Thoughts from 2014 Opening Weekend

Dodging the rain on opening day Saturday, I went to the second day of CGA's Opening Weekend celebration on Sunday. I was able to grab a backpack for being one of the first 2,500 guests for the day. Thanks CGA!

I've already listed most of the new-for-2014 details in my previous post, so here are some thoughts from Opening Weekend:

- Fun TV is now in the queues for most rides. Here, the TVs play music videos, show the weather and present park trivia, with surprisingly few ads. I have mixed feelings about this new addition to the park. While it works well in some lines (Grizzly), it absolutely kills the themeing in Gold Striker's and Tiki Twirl's queues. Especially Gold Striker; gone is the themed music, replaced with poppy radio music. However, the themed music is still in the station, but that's the only place where you can hear it.

- Flight Deck's new paint job looks great. Wish they replaced the faded-out posters of the fighter jets, but one thing at a time I suppose.

- Grizzly's station has a new color scheme. Once you see it, you can't help but think CGA is a little too excited for the 49ers moving in next door. The retracked portion of Grizzly is pretty smooth. A bit odd that the facade for the Haunt maze Zombie High is still up, making Grizzly look like it's got a new post-apocalyptic theme.

- Drop Tower was running all six cabins in the morning for the first time in two seasons. An hour or so later, it was down to four.

- Demon's queue has opened up due to the park cutting down some trees around the loops and adding new landscaping during the off season. Looks much improved. Also, Demon now has its own voiceover track that welcomes you to the ride and tells you to check your seatbelt.

- Land clearing has begun next to Delirium, and the foundation for a new Haunt structure is beginning to take shape.

- Being early in the season, operations were a bit off. Surprisingly, Grizzly had quicker dispatches than Gold Striker.

- A new entrance is being built into the Picnic Pavilion from the parking lot.

- Season pass processing got an overhaul. Instead of writing your information on a card, you now enter it into a computer. Afterward, you wait your turn to take a photo. For me, it was easy and quick. But for some reason, the line to get to that point doubled in time from previous seasons. It took a good 40 minutes to get through half of Triple Play's former queue, which is where season pass processing overflow goes.

- Has Gold Striker gotten faster? Maybe it's been awhile since I last rode it, but it sure seemed more forceful (in a good way). Rode it twice for a total of 44.

Off season tour and 2014 season details

 
I attended a back stage tour of CGA on March 1. First off, huge thanks to CGA's Roger, Ryan, Tyler, Clayton and everyone else who made this event possible. We all really appreciated it, and got even more excited for the season to start!

This season won't feature a new ride, but CGA is improving nearly every aspect of the park instead. Cedar Fair continues to invest heavily in the park, and the results are everywhere.

Flight Deck's paint job progressing; Haunt expanding?

A reader of Screamscape submitted this photo of Flight Deck's new paint job:

Via Screamscape.

On Feb. 7, CGA applied for a permit to build a new building, specifically for Halloween Haunt and storage. Where the structure is being built is unknown right now.

All Haunt songs now available for streaming

Thomas Tissot posted all of the Haunt songs (even from past attractions) on Bandcamp.

Halloween Haunt 2013 opening night review

 
Many thanks to CGA for inviting me to the Media/VIP event for Halloween Haunt's opening night. The food was great, and Madame Marie's interaction with us was hilarious!

In addition to the dinner, being VIPs we were given a one-time use front of the line pass (which we later used for Dia de los Muertos), two pairs of 3D glasses and Gold Striker ERT.

After my brother and I checked in and entered the park, we ran into CGA's Roger and Ryan, who told us that Gold Striker was open. It was truly a walk on, no line whatsoever, and I was told to sit wherever I wanted. I chose row 12, which gives great airtime going down the first drop. With the exception of a few people riding in the front, the entire train was empty, a pretty surreal experience.

Using our VIP passes, the security guard let us into the area that was blocked off to the public. We headed over to Madame Marie's Voodoo Chophouse.

Halloween Haunt 2013 website now up

Great America's Halloween Haunt website is now live, featuring details of this year's event.

Of note this year is two new mazes, Zombie High (located in a new building behind Grizzly) and Dia de los Muertos (replacing Club Blood in the Pictorium).

A new show, Funhouse Express, will be in Action Theater, although it's not known yet if it will be replacing Happy Feet or will be shown in the long-dormant right side of the theater.

Blades of Horror will be performed in Great America Theater.

Black Widow's Cavern will not return, and will not be replaced with a new attraction.

Halloween Haunt 2013: Club Blood retired, to be replaced by Dia de los Muertos

News about Halloween Haunt is slowly trickling out. Club Blood will be retired and replaced by a Dia de los Muertos-themed maze, according to members from Theme Park Review.

Also, CGA recently applied for a permit to build a new storage shed at the "south edge" of the park, likely for a new maze. The park made a similar move last year when they built a structure for Madame Marie's Massacre Manor.

New additions and improvements for 2013 season

A group of media were invited to a special event Saturday to witness all the new additions and improvements CGA will have for 2013. Among them:

• Three new Haunt mazes, with one being in a new structure and the other two replacing older mazes.
• New show in Action Theater, but what it will be has not been announced. They did say that it won't be a white water rafting movie.
• Kidzville River Adventure will be removed.
• Parking lot is getting a makeover
• Three new shows: Pop Fusion, On Broadway and Team Charlie Brown. Happiness is Snoopy will return.
• Many buildings/rides being repainted
• Different areas will now have their own special music. No more Lady Gaga blasting across all areas.
• Themeing will be huge on Gold Striker.

For pictures, see the reports on Theme Park Review.

Massacre Manor theme song now available

Thomas Tissot has posted the song for Madame Marie's Massacre Manor on his Soundcloud account.

The full name of the song? "La Mort n'a Peut-être Pas Plus de Secrets à Nous Révéler Que la Vie."

End of season recap and 2013 predictions

CGA's season ended on Oct. 28, and now is a good time to look back on the 2012 season, easily the best I've had since I started going in 2008. My highlights and predictions for next season are as follows: 

The reason why 2012 was so great. This picture was taken in early September, and a lot has changed since then.

Highlights

- Gold Striker construction! I'm sure this is everybody's highlight. The first time I saw that picture of land clearing back in May was probably the best moment I've had yet as a CGA fan.

- Five-person raft on Didgeridoo Falls (with fellow Theme Park Review members). Never before have I felt a near-death experience on a ride. If I hadn't held on, I would have certainly fell out. Easily got a foot or so out of my seat!

-Trying out the body slides for the first time. Can't wait to go on these again!

- Five-person Logger's Run.

- Kiddy ride takeovers: Pumpkin Patch, Woodstock's.

- Haunt!

- Mini-ERT session on Drop Tower to end the season.

- Firefall open for the first day and whole season. Also, getting a backwards flip and flying over the water, Stealth-style.

- Getting addicted to Flying Eagles.

Predictions for next season

- Gold Striker opens in late April/early May, and the ride consists of 50 percent tunnels. My goal is to be there on media day (please be on a Sunday!).

- That ugly blue on the Pictorium gets repainted to at least match Gold Striker.

- An older flat ride is removed. Amid all this excitement for Gold Striker, it wouldn't surprise me if a ride is ripped out for no apparent reason (remember, this is still CGA, after all).

- Demon's red train returns, orange gets sent back to rehab.

- Cabin #1 on Drop Tower returns, another (I'm going to say #4) goes down for the rest of season.

- No new mazes for Haunt, but Werewolf Canyon gets the next "Revamp'd" treatment.

- New shows.

- An announcement for a 2014 water slide, but nothing more.

Halloween Haunt 2012 opening night review

Talk about a busy opening night. Attendance was easily doubled compared to opening night last year, which can only be a good thing for the park. This time, CGA prepared for the lines by setting up a maze of queue ropes for each maze on opening day, and yes, you have to walk through all of them (Beware of the line Nazis!)

Toy Factory's queue was nearly half full by 9 p.m. and Massacre Manor was nearly full. Although, for some reason, Club Blood was nearly empty all night (possibly because it's gotten even harder to find).

Being the first night, there were a lot of glitches. The songs for Cornstalkers, Toy Factory and Dead Man's Cove were off for a while, and I even saw a mechanic fixing some electrical box about halfway through Club Blood.

Also because it was the first night, scare zones were pretty much non-existent, especially Dead Man's Cove. Underworld Alley is still my favorite.

Here are my rankings of the mazes, from best to worst, based on opening night experience. A few shake-ups in my rankings from last year:

Halloween Haunt 2012 full details

The official website for Halloween Haunt 2012 is now live.

New this year is Madame Marie's Massacre Manor, a voodoo-themed maze located in a new building behind the former Invertigo site.

Club Blood will be getting a makeover with Club Blood Revamp'd.

New shows and Fright Lane (front of the line passes) will round out the year.

Halloween Haunt 2012 details and wooden coaster announcement date

CGA has confirmed that Carnevil, Toy Factory, Cornstalkers, Slaughterhouse, Werewolf's Canyon and Black Widow's Cavern will make a return for Halloween Haunt 2012.

A new, yet-to-be-revealed maze will be set up behind the former Invertigo location. Rumor has it that the maze will be called "Massacre Manor," according to Screamscape.

No word yet on Club Blood's fate, although it seems likely it won't make a return due to the clearing of it's former area for the 2013 wooden coaster.

Speaking of the coaster, Screamscape mentioned that an official announcement will be made around Aug. 29.

Land clearing for new maze behind the former Invertigo site. Via Facebook.

Lost Attractions: The IMAX Pictorium Theater

Welcome to “Lost Attractions,” a new series that looks at defunct rides and attractions at California’s Great America. Starting off the series is the IMAX Pictorium.

Ever wondered what that big building is next to the Star Tower? Today, it’s used for storage and the Club Blood maze at Halloween Haunt. However, at one time it was known as the Lockheed IMAX Pictorium Theater, featuring a 65 foot tall by 89 foot wide screen. The Pictorium ran from 1978 until 2001, and remained closed until a one-weekend opening in 2004. It has since been closed for good.

Streaming Halloween Haunt music

Thomas Tissot, the mastermind behind the Halloween Haunt music, has uploaded the new tracks that debuted at 2011's Haunt: Dead Man's Cove, Underworld Alley, and Slaughterhouse: Annihilation. Check it out:

http://thomastissot.tumblr.com/music

Halloween Haunt 2011 opening night review

I went to CGA's Halloween Haunt on opening night. It was great to be back! Certainly a lot more crowded than opening night last year. Nobody was waiting for the rides, all the lines were for the mazes.

I finally caught the opening ceremony, after missing it last year. It was very well done, especially with the Overlord rising almost to the top of the Carousel.

Lots of noticeable improvements throughout. The most obvious one being Slaughterhouse: Annihilation (more on that later), but also some surprising ones (you can hardly recognize Underworld Alley now, lots of new additions). Black Widow's Cavern seemed to have more monsters this time.

Halloween Haunt 2011 full details

CGA has updated the Halloween Haunt website.  Check it out here:

http://haunt.cagreatamerica.com/

The full details are listed on this poster:

Early Halloween Haunt 2011 details

Slaughterhouse will be receiving an update this year, and will be renamed Slaughterhouse: Annihilation.

The Witch Doctor's Trail scare zone will not return.  Instead, Dead Man's Cove: Lost Souls will begin at WDT's former location (bridge near Firefall), and extend all the way to Logger's Run.

Fangs will also not return, but there will be new shows.

CGA has promised to reveal full Haunt details soon.

Rumor: Halloween Haunt expansion?

An anonymous user on Wikipedia has posted that a Halloween Haunt expansion is scheduled for this year.  While it is Wikipedia, an expansion surely sounds plausible, as CGA has consistently expanded the event every year.

Haunt details are usually announced around August, so we won't have too long to wait.