Six Flags Great America May 2014 Update

Six Flags Great America opened for weekend-only operations earlier in the month, and last weekend I traveled to the park to see — besides Goliath — what all had changed since I last visited in June of 2013.

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One of the most noticeable changes was the new season pass system. Gone are the grainy, black-and-white photos printed on a plastic card. Gone are the paper coupon books that you may have lost before even leaving the park. Your fingerprint now identifies you. All you need now is a photo-less plastic card (with your signature) and your right index finger. With no need for photographs, the pass processing line moved much quicker. Kudos to Six Flags for implementing this.

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The IgNight stage is still being dismantled. The nighttime finale show will not return in 2014.

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Not farm from the Season Pass processing center, the Flash Pass building is sporting an appropriate new red-and-yellow color scheme.

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Although the Sky Trek Tower’s car placement in the photograph above makes the tower say “Six Lags,” there was nothing lagging about operations across the park. For the park’s second weekend of operation this season, all attractions were running at least two trains (except the ones with only one train, of course), and operators were moving guests through the line quickly. I was very impressed.

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The trees were blooming around Viper’s queue line, and the bees were buzzing. The roar from Raging Bull’s passing train agitated the bees, causing them to swarm about until they probably forgot why they were mad.

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Raging Bull is still my favorite coaster at the park. It will be interesting to see if Goliath changes that.

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The ride has held up well for being 15 years old.

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It is a great B&M creation, no doubt.

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Also doing well is Demon. I’m so glad the park has held onto this classic Arrow coaster.

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It may not be the smoothest or most pleasant ride at the park, but the fact that so many Arrow coasters are disappearing makes each ride on the Demon special.

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X-Flight will soon be dethroned as the newest coaster on the Six Flags Great America block. But it’s still drawing in the crowds.

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Luckily, the crowds weren’t so bad that the queue was completely full.

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Ragin Cajun has left the park for Six Flags America, just as Iron Wolf did in 2011. And like Iron Wolf, the coaster’s station remains.

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However, nothing else remains but a concrete base. I can’t wait to see what the park does with this space.

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Goliath provides a nice background to the park’s two inverted coasters.

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I keep waiting for a Superman: Ultimate Flight repaint. Someday, I suppose.

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Speaking of Superman, it was actually one of the few coasters I missed during my visit. Without a Flash Pass, I didn’t want to face the line.

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The sun began to set and with it so did the temperature. The air chilled quickly.

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It was nice to see Batman: The Ride running forward again. My inner ear and I were not fans of the backwards version from my last visit.

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Six Flags Great America’s Batman is definitely one of the more picturesque of the Batman models.

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Am I crazy or did the lettering and Gotham Public Works emblem used to be 2D?

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The setting sun made for some excellent silhouette photo opportunities.

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Although I’m still not a fan of the go karts/concrete oasis in the middle of the park, the open space does provide an opportunity for a great shot of the park’s coaster skyline.

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Overall, it was a very enjoyable day at the park. The weather was beautiful, and the crowds weren’t unbearably large. I’m living just a short drive from the park this summer, so I look forward to many more trips to my adopted “home park” over the next few months.

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