Marriott's Great America 1986: The Edge, The Demon POV 8mm silent film

After some time lapse driving footage shot on super 8 film, this video has footage of The Edge from (then) Marriott's Great America, plus a POV shot on the Demon.

[@BryceEdwardBrown]

Wow, after watching roller coaster videos all month, it's so rad to see an 8mm one from the 80s

[@jekanyika]

I also recently binged a load of coaster videos.

[@LPantelakos]

This brings me back. 86 was the year I worked up the nerve to get on The Demon.

[@Bobinanena]

I rode that ride (the demon) COUNTLESS times. I can still recall how it smelled. Smelled like oil, metal and pine trees. Nostalgic! GREAT TIMES! 💗

[@jonny-b4954]

It's still there to this day even. Can go ride it again haha

[@tommymeyer3404]

Absolutely incredible footage. As a lifelong Bay Area resident this is priceless. Thank you!

[@WaluigiLebron]

Thank you for this classic footage of the park, and the demon when it had the rock around the loop

[@nixienooo]

When did they get rid of it? I like definitely remember it but idk if it’s me remembering it wrong

[@Aidea._.]

​@@nixienoooDid you go to the Great America in Gurnee, or Santa Clara?

[@TVHouseHistorian]

The Edge was probably my favorite ride. Went to Marriott's with a friend of mine who had a disability (couldn't walk), and because of his disability, and I being his assistant, we were ushered through the exit in order to get on the ride, which meant we were ALWAYS the very next in line. We were able to do The Edge 10 times that day, as well as The Demon, even in spite of the incredibly long lines. Really fun day, but that evening it all caught up with me, and I felt so sick. LOL

[@Rickkelley365]

Brought me back. I used to spend the whole day on the Demon.

[@highoctanegames]

Same, I was at Six Flags Great America and the demon over there, I just marathoned with my mom all day

[@kapka7388]

Rode this when I went the other day! Crazy how much the park has changed!

[@mattiasdanieldamsgaardwood1315]

1:33 WELCOME MOTHERFUCKERS!

[@ryansubica6590]

Great footage! I'm wondering if the Demon POV is from a little after 1986? The rails weren't painted orange until let the early 90's. There were also no lights in the tunnel. BTW California's Great America put the lights back in (all red) for the 2021 season!

[@nathanlopez5667]

I believe 86 was the first year for the orange rails seen a photo of the demon in 1985 it was still jet black the lighting in the second tunnel was still working in 84-85 awesome that we get the lighting back can't wait to see it this season in person

[@BlueLavaClan]

Woah this has changed so much. I ride the demon nowadays and things like the trees on the drop, the extra rocks in between the loops, and white pressure gates aren’t there. This is absolutely insane.

[@jojovaldez2766]

I liked it better when the tunnel had lights that go on when you go through it but I read that somebody broke the lights Thats pretty messed up Its the tunnel after the 2nd vertical loop after the 1st drop

[@BlueLavaClan]

@@jojovaldez2766 yeah, unfortunately the park is being demolished for homes or something

[@eraserfred406]

Absolutely nailed the old demon drop footage while holding a big camera. Bravo! That old snappy drop was something else. shows how much steeper it was before they tamed it. Great footage

[@ryanmai7888]

The one in Gurnee still has the steep drop.

[@Twistytowertowercrane]

They tamed the one in Santa Clara? Why?

[@eraserfred406]

@@Twistytowertowercrane i assume it was deemed cheaper to turn the drop into a ramp than it was to maintain the wheels and trains. Only thing i can think of. So basically they were cheap asses.

[@Twistytowertowercrane]

@@eraserfred406 I just went on it with my kids last week and didn’t notice a difference. But I wasn’t looking for one either

[@Twistytowertowercrane]

@@eraserfred406 I didn’t notice they took out the rock tunnel either through the corkscrews. I thought it was still there.

[@sassylipps1980]

Tictok brought me here!

[@amarithompson8731]

Same

[@livamarie]

BRUH same😭

[@MrDasource411]

me2

[@sarah-anneebejer1698]

Also me

[@TheModernDrummer097]

not me

[@rickpontificates3406]

Great America is a TERRIBLY MAINTAINED PARK! When we went there, a lift hill chain broke on one coaster and another coaster stopped on the track (with us on it) and mechanics had to give it a push.

[@bayareaadventures4432]

The Edge is our all time favorite Great America ride. Turn of the century was #2

[@Joranthalus]

You hear about the incident before it got torn down

[@DavidLee-wj9sp]

The demon had its own music. You could hear exiting. They demon is gonna get you

[@brucegibson1813]

Unbelievable footage. Thank you for this

[@D2Kprime]

Thanks. I never got to see The Edge in action before.

[@Joranthalus]

You hear about the edge incident before I got torn down?

[@sandraruiz3834]

I loved the demon and that bloody red water hahaha great video!!!!!!

[@vanessagaglione2362]

Does anyone know if there is footage riding the Demon back when it was "Turn of the Century?" I'd love to watch that if it was available.

[@tomshields164]

When it had the two big humps instead of loops! was my Favorite the weightlessness you felt was better than the loops in my opinion.

[@Grayback1973]

In this video I'll post below at the 41:10 mark you can see it. It is not the POV ride but you can clearly see the coaster and how it was originally white in color. Its strange because I remembered how they changed it into The Demon and to this day nobody in my family remembers that it was originally called "Turn of the Century". For some reason I remmebered it and nobody else did.....bizarre. Anyway,here is the video....kzbin.info/www/bejne/gammdp-vrsh0jaM

[@Grayback1973]

And here is a cool POV of Turn of the Century though it is virtual but still pretty cool.Kudos to the guy that does these.....kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGTVmo2maNmkaK8si=sZ2edFT3krK-G0Ol

[@edgetaker]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i17NnolnoM97Y5Y

[@vanessagaglione2362]

@@edgetaker That was so cool. Thank you!!

[@sharkmanxbro7082]

I thought this was the one in Gurnee at first, I was like wheres the eagle lol

[@cubdukat]

It looks like it was. The Edge only lasted two or three years there. After that accident during the first year, nobody wanted to ride it anymore. I knew I sure as hell didn't, and I rode it before that...

[@xkee2013]

Damn I thought it was for a minute too. I was thinking those two huge white buildings to the very rightside of the Demon are not there anymore lol.

[@MegaBrokenstar]

Sw1zT1m3 this is that one

[@bryant07681]

How many Great America's were there?

[@sharkmanxbro7082]

@@bryant07681 One in Illinois and one in California

[@tanyasmith2173]

So those Demon corkscrews were neck breaking even before I was born?! Lol

[@cleawox]

The corkscrews were brutal in 1982. It was worth the price you pay!

[@daveanger8793]

Back when the rocks were there. I miss early 90s great America

[@Mallaien]

I lived near the "Great America" in Gurnee IL, I rode the Edge, and the demon back in the day. The "Great America" in California is almost a duplicate, they were basically Identical when they were first build. The one in Gurnee was actually bigger. Both had the double decker marigoround, and the "sky trek tower" Its possible that "The Edge" ride in this video was actually transferred from the Gurnee park do to an unfortunate, but non deadly accident.

[@seanlewis1148]

The one here in California was the first one...followed by Gurnee, two months later.

[@spacegeneral8630]

ok this threw me for a loop (no pun actually intended) i thought this was the one IN ILLINOIS and i was very shocked to find a wooden coaster RIGHT where X-flight would be now, and I did extensive research to find... I was a huge idiot and it was the one in california

[@jeremyminingdude2542]

SAME!!! But I was suspicious after seeing the palm trees, THEN I noticed the wooden coaster hahaha

[@Calibeachgtl1024]

What a fantastic video

[@jbponzi1]

The Edge in Gurnee was standing but not operating.

[@codymcallister7931]

Where's the Whizzer?

[@BrokenRealityYT]

This is californias great america, not six flags.

[@nathanlopez5667]

@@BrokenRealityYT yes it is and they had a Whizzer as well

[@cleawox]

People were actually killed on the Whizzer, so it was removed. The Whizzer was fast and a lot of fun - complementary to the Demon. Is was a bummer to se it go.

[@nathanlopez5667]

@@cleawox I know it was removed in 1989 one person died on it in 1980 but many others were injured

[@codymcallister7931]

@@BrokenRealityYT both Great America Parks had the Whizzer up threw 1988 season!

[@daveanger8793]

Did anyone hold coins on the edge and watch them float in your face?

[@NyeGuy-yv2dv]

Yes! That was a given on that ride.

[@tinykitten8937]

Yess!!! Lololol

[@armybeef68]

They didn't float anywhere near your face, it was like 6 inches off your knee.

[@Joypyf]

Ahhh always wondered what the surroundings of Demon in California look like...now I know!

[@ddivar8149]

The edge never appealed to me!. We had one at Great America in Gurnee

[@raylaguna2601]

Look like it’s 1970s then 86.

[@nathanlopez5667]

Only because it's a Super 8 video camera

[@Rockstar69000]

I remember going on the demon in 1980 in Illinois

[@TheDanceOfTX]

Not a tech building in sight

[@nathanlopez5667]

Actually there is a few Tech buildings in this video those white buildings by the demons loops I believe we're built sometime in 82 or 83

[@nathanlopez5667]

Where's the whizzer

[@armybeef68]

Can't see it from those POV.

[@alyfan1]

I originally clicked on this thinking it was great america in gurnee Illinois. Does this mean there was two marriots great americas? Or is this great adventure?

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

there were two! one in Gurnee, and another in Santa Clara, CA

[@alyfan1]

@@fullofbarkingdogs so im assuming this was cali?

[@fullofbarkingdogs]

@@alyfan1 yes!

[@seanlewis1148]

​​@@alyfan1Yeah, the first one, followed by the one in Gurnee two months later.

[@jaybrooks1098]

This is the ride that came off the tracks on the back car on the train after me. No tragedy but the dude in the back car looked over the headrest with the biggest shocked white eye look I have ever seen. Ahh.. good times

[@Twistytowertowercrane]

Orleans Orbit 🤮

[@j.d.contreras392]

My sister flew off The Edge. It was tragic.

[@edgetaker]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i17NnolnoM97Y5Y

[@Joranthalus]

I had a freind who rode this a week before the edge incident of 1980. The cart didn't hit the bumper and 3 teenagers were launched off the ride to their deaths

[@mjrebafan]

Fake news...nobody ever died on The Edge. Why would you say that?

[@LPantelakos]

There's a video about "the incident" on KZbin. Turns out it's a urban legend. It's based on something that happened at a different park, same type of ride.

[@bonerloaner]

Thank you for the footage 🙏

[@DonMr-Sir]

Wow, is this really 1986? Because I just watched a video of 1977 Great America, and just with a 9 year difference the park looks so different, I’m blown away!