Packin' It Up For Another Season

JW65 · Post by **JW65** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 2:01 pm

This one is for anyone who had been involved in behind-the-scenes work at MGA. What was the procedure for getting ready for winter months? Other than emptying the reflection pool and locking up the stores, what other preparations needed to take place for the winter months? I know many of the rides are refurbished and repaired over the winter. Prep for winter shut down is no doubt different in Gurnee than in Santa Clara.

I am also curious about the number of employees who remained working during the winter months.

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:49 pm

Hi again... long time no post...

I worked a lot of late seasons at SFGAm. The things you mentioned were of course typical things that would happen when the season ended. But the most noticeable thing for me would be the removal of the Sky Whirl cages. When those disappeared, you knew the season was over.

I always liked working at the park during the off-season. Sure I loved working there while the season was in session, but there was something about the park when the gates were closed. A walk through the park would find covered restaurant seating areas, boarded windows, and lots and lots of maintenance vehicles.

Which reminds me of something else I loved doing in the off-season (and when the park was closed during the regular season)-- driving through the closed park! If you were fortunate enough to have a Bugs Bunny License (honest!), you could drive a vehicle or a Cushman (man those were fun) through the park or the service corridor.

Sigh. Memories.

JW65 · Post by **JW65** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:47 pm

Hey Rick,

Thanks for your response! You are right, I haven't been posting new topics in the Forum, mainly because I ran out of topics to post. I can't seem to bring myself to write detailed responses to posts about ride specs. LOL.

So, you may have some cool and rare pictures of the park(s) during the off season? If so, I'd love to see some. It would have been so cool to be at GA during the off season. Such a contrast from being in the park when it was so busy with people. Did you work in Gurnee when Marriott's owned the park?

Jeff

Post by **steven** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:26 pm

Hi,

I still have to avoid using my injured arm, but feel motivated to type out a one-handed reply...

I never worked the off-season, but have gotten to experience the sheer unreality of driving my own car through the park in the off-season. A few years ago in Santa Clara, I worked with the park on some special projects related to the Tidal Wave's 25th anniversary. At least twice, I got to drive my own car through the service corridor and across the former Yankee Harbor all the way up to the area next to the covered bridge to Orleans. It seemed totally incredible. All the while, I was saying to myself that I just couldn't believe that I was driving my own car through Great America.

Steven

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:01 pm

JW65 wrote:Hey Rick,

Thanks for your response! You are right, I haven't been posting new topics in the Forum, mainly because I ran out of topics to post. I can't seem to bring myself to write detailed responses to posts about ride specs. LOL.

So, you may have some cool and rare pictures of the park(s) during the off season? If so, I'd love to see some. It would have been so cool to be at GA during the off season. Such a contrast from being in the park when it was so busy with people. Did you work in Gurnee when Marriott's owned the park?

Jeff

Not a whole lot... but I can scrounge through my stuff and see if I can find any.

I only worked at the park as a Six Flags employee (1988-1999). I missed the Marriott years by just four years.

that_guy · Post by **that_guy** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:02 pm

lol, cool

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:04 pm

steven wrote:Hi,

I still have to avoid using my injured arm, but feel motivated to type out a one-handed reply...

I never worked the off-season, but have gotten to experience the sheer unreality of driving my own car through the park in the off-season. A few years ago in Santa Clara, I worked with the park on some special projects related to the Tidal Wave's 25th anniversary. At least twice, I got to drive my own car through the service corridor and across the former Yankee Harbor all the way up to the area next to the covered bridge to Orleans. It seemed totally incredible. All the while, I was saying to myself that I just couldn't believe that I was driving my own car through Great America.

Steven

Hey Steven... what happened to your arm? (I imagine it's in another post somewhere?) Hope you're doing ok.

I never drove my own vehicle through the park, but when I was a sales rep I got a company car and was able to drive it through the park. I had the same experience as you did. Even though it wasn't truly MY car, it was mine to drive, and I could drive it through the park if I wanted to. I felt like a big shot.

It was most fun to drive at night. The park was so quiet and it was spooky in a way. But if you listened hard enough you could hear kids laughing and music playing and people screaming...

BrianPlencner · Post by **BrianPlencner** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:57 am

The first season I worked at the park (1988), I was in Park Operations as a sweeper. This was before Fright Fest, so the park closed for the season on Columbus Day weekend. During the season, I had made a lot of friends with the supervisors and managers in Park Ops, and they had asked me if I wanted to come back and work for a weekend to "get the park ready for winter".

So, the next weekend, I arrived at the park, and wondered what they would have us do. What we did was to take EVERY garbage can from all the ride queues, eating areas, etc and move them into the center of the midways. Then, a big water truck came through and power washed them all out. Once that was done, we then moved the garbage cans to certain areas of the park to be stored. I remember one of them being the queue for HayBayler in Co. Fair. I think another was the queue for Orbit.

What was fun was to go up into the ride areas to get the garbage cans out of the stations. I remember going into the control booth for Eagle (Red Side), Whizzer, and Shockwave. I did not touch anything, but it was cool to actually stand in the booth.

redfishpaw · Post by **redfishpaw** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:43 pm

RLAiello wrote:Hi again... long time no post...

Which reminds me of something else I loved doing in the off-season (and when the park was closed during the regular season)-- driving through the closed park! If you were fortunate enough to have a Bugs Bunny License (honest!), you could drive a vehicle or a Cushman (man those were fun) through the park or the service corridor.

Sigh. Memories.

I also liked working in the off season, which I did regularly for several years. One year I worked until Christmas, was termed then back on board Jan 2nd. I think that I was the 1st seasonal employee to start one year. Anyway I had forgoten about the Bugs Bunny license, but I had one as well (for 7 years). I never drove my own car in the park, but I did drive a gas cushman regularly (a fast one) a plymouth Voyager (the parks sorry attempt to get rid of Cushmans) and my bosses Pontiac. Driving in the park was always pretty cool.

JW65 · Post by **JW65** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:50 pm

Did certain buildings house certain rides/parts of rides? Could someone describe typical maintenance that is done to the rides? Thanks to everyone who has posted on this topic.

RLAiello · Post by **RLAiello** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:05 pm

redfishpaw wrote: I also liked working in the off season, which I did regularly for several years. One year I worked until Christmas, was termed then back on board Jan 2nd. I think that I was the 1st seasonal employee to start one year. Anyway I had forgoten about the Bugs Bunny license, but I had one as well (for 7 years). I never drove my own car in the park, but I did drive a gas cushman regularly (a fast one) a plymouth Voyager (the parks sorry attempt to get rid of Cushmans) and my bosses Pontiac. Driving in the park was always pretty cool.

I did that a couple years as well, one year when Cash Control was completely overhauled and they needed help basically setting everything back up again, and another year when I helped with Merchandise inventory and ticketing stuff. I used to do whatever I could to work at the park in the off-season as well as during the regular season.

Also... Gas Cushmans were the BEST! We had one of the ancient red ones in Cash Control until it was replaced by one of those --poor Mitsubishi things. I used to LOVE taking some hairpin turns on the old Cushie. I was so sad when they got rid of them.

retlawfan · Post by **retlawfan** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:43 pm

As part of the security officers' duties when the park was closed, an officer would have to drive around the entire park on some type of a regular patrol schedule. It was fun to drive through the closed park. I have two words: FAST, and REVERSE.

retlawfan · Post by **retlawfan** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:11 pm

Not that I ever did that!