A lot has changed since then, and as we arrived Friday night for the parks Spring Celebration event, it was evident that such change had paid off in blockbuster crowds as the park begins its '97 season--only a hint at what the crowds will be like this summer.

We met with Jennifer Dianand, our public relations representative, who walked us around to check out the lay of the lands. In the place of the old Willard's Whizzer is the new Xtreme Skyflyer. It's just the most frightening thing in the park, including the infamous Drop Zone, on which I shot point-of-view video, much to the shock and disbelief of a crowd of onlookers. Vortex, one of the smoothest stand-up coasters I've ever ridden, was in fine shape this evening as we quickly made the rounds of the park. Walking into a backstage area, we shot pictures of that demonizing final element of Top Gun, one of the first B&M inverted/suspended coasters and still one of the finest. We were mildly paranoid about falling footwear while doing this shoot. The Demon still kicks some serious tail, that first drop can pull a scream out of even the hardiest riders. It was delightful to recall, along with Jennifer, how this ride used to look and sound--with its blood-red waterfall and supernatural music and sound-effects cues. While walking through Yankee Harbor, I spotted a store called The Edge. What caught my eye was the sign for the establishment, restored ride-sign from the old Intamin drop ride that was replaced, more or less, by Drop Zone. We shed nary a tear and moved on.

From visiting the park last year and also thanks to my local status in the 80's, I had seen quite a lot of Paramount's Great America as it evolved from a dream resort concept (three parks were planned, Six Flags snapped up one in Chicago, a third Washington state park was never built) into a showplace for thrills, live shows and spectacular new attractions. Besides the new Xtreme Skyflyer, we were very excited to finally see the Academy-Award nominated IMAX film "Special Effects". Narrated by John Lithgow and featuring behind-the-scenes action from the "Star Wars: Special Edition Trilogy", "Independence Day", "Jumanji", and others, this is a great film and was greeted with whoops and hollers from the obviously impressed crowd.

After waving goodbye to Tidal Wave, The Grizzly and the rest of the coasters at the park, we thanked the overworked Jennifer and bid her a good evening before preparing ourselves for the long trips in the morning. A monstrous way to kick off the tour, we'd be sure to feel it all the next day.