to be April 24
Six Flags Great America, the Thrill Capital of the Midwest, is preparing to open to the public on April 24. Hurricane Harbor Chicago will open on May 29 and the world-record breaking water coaster, Tsunami Surge will make its debut this summer. Towering an incredible 86 feet in height, this innovative water coaster will be the tallest-of-its-kind in the world. Riders will reach a top speed of 28 miles-per-hour over 950 feet of enclosed tunnels and open-air slides with three gravity-defying blasts and five breathtaking drops. Tsunami Surge will also feature AquaLucent technology, giving riders the sensation of traveling at the speed of light as brilliant colors and dreamlike imagery heighten the ride experience.
Now we are hiring and preparing to reopen every Six Flags park in our system as we continue to work with state and government officials to set firm reopening dates for our parks in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mexico City, and Canada
What is interesting is that, of the parks in the states/countries mentioned, ours is the only one that gives a date. SFNE, SF Mexico, La Ronde basically say "preparing to reopen to the public this spring pending [insert relevant government here] reopening guidance"
Or they're figuring if they advertise it and it doesn't happen, they can just blame the state and try to get some pressure on them to change their rules. Don't really see the downside from the Six Flags standpoint. Remains to be seen if it'll happen, though...
Very true. He states that they have gotten approval for the water park! And uses the words “official” approval as if the state has maybe given them a timeline or potential reopening but hasn’t officially confirmed it. We shall see either way.
