North America 06/25 – Six Flags Great Escape
Back in the warm embrace of the states we were ready for, on paper, the most chill day of the trip.
Ideally would have gone harder, but even after significant maths following the failures of the past few days, and of the amusement industry in 2025, there was simply nothing else to be gained in the region.
Let’s hope it’s a good one then.
Day 5 – Six Flags Great Escape
Though a little crowded first thing, impressions were positive at the entrance. Ownership of this place is steeped in history, so it’s a little less Six Flags at least on the surface. Visually very nice, for the first 10 paces into the park.
And for a few other patches here and there, appreciate the effort in theming. Wanted to start the morning on Bobcat but it wasn’t ready. Wasn’t clear whether this was technical issues or just staggered openings, but it resulted in yet another session of sitting on a bench looking at a closed ride. From one park to another. Sometimes you start to doubt your choices.
Anyway, the guy outside also told people that Comet was closed for now, so we just took a wander and found this nice little tribute.
Then beyond that, through a waterpark because the layout of this place was weird, we could tell that #1 Comet clearly was running.
Thus it became coaster #1700 for me, and it was a good one. Bit of a surprise hit amongst the woodies on this trip as I knew literally nothing about it. Solid, old fashioned fun with great tracking, surprisingly good forces and comfy trains. They clearly look after this one and I liked it a lot.
Upon the return to #2 Bobcat, it had opened. This completed the set of baby Gravity woodies for the trip, and the world I think. Only got Australian Leviathan left to ride from the manufacturer I call my boys.
Also just found out this was my 150th wooden coaster, so two milestones in one park. If measured in 50s, the fact that there are less than 200 woodies operating in the world means this could be the last, which is crazy to me. Unless I keep going hard and they keep opening more.
Enough gooning, how was the ride? Meh.
It packed nowhere near the same punch as Roar-a-Saurus, or even Wooden Warrior, while also managing to feel criminally short. They all are of course, but there’s a certain magic to feeling like you get more than you should out of a drop. Bobcat felt like less, most like Timber but also way less potent. I guess it didn’t particularly suffer from pacing like many do, there wasn’t a noticable sap of energy at any point, just no noticeably strong element either. One of the weakest for sure and not a good representation of modern Gravity sadly, on this occasion.
With that slight disappointment out of the way, the park very quickly began to fall apart.
The Boomerang was closed because it’s 2025 and it’s just had a refurb, so they can’t reopen it yet. That puts us 2 for 4 on Boomerangs, yay?
The mine train was closed because it’s 2025 and they haven’t finished their ‘improvements’ yet, 1 month into a park that essentially has a 3 month season. American calendars make these win rates seem all the more despairing.
They don’t let you ride the kiddie cred.
#3 Steamin’ Demon it is then. Mercifully it had no queue as that would have been nothing but sunburn and misery. Rode awfully and the comedy of the name wasn’t enough to save the character.
Desperately needed a song. Have you heard the demon? Have you heard him steamin’?
And that was Six Flags Great Escape. Bit of a wash, 3 creds, 3 spites, 3 hours. Not particularly impressed, other than Comet. Come for Comet if you want.
A Six Flags half day if ever there was one.