Six Flags No Fun Without Elecricity

By Andrew Peerless in Miscellaneous on Jul 20, 2005 1:04PM

Thrill-seekers looking for a good time at Six Flags Great America yesterday got disappointment instead, after a series of power outages shuttered the park for more than two hours. Power flickered off for about 30 minutes at 1:20 p.m., and a backup system's subsequent failure an hour and a half later left park-goers in the dark for more than two hours - some stranded atop roller coasters and thrill rides.

More than 500 people were riding Six Flags' 13 roller coasters when power flickered off, but all were safely unloaded due to onboard systems that stop coaster cars in secure locations during power outages. Six Flags peeps declined to refund admission prices for inconvenienced visitors, instead offering tickets good for complimentary admission at another time. For those that stuck around, power, fun and vomit-induction finally returned to the premises around 4 p.m.

A wee Chicagoist once got stuck atop the lift hill of Cedar Point's then-record-breaking Magnum XL-200, and had to walk down from a height of nearly 200 feet. To our twelve-year-old mind it was a thrilling experience, but now we'd probably wrap our mitts around the handlebars and cry like an newborn.

Image courtesy of sixflags.com