High of 70? I'm going to Six Flags.

Six Flags Over Texas Park Visit

Yesterday, my family and I went to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington.  It's only a few hours away and the weather was perfect.  There was even a breeze!  I can't tell you how many times I have been to Six Flags in the scorching summer heat with no airflow whatsoever.  It was pretty crowded with lots of school groups visiting.  However, the longest wait we had was about an hour and a half for the New Texas Giant.  All in all, the wait times were not horrible.  I hope the days of waiting 3+ hours for a 45 second ride are long gone...

As per family tradition, we started the day with La Vibora, one of the last bobsled-type coasters in the U.S.  After waiting about 10 minutes, we realized there was a "single rider standby" line with only a few people in it.  That means we could hop on a train whenever there is an odd number of people.  Although we did not all get to ride together, we had all ridden it in about 15 minutes, skipping the 45-minute wait.

Pandemonium, formerly known as Tony Hawk's Big Spin, also featured a single-rider standby line so we figured we would ride that as well.  The ride is okay, but how much you spin depends on the luck of the draw.  The ride is obviously much more exciting if you get to spin a lot.  Unfortunately, the line for this ride is slow-moving and often backed up to the entrance, resulting in more than an hour wait.  The guy I rode with said it well:  "This isn't a bad ride, but the amount of waiting is just a waste."  If you're looking to spend more than a hour in line, go ride the New Texas Giant.

The Mr. Freeze ride has been at the park for many years, but last season the trains were turned backwards and it was marketed as the Reverse Blast.  I was skeptical at first that the ride would really be all that different, since it has always involved traveling both backwards and forwards.  However, I was very surprised by the difference made from being shot out of the launch tunnel backwards.  The ride was great and luckily the line only took about 45 minutes. 

One unique feature about this ride is how the two trains are loaded.  They reside on each side of the main track, and then slide over to the middle to be launched while the other train reloads.  It's not only efficient, but it looks cool too.  

We did not get a change to ride Batman: The Ride, but I took some pictures of it anyway.  The Batman ride layout is a staple at almost every Six Flags park, often using the same Batman theme as well.  The first Batman opened at Six Flags Great America near Chicago more than 20 years ago.  It was the first inverted, looping coaster and has been an extremely popular ride ever since.  It also set the stage for contracts and relations with the ride's manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M).  Other notable B&M rides at Six Flags parks include Superman: Ultimate Flight, Tatsu, Raging Bull, Medusa, Superman: Krypton Coaster, Riddler's Revenge, and X-Flight.  

This season at Six Flags Great America, the Batman will feature new backwards-facing trains.  The trains will be at that park for part of the summer, but then are planned to be cycled among the other parks featuring the Batman ride as well.  I included a POV video of these backwards trains filmed by Great America.

Judge Roy Scream, named after Judge Roy Bean, is one of the last truly wooden coasters in Texas.  It features a simple out-and-back layout and it's a pretty rough ride.  Regardless, I feel like it is my personal duty to ride these kinds of rides to show support for them.  There is something special about wooden rides that many may not understand.  In a later post, I want to discuss the differences between steel and wooden coasters and how they have (or haven't) managed to get along.

The awesomely-new Texas Sky Screamer is probably awesome, but it's not opened yet.  I have yet to ride the smaller renditions of Sky Screamer featured at other Six Flags/Cedar Fair parks, but I'm sure it is fun.  The only complaint I have about such rides is the wait time, since only one group can ride at a time.  The Texas Sky Screamer is one of the tallest structures in the Dallas-Ft.Worth area, standing 400 feet tall.  My picture doesn't really do it justice.  I look forward to checking this one out when I am able to come home again to visit.  

Ever wondered what the Six Flags stand for?  Six Flags Over Texas is the first Six Flags park (1963) and its name comes from the six countries that have ruled over the land known as Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, the Confederate States, and the United States.  Due to sensitivity  and political issues, the Confederate flag is not featured and instead has been replaced by the original thirteen colonies flag, thereby representing early America.  As far as I know, only the two Texas Six Flags parks feature the flags as mentioned, whereas the other parks fly six United States flags instead.  

Behold!  The Titan!  This ride opened in 2001 and has been considered one of the top 25 steel coasters in the world ever since.  It is also the largest coaster in Texas.  What the ride might lack in terms of air-time, it makes up for in speed and force.  In fact, the mid-ride brake section has been altered to nearly bring the trains to a stop in order to reduce the g-forces felt in the second half of the ride.  I remember riding the unaltered version many years ago, and I also recall feeling like I was going to blackout.  It is now a little more family-friendly, but it retains most of its sheer speed.  

Last but not least, we also rode the New Texas Giant.  This ride received a major overhaul a couple years ago and changed from a wooden coaster to a steel coaster.  Many people were upset about this change, but the end result is really something spectacular.  Now it features multiple over-banked turns, a steeper drop, and lots of airtime.  For those of you that like getting thrown out of your seat, sit in the back and enjoy the ride.  

Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) is the group responsible for converting the old wooden track into a new steel one.  They recently completed construction on another transformation:  the Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.  And on THAT note, I am pleased to announce that I have been selected to participate in the commercial shoot and media day events for the new Iron Rattler opening in just a couple weeks.  I have never done something like this before, but I am very excited that I will have a chance to experience this new ride before leaving for Orlando.  I doubt I will get to take any pictures while there, but hopefully I will still have something to share :)

I do not know when I will be able to visit Six Flags Over Texas again, but I look forward to all of their news and updates in the coming years.