So there's a reason why there are very little roller coaster additions to Great Escape. Six flags has an agreement with the local town (Queensbury, NY) that if they cause an increase in traffic, then they are obligated by contract to build new stoplights and roundabouts I believe, which Six Flags does not want to pay for. So, that's why they don't get any new big attractions. They make a decent profit every season so they don't have any incentive to go all out on a new coaster. Thanks for coming to my home park, its about time!
We have gotten some good stuff tho within the past 10-15 years. No roller coasters besides the Larson Loop lol, but Sasquatch is good and the new Adirondack Outlaw is pretty fun. I miss nightmare tho that was one of my favorite rides, it’s sad cuz yes they use that building for fright fest, but they could do so much with that area lol
Ok well six flags has a lot of money, and this park is in a great location, so for the chain to have to pay for new stoplights and some configurations to the road won't be a nightmare. What needs to be fixed is the parking entrance to sfne
@@eguyer1521 Yeah, there is no doubt that they get decent flat rides every now and again, but its pretty obvious they don't pull as big of crowds as roller coasters do. Love the Great Escape tho.
@@Schmidty030 oh yea 100%. Literally I’ve wanted a good coaster here since I was like 10 lol, I’m in my mid 20s now. I make the drive to NE but always make sure to go 2 times a summer. Only problem is these season passes you can’t go to every park anymore. Always use to pay 40 for a season pass at great escape and then would go maybe once or twice and then the rest New England/Great Adventure. I’m not buying a membership either so imo Six Flags is hurting themselves taking that away
Had this been the early 2000s I’d see it be more likely to happen. But it wouldn’t be the first time Six Flags took the cheap and easy way out. I know RCDB says they had AstroWorld’s SLC sitting on their lawn before it went to La Ronde. Wouldn’t have been the greatest new coaster, but it made more sense there than a park that already has a Batman clone.
The Great Escape is such a wholesome park. I really like how they maintain their charm with the the old school fairytale stuff throughout the park. Steamin’ Demon and Boomerang make for a great skyline when you arrive at the park. An RMC single-rain would be a perfect addition to this place.
This is my hometown park (literal 10 minute drive). The biggest issue with getting new attractions, and you can find articles on it from when they were trying to install Adirondack Outlaw, is that the neighboring communities (both Lake George and Glen Lake) whine and complain to the governing boards about their view being obstructed or ugly. I'd love to see a small eurofighter or RMC raptor, but until they can get around to actually investing into and proving to the nearby communities that adding attractions will bring value.
Well, the park is getting a new coaster! Coming 2024 wooden coaster "The Bobcat"! And I can only assume that's what's replacing the Alpine Bobsled. Hopefully Steamin Demon is next to go because an RMC coaster wouldn't be a bad idea at all!
My home park! Steamin' Demon is the most uncomfortable coaster I've ever been on, but I love Comet and Canyon Blaster. And kudos for showing some love to Blizzard; nothing beats a dark, air-conditioned Scrambler on a hot day!
Blizzard is a great ride. I was just there today, and the operations were TERRIBLE. Add on the seemingly perfect time fast pass users and a 20 minute wait turned into 45 just to get to the switchbacks, and then we just left and went to the comet. It was incredibly frustrating. On the other hand, comet’s operation was great and I kept joking with my wife that one of the girls working it had that cedar point spirit in her. She was fast as hell, enthusiastic and pushing the trains out fast.
In Canobie Coaster's review of the park he explained that the park has a legal agreement that the park isn't allowed to increase the traffic without having to spend a gigantic chunk of money on city infrastructure. I doubt Six Flags will want to invest a bunch more in the park if that's the result. The cost of a new coaster could mean the cost of the coaster itself plus millions of dollars given to the city. That said, they really should just paint their friggin mine train.
A highly underrated gem. My first visit didn't impress me because I went just for coasters (I only got to ride 3) but my second visit, which was after I learned to appreciate more than coasters (and ya know, got the 2 I missed on my first visit), thoroughly impressed me. The walkthroughs are amazing, and I'm surprised Disney has let these Alice in Wonderland walkthroughs stay (which I'm thankful they have, they're really cool!). And Adirondak Outlaw thoroughly impressed me. Probably the best flat ride I've done that isn't a Skycoaster or Slingshot (Sorry Sledgehammer, you've been one-uped).
I’m glad this park is getting more attention lately. I just don’t see anything new coming any time soon. It’s not like Cedar Fair’s Michigan’s Adventure it’s like Gilroy Gardens. Or maybe that’s frontier city. This park has nice charm though
We think the history of the relocated rides add cool stories to be told about the park. Like even their log flume was relocated from the first ever Busch Gardens in California, that is why you actually ride in barrels and not logs.
Steamin demon was from Ponchartrain beach and Sasquatch was from Six Flags New Orleans, that means great escape has one ride from both defunct New Orleans theme parks
Very accurate review, even though Frontier City's roller coaster lineup is about as poor as Great Escape. Both parks are charming in their own ways, but Great Escape has a more unique atmosphere which I certainly enjoyed. I actually like this park way more than La Ronde.
Being a local, the Town of Queensbury gives them grief for all of their new additions and anything that ruins the mountainview… it’s a bummer because we are desperate for new rides at that park instead of flat rides or water park additions
One of the things that may be deterring a new coaster is that Great Escape is on the hook for redoing the road outside the park if traffic increases. So while a Raptor or something may increase attendance, it could cause them to have to redo the roadway, negating those profits.
You visit lake George every summer and know that traffic can get bad. Knowing six flags, they want to make more money, so they should consider paying for the road does the park decide to add a new coaster that boosts attendance. What upsets me with this whole issue is six flags New England is a much bigger park with more attendance, and they're parking entrance experience is much more severe. Even worse the town and/or six flags won't do anything about sfne's issue
I remember reading in the post star when they revamped splashwater kingdom into hurricane harbor, they were looking into that due to increase attendance, so imagine what a coaster would do.
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv well queensbury is small, and after the great escape the towns most profitable business is probably Walmart or sum. The town wouldn't have enough money for the project, and great escape wouldn't want to be forced to close. It's a smart move by the town, as I'm sure the Queensbury "government" wants more people in the area too.
@@hedgehogcoasters7239 There's also a very popular ski mountain down the road. Queensbury makes a ton of money from tourism, and I think they're shooting themselves in the foot by holding this park hostage. The park pays their taxes and that revenue would increase if park attendance increased. It seems almost criminal to not allow a private business to do something because you'd have to actually do your job and maintain infrastructure.
Thank you so much for not destroying this park (maximum nostalgia). It's my home park, and I will always miss the Bobsled, but I am SO excited for the Bobcat in the 2024 season!
Great Escape is my home park and I have always hoped that they would add some bigger roller coaster and remove Steamin Demon, but I don't think they will for a long time. Also Comet is severely underrated it actually has some rly good airtime and front seat feels completely out of control when it's running fast.
I think Great escape has fine coasters, they just need some serious maintenance. Make some rides smoother And some rides need a repaint, but that’s about all. I’d like to see a spaghetti bowl coaster there though, lol.
I really think that an rmc raptor, skyrocket 2, or eurofighter would be perfect for this park. Maybe tear out steamin demon and have a raptor in that plot.
I went to this park with my family when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I have three core memories: one, they played Mambo No. 5 when I walked in and I thought it was the greatest song I had ever heard (I was a child). Two, the bobsled. I didn’t know coasters could do that at the time and I had lots of fun. Three, Steamin’ Demon. While I am now an adult enthusiast with a much more refined taste, as an 8 year old, it was everything. I think my siblings and I rode it at least ten times. You said it yourself, the park is nothing special. But it’s a GREAT and charming family park and I would definitely go back someday when I have a family.
Great Escape and Frontier City honestly don’t look like Six Flags parks. The theming atmosphere seems pleasant at both parks from an outsider POV. And it seems like despite what people think given their lack of investments, Six Flags takes pretty good care of them. (But can we actually get Canyon Blaster painted for real Six Flags? Come on, bare minimum isn’t a good look)
Local, that place has a lot of great memories for me used to go during the summer, the fall during fright fest. It was great for it being much closer and cheaper than driving to six flags New England. For a while they had a looney land, a few character statues that’s pretty much it. I think you can still get WB stuff in the gift shop. Other park was a shocker at how big it was but I enjoyed it. New rides were huge news all over the area and there would be sales to make money back. My father grew up with it being Story Town. There’s staffing issues cause it’s in the middle of no where and they don’t pay anyone enough for the bs you have to deal with even with the staff housing. So many weird shows they used to put on when I was a kid not sure if they still do. Diving shows, celebrity impersonators, western shootouts, all in different areas. That place is strangely charming.
Despite what most people say, I’ve feel that Six Flags Great Escape is a very charming park. Opening in 1954, it offers fun rides, a great waterpark, their wooden coaster, Comet and a million and one rides geared towards families and kids. Also, you have The Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark, located right across the street. Now, since the area is a decent-sized vacation spot, I’d make it my goal to make the park a multi-day destination. This would really maximize the lodge and keep the occupancy rate close to 100 percent as I can, during the days the park is open. Here’s how I would do it: *First, I’d replace the Steamin’ Demon with a Vekoma Hyper Space Warp coaster. It’s no secret that the park’s current Arrow Looper is nearing the end of its cycle. So, I think that a ride like this placed on the same plot of land, in front of the park, would look amazing and the GP would eat it up. *Next, Sasquatch would get retrofitted into an S&S Spin Shot attraction. This enhances the park’s tower attraction into a very thrilling, new ride. The Great Escape would convert one of the existing towers into the spin shot. That way, you’d give the park guests the opportunity to choose which attraction they’d like to ride, the traditional ride experience or the spin shot experience. Really two attractions in one. *I would also add a new Gerstlauer Infinity coaster, much like Fury at Bobbejaanland, on the former plot of land where Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon once stood. This would be a massive draw and would help give the park a massive boost in attendance, while adding a new ride that’s unique to the area. *Then, the park would look to add a few new flat rides to their lineup. *I’d add some new seasonal events, to go with the park’s Oktoberfest and Fright Fest events, *Finally, the park’s Hurricane Harbor waterpark would add a new ProSlide Tornado Wave attraction. This would give The Great Escape another high-capacity water park attraction.
I went there way back in 2014. It reminded me of Story Land & Canobie Lake Park combined into one park with a higher height limit. They definitely need a new coaster sometime in the 2020's.
I remember Sarajevo Bobsleds from Great Adventure!!! That’s awesome it exists still. They removed it to make room for the Great American Scream Machine, which is also now long gone.
**UPDATE** Alpine Bobsled is shutting down at the end of the normal season (September 4th 2023) unfortunately, and what is replacing it, is unknown at this moment.
I have been to great escape, in fact I am two hours away from where I live, my cousins take me all of the time, this entire video is what I have been wanting to tell them, I am a coaster enthusiast and all of the points on these coasters that you made are 100% true, they are lacking in the coaster department but the theming is on point
I went for the first time in 25 years, I agree with everything you said. The water park looks really good. It wasn’t as disappointing as I thought it would be. The Town doesn’t want rides being visible from adjacent properties.
I'm a local and I frequent this park often, sometimes to just get out of the house for a bit. It's almost never super busy, with exception to holidays but this is a fantastic park for kids. The Canyon Blaster is a great roller coaster for a first time coaster. And the Comet and Bobsled are the crown jewels. The thing that makes this park popular locally is their deals on season passes and memberships. Going through the right channels, I can buy a basic season pass for cheaper than a day ticket, and I don't even know a higher up at the park.
oh my gosh! Ive been there and used to go there every year as a kid! and still go to that area and to the park once in a while, its amazing! (You must go back and see the water rides, they are my fav!)
Replacing steamin demon with an RMC raptor would be a great investment. Could be an entirely new ride, or an homage to steamin demon. That would massively help the park out. Comet is already great, they just need a good two coasters.
I lay most of Great Escape's problems at the feet of Six Flags. Under Charlie Wood, the Great Escape was my favorite park in the northeast. The Comet was my favorite wood coaster anywhere, not just due to its amazing history but it also had more airtime than Phoenix. But that's not true anymore. The ride hasn't been getting the TLC it did under Wood's leadership. The park also lost a lot of its unique personality when Six Flags took over. But at least I have my memories.
As someone who is a diamond member at great escape the steamin demon is a good ride but it will sure give you a headache afterwards. I go to great escape every week. The park is super old and the bobsled is now demolished and there is now a coaster called the bobcat in the spot of the bobsled.
this is my home park and i go here every year!! i love this place and it has a soft spot in my heart but you are completely right, after going here for 15+ years with no new edition it gets really boring and the only thing to do is ride the comet. the log flume is soooooo good though i used to get scared of the animatronics inside right before you go down the big drop and that was one of my favorite rides. they have a lot of room to expand like back behind the ferris wheel where they keep the haunted houses, which i totally think you should come here during fright fest because it's a completely different experience from the other parks. this park could be so good with some tlc but i just wish ik why six flags never invested here.. yeah sfne is only a couple hours away along with great adventure but if this was a little more well rounded of a park i feel the northeast region of the us would definitely be a hotspot for coaster enthusiasts
If any fans of this channel are thinking of not coming here, please rethink it. Yes, The Great Escape might not be that great of an amusement park, but the Queensbury/Lake George area of NY is AMAZING!!!! There is SO MUCH to do in the Adirondack area of NY.
Speaking of indoor scramblers I strongly recommend checking out Centreville amusement park on the Toronto Islands. They also got an indoor scrambler and it has some cool rides despite being a small size amusement park. I hope to visit Great Escape someday as it’s not too far from where I live (approximately 6 hours).
Great escape is my home theme park. My opinon of Great Escape is that they should get roller coasters and steam'n deamon is very rough and I have leaned to be able to keep my head to onw side of the restraint for the cork screw I persally thing the loop is fine but the cork screw is so rough i have learned to keep my head to the side to not bang it on the restraint. My favorite ride is the Comet. In the summer of 2021 I rode the Comet over like 50 times because it is my home park and this year 2022 I am planing to go to the New England one. Last year (2021) I was so affraid of roller coasters but now I love them and I want to become a roller coaster entuseiest. The blizzard used to be called magical mystery tour before the blizzard.
If you know the group The Beatles they have a song called Magical Mystery Tour and that is what the ride used to be called and it used to play that song every time the ride was operated. Now it is currenly called the blizzard and they still play magical mystery tour but then they also play this other music that is really crapy and annoying. I wish the Great Escape would get a hanging coasterm or a launch coaster.
If you guys are ever in this area again (Lake George/Queensbury/Adirondacks) I highly highly highly recommend doing the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course. It’s a blast and tbh I will sometimes make the drive to go there and skip the great escape (it’s my home park so been many times) It’s in Bolton Landing which is right by Lake George, plus the village/town of Lake George is beautiful too. Just something to think about next time 👍 thanks for showing appreciation to my home park! Ik it’s not the best park but thank you for coming!
Also explore the Capital Region down south: the state museum is very well done, the Capitol building is honestly one of the most beautiful in the country, and Saratoga is a nice town
This is my closest park and I agree 100%. If they put some more rides like you talked about it would take this park from being called one of the worst to a fun decent park to visit for the day without the stress of a much larger park.
I have been here. I think it's a great family park with a great atmosphere, but it definitely lacks with thrilling roller coasters, which probably won't change much because, as Airtime Thrills mentioned, its closest metropolitan area is Albany with only about 3.1 million people. Not a substantial size so their return on investment from a big new rollercoaster would probably be lower than other parks.
I went to this park as a kid in the early '80s. We still have mugs for the screamin demon (it's old name) My wife and I went opening weekend last year, but they were having real problems coming out of lockdown. Didn't get to ride much at all. I remember the log flume. Great animatronics and the last drop was a surprise
The problem is SFNE is really close by, so there isnt the need for a big investment for thrill rides. Ive been here numerous times, and the best thing about it is that its nothing like Six Flags park. And Steamin Demon is a fun classic. Sure, its not the smoothest, but its far from the worst steel coaster Ive been on.
If you want good food, just go across the street to Martha's Dandee Cream. They have some really good food, with enormous portions. I didn't visit this park when I went to the area, but charm is where this park shines. Bobcat is going to do well here.
It's been a long time since I've been to this park (1988). I want to get back to ride Comet... which I actually rode 2 or 3 times at Crystal Beach before it closed. When I rode, they had the trains set up where the first half of the cars faced backwards while the back half of the cars faced forward. Pretty much like on a swinging pirate ship ride. It was awesome. I've never seen that before or since.
Yeah, the Comet is the best coaster here, no doubt. There used to be another coaster (an indoor one) right next to the Canyon Blaster called The Nightmare At Crackaxle Canyon and it was actually a fun ride. You had to go on it to see what it was like, but it had real capacity issues which resulted in very lengthy wait times. There were even signs posted on the line, one of them saying "One hour wait at this point" and another saying "Two hour wait at this point". The building still stands, but if you went on the Log Flume which goes around it you can see the coaster is no longer standing with the back door open.
I didn't go on Nightmare for years cause I was so scared of it, and I got to finally do it two or three times before it closed, I think too many people also got hurt on it, cause they also told people not to raise their hands up on it and they still did anyway. Might've been just a rumor, but yeah, the cart only held like two people at a time so the wait was so long and slow. Now that spot is a storage area for arcade prizes and I think it's also used for Fight Fest's Haunted House.
Glad you liked the park! Desperado plunge has a small indoor section of extensive theming, but the rest of the ride is ugly looking. Also, a new family raft slide and a water coaster would make the water park more well-rounded and even better than ever!
If i were six flags, I'd do a ride of some variety in the former nightmare building. Even a shooting dark ride would be great. Eventually steamin demon will have to be retired and I personally think a clone of hangtime would be perfect.
Lake George with The Great Escape feels almost like a very scaled down Pigeon Forge with Dollywood. Lots of mini golf and fun strip activities anchored by a theme park. The park had more young kids rides when Storytown. Still, for families with both young and older kids it’s a good choice.
The Adirondacks in general is alot like the Smokey Mountains, if you have the choice I highly recommend the Adirondacks over the Smokies, very similar experience with alot less tourists while also having a ton more to go do (seriously the Adirondack state park is larger than the entire state of Vermont, it's absolutely huge)
Same! And last time I went on with my Dad, I found out it was his first looper too! I think Steamin' Demon has a lot of history regarding that honor for a lot of people in the area.
great escape, formally Storytown USA, has been an upstate NY staple since the 50s. i wouldn't put this on any thrill seekers list of must try parks, instead, it caters to local families, especially single moms, who will buy season passes and let the kids run wild in the water park. the comet is classic, supernova is great, sasquatach is fun, raging river is fun and desperado plunge is fun, but i heard it was closing. also, tbe bobsled is no more, as it was almost never running. it is being replaced by another coaster but it looks fairly tame. the food here is garbage junk food and very over priced ( $10 for a pretzel ) there are some other decent rides throughout and it is very charming. rides like the train and magic carpet are nice to relax on, and there is even a nice diving show. if you are a thrill seeker and don't like kids you'll hate it. if you are a family you will enjoy it, just expect to drop some cash
Was just there…comet wasn’t running. The coasters hurt; not the worst I’ve ridden (thank you Wildcat at Lake Compounce), it worst collection I’ve seen. And despite it being a 90+ degree day all the water rides were closed (water park was open but I didn’t have a suit). Great theming though.
Or even a raptor clone. If a new coaster is ever brought in it would be to replace the BOBSLED or STEAMIN DEMON. I just feel especially BOBSLED is potentially getting closer to it end of service life.
I live close to here. We call it the “Great Mistake” My “home park” is 6FNE 🙄 Steamin Demon indeed sucks. I’ve hated it since I was a teenager. Comet is good. Water park is good. They are always rude regarding my disabled daughter. My memories of this park being Storytown are good.
Six flags has tried and I think is still trying with this park. I think they were/are going for a destination park and up until the 07 recession was was getting newer rides and was benefiting from the relocation program. I believe the SLC they had in storage for about 5yrs was going to replace Nightmare but the recession changed that.(it went to Canada). Also the park has some weird inconsistencies in restrictions both with hight and noise. OUTLAW almost didn’t end up in the park. It was originally supposed to go closer to the desperado plunge but had to be moved to were it is now just 100yrd away from its original planned location. But the fact that six flags went through the effort to get the ride in both after zoning and Covid closer shows six flags cares a little for the park. And the fact they held onto it after the 07 recession. So it would be interesting to see what the future holds.
This is my home park and I actually really enjoy it I love the first drop on comet in the back,sasquach is awesome,flashback is a meh and steamin demon is awful the corkscrews bang your head i only like the drop in the back,but they could fit a raptor but the great escape holds a special place in my heart
Steamin demon is so damn rough. I’ve been riding it since I was a kid. We were there today and we were going to skip it, but we just had to do it. The turn around, drop and vertical loop is pretty damn good. I was thinking “people hate this thing because it’s small or they are just babies, it’s not that ba…..” and then I hit the corkscrews. I thought I dislocated my shoulder after that.
La Ronde should be called The Great Escape because leaving the park feels like an escape and you’ll feel great when you do!
🤣🤣😂😂💀💀💀💀
I visited La Ronde for the first time last summer, and it wasn't that bad. It's no Canada's Wonderland, but it has a decent collection of rides.
@@benhobson3084 I’ll be able to give an actual fair assessment this summer. For now I will just make jokes about it.
Throw it away, forget yesterday, we’ll make the Great Escape… from La Ronde
@@bigfatrockstar4991 cause we are finally free, tonight
So there's a reason why there are very little roller coaster additions to Great Escape. Six flags has an agreement with the local town (Queensbury, NY) that if they cause an increase in traffic, then they are obligated by contract to build new stoplights and roundabouts I believe, which Six Flags does not want to pay for. So, that's why they don't get any new big attractions. They make a decent profit every season so they don't have any incentive to go all out on a new coaster. Thanks for coming to my home park, its about time!
We have gotten some good stuff tho within the past 10-15 years. No roller coasters besides the Larson Loop lol, but Sasquatch is good and the new Adirondack Outlaw is pretty fun. I miss nightmare tho that was one of my favorite rides, it’s sad cuz yes they use that building for fright fest, but they could do so much with that area lol
Ok well six flags has a lot of money, and this park is in a great location, so for the chain to have to pay for new stoplights and some configurations to the road won't be a nightmare. What needs to be fixed is the parking entrance to sfne
@@eguyer1521 Yeah, there is no doubt that they get decent flat rides every now and again, but its pretty obvious they don't pull as big of crowds as roller coasters do. Love the Great Escape tho.
@@Schmidty030 oh yea 100%. Literally I’ve wanted a good coaster here since I was like 10 lol, I’m in my mid 20s now. I make the drive to NE but always make sure to go 2 times a summer. Only problem is these season passes you can’t go to every park anymore. Always use to pay 40 for a season pass at great escape and then would go maybe once or twice and then the rest New England/Great Adventure. I’m not buying a membership either so imo Six Flags is hurting themselves taking that away
Had this been the early 2000s I’d see it be more likely to happen. But it wouldn’t be the first time Six Flags took the cheap and easy way out.
I know RCDB says they had AstroWorld’s SLC sitting on their lawn before it went to La Ronde. Wouldn’t have been the greatest new coaster, but it made more sense there than a park that already has a Batman clone.
“This is Steamin’ Demon and what a steaming… pile of trash” Taylor struggling to stay family-friendly.
I like the honest assessment. I don't want to hear all positive reviews when they're not deserved. 👍
Honestly steamin’ demon isn’t that bad apart from the head banging.
Perhaps some TLC would make Steamin Demon better
It ok until you hit the turn down to the corkscrews.
@@Stratiis I’ll see for myself tomorrow
The Great Escape is such a wholesome park. I really like how they maintain their charm with the the old school fairytale stuff throughout the park. Steamin’ Demon and Boomerang make for a great skyline when you arrive at the park. An RMC single-rain would be a perfect addition to this place.
Thanks for making this! I am going here this summer and was wondering what they had besides the coasters.
This is my hometown park (literal 10 minute drive). The biggest issue with getting new attractions, and you can find articles on it from when they were trying to install Adirondack Outlaw, is that the neighboring communities (both Lake George and Glen Lake) whine and complain to the governing boards about their view being obstructed or ugly. I'd love to see a small eurofighter or RMC raptor, but until they can get around to actually investing into and proving to the nearby communities that adding attractions will bring value.
I think great escape should be looked at as more of a family park more than a amusement park. And when you look at it that way, it’s really good.
Fiesta Texas getting a B&M and Great Escape can't even get an extra can of red paint for that Mine Train's helix 💀
Well, the park is getting a new coaster! Coming 2024 wooden coaster "The Bobcat"! And I can only assume that's what's replacing the Alpine Bobsled. Hopefully Steamin Demon is next to go because an RMC coaster wouldn't be a bad idea at all!
My home park! Steamin' Demon is the most uncomfortable coaster I've ever been on, but I love Comet and Canyon Blaster. And kudos for showing some love to Blizzard; nothing beats a dark, air-conditioned Scrambler on a hot day!
Blizzard is a great ride. I was just there today, and the operations were TERRIBLE. Add on the seemingly perfect time fast pass users and a 20 minute wait turned into 45 just to get to the switchbacks, and then we just left and went to the comet. It was incredibly frustrating. On the other hand, comet’s operation was great and I kept joking with my wife that one of the girls working it had that cedar point spirit in her. She was fast as hell, enthusiastic and pushing the trains out fast.
In Canobie Coaster's review of the park he explained that the park has a legal agreement that the park isn't allowed to increase the traffic without having to spend a gigantic chunk of money on city infrastructure. I doubt Six Flags will want to invest a bunch more in the park if that's the result. The cost of a new coaster could mean the cost of the coaster itself plus millions of dollars given to the city. That said, they really should just paint their friggin mine train.
A highly underrated gem. My first visit didn't impress me because I went just for coasters (I only got to ride 3) but my second visit, which was after I learned to appreciate more than coasters (and ya know, got the 2 I missed on my first visit), thoroughly impressed me. The walkthroughs are amazing, and I'm surprised Disney has let these Alice in Wonderland walkthroughs stay (which I'm thankful they have, they're really cool!). And Adirondak Outlaw thoroughly impressed me. Probably the best flat ride I've done that isn't a Skycoaster or Slingshot (Sorry Sledgehammer, you've been one-uped).
I’m glad this park is getting more attention lately. I just don’t see anything new coming any time soon. It’s not like Cedar Fair’s Michigan’s Adventure it’s like Gilroy Gardens. Or maybe that’s frontier city. This park has nice charm though
We think the history of the relocated rides add cool stories to be told about the park. Like even their log flume was relocated from the first ever Busch Gardens in California, that is why you actually ride in barrels and not logs.
Steamin demon was from Ponchartrain beach and Sasquatch was from Six Flags New Orleans, that means great escape has one ride from both defunct New Orleans theme parks
Very accurate review, even though Frontier City's roller coaster lineup is about as poor as Great Escape. Both parks are charming in their own ways, but Great Escape has a more unique atmosphere which I certainly enjoyed. I actually like this park way more than La Ronde.
Being a local, the Town of Queensbury gives them grief for all of their new additions and anything that ruins the mountainview… it’s a bummer because we are desperate for new rides at that park instead of flat rides or water park additions
I love great escape. It’s so quaint and charming. In my opinion it’s actually one of my favorite six flags parks.
One of the things that may be deterring a new coaster is that Great Escape is on the hook for redoing the road outside the park if traffic increases. So while a Raptor or something may increase attendance, it could cause them to have to redo the roadway, negating those profits.
You visit lake George every summer and know that traffic can get bad. Knowing six flags, they want to make more money, so they should consider paying for the road does the park decide to add a new coaster that boosts attendance. What upsets me with this whole issue is six flags New England is a much bigger park with more attendance, and they're parking entrance experience is much more severe. Even worse the town and/or six flags won't do anything about sfne's issue
I remember reading in the post star when they revamped splashwater kingdom into hurricane harbor, they were looking into that due to increase attendance, so imagine what a coaster would do.
LOL at Queensbury holding the park hostage. Exit 20 is God awful I can see why the town wants SF to help fix it
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv well queensbury is small, and after the great escape the towns most profitable business is probably Walmart or sum. The town wouldn't have enough money for the project, and great escape wouldn't want to be forced to close. It's a smart move by the town, as I'm sure the Queensbury "government" wants more people in the area too.
@@hedgehogcoasters7239 There's also a very popular ski mountain down the road. Queensbury makes a ton of money from tourism, and I think they're shooting themselves in the foot by holding this park hostage. The park pays their taxes and that revenue would increase if park attendance increased. It seems almost criminal to not allow a private business to do something because you'd have to actually do your job and maintain infrastructure.
Thank you so much for not destroying this park (maximum nostalgia). It's my home park, and I will always miss the Bobsled, but I am SO excited for the Bobcat in the 2024 season!
Great Escape is my home park and I have always hoped that they would add some bigger roller coaster and remove Steamin Demon, but I don't think they will for a long time. Also Comet is severely underrated it actually has some rly good airtime and front seat feels completely out of control when it's running fast.
When it comes to steamin demon, id rather see it get new trains from Vekoma instead of it getting removed. Old school arrows should be preserved.
Especially since all Arrow coasters and their trains are becoming a rare find post-Vortex.
I think Great escape has fine coasters, they just need some serious maintenance. Make some rides smoother And some rides need a repaint, but that’s about all. I’d like to see a spaghetti bowl coaster there though, lol.
My home park. It’s fun, I hope we get a new coaster and a starflyer in the future
I really think that an rmc raptor, skyrocket 2, or eurofighter would be perfect for this park. Maybe tear out steamin demon and have a raptor in that plot.
I went to this park with my family when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I have three core memories: one, they played Mambo No. 5 when I walked in and I thought it was the greatest song I had ever heard (I was a child). Two, the bobsled. I didn’t know coasters could do that at the time and I had lots of fun. Three, Steamin’ Demon. While I am now an adult enthusiast with a much more refined taste, as an 8 year old, it was everything. I think my siblings and I rode it at least ten times. You said it yourself, the park is nothing special. But it’s a GREAT and charming family park and I would definitely go back someday when I have a family.
Great Escape and Frontier City honestly don’t look like Six Flags parks. The theming atmosphere seems pleasant at both parks from an outsider POV. And it seems like despite what people think given their lack of investments, Six Flags takes pretty good care of them.
(But can we actually get Canyon Blaster painted for real Six Flags? Come on, bare minimum isn’t a good look)
Local, that place has a lot of great memories for me used to go during the summer, the fall during fright fest. It was great for it being much closer and cheaper than driving to six flags New England. For a while they had a looney land, a few character statues that’s pretty much it. I think you can still get WB stuff in the gift shop. Other park was a shocker at how big it was but I enjoyed it. New rides were huge news all over the area and there would be sales to make money back.
My father grew up with it being Story Town. There’s staffing issues cause it’s in the middle of no where and they don’t pay anyone enough for the bs you have to deal with even with the staff housing. So many weird shows they used to put on when I was a kid not sure if they still do. Diving shows, celebrity impersonators, western shootouts, all in different areas. That place is strangely charming.
Great video! Appreciated your analysis
Despite what most people say, I’ve feel that Six Flags Great Escape is a very charming park. Opening in 1954, it offers fun rides, a great waterpark, their wooden coaster, Comet and a million and one rides geared towards families and kids. Also, you have The Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark, located right across the street.
Now, since the area is a decent-sized vacation spot, I’d make it my goal to make the park a multi-day destination. This would really maximize the lodge and keep the occupancy rate close to 100 percent as I can, during the days the park is open. Here’s how I would do it:
*First, I’d replace the Steamin’ Demon with a Vekoma Hyper Space Warp coaster. It’s no secret that the park’s current Arrow Looper is nearing the end of its cycle. So, I think that a ride like this placed on the same plot of land, in front of the park, would look amazing and the GP would eat it up.
*Next, Sasquatch would get retrofitted into an S&S Spin Shot attraction. This enhances the park’s tower attraction into a very thrilling, new ride. The Great Escape would convert one of the existing towers into the spin shot. That way, you’d give the park guests the opportunity to choose which attraction they’d like to ride, the traditional ride experience or the spin shot experience. Really two attractions in one.
*I would also add a new Gerstlauer Infinity coaster, much like Fury at Bobbejaanland, on the former plot of land where Nightmare at Crack Axle Canyon once stood. This would be a massive draw and would help give the park a massive boost in attendance, while adding a new ride that’s unique to the area.
*Then, the park would look to add a few new flat rides to their lineup.
*I’d add some new seasonal events, to go with the park’s Oktoberfest and Fright Fest events,
*Finally, the park’s Hurricane Harbor waterpark would add a new ProSlide Tornado Wave attraction. This would give The Great Escape another high-capacity water park attraction.
I went there way back in 2014. It reminded me of Story Land & Canobie Lake Park combined into one park with a higher height limit. They definitely need a new coaster sometime in the 2020's.
I remember Sarajevo Bobsleds from Great Adventure!!! That’s awesome it exists still. They removed it to make room for the Great American Scream Machine, which is also now long gone.
**UPDATE** Alpine Bobsled is shutting down at the end of the normal season (September 4th 2023) unfortunately, and what is replacing it, is unknown at this moment.
most likely the new wooden coaster The Bobcat. Just announced!
I have been to great escape, in fact I am two hours away from where I live, my cousins take me all of the time, this entire video is what I have been wanting to tell them, I am a coaster enthusiast and all of the points on these coasters that you made are 100% true, they are lacking in the coaster department but the theming is on point
I went for the first time in 25 years, I agree with everything you said. The water park looks really good. It wasn’t as disappointing as I thought it would be. The Town doesn’t want rides being visible from adjacent properties.
My dad broke his rib while riding the comet back in 2006. We still laugh about it to this day 🤣
Few years ago they had cars on the canyon blaster backwards
I'm a local and I frequent this park often, sometimes to just get out of the house for a bit. It's almost never super busy, with exception to holidays but this is a fantastic park for kids. The Canyon Blaster is a great roller coaster for a first time coaster. And the Comet and Bobsled are the crown jewels. The thing that makes this park popular locally is their deals on season passes and memberships. Going through the right channels, I can buy a basic season pass for cheaper than a day ticket, and I don't even know a higher up at the park.
oh my gosh! Ive been there and used to go there every year as a kid! and still go to that area and to the park once in a while, its amazing! (You must go back and see the water rides, they are my fav!)
Replacing steamin demon with an RMC raptor would be a great investment. Could be an entirely new ride, or an homage to steamin demon. That would massively help the park out. Comet is already great, they just need a good two coasters.
2:20 "I would love to see it removed AFTER it gets replaced with something better", So they should replace it with something first the remove it?
Nice Funtown/Splashtown reference
I never been to this theme park before, but this looks cool! Hope me and my family will have a visit there one day!
Excellent footage 🥃🥃🥃🥃🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾
I lay most of Great Escape's problems at the feet of Six Flags. Under Charlie Wood, the Great Escape was my favorite park in the northeast. The Comet was my favorite wood coaster anywhere, not just due to its amazing history but it also had more airtime than Phoenix. But that's not true anymore. The ride hasn't been getting the TLC it did under Wood's leadership. The park also lost a lot of its unique personality when Six Flags took over. But at least I have my memories.
As someone who is a diamond member at great escape the steamin demon is a good ride but it will sure give you a headache afterwards. I go to great escape every week. The park is super old and the bobsled is now demolished and there is now a coaster called the bobcat in the spot of the bobsled.
Been needing to go here for ages, it's my friends home park, so I hope to come here next time I hang out with my friend.
^-^
Went to this park in 2018. Extremely underrated.
Odd to see a Coaster Studios video in the morning
this is my home park and i go here every year!! i love this place and it has a soft spot in my heart but you are completely right, after going here for 15+ years with no new edition it gets really boring and the only thing to do is ride the comet. the log flume is soooooo good though i used to get scared of the animatronics inside right before you go down the big drop and that was one of my favorite rides. they have a lot of room to expand like back behind the ferris wheel where they keep the haunted houses, which i totally think you should come here during fright fest because it's a completely different experience from the other parks. this park could be so good with some tlc but i just wish ik why six flags never invested here.. yeah sfne is only a couple hours away along with great adventure but if this was a little more well rounded of a park i feel the northeast region of the us would definitely be a hotspot for coaster enthusiasts
If any fans of this channel are thinking of not coming here, please rethink it.
Yes, The Great Escape might not be that great of an amusement park, but the Queensbury/Lake George area of NY is AMAZING!!!! There is SO MUCH to do in the Adirondack area of NY.
Speaking of indoor scramblers I strongly recommend checking out Centreville amusement park on the Toronto Islands. They also got an indoor scrambler and it has some cool rides despite being a small size amusement park. I hope to visit Great Escape someday as it’s not too far from where I live (approximately 6 hours).
Great escape is my home theme park. My opinon of Great Escape is that they should get roller coasters and steam'n deamon is very rough and I have leaned to be able to keep my head to onw side of the restraint for the cork screw I persally thing the loop is fine but the cork screw is so rough i have learned to keep my head to the side to not bang it on the restraint. My favorite ride is the Comet. In the summer of 2021 I rode the Comet over like 50 times because it is my home park and this year 2022 I am planing to go to the New England one. Last year (2021) I was so affraid of roller coasters but now I love them and I want to become a roller coaster entuseiest. The blizzard used to be called magical mystery tour before the blizzard.
If you know the group The Beatles they have a song called Magical Mystery Tour and that is what the ride used to be called and it used to play that song every time the ride was operated. Now it is currenly called the blizzard and they still play magical mystery tour but then they also play this other music that is really crapy and annoying. I wish the Great Escape would get a hanging coasterm or a launch coaster.
I been going to this park since I was 4 and I love it
If you guys are ever in this area again (Lake George/Queensbury/Adirondacks) I highly highly highly recommend doing the Adirondack Extreme Adventure Course. It’s a blast and tbh I will sometimes make the drive to go there and skip the great escape (it’s my home park so been many times) It’s in Bolton Landing which is right by Lake George, plus the village/town of Lake George is beautiful too. Just something to think about next time 👍 thanks for showing appreciation to my home park! Ik it’s not the best park but thank you for coming!
Also explore the Capital Region down south: the state museum is very well done, the Capitol building is honestly one of the most beautiful in the country, and Saratoga is a nice town
This is my closest park and I agree 100%. If they put some more rides like you talked about it would take this park from being called one of the worst to a fun decent park to visit for the day without the stress of a much larger park.
I have been here. I think it's a great family park with a great atmosphere, but it definitely lacks with thrilling roller coasters, which probably won't change much because, as Airtime Thrills mentioned, its closest metropolitan area is Albany with only about 3.1 million people. Not a substantial size so their return on investment from a big new rollercoaster would probably be lower than other parks.
I haven't been to any of these but Great Escape, Darien Lake, and La Ronde all remind me of 1990s Geuaga Lake.
Comet was my favorite at the park but Steamin Demon was not good. I thought that ride was very slow and rough.
I went to this park as a kid in the early '80s. We still have mugs for the screamin demon (it's old name)
My wife and I went opening weekend last year, but they were having real problems coming out of lockdown. Didn't get to ride much at all.
I remember the log flume. Great animatronics and the last drop was a surprise
It’s was originally Storytown USA, Storyland is in New Hampshire.
The problem is SFNE is really close by, so there isnt the need for a big investment for thrill rides. Ive been here numerous times, and the best thing about it is that its nothing like Six Flags park. And Steamin Demon is a fun classic. Sure, its not the smoothest, but its far from the worst steel coaster Ive been on.
Plus it's not the main draw to the area Lake George is
Great escape I believe has a height limit of the tree line, they struggled putting in And Oulaw in because of Resindets complaints
Took my family there in the 90’s. First question was where is the Comet. I understand another woodie is planned for the park.
If you want good food, just go across the street to Martha's Dandee Cream. They have some really good food, with enormous portions. I didn't visit this park when I went to the area, but charm is where this park shines. Bobcat is going to do well here.
they are getting a gravity group called bobcat. im excited
Iv heard many people say they prefer the water park to the dry park, maybe they were comparing the water slides to the coasters, what do you think?
This is a very honest review. I've been to great escape for years now and its still good
It's been a long time since I've been to this park (1988). I want to get back to ride Comet... which I actually rode 2 or 3 times at Crystal Beach before it closed. When I rode, they had the trains set up where the first half of the cars faced backwards while the back half of the cars faced forward. Pretty much like on a swinging pirate ship ride. It was awesome. I've never seen that before or since.
That does sound really cool, but unfortunately that is no longer the case. However, it’s still a great ride. It always makes me smile!
I visited way back in 2013 and was pleasantly surprised! Far from the worst Six Flags park for me.
Yeah, the Comet is the best coaster here, no doubt. There used to be another coaster (an indoor one) right next to the Canyon Blaster called The Nightmare At Crackaxle Canyon and it was actually a fun ride. You had to go on it to see what it was like, but it had real capacity issues which resulted in very lengthy wait times. There were even signs posted on the line, one of them saying "One hour wait at this point" and another saying "Two hour wait at this point". The building still stands, but if you went on the Log Flume which goes around it you can see the coaster is no longer standing with the back door open.
I didn't go on Nightmare for years cause I was so scared of it, and I got to finally do it two or three times before it closed, I think too many people also got hurt on it, cause they also told people not to raise their hands up on it and they still did anyway. Might've been just a rumor, but yeah, the cart only held like two people at a time so the wait was so long and slow. Now that spot is a storage area for arcade prizes and I think it's also used for Fight Fest's Haunted House.
This is my home park, I absolutely love it because every time I go I love my visit. I actually somehow really liked steamin demon.
Steamin Demon originally operated at pontrachain beach
Haven't watched yet. But I have a feeling. It's my childhood park and it used to be good. Six flags ran it into the ground.
I think I agree with all the points you made, good and bad.
Glad you liked the park! Desperado plunge has a small indoor section of extensive theming, but the rest of the ride is ugly looking. Also, a new family raft slide and a water coaster would make the water park more well-rounded and even better than ever!
Steamin' Demon really feels that rough to you? It matches up to every other Arrow Corkscrew for me.
The corkscrews are brutal, but the rest of it is kinda actually good
If i were six flags, I'd do a ride of some variety in the former nightmare building. Even a shooting dark ride would be great. Eventually steamin demon will have to be retired and I personally think a clone of hangtime would be perfect.
1. a raptor would be a better fit. 2. six flags doesn't work with gerstlauer since 2013 because of the ntg accident.
This places reminds me a lot of Canobie Lake Park
Lake George with The Great Escape feels almost like a very scaled down Pigeon Forge with Dollywood. Lots of mini golf and fun strip activities anchored by a theme park. The park had more young kids rides when Storytown. Still, for families with both young and older kids it’s a good choice.
I think that what six flags was/might still be going for and it definitely showed up until the 07 recession. Town Zoning restrictions don’t help.
The Adirondacks in general is alot like the Smokey Mountains, if you have the choice I highly recommend the Adirondacks over the Smokies, very similar experience with alot less tourists while also having a ton more to go do (seriously the Adirondack state park is larger than the entire state of Vermont, it's absolutely huge)
Steamin Demon was my first looper I ever rode.
Same! And last time I went on with my Dad, I found out it was his first looper too! I think Steamin' Demon has a lot of history regarding that honor for a lot of people in the area.
I remember when it was Storytown/ Great Escape. Many rides where taken down. This place has gone down hill fast.
This place is like fantasy island with all the houses and stuff
great escape, formally Storytown USA, has been an upstate NY staple since the 50s. i wouldn't put this on any thrill seekers list of must try parks, instead, it caters to local families, especially single moms, who will buy season passes and let the kids run wild in the water park. the comet is classic, supernova is great, sasquatach is fun, raging river is fun and desperado plunge is fun, but i heard it was closing. also, tbe bobsled is no more, as it was almost never running. it is being replaced by another coaster but it looks fairly tame. the food here is garbage junk food and very over priced ( $10 for a pretzel ) there are some other decent rides throughout and it is very charming. rides like the train and magic carpet are nice to relax on, and there is even a nice diving show. if you are a thrill seeker and don't like kids you'll hate it. if you are a family you will enjoy it, just expect to drop some cash
Man I'm so bad dang nostalgic for the stealing demon
Was just there…comet wasn’t running. The coasters hurt; not the worst I’ve ridden (thank you Wildcat at Lake Compounce), it worst collection I’ve seen. And despite it being a 90+ degree day all the water rides were closed (water park was open but I didn’t have a suit). Great theming though.
they just added a new wooden coaster!!!
it looks like a intamin single rail would be perfect a launch, inversions, standout steel coaster and airtime!
Or even a raptor clone. If a new coaster is ever brought in it would be to replace the BOBSLED or STEAMIN DEMON. I just feel especially BOBSLED is potentially getting closer to it end of service life.
Low to the ground too
Btw pandemonium acully replaced a wipe out that used to be there
Review behemoth at Cw
I live close to here. We call it the “Great Mistake”
My “home park” is 6FNE 🙄
Steamin Demon indeed sucks. I’ve hated it since I was a teenager.
Comet is good. Water park is good. They are always rude regarding my disabled daughter. My memories of this park being Storytown are good.
So many people: if the ride doesn't have a B&M giga or an RMC reman the park is trash.
Me: i love cute parks with potential.
0:44 that scared me
Six flags has tried and I think is still trying with this park. I think they were/are going for a destination park and up until the 07 recession was was getting newer rides and was benefiting from the relocation program. I believe the SLC they had in storage for about 5yrs was going to replace Nightmare but the recession changed that.(it went to Canada). Also the park has some weird inconsistencies in restrictions both with hight and noise. OUTLAW almost didn’t end up in the park. It was originally supposed to go closer to the desperado plunge but had to be moved to were it is now just 100yrd away from its original planned location. But the fact that six flags went through the effort to get the ride in both after zoning and Covid closer shows six flags cares a little for the park. And the fact they held onto it after the 07 recession. So it would be interesting to see what the future holds.
The main reason is location location location, being near Lake George is a big advantage for this park Lake George itself is a big destination
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv oh I agree and six flags has tried to cash in. Tho only real battle they have is zoning restrictions
I think the go carts need to go, no one rides them because they are an up charge, I think a raptor or a Skyrocket 2 would do great in that plot
It's all-bany
This drives us crazy lol
Thank you 2015 was my last time there
I been there I am going to fright fest soon
Canyon Blaster is still half painted.
This is my home park and I actually really enjoy it I love the first drop on comet in the back,sasquach is awesome,flashback is a meh and steamin demon is awful the corkscrews bang your head i only like the drop in the back,but they could fit a raptor but the great escape holds a special place in my heart
Steamin demon is so damn rough. I’ve been riding it since I was a kid. We were there today and we were going to skip it, but we just had to do it. The turn around, drop and vertical loop is pretty damn good. I was thinking “people hate this thing because it’s small or they are just babies, it’s not that ba…..” and then I hit the corkscrews. I thought I dislocated my shoulder after that.