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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.
    (11/8/11) According to a couple of different sources, the items spotted in the CGA parking lot are actually for the Global Winter Wonderland event, which has rented out the parking lot for the event from Nov. 25th to Jan. 2nd. I find it kind of ironic that CGA too will be decorated with it’s own set to Dinosaurs for the holiday event. Yep… a Christmas themed Dinosaur Maze.
    (11/7/11) Anyone drive by California’s Great America during the week? I’ve heard one reported sighting off possible “ride parts”  in the main parking lot that might be worth checking out to see if something else is on the way out or is something new is on the way in.
    (10/12/11) Park Thoughts posts their own review and thoughts about the last “Halloween Haunt” at California’s Great America.
    (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!
    (10/3/11) A few reviews of Halloween Haunt at California’s Great America has been posted to Theme Park Review this week.
    (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…)
    (9/27/11) A fun video showing off what could be the last ever Halloween Haunt at California’s Great America has been posted to YouTube. It’s fun stuff… check it out below.

    (9/21/11) According to this article, the owners of the San Francisco 49ers football team are apparently teamed up with JMA Ventures in the deal to buy the California’s Great America theme park. The good news is that the deal does require them to continue to operate and improve the park, and not just rip it out for a new mall or something.
    (9/20/11) In the back of my mind, I had a feeling that the clock was ticking for California’s Great America. The signs of a complete lack of interest in the park’s owners (Cedar Fair) were everywhere, mixed with the removal of the park’s newer coasters. The terrible fear most had was that we were seeing another Geauga Lake style decline of the park, removing one good ride after another, unless the park was on it’s last legs… then it would be closed entirely. Fortunately, a new twist to the story has arrived that should ensure the park’s survival… for the next few years at least.
    Cedar Fair has officially sold California’s Great America to a real estate investment group called JMA Ventures, for $70 million. From what I gather from JMA’s website, it looks like they own a few ski resorts in the area, but this will be their first park. Two parks actually, as the management contract to operate Gilroy Gardens was also said to be included in the deal.
    Cedar Fair, now free of the park and the headache of the pending merger of the site with the new 49ers Football Stadium in the parking lot, will be able to use that $70 to pay down some substantial debts, putting them in a much stronger financial position.
    (6/13/11) I came across this shocking headline over the weekend, claiming that California’s San Jose based state appeals court had kicked a lawsuit back into play that was previously tossed out by a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge. The problem here is that this case could have a shocking repercussion for the ENTIRE amusement industry in America.
    It all goes back to a lawsuit by a local area doctor who was riding the bumper cars at California’s Great America back in 2005 with her son, and somehow ended up with a broken wrist during her time on the ride. While anyone with half a brain would know that you should expect some quite harsh bumps and jarring impacts from a ride on any bumper car style attraction, the appeals court is now claiming that the park may have been negligent for not taking steps “to prevent head-on collisions on the bumper car ride.”
    To be more specific, bumper cars do come in two flavors I guess… those that are just an open field that allow for driving and bumping in any and all direction, and there are those with some kind of “center island” who attempt to direct the flow of traffic in a circular motion. While this later concept does make head-on collisions more difficult to achieve, it certainly does not make them impossible. After all… it is a BUMPER CAR ride… and collision from each and every direction are not only expected, but your expected to return them in kind as well, as the nature of the ride is a free-for-all crash fest… in cars that were designed for just such a purpose.
    If this lawsuit goes down against Cedar Fair, the current owner of California’s Great America, this would suddenly make all parks across the nation very vulnerable to similar lawsuits. Being protective of themselves, I’d almost be willing to guarantee we would either see every bumper car ride in the nation shut down almost overnight, or if allowed to keep running, the maximum speed of the cars would be reduced to the point where it wouldn’t even be worth riding any more.
    But would the madness stop there? I have a feeling it wont… as soon every other attraction deemed by someone as being too aggressive or featuring jarring impacts would soon too fall under fire. Bumper Boats… Simulator rides… Earthquake simulations… Spiderman… Indiana Jones… Harry Potter… Roller Coasters… where would it end?
    In the end, I hope logic prevails… because a BUMPER CAR is a very simple concept that everyone is aware of. A car that bumps other cars and in return gets bumped back. It couldn’t be more simple or clear.

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 - New Coaster - Rumor - (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?

???? - GCI Wooden Coaster - In Limbo - (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.