Demon is one of my absolute favorites. The theming revamp in recent years has been absolutely amazing and phenomenal. I absolutely love that it's getting some love again, and that Great America is finally paying attention to theming again. However, there are a few issues. First of all, as much as I like the airbrushed fronts of the cars, they should really re-adopt the 3D logo like the one in California. It's so much more retro and more fitting of the ride. Please fully embrace the history and the retro nature of this ride. Secondly, the theme song is not always playing in the queue and that is just criminal. I want to hear the full 30 minute loop of the Demon song. "While you're waiting here in line, better take a little time..." to find something to entertain yourself with, because you won't be graced with the beautiful sound of pig-calls mid-wait, and that is just sad. You have it. Someone in 1980 took the time to write and record this 30-minute cheesy masterpiece, and you might as well use it. Third, there is absolutely no reason to raise the height requirement on a ride that has been around for this long. 42 inch riders have been riding The Demon (and Turn of the Century) safely since 1976. That's 50 years without any incidents. Why, suddenly, after 50 years of operation, is it allegedly unsafe for 42 inch riders to face The Demon? It's not. Let the kids get their first inversions in on The Demon. It's a time-honored tradition in Chicagoland. Forth, The Demon is worthy of a far more epic sign. I would personally be ecstatic if we could recreate the Demon sign from the 80s, with the drain pipe and the glowing eyes. It would really fit the theme, especially with Rakshasa's curiosity show theming. Embrace that old-fashioned theme park vibe, and make it look appropriately vintage. Fifth, WHERE ARE THE ROCKS? I know they were removed because they were structurally unsound... but why have they not been replaced? The rocks around the loops were so iconic. Bring them back! We were promised that the rocks would come back. read more

Life is like a quesadilla, filled with cheese. This ride hurt my balls. Great ride but it's filled with cheese 10/10 life is like a quesadilla read more

This is one of those oldie but a goodie Arrow coasters that was insanely popular back in the day and has a respectable fanbase still to this day. Got to bring my friend on this before in years past and tricked him saying it doesn't go upside down. To put that in short he was a kid cursing out my father and in fear, funniest stuff I've seen ever. Demon holds a place in my heart as the first coaster I've ridden to go upside down and it's worth a ride. Just keep your head back and hold on tight. Also if you go when Fright Fest, check out the lighting and of course the demon song by the sign. read more

See all

This will always be one of my favorite rides. I can still remember when it was born. Lol. I was so happy to introduce it to my son for the first time. Thankfully there were no long lines. Goodtimes. read more

Demon - I haven't been on the Demon since my college days! Yippie!! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Six Flags Great America needs to replace the trains with Vekoma MK-1212s with the soft, vest-like harnesses, and weld some additional crossbeams into those cheap vertical loop supports. If they can do that, just imagine what a more comfortable ride this would be. Unfortunately, with the current setup, your head flies all over the place when going through inversions. My tip is: Keep your head braced back against the headrest on the vertical loops, and brace your head against the right side of the harness as you enter the corkscrew. Also, make sure that your harness isn't loose. If it is, ask to get off the ride, and make sure they can hear and see you. Failure to follow these safety tips may result in headache, neck injury, and/or even a concussion. read more

I call this the baby loopty loop ride at Great America. It's an oldie but goodie. A classic. I haven't ridden this ride in 10 years and forgot how exciting it still was with its loops and corkscrew turns. It's a great coasters for kids, as they let you on just as long as you are 4 feet tall. Great ride to ride at night as the cave you go through seems more eerie, with the eyes of the demon all lit up red. The seating on this are 2 riders per car, and you have the harness to secure you as you flip upside down and turn side to side. read more

Demon - Amusement Parks Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

DÆMONS & GARGÖYLES What's the best way to spice up an aging Arrow looper? Add some mothafluffin' virtual reality. For the late 2016 season, Great America decided to include Samsung Gear (powered by Oculus) as part of an optional ride experience on the Demon, transforming it into "Rage of the Gargoyles". This is a fully immersive and 100% interactive deal, wherein you get the opportunity to shoot at various creatures over the course of the ride. Although this option has been around since mid-August, it's ideally suited for Fright Fest, the park's Halloween event. This is because the VR experience is......damn scary, if I'm being honest. More on that later. Virtual reality headsets have become all the "Rage" (if you'll excuse the coaster pun) this year, with at least a dozen being used on rides at various Six Flags parks around the country. Some on hyper coasters, others on launched attractions, but the choice of using them on Demon was an interesting concept. Aside from the incredibly fun VR experience, the rest of the coaster is still the same, although you'd never notice with the headset strapped to your noggin. There's a 104ft lift with a modest 90ft drop into consecutive vertical loops, followed by a tunnel (normally lit with incandescent bulbs) and a block brake section. A 180° turnaround leads into the back to back corkscrew elements and after a quick upward helix, the train hits the final brakes. .......but with Oculus covering your eyes, you can't mentally prepare your brain -- or physically prepare your body -- for the intense jarring sensation you'll undergo. This can result in an even rougher ride than usual, and if the Oculus goggles aren't completely fastened to your cranium, they'll bounce around on your forehead and bruise parts of your face. Comfort aside, the actual virtual reality is INCREDIBLE. Absolutely. F*cking. Awesome. Seriously one of the coolest things around, thanks to the theme of attacking gargoyles as a ride enhancement. You have 360° viewing ability (pitch, yaw, roll) as you're placed inside the cockpit of a helicopter during a siege on a major city. Your targeting reticule [a.k.a. crosshairs] automatically fires at the demonic flying creatures and gives you arbitrary points as the winged beasts explode in a rather bloody fashion. I won't give too much away, but at one point a gargantuan 'king' gargoyle appears as several hundred feet tall and looks majorly badass/terrifying. Graphics wise, I'd say resolution quality is somewhere between a PS3 and PS4, which is to say pretty darn good. WARNING I : the utilization of virtual reality helmets nearly triples the wait times. During my visit on 09/24/16, we waited 1.5 hours to experience Rage of the Gargoyles which is three times as long as one would otherwise wait for Demon. Keep this in mind when planning your day. WARNING II : this system is not without its flaws. VR headsets will occasionally not work and with the time limits imposed by the ride crews, not everyone may get a chance to experience it. Several people per train appeared to get jipped, so I'd recommend sitting towards the front as you'll have the most time to adjust before dispatch. WARNING III : only guests 13 and older will get to use the on-ride Oculus for liability reasons. Also probably a good idea, because the virtual monsters are more than slightly horrifying if I'm being perfectly honest 0_o But for those willing to wait the extra time, you will benefit from a highly unique ride experience. If this sounds like something that's up your alley, I'd recommend you get your ass out to Gurnee, go challenge the gargoyles..... .......and face your inner Demon. read more

See all

I went to Six Flags for Fright Fest with my good Yelp Elite pal Joee L this past October, and we were dorks and arrived at Fright Fest around 11am. Lucky for us, that meant a lot of coasters had no lines, like the Demon, which we were able to ride two times in a row! This coaster holds a special place in my heart, because it was the first rollercoaster I ever rode in my entire life. Personally, I think my mom could've at least put me on the Jetsons coaster over in Camp Cartoon here before shoving me onto this bad boy, but I digress. While at this point in my life most roller coasters make me want to throw up, this one still makes me want to throw up consistently somehow doesn't disappoint. I do appreciate that over the years it seems like they've made it less painful to ride, because I feel like my head really used to slam a lot against the seat when I was younger. Maybe I'm just better at holding my head now? Who knows. Whenever I come back to Six Flags, I'll be sure to ride the Demon. read more

The Demon has always had a special place in my heart. Finally got a chance to ride again after all these years and the ride is still awesome. This ride is definitely a great thriller that doesn't dissapoint I've heard horror stories about people that would be stuck upside down for hours on end. Thankfully that didn't happen. read more

Old metal clunker of love! First, is this the best coaster at the park? ...of course not. However, to me it holds my heart the same as the American Eagle Wooden Coaster that has been here forever too. It has the old uncomfortable harness style system for today's updated harness styles... But this is how I grew up - how most people here on yelp grew up. I hated the Shock Wave being removed (same harness and car style - but the superman is fantastic in place). Simple facts: Less height needed so little ones can ride this sooner than others. It used to be a top coaster here actually! Now it's a dinosaur without much line. Good starter for my generation. Perhaps for the little ones today or not since new is much smoother! Overall you ride up a rickety chain lift. Then, down through two loops (I always feel we might get stuck upside down second loop with decreased speed. I hear this happens!) next, two corkscrew loops. That's the coaster! There are rock tunnels you go through and one has a demon face carved into it. The tunnels have lights that worked before, now they don't, do, or only at night! It's a surprise! I hope they keep this. I love it. It beats me up comparatively over the innovative coaster years and studies of cool g-forces and heights of coasters that are new and technologically advanced. Sometimes old is as good as new! Like friends... "Make new friends but keep the old. One is treasure and the other is gold!" This sounds funny, but the Demon Roller Coaster is MY FRIEND! Being wedged between Raging Bull and x-flight I can't imagine digging my first love out being easy! It's rough for metal. Compare with the old not the new. But it's simple inversions and totally fun! Keep your eyes open for the demon rock! Cheers! read more

Demon - The yellow train going up the chain lift. Only a 15 minute wait today! :) - Amusement Parks Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

This is the roughest coaster in the park. Period. I'll share my experience on here with you! I give the extra star for the nostalgic part. This is the oldest coaster in the park today. The Demon was Turn of the Century from 1976 (the year it opened) to 1979. Two loops were added in 1980 with the two corkscrews. During the 80's there were two hour lines on an average day. The Demon still lives after some of its current neighbors were added. Sadly, the waterfall just before the The Demon, in my opinion, is terrible! It's very rough, especially on the corkscrews. The restraints are uncomfortable and it's the reason why my head always bangs on the ride. The loops have gone rough. The tunnel after the two loops is cool and it's the best part of the ride. The turn before the corkscrews is average. During the drop, you go to the side. Beware the head-banging corkscrews! They can bang your head. Then the turn before the brake run is painful to your ears and head! All in all, the worst roller coaster I've ever been on is.. (Drumroll) THE DEMON! I won't be back on this coaster ever again! read more

Demon - Loop de loop! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Gurnee, Illinois

Demon is a very nostalgic coaster. For many that grew up in the Chicagoland area this was their first roller coaster with a loop. My memories of the demon also scream headache because you're head would bang back and forth on the restraint. At some point they updated The Demon because we went on this ride twice (there was no line so we didn't even have to get off) and the head pounding wasn't nearly as bad. I think they updated the restraints so you're head isn't directly in-between to bang back and forth. This ride isn't nearly the highest, scariest, fastest coaster at Great America, but it's still worth a ride! read more

The Demon told me if I didn't rate this higher he'd give me a serious concussion. But since that will probably happen anyway I'll just be honest and say this ride has a lot of nostalgia but not much else going for it. This is one of two remaining original coasters from when the park first opened in the 70s, and it shows. This ride even has a delightfully cheesy theme song that would have the kids from Stranger Things cringing. Though you might not hear much of it as you race through the typically empty line. Also dating this ride is how shockingly rough it is, especially the transition into the first corkscrew just after the second drop. Prepare yourself by holding your head all the way back against the seat and you just might avoid slamming your ears into the hard over-shoulder restraints. But... Demon still has a place in my heart because it's inversions are so close to the ground it makes for great scenery. The park train used to run right through the middle of the corkscrews, and although that no longer runs you can still walk the path and look up at the riders looping overhead. The lighted tunnels, the cool rock formations...ok even the cheesy music all make me smile. Probably worth riding this one for the credit, and it makes for a good introduction to looping coasters. But the restraints combine with the harsh transitions to make this ride prone to causing brain trauma, especially for shorter riders. If you've got good defensive riding skills and/or your ears clear the shoulder restraints I say go for it. The Demon may not have many seasons left to "get you". read more

This is my all time favorite roller coaster - and I'm old! My twelve-year-old son didn't enjoy it because he didn't ensure that his head was against the headrest, so that's my advice! Only disappointment was that Great America used to play spooky "demon" music as you waited in line. Now it was just some talk track that didn't set a mood. Fun for the family and love the fact that it's been there forever! read more

For actual ride, it deserves a "Two", but for nostalgia factor, I give it an extra star. It has gotten very rough over the years, I might ride once a year, but I am so VERY glad that my daughter is tall enough now to ride the big coasters - before she was tall enough she'd want to ride this six times a day. read more

I have no idea whose idea it was to add VR to this ride but they should be fired immediately. It took my family (a group of 4) over an hour to get on the ride WITH A FLASH PASS because it was so difficult to get everyone to put on the stupid headsets. Better uses of you time include: watching paint dry, cleaning your entire house with a toothbrush, and laying facedown on the floor for several hours. read more

I've been riding the Demon for 3 decades. Time to replace it. There are just too many other great rides like X-Flight, Raging Bull and Batman. read more