Motion sickness at Six Flags Great America: what's rough and how to cope

Photo: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted.

Gurnee, Illinois, United States · Six Flags Entertainment · ~3.045M visitors (2024, industry estimate)

Yes, with one famous exception. Six Flags Great America is a classic force park: Goliath drops 85 degrees and inverts on a wooden structure, Maxx Force air-launches to 125 km/h in under two seconds, X-Flight threads a wing coaster through keyhole gaps, and Raging Bull twists through a 62 m hyper layout. There are no simulators to speak of, so nausea here comes from G-forces, launches and inversions rather than screens. The exception is the Whizzer, a heritage coaster that is genuinely gentle at full size, a rarity anywhere. Add the Columbia Carousel and Hometown Square and you have a small but real calm circuit. Sensitive riders can do this park; they just need to space the big four out as separate events, not a checklist.

The rides most likely to set you off

• Goliath: wooden coaster with an 85-degree drop and inversions.

• Maxx Force: 0-125 km/h air launch in under two seconds.

• X-Flight: wing coaster threading tight keyhole elements.

• Raging Bull: 62 m hyper-twister coaster.

Goliath is the roughest: an 85 degree drop and inversions on a wooden coaster mean the forces arrive with wood-frame vibration on top, a double hit for sensitive inner ears.

Where to reset between rides

When your stomach needs a break, head for Whizzer (classic gentle family coaster), Columbia Carousel or Hometown Square family rides. Slow visuals, a fixed horizon and a seat that is not spinning give your inner ear time to settle before the next big ride.

Feeling queasy at Six Flags Great America right now?

Stop the nausea

Open Dizzout, plug in any headphones, tap play. Drug-free sound therapy, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds. No pills, no drowsiness, no waiting for a tablet to kick in.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone — scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.

Your survival plan for Six Flags Great America

1. 1

   Warm up on the Whizzer; it is a real coaster with almost none of the force, perfect for judging how your stomach is running that day.

2. 2

   Ride Maxx Force early and on an empty stomach; the launch is over fast but it is the single hardest jolt in the park.

3. 3

   Put Goliath and Raging Bull in different halves of the day so wooden roughness and hyper airtime never stack.

4. 4

   Skip X-Flight if visual near-misses bother you; the keyhole elements are the point of the ride.

5. 5

   Use Hometown Square and the Columbia Carousel as your recovery loop between thrill blocks.

6. 6

   Drink water hourly and keep lunch light; Gurnee summer humidity does half the damage on queasy days.

7. 7

   Bring headphones and run Dizzout's sound therapy at the first sign of queasiness; most people feel better in about 90 seconds.

Going with kids

Whizzer is an ideal first coaster; most else runs tall height minimums.

Common questions