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At Six Flags, the new is something old: One of park’s new attractions this year will be Kiddieland’s Little Dipper. By ANNIE ALLEMAN, For Sun-Times Media
Even though the beloved Kiddieland Amusement Park closed, a piece of its heritage lives on. The vintage wooden roller coaster The Little Dipper will ride again this summer at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. The coaster operated at Kiddieland from 1950 until the amusement park closed last September. “Upon Kiddieland closing, we purchased it and brought it here to our property,” said Jennifer Savage, Six Flags Great America spokeswoman. It will keep its name and become the 14th coaster in Six Flags’ roster of roller coasters, she said. Six Flags opens April 24. “It’s just a really neat thing,” she said. “We’ve had so many people interested. We’re keeping history alive. There are so many people here who grew up riding that roller coaster. We’re really excited to let people ride it for years to come.” Even though the roller coaster was taken apart and moved from Melrose Park and then rebuilt at Great America, Savage promised that The Little Dipper will look as you remember it. “We have all the coaster carts here that we’ve been working on behind the scenes and painting them and keeping the original design intact,” she said. “The way people remember The Little Dipper when they were children is what they will see here. We are keeping that nostalgia intact.” That nostalgia factor will be a big draw — at least, if early reaction is any indication. “I can’t tell you how many people light up when they see the construction going on,” she said. “We have people in the park who remember riding it when they were young. The construction superintendent told me he was really excited to bring his grandchildren out to ride it. It’s a family coaster.” The Little Dipper was designed by Herbert Schmeck and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The coaster features a three-story-tall lift hill and is designed as a figure-eight track running 700 feet in length. It has been honored with the ACE Coaster Classic award by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. “It is officially an historic coaster,” she said. You can thank park President Hank Salemi, who has roots in the area, for bringing the coaster to Six Flags. “The Little Dipper has been a fond family tradition for over 50 years,” Salemi said. “We wanted to preserve this important piece of Chicago history for families to experience for many more years to come.” The Little Dipper won’t be ready to roll on opening day; park officials are planning to unveil it Memorial Day weekend.
MagiQuest: Another new attraction at Six Flags this year is MagiQuest. This is the second Illinois location; MagiQuest opened a month ago in Lombard. “We’re really excited. We’re the first facility to have a game like this,” Savage said. MagiQuest is an interactive, live-action game that melds physical play with computer play. Players are called “Magi,” and they immerse themselves into a 10,000-square-foot medieval fantasy land and journey on quests to gather powers and coins, with the ultimate goal of defeating the dragon and saving the princess. Play is powered by a “magical” wand, where the wireless remote technology unlocks more than 80 special effects, moving the Magi through the levels of the game. “The wand retains your information and what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished,” Savage said. “It can take a long time. You can come back and continue to play and your wand will remember where you were.” MagiQuest is a way for families to spend time and play together. “Here at the park, it’s a way for families to interact,” she said. “Maybe the parents and grandparents don’t want to ride the rides. This is something they can do together.” Psychologist and mother Denise Weston co-invented the game. “The whole concept was, get the kids off the couch, get them moving, get families to interact together,” Savage said. Season pass holders have the benefit of being able to return again and again and pick up where they left off, she noted.
Glow in the Park Parade: Another new feature this year is the Glow in the Park Parade. “We’re very excited. It’s a nighttime illuminated parade,” she said. The parades will kick off Memorial Day weekend and run nightly through Aug. 15. “We’ve got more than 60 performers. We have Cirque Du Soleil-style music, singers, dancers, drummers and stilt walkers,” she said. “It’s very cool and very different. The floats are illuminated, and they glow throughout the streets. We’re really excited to have it. It’s just going to be a great way for families to end their day at Six Flags.” Two new shows this summer include Dick Clark’s Face the Music and the Looney Tunes Dance-Off. “Dick Clark’s Face the Music tests your music skills,” Savage said. “Remember that tune; remember that lyric, featuring all your favorite songs. That will kick off opening day. “Looney Tunes Dance Off — The Looney Tunes themselves are serving up the best dances and songs,” she said. “All the characters are in an all-new dance competition.” Perhaps one of the biggest promotions this year is the pricing on the season pass. “It’s the lowest it’s been in 18 years,” she said. “In the economy we are in, a lot of families are looking to stay home and have a ‘staycation.’ (The pass) pays for itself after two visits. It gives people a great way to be close to home and enjoy the summer with their family.” The price of the season pass is $64.99, and that includes Six Flags Great America as well as Hurricane Harbor Water Park. “The water park is included in admission, and it’s not always included with other parks,” she said. “It’s something we’re proud of here, getting two parks for the price of one.” Six Flags’ season concludes with Fright Fest in October. You can find discounts on daily admission prices online and at places like Jewel-Osco.
