This is something I have thought about for quite a while. As far as I am concerned, the coaster at Great America that has most worn out its welcome is Superman-Ultimate Flight. At best, it was a poor substitute for our dearly departed ShockWave. I find it boring, and hardly ever ride it any more. I think it should be sent to a different park (St. Louis, for example, as they really need more rides) and in its place, we should have the tallest, fastest, and most-inverting B&M floorless coaster. I think 8-10 inversions would be about right. I have several friends and fellow coaster enthusiasts who agree with me. How about anyone else?
We should all remember to be thankful to have a world-class theme park like Six Flags Great America here in our local area!
It still gets a line so don't expect it to go leave anytime soon.
http://themeparkcritic.com/scripts/profile/ViewProfile.asp?ViewID=2909 A furious storm once roared `cross the sea, catching ships in its path, helpless to flee. Instead of a certain and watery doom, the winds swept them here to Typhoon Lagoon!
For the 483759th time the park doesn't much care about ACE's opinion over the GP's opinion. The GP has money that they park needs to make a profit. Superman is really cool the first couple times you ride it. Most GP only ride it once or less per year, so it doesn't get as old for them as it does us.
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
w00dland wrote:For the 483759th time the park doesn't much care about ACE's opinion over the GP's opinion. The GP has money that they park needs to make a profit. Superman is really cool the first couple times you ride it. Most GP only ride it once or less per year, so it doesn't get as old for them as it does us.
That is very true. I would guess the average park guests visit the park maybe 2-3 times a year, if that, and rides S:UF twice tops. I know the first time I ride it for the season, I think its a great coaster, but after the 10th time, it does get sort of boring. The next year, first ride, its awesome, after that, yadda, yadda, yadda.
If it walks like socialist, quacks like socialist, smells like a socialist, .... it's a socialist. Hope, and change we can believe in.
"There should be a B.O. squad that patrols the city like a "Smell Gestapo". To sniff 'em out, strip 'em down, and wash them with a big, soapy brush..."
"Why is nice bad? What kind of a sick society are we living in when nice is bad?"
^And that is why you are not an operator of an amusement park.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The most intense moment I have ever felt on any coaster is the pretzel loop in the back row. Simply amazing. It's in my top 3 favorite coasters at the park. And, judging by lines, the GP agrees with me.
'' If u commited suicide, u wouldn't be here anymore'' - Gangsta Fruit
ACE people want a roller coaster to go 25 million times upside down, and reach heights of 300 feet. It's all about world record breakers to them. I imagine to an ACEr, Whizzer is a classic, and yadda, yadda, and thus that's why it beat Superman. Phrases like "It is just another credit, "bothers me. To me, it seems like the person isn't even going on it to have a fun ride.
In my opinion, a person should be like "I want to try this roller coaster." I think that I might look really fun to ride. I might like it, and continue to go on it. Instead, they are just going on it just because it's like they HAVE to, and thus in the end they can say that they have been on 40 coasters instead of 30. By the way, by my standpoint Superman is the number 2 or 3 popular ride in the park. You would have to be nuts to take it out.
People complain that Shockwave is like a king or something, but yet the attendance numbers at that end of those last few seasons were horrible. I went on it because it was walk-ons, and there quite a bit. I wouldn't consider a two hour line for Superman to be a poor replacement in which Shockwave averaged about 60 people (guessing) an hour in it's last years.
"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 always consider myself as part of the general public because, yeah sure i study roller coasters and amusement parks and yeah I travel around for amusement parks, but ultimately I like what they like. You don't need a lot of inversions or the tallest thing around to enjoy it. Shockwave is my least favorite coaster ever and I have ridden Millennium Force and still find Raging Bull to be superior. Living proof that height and inversions don't matter. Most people like rides that are really fun and Superman's concept of flying is fun to most. Don't count on it going.
Plus, there are many ways of enhancing the ride if people ever get bored with it. Adding fake skyscrapers along the track's course might be a good idea when people start to get bored with it.
RIP: Trailblazer and Deja Vu...heck, even Alien Encounter
coasterfan71555 wrote:This is something I have thought about for quite a while. As far as I am concerned, the coaster at Great America that has most worn out its welcome is Superman-Ultimate Flight. At best, it was a poor substitute for our dearly departed ShockWave. I find it boring, and hardly ever ride it any more. I think it should be sent to a different park (St. Louis, for example, as they really need more rides) and in its place, we should have the tallest, fastest, and most-inverting B&M floorless coaster. I think 8-10 inversions would be about right. I have several friends and fellow coaster enthusiasts who agree with me. How about anyone else?
Why complain about it? Enjoy it. You "fly". and compared to all the coasters out there, there really arent that many flying coasters. Theyre a unique experience and quite different, especially to the average customers there.
People still scream even before they leave the station, it has a line all the time, has a great intense element, fun twists turns and a spiral...just the feeling of "flight" through the course is great enough with that mix of elements.
I happen to like the ride and ride it quite a bit. It draws alot of attention just lookin at it. It feels odd and great yet short lived sure but its fun.
Stop basing a coaster simply for it "high class" stats. Base it off the time and experience it gives you. Sure it may be slow and boring to you but other people are going to like it.
Go somewhere else to find your floorless that flip n' flip ya or thorpe park, Go to great adventure to get your tall speed monster, go anywhere else thatll satisfy you so you have no need for complaint because its obviously not doin it for you here. What is up with floorless coasters anyway? Theyre not that great. Get over yourselves. If superman were to get replaced with that, the park would lose alot of satisfaction with alot of people. Superman was a good replacement choice. If you really dont like it tell the park to add another element or something. Ive even thought of that, but never did because its a waste of time and I was acting just like you.....ungreatful.
As far as Great America is concerned, S:UF was a darn good replacement for Shockwave. I don't think they really care if any given enthusiast only rides it once per visit. The GP on the other hand, will line up for it every time, as can be seen with the long line it always seems to have.
Shockwave almost always NEVER had a line.
I think Six Flags definately got the results they were looking for.
Okay... even though S:UF isn't very exciting to you, I kind of like the feeling of flying on a roller coaster. Yes, it definetley does get boring after 3 or 4 times on it, but the ride is different than the rest at the park. That's probably a reason as to why it has a line. If it still gets guests to go on it, it will stay there.
"And that farm girl walked off with slippers off a dead woman? She must have been raised in a barn!" ~Wicked, an excellent musical
Between the two, I like S:UF way more than Shockwave. I don't even really find it boring. It's a smooth ride that gives you a great view and that Pretzel Loop takes my breath away. I'd have to say anyone who would take out S:UF is an idiot. Any even if it is a B&M floorless that replaces it, I'm not riding a 10 inversion ride. 7 or 8 is good enough for me.