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Coaster Con XL Hangover (Part IV) – Six Flags Over Texas

Alexander: A week after Coaster Con XL concluded, I was still craving some Texas thrills!

I didn’t have time to visit Texas’s cardinal theme park on my con visit, but shortly after going back to work I decided to make some time and run down to Dallas for a visit!

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This being my first visit to this particular Six Flags park, I had TWELVE new credits to take down! There’s 13 coasters here, but Wile E. Coyote’s Grand Canyon Blaster required kids to get started.

ONE DOZEN SIX FLAGS CREDITS COMIN’ UP!

 

It’s a little steamy today!

FINALLY! This is one of the last Six Flags parks that I’ve not visited (the other two are Six Flags America and La Ronde. I’m sort of procrastinating with those).

CREDIT #1: New Texas Giant!

The original RMC Iron Horse conversion! Since it’s the first, I think they played it a little safe. It’s not quite as out-of-control as the later I-Box projects, but it certainly laid a firm foundation for the concept. Good ride!

There’s a vintage Old Mill-style dark ride here (like Monster Mansion at Six Flags Over Georgia) themed to Bugs and Daffy’s run-in with Yosemite Sam. I recall Six Flags St. Louis having a similar ride too, but it’s since been replaced by Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.

CREDIT#2: Shockwave!

This is the primary reason I’m here.

As expected, Shockwave is the stand-out attraction here for me. Like it’s fraternal twin, Six Flags Over Georgia’s Mindbender, Shockwave is Schwarzkopf at its best. Great forces, great airtime, and butter smooth.

BIGGEST SURPRISES OF THE TRIP! The Runaway Mine Train and Mini Mine Train are truly wonderful rides. I can’t believe the amount of detail on Runaway!

And Mini is just so cute! Only 4 of these were ever built; with the same track gauge as the full-sized mine trains (and therefore a similar cost), it’s no surprise why the concept wasn’t too popular. Still a neat ride though!

After two rides on Shockwave and New Texas Giant and a ride each on both mine trains and Titan (not pictured because it’s not that great. Just like its twin at Magic Mountain).

HOWEVER! Titan does make a cameo appearance in these views from my hotel room! I decided to have a mid-day intermission. Nothing beats a halftime shower when its 100º out!

The pickup/dropoff for Six Flags Over Texas provides great views of rides across the lake. Judge Roy Scream is remarkable in the sense that it is 100% outside of the park’s gated perimeter and accessible only via a tunnel beneath the access road.

This park really is nice. There’s a quaint, cozy-ness to it. Instead of an entry midway, the threshold of Six Flags Over Texas is simply a courtyard that splits left or right at the carousel.

CREDIT #6! It’s Six Flags Over Texas’s oddest coaster, La Vibora. 

Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Sarajevo Bobsleds lives on in the heart of the lone star state! In addition to being one of the only Intamin Swiss Bobs ever built, La Vibora is the only one left with the original in-line bobsleds (all other models introduced 2-across bobs at some point). The ride beats you up a little, but it’s a NEAT ride! Rode twice and was bruised like a peach after; no regrets!

GOOD NEWS: The ORIGINAL log flume is here!

BAD NEWS: The 1963 “Arrow Flume #1” only runs on the busiest days. It’s a quiet day today, so the second flume (1968) is the only one open today.

El Asseradero has two flumes, two entrances (the old, separated stone arch entrances (now blocked off) and the current entrance that serves both flumes), and THREE EXITS (one for Flume #1, and two for Flume #2; one for normal access and one for ADA access and FastLane)

In addition to being the ADA accessible flume, Flume #2 is also the on-ride photo flume. For these and other reasons, Flume #2 is the one that is always open. Apparently it’s also the better of the two (according to locals).

Six Flags Over Texas has a no single-rider policy for the flume. However, rather than deny single riders access, single riders get to ride with a ride operator! How cute is that?

CREDIT #7: Six Flags Over Texas’s other oddball, Runaway Mountain. It’s a Premier Rides clone of a basic S.D.C. Windstorm coaster, located inside of a large steel box. Fun, if a bit of a headscratcher, and the air conditioned queue alone is enough to make the ride a worthwhile experience.

The Six Flags park I’ve most frequented is Six Flags Over Georgia. As the first two Six Flags parks, Over Texas and Over Georgia have a lot of inherent similarities. However, Six Flags Over Texas has made much greater strides in the area of maintaining the park’s six original areas.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Texas’s tiny France area, which is really just a walk-thru fortress. The area exists as a testament to the integrity of this park; while other parks might have bulldozed the entire area for a new ride, Six Flags Over Texas has made it into a time capsule. Here guests can reflect on the theme park that started off America’s most impressive and notable entertainment dynasties.

The Spain, Mexico, Texas, areas all have a handful of attractions that tie in nicely with the prescribed theme. France and the conjoined Old South area (formerly The Confederate States of America area) feature just one attraction (Runaway Mountain), but still maintain a cohesive atmosphere. The sixth flag, U.S.A., is sort of a mish-mash (Justice League, Pandemonium, the park’s largest eatery, and more), but then so is the U.S. in general. Overall, I’d say the original six flags have a lot going for them.

Other areas include the Tower Section (featuring the Oil Derrick and Shockwave), Boomtown (home to the mine trains, most notably), and Gotham City (formerly Good Times Alley). Many D.C. Comics characters call Gotham City, and other places throughout Over Texas, home. Aquaman lives in U.S.A., but is taking the day off. Later we’ll visit Superman in Boomtown.

Not everyone who lives in Gotham City is a D.C. Comics character, however; the 400ft Texas Sky Screamer resides on the edge of Gotham City, as does Judge Roy Scream, sort of.

Six Flags Over Texas arguably has the strongest line-up of D.C. comics-themed attractions, including credits #10 and #11 of the day: Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast and Batman: The Ride.

Ironically, the the station for Mr. Freeze is about as hot as the seventh gate of hell.

Six Flags Over Texas was the last of the legacy Six Flags parks to receive a Batman clone, but it was the first in what would become a popular trend of painting the Batman coasters bright colors.

Who’s that causing trouble in the background??

It’s Gotham’s 4th roller coaster, and our 12th and final new credit of the day, Joker! Standard S&S Free Spin stuff, but a good ride nonetheless.

Texas Gotham City also has a very well-rounded collection of flat rides.

Time for more mine train rides!

Notice how I’m riding by myself in the front seat of Mini Mine Train. The kid behind me is like “who is this fool.”

While New Texas Giant  stands as probably the mildest of its class, Runaway Mine Train proves that sometimes the first fleshing-out of a radical new concept can lead to some of the best results. I’d be lying if I said that the Arrow Mine Train concept didn’t arguably peak with its first installation here at Six Flags Over Texas. Unlike many follow-up installations, THIS ONE ACTUALLY HAS MINES! And an underwater tunnel! And a saloon!

Can you spot Superman? He’s in the trees somewhere.

Given the heat of the day, Roaring Rapids provided some welcome refreshment. Like all of the original Six Flags Intamin Rapids Rides, Roaring Rapids is wide and clunky, and sort of just meanders its way haphazardly. Still very fun, however. :}

The most ridden ride of the day was, of course, the flawless Shockwave.

It is just so perfect to me.

And it photographs well, too!

Alright! Let’s take a ride up on SFOT’s original icon: the Oil Derrick.

There’s lots to see up here!

Superman is front and center of the Derrick. 

SHOCK WAVE <3

Spain and Mexico.

Texas!

Definitely a New Texas Giant fan. For better or for worse, it’s the most re-rideable of the RMC I-Box coasters I’ve ridden.

Look! There’s my hotel! And Judge Roy Scream!

Pretty nice setting for a park, eh?

There’s a nice big plot between Joker and Batman; lots of opportunity for Gotham expansion!

No, I didn’t ride Texas Sky Screamer.  The one at Six Flags New England was enough.

A few more rides on Giant to finish out the day.

These trains really are beautiful. RMC has done a great job with their rolling stock, but Gerstlauer really performed as well.

(just pretend the power lines aren’t there)

Last ride of the day is another round on El Asserado. Seen here is the drop of Flume #1, which always runs water even when the flume is closed (for curb appeal purposes).

Thank you Six Flags Over Texas for such a great #SixFlags day!

This is definitely one of my favorite Six Flags parks now.

So long, pard’ner!

My need for Texas thrills has been adequately satisfied (for now), and so ends our  central Texas adventures.

Join us next time for something a little different; a beautiful but tiny amusement park virtually unknown to folks outside of the New Orleans metro area: Carousel Gardens, home to (currently) the city’s only roller coaster!

See you soon! :}

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