Welcome To Screamscape!

Park News - (2/3/12) California’s Great America has posted some interesting pictures on their Facebook page this week showing off The Grizzly getting some much needed off-season TLC. From the looks of things, they are re-tracking one of the ride’s big turns. So far it looks like standard off-season work with no sign of “topper track” to be scene anywhere.
    (1/9/12) Cedar Fair is said to have signed an agreement that will allow for the 49er’s to build their new stadium in the park’s overflow lot, as well as park in the main lot on game days. In return the city will give them a great lease extension deal on the land under the park. The existing deal will see Cedar Fair pay the city $5.3 million a year through 2039, afterwards the park will only pay between $5.7 to $6.3 million annually through 2074. The park will also be able to keep it’s profits until it exceeds $64 million in revenue provided that the park makes at least $10 million in capital investments, so Cedar Fair now has some good incentive to invest in new attractions for the park at last.
    (12/7/11) In a shocking bit of news, Cedar Fair announced earlier today that the deal to sell California’s Great America had fallen through and that they will remain as the long term owner of the park. In addition, Cedar Fair has also come to a long-term agreement with the San Francisco 49ers in regards to the construction of their new stadium and parking arrangements between the two properties.
    Of course, given the timing, there really isn’t likely to be time for any kind of major new attraction or improvements to be made to the park in time for Summer 2012 which is kind of a bummer. Kind of reminds me of someone I grew up with who used to break up with his girlfriends just after Thanksgiving and get back together after New Years Eve just to get out of buying a Christmas present.
    (10/5/11) The latest installment of Shane’s Amusement Attic shows off concept artwork and the layout for a once proposed 200+ foot Morgan Hypercoaster planned for California’s Great America back in the Paramount days, that would have featured an elevator style lift hill. Check it out!
    (9/28/11) Once upon a time, long before Cedar Fair bought the park, back when it was known at Paramount’s Great America, it seems Viacom had big dreams for the park, including a CitiWalk style addition just outside the front entrance area to be called the Front Gate. Check out the concept artwork and real all the details about this once great proposal over at Shane’s Amusement Attic, hosted by Theme Park Review. (Warning, you may have to scroll down a little bit to find it…)

2012 - No New Attraction - (11/8/11) Our sources tell us that CGA has confirmed that there will be no new rides for the 2012 season, as the new management will focus on taking control of the park and putting their own house in order.

2013 - GCI Wooden Coaster - Planning - (5/7/12) Ground clearing has begun at CGA for the new 2013 coaster. Thanks to one of our readers for sending in a picture of the site.
    (5/3/12) A construction permit was filed by CGA just yesterday to begin the early ground work to make way for the new coaster. Looks like they are ready to get this project under way as soon as possible.
    (4/20/12) Some good news for CGA’s wooden coaster project this week, as it looks as if the park’s permit has been approved and everything is ready to go.
    (2/16/12) Screamscape sources have confirmed that CGA’s plan is indeed to revive the old GCI wooden coaster plans, pretty much as is. The project was so far along when it was stalled out by noise complaint concerns years ago, that it is said to have a complete set of plans and ready to go into production as soon as they get the permits.
    (2/15/12) A Screamscape reader did a little digging and came across an interesting document just submitted to the city of Santa Clara a few hours ago, described as a new “Architectural Review of revised plans for a wood coaster ride structure to be constructed in northern portion of park; Reference previous planning cases: PLN2008-06835 & PLN2009-07829”  The meeting is set for March 7th for what sounds like the long awaited revival of the park’s GCI wooden coaster project. While the location only says it is for the Northern section of the park, that sounds like same basic area they were hoping to build in before, where it would include a helix spiral around the park’s Star Tower ride. Pleasure Note... I’ve only dug up the pictures of the old plans from IAAPA 2007 to serve as a visual reference. These exact plans have not been resubmitted for the new ride.
    (12/8/11) Screamscape sources tell us that Cedar Fair management may have privately confirmed to GCA management that the park would get a new roller coaster for 2013. So the question remains… is it the long delayed GCI wooden coaster or something new?
    (8/1/11) Remember that awesome GCI wooden coaster project that was all but approved at one point for California’s Great America before getting tangled up in a mess with a local neighbor over noise issues?  There may be life in the old girl yet… as the park applied in June for a two year extension to the previously approved height-variance needed to install the ride, and was approved for it at a meeting in June. Could the park be preparing to finally deliver this great looking coaster, or are they just keeping the variance alive for a new unknown project in development? Either way, it sounds like something big may be on the way.
    (8/30/09) Another year gone by and still no plans to build that great GCI wooden coaster that was once planned to wrap around the Skytower. Looks like the plans have been called off due to the uncertain future of the park by the invading 49’ers stadium project.
    (11/24/08) After being left off the 2009 Capital List from Cedar Fair’s big corporate announcement last week a company spokesperson confirmed that the coaster would not be coming in 2009 as planned. However they were kind of vague if it was just being delayed a year or two or if it was canceled entirely. More as we find out.
    (9/1/08) According to the latest rumors, the various delays and setbacks over the new proposed wooden coaster planned for California’s Great America have pushed the project back too far. What this means is that the project may very well be delayed until the 2010 season at this point. I also can’t help but wonder if this has anything to do with all the talks between the park and the 49’ers over building a new stadium in the parking lot. Obviously if the team is willing to buy the park outright from Cedar Fair, then Cedar Fair has no reason to pay to put in a new coaster just yet.
    (8/14/08) For anyone who has heard a rumor lately claiming that the new GCI wooden coaster planned was cancelled, don’t believe it. I went right to the source with this one and asked Al Garcia, the Marketing Communications Manager for the park, to find out what the status of the project is. 
    “As of right now, we're still moving forward with our new wooden coaster project. While it has been a little bit of a bumpy ride to get this project rolling, we are awaiting final approval at an upcoming Santa Clara city council meeting on Aug. 26. So, in short...we're still moving forward with the project!”
    (10/26/07) In 2009 Cedar Fair has already confirmed plans to add a new GCI wooden coaster to the park. The new coaster will stand 104 feet tall and send riders on a 2 minute ride at 52 mph ride through a twisting first drop, a low to the ground S turn and a high speed station fly-by.