The next day, we went to SixFlags Great America. I was really excited to ride Deja Vu, and thankfully it was running! We got 2 rides in first thing in the morning without waiting, once in the front seat, and once in the back seat. I. Love. This. Ride. Best ride ever. I nearly passed out when I looked up in the back seat at the sheaves and saw "Doppelmayr" imprinted on them.



(Doppelmayr is my favourite ski lift and ropeway manufacturer!)

The rest of the day was a blurr as I kept looking over at Deja Vu and being distracted. Raging Bull was fantastic, Viper was smooth and awesome, American Eagle surprised me (since I generally don't like wooden coasters, but I liked this one a lot!), and it was fun to ride Iron Wolf for historical reasons and to marvel at how far the Swiss Duo have evolved over the years. Superman Ultimate Flight was every bit as good as it's New Jersey cousin which I'd riden a few months earlier, and Whizzer was absolutely a hoot! Deja Vu Deja Vu Deja Vu!


Deja Vu has tremendous ropewaytechnology by Doppelmayr.

I creamed myself watching Deja Vu operate. Finally, at teh end of the day I manged to convince Michael to let me go on it again, so I did end up geting a third ride in. Just looking at the ride puts me in awe. I think it's my favourite roller coaster, period. Just watching it... looking at it, thinking about it. Every single bit of the ride is "me". It's a mechanical ballet of chorographed technopornography where every single thrust and grunt has to happen in exactly the right sequence to achieve that unbeatable ejaculation of Dutch engineering perfection.


Raging Bull's steelwork soars above the midway.


Giant Drop has 6 sides for good capacity. Poor operations make it load terribly slow, however.

The drive home was long and uneventful save for almost dying in Chicago thanks to random road surveyors. A required stop at Steak and Shake (we don't have them in Canada) delivered an always-satisfying meal and the BEST milkshakes ever, as usual. I love Steak and Shake!

That's about it. KUKA Robocoaster, Deja Vu. Oh yeah, and Hades and Avalanche and all that other jazz I would gladly drive the 1 200 km or whatever it was again just for the KR 500. I have the bruises to prove it.



Remainder of the photos from Saturday at Great America

-Iain

Wow thanks for your trip report!
Great pics as usual!
Seems like you REALLY love DejaVu, i never heard anyone saying things about a coaster like you said about DejaVu

Do you think Raging Bull is better/worse than Nitro at SFGadv. ? Or are they equal.

so big thx again

MilitaryDuckJock

I creamed myself watching Deja Vu operate. Finally, at teh end of the day I manged to convince Michael to let me go on it again, so I did end up geting a third ride in. Just looking at the ride puts me in awe. I think it's my favourite roller coaster, period. Just watching it... looking at it, thinking about it. Every single bit of the ride is "me". It's a mechanical ballet of chorographed technopornography where every single thrust and grunt has to happen in exactly the right sequence to achieve that unbeatable ejaculation of Dutch engineering perfection.

Hi Iain,

thanks for your trip reports.
I think we share the same opinion about the Giant Invertigo (when I start looking back at this report of mine).
Hope you don't mind that I quote your sentences in fiurther comments on this ride.


Unfortunately I had only been twice at Six Flags Great America (Saturday and Sunday in October 2001, when Dejy Vu was schedulded to open for the first time - unfortunately it didn't run on Saturday, but started on Sunday at the time I had to leave the park for the airport ), so thanks again for showing these new pictures.