The wait times are inaccurate. I wanted to ride RailBlazer and it said that the wait time was 0 minutes but I waited for an hour (I was in the Fast Pass line) before leaving the ride. I wish it showed the wait time for both lines. It would also be helpful if the app said which rides allowed Fast Lane. I looked for Fast Lane on White Water Falls but in fact it didn’t have it. Also, there were a lot of people who didn’t have Fast Lane but went in the Fast Lane line. The employees never actually check if you have the wristband. The map was kind of useful, but it kept leading me the wrong way and around the park, which confused me. It changes frequently. The status of the ride is inaccurate too. It said that Flight Deck was down while I watched people riding it. It would be nice if drink refills had a fast pass too. Every refill took me around 30 min. I don’t recommend the app until it fixed the problems.
It keeps losing my season passes! I’ve had to resort to taking photos of my purchased passes on my phone and adding them to my Apple Wallet rather than rely on the app to hold them. I have to check to make sure they’re still there everytime I open the app and many times they’re not. After this most recent update I can’t even add them back onto the app anymore. After I put my pass number in it says “passes added” but nothing shows up. Don’t rely on this app to hold your pass!
Many of the restaurants and refresh stations are closed during lunch hours. Bought annual pass and dining plan but could only use at a few restaurants. Guessing it's it high labor cost and understaffed. Rides are open and there are some fun shows.
Don’t update while you’re at the park like I just did, now I don’t have access to my dining and drink passes. This app just gives me different error messages every time I select something.
The integrated park GPS is a smart idea, but it often pointed me in the wrong direction (literally!) and I was unable to locate attractions. It would be nice if new updates were made to change that and make the app faster at recognizing the direction the navigator is headed to reroute appropriately. The wait times were almost completely useless because they either did not list a wait time or said nothing. The only great thing about it was the list of attractions and shows that the app provided. Overall, I would recommend this app to anyone visiting Great America because of it’s convenience and accessibility.
I came here, open up the app and it tells me that Star Tower is “open” which led me to believe that it was empty, which it was. I then go to Mass Effect which says the same thing but I get stuck waiting in a long line that hadn’t moved in 15 min so I ended up leaving. I then go on the drop tower which said a 60 minute wait and yet I only spent 10 minutes in line before I got to ride. Similarly, Flight Deck had a 45 minute wait in the app and I only spent like 20 minutes in line. Eventually to end the day I went on Gold Striker which had a 10 minute wait when in reality it was well over 30 minutes. With that being said the ride times are completely unreliable and I wouldn’t even trust the app to browse my tickets either because when I showed up they had disappeared from my app and I had to go online to retrieve them.
This is not the worst app that I’ve installed, but I did observe a few bugs for just one night of use. The bring-a-friend tickets disappeared after I linked them in the app, and I never managed to add them back so I ended up presenting the web version at the entrance. The rides status were not accurate. Some rides only display “open” without estimate wait time. And there were rides that marked as open but actually already closed, which is kinda annoying.
Of all the amusement parks I've been to, I would have thought CA Great America would have a kickbutt app. At first, I was excited. Friend finder. Take me to a ride, schedule your shows, and attraction information. The most disappointing bit was friend finder. It didn't work. It didn't even show me where I was. I never showed up on my wife's app at all. This was a key selling point for me, as I was with my son and friends, my wife was with our youngest daughter, and our eldest was off doing what teenagers do. We all wanted to use the app to keep tabs on each other. But it was a no go. If that worked, this would have been a great app and would have given it at least 4 stars. Texting/messaging in the app would have been nice as well.
The "Find Friend" feature only worked intermittently. The map is too small to be useful. Worst of all, it ate up batteries of all our phones so we could not text each other when the gps feature didn't work. The instructions say to "drop a pin" on the map when parking, but we could not do so. Better to get a paper map at the Park and text each other to find. The app seemed to imply that the tickets would be scanned from the phone on the app but they were buried in email--not the barcode version--so I had to spend an extra half-hour at guest services verifying my purchase and getting paper tickets. Preprint your tickets instead.
Been in line for about 30 minutes and still probably another 15 minutes to go. Wait time said 10 minutes and still says 10 minutes. Other parts of the app seem to work so the reason for my rating. Disneyland has wait times down. Ask them how they do it or just get rid of this feature.
I was able to download this app and use Great America's free wifi while in the park. The map was extremely helpful when trying to navigate throughout the park and I liked how it gave me information on the different restaurants. It would be nice if they included a full menu for each location, but the brief descriptions were good. Wait times and lines seemed to be accurate. I didn't use any of the other features but the ones that I did use worked great! Recommended.
You’re probably about to download this while in a long line, debating whether the ride is worth waiting around for. This app is handy if you need a map, I guess, but it hides the information you’re looking for behind creating an account - ie, adding you to a mailing list so Cedar Fair can spam you with offers later. I have gone ahead and done so only to find NOTHING behind that gate, no wait times given. Go ahead and download as long as you’re at the park, use the map, check which rides are down, but don’t fall for signing up with an account.
We’ve been trying to ride RailBlazer all summer, but the lines have seemed just way too long. After downloading this app, we saw a window where the wait time was only 25 minutes. We got in line and it was about 25 minutes, when we got on the ride. App gets 5 Stars just for saving us time!
A whole new experience, the Great America App makes navigation around the park WAY easier. With GPS enabled apps and parking spot finders, the 'lost in the theme park' syndrome literally disappears. Also, an AMAZING feature where you can link phones to see where your friends are on a live GPS map. Great America's theme park experience just got better with this app! Would recommend to anyone.
I don't know what all the fuss is about in the reviews section- it's very easy to find any places in the park including rides, restrooms, food venues, and more! You can mark your parking spot easily. Even if a feature like friend finder doesn't work, the app is most definitely worth the download.
Was excited to update, but two major issues STILL remain: 1) You can’t access four “Pass Perk” promos. What good is it to tell me that I have some voucher or coupon to use but when I’m at the park I don’t know where the heck to go to find that coupon or deal to redeem it? Seems like a scam. 2) Since JANUARY 1ST, the season pass doesn’t function in the Apple Wallet. It shows that the pass is expired even though it’s not. I have reported it to multiple employees on multiple occasions, and no one cares to fix it or actually look into the problem. Really frustrating because I love the park and want to keep supporting it. These things need to get addressed though.
Useless app. GPS "where am I?" function barely works. Car finder is a joke. The parking lot map has lanes running east/west and in real life they're north/south. Other park's apps( like seaworld's) not only give you accurate info also provide footprint directions of how to get to a different location; have good info on what shows are where, etc. with that on you almost don't need the paper map. Wish I could say the same for this app It's a waste of time and your data plan to download and install it.
Most features don't work unless location services are constantly on which will kill the battery. It gives an option for locations to work only when the app is open, but this doesn't work. Only the "always" feature works.
The rest of the app is serviceable. Nav works, etc. The wait times are so off as to be useless. On our visit today Psycho Mouse said 5 minutes and wait was an hour. Mass effect said 10 minutes and wait was 30. Etc. unsure how they aggregate their data for that but it needs serious work. I’d give it 4 stars otherwise. To get 5 stars it would tie in payment info so I never had to get out a wallet or cc.
Great to have our season pass loaded into the app. Also nice to have wait times. Bummer that you can’t get wait times when not at the park. Disney app has that and it’s a nice feature. Overall for a local park, this is a great feature to it.
The app would be great if the wait times were accurate. The grizzly and the patriot have been down for over an hour but the app says they are up and have 120 minute waits!
This app is not worth the download. The wait times are totally inaccurate. I was there as soon as the park opened and it showed 90+ minute wait times when they were 30min. There were several rides not operating that was not reflected in the app. Also, several stores / restaurants were not open and that could have been reflected in the app as well. I uninstalled during my visit.
I already live like 20 minutes away from Santa Clara. I do like how it try's to help you get around and show you the weather. And how it shows you the sizes and diners. But on the Firefall ride, it says you have to be 55" and on the great America paper map, it says 56" so I'm confused.
Misleading map directions and inaccurate ride times
I ended up wasting 30 minutes of my time by following the app’s walking directions to the Patriot rollercoaster in winter 2023. It showed path where one didn’t exist. Ended up getting help from a park employee instead. Also, the estimated wait times (5 mins) were grossly inaccurate (30 mins actual)
The app overall isn’t bad, but the part that’s crucial and important for me is the Ride Wait times and they don’t work at all. I’ve been in a line for 45 minutes and still expecting another ten minutes in line. The app however, says that there is a 0 minute wait. That’s right, 0 minutes. The feature is absolutely useless and absurd. Needs to be fixed immediately. DO NOT GET THIS APP
I have now been able to use this a little more now that the park opened. It is a phenomenal app and is very well designed. The friend finder is especially useful. Bottom line: get the app if you are planning on going there.
In its current form this app has little worth. Sure the app shows the locations of the rides but important information like wait times or even if the ride is operating is missing. The restaurant locations don't list a menu, and there is no info about characters. It seems they want to emulate the Disneyland app, which to me is great goal. But until they put people in place to update the app this will be nothing more than a half baked park map. The one good thing is that it keeps your season pass digitally and but the funpix section is unfinished and could use some tweaking. As of now keep grabbing a park map and have fun.
The main reason I got the app was to see the wait times, and the day that I go, it doesn’t tell you. All it says is that the ride is open or down. It doesn’t say the wait time. It made everything really stressful. It made everything a guessing game and it sucked. Fix your wait times please <3
I guess I got spoiled with the Disneyland app because this one felt useless. I couldn't get any labels to come up on the park map, rendering it useless. Show times were not listed. Since my iPhone doesn't have Adobe, I couldn't order the online sale tickets. No phone number for the park in the app. Just really disappointing. Stick with the paper park map/brochure for now.
The main thing is the map, but it takes so much navigation to get to, even after you hit the map button. That makes no sense. We still walked into several dead ends, because it doesn't show which areas are passable. Low resolution, too. Worse than a paper map. Better than nothing.
I’ve tried to add my season pass to the app several times on different occasions. I’ve reached out to their customer support online and at the park and it has not been resolved. I got a new physical card and it still doesn’t connect. Won’t be using the app since this key feature does not even work
I use it primarily for checking park hours. For that it's great. I'd like to see my current location on the map. It would also be fun to have a daily special pop up on the map with a location, sort of like a mini scavenger hunt.
Great app. Easy to navigate through. Can plan a visit and know what going on that day or even for the month. The only issue is they share a parking lot with a garbage team like the 49ers.
Only reason to use the app is to see how long the wait is for each of the rides. This is pretty standard functionality at amusement parks at GA’s is the only one that’s consistently never worked. Great America has always been pretty low rent, why would this app be any different? Waste of space on your iPhone.
This park is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, how can this app be so terrible when there are tons of tech people all over the Bay Area who should be helping to make this app just as good as the Disney wait time app. I’ve been standing in the Psycho Mouse line for 25 minutes already and am only 30% thru the line. The app currently says it’s a 5 minute wait. What a useless app!!
Wait times are underestimated for every ride. Not updated even when app states times "just updated" & after closing out app & reopening. Helpful for finding food options & event times if those are important to you.
App isn’t in terrible shape. The wait times are ride statuses as to if they’re open or not are way off. Please try to fix this so this app can be more useful
The ride heights are all wrong and gives false informations the wait times are constantly off as well. Map work decently but could be improved as well. Hard to navigate.
This app is pretty useful if your new to the place. But the wait times are not usually accurate. Im still gonna keep this app because it stores your season passes.
This app is okay because there is no wait time in it . Which is really not useful because I need to know where to go and if has a long line who know not the app !!!!!
The listed wait times did not change all day. It said that the rapids ride was a 20 minute wait and it was 110 minutes. All day long the times never changed. It’s worthless.
They better remove the wait time feature, because it just does not work. Why would you even have such a feature if you can’t display accurate wait times?
The official, California's Great America app! Get more out of every day at the park with ride wait times for your favorite rides, an interactive guide map that will help you find the fastest route to any place in the park, easy access to your FunPix photos, a complete listing of all the entertaining shows and events, including show times, so you won’t miss a minute of the action. Buy tickets or store your Season Pass on your phone and receive special offers and discounts only available to app users. Everything you need to make your day at California's Great America the best day ever! Use the free California's Great America app for: • Personalized experience based on your likes and interests. • Wayfinding for events with multiple locations. • Click on a particular location to view events that are happening at that location. • Addition of ride status. • QR codes on in-app tickets. • New onboarding prompts to provide more context for permissions due to iOS 13. • Updates to message inbox to provide more context for permissions due to iOS 13.
