A new survey sent to some Six Flags Great America passholders has roller coaster enthusiasts buzzing.
The parent company of the Gurnee, Illinois amusement park sent out online surveys to frequent visitors at multiple parks, asking their opinions on different types of attractions under consideration for development. According to screenshots of the survey posted to Reddit, Six Flags Great America’s email featured three different attractions under consideration. We reached out to Great America and the park confirmed the authenticity of the survey.
The three attraction concepts in the Great America survey include a family launch roller coaster, a flying theater attraction, and the one every entusiast seems to be salivating over – a Giga Coaster. I break them all down in this video:
What is a Giga Coaster?
A Giga Coaster is a roller coaster with a height of 300-399 feet. Currently, Great America’s tallest roller coaster is the 202-foot tall Raging Bull, so a Giga Coaster would stand a whopping 100 feet taller than that. Here’s what the park’s survey has to say about this possible attraction:
“Prepare for the ultimate thrill experience with the all-new Giga Coaster, a towering masterpiece designed for adrenaline seekers and coaster enthusiasts alike. Soaring over 300 feet in height and reaching jaw-dropping speeds, this record-breaking coaster delivers massive drops, high-speed twists, and exhilarating airtime from start to finish.
With state-of-the-art engineering, immersive theming, and panoramic park views, riders will feel the rush of flight and the thrill of extreme speeds like never before. It’s the perfect combination of intense thrills, cutting-edge technology, and unforgettable excitement, making this Giga Coaster the must-ride attraction!“
Giga Coasters Over The Years
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Millennium Force at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio (2000). The world’s first giga coaster opened to worldwide acclaim and remains a favorite to many to this day. -
Steel Dragon at Nagashima Spa Land in Nagashima, Japan (2000). At 318 feet tall, it became the world’s tallest roller coaster after it opened just a few months after Millennium Force at Cedar Point. -
Pantherian at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia (2010). It stands 305 feet tall and was originally known as Intimidator 305. -
Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, Canada (2012). This was the first Giga Coaster from the manufacturer B&M, who would go on to make a few more for the Cedar Fair chain. -
Fury 325 at Carowinds in North and South Carolina (2015). The tallest traditional chain lift roller coaster in the world at 325 feet, Fury 325 oftens ranks at the top of best steel coasters in the world lists. -
Red Force at Ferrari Land in Spain (2017). This launch coaster from Intamin is 367 feet tall. -
Orion at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio (2020). Perhaps the most controversial of the giga coasters, Orion stands 287 feet tall. Kings Islands says it is a giga coaster because it features a 300 foot first drop. -
Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas (Coming 2026). This will be the world’s first giga dive coaster when it opens next year.
Can Great America build a ride that tall?
There has been a lot of dicussion over the years about how high Great America can go when it comes to new projects, due to the park’s location less than 10 miles from the Waukegan National Airport. Currently, Great America’s tallest attraction is the SkyTrek Tower observation ride. That stands 330 feet in the air near the entrance of the park.
I reached out to Great America and the park confirmed that they cannot build anything higher than SkyTrek Tower due to the nearby airport. That would mean a potential Giga Coaster would have to be less than 330 feet tall.
Does this mean a Giga Coaster is coming to Great America?
The short answer to this question is – maybe? Based on history with these surveys, the company generally only sends them out if they are actually considering these attractions. That means a Giga Coaster is a possibility. However, I could also see them adding either of the other two attractions. Great America could use another family roller coaster that packs a thrill, something along the lines of Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood. A Flying Theater attraction would add a great option for guests on hot or rainy weather days. And a Giga Coaster would likely be the most expensive of all three of these options, another thing for the company to consider.
Where would Great America put a Giga Coaster?
Great America has gotten creative fitting new roller coasters into the park without removing major attractions. That might have to change with a roller coaster of this magnitude. Far more creative people than me have hypothesized where something like this could go – could it somehow run around the front entrance of the park, like the Giga Coaster Fury 325 at Carowinds? You can see my ride on that coaster here to see what that looks like:
There is also the possibility that Great America could remove an attraction and put a Giga Coaster in its place. Fury 325 features 6,600 feet of track. For comparison, Raging Bull is 5,057 feet long – a Giga could potentially be 1,000 feet longer! That’s quite a bit of real estate. Removing something significant could open up more space for a ride of this size.
But again, the team at Great America has found creative ways to add large attractions without subtracting other large attractions. Perhaps this could happen with a Giga Coaster, as well.
When could this possibly happen?
Seeing that Great America just opened a major new roller coaster this season with Wrath of Rakshasa, it seems likely that another major addition would be a few years away. There are other factors at play, including the search for a new CEO of Six Flags. Will new leadership be interested in adding large additions to parks across the country? We will have to wait and see.
Do you want to see a Giga Coaster at Great America?
So what do you think? If you could pick between these three attraction types, what would you choose? I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can send me a message on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube!
We’ll keep you posted on any information that comes in the months and years ahead!
See more of my Coastin’ the Country theme park and travel reports here.
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