The Interpreter Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 A Six Flags Great Adventure fansite is reporting that Great American Scream Machine's last day at Great Adventure will be July 18: GA Outpost Great Adventure, under Al Weber, it's a changING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 Now revised to add citation to park's Facebook page...: Hey guys, Scream Machine will close July 18 to make room for a major new attraction in 2011. We'll offer double rides on GASM July 11 & 18. We'll host an ERT (Exclusive Ride Time) event on July 18, 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m. to invited guests; to be invited, see this contest http://www.facebook.com/sixflagsgreatadventure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Millennium Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! I'm going on july 18th! I'm going on the last day! I'm pumped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster_junky Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 lol, well good luck getting on the ride, i'd think it would be a very long line, especially since it's public information that the rides final day is the 18th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 AND that each ride will be a double ride, making capacity a little more than half as much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Well, if rumors hold to be true, I suppose it makes more sense for a CHANGe to come to SFGAdv which has no stand up coaster, than to go to a park SFGAm that already has a stand up ride. This means thought that yet another Arrow mega-looper is biting the dust. One that is a few years younger than Vortex at Kings Island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 Taller, faster, with one more inversion, more theoretical capacity and more intense, the thing will be missed. Terp, who has ridden GASM more times than he has Vortex, in all probability... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Unfortunately, I have never had a great adventure, and thus have never ridden the ride, and never will be able to. On a side note, the other day when I was at Kings Island, the DBack crew was trying to break the capacity record and break 1600 riders for the first time. They fell one train short, and achieved 1,568 riders. They were literally sending trains through at amazing speed, and were typically waiting on the trains to make their way around the block brakes outside of the station. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 Vortex is far more picturesque, and a much smoother, more enjoyable ride. Oddly, those who grew up in the Northeast say the exact opposite...claiming Vortex is more intense and less re-rideable. At least even they don't say the parking lot stripes add ambiance to the ride in New Jersey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Fail, they need to preserve the classic Arrow mega loopers not tear them down, especially for a Stand UP with 2 less inversions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Millennium Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 ^^^I got a gold flash pass, so that will not be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BavarianBeatle Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Glad I got to ride Great American Scream Machine last week. I enjoyed the ride. I have never ridden Chang, but I hope it's a better ride than the B&M that will be next to it at Great Adventure. --Beatle, who spent his ultimate flight feeling like he was strapped to the bottom of a bad roller coaster, and who believes that adding B&M's to the park that contains Nitro will make all of those other B&M's seem inferior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Glad I got my ride last year on GASM. I did remind me of Vortex some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Luckily I got to ride the original, Shockwave, at Six Flags Great America in 1993, since apparently I'll never get to ride Great American Scream Machine. Whats with Six Flags trashing their mega loopers? Can't they tear down something else, or dare I say it, expand the park? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 What's with Six Flags? Well, let's see: * Money. The company just emerged from bankruptcy. * Product life. There are those who say Great American Scream Machine had just about reached its useful life...note that other similar coasters have also disappeared, including Shockwave, which you mentioned. The day will come for Vortex, as well. The question is not if, but when. * New management, which questioned the wisdom of putting another stand-up coaster at a park that already had one, even if it also is near its end. And that management watched what Cedar Fair did with Demon Drop, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 I just think the Arrow Mega Loopers are cool, and should be preserved. Yeah they are a bit rough but they are still alot of fun, and they are the first thing that comes to mind one someone says "roller coaster". Don't get me wrong I like Chang too, but its not like its much less painful than an Arrow Mega looper, with its horrible stool-in-crotch harness, as all stand ups have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TylerRider Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 I think Vortex will be at KI for a long time. On busy days, the line can be 100 feet out the que. Many people tell me they like it the best. I just hope they fix the sinkng problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 Almost a decade ago, Jeff Gramke told a group of high school students considering a career in engineering that Vortex was approaching the end of its useful life. He now has something to do with facilities, engineering and construction. And then, about two years ago, he told a group of people from some Internet site or other that Cedar Fair would be engaging in ride rotation...he was specifically asked if this referred to Geauga Lake, but he said it was broader than that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkiboy Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 I will be at Great Adventure Friday to ride it one last time. Going To Great Escape today. We are having a blast On our 14 park 10 day trip Expect a Huge PTR from us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 How is The Vortex near the end of its "useful service life"? It's one of the most reliable and efficient loading coaster KI has ever had, and yeah its rough, but its always been rough and its never gotten any rougher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSonofBeast Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 just because a ride is running efficiently and well does not mean that the ride is not nearing the end of its life. It sits on prime land, plus sometimes there are other things that you dont quite see like structural repairs, downtime increasing, heavy maintenance, etc. Who knows if and when Vortex will leave, but i do know that it has become increasingly rough over the years that i have ridden it (minus the magic seat, 5-1). I quite thoroughly enjoy Vortex, but i wouldnt be surprised if it got the axe in a few years or so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 meh its always been rough. Arrow never exactly had the reputation of B&M when it came to "smoothness". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 Steel coasters eventually suffer from something known as metal fatigue. They can be kept going by eventually replacing virtually every piece on them (see Space Mountain, for example), but in most cases most operators would rather go the route of getting something new and starting the cycle anew... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browntggrr Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 It sits on prime land Prime land for what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 A nice Bat ride would go very nicely there... Oh, wait... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 yeah I'm not sure what "prime land" means unless we're talking about unstable land or something because its obvious The Vortex is sinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillsberry123 Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 If the ride is removed it would be for any reason besides the land it sits on. King's Island has only used half of its acreage and has plenty of room to expand. I haven't seen Vortex down yet this season, and Cedar Fair invested in a paintjob. There's nothing that suggests that the ride will be removed within the next five years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Well, technically they painted Vortex`s rails last season. And just because a ride receives a new paint job does not mean it will be around much longer. King Cobra was painted in late 1998 for the 1999 Action Zone addition. The ride was removed in the spring of 2002 (although it last operated in 2001). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cormaster Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Theres really no evidence to suggest Vortex will bite the dust anytime soon. As others have said, Should they add a new attraction, there is plenty of room to expand without removing it, its very durable, and its one of the most popular coasters in the park. Also lets consider how many Arrow Custom looping coasters that are older than The Vortex that are still out there such as Demon at SFGA, Corkscrew at Cedar Point, or Lock Ness Monster at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. There are many more but I don't feel like listing them all. Honestly GASM and its sister Shockwave at SFGA are just both victims of "we need the land for a new attraction" and thats about it. Had they decided to install Chang at SFGA, GASM wouldn't be getting demolished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share Posted July 7, 2010 And you know that last sentence how exactly? Terp, who wonders (and who would love to say more, but cannot and will not...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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