Earlier this month, Six Flags Great America announced their new Wooden Coaster Goliath. Being the Tallest, Fastest, and Steepest wooden coaster on Earth when it opens next May, it will bring new dimensions to the park's coaster collection! We spoke with Six Flags Great America Park Spokesperson Katy Enrique on the burning questions everyone's been having on Goliath, and here's what she had to say:
Katy: No problem Nicholous, we're just as excited as you are about Goliath! Well, the trains for Goliath will be built by Rocky Mountain Construction of Hayden, ID. The ride will have two trains each consisting of 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train utilizing polyurethane wheels and a lap/ankle restraint.
TPO: Goliath will be built in the spot where the Iron Wolf Stand-Up coaster once stood. But, all that stands is the old Station for the ride. What modifications will we see to the old Iron Wolf station to accommodate Goliath?
Katy: The trains for Goliath will be much longer than Iron Wolf, this will require our team to modify the station in length. We are also planning to widen the loading side of the station as the design of Iron Wolf necessitated a very narrow loading platform, we are fortunate to not have that issue with Goliath.
TPO: When can we expect to see the first track pieces to be constructed and put into place?
Katy: The current construction schedule for Goliath calls for track work to begin in November 2013.
TPO: Knowing this ride will already be very popular with Park Guests, is their an estimate on the total ride time/hourly capacity?
Katy: Goliath will have a ride time of 96 seconds, we feel confident that we can achieve between 850-1000 riders per hour on this attraction.
TPO: What Goliath theming can we expect throughout the Queue Line and the Ride itself?
Katy: The tight queue area prevents us from constructing any elaborate theming elements, however the queue area as well as the area surrounding the ride will be remodeled and refreshed with a new color scheme and design elements. For example, Wolf’s Den Snacks will be replaced with a new food/snack location, the M-porium retail location will be remodeled to support the new attraction and both Johnny Rockets and Funnel Cake Foundry will receive upgrades to accommodate the extra traffic in that area of the park.
TPO: Sounds like 2014 will once again be a big year for the park, Congratulations! Thanks for speaking with us here at Theme Park Overload!
Katy: No problem Nicholous, thank you!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, as it's are primary area we post updates and breaking news to! www.Facebook.com/ThemeParkOverload Special Thanks to Katy and everyone at Six Flags Great America! My name's Nicholous, and Thanks for Reading!