New DC Universe section of Great America won't open with rest of theme park Friday
Six Flags Great America's new DC Universe section will be off-limits to guests when the Gurnee theme park opens for the spring season Friday.
Caitlin Kepple, the park's communications and marketing manager, said the team is hopeful of opening DC Universe as soon as possible. She said the section will be cordoned off during opening weekend as construction on the midway is completed.
Park officials on Wednesday announced new features they say will enhance guests experiences.
Kepple said this year there will be more dance parties and costumed characters. There also will be more benches and picnic tables in the park where guests can relax between rides, plus more photo opportunities, including one in front of the iconic Columbia Carousel.
Two new features aimed to cut down the time some guests wait in line will debut this year, Kepple said.
The park's optional skip-the-line ticket program called The Flash Pass now will be available to buy and use via an app. And single-rider lines will be added to four rides — including The Joker and recent roller coaster addition Maxx Force — so they can fill up with riders faster.
“We want our guests to make the most out of their day at the park,” Kepple said.
Officials also announced new season pass options. For $80, guests can buy a pass that offers unlimited visits to both theme and water parks but prohibits entry on certain days. There is a $170 pass that eliminates blackout dates and includes food discounts, and two junior passes for children under 3 feet 5 inches tall. And there will be a $300 pass that includes a meal plan, preferred parking and other perks.
The park will be open primarily for weekends only until May 24, when the gates will open daily through the summer.
Park officials announced last month that Yankee Harbor — decorated in the style of coastal New England upon the park's creation in 1976 — was getting a super hero makeover.
As part of the retheming, three rides will get a superhero glow-up. Vertical Velocity, the U-shaped roller coaster that launches riders from zero to 70 mph in four seconds, has been renamed The Flash: Vertical Velocity and has received a new paint job.
The water ride Yankee Clipper and the spinning swing ride Whirligig, both of which debuted when the park first opened, also will be renamed. Yankee Clipper will be called Aquaman, and Whirligig will become the DC Super-Villains Swing.
The roller coasters Batman: The Ride, added in 1992, and The Joker, added in 2017, already were part of old Yankee Harbor and largely will remain the same.