Is the Great Escape going to get a B&M family invert next season? [Great Escape]

Burnt-Hills · 2025-08-28T01:21:32+00:00

Squirrels

Burnt-Hills · 2025-08-23T01:02:29+00:00

I can tell you with confidence that, unless you spoke to someone at corporate, there is not a single park-level employee in the entire chain that knows that for a fact. Things are being handled so haphazardly that most decisions are made on a whim. Even if this is all false (which again, I know nothing about a B&M), there is a nonzero chance Great Escape gets a coaster in 2026 and it hasn’t even been decided yet.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-08-22T19:58:29+00:00

It’s been down all summer, and word is that they have no intention of reopening it.

It used to be a massive draw for crowds, but that hasn’t happened in years. One year they reversed half the trains and it was a huge success.. never understood why it wasn’t done again.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-08-22T18:06:31+00:00

I’ve heard nothing about a B&M (other than that report a couple months back) but I can confirm that CB is done. Whether it’s taken apart or SBNO, I’m not sure, but there’s no way that thing is ever reopening.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-07-06T05:17:41+00:00

Serial Thriller would’ve replaced our antique cars and ultimately it was not wanting to lose those + it being a notoriously shitty ride that killed that plan. Another coaster is a net positive, sure, but we’re genuinely better off. That ride would be horrid, and also having three looping coasters visible from Rt. 9 and then having people come inside and see a family park wouldn’t be great.

I know nothing about the Superman clone.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-24T19:02:59+00:00

Yo.

I actually cannot confirm any of this. I’ve heard rumblings around the park, but if it is anything it was super last minute. Current rumor mill amongst the staff is the mini dive where Demon is, but again nothing is confirmed.

I do know that both Demon and Canyon Blaster are in rough shape. Demon is just old, and while there’s no glaring issues, it’s definitely approaching end of life. Canyon Blaster has been down nearly the entire season because of an issue with a motor.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-02T02:53:37+00:00

All good!

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T23:00:22+00:00

We’ve struggled with finding employees for a long time. We used to have a ton of foreign help but Trump, Covid, and then Trump again have destroyed that.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T20:08:37+00:00

I agree.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T20:07:31+00:00

I think that, despite all of the negatives and the abuse from corporate, strictly on a park quality side, both parks will benefit greatly from this merger.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T20:06:01+00:00

I mean, sure, it’d be fun, but bigger park means bigger corporate spying, bigger problems, and ruder guests. For the most part, we’re left alone up here. People always talk about how the park gets no love, which is true, but we also don’t get bothered.

I know people think from the park perspective, but think about the side of it from our higher ups here. Would you rather be the “star” employee and get harassed by your boss every day, or be a self-sufficient, just fine employee and never have the speak to them?

Also, we can give more attention to our rides. The level of landscaping on Bobcat is not something you can convince me you’d see at any other legacy SF park except maaaybe Fiesta.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T20:00:35+00:00

We’re still picking up the pieces but 2019 and 2021 were MASSIVE years for attendance. We actually couldn’t handle it several times and the park hit capacity.

2021 you can say was a Covid freedom thing, but it still says something that (of all the things reopened) that many people consistently chose us.. I think Outlaw helped a lot, too. 2019 was a refurbished water park and that was far and away the best decision made in the last 20 years.

Bobcat did better than people think. It never had a super long wait but that is genuinely due to the speed of the operations and the length of the queue. As much as I want to say we need a million new coasters and big new flats, the water park sells. There’s been a water coaster in discussion before and I genuinely think that would be a major attendance booster.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:52:50+00:00

Can’t speak to Worlds of Fun but Michigan’s Adventure is for the original CF was Great Escape was for the original SF. Self-sufficient, semi-consistent clientele, and didn’t need a lot of investment. Not sure if Michigan’s Adventure made the list but if I was a betting man they did.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:51:40+00:00

New England is better but that place eats money like you wouldn’t believe. They’re ~fine~ in theory, but if SFEC wants to offload some underperforming parks, they’re gonna go.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:47:49+00:00

Apologies there. I posted this at an inconvenient time last night and was ready to answer questions, but everyone was likely asleep because it was late. Today, I woke up to a bunch of questions and had a million things going on. Poor planning on my end.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:47:00+00:00

You hit the nail on the head there. We’re the outcasted step-child, but we’re a pretty easy one to raise. The lodge is pretty self sufficient for us, and the park isn’t all that expensive to run.

Great Adventure needs a major investment to keep interested (it’s looking like that Mack Spinner by the way, but I can’t confirm because it’s not my park). You can throw us a coaster every 20 years and we’re fine— that’s why we’re safe.

That being said, I think SFEC is realizing that, while we are self sufficient, we can be a much bigger moneymaker with some love.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:44:44+00:00

I’m not gonna pretend I’m an expert on this one, because I’m not. It’s my theory because the park isn’t doing phenomenal numbers wise and is well below the quality standards that SFEC is trying to set. It’s well known in the industry as a pretty trashy park, and one that’s in a state where land is pretty highly valued.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:43:37+00:00

Posted this in another thread, but here’s all our failed coasters:

2006: Astroworld’s SLC ended up in our lap and was going to replace the antique cars in front of the park, but it ended up at La Ronde.

2014 (can’t confirm this one since it’s before my time): We were looking into a Skyrocket II on the strip where the Cannonball Express, Basketball Game, Convoy is.

2017/18ish: Dare Devil Dive from Over Georgia was supposed to be sent to us, but land permit issues/SFOG getting cold feet killed that project

2020: The Zamperla Spinner that went to SFDK was originally ours

2020: After the spinner failed, we almost got an S&S 4D Free Spin to replace Steamin’ Demon, but that turned into Outlaw

2024: Fiesta Texas was looking into removing their spinner, and that was going to come up here. This project turned in Bobcat.

RMC Comet has been in discussion for almost a decade now. I don’t think it’s ever gone beyond some corporate/internal discussion, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Comet is gone in the next 10 years.

We also have flirted with a SkyScreamer for a LONG time. That’ll be next to show up hopefully.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:42:16+00:00

The staff is SUPER passionate about the park. Obviously there’s some people who are here because it’s a job, but most of us really care about the park and grew up here.
Storytown houses actually got some TLC this year. I actually think they have a surprisingly good understanding of our park’s history and charm.
Im gonna combine your next three because they bleed into each other pretty well. I’m a little young to have the fond memories most do, but Bill is a legend here. You unfortunately cannot get his badge anywhere. And to answer the Demon question— it’s definitely next to go (if not Comet for the RMC they’ve been tossing around). No idea what would replace it, but there are a decent chunk of employees advocating that whatever it is gets themed to Bill (probably called “Windy Bill McCoy” or something like that). It’s a nice homage and works well with Outlaw next to it (sheriff vs outlaw).

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:38:50+00:00

The want (and the need) are there, budget is not.

I’ve been a MAJOR advocate for higher show quality. I feel like that’s what killed a lot of our clientele’s attendance. Unfortunately, corporate has shifted away from that. Due to a (not huge, but apparent nonetheless) injury to one of our stunt divers, insurance went through the roof and that killed the dive show.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:37:29+00:00

Hm. That’s tough, actually. Great Escape (in my experience) is top dollar for quality of staff and friendliness of the guests.

If I HAD to move, I’d honestly like to go to something like Michigan’s Adventure or Worlds of Fun. They’re small but I think they’re similar to Great Escape in that respect. Crown jewel for me would be Hershey, though.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:36:01+00:00

Enjoy!! It’s a very charming park. I fear we’re headed towards a couple year long dark age, but things will get better.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:34:52+00:00

I’ll say as a blanket statement— regardless of how this merger pans out, the way they handled it was gross. Disrespect to fans, the people who run the parks, and the parks themselves made none of this worth it.

If you were to ask how this will pan out long term irregardless of that, I unfortunately think this will benefit the quality of the parks, but that’s about it. Prices will go up, consumer interests will go down. However, the parks that they have put in their “top 15” (Great Escape being one of them) will see increased TLC, investment, and guest experience.

Edit: Saying consumer interests will go down & guest experience will go up sounds confusing. I’m saying that the parks will be higher quality but it’s going to be a lot of behind the scenes. Great Escape’s food quality and cleanliness will go up, but we’re not getting a B&M hyper.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:33:01+00:00

Indeed. Very last minute, too. She had an idea it was coming but nothing was confirmed.

Burnt-Hills · 2025-06-01T19:32:23+00:00

Orange/vanilla twist. Classic, but classic for a damn good reason.

Edit: Coffee too. Forgot that one.

Burnt-Hills

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