Patriot - CGA 2017 - Vortex Floorless Conversion

Great America Introduces Patriot Floorless Coaster for 2017

Today California???s Great America announced that for the 2017 season, it will introduce Patriot, the first floorless coaster in the park???s 41-year history. Patriot will emerge from the soon to be retired Vortex coaster, the oldest stand up roller coaster in the United States. Season Passes for the 2017 season also go on sale today at the lowest price of the season, offering unlimited admission for the rest of 2016 and all of 2017.

Patriot will take riders to a 91-foot height before plummeting them into a 360-degree loop at 45 miles per hour. Patriot???s position in the park makes it a dynamic visual from three different sections of Great America.

The inspiration for the coaster???s name was taken from the fact that the ride is nestled adjacent to All American Corners within a park whose name celebrates America.

The transition from a stand up to floorless ride will include state-of-the-art blue and white trains positioning guests with their feet dangling above the blue and white track.

???With the track visible beneath their fee, Patriot will create unique and exciting new perspectives throughout the ride,??? said California???s Great America Vice President and General Manager Raul Rehnborg.

Guests can take their ???Last Stand??? on Vortex through September 5. Then work will begin to ready Patriot for the 2017 season.

Great America???s season continues weekend operations through Oct. 30, with Halloween Haunt running Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 24-Oct. 30.

WinterFest debuts and takes center stage Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 25-Dec. 30, with daily operations Dec. 19-23 and 26-30. Guests can ice skate in front of the iconic Carousel Columbia, admire magnificent displays of lights and d??cor, view spectacular live holiday shows, experience 18 rides, see Santa???s workshop and Mrs. Claus??? kitchen, and enjoy scrumptious holiday foods around the park.

2017 Gold Season Passes are now on sale for 9 easy payments of $9.66 and include unlimited visits during the rest of the 2016 season, admission to Halloween Haunt, WinterFest, Gilroy Gardens (excluding Lumination), unlimited admission during the 2017 season, and more.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Why bother lol

People seem to hate standups today.

[Coasterkidmwm]

I get that it's a B&M and they're built like a reliable solid rock, but like, 2 inversions total. Really? Why bother?

Good thing I'm going this weekend to ride this painful thing for a last time, not that I care that much anyways. I'm mainly going for Gold Striker.

The ride has a really good layout and it's fun when I have a smooth ride on it, so I'm looking forward to how this will turn out.

I'm really curious how this ride will do. On one hand, Vortex is one of the worst B&Ms and this conversion should hopefully improve the ride experience a bit. Oh the other, Medusa has existed at the park's primary competitor since 2000, so I question whether this will attract enough visitors to justify the few million it takes to convert the ride. I could see it as being popular for one season as it is the new attraction, but after that I have a feeling it will return to maxing out at 10 minute waits. Either way, I'll be there on Saturday to get my final Vortex ride and I'll definitely go check Patriot out in 2017.

It's simple. This park can't afford to lose another coaster . Better this than to remove it or leave it the painful mess it was.

Yo rcdude, meetup bro? Going this Saturday, exact same day as you.

Olmisery wrote:

Yo rcdude, meetup bro? Going this Saturday, exact same day as you.

Sure, send me a PM and I'll give you the details.

This is one of those cases where you either ask yourself, "Why?" or "Why not?"

I mean this is great really. Exactly what enthusiasts have been asking for... and so many compaints. Glad to see it happening, massive improvement.

Should definitely be an improvement!

CGA is my home park, and this is freaking awesome. Vortex is pretty much ignored as it is now, so this should breathe some new life into the park. Still waiting for Grizzly to be RMC'd but certainly not complaining hahaha

Also, Olmisery and rcdude : although I do have to work tomorrow, I'm going to head into the park for my last rides on Vortex as soon as I'm off. I'd be in the park by 8pm and if you were still around it would be cool to meet up!

[Paradox]

It has begun

Looks like they borrowed SFMM's extra paint from scream.

Lovely plot of tanbark in the spot where the troika was removed for whatever reason.

[Coasterkidmwm]

That blue is a huge improvement over the weird purple/yellow scheme they tried in the past.

That interlocking helix is making the vertical loop look special!

While I may be skeptical about the success of the conversion, one thing I won't deny is that the ride definitely needed a repaint. The ride is going to look great in blue.

[Turbo]

Yeah.. Definitely more excited about the paint than the floorless part.

Honestly I think I liked the old color better.

That loop is neither small nor large, but gives a neat-looking! You guys like Georgia Scorcher?

[Coasterkidmwm]

MagnumFreak25 wrote:

Honestly I think I liked the old color better.

I think they're still busy "Cedar Fair'ing" the park painting everything bright colors like what they did to Afterburn.

lol240 wrote:

That loop is neither small nor large, but gives a neat-looking! You guys like Georgia Scorcher?

I don't like Georgia Scorcher's operations, but it's the best stand-up I've been on either way.