| The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Location | Queensbury, New York, U.S. |
| Website | Six Flags' The Great Escape |
| Owner | Six Flags |
| Opened | 1954 |
| Previous names | Storytown USA, The Great Escape Fun Park |
| Operating season | May through October |
| Area | approximately 150 acres (61 ha) |
| Rides | 58 (excluding water park) total
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The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom (sometimes called Six Flags Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom) is an amusement and waterpark located in Queensbury, New York.[1] It is advertised as being located in Lake George, New York.[2] It is approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of Albany, and is owned and operated by Six Flags.
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The Great Escape was opened in 1954 as Storytown USA, a Mother Goose themed amusement park by businessman Charles Wood who bought the land with his wife for $75,000.[3] In 1957, realizing that the park was geared only toward small children, the park opened its Ghosttown area, the first of many themed areas opened in the park's history.
In 1983, the park officially changed its name from Storytown USA to The Great Escape. For publicity, the park placed bumper stickers on every car in the parking lot. This practice stopped a few years later due to complaints.
In 1984, the Great Escape opened the Steamin' Demon, the first of its eventual seven roller coasters. The showpiece attraction at The Great Escape is the Comet. Re-opened at The Great Escape in 1994, this roller coaster already had a 41-year history as The Comet at Crystal Beach (an amusement park near Niagara Falls, Ontario). It was saved shortly after the park closed down forever after the 1988 season. Charley Wood, the owner of Great Escape Fun Park and Fantasy Island in Grand Island, New York successfully bid for The Comet and it sat in storage for a few years in Fantasy Island before making its way to the park in Queensbury, NY and reopening in 1994. Roller coaster enthusiasts recognize it as one of the best wooden roller coasters in North America.
In addition to typical amusement park rides, the Great Escape offers a variety of unique shows, most notable of which is a high dive show featuring a team of divers scaling an 80-foot (24 m) tower and plunging into a 10-foot-deep (3.0 m) pool.
Other milestones include:
During the 2005 season, the park introduced a new line queuing system (used to be called the Flash Pass from 2005–2010), the "Go Fast Pass". For $15, guests can use Go Fast Passes on certain rides including the Comet, Alpine Bobsled, Desperado Plunge, Raging River, Canyon Blaster, Thunder Alley, Swan Boats, Bumper Cars, Steamin Demon, Boomerang and Sasquatch.
In February 2006, The Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark opened up with positive reviews and sold out weekends throughout the first month. This major addition includes a 38,000-square-foot (3,500 m2) waterpark exclusively for lodge guests. This is New York State's first indoor waterpark.
The park debuted several new features for the 2006 season. These included character greetings from the likes of the whole Justice League.
For the 2007 season, The Great Escape re-themed their dive show to a pirate themed show, branded their pizza restaurant a Papa John's, and brought back the Superstars and Legends: Elvis! Show (Which featured throughout the summer not only Elvis, but also Buddy Holly, and Billy Joel) to JollyTree Theatre.
Admission prices for the 2011 season are $45.99 for visitors over 48" tall at the gate ($35.99 if purchased online), $34.99 for visitors under 48" tall, $45.99 for a two-day ticket, and free for visitors aged two and under. Season passes and group rates are available. Season passes are accepted at all Six Flags locations. There is also a $12 fee for parking, and a season parking pass can also be purchased for $40. The parking pass is valid at The Great Escape only.[14]
There are also $199 VIP Tours and a $99 "VIP Lite" ticket option that includes admission, preferred parking, an unlimited GO FAST pass, a complimentary meal, free drink refills, and a combined $20 ($10 to each) to spend at select game and retail locations.[15]
There are currently six operating roller coasters at The Great Escape. Five of the six coasters are steel, with The Comet, a wooden roller coaster, the lone exception.
| Name | Opened | Type | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steamin' Demon | 1984 | Arrow Dynamics Corkscrew coaster | Ghosttown | The longest tenured roller coaster at the park. |
| Comet | 1994 | Herbert Paul Schmeck and Philadelphia Toboggan Company Wooden Coaster | Fest Area | Originally known as the Crystal Beach Cyclone and rebuilt into the Crystal Beach Comet, the Comet was resurrected and re-opened by the Great Escape in 1994. Often rated one of the top roller coasters in the world, the Comet features a 2-minute ride over several hills. The first and largest hill contains a drop of 87 feet (27 m) and brings riders to a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). For the 2007 season, the Comet celebrated its 80th Anniversary. |
| Boomerang Coast-to-Coaster | 1997 | Vekoma Boomerang | Storytown | A steel roller coaster that goes forward, up an inclined spike, then back through the station into a cobra roll, then down into a loop. It then goes up another spike and repeats the sequence backwards, all in one trip. First Boomerang at a Six Flags Park. |
| Alpine Bobsled | 1998 | Intamin Bobsled roller coaster | Fest Area | It was introduced in 1998 in honor of the Winter Olympics, and each bobsled-car contains the flag of a different country which participated in the games. |
| Canyon Blaster | 2003 | Arrow Dynamics Mine Train roller coaster | Ghosttown | Transported from the defunct Opryland USA |
| Frankie’s Mine Train | 2005 | Zamperla Steel Kiddie Coaster | Timbertown | It was known as Road Runner Express from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Park Section | Notes |
|---|---|
| Fest Area | Bavarian themed. |
| Ghosttown | An Old West village themed. |
| International Village and Storytown | Retains decorative elements from the old Storytown USA era. |
| Timbertown | In 2005 this area replaced the former Jungleland that featured an animal show and a walking tour of jungle-like conditions adorned with animatronic animals along with a wood and rope bridge. This section was known as Looney Tunes National Park from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. This section used to feature 10 rides themed to the Looney Tunes. |
| North Woods Picnic Grove | An area for organized, large group picnics. Converted in the fall into a haunted house. |
| Splashwater Kingdom | The Great Escape includes a separate water park adjacent to the main park. There is no additional charge to visit Splashwater Kingdom. |
| KIDZOPOLIS | Open in 2008 with three rides and a show as Wiggles World; and now rethemed in 2011. |
This area typically features a more German theme. German style music can be heard playing throughout this area along with other 'German' food stands such as funnel cake.
| Name | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blizzard | Scrambler Ride. | This ride was originally the Magical Mystery Tour indoor scrambler, but was moved outside to its current location |
| Giant Wheel | Ferris wheel | 90-foot (27 m) high providing a spectacular view of the Great Escape and surrounding area. |
| Pirate Ship | Swinging Ship | |
| Raging River | White Water Rapids | A water ride in a round boat holding six passengers simulating riding through white water rapids. |
| Cannonball Express | A spinning ride that moves fast around a track in a forward direction. (The ride previously played music. and went in a reverse direction. The sound system has been removed for unknown reasons). | |
| Bumper Cars | Classic bumper car ride. |
| Name | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Condor | Huss Spinning tower ride | A gentle spinning ride that ascends a tall tower. |
| Desperado Plunge | Water Flume Ride | Water flume ride where passengers ride in boats modeled on logs. Relocated from Busch Gardens Los Angeles after it closed in 1979 [1][2]. Was known for a while as the Poland Springs Plunge. |
| Name | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cinderella Coach | For 2011 season, carriage will no longer be drawn by horses, but pumpkin coach will be available to guests to have their picture taken in with Cinderella. | |
| Grand Carousel | Carousel | Classic merry-go-round ride with both horses and fantastic creatures. |
| Balloon Race | Ride featuring gondolas made to look like hot air balloons. Goes in the air and slightly tilts to the side while spinning in a large circle. Was relocated from Action Park. | |
| Storytown Train | Scenic train ride through Storytown and Looney Tunes National Park on an old C.P. Huntington diesel engine. | |
| Swan Boats | Motorized, swan-themed boats take passengers on a water-born tour of Storytown. | |
| Thunder Alley | Guests drive 1950s-styled electric cars. | |
| Flying Trapeze | Swing ride that lifts riders into the air, and, along with the Balloon Race, spins in a large circle. | |
| Alice in Wonderland | Walkthrough designed to make guests feel like that are following Alice in Wonderland through her mind-bending journey. | |
| Sky Ride | Chairlift | Chairlift that takes guests on a trip around part of the Great Escape in the air. |
| Sasquatch | A S&S Power Inc. Combo Tower | Added in 2009. Includes a drop tower and a launch tower. Each tower has its own queue line. The ride was previously located at Six Flags New Orlean, which closed due to the Katrina Typhoon. |
This section opened in 2005 as Looney Tunes National Park; and now rethemed in 2011.[11]
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bucky’s Shore Patrol | Horizontally-revolving boat ride. It was known as Yosemite Sam Shore Patrol from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Honey Swings | Flying swings type ride. It was known as Taz Twister from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Hootie’s Treehouse | Drop tower type ride. It was known as Tweety Treehouse from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Ranger Randy’s Railway | Small train-type ride. Must be over 36", and be accompanied by a guest under 54" if over 54". It was known as Elmer Fudd Scenic Railway from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Rocky’s Ranger Planes | Revolving Planes for Guests under 54". It was known as Bugs Bunny Ranger Pilots from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Sheldon’s Speedway | Horizontally-revolving car-type ride. It was known as Speedy Gonzales Camptown Racers from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Spruce’s Wilderness Bus Tours | Vertically-revolving bus for guests under 54", or accompanied by a Guest under 54". It was known as Daffy Duck Wilderness Bus Tour from 2005–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
This section opened in 2008 as Wiggles World; and now rethemed in 2011.
| Name | History |
|---|---|
| Krazy Kars | It was known as Big Red Cars from 2008–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Krazy Kups | It was known as Dorothy's Rosy Red Tea Cups from 2008–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| ZoomJets | It was known as Big Red Planes from 2008–2010; and now rethemed in 2011. |
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Black Cobra | A pair of enclosed water slides that guests ride in small inflatable boats. |
| Capt'n Hook's Adventure River | 850 ft (260 m) long, 28" deep river. Riders may travel in tubes or swim freely. Features waterfalls, geysers, strong current and continuous waves. |
| Paul Bunyan's Bucket Brigade | A treehouse featuring spraying water, 5 body slides, and a 500 gallon water bucket that drenches the area every 8 minutes. |
| Lumberjack Splash Wave Pool | 500,000 gallon, 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) wave pool with six wave patterns. |
| Noah's Sprayground | Water fountains, pools, and body slides for children. |
| Twister Falls | Water slide with a waterfall toward the beginning that is partly in tube form. |
| Banshee Plunge | Water slide with a waterfall at the beginning with two slightly steep drops. |
| Blue Typhoon | Tube-water slide with a waterfall at the beginning and end. |
| Tornado | The Tornado takes riders through a short section of enclosed slide before coming out at the top of a giant funnel where riders slide back and forth before gently landing in a splash pool. Installed in 2007. |
| Mega Wedgie | A specially designed tube bowl made by ProSlide. Similar to the standard CannonBOWL but a slightly smaller size. Installed in 2008. |
| Alpine Freefalls | This slide complex will feature Twisted Racer (a ProSlide KrakenRacer) and Cliffhanger (a trapdoor released ProSlide speed slide) when it opens in 2012.[13] |
These rides are not included in the admission price. Cost varies from ride to ride.
| Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Go-Carts | Fest Area | Gas powered race cars with high speed turns. $7 (Drivers) and $3 (Passengers). You must be 58" to drive alone. You must be 18 to have a passenger. |
| Matterhorn Rockwall | Fest Area | Outdoor climbing rock wall with safety harnesses. $5 |
| Skycoaster | Fest Area | An intense sky-diving-like attraction that pulls the riders 175 feet (53 m) up in the air then swings them down toward the ground at speeds reaching 70 mph (110 km/h). 1 Person - $40, 2 Person - $25 each, 3 Person - $20 each. |
| Turbo Bungy | Fest Area | A beefed-up version of the trampoline where riders are attached to bungee cords. $6 |
After Labor Day the Great Escape has two special events, Oktoberfest and Fright Fest, before closing for the winter. Oktoberfest is held during the weekends in September, while Fright Fest is held during the weekends of October.
Oktoberfest is marginally a celebration of German heritage, but is expanded to include ethnic foods, various beer games, ethnic music and dancing and other activities. (In the past, vendors were included, but none since 2006).
Fright Fest has the entire park decorated for Halloween, while many of the usual shows are changed over to Halloween events as well including trick or treating among the miniature houses in Ghost-town and an elaborate haunted house, which is located near the North-woods Picnic Grove along with a haunted walk-through in the Rabbit Season/Duck Season area.
In 2009 The Great Escape experimented with a late-season festival named "Holiday in the Park". It included live entertainment and holiday themed shows, lights adorning the park, and a sledding hill making it the winter equivalent of the Fright Fest autumn event. Though Six Flags called the 2009 event successful, it also claimed a "business decision" was the reason behind the cancellation of the "Holiday in the Park" for the 2010 season.[8]
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