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August 4, 2005
Welcome back loyal T-Boners and to all newcomers. It’s been a busy
week at the office and very stressful. I could whine and moan, but I figured
I've done enough of that lately. So I tried to think of something positive to
write about. There is one thing that always brings joy to my life, a day riding
roller coasters. So I’m going to start reviewing some of the theme parks I’ve
been to, starting with the one I hold season tickets to, Six Flags over
Texas.
I’ve been frequenting Six Flags since I was a toddler living in Shreveport. I
have nothing but fond memories of coming to Dallas (Arlington) for a day at
the park. I remember coming here for random weekends, my brother
Jeremy's 8th grade trip, my pre-surgery fun trip, swim trip breaks, and many
other occasions. It was just something everyone thought worthy of a 3-hour
drive.
Last year, I became a season pass holder. It’s really a bargain considering
that the cost of a season pass is less than 2 one-day tickets. So as long as
you go two times, it more than pays for itself. So you think they're going to
stick it to you somehow though, right? At $9 for parking, you’d think so. But
with season passes, you have the option of getting season parking as well,
for only $25 bucks. That makes it easier.
So where do they get you? It’s hot, so you need a lot to drink. I am not
going to lie, drinks are outrageously high. But you can get a Superman
themed collector cup for 10 bucks, refills are only $1. Things are pricey at
every theme park. I expect that. Let’s get to the rides!
Texas Giant was once named the #1 wooden roller coaster in the world. It
still ranks high every year. It starts with a massive drop of 137 feet and
reaches a speed of 62 mph. That’s moving for a wooden coaster. There
are many twists and turns along the way as the ride lasts for about 2
minutes. My only beef with this ride is that it’s now 15 years old and it’s
gotten a little warped in places. If you aren’t sitting in the front three chairs,
this ride will beat you to death and you’ll be clutching your ribs when it’s all
said and done. Another thing that irritates me a bit is that the line for this
ride is still long on some days. This is an old ride. Move on to something
else.
Titan is everything that is right about a roller
3 and a half minutes. Despite a typical long wait, this ride is well worth it.
And it feels like a totally different ride at night when it is dark. I recommend
riding it right before closing time.
Judge Roy Scream is the original coaster featured at the park. I used to
avoid this one because it’s hidden in the back of the park and it’s old. You
could say that it’s boring because it’s short and only goes on a few up and
down hills that don’t go very fast. But there’s something to be said about an
original. It can be fun and the biggest upside is that there is NEVER a line.
It’s not the greatest, but it’s still worth a ride if you are already there.
Mr. Freeze is one of my favorites. The line used to be massive for it, but
not so much anymore. Freeze starts inside and shoots riders out of a tunnel
at 70 mph where they immediately start to twist and turn through several
corkscrews and flips until reaching a 238 ft peak. Then you do it all again in
reverse. This ride is fast and it’s over before you know it. Aside from the
ride, one of the better parts about this ride is the wait for it. Since the ride
starts inside, the line is inside. After standing in other lines in 100+ degree
heat, this wait is an amazing relief. The building is set up to be an old snow
cone or ice cream shop, so it’s kept extremely cold inside. Even if you do
have to wait for the ride, the wait is okay.
front, you can see all and it’s a great ride, albeit a bit short. If the line is
long, pass on this one. If you can get in the front (it holds 4 per row), go for
it.
Shockwave is another favorite of mine. It is an older ride, but it starts off
with a drop into a double loop. It continues to stay fast and riders feel like
they are lifted out of their seats at several points in the ride. The line is
always short, for some reason, so riding this one multiple times in a row is no
problem. There’s really not much more to say about it.
Flashback is a coaster that I’ve always found to be a bit of a
disappointment. In 1989, I heard tons of advertisements for it and the
hoopla was everywhere. I finally rode it in 1990 and was not impressed. It
was the first coaster at Six Flags to run its course and then go at it again
backwards. The drawback for a ride like that is that you cannot run multiple
trains. So it takes forever to load the train, do the checks, send the ride off,
and unload the train for the next group. Even today, while the ride is not
popular at all, it still takes a long time to get on. People waited over 2 hours
for the ride in the first few years and it only lasts less than 2 minutes. The
ride itself is the same thing as everything else. A few spins and corkscrews
here. A quick drop there. Then do it backwards. NOT WORTH IT.
Vibora used to be called the Bobsled. This ride was new when my brother
had his 8th grade trip, so the line was very long. Now, not so much. I have
mixed feelings about this ride. Sometimes it is fun while other times it is not.
The ride has no real track as it’s just a sled on wheels moving through a
slide. Occasionally, it will reach some tires along the sides that slow it down.
That’s the part that makes it not so much fun, on occasion. I’ve been on the
ride a few times where the tires really jolted me. Most of the time it’s
smooth. Maybe it was the car I rode in, the track, or maybe I was just being
a weenie (I doubt that). It can be fun, but watch your hat. I swear every time
I ride it I see at least 5 hats in the chute.
Runaway Mountain is a ride I didn’t even know existed for a while. Nice
advertising, morons. In 1999, I was there with my then-girlfriend Erin and
after hours of being at the park, we sorta stumbled past it. We decided to
check out why there was a small line going into a building built to look like a
cave. Turns out, it is an indoor coaster in the pitch black. It’s a short
coaster but a lot of fun. The unexpected twists and turns in the dark make it
a unique coaster to the park. It brings a nice change of pace to the other
attractions.
Superman: Tower of Power isn’t a roller
There are many other rides including the Mine Train and Mini-Mine
Train. They are classics, but not ranked in the top. They have short lines
are fun in their own right, however. And of course you have the standard
rides like the Pirate Ship, Sombrero, and the Yo-Yo.
There’s also Looney Toon’s Land for the younger children. These are just
smaller rides that they can enjoy in one corner of the park. They can also
enjoy the giant Carousel and the Spongebob Squarepants 4-D ride.
How is it 4-D? You have to ride it and find out.
Food is expensive, but there are great places to eat spread all over the
park. Whether you want burgers, pizza, taffy, or whatever, they’ve pretty
much got it. There are also arcades spread out everywhere, but is that what
you go to parks for? I don’t. And if you drag grandma along, there are little
shops all over the park, as well. One shop does wax hands, another does
little souvenirs, this, that…everything. The coolest shop by far has this thing
where they will take your picture and you get a 3-D image of yourself in a
glass square. It takes a few weeks for them to form it and deliver it, but I
know a few people that got one and it is something rather unique.
On top of all of these normal things, Six Flags over Texas, along with the
other Six Flags parks, offer some additional holiday openings. They do
Fright Night during the Halloween season. They make the park “scary”
and a lot of people are walking around in costumes. I passed on that last
year. Holiday in the Park is done around Christmas and New Year’s and it
is a lot of fun. They bring in extra businesses and they have even more
food and souvenirs. They have Christmas lights and play holiday music
throughout the park. Most of the rides are running and it’s really nice.
For the money, I think Six Flags over Texas is a very nice park. It isn’t the
greatest and I wouldn’t plan my grandest vacation to go there. But it’s worth
spending a Sunday there. I plan on rating other parks I’ve visited. I mean to
visit new parks in the near future. But my grade for Six Flags over Texas
is a B+. They don’t upgrade their coasters as often as they should and the
cleanliness of the park hurts. But the price is good, overall, and the
experience is well worth the money. If you’re in the area and have nothing to
do, give it a try.
Until next time, throw up a “T” for…
T-BONE!
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Theme Park Review - Six Flags Over Texas
The Bone Pile
coaster that does not go upside down. It’s
fast and long and, at times, scares the piss
out of you. The first drop is 255 ft high.
When you are making the ascent, you look
down at Texas Giant and it looks miniature in
comparison. The top speed reaches 88 mph
and you feel a heavy amount of G-force as
you make any turn. There is a part in the
ride where they slow you down as you are
spiraling upwards. If you are in one of the
front left cars, you feel as if it is about to drop
you off of the track. I rode the ride at least 20
times last summer and the sensation got to
me every time. The best part about the ride
is that even though it is fast, it lasts for about
Batman continues with the DC comic
book-theme rides. This ride has riders
suspended from their shoulders and
chests rather than a lap bar. The track
is above the riders and it’s a very fast
ride with legs dangling everywhere.
Truth be told, this ride sucks unless
you are in the front row. You can’t see
anything because the ride is so bulky,
you can’t see around the “chairs” in
front of you. But if you do ride in the
coaster. It is 3 towers set up with
benches on 4 sides set up to hydraulics.
It shoots you up to the top and you
bounce up and down a few times. Then it
brings you back up to the top at 325 ft,
holds you there, and drops you down at
about 45 mph. It’s not a long ride, but it
is a lot of fun. From the top, you can see
different parts of Arlington and the
surrounding cities. From one side, you
can see all of the park. If you are looking
to see what lines are not long, this ride is
a good scouting point. Behind Titan, this
is the best ride in the park.
and are fun enough for a ride or two. There are also
bumper cars like they have at the State Fair. If you
are hot, the Roaring Rapids is a good place to cool
down. Splash Water Falls is a big boat that does
one fall into a huge pool. Everyone gets wet here.
That’s not the fun part, though. Afterwards, you can
stand on the bridge and await the next boat to come
down. If you didn’t get wet enough on the ride, you
will standing on the bridge. This ride isn’t about the
ride itself, it’s about cooling off. The Wildcatter, or
Texas Cliffhanger back in the old days, is an older,
lamer version of Superman. The Texas Chuteout
is about the same too, only it is much slower. They
Six Flags Over Texas is a major
amusement park located in Arlington,
Texas and was the first park of the Six
Flags chain. The park opened on
August 1, 1961 following just a year of
construction and an initial investment
of $10 million by real estate
developer and oil baron Angus G.
Wynne, Jr.
Since its opening, Six Flags Over
Texas has consistently performed well
in terms of attendance and revenue,
despite its history of ever-changing
owners and expansions. The park
currently has several amusement rides
and attractions, bringing in thousands
of visitors daily.
History
Following a visit to the recently
opened Disneyland in Anaheim,
California, wealthy oil tycoon and real
estate developer Angus G. Wynne, Jr.
decided that his home state of Texas
should have a local park for
entertainment. Planning for such a
place began in 1959 under the
leadership of Wynne and the Great
Southwest Corporation, along with the
backing of various New York investors.
Construction on the park began in
August, 1960.
The park's name "Six Flags Over
Texas" stands for the six different
nations' flags which have governed
Texas, including: France, Spain,
Mexico, The Republic of Texas, The
Confederate States of America, and
the United States of America. The
story goes that Wynne originally
intended to name the park "Texas
under Six Flags," until his wife
objected stating that "Texas isn’t
under anything." The original park was
split into separate regions, such as the
Spain and Mexico section featuring
Spanish-themed rides, attractions and
buildings.
During construction, the fence
surrounding the park was of the
chainlink type. Slats of wood placed
vertically in the links left small spaces
which allowed one to see through
them. Although the fence seemed as
if it were intended to block the view of
construction, if a vehicle were
travelling alongside the fence, on the
adjacent road, a "stroboscopic" view
of the park was clearly afforded to the
occupants. This had a promotional
effect on the local residents, and
driving this road became a popular
weekend activity in some households.
Thus, without much advertising, the
park became a popular attraction,
even before the date of its opening.
Also the opening credits of the 70's
children's show, Banana Splits,
feature the log ride and giant slide
(which you rode down in a burlap
sack).
Future outlook
Six Flags over Texas continues to add
new attractions and additions on a
competitive basis in order to increase
guest attendance. Some speculation
has led to the belief that the park will
have increasing difficulty with future
projects due to the park's location and
being literally "boxed-in" by local
roads and businesses surrounding the
park and lack of free land. Park
management continues to deny this,
as space is available not only within
the park (by removal of older rides or
in various other free areas) but also in
other locations, such as the park's
large parking lot (which was expanded
into to build the roller coaster Titan).
Park president Steve Calloway has
repeatedly expressed his desire at
various events to implement past
favorites of the park to bring back
some nostalgia. His goal was partially
completed with the reopening of the
long-defunct Casa Magnetica [4]
funhouse in 2004.
The earliest rollercoasters descended
from Russian winter sled rides held on
specially constructed hills of ice,
especially around St Petersburg. By
the late 1700s their popularity was
such that entrepreneurs elsewhere
began copying the idea, using
wheeled cars built on tracks. One such
company was 'Les Montagues Russes
a Belleville' which constructed and
operated a gravity track in Paris from
1812. The first loop track was probably
also built in Paris from an English
design in 1846, with a single-person
wheeled sled running through a
13-foot diameter loop. None of these
tracks were complete circuits.
The first roller coasters in the USA
were based on gravity switchback
trains developed in the 1880s. These
primitive coasters were run to provide
amusement by railroad companies on
weekends when ridership was lower.
The earliest complete circuit track
appeared in 1884, and in 1885 Phillip
Hinkle introduced the concept of the
"lift hill." By 1912, the first
underfriction coaster was developed
by John Miller, often called the
Thomas Edison of roller coasters.
Soon, roller coasters spread to
amusement parks all around the
United States and the rest of the world.
Perhaps the most well known historical
roller coaster, The Cyclone, was
opened at Coney Island in Brooklyn,
New York in 1927. Like The Cyclone,
all early roller coasters were made of
wood. Many old wooden roller
coasters are still operational, at parks
such as Kennywood near Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania and Blackpool Pleasure
Beach, England, UK.
The Great Depression marked the end
of the first golden age of roller
coasters. Theme parks in general went
into a decline that lasted until 1972,
when the Racer was built at Kings
Island in Mason, Ohio (near
Cincinnati). Designed by John Allen,
the instant success of the Racer began
a second golden age, which
continues through this writing (2003).
In 1959, the recently-opened
Disneyland theme park introduced a
new design breakthrough in roller
coasters with the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
This was the first roller coaster to use a
tubular steel track. Unlike
conventional wooden rails, tubular
steel can be bent in any direction,
which allows designers to incorporate
loops, corkscrews, and many other
manoeuvres into their designs. Most
modern roller coasters are made of
steel but wooden roller coasters are
still being built.
Top Thrill Dragster, the first complete
circuit coaster to break the 400-ft
barrierSome of the major variations in
contemporary roller coaster design
involve the modification of the car.
Some seat the passenger in a bodyless
frame, with the passenger's legs
dangling in the air and providing a
less obstructed view of the ground,
thus providing an extra scare to the
passengers. Another variation involves
cars that have the riders in a standing
position (though still heavily strapped
in). Finally, some rollercoasters spend
some or all of their travel time with the
passengers sitting in the opposite
direction to their travel, so they cannot
see what direction the coaster will
travel next.
In 1992, the first inverted track roller
coaster, Batman The Ride, opened at
Six Flags Great America in Gurnee,
Illinois. As of 2005, the roller coaster
holding the records for greatest speed
and height is Kingda Ka at Six Flags
Great Adventure with a top speed of
128 mph (193.2 km/h) and a 456 foot
(128.1 m) vertical hill. New roller
coaster designs and state of the art
technology push the physical limits on
what type of experiences can be had
on the newest coasters. For example,
coasters like the Incredible Hulk
Coaster feature launch lift hills to
create an unique experience.
