2016 and Beyond Speculation at SFGA

[29yrswithaGApass]

Never too early to start this ball rolling!

[RC98]

Something bigger than this year, I think it will be either the free spin in the Chiller spot that will reopen Old Country or the Justice League dark ride in the old simulator building, possibly making the back area of Boardwalk DC Universe (it basically is already).

[DANofNJ]

I think a Zipper and Gravitron would be a great addition for 2016.

[Nitro1118]

Based on the last 3 years of additions chain-wide, the 4 likeliest additions to me are (in order)...

 

1) S&S Free-spin

2) RMC

3) Interactive dark ride

4) B&M wing rider

 

I truly believe we were going to get a clone of B:TR at SFFT before Zumanjaro went over budget. Depending on how reliable and well-received B:TR is, I could see use getting a bigger, improved model in 2016.

 

My second choice is RMC for obvious reasons. They are highly acclaimed and relatively inexpensive as far as world-class coasters go. Also, they have a strong relationship with the chain and seem to be amping up their portfolio year after year. GADV could give them huge parcels of land and let Alan's imagination go crazy.

 

I picked the dark ride 3rd because the park has really been focusing on all-around fun the last few years, and a Justice League clone would be a perfect fit to revive Movietown.

 

Last choice is a wing rider. SF has seemed to stray away from B&M the last few years, likely due to high price tag, but it'd definitely be a people eater immediately.

[Andrew M]

JL Dark ride either to the old simulator building or put it in Movietown, then retheme Movietown into Gotham City, add a Gotham City Crime Wave like a SFNE and SFOG, put in a tilt-a-whirl called Harley Quinn's Spinsanity, have a new stunt show and I will be a happy camper Plus if there was a perfect time to do all this DC comic theming it would be next year to tie in with the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice!!!

[errico5errico]

I don't know why but I don't have too good of a feeling about next year.

[jdc12192]

^I get where you are coming from. I am hopeful and would like to think we are getting something major, but my gut is telling me no.

[DevilsFlight]

We better get something big next year. It'll have been 10 years since our last custom coaster in 2016. I'm going for a 4-D. Either S&S or even B&M's first.

[SFGadv123]

I honestly don't think next year will be a new coaster. They are putting one in for 2015 (as they call it), and they really are against putting a new coaster in 2 years in a row. Lets go through about the last 15 years.

 

1999 - Medusa (Bizarro)

2001 - Nitro

2003 - Superman: Ultimate Flight

2005 - Kingda Ka

2006 - El Toro

2008 - The Dark Knight

2011 - Green Lantern

2015 - Looping Dragon

 

Mostly every other year. So I say that next year they go with an Interactive Dark Ride, and then we will have to wait to get our major coaster in 2017, possibly a B&M wing rider, which they will send Bizarro to another park to "make room" for.

Edited August 29, 2014 by SFGadv123

[jdc12192]

^Make room? the park has PLENTY of room to put things without having to take anything out.

[SFGadv123]

Well use the term "make room" loosely, as I used it more of what their excuse would be to get rid of Bizarro.

[RADZADcoasters]

I belive one of these options. S&S free spin, Dark ride, Wing Rider, RMC, or the jersey giant giga.

[owtoty]

I say the RMC or giga. Especially something like SFMM's twisted colossus. It would kind of be like a rolling thunder remake in a way. Also that would be cool if they did it how you ride both sides in one ride just like at SFMM.

[warnerleroy]

Dark ride hopefully. The park needs one and it'll have a longer shelf life than a coaster

[jdc12192]

As much as I'd like a dark or simulator type ride, I can just see it ending up like TDK effects. Rather get a plain coaster then a dark ride.

[Password121]

I say if it is a coaster l, it'll be either 1) RMC top-down wooden coaster, or 2) S&S 4D Free Fly.

If not, then most likely a dark ride, Justice League clone or not.

 

I honesty don't know where everyone is getting these giga coaster rumors from. B&M or not, a giga coaster is simply going to cost more than Six Flags is willing to pay. Six Flags has directly stated they will not spend what they did on Tatsu (~$25 million) ever again. A giga coaster is not happening, unfortunately.

[Andrew M]

How much exactly did they spend on Zumanjaro this year? I'm kinda interested in knowing the cost of all the rides. I think that would be an interesting post.

Edited August 29, 2014 by Andrew M

[Intaminous_Me]

I hope for an LSM multiple launching coaster built by Intamin, like Maverick or Cheetah hunt. This would definitely benefit the parks collection of coasters. Everyone says that were getting an RMC Or wing rider, but as popular they are at the moment, in he long run, this wouldn't benefit the coasters already existing at the park. Think about it this way. El Toro is already such a wooden thriller. Do they really need another wooden coaster with inversions? Leave that to a new steel coaster. Also, attendance of El Toro would drop with another wooden coaster. A B&M wing coaster does sound cool, but really, it's the same elements as any other B&M but you're next to the track. The appearance of it is just more appealing. Also, this is just a thought. Every time I'm on Nitro, on the lift hill, I can easily peer over to the spot where Batman and Robin the Chiller used to be. The large dome shaped structure with the nasty hand crushing it has stayed there ever since. Why didn't six flags demolish it or take it away when the Chiller was dismantled? Did they plan to use it in a ride that they would later construct? I always look past and think about why the dome should still be there every time I go on Nitro. Well, it keeps curiosity going. Does anyone else have any ideas?

[Andrew M]

Also, this is just a thought. Every time I'm on Nitro, on the lift hill, I can easily peer over to the spot where Batman and Robin the Chiller used to be. The large dome shaped structure with the nasty hand crushing it has stayed there ever since. Why didn't six flags demolish it or take it away when the Chiller was dismantled? Did they plan to use it in a ride that they would later construct? I always look past and think about why the dome should still be there every time I go on Nitro. Well, it keeps curiosity going. Does anyone else have any ideas?

I've thought the same thing for years. When they announced TDKC I assumed they were going to use the buildings.. Which obviously never happened. But then why keep them? They aren't used for FF just the que is. It isn't an issue of money since they tore down 2 rollercoasters since then. Is there a plan that they are eventually going to get to? Just like the simulator building. Why keep them there if you aren't going to use them?

[SlickMittens]

OK, so here's my idea, and with it comes 2 disclaimers.

 

1) I am not an artist.

2) I am not a coaster designer.

 

Great! Now that the legalese is out of the way, have a look at my poorly cropped google maps pic of the Old Country. There is so much room there that's ripe for the taking, and it would really round out the park nicely.

 

Option 1 is the blue coaster. That can be a giga, wing rider, or rmc. Whatever you prefer, the swath of land is big for a ride like that. The red is the station, with arrows showing direction of travel. Orange is the lift and then the brakes at the end. There's a ton of room for a long, airtime filled, any kind of ride feature you want coaster.

 

Option 2 uses the Chiller station (with an external renovation so it fits better in the area) to do a multiple launch coaster like Intaminous_Me said. It would launch out of the robin side through the observatory, then do some fun inverting jazziness to turn back into the area behind TDKC. Swing back around, do a dive loop back into the observatory/Batman station. Launch out the back of that, fling around a bit (that's the technical term), and safely and soundly arrive back into the Robin side.

 

Now, I'm not advocating for both (right away at least ), but one of them could revitalize the area. Then the two Pink circles with F's are Flat ride areas that would still allow both coasters at some point. Obviously, if the only plan is build the blue coaster, then the whole other side where Spin Meister and Musik Express were opens up for flats as well. Opposite for only the green coaster.

 

WIth all the talk already of them saving money this year to install something big next year, I think 1 (ONE) coaster here and a flat or two would be a great way (and admittedly greedy way) to revitalize that area and open up a big area to disperse crowds to. Thoughts on my idea? Save your thoughts on my awesome artwork. Unless you think it's awesome.

 

[IgetAround]

I'm not sold that we were "getting a new coaster in 2015 until Zumanjaro went over budget."

 

It takes a long time to build a roller coaster. Not to be confused with erecting one, I'm talking about:

 

The initial design phase (Surveying the land, seeing what will fit, rendering it on software and creating it all digitally

Presenting the design to the park, receiving approval for it, doing all the legalities

Machining the pieces and welding them together at the steel plant

Then, finally, the ride is shipped and installed.

 

This process takes YEARS. Anything that would have been in the works for 2015 would have been past the point of no return when Zumanjaro went over budget. There's contracts involved in ordering a coaster from a company, and most likely the ride is completely pre paid for before anyone even starts building the coaster at the steel factory level. So if Zumanjaro went over budget and they really were planning on a coaster for 2015, it's not like they can go to the manufacturer and be like "Hey... so that new coaster for next year, we have to scrap that, there's no money." Thats not how it works, the new coaster would have been done by this time and the pieces well on their way towards the park.

[Intaminous_Me]

The designs really do look exciting. Two coasters are nearly impossible though. As long as we get one decent coaster next year, I'll be happy. But, I can imagine how long and expensive the process is for welding and fabricating the pieces of track will be. Space, great adventure does have, and after this money saving year, they should have the money to build something. Six Flags can earn millions just on season bottles! Think about it. Soda is cheap and the bottles (honestly) are also cheaply made. If they sell a bottle for $15, plus refills and reusing, that really adds up! More than half of the attendance all have those lovely cheap bottles! That must be a lot of money!

Edited August 29, 2014 by Intaminous_Me

[SlickMittens]

I agree with you Igetaround...I bet that the plan after a the record breaking Zumanjaro was to take a down year, and hopefully focus the major efforts and expenditure to 2016. I'm a glass half full guy, so I'd like to think that's the plan. And since we've only been 2016 speculating for 1 day, I'm not ready to kill my dreams haha!

 

Intaminous_Me, in no world would I expect 2 coasters in one year (amazing as that would be), but I just drew two up to show different options in that desolate area. Personally, I'd prefer a launching coaster to a giga or something like that. I think it would be more diverse given our current collection, and it would be a great use of space.

[Intaminous_Me]

I feel like launching coasters are simply more fun. They're a newer innovation, and B&M have like no launched coasters. That's why it gets old. I feel like great adventure simply has too many B&Ms that are similar and less innovated. They should get something that they never had, like an LSM multiple launched one. It would add up really well to the coaster collection at Great Adventure.

[Nitro1118]

I'm not sold that we were "getting a new coaster in 2015 until Zumanjaro went over budget."

 

It takes a long time to build a roller coaster. Not to be confused with erecting one, I'm talking about:

 

The initial design phase (Surveying the land, seeing what will fit, rendering it on software and creating it all digitally

Presenting the design to the park, receiving approval for it, doing all the legalities

Machining the pieces and welding them together at the steel plant

Then, finally, the ride is shipped and installed.

 

This process takes YEARS. Anything that would have been in the works for 2015 would have been past the point of no return when Zumanjaro went over budget. There's contracts involved in ordering a coaster from a company, and most likely the ride is completely pre paid for before anyone even starts building the coaster at the steel factory level. So if Zumanjaro went over budget and they really were planning on a coaster for 2015, it's not like they can go to the manufacturer and be like "Hey... so that new coaster for next year, we have to scrap that, there's no money." Thats not how it works, the new coaster would have been done by this time and the pieces well on their way towards the park.

 

A 4D is a small footprint that would likely go on land ready for immediate construction. Assuming that SF put their faith in S&S for the prototype, along with probably purchasing 2-3 all at slightly discounted rates (speculation), it wouldn't be incredibly difficult to delay the project another year.

 

Not that I take his word as gospel, but I heard Robb Alvey was dropping hints that SFFT and our park would be very happy with their 2015 additions.