I'm of the school that American Eagle, with some work, could be a world-class coaster again. It was only such for the first couple years; it wasn't long before the brakes, rough track, etc, problems came into play.
Putting this new "topper track" system that Rocky Mountain offers could make the helices actually fun and lower maintenance. Imagine all the energy saved if those trains rode smoothly through those curves. There are 2 spots (after the 2nd speed bump/pull-up to the big helix and last bunny hop pull out before the final helix) where the trains really SLAM down hard. This wears out trains/wheels/track/structure and is NOT fun for most average riders. The track goes from apex to pull-out too quickly. A similar area on Six Flags New England's Cyclone (the big drop by the station) was fixed when they added topper track to that area.
A little re-profiling, the topper track and a few other tweaks here and there would make a consistently great ride. Of course - take off the brakes too. Topper tracks/re-profiling would enable this. The big problem now is access to the ride.
ViperFTW wrote:The American Eagle thing could have some truth, but I would go with the fact that they are going to remodel it or take it down later than next year. As with Viper, parks remove rides due to low ridership and maintenance problems. Does this sound like Viper to you? I have seen it broken down, but it doesn't happen all the time. Also, the line is usually quite filled pretty decently. It may not be big or seem bad, but it still is a favorite to many people, and if not a favorite, then it is usually one that most enjoy a lot.
My guess: Something is going on with Tiny, and it possibly has to do with Eagle. Tiny definitely didn't die for no reason. It almost seems as if SFGAm might be continuing their clues from the 2013 promo...I know it sounds far-fetched but didn't the coaster blueprint in the one Hometown Square video kind of look like Eagle with a sharper drop?
Then again, I probably am thinking too much into this, and i don't want to start fake rumors on accident or speculate too much. I'll just take this meaningless and be surprised if anything come of it.
remember to they also said that isnt the only trick they had up there sleeves so this whole tiny think and your speculation could even become true....i think they tiny thing is now a hoax knowing they had a banner the next day saying RIP....but then again we dont know...things like this and your speculation i wish i could tell time to see if its right
We will probably see Tiny come back next Fright Fest where Tiny returns from the dead. Tiny is too big of an icon to just die without effort for repairs. For all we know, Tiny might not even be broken but rather this is a PR stunt they have planned for a little while to spice up Fright Fest.
Top 3 Steel Coasters: 1. The Incredible Hulk 2. Maverick 3. Dragon Challenge (Fireball)
Top 3 Wood Coasters: 1. The Beast 2. American Eagle (Red) 3. Hades
Does anybody else think that perhaps tiny could be brought back to a plot that is not American Eagle... you know perhaps one that is adjacent to Eagle and recently vacated?
-Remember there's nothing but air beneath the chair.
get real... that sign could have been designed and printed up in less than 4 hours.. i know a sign shop 30 minutes from Gurnee that could do it in two..
I wonder why they decide to have tiny dead maybe there is something wrong with Tiny maybe have a big hole on tiny and thats is some funeral that i saw on youtube can somebody post pic i would like to see what it looks like and have to visit fright fest this year.
Whatever the reason, they were a little creative with something that wasn't totally lame or sketchy (like advertising the cheapest season pass in 20 years or the cleanest theme park in the world, etc.)
And it worked for them. The parking lot was nearly full on Saturday. I got there a bit after 6pm, and the park started to die down after 8. We rode the train (the pay section) and I was a little disappointed they didn't have any actors coming up to the train. Years ago, they had actors doing that - including in the tunnel next to the Demon's tunnel, which was very cool. I'm thinking due to accidents with people getting hit by rides, that will never happen again. Sunday was less crowded; always great to get double (or many more!) rides. The re-ride policy (well, most of the time) is a nice perk in the Six Flags chain. Cedar Fair and other parks don't allow that.
GCG is right - Saturday was packed, and oppossed to last year, first Saturday was dead. Pun intended
I'm hoping next Saturday isn't too bad. Is Sundays usually more dead and not as many people historically? I do know the closer we get to Halloween, the crazier the crowds get.
bludowise68 wrote:if Tiny is dead then thats means larry or i would say King Kong the gorallia on sky trek tower might be next for next year fright fest.
I'm pretty sure two decades of Chicago's climate is what got to Tiny. Larry (the gorilla) is still fairly-new and will probably hang on (pun intended) for years to come.
