I will be using the Eric Griswold rating system (-3 to +5) to review Six Flags Great America and it's coasters.
The Park: +3
It was a freezing cold Spring day (started at 44 and fell to 38 by the time we left the park) and it was time to make my annual spring trip to Great America. I usually go during this time because the week is filled with Physics days and you encounter light crowds during the morning, moderate crowds during the day, and extremely light crowds in the evening. The park was in pretty great shape since the busy season is still a few weeks away. Power Dive was in the process of being removed, but otherwise no construction was visible. The staffing levels were good (since many of their regular summer employees are still in school), and the park had non-essential rides and shops closed to make sure that all of the major attractions had the appropriate level of staff. I found the staff overall to be quite pleasant, with a couple (one major) exceptions. I skipped a few coasters today because the cold weather dampened my desire to ride them.
The Coasters:
American Eagle
Intamin AG - Wooden Dueler (Blue Backwards and Red Forward)
Blue Backwards: +3
Red Forward: Closed
Holy Moses, I think I actually like American Eagle again! Riding American Eagle backwards was way better than I expected. The airtime was the best ever for the ride and when you combine that with the fact that the trims at the bottom of the helix were OFF you have yourself a winner! The only downside to the ride is the roughness in both helixes. I hope that they keep running the blue side backwards and keep those trims off!
Batman: The Ride
B&M Inverted - Steel
Rating: +3
As usual, Batman delivered a smooth and intense ride. But when compared to the likes of Raptor @ Cedar Point, Batman just doesn't quite match up. Still a great ride, though.
Deja Vu
Vekoma Super Inverted Boomerang - Steel
Rating: Closed
Well, in 6 visits between last season and this one, I have ridden Deja Vu a total of 1 time (2 trips it was still under construction, 2 it was having problems/testing, and the one I did get to ride it Deja Vu didn't open until 6:00 that evening, and I had to wait 2 1/2 hours to ride it). I really would like to get some more ride time on this coaster, because I really enjoyed that one ride. I hope to ride it later this season, if they can iron out all of the bugs with it. I really thought that after all of the time they spent on it last season and the preseason that they wouldn't still be having problems with it. Oh well.
Demon
Arrow Dynamics - Steel Sitdown Looper
Rating: +1
A decent Arrow looper with a fantastic first drop. I really don't care for the noise that they use in the tunnels; it hurts my ears.
Iron Wolf
B&M Standup - Steel
Rating: N/A
I decided to skip Head Smashing Wolfie.
Raging Bull
B&M Hyper Twister - Steel
Rating: +4
Awesome
. I wouldn't expect any less of Raging Bull. My second favorite first drop on a coaster, it's just so intense! The only thing about Raging Bull was with the cold temp the ride was a good doggyilly.
Shockwave
Arrow Dynamics - Steel Sitdown Looper
Rating: N/A
I decided to skip Headshock.
Spacely's Sprocket Rockets
Vekoma Roller Skater - Steel
Rating: N/A
Me on a kiddie coaster? No way!
Vertical Velocity
Intamin AG - Inverted Spiraling Impulse
Rating: +4
Another awesome ride. Vertical Velocity is very simple, but so fun. We rode it a total of 9 times, and got stuck on it for 5 min once. The front seat is the best for this ride, with the very back seat coming in a very close second. I love this coaster!
Viper
Six Flags, Inc. - Wooden Twister
Rating: +3
I was a bit disappointed with Viper because they were having problems with the last car on one of the trains, so I was forced to ride in the front. Viper makes for a good ride in the front, but the a much better ride in the back. The airtime is much more plentiful in the back seat.
Whizzer
Anton Schwarzkopf - Jumbo Jet (Steel)
Rating: N/A
Skipped the Whizzer in favor of more exciting rides. I will definitely ride it later this summer.
Overall, I had a great trip to Great America, except for Deja Vu. I look forward to returning in a few weeks!
Linear Mode
