Six Flags Great America opens for the 2013 season on Saturda

[stormalert123]

six flags opens on may 4th we didnt had to wait this year to find out

[Coaster Justin]

Where'd You find this out?

[DeathbyDinn]

It's on the parks events page.

[BURTONxBLUNT]

hmmm had a strange feeling that would happen considering that they always open the 1st week of may!

[NightRider785]

hmmm had a strange feeling that would happen considering that they always open the 1st week of may!

I remember just a couple years ago, they opened in April. Chilly, but fun as the park was almost empty

[BURTONxBLUNT]

hmmm had a strange feeling that would happen considering that they always open the 1st week of may!

I remember just a couple years ago, they opened in April. Chilly, but fun as the park was almost empty

well this there 3rd year cause 4 yrs ago they opened weekend after easter and 5 yrs ago it was the first weekend in april! had no lines that year was freaking amazing(:

[CoasterNick3157]

2009 First Friday in April, That was something else. Too bad that probally won't happen again.

[Johnny.Ink]

2009 First Friday in April, That was something else. Too bad that probally won't happen again.

and weirdly enough, in St. Louis they open beginning of April, and that park is much smaller. Weather can't be the only reason, because New England opens early as well.

[BURTONxBLUNT]

2009 First Friday in April, That was something else. Too bad that probally won't happen again.

and weirdly enough, in St. Louis they open beginning of April, and that park is much smaller. Weather can't be the only reason, because New England opens early as well.

well there has been times that it has snowed in april! but this year was very weird winter and it was in the 60's in early march. Also St louis may be a 4 to 5 hour drive from here(SE WI) but still have a really different climate in april! it has been in the 70's there while only reaching low 50's here so most likely it is just weather because i remember on twitter i asked them will you ever open back up in april and they said no so yah but who knows maybe one year they will open up in april! i dont see a problem with opening up after easter. 75% of time after easter its in the low 70's and high 60's

[DejaVu2001]

I'm sure I've said this before, but I will say it again. I firmly believe the park could make an early April opening successful. What they need to do though is advertise heavily and give extra discounts (until it catches on). April weather is usually not that bad, a little chilly, but not horrible. I believe the reason 2009 failed as bad as it did is that you had the park opening 3 weeks earlier than they had ever opened before with absolutely no advertising at all. You can't possibly expect to make money if no one except coaster nerds even know the park is open.

I would love to see the park try the early opening again with the $20.00 opening weekend tickets that have made the last 2 years opening weekends so crowded.

[DeathbyDinn]

While I'd imagine that the park would have some discount should they open that early again, I feel like with how good the PR team as been lately they could probably make it successful even without a discount. Now that the park is really starting to use Facebook, Twitter and Youtube more effectively, I'm sure they could easily advertise the hell out of an early opening. Either way, it's still probably nothing more than a pipe dream, unless who ever replaces Weber goes back to the Shapiro idea of longer seasons and longer hours. With some of the cuts made recently, I'm just happy to still get an early May opening!

[UWW-10]

Earlier opening also means a shortened time frame for maintenance and other full time staff to complete rehab/other projects.

And....since there's enough people around here who constantly complain that the park isn't fully functional until Memorial Day Weekend (typically)...I can only imagine the explosion of complaints. Of course, it probably becomes routine once you set the schedule and do it long enough, but that still doesn't account for the unforeseen issues that pop up.

[aspects]

2009 First Friday in April, That was something else. Too bad that probally won't happen again.

and weirdly enough, in St. Louis they open beginning of April, and that park is much smaller. Weather can't be the only reason, because New England opens early as well.

Since I like both of them on Facebook, I got both of their messages. St. Louis will open on March 29, 2013, six weeks ahead of Great America. I understand climate differences, but six weeks seems extreme considering which of the parks is more popular.

[monsterfan99]

2009 First Friday in April, That was something else. Too bad that probally won't happen again.

and weirdly enough, in St. Louis they open beginning of April, and that park is much smaller. Weather can't be the only reason, because New England opens early as well.

Since I like both of them on Facebook, I got both of their messages. St. Louis will open on March 29, 2013, six weeks ahead of Great America. I understand climate differences, but six weeks seems extreme considering which of the parks is more popular.

During the spring break period, the park gets a ton of southern religious groups on trips. They also do 1-2 musical competitions that utterly pack the park then.

[Luxornv]

During the spring break period, the park gets a ton of southern religious groups on trips. They also do 1-2 musical competitions that utterly pack the park then.

So a weekend trip early in the season with expectations of doing everything there would be out of the question?

[monsterfan99]

During the spring break period, the park gets a ton of southern religious groups on trips. They also do 1-2 musical competitions that utterly pack the park then.

So a weekend trip early in the season with expectations of doing everything there would be out of the question?

On the musical festival days, the mornings before everyone performs are bad as is right before the award ceremony. Other than that, it's fairly dead on the rides themselves.

[Johnny.Ink]

We went the second weekend of opening last year and rode everything rather easily over and over. we got over 10 rides on American Thunder, and multiple rides on everything else with minimal waiting. early and late in the season (September) seem to be really good times to visit St. Louis.

[DeathbyDinn]

2013 park hours have been posted. Park opening has been pushed back to 10:30, still closing at 10. HH is open May 25 - Sept 2nd, 11 - 6. An extra Saturday has been added in September before Fright Fest, and Fright Fest will be open for two Thursdays next year. Closing day is Oct. 27.

[DejaVu2001]

Ugh. 10:30 openings. Though I'm surprised our park held out this long, pretty much every other SF park has been doing 10:30 for 2-3 seasons now. The thing that confuses me though is why, after 2012's Fright Fest Thursday was so successful that they added a second one, that they still aren't open on Halloween (which is also a Thursday).

[Bob O]

A 10:30am start time is awful!!!!! If they are going to reduce the amount of time one gets to visit the parks they should also reduce all admission prices to get into the parks!! So I guess that part of the park now wont open till 11:30am since there is a later starting time.
And it is sad that SF STL can open in early april an d we have to wait a month extra!!!

[monsterfan99]

A 10:30am start time is awful!!!!! If they are going to reduce the amount of time one gets to visit the parks they should also reduce all admission prices to get into the parks!! So I guess that part of the park now wont open till 11:30am since there is a later starting time.
And it is sad that SF STL can open in early april an d we have to wait a month extra!!!

Could be like WDW wher full admission of over $90 is charged for a 9-5 day at Animal Kingdom.

[Ilovthevu']

The way I see it, is that a 10:30 opening really hurts the park in the food department. Let's face it. Park opens at 10 am, and a lot of people get there at 10:45 am -11 am. Now, people can just go for lunchtime food before the park even opens because most of the people are late to the park anyway. Now, the hour gap would be 11:30 am, and than the people will just eat outside the park before they even get there. They are doing this to save money on rides / shops, but than they are going to lose some money on the food.

[DeathbyDinn]

I don't really see how this is going to hurt the parks food income. The people who ate outside the park will still do that, and the people who ate inside the park will still do that as well. Getting there a half hour later isn't going to suddenly make me and all the people I go with want to eat outside the park. The majority of guests don't eat until 12 - 1 anyways.

[Galvan]

I think the 10:30 openings enable people to stay longer at the park.

And It wont effect food at all, as instead of a snack/lunch people are buying a full blown dinner instead and actually mean MORE money for the food department.

[Bob O]

I see no reason at all that this will cause people to stay at the park longer!!!! It just screw's people out of a 1/2 hour of park time. This will cause me to spend less time in the park and because I am unhappy with there awful decision to reduce park hours to spend no money in the park in my form of protest. They did get my season pass money, but there is little reason to give them anymore till they start putting there guests first!!

As for the AK comparsion, very few people buy a single park day pass, they would be far more likely to buy a park hopper pass and when they were done got to a park like EDCOT etc which is open longer ro end there day.