DO YOU DARE TRY THE GIANT DROP, Six Flags Great America’s newest thrill ride? The Giant Drop is a 227-foot freefall tower; riders sit in open-air seats with over-the-shoulder harnesses that leave their legs dangling in space. The ride goes up 20 stories to the top, then the seats release and plunge toward the ground at more than 60 m.p.h. The landing is supposed to be way smooth because of frictionless, magnetic brakes (we’d understand what that means, but we missed that physics class).
Tribune reporter Monica Eng recently risked her life (or at least her breakfast) to do the Drop. We asked her to describe it for us, but she was kinda speechless. So, once her hands stopped shaking, we had her fill in this chart.
Before I took the plunge, I:
Laughed in the face of danger X —————-
Cried ———————–
Wet my pants ———————–
Other ———————–
As I fell to Earth, I let out a:
Scream(s) X ———————–
Whimper ———————–
I’m too embarrassed to say ———————-
Other ———————–
The ride felt like it lasted:
A (3) lifetime(s) X ———————–
A nanosecond ———————– Other
(It actually lasts 60 to 70 seconds, including the trip to the top.)
When the Drop hit its magnetic breaks, it felt:
Like we landed on a humongous pillow X ———–
Like we hit a speed bump at 50 m.p.h.————-
Like Wile E. Coyote must feel when he falls off a cliff and gets flattened ——————————————-
This ride was so (circle one) awesome, pukey, (scary), unforgettable,
I’d recommend it to (circle one) my best friend, my little brother, (my worst enemy,) my math teacher.
Any final comments? YIKES!!! ———————-
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For more info on the ride, go to http:www.tribune.com/fun/current/fun.htm. For Six Flags Great America’s location, hours and costs, call 847-249-1776.
