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California's Great America: General Discussion

It looks fun and fast but those white boards all over it aren't a good look, imo. Shame they didn't paint them the same colour as the track.

Still, I wouldn't say no if that's how one would need to be in the UK (though I'd demand painted boards :p ).
 
Screamscape said:
Park News - (12/4/13) Local area readers may want to keep an eye on Gold Striker over the winter. If our sources are right, you may see a few more big tunnels added to the coaster’s layout before the park opens for the 2014 season.
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Will this be the first woodie to be entirely indoors or something...? :eek:
 
Stand-up coasters are becoming more and more exclusive! California's Great America have confirmed that Vortex, the second ever B&M coaster, will be converted to a floorless model named Patriot:

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California's Great America said:
Great America Introduces Patriot Floorless Coaster for 2017
Today California’s Great America announced that for the 2017 season, it will introduce Patriot, the first floorless coaster in the park’s 41-year history. Patriot will emerge from the soon to be retired Vortex coaster, the oldest stand up roller coaster in the United States. Season Passes for the 2017 season also go on sale today at the lowest price of the season, offering unlimited admission for the rest of 2016 and all of 2017.

Patriot will take riders to a 91-foot height before plummeting them into a 360-degree loop at 45 miles per hour. Patriot’s position in the park makes it a dynamic visual from three different sections of Great America.

The inspiration for the coaster’s name was taken from the fact that the ride is nestled adjacent to All American Corners within a park whose name celebrates America.

The transition from a stand up to floorless ride will include state-of-the-art blue and white trains positioning guests with their feet dangling above the blue and white track.

“With the track visible beneath their fee, Patriot will create unique and exciting new perspectives throughout the ride,” said California’s Great America Vice President and General Manager Raul Rehnborg.

Guests can take their “Last Stand” on Vortex through September 5. Then work will begin to ready Patriot for the 2017 season.
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I'd imagine Cedar Fair's remaining B&M stand-up coaster, Vortex at Carowinds, will be getting the same treatment in the near future. This will leave Six Flags as the only chain of parks to operate B&M stand up coasters!

:)
 
Doesn't surprise me that Vortex is getting converted considering Cedar Fair published a long term plan back in March which included a "Vortex rebrand" which a lot of people successfully guessed it'd get the Mantis to Rougarou treatment. Carowinds' Vortex will definitely be next and I'm guessing 2018 for that.

I think it's a great middle term investment, considering the park is not exactly huge and they've got quite a strict planning restrictions compared to other American parks. I hear in that long term they also want to build a water coaster and possibly another new coaster as well. Potentially exciting times for CGA!
 
Comparing it with the blue, the purple and yellow colour scheme looked disgusting. The blue looks great in its own right though! What I also like about the rename and the new colours is that it reminds of the old Marriott's Great America theme.
 
It seems the repaint is finished in case anyone is interested.

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It's so simplistic as a colour scheme, but it looks great!
 
California's Great America submitted a 20 year long term development plan to the City of Santa Clara Planning Commission, and it has been unanimously approved!

The plans include a hyper coaster (likely a B&M), an Intamin Impulse Coaster, a wooden coaster with a height of roughly 100ft as well as other thrill rides, family rides and waterpark additions. The full document details the long term plan can be found here. However Coaster Hub have a few screenshots from the document:

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Exciting times ahead!

:)
 
Great to hear! I have a soft spot for the park and I always want to them succeed. For some reason despite never visiting :p
 
The POV looks exactly the same as before they swapped the trains... because it is exactly the same as before they swapped the trains.
 
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Rick said:
The POV looks exactly the same as before they swapped the trains... because it is exactly the same as before they swapped the trains.
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Hang on, you mean you don't watch POVs in the same position as the coaster's seating configuration!?
 
Well this wasn't in the 20 year development plan! The park have announced that they are getting a Raptor Track coaster from RMC called RailBlazer:

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As you might have noticed, this is a mirrored clone of the Wonder Woman coaster announced for Six Flags Fiesta Texas. It certainly looks much more appealing with this colour scheme and landscaping.

:)
 
There are 3 trains; on the image above you can see one on the drop, one turning into the station and one hidden away in the station!

:)
 
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