I have grown up with Great America and have tried to make it out there at least once a year since the late 80's.... and I was born the 80's! I've seen the park change quite a bit and wanted to reflect on some of the changes that have occurred over the past ten years. Yes... I know, I know... this is probably more than half the age of most of you, but for a park that has been around over 27 years, the last ten years have probably been the most dramatic. So let us look at the changes in each area:
New Coasters:
1.) Viper - 1995
2.) Spacely's Sprocket Rockets - 1998
3.) Raging Bull - 1999
4.) Deja Vu - 2001
5.) Vertical Velocity - 2001
6.) Superman - 2003
7.) Ragin' Cajun - 2004
New Flats:
1.) Dare-Devil Dive
2.) River Rocker - 1996
3.) Trailblazer -1996
4.) Chubasco - 1996
5.) Giant Drop - 1997
6.) Yogi Bear's Yahoo River - 1998
7.) Scooby-Doo's Mystery Machine - 1998
8.) King Chaos - 2004
9.) Jester's Wild Ride - 2004
10.) Big Easy Balloons - 2004
11.) Revolution - 2004
*Ricochet in Southwest was rethemed from "Big Top"
Removed Rides:
1.) Rolling Thunder - 1995 - Removed for Southwest Territory
2.) Hay Baler - 1999
3.) Sky Whirl - 2000 - Removed for Deja Vu
4.) Power Dive - 2002
5.) Cajun Cliffhanger - Removed due to injury
6.) Shockwave - 2002 - Removed for Superman
7.) Ameri-Go-Round - 2004 - Removed for Revolution
New Areas:
1.) Southwest Territory - 1996
2.) Camp Cartoon Network - 1998
3.) Looney Tunes National Park - 1998
4.) Mardi Gras - 2004
(There might be some additions or removed rides I skipped over... just post here and let me know.)
Recently people have griped about how SFGAm keeps removing flat rides and are not staying true to the original Marriott themes. With the upcoming Mardi Gras theme and flat rides package this year, they have answered this complaint. Another case... over the last few years it was a common complaint that Fright Fest was going downhill and was not nearly as good as years past. I think everyone can agree that this past year the senior management listened and there was MUCH more theming that was never done in years past; between the Godzilla on Sky-Trek, the sound effects for Giant Drop, the much overlooked amazing lighting throughout the park, along with getting rid of the "Non-Scary Zones."
I kind of like it that they try new things along with staying true to tradition. While everyone can agree the Alien haunted house they had that one year was pretty bad, it was something new that they tried, and it wasn't brought back again. Similarly, the 3-D haunted house this past season was better than a lot had expected... Or, simply by keeping one side of Eagle backwards the past couple of years, and now this upcoming season, has proven to generate some excitement for an older ride, albeit a classic.
To me at least, both corporate and SFGAm are doing well with this park and have done well at trying to keep the overall feel of the park while still vastly improving what is in the park (quite a contrast to the once-sister park out in Santa Clara....) This, along with taking care of long term maintenance issues (i.e. retracking sections of the Eagle), repainting rides as needed instead of letting them rot, and listening to the public outcry regarding the Whizzer (okay, some still think it was a stunt) shows that we are definitely one of the better if not the best Six Flags park.
Comments, anyone?
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A look back over the past 10 years at SFGAm...
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Last edited by StealthNet on January 24th, 2004, 3:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Just a few corrections: Rolling Thunder was removed in September of the 1995 season to make way for Southwest Territory not for Viper they were both operational together during most of the 1995 season. Also Power Dive wasn't removed until 2002. Haybayler I believe was removed follwing the 1999 season, I'm not sure about that one though.
Haybaler was removed the same time Sky Whirl Was. It was right next to it. It was to make room for Deja Vu Constructions. There were also rides like condor and Shockwave added in the late 80s -now. and there was also that looney lodge. And when they originally added the small ferris wheel into Bugs Bunny Land. And then moved it into CCN. I don't know if this counts but they also moved Whirligig. And i don't know if this counts but they got new parade floats a few years ago. (that doesn't count as a ride but peeps ride the trolleys so i thought i'd mention it).
I corrected those things SfGaMownz. I knew Power Dive wasn't removed until 2002, but it wasn't operating for quite awhile before that. But c'mon guys! Let's hear what you think of how the park has changed in the past decade, what you think of these improvements as whole, and how well you think the park is being managed. Don't just focus on the technicalities of my list..
The Looney Toons area has been there for a while so dont count the name change.
I think the park has done well will the addition of attractions. Its taken a while to add flats but I guess it was worth the wait. I think the management of the park is okay. With the right people it could be great and Tim Black is just the right guy. The park should get rid of some other employees (not naming any names) and get some people who know how to do their job efficiently. R.I.P. Deja Vu 10/07/01-10/28/07
Why wouldn't you count it they pretty much revamped the whole area and added the new Cartoon Network area. The Looney Toons National park got new things to, new themeing to the whole area, Looney Tunes Lodge, that train, I call that an addition.
besides, it is considered an expansion according to the six flags website. that and camp cartoon network, thats why mardi gras is the 3rd expansion in a decade....
*~There's a light~*
*~In the darkness~* *~Of everybody's life~*
The park just revamped the Looney Toons area. Its wasnt something new.
R.I.P. Deja Vu 10/07/01-10/28/07
A few years ago I serously thaught that SFGAm was gonna turn into a dump like SFMM but wow have they proved me wrong! The whole V2 and Vu year scared the crap outta me (in terms of being another Xtreme Park), but now I must say in 2004 I have no complaints. A park that has awesome family rides, awesome coasters in quality and quantity, keeps the park clean and running good capacity with good atmosphere and theming gets an A+ in my book.
I really consider GAm as the "Father" of all of the SF parks. I, too believed for some time that it would turn into a dump, and then I would either find a new homepark, or just end my days of riding coasters and being a thrill person.
Is there still work to be done? Yes, I believe so. Would I consider theming an A+? No, not yet. We have one great themed area (SWT), and this season we will have another (MG). Black seems to be smart when it comes to decision making skills, so one would think that we now cut-back on "adding" new features for a few years now and focus on the park itself. There are other areas of the park that need touch-up (ie: Yukon and Yankee) and this doesn't mean major re-vamping, but simple things like painting of buildings and scenery. In a nutshell: GAm is greatly improved, but there is still improvement yet to go!
SFGAm is constantly getting better all the time. In the last 10 years there has been like one bad decision THE HAND DRYERS hehehehe. No but seriously I though last season couldnt get any better but now we have this next up comming season to look forward to. 2004 seems like it will be the best season in all of SFGAm history!
......so far.
This in my opinion is the best thing they have done in awhile.
They are taking an area of the park that you basically used as a walk-through, and are turning it into something you will stop and enjoy. Flat rides were non-existent in this area for the past few years and now there will be 3. A coaster in this area also spreads the coasters out more evenly in the park. When this addition is going full steam for the 2004 season, I feel there won't be any dead spots in the park. If SFGAm were Jerry McGuire, it would say "You complete me".  I finally retired the Sarah Palin signature because she is now 100% irrelevant.
[quote="Chitown"]this addition is going full steam for the 2004 season, I feel there won't be any dead spots in the park.quote] As I quickly pass through Yukon Territory trying to get to Yankee Harbor.
I think Orleans Place as of 2003 is more exciting than Yukon Territory. Track Record - 330something
Hail to the THIEF
Yeah, Yukon Territory is a worthless piece of junk in terms of rides. Theres Loggers Run, and Spacely's. So most of the time I don't even notice it, but for that specail moth of the year refer to it as the Exit To Necropois Territory.
I consider Yukon Territory complete because it caters to kids. Plenty of things to do for kids in that area.
I finally retired the Sarah Palin signature because she is now 100% irrelevant.
Mysteryville ownz you! .
No one mentioned the vine tunnel near the Sky Whirl. Did we really need another game booth? I think the game booths were satisfactory the way they were before they added the cheesy sound effects and song clips three years ago. But I guess I can deal with it.
I'm glad to notice Professor Rainmaker is out of the picture. I never found the show amusing. R.I.P. Splashwater Falls and Space Shuttle America. Deja Vu, enjoy Idaho.
Hear ye, hear ye: "After 45 years, Six Flags has stopped smoking."
I think Professor Rainmaker was a good show for the little kids in the park, it got them involved.
I have to give credit for SFGAm keeping older flats such as Fiddler's Fling, Triple Play, Whirlgig, and the former Big Top. They messed up Big Top though. I also applaud them for adding Chubasco, Big Easy Balloons, and Condor (if you call that new).
Some great coasters we have such as D Vu, V2, SUF, BTR, Iron Wolf, and Demon. I have to give credit to the mechanics because SFGAm has more than one train on the tracks that they could have all year round. However, I do wish we had a better woodie such as one made by PTC. They listened to people's complaints and kept the Whizzer. I applaud the removal of Shockwave, fixing up a broken area, improving the kids area, and getting rid of the Rain Maker show. The non-scary area during Fright Fest did not make sense. You show kids graves and tombstones and then show them basically nothing in the kids area. I think what they should have done is made the park open earlier a week and only have certain rides open for a non-scary Fright Fest for kids. The next week everything would change. That way they could have set up the park during the Kid's Fright Fest (Necropolis and the Haunted Houses).
Dont know if I'd say they OWNED all flats, there pretty good though, but if i had to pick a flat that "owned" all other flats, it would be Delirium.
Around the world and back
Hey Ilovethevu, PTC doesnt make coasters anymore
 .
But I do agree a CGI would be nice but, the way most theme park execs think is that wooden coasters don't make people go crazy like a huge steel coasters. But who knows.
A Delerium hasn't been built yet.
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