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O'Hare International…
262 reviews
Chicago, IL
Category: Airports
Six Flags Great America
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- Good for Kids:
- Yes
98 reviews for Six Flags Great America
Went to Fright Fest on a Sunday.
I think I've figured out a good way to do the park and not wait in long lines. Get there when the park opens and ride Superman first, then the other big coasters. Then after lunch hit a show maybe and the lesser rides that never have long lines. We didn't get to the park when it opened and we didn't get to ride Superman. The line was already an hour, so instead of wasting prime time, we skipped it and rode Dark Knight, V2, American Eagle, Iron Wolf, Batman and the Demon in the morning with less than 15 minute waits. We saw the show - the musical - it was pretty good - after lunch and then rode the lesser rides that the kids still really like.
I think the best ride for the wait ratio in the park is King Chaos.
We had a good time and still made it home in time for the Bears game.
Only down side is that Fright Fest is pretty creepy and scared our 5 year old. He was up the next 2 nights with nightmares about the creepy clowns that scared the kids (on purpose) and the dismembered body parts floating in the water areas.
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4/6/2009
If this review sounds like I'm gushing over Great America, it's because I'm gushing over Great… Read more »
I went to Fright Fest Saturday as a way to make up for my friend being unable to shoot-see my Bass Pro review. We got there at 7:30 and after parking and getting through the gates it was about 8. Two hours prior to closing. The lines were pretty short-it was close to freezing though and not too many people were out.
We managed to get in four rides:
Raging Bull-twice
Batman
Vertical Velocity
The lines for Batman and V2 were longest, mostly because of how it was managed for Batman (large numbers were moved at random times) and V2 (because there is only one car) still moved efficiently.
Would I come back for Fright Fest this year? I probably won't because the cold was nuts. I did buy a season pass though so I will be back in the summer-if it's still open at that time.
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7/3/2009
This was the first time I've been to Great America in a long time. Long lines, high prices and large… Read more »
I went to fright fest today and It was a great day to go and I had a super time. I've never written a review before but felt compelled because I had a hard time finding something on the Six Flags website about the actual prices for the haunted houses. So here it is. and you don't have to call and be put on hold or anything. anyway, the haunts are worth the money, especially before 5 pm. Before 5pm, they are $5 each. and after they are $10. Only the 2 house were open today, being Columbus day. Note: many of the shows and other haunt areas weren't active. Anyway, The haunts were fun. and worth the five bucks. The larger of the two houses, Noctropolis would be worth ten. It was a fun day! Go if you get the chance.
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This place is so classic, and I always get excited when I see the American Eagle from the highway. :) Let's see, the superman is probably the best ride by far! And Vertical Velocity is CRAZY awesome! I remember we all went here during prom weekend in 93.
That's when BATMAN was cool! Never been to fright fest, though I've heard it's fun. I just have so many memories here. Even our 8th grade class came here for a graduation party. Eh, but now it's full of white trash, and crazy kids running around. It's just not what it use to be....or maybe it's me that's changed. Hmmmmm.........
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I had no idea Six Flags Great America didn't suck. I honestly thought it was going to be terrible. I finally got an opportunity to go there with some friends I met at Cedar Point, my favorite park.
The coasters are pretty good. Make sure you hit Raging Bull, Superman, V2, and Viper. Viper is my new favorite wooden roller coaster. It's everything the Mean Streak at Cedar Point should be.
The park is extremely clean. They go out of their way to rub it in your face that they consider themselves the "cleanest park in the world." As for the guy who "missed" the no-smoking signs... Every single employee in the park has a "NO SMOKING" button on. There are also signs about every 20 feet that say no smoking. They also play recorded messages as you're walking in the door that say "smoking is only allowed in designated areas." Sorry guy, you were just being "that" guy who thought "I dare them to eject me for smoking," and they did.
I hope Six Flags dumps their ad music soon. You're literally inundated by the venga boys' "We like to party" and "Mr. Six" dancing all over the place. They literally play it on repeat at every single ride. After a full day of hitting every coaster, I was pretty sick of the music.
The park is a bit small, and the food prices are (as expected) very high. If there's a complaint I really have it's that they offer this "speed pass" thing. They literally let you pay $30 to cut in front of everyone in line all day. Maybe I'll shell it out sometime in the future, but I disagree with the concept all together. They also charge $10 extra to park in a closer parking lot. What's up with that?
It's a great park for how close I am to it. I will be back... Many, many, times. It'll serve as a great surrogate for Cedar Point until I can get back over to Ohio.
I came here a few years back when visiting a bunch of friends out in Chicago. Currently working for SFGA back home, I was able to get free tickets, so why not go? The park had a different feel than it's partner out in Jackson, NJ. Unfortunately, they played that venga boys song many, many times, which I never actually heard play that often at SFGA. It was too bad that they took down Shockwave the year or two before I came, that woulda been a good one to ride before it was gone. They have pretty good coasters at this park. My favorite would probably have to be Raging Bull, a B&M megacoaster similar to Nitro, Apollo's Chariot, .etc. This was by far my favorite megacoaster because of it's use of tunnels, and it's "pre-drop" - also found on Apollo's Chariot.
I was also never a fan of Vekoma Boomerangs but Deja Vu (RIP) was a ton of fun. Unlike the traditional boomerang, Deja Vu is an inverted (meaning feet hang and you're under the track) and it pulls you up vertically back as opposed to back at an angle. This already makes the ride that much more fun (especially when you're sitting in the front seat).
Great America has many other great coasters from a classic wooden dueler/racer, American Eagle and a classic Schwarzkopf Whizzer. Also, Great America is home to the ORIGINAL Batman: The Ride! Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!
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I hadn't been to Six Flags in almost 10 years. I definitely got reminded of the do's and don'ts when coming here.
First off, bring a cooler of your own food and beverages to keep in the car. You will save a lot of money. The prices of basically everything inside the park is ridiculous. I was kicking myself so hard after paying nearly $20 for 2 slices of pizza, and one large soda from one of the Papa John locations. Which also reminds me, stay away from greasy food in general. Your putting your stomach through enough craziness from the coaster rides. No need to add grease to the fire, so to speak. Pack some sandwiches or something. And plenty of H20, especially if it's a hot day.
Another thing I will do differently next time is to arrive before the park opens. Just because you go on a weekday doesn't mean you wont face long lines and big crowds. Going early will assure you very small lines for at least an hour.
Still a fun experience. I had forgotten that feeling of riding coasters all day, then coming home to relax, but your mind and body still feeling like your going off the huge Raging Bull free fall. Good times.
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My boyfriend and I went to Great America for the first time yesterday. We were actually pleasantly surprised.
First off, we lost our Flash Pass virginities to Great America this weekend. I will NEVER go to a park again without having a Flash Pass. We ended up getting a Regular Flash Pass for 2 and rode 12 rides in a total of 8 hours. It was a great convenience to get on one ride, immediately reserve the next ride, and actually be "waiting" for the next ride as we rode another one. Made me a happy camper. The only caveat is that you want to arrive at the Flash Pass office ASAP so you don't end up waiting an hour to even get your hand on the gadget. Could be a waste of roller coaster time, people!!!
As far as the coasters, the only ones that were worth the wait were Batman, Raging Bull, and Superman. Very smooth coasters. Iron Wolf (stand-up coaster), Demon (it throws you around a lot and not in a good way), and the Whizzer (smooth coaster) were just okay. The biggest letdown of the day was the Dark Knight ride. We were hoping it would be similar to Space Mountain at Disney, but it was just boring (only ripping 90 degree turns) and it definitely was not worth the 75 min wait on the Flash Pass. In hindsight, I regret not riding something else, but I guess that's how you learn, right?
The food was SUPER expensive. I got a basket of waffle fries (plain, no toppings) and a regular diet coke = $8.77. I saw that a whole Papa John's pizza was $39.99! WTF?! Next time, I'm stuffing my cargo khaki pockets with some granola bars or something. The prices they charge for food? CRIMINAL.
Overall, the park, including the bathrooms, was very clean and it was not as crowded (economy?) as we were expecting on a nice Saturday. The kiddie prices ($34.99 per person) was a great deal. The Regular Flash Pass made the experience quite enjoyable.
Great coasters, Flash Pass, and clean park (5 stars) - outrageous food prices (1 star) = 4 stars.
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I have this place to thank for getting me ready for the life as an adult in dealing with disappointment, fine print, waiting in line, and dealing with annoying people.
Disappointment in waiting in line for over an hour only to go on a ride that leaves you with neck pains. Don't get me started on the food- which should be fun and tasty like other carnival style of foods- but is nasty, and probably most important: expensive.
Fine print- not so much in terms of the experience, but how to utilize tickets, buying food or bringing it into the park and all the little things that you don't realize come or don't come with the purchase of your fun-filled day here.
Waiting in lines... Because of Six Flags- I got a taste of what it would be like going to the DMV to renew a drivers license; or to sit in the doctor's office awaiting your appointment that was set to start 45 minutes ago; or being that sucker at the bank who needs something special and could only go there during your lunch break on a payday.
The annoying people aren't so much about the people in the park (though this place does offer some wonderful chances to see some "interesting" peops). It all comes down to that spunky old dude who likes to listen to Vengaboys and bop around.
A. Noy. Ing.
Six Flags:
More Flags, More FAIL
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I just came here on a Tuesday after school started for most of the suburbs but before the park starts closing on weekdays. What a fantastic idea. Parked as close to the entrance as possible at 9:55. Walk in before 10. Literally no lines (though it still takes forever to snake through the labyrinthine waiting areas) so we managed to finish all the major rides between 10 and 12. Some even twice. No lie. And that includes slowly meandering around the park without a map. The only problem with was that we ran out of stuff to do and didn't feel like checking our bags in again for a second time on any rides. We ended up just eating some Panda Express and people watching all the moms and retirees trailing after preschool kids. Really low key and much more relaxed than the usual hustle and bustle.
The food is overpriced and the thrills aren't quite as exciting when you're older, but hey, it's an AMUSEMENT park. If you spend all day griping about the costs, you're obviously in the wrong mindset. However, I might only be saying this because I got a great deal on the tickets through FUNatics or whatever that silly thing with the text messages is.
I agree with Ye -- going on an off day is great. I went on a Wednesday in September. Got there around noon, left when the park closed at six, and went on:
Raging bull 3 times
Superman 2 times
Batman 2 times
Dark Night 2 times
Most other rollercoasters once... plus once on the bumper cars. :-)
The rides wouldn't have been worth waiting for hours, but I never had to wait. Strongly recommend going on an off day if you can!
I recently went returned to Six Flags Great America after a 2 year break. I was pleasantly surprised with the park. For one, the park was much cleaner than I had been used to and to a lesser extent so where the people. The fast pass thing worked quite well for us and is discounted $10 if you have a season pass (this offer isn't advertised, so be sure to ask if you hold a pass). You can get regular admission tickets for $19.99 if you text message the word BULL to 35247. Do this the morning before you plan your, as you'll get 5-6 text messages throughout the day with the unique discount code being the last one you will receive.
For those who haven't been to the park in a few years and like roller coasters, I suggest a return visit. Superman, Raging Bull and Batman The Ride (the new indoor Batman ride sucks) await your return. Make sure you get the fast pass though. It's about $40 for 2 people ($30 if you use the season pass discount mentioned above) and if used properly you can get on about twice as many coasters. When you pick up the device, the employee got us an immediate time on our first attraction - if they offer this to you, make sure you go with the attraction you'd like to ride with the longest line (likely Superman).
Aside from Cedar Point, I don't know of a better coaster park around Chicago.
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Hard choice between 2 and 3 stars. Friendly people working at the park and it really is one of the cleanest amusement parks I've ever been too. That said, it's also one of the most expensive parks I've ever been too and I'm having a hard time justifying paying as much as I did for a ticket. The lines were so long for just about everything and a lot of rides kept breaking down mid-wait. Even the line for food at Johnny Rockets was a 45 minute wait.
The one saving grace for the long lines was the Flash Pass. Definitely a cool feature the park offers but again, very expensive. But even with the additional cost I would never go back here without the Flash Pass (which allows for holding your place in line without you actually having to be there so you can spend your time elsewhere) because the lines were just that long. At one point the line for Superman was almost 2 hours according to the posted sign. There's just no way in hell I'd go to any amusement park and spend 2 hours waiting in line. That's just wasteful in my opinion, so the Flash Pass was very handy and I wouldn't go back without it.
Other cool things I really enjoyed were the cool mist stations that do exactly what they sound like. A lot of the lines are in the sun the entire wait so you need that cool mist every now and then. Cinnamon glazed nuts, amazing. The fiesta fries still make me drool the next day.
All in all an a-ok day. I don't see the cost of going being reduced any time soon so just be aware this isn't going to be a cheap day in the sun.
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This is a tough review to rate, since their prices after gaining admission inside(i.e. concessions, video games, etc.) have always been a ripoff to some degree. However, I also truly do love the rides here, and have so many great memories coming here since I was a kid. It is amazing how godawfully bad their pricing for almost all things has increasingly become in 2009, with the worst offender being their food prices(examples: $25 for a Flash Pass? $10 more to park in the closer parking lot? $3.59 for Papa John's cheesy bread? $11 for unlimited use lockers($14 for similar lockers in Hurricane Harbor) by the front entrance? sheesh....). And sans the cost of a Flash Pass, the $14.59 I sucked away on the latter 2 as I learned the hard way it would've been better to pay the $1 on any rides not allowing small bags, and the other being my nagging hunger for food striking me barely before leaving, thus me barely losing my fight against my inner hunger beast. Those prices make me want to turn this into a major critique of SF corporate pricing schemes and lower this review, but I won't.
Skipping ahead to Hurricane Harbor, which was actually pretty enjoyable(and I give SF credit for making HH entry free), and the only part of the park I hadn't been to. Other than narrowly not breaking the ice on their overplay of 'I Like to Move It'(and I saw on Wikipedia, SF uses this song to motivate employees while they clean), and almost turning me from a lover to a hater of this song, but somehow didn't, it was good. Castaway Creek was much longer than I thought(think at least 20-25 minutes), and real enjoyable for a lazy tube ride. Tornado is an amazing water funnel ride you can easily spot from the parking lot with its blue and yellow checkered look, and you certainly don't think you're going down a slide that's 60 stories tall, and 132 feet long. What can I say, I liked pretty much all the water slides I went on. I'll end by suggesting if you go on Wahoo Racer, get on either of the yellow-colored slides(slides 1 and 6), so you'll have a faster ride down.
Now on to the regular section of the park. I really do have so many favorites, and yes(thanks to friends), even conquered my fear of their upside-down roller coasters on my 2009 trip there. The loss of the Cajun Cliffhanger aside( http://en.wikipedia.or... , has info about the accident leading to its removal), most of my rides I loved were still around, and rode on some upside down coasters for the first time. Among the rides I rode that day: Giant Drop, Vertical Velocity, Raging Bull, Batman: The Ride, Whizzer, Ragin' Cajun, and American Eagle. Agree with others about skipping the Dark Knight coaster, since as much as I loved the opening video and display in the line area, all the ride does is push you around on tight curves. Even did a new first for myself, I rode the American Eagle consecutively twice in a row. Gotta love nights when it's drizzling, and encountering almost no lines for rides!
Smoking areas are placed very well here, unlike say Ravinia(or other places I won't mention), where the placement of such areas is poor, and can only find them by walking outside of their gates to smoke, plus no ridiculous rule about not smoking in the parking lot. Some Great America smoking areas could use much more seating, though. As much as I like this park, I absolutely do believe my friends who've gone to Cedar Point(plus my own research on it, as I'll make it there one day), and said it's a better park. But if you can't make it there, and if you plan carefully to minimize how much you get nickeled and dimed(especially by driving outside the park to eat, or bag a lunch AND a late snack), it can be an extremely enjoyable experience. This ends my demonstration of how verbose I can be. :)
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Went here and had a total blast!
Parking: It was $25 to park "closer" or you could pay $15 and park across a four lane street, about ten meters away. Hmm, I think I'll keep my $10 and walk the extra few steps.
Admission: Everyone pays the "kids price". Works for me!
Food: Filled my pockets with NutriGrain bars and chocolate chip granola bars. Talked to other people waiting for their kids to finish rides who were doing the same thing, so that took away a bit of the guilt I almost felt. I also brought a bunch of waters and sodas that I put in a cooler but never went back to the car to get. Instead I got an "all you can hold down" refill bottle and drank so much diet coke I got a headache. Awesome! I just kept getting it refilled, then using it to refill the drink of everyone who was with me. Also I got a huge plate of waffle fries and chicken strips that I split with my youngest son and we threw half of it away because we couldn't finish it. It was only $8 for that mountain of fried yummy! And to think I almost got the chicken ceasar for $9 or the rack of BBQ ribs for $12. No, I don't think the food prices were bad! Do yourself a favor and skips the snack stands like hot dogs and turkey legs, find the restaurants. The only food stand we did was "dippin dots" because, well, they are awesome.
The Lines: Almost non-existent. Went to the park the week after "back to school" so, well, most of the kiddies had gone back to school! We were able to get on most of the rides with little or no waiting and didn't have to pay for some "flash pass" or anything like that.
This is a great place to bring small kids. We stopped at every silly ride, gift shop, photo booth, teacup ride, carousel, arcade game, you name it. We barely got to see half the park because we stopped at almost every activity. With the money I saved on parking, food, and drinks I was able to get some cool looney toon, m&m, and marvel super hero themed souvenirs. I paid $1.99 at one shop for a reusable bag to put all my crap in. The only ride that charged me $1 to store it was Dark Knight (yes I even had fun on that, we paid $20 for a framed pic of us making crazy faces on a big downhill). Has anyone had success with renting a locker, putting their shit in it, and leaving it in there while they rode ALL the coasters?
The other thing new in 2009 that was totally bad-assed was called "Bucaneer Bay" (I think?). Basically you ride these little pirate ships around a loopy track. They have four water cannons on each side of the ship, and you use them to have a water fight with people who are not on the ride. We wound up getting totally soaked but it was an absolute blast. Definitely one of the high points of the day.
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I planned a trip here for my sorority, and the customer service was pretty good. Not too many scheduling snafus. The park is also clean, and they touted it as the "cleanest theme park in America!!!!111 :) :)"...just on a loudspeaker...every ten minutes.
I don't want to tell you that the amount of rat tails and fanny packs, combined, makes me fear for the future of the democratic republic that has inspired me so. That'd just be rude.
I don't want to tell you that Slushees are $4+ (small!), really crappy churros are $3+, you have to pay to store your stuff every time you get on a decent-to-large-sized ride (there are lots of rides), the admission price is horrific, and so on, because I'd just be complaining.
I don't want to tell you that you pay out of your, uh, rear when rides are either closed or really lame (DARK KNIGHT! cannot emphasize enough), and that because of the ridiculous lines, you barely get to go on any. Again, too much complaining.
I, finally, should not be telling you that at least every freaking twenty minutes, one of the popular 1999 techno songs (I think it's the one about boom and wanting "you in my room" forever etc.?) BLASTS out of pathetically fake rocks-slash-speakers. To do so would be complaining, because I'm such a crochety old woman (never mind the fact that I'm 20 years old and do indeed have good hearing that my iPod earbuds haven't managed to desecrate yet).
I came here with a group of friends on a Saturday. I had a pretty good time, hence the 4 star rating. Here are some things that really helped with the experience
-discounted tickets (about a third of the price of the regular admission
-arrival before the park opened, it allowed us to ride 3 roller coasters
in the first hour
-hurricane harbor was really solid, definitely make time for it, it was a
little overcast that day, so lines were either minimal or non-existent
-packing a lunch/drinks/snack in a cooler
The lines can get really long, and the price gouging (from concessions to lockers) is pretty bad. It helps to be in a good mood, and it won't see as bad.
My favorite rides at Great America:
1. Raging Bull
2. Batman
3. Superman
4. Iron Wolf
5 Viper
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99. Dark Knight
Loved the rides and the thrills, but prices are horrible!!! Never paid $6.00 for a beer before until I came here! (just a Miller Lite!)
The park is clean and the wait in lines is not to bad. I don't see the need to pay the extra $25 for the Flash pass... Really!
I'll definitely go back but next time I may go and eat somewhere else and come back! It's worth the ride!
Had a great time today at SFGA. Got to the park around 11am, and right away we got in line for Superman. Then we hit up Dark Knight which is okay, not my favorite by any means. A lot of the rides that were popular when I was a kid (American Eagle, Demon, etc.) had little to no lines at all. In fact, we rode the Eagle three times today. We were a little worried going on a Sunday that there would be a huge crowd, but it was very comfortable and did not seem packed at all. We got to ride everything we wanted, and left around 8:30.
We also decided that next time we would pack a lunch. There is nothing good to eat here and nothing healthy at all. They say on the area map that they have salads and fruit available, but what they fail to mention is that the salad can be had a Papa Johns when you buy the $40 pizza package. And there were no salads at Bourbon St. Cafe like the map claims. I had a bit of my husband's burger and some nachos but was otherwise disgusted by the lack of healthy food options.
As for the rest of the trip, we had a blast, and got to be a kid again. They have really done a lot to the park, lot of new rides, especially for kids. I look forward to bringing my kids here one day. They will love it.
Also, don't hesitate to park in the "cheaper" parking lot. They'll tell you it's about a 20 minute walk to the gate, but really it is VERY close to the expensive lot and you can manage the walk, trust me. It is practically adjacent to the more expensive lot.
Also next time we will try Hurricane Harbor because it got really hot today and the lazy river was beckoning...
Dear Six Flags,
I am going to use my experience with brand communication to give you a few pointers, perhaps to make you seem a little less like a heartless, greedy corporate shit hole with a hokey facade about being "for the family":
1)Even the very evil Ticketmaster doesn't charge people when they don't have to ship tickets anywhere. If I am using my ink and my printer and my paper to save you the cost of ink, paper, manpower to sell the ticket, and all other costs associated with it, there is no way you should ever charge your consumers a $5 "print at home" fee. The person that authorized this charge needs to be fired and sent to live in a communist country, and learn some fucking decency.
2) You charged me $15 to park halfway back to Chicago, but whatever, I don't mind walking. What's sad is that I saw families in the parking lot during my 20 mile walk to the park sitting on the pavement and eating their homemade sandwiches because you evil bastards don't allow families to bring food into the park. If you are all about the family and run all these programs to show how much you care, you fuckfaces should try feeding a family of 4 or 6 or 8 on $6 cheese fries that have enough grease in them to kill a small whale. And throw in some $13 all-you-can-drink fountain sodas and you will find yourselves living in a country both dying from diabetes and heart disease as well as being in so much consumer debt that it is ruining the global economy. Oh, wait.
There are only two words to describe not allowing families to feed their children healthy, affordable home-made food inside the park without making the 20-mile trek back to their car to sit and eat on parking lot pavement. Those two words are Fucking Evil.
3) Even though I probably didn't pick the best day to go to Six Flags (July 3rd), I can understand that sometimes the park gets crowded and we have to stand in 1-3 hour lines. I get it, I've been going to theme parks for a long time now. However, would it really cost that much to have some water fountains in the 3 hour lines? I'm not even asking for bathrooms here, but as I watched 12 year olds shovel out $4 for lemonade to the one guy selling it in the entire 3 hour line, I can't help but think that if there is a hell, there has to be a special place reserved to the corporate prick that decided that hydrating children in 90 degree Chicago weather during their 3 hour wait isn't important, unless they are shelling our $4 for your sugar water.
4) $6 for a scoop of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream? Fuck you.
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I miss going to Great America! When I lived 15 min away I would always get the family & parking passes. It was awesome living so close, you could get there an hour before they close & get on all the good rides without the long lines, it was the best!
Ok I haven't been here in years so my fav ride was the Viper. It's a smaller version of the Eagle but the best part was getting the very last seat, you leave the bar up a good 3-4 inches off your lap and get whipped around the whole time. Berto doesn't do rides so he thinks I'm crazy for doing this but it's soooo much fun!!!
Anyone wanna go to Great America with me?
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The rides are great! The food is REALLY expensive. And the crowd is diverse.
Here's the deal: I'm not really into roller coasters, watching junior high kids give each other hickeys, or worrying about what I may have just sat in. Needless to say, then, I was not exactly stoked about my recent trip to Great America. Why then, you may be asking, did I agree to visit the theme park? Because, new friend, I am an AWESOME aunt. Duh.
All this being said, I was pleasantly surprised by my first trip to Great America in about five years. The park really has cleaned up a lot (!!!!) and with the flash pass you are able to hit many more coasters.
What put me over the edge, though, was Hurricane Harbor. This section of the park was fabulous! After lunch, my brother in law and I took our six and eleven year old nephews to check out some water slides. We ended up splitting up so my younger nephew could ease his way into the bigger slides. Well, once he hit the water he didn't stop squealing until we left the park! (And his poor mother had to hear about it for a while after too!) He was so happy that I was able to pretty easily forget the two band-aids I saw floating by and the $17 dollars I spend to rent a locker. (Not a typo, I actually paid $17 to store our bags.)
All the other gripes people have about this place are totally true. It's expensive, the food is way overpriced, etc, etc. As long as you know how to manage these problems, you'll have a great day.
Don't forget to pack a cooler- you'll appreciate the break from the park as much as not having to paying Great America's out of control prices.
As with most amusement parks its all about the rides. While some of the rides are good like the Giant Drop most here are a waste of time standing in the line. The Raging Bull is just slow for a big roller coaster.
Then there is the price of entrance and food. The only way to make this a worth while deal is to buy the family yearly pass, otherwise a single day entrance fee is just insane. Food prices are high and you get mainly crap, at those high prices.
As a word of caution, I have seen more freaky looking people at 6F than I have ever seen at the Renaissance Faire.
I had a great time here! We had our company gathering here, and what a great day! The Flash pass is worth every penny. You bypass the ridiculously long lines, and they call you when it's time to ride the ride you selected! Now while I did feel bad while we went past all the people who were waiting for god knows how long, getting to ride 7 rides in a day while still having time to enjoy some cold beers, eased my pain. We didn't do a lot of eating at the park, but loaded up the trunk with a cooler, and tailgaited in the parking lot! You can reenter the park at any time before 7pm, so it's pretty easy to get around the expensive food prices. With a little planning, Great American can be a great outing!
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I love the rides but hate the lines. The people watching is the best. There are still guys with long hair and Iron Maiden t-shirts. Its like, flashback!!
I am sorry if this offends people but I find obesity absolutely foul and disgusting. I have never seen so many obese (not fat) people in my life. I mean, there was a morbidly obese family walking out of the parking lot toward their car sucking down huge waffle cones. Ugh! Please, go to the gym.
Also, its expensive as hell. We also got suckered into riding the "Dork Knight", I mean, "Dark Knight" and waited an hour and a half for a ride that sucked so bad it existed solely for the purpose of advertising the movie, which also sucked.
I would never go back.
Now this place ain't bad.
The problem is, it ain't great either.
Lines are usually on the long side and the park is small.
The rides, for the most part are mediocre. And the crowds here are aweful.
Okay, so maybe it hurts that I've been to a lot of theme parks but... meh.
Oh, but one highlight... they have this coaster, I forget the name... with EIGHT CONSECUTIVE LOOPS!!! That ride rocks. I would go just to go on that ride over and over again.
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If you see my center of gravity up 'round here, please return it to me. I think I've developed vertigo. The Raging Bull, seriously? I was freaked. Good stuff.
I also rode:
Superman (longest line, eh)
Predator (stand-up)
Eagle (rickety and freakity, my favorite)
My only complaint is the $15 parking. I mean, really Six Flags Great America? This is Gurnee, and the parking lot is the size of a small metropolis. Don't be so greedy.
The lines are long, but moved quickly. The food is overpriced, don't eat it. The vending machines have $3.50 cokes, don't drink 'em. Games are annoying. Pictures with furries are annoying. Skip 'em...
Everything else is fair game, Amanda C and I had a lovely fall day watching two 10 year olds spin, drop, swivel, dip and giggle the entire day away. Well worth the 45 minute drive....
But, ya know. They close like...next weekend. Might want to wait til it warms up a bit ;)
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Six Flags, wake up. I can't say for sure why you're nearly bankrupt, but it may be because you've ticked off loyal customers one too many times.
It used to be good fun to visit Six Flags. We'd get a season pass, go two, maybe three times a year. However, at a certain point, it started to feel like SF was trying to shake us down for more cash. We've been going to Walt Disney World annually for several years now, and the differences are stunning.
Parking. Disney's like $12. All the spots suck, but they have constant trams to haul you to their Transportation Center. You can get around on monorail, boat, or bus from there, or drive around, since they give in and out privs. The approaches to the Magic Kingdom are clearly designed to inspire some awe and wonder in the kids. Clear value.
Six Flags used to be a flat fee parking setup, you got there early, you got a spot close to the entrance. Now they have "premium" parking, for which you pay something like double the normal price. What's fair about that? And why does it cost more to park at Six Flags than it does at Disney, when Disney's loaded to the gills with trams and monorails, and Six Flags is just a dull walk across a vast expanse of asphalt?
Disney's certainly got the more expensive tickets. Except that you can buy a multi-day pass, and if you buy a 10-day pass, with park hopper option, and no expiration, your average cost per day comes out to be much less than admission to Six Flags. You do have to pay for it all up front, but then again, you get your choice of any (or all) of the four Disney parks on each of those days, and you've locked in your pricing for the remainder of those days. Six Flags comes out better if you do a season pass and attend several days, but otherwise Disney's a winner.
Disney has a fantastic (and fair) fast pass system. Everyone can use it. It costs nothing more. There are reasonable limits and a clear concept of fairness built into the system. The Six Flags model for no-wait riding? Pay *more*. LOTS more. It's not enough that we've already dropped over a hundred bucks to get into the park... that only gets you the dubious "privilege" of sitting in long lines.
Disney has definite problems with long lines. During peak times, it is not unusual to see hour-plus wait times. Oh, wait, Six Flags has that little problem too.
So we visit Disney in the off season, when ... guess what ... they're actually open, and it's even nice weather (assuming you're used to Illinois or Wisconsin winters, 65' is perfectly fine at Disney), and the lines are very reasonable.
How about food? There are always lines at Six Flags. I think what really sticks with me is waiting through a line for more than an *hour* for food at Six Flags. Not because it was really that busy, but because of the four registers, they only had one open for Fright Fest, staffed by surly and certainly overworked kids. Disney? Good lord, staffed by all these old people... except that they really move, are really sharp, keep things moving, and oh yeah, the only times I've seen significant lines for food at Disney, they had all lanes open and were working their butts off. I have never, ever felt that Disney understaffed their park. Six Flags? It always feels like they're cutting corners. Areas closed, concession stands unmanned, etc.
Disney also shows an immense amount of care and detail in the execution of their rides, well-implemented themes and meticulous maintenance and upkeep of their grounds, and overall is just a better park. Six Flags absolutely kills them when you consider how many coasters SF has, but I've really come to believe that it's more about quality than quantity. Disney has the quality. SF has the quantity.
We now visit Disney more often than we visit Six Flags, despite the fact that Six Flags is local to us. I don't appreciate the feeling I get from Six Flags of being "just another wallet to exploit." I hope something changes, but if it doesn't, we'll continue to travel further to Disney, and other great venues like Cedar Point.
While I myself prefer Cedar point, this park is okay.
I worked here last year, (Luckily not for great america itself, but the art company in it) and from an employee's view, it was actually a great job. I enjoyed my hours, there were GREAT benefits, and the food normal people payed $10 for we only had to pay $1.50 for for lunch. Though, since I didn't actually work for six flag, I didn't have the same hours and jobs, but people were nice and didn't complain much.
On the other hand, I agree with he greedy part, we had to buy EVERYTHING for work, water bottles, bags (They had to be six flags see through ones) our uniforms (Had to be clean or you'd need to buy a new one) anything and everything you had to buy from them. They also aren't that trusting of their employee's. There's CONSTANT secret shoppers, pin sized camera's hidden everywhere, over jacked security to get into work ( metal detectors, checked by all the people, wardrobe check, etc) and from my own hours, I'd be working 8-12 hours a day, not allowed to sit down, and I only got a 30 minutes lunch break(Half of which was spent walking on and off stage to go eat)
My best suggestion to anyone who wants to go is, get a friend on the inside, because we got all the great stuff. when you work there, your ID is a seasons pass, after so many hours you get a buddy pass (Bring anyone in the park with you) then you also get free tickets. So, I say, get someone who works there as a friend, then get season passes, free parking means you can leave and save your spot (You know those stops by where the bus's park in the front? When you're there for fun we go around the back and park there) You can bring two cars full even if you have one with a sticker and the person working there in the other car with their ID. Then you can go all the time, and you wont have to pay the bullshit $80 parking pass, it also makes the season pass worth it. =]
Oh, another hint, if you do what I said, A REALLY nice place to eat that's cheap is avalon restaurant, it's to the left of the employee entrance, great people there too. =]
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DO NOT USE THEIR ONLINE TICKET SYSTEM!
Its buggy and when it makes a mistake YOU MUST PAY FOR IT! They screwed up my order and now I am out over 200 dollars because they refuse to give me a refund.
Beware, their customer service is really bad too and intentionally give you the run around.
I've always thought this park was overpriced but I love the coasters. Now if you work there it's a slightly different story. Depending on which department you may actually like your job. I was one of them: worked with Kodak. Yes I was one of those PEOPLE with cameras at the front gate but before you jump on me I have a question: why must some people still shout insults at me when I don't ask to take your picture. And on that rare occasion I will get insulted even though the only words out of my smiling mouth are, "Would you like a picture?" The whole thing is quite amusing. All in all I had a great time working Fright Fest.
It is true, Dark Knight sucks. I remember yelping this place before I went, but did I listen to you? Of course not! But at least now I know.
The only good rides there are: American Eagle, Viper, Batman the Ride, Superman, Raging Bull, and King Chaos. I also like Vertical Velocity and Giant Drop at the end of the night when there are no lines. Those rides aren't worth waiting 2 hours in line for.
There are some things I would change about the park if I could: lockers by roller coasters being the main one and overcharging on food. But I am just the Kodak girl who would listen to me?
P.S.: there is a way to avoid those lockers and burning a hole in your wallet:
1) Buy your ticket online or bring a can of coca cola pop it's so much cheaper!
2) Pack a potluck cooler: everyone in the car packs something.
3) Leave everything behind in your car (hide it well before you pull into the parking lot of the park so no one sees and steals it) that is banned on a coaster like keys, purse etc. You will find a nice enough friend who will hold your phone for you. When I go we always have 3 phones on us at most just so there is always someone to hold onto it.
4) Also to help with the pain of parting with $15 split the cost. At least 4 people in the car should contribute $3.50 for the $15 parking. Then use those young legs of yours to walk.
I'm just saying there is a way to have fun and not cry because your checking account is no more.
Why do I always tend to write long reviews? Oh well: In short - great place to work, Okay place to visit if you play it smart. I'm not sure I will be back as a visitor though now that I got a chance to get into the park free as an employee. Cedar Point's my next stop! Much better for adult thrills :)
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Raging Bull.
Greatest. Coaster. Ever.
Really, I could ride it all day.
Another favorite is the old, wood coaster, American Eagle, which we rode multiple times (no lines, always a bonus).
Superman and Batman were fun but too short a ride for an hour line.
Didn't make it to the Dark Knight or V2 (next time fo sho!)
The Iron Wolf made me feel old. After riding it I felt like I needed a chiro! No more stand up coasters for this guy.
Minus a star for lame food options.
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This place has gone to hell. They sell a soda bottle for $13 that u can refill all day but they dont let you take it on rides or leave it in the baskets where they used to let you put your stuff when u get on a ride!!!
they tell you to put it in a locker before each ride for $1.
DONT BUY THE BOTTLE!!!!!
I just dumped it before every ride and put it in my pocket (i had deep pockets luckily) and then refilled after every ride. you can leave your shoes in the baskets but they refuse to let you leave your bottle there or anything else(prizes, bags) because they want to make you pay $1 for a locker for every ride.
also you have to park in bumble-f unless you feel like paying an extra $10(in addition to the $15).
this place used to be so much better. : (
Great fun.
We just spent the day here and as I haven't been on a roller coaster since high school, it was a real treat.
It was bring a friend for half off day and two of us had season passes so admission wasn't a big deal. We got a Flash Pass which allowed us to enter the ride we wanted to go on and "get in line" while we were out riding less crowded coasters. I'd never been to Six Flags before so I wanted to see the major attractions and this allowed us to do that.
Superman, V2 and Raging Bull ... I could ride those all day.
We didn't have time to go to the water park but I can't wait to visit there too.
Four stars for an awesome day and if you skip the overpriced food and trinkets they have at every turn, one that doesn't cost a total boatload.
Minus one star for the lockers you have to use on every ride for a $1 a pop.
(Superman rules, Dark Knight drools)
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Admit it. You've been to Six Flags and noticed the shocking number of unsavory people (notice how I didn't say "white trash" or "ghetto"...ooops!) who flock here as if they heard free tinned meat was being given out by the caseload.
When I was an assy junion high kid (as opposed to an assy twenty something) my friends and I would come here once a summer and play "Spot the Mullet." This was before the ironic hipster mullet of course. The first person to call out 10 mullets won. No prize, just glory. We also were treated to the sight of neck/boob tattoos, Nascar apparel, jeans with strategic butt-rips and Fubu as far as the eye could see.
This is Disney for those who can't afford Disney's extortionate prices. I could even go as far as to say, this is the 'hound vs. the airplane.
Now that said, Great America still isn't very cheap. And then, once you've cashed in all the Pepsi points (or whatever promo they're doing these days) to gain entry - expect to be further ripped off. Vending machines that won't cough out anything for less than $2.00, ricockulously overpriced narsty fast-food, $15 parking but worst of all... I was recently alerted to this http://consumerist.com...
I don't know if this is every Six Flags but what a joke. Can't Carol, mother of 3 from West Dundee, even wear her fanny pack on the Whizzer?! Looks like no. Six Flags, you are Bastard people!
Enough of my snarkiness though. I'm going to Six Flags on Monday for my company picnic and I'm pumped. A lot of my excitement has to do with the fact that my company is footing the bill for everything besides parking and those cheesy souvenir photos where you're about to piss yourself coming over the top of Raging Bull. Thanks Lettuce!
I do love me a good rollercoaster (none of those freaky giant drop rides... I don't need to walk around in soiled pants all day). And all theme-park robbery aside I always have a good time when I come here. But once a year is plenty.
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Save your monies, drive to Ceder Point.
You'll enjoy it 600x times more.
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This park is a lil junky in relative terms, but I have such good memories of my times there! I popped my coaster cherry on the American Eagle (um probably should have started out with something a little smaller, but why not just dive in?) and I had my high school physics trip here - so I have to show some love with three stars.
Raging Bull, American Eagle and Iron Wolf are worth waiting in whatever line you might find. Demon, Viper, Vertical Velocity - whatever - Superman is only marginally better. I LOVE the Whizzer (kid at heart?) and some of the non-coaster rides. One good thing: the park is pretty convenient to Madison, Milwaukee and (obviously) Chicago. All that being said, this park is expensive to visit and sort of ugly . . . but I still wish I could ride Raging Bull every day!
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I went back to GA one hot Saturday, just to float on the Lazy River.
Here goes: I drive from Schaumburg, find a killer parking spot since I paid extra $60 for the season to park up close, walk all the way to the back of the park to Hurricane Harbor, along the way dodging the people who don't know where anything is or what they want to ride next.
Once inside the water park, I get all decked out in my swimwear, shell out $13 for a locker and $6 for a tube rental. I conveniently find a chair right near the on/off ramp for us with rentals and float for a while on the lazy river.
Well, I decide to exit the Lazy River and head over to the my lounge chair to sit for a minute. All of a sudden I see someone I haven't seen in like 8 years. I was like wow! I HAVE to go say HI!!
While I'm talking to her for maybe 2-3 minutes, I glance over her shoulder to discover that someone conveniently seized my $6 rental tube without asking me first. What nerve!!! Now I don't get my $2 deposit back! Man, I really wanted to get my $2. (Not sure if any of you remember the movie Better off dead... hopefully you'll see the humor if you have.)
Unfortunately, I wore that stupid #$!@%^!& wristband to leave without my $2. Hopefully, you've learned a lesson from me to not let your rental tube out of your site!!!
Well, to end the day on a positive note, I am taking my stuff out of the $13 locker and see a young couple waiting for me to hurry up so they can pay for a locker. I say.. Umm..I'm leaving, if you want you can have my locker.
See, even when I'm wronged, I look out for others. :o)
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6/26/2008
Well, I've been a season pass holder for about 3 years now. I wasn't really sure whether or not I… Read more »
Unless you are so addicted to roller coasters that you can not live without them - stay away from this place.
Six Flags is a company in bankruptcy - and you can feel it in the park.
They will take every opportunity they have to reach into your wallet.
Lots of money for parking? Absolutely?
They have a fastpass scheme like Disney uses. Except Disney's is free. Six Flags version "Flash Pass" set us back $40 for two people.
The food is also absurd. At Papa Johns they advertised only a meal including breadsticks, a soda, pizza and fries. Their menu had no suggestion that you might be able to order the items individually. This kind of behavior is illegal in many states.
They also won't let you take *anything* on the rides - so have your quarters ready - you'll need to rent a locker each time you want to go on a ride if you are there with someone with a purse.
At every concession stand we went to - we were given the hard sell to buy their $10 all you can drink soda bottle. Nobody bothered to mention that we wouldn't be able to take it on any of the rides with us. If you buy this - you will be confronted with the decision to throw it out - or pay money each ride to keep it in a locker.
Towards the end of the day, my wife cut her hand on a handrail in the park. We went to first aid to ask for a bandaid. We were pointed toward a vending machine - and were told that we'd have to pay for the band-aid. At this point - I was already upset about getting ripped off - I explained to the guy at the first aid stand that my wife had cut her hand on a rusty nail sticking out of one of their handrails. He didn't care. Evidently - he wasn't first aid - he was just a bandaid salesperson ?!?!?!
Paint is peeling, wood is rotting, and there are posts that riders throw chewed gum at - that are covered. Little things - bit just not very pleasant.
The rides themselves aren't very good either. I hadn't been here in a decade - and not much had changed. The "Dark Knight" ride was an unmitigated disaster. People were booing after it ended.
Many of the rollercoasters there are so old and beat up that they just aren't fun. Roller coasters are supposed to be about flying around - not getting your head battered against the seat.
Overall the staff didn't add to the experience. We found ourselves getting yelled at a few times for standing in the wrong area, or going in the wrong direction - I felt like I was in kindergarden.
Considering that with a fast pass, food, drink, tickets, lockers, band-aids etc - its difficult for two people to get out of here for less than $200 - I'd strongly encourage you to think hard before going to this kind of expense.
Despite good childhood memories - and a 100% lack of other places to go for roller coasters in Wisconsin - I can say with 100% certainty that I will never return to this dump.
