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"Sit tight and listen keenly!"
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Review votes:
176 Useful, 44 Funny, and 112 Cool
Naperville, IL
Yelping SinceFebruary 2008
Things I Lovethe I-355 Extension, my better half, Chicago, indie rock, my kids, travel, the beach
My HometownOkeana, OH
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm thinking about yelping.
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI know my onion!
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadPeace like a river
My First Concerthmmm.... Wang Chung..or Loverboy...?
My Favorite MovieThe Red Violin
My Last Meal On EarthThai Curry Hotpot from Joy Yee
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength.
Most Recent Discovery Current CrushHandsome Furs: Face Control
DateGrand Canyon, AZ 86023
(928) 638-2631
El Tovar Hotel Dining Room
Category: Restaurants
Gurnee, IL 60031
(847) 249-1528
Six Flags Great America
Category: Amusement Parks
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 America.
Opening Day 2009 was FANtastic.
First of all, I didn't know how crowded it would be on opening day, so I purchased a Flash Pass for the family online (my better half hates amusement parks so I had to bribe him with the Flash Pass). Well, it was empty, so they weren't running the Flash Pass system. Which was GREAT. We literally walked on nearly every ride. No waits, no kidding! We rode Raging Bull three times in a row. It was the greatest.
The bigwig of GA gave a talk along with the mayor of Gurnee at the opening. Later on I saw the big wig walking around the park - carrying a trash picker-uper. He said in his talk that the goal is to make it the cleanest park in the country. Well, I don't know about that but he sure was setting a good example. I saw him later in the day and asked about the Flash Pass - if I could get a refund. He said no problem - just go to Guest Services - and they refunded the money - no problem. And the park employees were polite - all of them, I'm not kidding, maybe it was because it was opening day, but it was a marked improvement over prior years. Everyone had the standard "Enjoy your day at Great America" spiel, and it was nice.
There were some glitches, but the fact that the weather was nice and there was NO WAIT for any of the rides more than made up for it. V2 was not running, the swinging canoe was not running, the water rides were not running (it was cold) but there was PLENTY to do.
Two of our kids are over 54", so they can and did ride everything. They rated Raging Bull and Superman as the best coasters in the park. They also loved King Chaos (rode it 4 times in a row), Batman, and the Vertical Drop ride (forgot the name).
Our little guy is 48" (he is almost 5 years old), so he can't ride everything, but there is a lot he can ride. They have wristbands if your kids are close to the 42", 48" or 54" cutoff, so get a band the first time they are measured, then instead of getting measured at every ride, just flash the band. Our little guy thought it was his roller coaster pass and flashed it to anyone who would look.
The rides that our little guy liked the best were the Dark Knight, the Demon, the Whizzer, and the Ragin' Cajun. The Viper and the Big Drop Ride were too much for him, a bit too scary. If you have a timid child, the Dark Knight may be a bit much because it's dark and spooky.
A park employee told us that if you have a split-height family like ours, you can ask to do a "swap" on the bigger rides. So the whole family can wait in line, then one parent can ride with the bigger kids while the other parent waits with the smaller kids, and then swap so the other parent can ride too. Good to know in the future, but there was no need for it on Opening Day because there were no lines.
I liked the Dark Knight, it's very Disney-esque, more emphasis on the experience than on the sheer thrill of the ride. I think Raging Bull is the best coaster in the park with Superman a close second. The Iron Wolf and the Ragin' Cajun are neck-wrenchers. The kids like them, but once is enough for me.
The movie theater show was a good family show - Dick Clark's Bloopers - everyone liked it.
The food was OK - some new offerings, but typical. If you are looking for something healthy to eat, I recommend the vegetable bowl at Panda Express by the Eagle roller coaster. The "fresh salads" at the other places were smothered in dressing.
We ended our day at 6:15, which is unheard of because the kids are normally worn out and my better half normally hates amusement parks, but the cool sunny day coupled with the lack of lines and friendly people kept us there much longer than normal! I highly recommend going in April - it was GREAT!
This was a great place to relax and unwind after an active vacation to the Grand Canyon.
It was kid-friendly. There is a splash area near the pool and a playground on site.
The best bargin was breakfast brunch for the kids... $3.95 each!
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 946-0051
Sugar Bowl Ice Cream Parlor
Categories: American (Traditional), Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
Tips-
Wear a jacket or fleece
Wear a headlamp so you can use your hands to climb (have every member of your party wear one of their own)
Bring an extra flashlight or battery
Wear sturdy shoes
Take your time! It's rocky and slippery.
Take a minute to read up on the formation of the canyon on the park website so you kind of know what you're looking at
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
(928) 774-9373
Crystal Creek Sandwich Co
Category: Sandwiches
Kids liked it too.
The best part of the trip was the bus ride back... the driver regaled us with stories about his 30 or so years in Page.
We drove up from Sedona and went a few miles out of the way to enter on the East side. We hit the Watchtower at about 4 pm, then drove over to the Yavapai Lodge. It was good timing, the play of light in the various stops were beautiful and we caught deer and elk along the way. They're most active at night.
The next morning, we hiked down the Bright Angel Trail for about a mile. If you have kids, they will probably enjoy watching the mules getting ready for the hike down - so be at the top of the Bright Angel Trail at about 8 am. Hang onto your kids going down the trail, especially if they are adventurous. We probably would have gone down further, but our 5 year old would have been worn out. It took us 1.5 hours to go down 1 mile and back. I think the canyon is at it's most beautiful in the morning.
Also, if you have kids, check out the Jr. Ranger program. One of the best memories (for me) is watching them sit on the rim trail and quietly work on their books while contemplating the canyon. One of the activities is to write a haiku about how the canyon makes them feel. Surprisingly, our 9 year old (boy) sat and looked at the canyon and completed the activity.
To complete the book, we attended the Geo-glimpses ranger talk at the Yavapai observation station. That was only about 25 minutes long and held their attention. The Jr. ranger swearing-in is the best part - very fun. Ask the ranger after you attend a talk and they can do the swearing-in.
17 Lists
When you make a reservation, ask to sit by the windows. We got a reservation for a relatively busy Saturday night on the Friday before.
They have a kid's menu and they will make a half-portion of menu items for kids, too. Service was great. Food was good. I would recommend going here for the view, the service, and the history.