Andrew
09-26-2004, 12:53 PM
Paramount's Great America Guest Newsletter #15 (Sept. 25, 2004)
PGA Suggestions for the Non Thrill Seeker
At PGA we know inversions, accelerated speed and gravity defying hang time aren't for everyone. There are numerous options for Park patrons who, for personal or health-related reasons, prefer to enjoy more moderate rides and attractions.
Hollywood Plaza is home to two nostalgic Park favorites, Celebration Swings and Carousel Columbia. Celebration Swings is an exhilirating experience for the whole family and will spin you in a 70-foot diameter circle at nine to 11 revolutions per minute. Many guests pick their favorite seat on the Celebration Swings while standing in line. Seats on the outer edge soar a bit higher while seats on inside rows provide a more conservative experience. Offering a different kind of spin is Carousel Columbia which is the world's tallest double-decker carousel. It stands 101 feet from base to pinnacle and the intricate decorations atop the twelve pillars are from the set of "The Swan", a 1956 film starring Grace Kelly and featuring Agnes Moorehead who was best known for her role as Endora on TV's "Bewitched."
Over in Festival Plaza at the Barney Oldfield Speedway, you can slide behind the wheel of an antique roadster and motor in and around The Grizzly roller coaster. It's okay to pretend the car is yours...we won't tell. If you're up for a little bit of controlled speed, Psycho Mouse and Runaway Reptar are two family coasters offering the perfect balance of excitement and conservatism. Covering 1,257 feet of track, Psycho Mouse (pictured left) chases a wacky rodent through quick hairpin curves and up and down thrilling camelback hills. It's another crazy adventure over on Runaway Reptar as you travel down a trail of messy destruction with The Rugrats™ after the good dinosaur turns very bad on this family coaster.
The Park's most popular live shows continue to entertain crowds each weekend. Paramount's Magic of the Movies takes you behind the scenes of Titanic and other blockbuster movie hits. There's a pretty good chance you'll actually be called upon to star in and create your own movie magic! If music is more your style, Tuned into Karaoke allows you to be a star on our stage. Pick your favorite song to sing from Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, & TV Land Classics, or choose from popular VH1, CMT & MTV Hits. There are plenty of live shows that'll keep the kids entertained too. You'll want to grab your camera at 5pm during Meet the Nicktoons™ Live as popular Nicktoons get up close and personal with your kids. The Nickelodeon Theater is home to Nick Slime Time Live™ where kids participate in a messy live version of the Nickelodeon show where the audience is part of the action. For show times and locations, please pick up a Park map at the Front Gate.
To learn more about any of these attractions or to create your own ride agenda, click here (http://www.pgathrills.com/attractions.jsp).
Tell us about your last trip to the park and win!
Tell us about your last trip to Great America through our Guest Satisfaction Survey (http://www.parkfeedback.com/research/survey.aspx?s=feednews)! For your participation you'll be entered to win free tickets or one of a hundred prizes worth $25 to $1000. It's fast, it's free and it's a great way to make the park better for your next visit!
A Look Back at Paramount's Great America
(Grizzly (http://www.parkfeedback.com/newsletter/Images/pga/pgagrizzly.jpg)) The history of this great theme park is as varied and diverse as the rides and attractions that fill it. The Park first opened its gates to guests in 1976 under the name Marriott's Great America. Within a year, the Park debuted Tidal Wave, the world's tallest roller coaster, and over the next ten years peppered its real estate with the latest and greatest attractions. Guest favorites included the 200-foot Skytower, the tallest observation tower in Northern California; a steel coaster called The Demon; and The Grizzly, a $2 million giant wooden coaster that remains one of the largest “woodies” ever-constructed in Northern California.
(Top Gun (http://www.parkfeedback.com/newsletter/Images/pga/topgunpga.JPG)) In 1985, the City of Santa Clara Redevelopment Agency purchased Great America from the Marriott Corporation, and Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) was recruited to manage it. The resulting five-year contract included an option for KECO to buy the Park business and assets which they exercised in 1989. Just three years later, Great America, along with three other U.S. Parks formerly owned and/or managed by KECO was acquired by Paramount Communications, setting a new precedent for the melding of movies and television with theme park attractions. Great America was renamed Paramount's Great America. In 1993, Top Gun®, a 102-foot tall suspended coaster became the Park's first movie-themed attraction.
Ever evolving, Paramount Communications merged with Viacom in 1994, creating a massive global media company resulting in additional licensing opportunities for PGA, including Viacom-owned Nickelodeon. The Park has changed a great deal since its inception, but the original vision and dream of a place where families could come together and people could get lost in a fantasy world is as vibrant today as it was then.
For a complete historical timeline, click here (http://www.pgathrills.com/corpinfo_04_history.jsp).
Celebrate Halloween with Nick or Treat
Kids 12 and younger are invited to wear costumes and trick-or-treat alongside popular Nickelodeon characters! Kids will search for candy through the Park's Nickelodeon Central where Nickelodeon characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, will be waiting to greet their fans with sweet treats. The day ends with a special Nick-or-Treat "Meet the Nicktoons LIVE" Halloween show. Guests of all ages will be "treated" to a half-hour meet-and-greet with all their Nickelodeon friends! Enjoy Nick or Treat from 12pm - 5pm on October 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30th.
The Reality of Riding on PGA's Revolution
"It was my 14th birthday and I took five of my best friends to PGA. Too many rides and not enough time! We raced from ride to ride, stopping only to eat our favorite things like strawberry funnel cakes, icees and pizza. My favorite moment came after we rode Revolution. As soon as we stepped off the ride, one of my friends threw up everything he'd eaten all day. We'll never let him forget it. It was the best birthday ever! Thanks PGA."
- Michelle G. from San Jose, CA will receive two tickets to Paramount's Great America. Winners are randomly selected. Submit your entry (http://www.parkfeedback.com/news/memories.aspx)!
Worship, Sing and Dance at the 2004 Gospel X-plosion
Come and worship together with singing and dancing! This daylong celebration, scheduled for October 23rd, features Gospel Choir & Praise Dance Competition, prizes, and a Fellowship Awards dinner. Discount tickets available by calling 408-986-5853. If you'd like to participate, you can download a registration form (http://www.parkfeedback.com/news/link.aspx?QTE=2237264&QIS=87&link=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pgathrills.com%2fi%2fassets% 2f04_gospelbroch.pdf) and performance guidelines (http://www.parkfeedback.com/news/link.aspx?QTE=2237264&QIS=87&link=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pgathrills.com%2fi%2fassets% 2f04_gospel_guide.pdf).
Stay tuned for our next issue on October 8
PGA Suggestions for the Non Thrill Seeker
At PGA we know inversions, accelerated speed and gravity defying hang time aren't for everyone. There are numerous options for Park patrons who, for personal or health-related reasons, prefer to enjoy more moderate rides and attractions.
Hollywood Plaza is home to two nostalgic Park favorites, Celebration Swings and Carousel Columbia. Celebration Swings is an exhilirating experience for the whole family and will spin you in a 70-foot diameter circle at nine to 11 revolutions per minute. Many guests pick their favorite seat on the Celebration Swings while standing in line. Seats on the outer edge soar a bit higher while seats on inside rows provide a more conservative experience. Offering a different kind of spin is Carousel Columbia which is the world's tallest double-decker carousel. It stands 101 feet from base to pinnacle and the intricate decorations atop the twelve pillars are from the set of "The Swan", a 1956 film starring Grace Kelly and featuring Agnes Moorehead who was best known for her role as Endora on TV's "Bewitched."
Over in Festival Plaza at the Barney Oldfield Speedway, you can slide behind the wheel of an antique roadster and motor in and around The Grizzly roller coaster. It's okay to pretend the car is yours...we won't tell. If you're up for a little bit of controlled speed, Psycho Mouse and Runaway Reptar are two family coasters offering the perfect balance of excitement and conservatism. Covering 1,257 feet of track, Psycho Mouse (pictured left) chases a wacky rodent through quick hairpin curves and up and down thrilling camelback hills. It's another crazy adventure over on Runaway Reptar as you travel down a trail of messy destruction with The Rugrats™ after the good dinosaur turns very bad on this family coaster.
The Park's most popular live shows continue to entertain crowds each weekend. Paramount's Magic of the Movies takes you behind the scenes of Titanic and other blockbuster movie hits. There's a pretty good chance you'll actually be called upon to star in and create your own movie magic! If music is more your style, Tuned into Karaoke allows you to be a star on our stage. Pick your favorite song to sing from Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, & TV Land Classics, or choose from popular VH1, CMT & MTV Hits. There are plenty of live shows that'll keep the kids entertained too. You'll want to grab your camera at 5pm during Meet the Nicktoons™ Live as popular Nicktoons get up close and personal with your kids. The Nickelodeon Theater is home to Nick Slime Time Live™ where kids participate in a messy live version of the Nickelodeon show where the audience is part of the action. For show times and locations, please pick up a Park map at the Front Gate.
To learn more about any of these attractions or to create your own ride agenda, click here (http://www.pgathrills.com/attractions.jsp).
Tell us about your last trip to the park and win!
Tell us about your last trip to Great America through our Guest Satisfaction Survey (http://www.parkfeedback.com/research/survey.aspx?s=feednews)! For your participation you'll be entered to win free tickets or one of a hundred prizes worth $25 to $1000. It's fast, it's free and it's a great way to make the park better for your next visit!
A Look Back at Paramount's Great America
(Grizzly (http://www.parkfeedback.com/newsletter/Images/pga/pgagrizzly.jpg)) The history of this great theme park is as varied and diverse as the rides and attractions that fill it. The Park first opened its gates to guests in 1976 under the name Marriott's Great America. Within a year, the Park debuted Tidal Wave, the world's tallest roller coaster, and over the next ten years peppered its real estate with the latest and greatest attractions. Guest favorites included the 200-foot Skytower, the tallest observation tower in Northern California; a steel coaster called The Demon; and The Grizzly, a $2 million giant wooden coaster that remains one of the largest “woodies” ever-constructed in Northern California.
(Top Gun (http://www.parkfeedback.com/newsletter/Images/pga/topgunpga.JPG)) In 1985, the City of Santa Clara Redevelopment Agency purchased Great America from the Marriott Corporation, and Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) was recruited to manage it. The resulting five-year contract included an option for KECO to buy the Park business and assets which they exercised in 1989. Just three years later, Great America, along with three other U.S. Parks formerly owned and/or managed by KECO was acquired by Paramount Communications, setting a new precedent for the melding of movies and television with theme park attractions. Great America was renamed Paramount's Great America. In 1993, Top Gun®, a 102-foot tall suspended coaster became the Park's first movie-themed attraction.
Ever evolving, Paramount Communications merged with Viacom in 1994, creating a massive global media company resulting in additional licensing opportunities for PGA, including Viacom-owned Nickelodeon. The Park has changed a great deal since its inception, but the original vision and dream of a place where families could come together and people could get lost in a fantasy world is as vibrant today as it was then.
For a complete historical timeline, click here (http://www.pgathrills.com/corpinfo_04_history.jsp).
Celebrate Halloween with Nick or Treat
Kids 12 and younger are invited to wear costumes and trick-or-treat alongside popular Nickelodeon characters! Kids will search for candy through the Park's Nickelodeon Central where Nickelodeon characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, will be waiting to greet their fans with sweet treats. The day ends with a special Nick-or-Treat "Meet the Nicktoons LIVE" Halloween show. Guests of all ages will be "treated" to a half-hour meet-and-greet with all their Nickelodeon friends! Enjoy Nick or Treat from 12pm - 5pm on October 16, 17, 23, 24 and 30th.
The Reality of Riding on PGA's Revolution
"It was my 14th birthday and I took five of my best friends to PGA. Too many rides and not enough time! We raced from ride to ride, stopping only to eat our favorite things like strawberry funnel cakes, icees and pizza. My favorite moment came after we rode Revolution. As soon as we stepped off the ride, one of my friends threw up everything he'd eaten all day. We'll never let him forget it. It was the best birthday ever! Thanks PGA."
- Michelle G. from San Jose, CA will receive two tickets to Paramount's Great America. Winners are randomly selected. Submit your entry (http://www.parkfeedback.com/news/memories.aspx)!
Worship, Sing and Dance at the 2004 Gospel X-plosion
Come and worship together with singing and dancing! This daylong celebration, scheduled for October 23rd, features Gospel Choir & Praise Dance Competition, prizes, and a Fellowship Awards dinner. Discount tickets available by calling 408-986-5853. If you'd like to participate, you can download a registration form (http://www.parkfeedback.com/news/link.aspx?QTE=2237264&QIS=87&link=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pgathrills.com%2fi%2fassets% 2f04_gospelbroch.pdf) and performance guidelines (http://www.parkfeedback.com/news/link.aspx?QTE=2237264&QIS=87&link=http%3a%2f%2fwww.pgathrills.com%2fi%2fassets% 2f04_gospel_guide.pdf).
Stay tuned for our next issue on October 8