Santa Clara Orleans Orbit

All about the rides at Marriott's GREAT AMERICA and post-Marriott rides, too
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that_guy
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Post by that_guy »

jonrev wrote:County Fair is still County Fair. I thought it was changing to Action Zone.
The original County Fair area as of the 2006 map is now half Action Zone (this part in the 2004/2005 map used to be called county fair) and the other half is to be called County Fair (Which in the 2004/2005 season was Festival Plaza) I find this quite awkward because the games gallery, which is in all the Marriott ads for County Fair, is not part of it...

P.s. The Dividing line of the two areas is the Play to Win building
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Glorfindel7
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Post by Glorfindel7 »

Well I heard a rumor that Premier Parks was looking to buy Paramount, so maybe if THAT happens, the madness will stop :evil:
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that_guy
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Post by that_guy »

Glorfindel7 wrote:Well I heard a rumor that Premier Parks was looking to buy Paramount, so maybe if THAT happens, the madness will stop :evil:
I wouldn't be looking anymore forward to that, all the damage has been done, what does Premier parks have left to do wrong? (except to take out the Demon of course :) )
Last edited by that_guy on Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The rides are GREAT, the shows are GREAT, the fun is GREAT, at Marriott's Great America! REMEMBER Marriott's GREAT AMERICA, REMEMBER Marriott's GREAT AMERICA!
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dpxtreme
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Post by dpxtreme »

that_guy wrote:
jonrev wrote:County Fair is still County Fair. I thought it was changing to Action Zone.
The original County Fair area as of the 2006 map is now half Action Zone (this part in the 2004/2005 map used to be called county fair) and the other half is to be called County Fair (Which in the 2004/2005 season was Festival Plaza) I find this quite awkward because the games gallery, which is in all the Marriott ads for County Fair, is not part of it...

P.s. The Dividing line of the two areas is the Play to Win building
It's cool that they name the park sections, but whats the point if they don't have signs that tell you what section you're in, like at SFMM. Hardly anyone uses the park maps, so I don't see the point.
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that_guy
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Post by that_guy »

Last year was totally blank when it came to names, neither the park map nor any signs showed names of the areas. Even if they did put signs they would have to make them easy to see, I must have passed the old Orlean's Place sign a million times before reading here about the faded letters. Even though the letters are gone I didn't even notice the brick wall (I was usually too busy looking at the nice iron work, lol). Anyways, I only remember hearing the park names twice over load speakers on rides last season, surprisingly I heard the ride op on Vortex say 'please exit into Hometown Square to your right' (or something like that) and the same on the Grizzly (only into Caounty Fair). Either way, I wish they would fix up/(and then) emphasize the theming at the park...
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steven
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Post by steven »

Here's the latest on the Santa Clara Orleans Orbit. The ride is actually still there, but has been boarded up. All references to it have been blanked out. The queue house now serves as a designated smoking area.

Steven
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Glorfindel7
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Post by Glorfindel7 »

Here's a crazy thought....

I know that they took the triple play out of Santa Clara and someone mentioned that a "flat ride" would probably be added there in its place.

What if that flat ride turned out to be the "Orbit" as they did in Gurnee after removing all the ride for the White Water Rampage?
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jonrev
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Post by jonrev »

Orbit is MUCH bigger than Triple Play and will most likely not fit. :(
Gurnee Ride Op - 2007
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that_guy
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Post by that_guy »

jonrev wrote:Orbit is MUCH bigger than Triple Play and will most likely not fit. :(
Suprisingly, the footprints seem to fit... The Orbit is just twice as tall

Statistics:
Triple Play: http://www.hussrides.com/520ClassicTroika.htm

The Orbit: http://schwarzkopf.coaster.net/OKenterprise3GF.htm
The rides are GREAT, the shows are GREAT, the fun is GREAT, at Marriott's Great America! REMEMBER Marriott's GREAT AMERICA, REMEMBER Marriott's GREAT AMERICA!
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Glorfindel7
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Post by Glorfindel7 »

Somehow that doesn't suprise me... after all, we're looking at one big circle against three concentric circles.

Interesting thing about the Huss site.... If you go to their main page, you can't find the "Troika" anywhere (they're no longer manufacturing them?)

However the classic ride search will still find the ride.

I definitely need to remember to go to Six Flags and ride the Orbit, but I really wish I would not have "chickened out" when it was known as the Orleans Orbit... I used to LOVE that color scheme. (Of course I was only about 12 at the time (1982 , which would have been the last year it was known as Orleans Orbit...)

I did get to ride it in Hometown Square though (and at at least one carnival...) this is one of my favorite flat rides (and I'm sure most people would agree.)
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Post by coolwavepic »

Steven,

You have any pictures of the Orbit boxed up? Also, if it boxed up is it actually on the site boarded up? or in storage boarded up?
ElkGroveGroovin
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Post by ElkGroveGroovin »

This ride means a lot to me. I'm sad to see it go as it was the very first ride I ever operated for my very first job. :(
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zongaboy626
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Post by zongaboy626 »

It is getting really sad now that I can tell people I rode the orbit or triple play when it was at the park. Orbit was the best ride in the park. Well besides Stealth but I only rode it once.
speedracer
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Post by speedracer »

that_guy wrote:
WhizzerSFGAm wrote:^ I dont see what the big deal is about Mardi Gras, there was nothing left in that part of Orleans Place, it needed the make-over. :roll:

As far as PGA goes, having SFGAm as my home park I can laugh. If I had PGA as my home park, I would be outraged with all the stuff they're ruining. They took out Greased Lightning in 2002, this is 2006 and they still haven't put anything there :evil: Triple Play left after 2004, also not replaced :x Now they are doing the same thing with Orbit. :o I can only conclude that the management at PGA is on something :lol:
I'm one of those people, very annoyed, and there is just a line of rides leaving!!!! It's all for the money, I guess the newer rides have less maintenance issues than the old ones, plus less rides to operate if they are not replaced... all I know is at least there is space for future attractions
I personally find it hard to believe maintenance is the reason since many other parks around the world, including small independant parks with small budgets, continue to operate identical classic rides like those removed from PGA. Orbit is just the latest casuality in a long list of removed rides from PGA ever since 1994:

Lobster
The Edge
Ameri-Go-Roundd
Triple Wheel
Skyhawk
Pictorium
Yankee Clipper
Great America Scenic Railway
Tidal Wave
Stealth
Triple Play
Orleans Orbit

Those are just off the top of my head, might be a few more flats I don't remember that have been removed, along with a majority of the original beautiful Marriott theming and landscaping that are now long gone. Then you look at what's been added since 1993, not quite an equal or fair trade off for all that's been lost IMHO:

http://www3.paramountparks.com/greatame ... item_id=43

So yeah, I'm annoyed too :evil: .
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that_guy
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Post by that_guy »

^ Not to forget the Train, that had no reason for removal AT ALL!
The rides are GREAT, the shows are GREAT, the fun is GREAT, at Marriott's Great America! REMEMBER Marriott's GREAT AMERICA, REMEMBER Marriott's GREAT AMERICA!
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