GREATAMERICAparks.com

Thanks for sharing your pictures...brings back great memories. I worked in Santa Clara Guest Relations in '90 & '91. Hey, Kevin_H...were you a Ride Ops Supervisor in back then?

Hey Trippleplay93, you'll want to check with SFGA Human Resources (call around late January 2009 if you want to work there next summer). The issue the park has with hiring 15 year olds is that the Federal Labor Laws greatly restrict the number of hours and the times of day that you can work. I'm pre...

My first visit to MGA in Gurnee was in 1976. I was 15 and went with my family. In previous years, we had visited SF-St. Louis, Walt Disney World, and the now-demolished Old Chicago theme park in Bolingbrook, IL so I was familiar with a few theme parks. The things I remember from my first visit to Gr...

You'll be able to buy a house in Gurnee near the park for under $250K. The houses near the park in Santa Clara cost a LOT more. They're not necessarily nicer houses (actually the homes around the park in Gurnee are nicer and have really big lots) but real estate prices in California are much more ex...

If I understand your proposed coaster, the track would be similar to The Demon...if the Demon station was at the top of the chain lift. But instead of a train like The Demon, you'd have ride units on the track that spin like the Tea Cups at Disney with a clear plexiglass floor? Are you going to name...

Well, I worked in Gurnee from '77-'82 and Santa Clara from '90-'91. The parks started as near-clones in 1976. Gurnee had a few more rides than Santa Clara when the parks first opened. After Marriott's sold the parks, the parks started to move in different directions. By 1991, both parks had many dif...

The federal labor laws put a lot of restrictions on employers. The laws are really strict for 15 year olds. The times of the day you're allowed to work and the # of hours per week are all based on your age...until you're 18. So McDonald's just avoids the hassle and only hires people 18 & over. A...

So how much money would you pay to live next to Great America? In Gurnee, there are quite a few houses located south of Grand Avenue within easy walking distance to the main entrance of the park. In Santa Clara, there is one subdivision of houses located behind the park, near the employee parking lo...

The minimum age for employees at both Gurnee and Santa Clara is 15. The federal labor law sets the minimum age, work hours, and types of work that minors can do. Because of the federal labor law, 15 year old employees can only work in certain positions and only for limited hours each week. 16 & ...

This is an interesting question. I've also heard Great America is the top park in the Six Flags chain in terms of contributing to corporate profits. I've never seen any financial figures to back that claim up. I'm assuming this information would be listed in the Six Flags corporation Annual Reports ...

Hi again Eagle Mom, I completely agree that times have changed. I commend your efforts to ensure guests' enjoyment...you truly understand what "Guest Relations" is all about. As for your more critical co-workers, I think they probably don't quite "get it." From my personal experi...

Hi EagleMom! Wow, sorry to hear about your recent experiences. From an old-timer (Marriott-era) Guest Relations host, I'd have to say yes and no to your concerns. Yes, the number of guest complaints did go up later in the summer as the heat/humidity rises and the park was more crowded. And no, the p...

I never heard an official explanation for why the certain themed areas were selected or how they were arranged within the park design while I worked at the parks. However, I can speculate as to what the decision process would have considered. The Great America parks were initially planned and design...

For the most part, the parks stayed true to the original philosophy for Great America during the Marriott years. The following is a quote by Richard "Dick" Marriott on the announcement of the Great America project: "Conceived in the spirit and style of America. Executed with excitemen...

Well, if you really want to try squeezing 7+ people in, here's a couple tips. 1) Try it at Logger's Run. The logs have more interior width to them than the Yankee Clipper boats. 2) You'll have better luck if all the riders are shorter and slimmer than an average adult. Really tall people (even if su...