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Justin Surguine
Community Member
Six Flags Gems - The Other Side of the Coin
Though many people often like to criticize Six Flags parks and all that is within them, not every Six Flags park is that bad. Six Flags may enjoy its fair share of mistakes, but some of the parks truly stand out as model parks for the rest of the industry. These parks might not have a large collection of roller coasters, or even noteworthy coasters at that, but they set the standard for what the rest of the chain's parks ought to live up to. Having analyzed comments made by people who visit the parks, as well as my own personal experiences, I have decided that these "lucky seven" parks deserve some recognition.
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1. Six Flags Astroworld
Perhaps the most disliked park on this listing, Six Flags Astroworld has proven itself to really be a gem to Six Flags, Inc. The park was the first park bought after Six Flags stopped building their own parks. The park was at one time the Six Flags park to visit. It was the park that set trends that would revolutionize the amusement park industry as a whole. It introduced the river rapids. It also, believe it or not, brought games to the amusement park industry as a whole, as such games were previously viewed as rigged, moneymaking schemes.
Six Flags Astroworld was the first Six Flags park to have ten roller coasters. As time has gone by, the count has dropped to nine with the removal of the former Texas Tornado (now Zonga at Six Flags Marine World). The collection is not anything to boast about by today's standards, but with two Schwartzkopfs, a wild Intamin standup, and an excellent wooden coaster, among others, the park maintains a unique and diverse collection. Essentially, the coasters of Six Flags Astroworld serve as a reminder of what coastering used to be.
The park as a whole is one of the best-themed Six Flags parks out there. With various areas ranging from a Mexican plaza to an Oriental village, the park has many different areas that give off all kinds of different atmospheres. Not only that, but the park is also one of the cleanest. If you can find trash, you're looking into a trash can. The pathways are spotless, the foliage is green and not branded with Coca-Cola cups, and most of all, the rides look great. With the paint rotting away on some of the rides by the end of 2003, the park decided to repaint Ultra Twister, Batman-The Escape, and XLR-8, the only suspended coaster in the world to offer riders the choice of going forwards or backwards.
Six Flags Astroworld is arguably one of the more family-oriented parks in the Six Flags chain. Such is evidenced by the rather mild collection of coasters that are present at the park. Serial Thriller and Batman-The Escape might very well be intense, but that is about it. Greezed Lightnin' maintains a relatively mild launch. XLR-8 has about as much swing as a B&M inverted coaster. Viper is only a single-looping ride with g's that are not overly fierce. The Texas Cyclone has some noticeable laterals, some very sharp drops, and some nice headchoppers, but is not the most intense woodie out there.
Though the coasters might be more of the family sort, the flats tell a different tale. Indeed, the park is not the most ride-heavy Six Flags park out there. However, Dungeon Drop and Swat make sure you have the time of your life. Dungeon Drop is definitely one of the taller second-generation Intamin Free-Falls, the second generation being those similar to Paramount's Great America's Drop Zone or Kennywood's Pitfall. It stand 225 feet in height and is without a doubt one of the finest-themed rides Six Flags has ever produced. The line winds around the tower inside of a building themed like a medieval dungeon. The tower itself is painted in a stony-gray hue, and even has battlements at the top. The whole experience is even more enhanced by its location. It is located right up against Interstate 610, and regardless of which seat you choose, you have an excellent view. You either get to see the whole of the waterpark, the vast majority of the park as a whole, or views of the seemingly endless Houston skyline, which almost seems to go on forever. And as for Swat, well, it will give a facelift to any
rider who experiences the ride. It is my personal favorite flat ride.
2. Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Buried deep within the confines of large 100-foot limestone cliffs, Six Flags Fiesta Texas can easily take the honor of calling itself the most photogenic park in the Six Flags chain, though I am more inclined to call it the most photogenic park I've ever been too, period. Of course, the rides take full advantage of this. After all, how could Six Flags pass up such a great opportunity? Simple. They can't.
And they don't.
The rides fortunate enough to be located next to the cliffs just go one step further and go on top of the cliffs. The obvious ones are the parks two largest coasters, Superman Krypton Coaster and Rattler. Superman climbs up and way above the maximum altitude the cliffs reach, and though it is located in the back of the park, it is never difficult to see. It's first drop curls under the lift and gives one of the most out of control feelings of any drop, anywhere. It swoops down, reaching speeds around seventy miles per hour, and screams right up into a very large vertical loop. The next maneuver is just as incredible. The train pitches way up and then banks hard to the right, swooping just a foot or two above the ground at the top of the cliff. The turn gets tighter and tighter, until the ground drops multiple stories almost instantaneously, and it's back down you go, only to go right into a zero-g roll. The rest of the ride is just as amazing, making it a must-ride for any die-hard enthusiast.
Rattler is no less spectacular. Located in the back-right corner of the park, it might seem as though it has been pushed away from everything else, but when you get right up close to it, you'll see just why they put it where they did. It stands nearly twice as tall as the cliffs below and around it. The drop, though raised by a significant amount, is still fiercer than most other drops of its size. There is even a large drop right out of the station, which seems higher up in the air than the top of the lift of the nearby Road Runner Express. The swooping drop that follows the climb from the bottom of the first drop might look like your ordinary swooping drop, such as that on the Belmont Park Giant Dipper, but the drop on the Rattler seems to be as big as the entire Giant Dipper. Then there is the ferocious triple-level helix on top of the cliff next to the bottom of the first drop. It is incredibly rough and brutal, and it looks to have as big a radius as the helices on the Six Flags Darien Lake or Six Flags America Superman-Ride of Steel megacoasters, but it is far more intense. The rest of the ride continues to pound riders into submission, ending in a screeching halt on the brakes that has perhaps the most intense deceleration on any coaster in existence.
The rides are only part of what makes the park so special. The theming is even better. The midway at the front of the park has a definite Mexican theme to it. There are castle-like buildings present near the log flume. The Boomerang Coast to Coaster is right next to an awe-inspiring colonnade that surrounds a circular plaza. Then there is Rockville, an area that exudes a 1950s theming. There are streets, and the buildings surrounding them look like 50s diners and shops. The Scream! S&S Freefall tower is painted up in a colorful combination of colors, and the entrance looks like the entrance to a movie theater. There is a sign advertising the ride in Technicolor, and the sign looks just like a classic movie advertisement. The area by the Rattler has a wonderful western theme. And the park, as if it isn't big enough already, has a boardwalk-themed section at the far left, behind Scream!. It is yet another example of how Six Flags Fiesta Texas went all out, and the general public certainly took notice. The area still remains a high-traffic portion of the park, but then again, every area of the park seems to be that way now.
To say the least, the only fault one might be able to find with the park is the lack of coasters. The waterpark has its own special thematic touches, such as a Texas-shaped wave pool, and it also contains slides that are truly signs that Six Flags likes the park, such as a Proslide Tornado. And of course the lack of coasters is not the fault of the park itself. But then one must ask, does the park really need more coasters? Certainly having the #1 show selection in the world and hordes of other excellent attractions should do the park just fine, and I think we all can say they fulfill their objective.
3. Six Flags Great Adventure
New Jersey's hotspot is certainly the ride capital of the east coast, if not the world. It has twelve coasters, with number thirteen on the way. And those are just a small portion of the already massive collection of attractions, which range from kiddie rides to the thrillers we all know and love.
The park itself is but one third, however, of a full-fledged fun spot. For animal lovers, the park has the Wild Safari, a drive-through safari that has seen its fair share of trunk-riding monkeys and window-kissing llamas. And then there is the Hurricane Harbor, a pay-extra waterpark with what appears to be a nice waterpark located along the entrance drive.
First off, one must deal with the coasters. The park at one time held the record for the largest looping coaster, the Great American Scream Machine, who still intimidates anyone who sees it by being located right up against the parking lot. The massive superstructure of the ride is still one of the most amazing in the entire world because it is SO huge. And it has been joined by Superman Ultimate Flight, an excellent flying coaster that keeps people right up in the front of the park.
Though Batman-The Ride is small, the two rides to either side of it sure aren't. The first, Premier Rides' Batman and Robin-The Chiller, serves as a reminder of what Premier Rides can do when called upon to devise a crowd pleaser. Indeed, it suffers from reliability problems, but that will be dealt with in due time. The main-element section of the ride, complete with Batman's top hat and Robin's cobra roll, is a large tangle of track and supports. Following that is a 45-degree hill complete with barrel rolls. The incline itself stretches to 200 feet in height.
The second is even more spectacular. Currently the tallest coaster on the east coast, though not for long, Nitro is huge no matter how you look at it. Climbing to a height of 230 feet, it is one big piece of machinery. The ride is truly the finest B&M coaster I've ever been on, and I'm sure that a lot of other people who have been fortunate enough to ride it would say the same. It is fast, furious, and very intense. The upward helix is taken with some serious speed, and to compensate the speed lost while climbing, B&M tightened the radius the higher the helix goes.
However, one cannot forget the world's first floorless coaster, the bright green and purple Medusa. The ride is truly spectacular, and though it has been placed in a sort of out-of-the-way location, people always flock to it. And why shouldn't they? It is a great ride, and one of B&M's finest achievements. It is part of what is without a doubt the greatest B&M collection in the world.
As for the park itself, it is a very beautiful place. There are trees everywhere, so much so that one sometimes is unable to see the front of the park from the back, even though they are very close to each other in some spaces due to the ?-shape of the park. The Batman attractions are very well-themed, as is the park's mine train, located in an area similar to a fort. The Boardwalk section of the park, which contains the Great American Scream Machine and Superman Ultimate Flight, among other rides, is very well-themed, with tons of games similar to those one would find at a true Oceanside boardwalk. It does, however, incorporate two other themes within it, making it a truly diverse area of the park. It contains some sections themed around an air force base, and a whole plaza dedicated to the man of steel.
Six Flags Great Adventure is definitely the Six Flags to go to for hardcore thrills. With a coaster collection that is nothing short of spectacular, good pizza, and other great aspects, it is a place that ought to be on a must-visit list for any enthusiast. I highly recommend it, and you all should check it out. You won't be disappointed.
4. Six Flags Great America
This park has definitely been able to bill itself as the favorite park of Six Flags, and it has certainly worked hard to do that. It contains a coaster collection similar to that of Six Flags Great Adventure, and they both have had similar histories in the way of coasters. Both have held the title of having the tallest B&M coaster in the world. Both have had first-of-their-kinds. Both had Arrow megaloopers, though Great Adventure managed to hold on to theirs. And now both have Superman Ultimate Flight coasters. It is sometimes referred to as one of the "Great A" parks, a double entendre if there ever was one.
An interesting trait that pertained to Six Flags Great America was that it was the only one of the Six Flags "mega-parks" to not have a nearby or adjacent waterpark. While some might say Six Flags Over Georgia could say the same, it did in fact have a nearby waterpark at American Adventures, a small kiddie park owned by Six Flags and located in nearby Marietta. However, in 2005, the park will debut an adjacent Hurricane Harbor waterpark. Such will without a doubt add even more proof that it is one of, if not the, greatest Six Flags park in existence.
The park has definitely been spoiled rotten by Six Flags. It received many firsts and has done its fair share to deserve the investments it received. The park made sure guests got the ultimate experience, and the rides are just one example of the park doing so. However, the park instituted a night-time parade to send guests off even happier than they would be had they just had the fond memories of the day. They worked, and still work, hard to keep things going and keep them going strong. They have managed to hold on to rides that most parks just removed, such as an old Arrow looper and an old Schwartzkopf Speed Racer. And joining them now are four B&Ms, a spinning wild mouse, and various other coasters that offer the latest in modern thrills as well as letting guests experience the styles of ride-induced entertainment that have thrilled the generations before them.
Another factor that cements the park's position as a great is the employees. In a time when so many Six Flags parks take a lot of heat for horrible employees, no horror stories ever come out of a Six Flags Great America trip report. While there aren't exactly too many stories about employees that are the absolute most amazing people in the world, it is a fair judgment to count quiet guests as happy guests. People might not always acknowledge the good, but they definitely complain when bad things happen.
There aren't many complaints about Great America employees.
As time goes on, people can be sure to put their money on Six Flags Great America being a popular park among normal guests and enthusiasts alike. The park has proven its worth time and time again, so if anyone is considering a trip to Six Flags Great America, they can bet that the advice they get will be telling them to go. So if you want a nice Six Flags trip, you can't go wrong with Six Flags Great America.
5. Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia was one of the first Six Flags and it remains one of the best Six Flags parks in existence. It's regarded as having excellent scenery, nice atmosphere, and one of the most amazing coaster collections in the world. What makes it so amazing? It is world-renowned, and the tallest coaster is Déjà Vu at 196 feet, with Ninja behind it at only 122 feet. The park's coaster collection definitely serves as a thorn in the side of those trying to prove that bigger is better. It maintains some of the greats from all different eras of coaster evolution. It has two excellent woodies, which are practically classics even though they may not even be 15 years old. They have a very highly-rated Schwartzkopf looper from the late seventies. They have a Vekoma multilooper in the style of the 1980s. They have a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster and standup coaster, both of which were prevalent during the 1990s. And now they have a Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang and B&M flyer, both of which thrill riders in a way that only a 21st century coaster can do.
The park, along with its only older brother in the chain, Six Flags Over Texas, was often playing second fiddle to the upcoming giants bought by Six Flags in the first round of theme park-purchases. However, as Premier Parks, Inc. (now Six Flags, Inc.) moved in, Six Flags Over Georgia saw hordes of new rides and improvements, such as the first Superman-Ultimate Flight, pushing it into a whole new light.
In a time when Six Flags seems to be referred to as the low end on the totem pole within the theme park industry (at least in terms of quality), Six Flags Over Georgia seems to be above par with other parks in the chain. Let's hope "The Land of Screams and Dreams" keeps amusement park fans coming for many years.
6. Six Flags Over Texas
The first Six Flags park has become one of the greatest parks in the world.
Home to one of the most diverse, and incredible, coaster collections in the world, Six Flags Over Texas is a must-visit for any enthusiast.
Opened in 1961, the park can claim that it had a significant influence on the evolution of theme parks. Many people said the park wouldn't last but a few years. It's obvious that they have been proven incorrect. With twelve coasters, numerous other rides, and little in the way of extra space, the park has made a name for itself. People who have ridden coasters the world over still hold this park in very high regard.
The park's coasters are well above par well-suited to the state in which they are located. The statement, "Everything's bigger in Texas" holds quite true to the coasters at the park, not to mention some of the other thrill rides. The most obvious example is the mighty 245-foot Titan, one of the absolute best coasters in existence (it is the author's favorite Six Flags coaster). It is one of the first in a parade of coasters that stands along the highway coming from Fort Worth. Its entire structure stands out for all to see as they pull into the parking lot. It is a near-clone of the notable Goliath at sister-park Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, though Titan's lift stands ten feet higher and there is an extra spine-crushing helix thrown in for good measure. The added helix brings the total length to over a mile, and that is one of the fiercest miles in existence.
Next up in the coaster parade is the enormous Texas Giant. The best description of the ride would be an earthquake manifested in the form of a giant wooden mountain. The ride shakes, rattles, and rolls like few other rides. It dives over, under, and through itself numerous times, and it is truly amazing.
Other noteworthy coasters are Batman-The Ride, Mr. Freeze, and Shock Wave. Batman is just as intense as any of them, and though the design is now in its teens, it still remains one of the most intense coasters in existence. Mr. Freeze is an incredible shuttle coaster that races at speeds up to seventy miles-per-hour. It contains a very large top hat, an overbanked turn, and a large vertical spike. Shock Wave is world renowned for its very intense back-to-back vertical loops which has made more than one rider talk about having a near-blackout.
As for non-coaster rides, the park has some of the tried and true favorites as well as some outrageous scream machines. Perhaps the most noticeable is the mighty 300-foot tall Superman-Tower of Power. Located in the back of the park across from the skycoaster, the ride offers excellent views in every single seat. The ride just seems to go up, up, up. A triple-tower S&S complex, the ride is definitely a candidate for best freefall ride. Located nearby is another park landmark, the massive Oil Derrick observation tower. Perhaps the first sign of the park, guests can see Dallas, Fort Worth, or any place in the park from high up in the air.
Though the park is a theme park, it has a much more laid-back atmosphere than most of the other parks in the chain. There is still a large amount of trees and vegetation, not a bunch of open pathways surrounded by rides and buildings. If there is one fault, the park has a very confusing layout. Also, guests might have to walk halfway around the park to get to a ride that's right next to them. Beyond that, Six Flags Over Texas is a phenomenal place that any person should feel privileged to visit.
7. Six Flags St. Louis
Perhaps a "forgotten" park, Six Flags St. Louis has been around since the very first Six Flags parks came into existence. The last park to actually be built by Six Flags, the former Six Flags Over Mid-America has seen its share of hard times. Having been able to bill itself as the lowest-attended park in the chain on several occasions, Six Flags St. Louis has fought its way through those troubles and made itself a status symbol for Six Flags. Much like the other two original parks, Six Flags St. Louis is a very laid-back amusement center that manages to keep attracting new people.
The park contains a modest coaster collection which does not include two digits worth of roller coasters like most of the other parks on this list. However, the notion of quality over quantity has proven itself in this hillside amusement center. Home to two very highly-rated wooden coasters, the massive Boss terrain coaster and the classic out-and-back John Allen Screamin' Eagle, located along the side of the hill. As for the adult steelies, the park contains the Ninja, a Vekoma looper with Arrow-built trains; Batman-The Ride, the first incarnation of the original inverted coaster at one of the original three Six Flags parks, as well as the first mirror image at a Six Flags park; Mr. Freeze, a mirror image of the super-shuttle at Six Flags Over Texas; and the River King Mine Ride, another family favorite.
The park also has a modest assortment of flat rides, and it contains a free waterpark. However, what makes the park such a gem is the atmosphere. Located in a forested area, the park maintains excellent scenery. It can boast of having a nice location as well. One can easily argue that this is perhaps the most laid-back park in the entire chain. One thing is for sure: the park will make a great fun-spot for people for a very long time.
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Now, there is one park not on this list that many will consider deserving of a spot. The park, located in Valencia, California, is Six Flags Magic Mountain. The park does deserve an honorable mention, and thus shall receive that recognition, but the author, based on reviews and various publicized experiences, does not feel the park is quite on par with the rest of the parks on the list.
Some characteristics that the park should be proud of: it has a massive collection of rides and coasters, some of which are world-renowned. The coasters here are definitely above par with many other coasters in the world. X is extremely unique, and unlike many unique rides, this one never fails to become a favorite. It can certainly be billed as a tourist trap, as people continue to pour in from all over the world to Xperience it. Goliath went for some variety in the hypercoaster market and forces riders into submission with its fierce positive g-forces. Oh, and it is also considered a five-star coaster by those blessed enough to experience it. Superman-The Escape is a freefall monster bar none, with an incredible six seconds of weightlessness. Viper was the last of the great Arrow megaloopers, and retains much of its popularity amongst today's guests, some of whom even consider to be the best ride in the park. The Revolution, formerly the Great American Revolution, is still as fun today as it was when it opened as the first successful coaster to feature a vertical loop. As for B&M, well, they certainly made their mark with the enormous Riddler's Revenge, the largest stand-up coaster in existence. There are many other notable coasters, but those are the unique rides that truly stand out (Batman-The Ride and Déjà Vu are also well-loved, but they aren't unique).
Another great feature is the scenery. The author remains baffled at how much vegetation there is in what looks to be the desert from some angles, but the park pulled it off, and it looks great.
Now for the reasons that Six Flags Magic Mountain did not make it onto the list. First of all, the park's rides suffer from way too much down-time. A park that goes over a year without having one full day with all sixteen of its coasters operating certainly needs to be placed under the microscope. There are ways to keep them all going. Be it sound-proofing, thorough inspections, or whatever, there should not be so many closures. As for rides which are left in for no apparent reason, well, they should be removed. The Sky Tower and Metro have been dormant for so long it's becoming a belief that they are left in for scenery.
Another problem is the diminished capacity. One train operation is a rare occurrence, not standard operating procedure. If there is a problem, fix it, but hour-long waits on "slow" days should not be. Overhaul the trains or the ride itself, but don't make the guests suffer.
Lastly, guest service has certainly been mentioned as poor on numerous occasions. While no park is perfect, and there is bound to be a bad apple, this park has been mentioned as an orchard at times. None of the other parks on this list have been mentioned as having horrible employees, or if they have, they are noted as improving. Six Flags Magic Mountain, in numerous areas, is known as falling apart.
I will conclude on a personal note. I will rarely do this, but I feel that it is justified in this article. This list was compiled on my personal experiences, as well as my own opinions based on other people's reviews. I know that many will disagree with the seven I have chosen. As such, I will briefly explain where the opinions came from for each park. Six Flags Astroworld, Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and Six Flags Over Texas were solely chosen from my personal experiences. Six Flags Great Adventure was partly chosen from my personal experience there as well as other people's opinions. The rest were chosen due to good reviews from other people. As for Six Flags Magic Mountain, the basic reason it did not make it was this: putting it on the list would be saying that some great coasters are all a park needs to get on the list, and only if a park does not have numerous great coasters do the other criteria play in.
As for the thanks, I would like to thank Ryan Sickles, CoasterAddict, and DKSoCal for answering my request for reviews. I appreciate the reviews. Yours were not the only reviews used to form the list, but you were the ones who answered when I went on the offensive and asked. Again, thank you.
- Justin
Justin Surguine is a member of the RCPro Community. He can be reached with questions, comments, or just telling him how much he sucks via the RCPro Community under the screen name 'sirloin'. RCPro, it's staff, and affiliates are not responsible for the comments made in any user submitted article. RCPro does not necessarily support or endorse the views and comments made by the user.
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