The way that Six Flags is being runned it is hard to say. I could see the park being really bad and have troubles, being an average park, or a great park. What do you think? :ph43r:

I think it'll probably be fine if they keep good and things like that.

I see new management in about 2 years with a crazy new goal which will hopefully not focus on families

20 years is a far and away number. I will say what I think is going to happen in about 5-10 years, but not 20. I think that Shapiro will say goodbye to Demon, Whizzer, American Eagle (They are sick of retracking it.) Ricochet, Hometown Fun Machine Sky Trek Tower, The Orbit, Fiddler's Fling, Iron Wolf, and Great American Raceway (in 2009 gone, I think). They are all either old (most of them), or not a lot of people want to go on them.

I think they would add brand new additions as a Euro Fighter, another kids coaster (Canyon Blaster), and another kids area. It doesn't have to be Thomas, but I think they might add yet another one. I wouldn't be suprised if they added the whole entire collection of Zamperla in the next years because that what SFGAm likes a lot of.

However, I don't think Six Flags will exist in 3 years. I thought this 2 years ago. Thus, if they weren't in business anymore, non of this would happen, but yet I couldn't go to SFStL, and SFGAm in the same year without paying more money for one or the other which stinks, but what can you do. Shapiro ran the company into the ground. Think of how many rides in SFGAm that Shapiro could take out because they are "old", and they don't get the "throughput" they should. How many flats are walk-ons at the park??There are a lot of rides in those categories at the park.

If things keep up the way they are now, I don't even see a park in 20 years. Either that or someone other than Six Flags owning it. I see business crumbling in the next few years due to the family atmosphere. If they try to hard to change their type of customers, they won't get as many. I think this whole family thing is a bad idea. The park should have something for everyone: families, teens, kids, middle age people, young adults etc. We are getting too many kiddie things and soon I see the park having too much for kids and not enough for adults. I see all the classic coasters leaving and a huge change to a completely different atmosphere. Then I see business winding down. I honestly believe that if Shapiro stays in office, Six Flags will go far downhill! The atmosphere he is trying to change to is not going to draw customers. It is going to hurt SF in the end.

This is actually very prophetic!

You know I lived in Las Vegas when they tried the "Family" destination Schtik. MGM opened a theme park right behind the hotel, there were kid oriented things and daycare centers at every casino. The MGM theme park was almost always empty as was the indoor theme park at Circus Circus. You don't get much of a coaster in such small places except the one that's on top of the Stratosphere tower. I am surprised no one here talks about the rides there. Imagine riding a roller coaster that's 1100 feet in the air? I rode it, and it was very creepy!

http://www.stratospherehotel.com/thrills/


Anyway the family thing was the most misconceived plan you might ever witness. It was funny to watch slimy corner hustlers passing out porno and bunny ranch flyers to people pushing strollers down the strip.
The family thing almost killed Vegas before they finally gave up on it.

20 years is a long ways off, Six flags seriously needs to do more for people. Not everyone goes on the big coasters, not all people go on spinning insane rides either, but usually what people can all agree on are the shows. What has happened to the shows??? The Pictorium has nothing new or that great I mean come on everyone has seen Dick Clark's Bloopers, what happened to the out door theaters they are rarely used anymore, and the Grand Music Hall you cant even hear the performers over the bass and cacaphony of the music. Food prices at the park continue to rise and overall quality goes down. You have to take into account the economy too not everyone can afford 54.99 to go play for a day and 20.00 to park? Forget it if things do not pick up Six Flags Great America might have to close its doors. Something I hope WILL NEVER HAPPEN. They should put in rides of yesterday like the ROTOR and The Whip, bring back the Sky Whirl maybe more shows have a band perform in Hometown Square's Gazebo fit new rides into the already themed areas, restore real food, costumes, characters, and souvenier items. If Disney can do it then it is not entirely impossible it will just take know how and determination.

That's all true, except that when the park opened the prices were deliberatly set pretty high so as to keep out the riff raff. On a dollar per dollar average, the prices have actually gone down over the years. The food, shows and some other aspects of the park have deteriorated. But when the park first opened you had no choice but to eat there because there was little else around the park. Plus Marriott was in the food and hospitality business and had access to better food prep. and personnel. I remember that the kitchens/chef's at Marriots Lincolnshire Resort contributed to some of the fare at the park.
But there's still hope. The economy will eventually regain strength and the park will eventually evolve into something better too. If not, there will be another park or operator who will fill the need.

In 2031?

Whizzer will still be standing and operating.

and people will still be saying "it's going to be removed next year" lol.

2032 and we will still be getting expansion for the waterpark as a matter of fact 70% of the park will be water park.

Whizzer gone
Iron Wolf gone
Giant drop gone
Revolution gone
Camp Cartoon gone
LTNP gone converted to kiddie water rides.

2033

GA adds Watchmen themed coaster.

I think when you look at the situation objectively, water parks are a semi-new phenomenon, in that they have existed for awhile now, but have only recently been used as expansions to draw significant crowds in relation to theme parks. Rollercoasters have been doing this since the 20's. Of course given how people are trending southward as far as population goes, I expect waterparks to be open longer, and draw many crowds..that doesn't mean thrill rides are a thing of the past though, the emotional thrill and intensity of a rollercoaster is something hard to duplicate.

So inn 2030, I see the waterpark being much larger than it is now, but there will still be large rides dominating the Gurnee sky along with kiddie and flats. Perhaps SFGAm (or whatever it's called) will be 50/50 waterpark to actual park, and I don't see the Whizzer, Demon, Wolf, Superman, one of the mice, and many flats being there. If Whizzer is still around it will have been re-habbed, probably by Mack. Will there be a coaster tall than Raging Bull? Most certianly. Will it have loops? Possibly. Will there be as many coasters then as there are now? Probably. Will there be more kids rides? Certianly.

I think Hurricane Harbor will be huge in 20 more years. As far as rides go? I'd be willing to bet that Whizzer, Demon and Eagle will still be standing and operating in 2031.

They will probably under-go major rehabs within the next 10 years.

I also think the next major coaster (Eagle, Raging Bull level) will be located next to Superman Ultimate Flight in the parking lot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_GN463AfW8

My guess is that by then the park will have expanded to include a hotel and convention center a retail mall and other year round attractions including gambling, theaters and athletic/concert facilities.

That would be awesome if there was a hotel on GA property, But they are partners with Keylime Cove which outside of the park.

And I thought that GA was planning an expansion before HH what Tiki said. But Gurnee rejected the plan.

^ You are correct.

There is a ton of room behind the employee parking lot (mostly Trees at the moment) http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=42.367594,-...7594,-87.934012

That could be the perfect spot for an on site hotel.

Looks like a good spot, but they may not have much room to add a massive hotel like Treasure Island, Grand Floridian, or Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.

They have first options on some surrounding land as well. My guess would be that a hotel complex would be located just south of the park across from the Washington Street entrance. With a monorail going to and from.
As for Gurnee rejecting expansion.... There are a lot of dull witted people involved in Gurnee's government but I would hope they weren't so stupid as to dismiss the extra revenue (both ancillary and direct) that a hotel and a convention center would generate?
In the case of Key Lime Cove....That was destined to fail on so many levels. Not offering season passes was a terrible idea. The room prices are more than downtown Chicago! And restaurant people are generally terrible at running hotels (Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood, Etc.) If the economy gets better I would bet someone like Hilton or mid range operator like Motel Six would take over that place.
If you were going to purchase land for expansion and get cheap prices on construction as well as tax incentives to create jobs, now would be the time to move on it. But unfortunately Six Flags doesn't have the money or the credit (now) to do that. Of course Marriott could reclaim the place. They have plenty of money.