Colossus

Gateway to Thrills

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Six Flags St. Louis

Following the immediate success of Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Over Georgia, plans were soon underway for a third Six Flags park. Located just outside the city of St. Louis, Six Flags Over Mid-America opened its gates in 1971 in the heart of the United States. At the time, the park featured six distinct themed areas, reflecting the original Six Flags concept of celebrating the historical influences that shaped the region.

The park changed considerably during the 1990s after Time Warner acquired the Six Flags chain. Alongside various improvements, many of DC Comics’ iconic superheroes found their way into the park, giving several attractions the comic book themes they still carry today.

Today, Six Flags St. Louis combines classic wooden coasters, family attractions and several outstanding thrill rides into one of the most balanced lineups in the Six Flags chain. While it is often overshadowed by larger Six Flags parks, I quickly discovered that this underrated park has far more to offer than its reputation might suggest.

With the park’s history in mind, it’s finally time to head through the front gates. Turning right after entering Six Flags St. Louis, we make our way towards the park’s first major roller coaster.

Batman The Ride

One of the first roller coasters you’ll encounter after entering Six Flags St. Louis is Batman The Ride, located just to the right of the park entrance. While Batman has become one of the signature attractions across the Six Flags chain, the St. Louis installation is a little different. Built to fit the available space, it became the first Batman coaster to feature a mirrored layout, making it a unique variation of Bolliger & Mabillard’s (B&M) famous inverted coaster.

After climbing the lift hill, the train pauses briefly before a small pre-drop signals what’s to come. Moments later, riders are thrown into a relentless sequence of inversions beginning with a steep twisting drop into the first vertical loop. A Zero-G Roll follows almost immediately before another loop piles on the positive G-forces. The intensity barely lets up as the train races through a rising helix before diving back toward the ground for two rapid-fire corkscrews. The compact layout leaves almost no room to recover before the train finally reaches the brake run.

More than three decades after its debut, Batman The Ride remains one of the finest inverted roller coasters ever built. Its compact layout delivers remarkable intensity, outstanding pacing and the smooth ride quality that made B&M famous. Even today, it easily ranks among the highlights of Six Flags St. Louis.

Ninja

Opposite the Empire Theater stands Ninja, one of the more unusual roller coasters at Six Flags St. Louis. Its history is arguably more interesting than the ride itself. Originally designed by Arrow HUSS for Expo 86 in Vancouver, the project was completed by Vekoma after Arrow HUSS ran into financial difficulties. Following a successful appearance at the world’s fair, the coaster was relocated to Six Flags Over Mid-America in 1989.

The ride begins with a gentle dip out of the station before climbing the lift hill. After the main drop, the train dives through a vertical loop and a Sidewinder before passing beneath the returning lift chain in a convincing head-chopper moment. A mid-course brake divides the ride, with the second half featuring two corkscrews, a low-to-the-ground helix and a final run into the brakes.

Ninja has a rather odd layout and never develops the flow or intensity of the park’s stronger coasters. Still, it isn’t particularly rough and serves as a solid introduction for anyone experiencing inversions for the first time.

River King Mine Train

Passing the Tsunami Soaker and Spinsanity, the path leads deeper into the park where the River King Mine Train awaits. Built during the mine train boom of the early 1970s, this attraction was originally even more ambitious than it appears today. It featured two parallel tracks, doubling capacity while allowing both trains to race through the layout simultaneously. Today, only one track remains, with the second having found new homes at Dollywood and later Magic Springs. The coaster also briefly made history in 1984 when one side was converted to stand-up trains—an experiment that lasted only a single season following a fatal accident.

The adventure begins with a small dip out of the station before the first of three lift hills carries the train uphill. The initial descent winds through a series of twisting turns and gentle hills before entering a sweeping left-hand helix. After the second lift, the ride becomes noticeably more scenic, weaving through broad curves while gradually climbing toward its final lift hill. The finale is the highlight: after several tight bends, the train dives into a dark tunnel where the largest drop of the ride is hidden from view before emerging directly into the brakes.

While the thrills are modest by today’s standards, the River King Mine Train perfectly captures the charm of classic family coasters. It’s an enjoyable ride with plenty of character and remains one of the park’s most important historic attractions.

Boomerang

Passing Sky Screamer and Fireball, we make our way towards Boomerang. Originally operating at Six Flags Over Texas, the coaster was relocated to Six Flags St. Louis in 2013 and adapted to the park’s hillside terrain. The wide pathway running directly beneath its signature Cobra Roll makes it one of the park’s most striking attractions and a great coaster to watch from the ground.

As with every Vekoma Boomerang, riders are pulled backwards up the first spike before completing the familiar course through a Cobra Roll and vertical loop, only to repeat the entire layout in reverse.

The experience is exactly what you would expect: compact, intense and surprisingly smooth. While the layout is identical to every other Boomerang, the hillside setting gives this installation a little more personality than most.

Catwoman Whip

Towering high above the surrounding pathways, Catwoman Whip is arguably the most intimidating flat ride in Six Flags St. Louis. Manufactured by Funtime, this Booster ride launches riders to a height of 164 feet (50 m) while reaching speeds of 52 mph (85 km/h). Its constantly rotating arm creates an exhilarating combination of speed, airtime and inversions that can be seen from almost anywhere in the park.

What surprised me most was how long the ride actually lasts. Rather than ending after only a few swings, Catwoman Whip continues through multiple rotations in both directions, making it one of the park’s best flat rides.

The only real drawback is capacity. With room for just sixteen riders per cycle, queues can build up quickly. If you happen to pass by when the line is short, don’t hesitate—it is easily one of the best flat rides in the park

Screamin‘ Eagle

Located at the upper end of the park, Screamin’ Eagle is one of Six Flags St. Louis’ true classics. Its out-and-back layout is largely hidden by the surrounding forest, making it difficult to appreciate the coaster’s size from the midway.

After a long straight section out of the station, the train climbs the 110 ft (34 m) lift hill before a small dip leads into the turnaround and the first major drop. From there, the coaster races through a seemingly endless series of camelbacks and gentle turns, diving deeper into the woods before returning for one final burst of airtime on the way back to the station.

Screamin’ Eagle is a great example of a classic wooden coaster. Although the ride can be relentless and noticeably rough in places, its speed and natural setting create a wild experience that still holds up remarkably well decades after opening.

Pandemonium

Three years after Gerstlauer introduced its Spinning Coaster to the American market, Six Flags installed an extended version of the layout at several parks. One of them opened here as Tony Hawk’s Big Spin before eventually being renamed Pandemonium. The compact layout makes excellent use of the park’s hilly terrain.

After the lift hill, the first twisting drop quickly sets the cars spinning before a series of tight turns, helices and small drops keep the rotation going throughout the ride. Thanks to the freely rotating cars, every ride feels slightly different.

Pandemonium is simply a lot of fun. The combination of spinning, quick directional changes and a compact layout makes it one of the park’s most enjoyable family thrill rides.

The Boss

Six Flags St. Louis is home to one of the most ambitious wooden roller coasters ever built. The large-scale ride by Custom Coasters International (CCI) makes excellent use of the park’s hillside location. However, that also comes with the downside of an infamously long queue line leading up to the station—although it is still nowhere near as exhausting as the seemingly endless queue line at Energylandia.

After leaving the station, the train immediately begins its climb to a height of 122 ft (37 m). At the top, there is just enough time to enjoy the view across the park and over to Screamin’ Eagle before plunging into the woods. After the first drop, the coaster races along a long straight section before directly approaching the wooden structure of one of the ride’s massive turnarounds. At full speed, the train dives into the structure before dropping into the ride’s lowest valley, reaching a point 150 ft (45 m) below the top of the lift hill. In a long, sweeping left-hand turn close to the ground, the train approaches the first turnaround. At lofty heights, the train turns to the right before diving back into the woods, offering excellent views across the park. Here, the ride follows the natural terrain before climbing a long ramp towards the second turnaround.

After passing the block brake, the coaster immediately enters another large drop before sweeping through the third turnaround, this time featuring a pronounced dip. Maintaining its relentless pace, the train races beneath the lift hill before climbing the hill behind the station. Originally, the ride was meant to finish with a large helix. Today, however, a fast, low-to-the-ground turn followed by two notoriously violent hills forms the finale. Especially towards the front of the train, this section delivers a complimentary chiropractic treatment at no additional cost. Thankfully, that’s only the final few seconds of an otherwise fantastic coaster.

What a ride. From the first drop to the final brakes, The Boss never lets up. The finale may be rough, but the incredible pacing, excellent use of the natural terrain and sheer scale of the coaster easily make it one of the standout attractions at Six Flags St. Louis.

Rookie Racer

Directly below The Boss, you’ll find the thrill rides The Joker (which was unfortunately still under construction during my visit) and Supergirl Sky Flyer, as well as the family coaster Rookie Racer. Built by Vekoma, the coaster features a fun first drop followed by a series of gentle turns that repeatedly weave through the compact layout.

While clearly aimed at families, Rookie Racer is a smooth and enjoyable coaster that offers plenty of fun for younger riders and anyone looking for a more relaxed experience between the park’s larger attractions.

Thunder River

One of the most entertaining attractions at Six Flags St. Louis is Thunder River, the park’s Intamin rapids ride. Packed with raging rapids, turbulent currents and plenty of opportunities to get soaked, this classic river rapids ride delivers exactly what you would expect.

By the end of our ride, there was nearly 8 in (20 cm) of water sloshing around in the raft. Fortunately, I was the only one wearing sandals, so I simply left my feet in the water for the entire ride. Everyone else, however, spent the journey trying to keep their shoes dry—with little success.

If you’re looking to cool off on a hot Missouri afternoon, Thunder River is one of the park’s most refreshing attractions—and don’t expect to stay dry.

Colossus and Tommy G. Robertson Railroad

Two of the park’s more relaxing attractions are the giant observation wheel Colossus and the Tommy G. Robertson Railroad. Colossus offers excellent panoramic views across Six Flags St. Louis, making it one of the best places to appreciate the park’s unique hillside setting.

The Tommy G. Robertson Railroad circles the entire park, providing great views of many of the park’s signature attractions along the way. With stations at both ends of the park, it also serves as a convenient way to get around without tackling the park’s many hills on foot.

Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast

Located on an island within the park’s Thunder River rapids ride, Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast is one of Six Flags St. Louis’ signature attractions. Although an identical coaster can also be found at Six Flags Over Texas, the St. Louis installation was the first to open.

Originally, the trains launched riders facing forward. During its first few years of operation, the coaster also featured over-the-shoulder restraints before all Premier Rides installations across the Six Flags chain were converted to lap bars in 2002. The most significant change came in 2012, when the trains were rotated to launch riders backwards—a modification that completely transformed the ride experience.

Being launched backwards is an incredible sensation. With nothing but a lap bar holding you in place, the rapid acceleration pushes you hard into the restraint before the train races up the inside Top Hat. Hanging upside down for a brief moment before diving back towards the ground is unlike anything else in the park. At full speed, the train charges through the towering overbanked turn before climbing the vertical spike, where riders experience a fantastic moment of weightlessness while facing straight towards the ground. Moments later, the train races back through the course before gradually coming to a stop on the launch track.

Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast is a heck of a ride. The ride is extremely intense and packed with memorable moments. The inside Top Hat is simply amazing, while the vertical spike at the end of the ride delivers an incredible sensation as you face straight towards the ground. It remains one of the most intense roller coasters I have ever ridden.

Log Flume

Passing the interactive dark ride Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and the park’s Shazam Scrambler, we make our way back towards the front of the park, where the classic Log Flume awaits.

Built by Arrow, the attraction is one of the earliest log flumes ever constructed. While it lacks the elaborate theming and large drops found on more modern installations, it more than makes up for it with its excellent pacing. The surprisingly fast layout, numerous whitewater sections and perfectly timed splashdowns make for a thoroughly enjoyable ride that leaves most riders moderately soaked.

The Log Flume is a fantastic classic and one of the best examples of why simple attractions can still be incredibly fun. Sometimes, you don’t need the biggest drop to create a great water ride.

American Thunder

Originally opening as Evel Knievel, American Thunder is Six Flags St. Louis’ wooden coaster built by Great Coasters International (GCI). While considerably smaller than The Boss, it packs an impressive amount of action into its compact layout.

After leaving the station in a right-hand turn, the train climbs the lift hill before plunging down a steep, twisting first drop. A large turnaround featuring a distinctive dip quickly follows, leading into a relentless series of low-to-the-ground camelbacks. Another turnaround changes direction before the coaster races over hill and dale with increasing speed. A final left-hand turn then guides the train into the brakes, bringing this action-packed ride to an end.

American Thunder is probably the most fun of the park’s three wooden coasters. The pacing is outstanding, the layout flows effortlessly from one element to the next, and it’s the kind of coaster you’ll happily ride again and again.

Pictures Six Flags St. Louis

Conclusion Six Flags St. Louis

Six Flags St. Louis is a wonderful park that deserves far more attention than it usually receives. Its beautiful hillside setting, diverse collection of roller coasters and relaxed atmosphere make it one of the most underrated parks in the Six Flags chain. While it may not feature the record-breaking attractions of some of its larger sister parks, it more than makes up for it with a well-rounded lineup that offers something for every type of coaster enthusiast.

What impressed me most was how consistently good the park is. Beyond its headline attractions, Six Flags St. Louis offers a remarkably well-rounded collection of rides where nearly every major attraction is worth experiencing. By the end of the day, I found myself enjoying the park far more than I had expected before my visit.

I highly recommend a visit to Six Flags St. Louis. It may not be the biggest or most famous Six Flags park, but its unique character, beautiful setting and outstanding collection of rides make it one of the chain’s hidden gems.

 

What is your opinion about the amusement park Six Flags St. Louis?  Just write it in the comment field below the report!

Click here to get to the next report of The Great Mid-Western Road Trip.

Click here to get to the overview page of Six Flags St. Louis.

Mid America Adventure / The great Mid-Western Road Trip Day 2

The Thrill Capital of the World

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Six Flags Magic Mountain

Full Throttle

On the second day of my visit, I wanted to make sure I started my day on Full Throttle as it is one of the most popular rides during the day due to its location. The ride starts with a powerful launch out of the station and into the world’s biggest loop. This gives a nice sense of hangtime before we hit the ground again and make our way to the top of the mountain. Here we swing straight into a nice dive loop before entering a tunnel and coming to a stop. Seconds pass before we are launched again, but this time backwards. After almost reaching the top of the second inversion, we change direction again. This time we accelerate to top speed before turning and heading over the top of the loop. Enjoying the views, we soon hit the brakes on the descent and come to a halt shortly afterwards.

Full Throttle is a very fun coaster. I did not expect anything from this ride and was pleasantly surprised. The launch is powerful, the inversions are great and even the middle section where you go backwards is awesome. Unfortunately it is a short ride.

Canyon Blaster, Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers and Magic Flyer

Interestingly, all the children’s roller coasters are located in the same corner of the park. Unfortunately, the largest of the three roller coasters, Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers, was not in operation during my visit and the two smaller roller coasters, Canyon Blaster and Magic Flyer, were not allowed to be ridden unless accompanied by a child.

Buccaneer and Swashbuckler

Directly opposite the large entrance plaza of Goliath is the entrance to the two flat rides Buccaneer and Swashbuckler. While Buccaneer is a beautiful swing boat from Intamin, Swashbuckler is a classic American swing ride.

Goliath

Leaving the station, the train makes a right turn and then we hit the lift hill of the ride. Having reached a height of 235ft, the train begins its long and amazing descent into a tunnel that leads to a total height difference of 255ft. At a speed of 85mph the train heads upwards into an impressive looking overbank turn. After the turn the train heads down another drop followed by a fantastic airtime hill. A long climb then leads into the mid-course brake run and we were slowed down to almost a standstill.

The train continues at a slow pace before finally picking up speed in a hard left turn. In one fluid motion, the train changes direction and we plummet towards the ground. This is followed by a powerful and crazy 585° helix. Then the track turns upwards and banks to the left. After another powerful descent, the train makes an upward right turn that leads us into the final brake run of the ride.

What a ride! Goliath is a beast of a coaster. It is powerful, fast and perfectly paced. I cannot even describe how much I adore this coaster as it has jumped straight into my top 20 favourite coasters. It’s one of the best hyper coasters I’ve ever ridden. Man, I love this ride.

Lex Luthor Drop of Doom

The supporting structure of the Superman: Escape from Krypton rollercoaster houses the two tracks of the Lex Luthor Drop of Doom: one of the world’s tallest freefall towers.  

Having left the heavily themed queue behind us, we soon take our seats in the gondola. After checking our safety harnesses, we are soon on our way to the top of the tower. At a height of 400 ft we have a wonderful view over the park and the surrounding area before the drop begins. The hook releases the gondola and we plummet to the ground at a top speed of 85 mph before we reach the brakes and the breathtaking ride comes to an end.

Twisted Colossus

Colossus was the park’s big wooden roller coaster and made it one of the most famous theme parks in the world. In the 2010s, more and more wooden roller coasters were converted into hybrid roller coasters, including Colossus. Instead of two tracks, Twisted Colossus now consists of just one, meaning you can experience the layout twice in a row. The highlight: with the right timing, you can experience a merciless racing coaster.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luck and so our train travelled alone over the lift hill after a hilly section. After a slightly twisty first drop, it goes through a long valley and over a speed bump close to the ground before going up a hill and into a turning curve with a high-five element.  After another drop, the blue track goes over another speed bump and into a camelback, while the green track races over a double-down and a zero-G roll directly over the blue track. Now the blue track also goes into a roll, while the green track races over a hill. After a double-up, the two tracks separate and while the blue track now becomes the green track, the green track approaches the final braking section and then the station.

Twisted Colossus is a pretty cool coaster, but without the racing feature, it’s a very linear coaster with no big surprises. And that’s just not what you’re used to from an RMC. It’s a shame, because of all the RMCs I’ve ridden, Twisted Colossus is the weakest ride in my opinion.

Scream!

The Scream! roller coaster is probably the least appreciated investment in the theme park due to its location above a car park.

But the rollercoaster has it all. Once you have climbed the lift hill of the rollercoaster, you immediately plunge into the depths. With a lot of pressure, it goes through the valley and immediately afterwards into the large loop of the roller coaster. A climb to the left turns out to be a dive loop and immediately pulls us into the depths. With plenty of momentum, we then go through a zero-G roll and immediately afterwards into the rollercoaster’s cobra roll. A climb then leads us into a block brake, where we can only catch our breath briefly. We immediately descend in a steep curve. We then enter an intense helix just above the ground. After a change of direction, we enter the Interlocking Corkscrews. A short left-hand bend then leads us into the final incline of the ride, after which we reach the roller coaster’s braking section.

What a ride! The Scream! floorless coaster is an absolute fun machine with a breathtaking layout and a total of seven inversions. I loved getting on here again and again.

Batman The Ride

Just two years after the opening of the first Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, the Dark Knight found his place at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1994.

After climbing the lift hill, passengers can expect a pre-drop before the train finally plunges down the first drop in a steep curve. On the descent, passengers can experience high G-forces before entering the first loop. The second inversion, a zero-G roll, follows in no time at all. Then another loop is taken. The blood pressure in your feet rises abruptly as you go through a steep curve and a straight section of the track. It then heads mercilessly towards the bottom, where the first corkscrew awaits the rider. This element is pure madness if you are travelling at the back of the train, as the acceleration changes abruptly. The second corkscrew follows after a short right-hand bend. After that, a left-hand bend takes you straight into the braking section.

Batman: The Ride is still one of the best inverted coasters out there. The ride offers an intense ride layout with lots of positive G-forces on a relatively small footprint. Apart from the theming, the ride experience does not differ between the different rides, which is a good sign.

Wonder Woman Flight of Courage

The Wonder Woman Flight of Courage is the latest rollercoaster. The ride on the RMC Raptor Track begins immediately after a right-hand bend with the lift hill of the ride. After reaching the starting height of 130 ft in no time at all, we plummet down a very steep descent. After a quick ascent, it’s straight back down in a dive loop. With brutal airtime, we then go over a huge camelback and immediately afterwards into a zero-G stall. A steep ascent then leads us into a very tight turn. Now we descend again quite abruptly and immediately enter a zero-G roll. Another ascent then leads us into a block brake. Without much hesitation, we enter the next descent, after which another turn awaits us. Still very fast, we now race over a series of airtime hills. After a sharp left-hand bend, we reach the final brake.

Wonder Woman Flight of Courage is the better of the two RMC roller coasters in the park. The layout of the single rail coaster has a really nice flow. The inversions all ride very well and the airtime is also very nice. I at least really enjoyed the ride, even if I think it’s a bit of a shame that the DC Universe was literally torn in two by this coaster.

Teen Titans Turbo Spin, Crazanity and Scrambler

The path to the park’s next rollercoaster is lined with several flat rides. Here we encounter the Round-Up Teen Titans Turbo Spin, a classic Scrambler, as well as the Zamperla Giant Discovery Crazanity, which was unfortunately not in operation on the days I visited.

Riddler’s Revenge

The Riddler’s Revenge rollercoaster is one of the largest stand-up coasters in the world. After leaving the very long queue behind and wondering about the purpose of the rather strange station layout, the ride can soon begin.

After the lift has taken us to a height of 160 ft, we immediately take a steep turn towards the ground. This is followed by the ride’s large loop and, as with Scream!, we immediately enter a dive loop. Riddler’s Revenge goes one better and takes us straight into another dive loop. We then experience the world slightly upside down in an Inclined Loop. A wonderful turn then takes us into an ascending bend and immediately afterwards into the mid-course brake. With barely any reduction in speed, we descend once more and are immediately faced with a corkscrew. A left-hand bend close to the ground leads us into a camelback. After a helix and a left-hand bend, we plummet to the ground again and are thrown around in another corkscrew. After another right-hand bend, we reach the ride’s braking section.

Riddler’s Revenge is a really great rollercoaster. The ride is a very intense experience, which is further intensified by the standing riding position.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis

Developed by the Sally Corporation, the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis dark ride combines large plastic scenes with 3D screens where you have to fend off all sorts of Lex Luthor’s gadgets before he manages to capture the entire Justice League with the help of the Joker. It’s great fun, as you’d expect from Sally, and a surprisingly well-made dark ride that can be found in many Six Flags theme parks.

Gold Rusher

The first roller coaster at Magic Mountain is the Mine Train Gold Rusher. The ride along the slope has a rather unusual layout with many, rather small drops and a serpentine route. After a block brake, the train turns into a very fast helix at the end, followed by a short uphill section before reaching the final brake of the ride and our strange but fun ride comes to an end.

West Coast Racers

Passing the Jet Stream log flume, which was unfortunately closed for the season, we are now drawn to the West Coaster Racers.

In principle, the roller coaster here follows the same principle as Twisted Colossus. However, here the second train waits in a separate area before entering the track in parallel. We are immediately accelerated by LSM and enter a high-five element. While the white track enters a roller, the yellow track races over a hill directly below. After a right-hand bend, both tracks race into the second LSM area. In a wonderful manoeuvre, both lanes then drive parallel overhead and immediately afterwards through two parallel helices. For the grand finale, the white track then drives over a hill, while the yellow track performs a roll directly over the hill. After a bend, the white track continues into the separated area and thus becomes the yellow track, while the yellow track now approaches the station.

Somehow I wish I could have experienced this racing feeling on Twisted Colossus too, because the ride on the West Coast Racers lives almost exclusively from the numerous near-miss encounters during the ride. In any case, the track has it all and the layout has some pretty cool elements despite the more or less very linear ride dynamics.

Apocalypse

The wooden roller coaster Apocalypse was originally opened as Terminator Salvation: The Ride. It replaced the Psyclone roller coaster, which was located at this spot in the park for many years. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to ride this roller coaster from the manufacturer GCI on the two days I visited.

Tatsu

Luckily, thanks to my Legacy membership, I still have a one-off Flash Pass to use for free. Otherwise I would have missed out on a ride on the Tatsu rollercoaster, as the waiting times for just one train were beyond belief.

The ride on Tatsu begins as soon as we enter the lift hill. Once at the top, we immediately plunge into a steep turn with the best view of the Intamin Rapids Ride Roaring Rapids. Immediately afterwards we fly very close to the Sky Tower in a corkscrew. After a left turn, we turn once on our own axis and then enter a steep turn. Another left turn leads to the highlight of the ride: the Pretzel Loop. With the best view of the loop of the New Revolution rollercoaster far below us, we plunge into the depths. With a lot of pressure, we ride through the valley lying on our backs. Shortly afterwards, we repeat the experience in reverse order. Back in the air, we immediately enter the next roll. After a right turn and a small climb we reach the final brake of the coaster.

Tatsu is a very good flying coaster. Its location high up on the mountain enhances the feeling of flying during the ride. The ride itself has some nice elements and, thanks to the pretzel loop at the end of the ride, a very varied and intense layout.

Sky Tower

Behind Tatsu is one of the entrances to Samurai Summit, where Intamin’s Sky Tower dominates the park. Unfortunately, the tower has not been accessible since 2014.

Ninja

The second attraction at the Samurai Summit is the suspended coaster Ninja from Arrow Dynamics.

The ride begins with the first of the two lift hills. Once at the top, we immediately take a steep right-hand bend. After a helix, we swing along the slope parallel to the Jet Stream log flume. A left-hand bend then takes us to the lowest point of the ride, where we immediately turn into a right-hand helix. After a short straight under the log flume’s lift, we whizz back along the surface of the water. A short incline and several dynamic curve changes later, we slowly but surely approach the braking section at the bottom of the slope. Shortly afterwards, we enter the second lift, which takes us back to the station level, marking the end of our great ride on the family-friendly roller coaster.

Superman: Escape from Krypton

When Superman The Escape opened in 1997, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world alongside Dreamworld’s Tower of Terror (later Tower of Terror II). Together, the coasters held the speed record until the opening of Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in 2001 and the height record until the opening of Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in 2003. In 2010, the coaster was overhauled and equipped with new trains. On Superman: Escape from Krypton, you could now mainly experience the ride travelling backwards until one of the cars was turned around again in 2021.

As I was able to experience Tower of Terror II on the last day of operation, I was really looking forward to a ride on Superman: Escape from Krypton. Unfortunately, the coaster was not in operation on any of the days I visited.

Roaring Rapids

One of the most interesting rapids rides I have ever seen is Roaring Rapids. You can’t see anything of the ride from the outside as it was built on a plateau high above the park paths. Only the stairs leading up to the attraction are visible. The ride in the large boats is quite simple, but a lot of fun. The level of wetness was pleasantly limited.

New Revolution

Probably the most classic roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain is the Revolution. As the first looping roller coaster of modern times, the Schwarzkopf roller coaster attracted everyone’s attention in 1976 and became world-famous thanks to the film Roller Coaster.

The ride on the Revolution begins as soon as you enter the lift hill, which takes you up to a height of 110 ft. Once at the top, the ride heads towards the ground in an increasingly steep curve. Afterwards, we take a fairly leisurely ride over a hill and then immediately enter the second, even steeper descent. After narrowly missing the station, we ride over another hill. We then take a left-hand bend that runs very close to the ground. After a climb, we approach what is probably the most important descent. On a long straight, we get faster and faster and then race through the first modern loop in the history of the world. A long uphill left-hand bend leads into an equally long right-hand bend, in which we adapt to the terrain. A tunnel is followed by a long straight that leads through the loop. A short dip to the right then takes us into the fast-paced finale of the helix. Shortly afterwards, we reach the final brake and our solid ride draws to a close.

Viper

The large Arrow looping coaster Viper was the main reason for me to finally visit Six Flags Magic Mountain.  The coaster, which opened in 1990, is unfortunately nearing the end of its life and after the closure of the fantastic Vortex looping coaster at Kings Islands, Viper was at the top of my to-do list.

As soon as we get to the top of the lift, we quickly descend in a terrifyingly steep turn. After a very intense descent, we enter a seemingly endless ramp, at the end of which the first loop mercilessly presses us into our seats. After a wide left-hander, we enter two more loops that are also very intense. After an uphill section, we are pulled through a block brake, which slows us down slightly. After a left-hander and a short right-hander, we enter the Batwing, which turns us upside down twice. The grand finale is a bend that takes us straight into the double corkscrew of the track. After a long straight we pass under the lift and immediately enter the braking section of the ride.

The ride on the Viper is even better than I expected. The coaster is mercilessly intense, has a very good pacing and runs absolutely smoothly. An absolute top coaster and the one I rode the most during my visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

X2

Right at the entrance to the park’s car park is the X2 roller coaster, the first 4th Dimension Coaster to be delivered and a crazy ride with a layout that is really untypical for a roller coaster. In the park itself, you first have to cross a bridge to get to the coaster. Unlike Fuji-Q’s Eejanaika coaster, the queues here are pleasantly short, so you can get on the ride quite quickly.

The ride starts with a 180° turn. You enter the lift in a supine position before being propelled 250 ft into the air on your back. Although this happens very quickly, you still have enough time to take a good look at the amusement park in front of you – a fantastic sight.

A short pre-drop gets the coaster going again and we are back in our original riding position before we are flipped upside down to the ground or to the row in front of us on the next hill. This riding position is then maintained for most of the steep drop, with one roll over in the lower third to ride through the following valley looking slightly upwards. In the inside raven turn, the direction of travel of the track changes once, but the element is still experienced horizontally. The train itself, now suspended underneath the track, goes down an incline and then through a camelback, while we race forward through the dense forest of columns, rolling beautifully in a 360° rotation. We continue forward again into a steep and banked turn. Continuing forward, we cross a forceful valley above the station. On the following hill the track changes direction in a fly-to-lie element and we make a lively 180° turn. We then ride backwards through a valley and immediately up another hill, at the end of which is the entrance to the outside raven turn. In this version of the Raven Turn we are also held horizontally while the train happily changes its position and continues under the track. At a much higher speed we race towards another Fly-to-Lie element which, combined with the rotation of the gondola, allows us to gently glide into the braking section.

X2 is one of the most intense roller coasters I have ever ridden. The ride is extremely powerful, completely disorientating and surprisingly smooth. You just don’t feel overwhelmed, even though you’re sitting like a pasha with your legs spread wide. The minimalist but rather complicated safety bar adds to the fun and respect for the ride, even if you have been on it many times before. As after a ride on the Eejanaika, the conclusion is the same: the ride is awesome!

Pictures Six Flags Magic Mountain

Conclusion Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain is a beautiful amusement park. Opened in the 1970s, the theme park utilises the available space very well, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Due to the large crowds on the first day of my visit (caused by the long event opening hours) and the reduced capacity on almost all roller coasters, I didn’t get the best impression of Six Flags Magic Mountain. However, this changed the very next day, when I was able to do everything without any major waiting times and was through with almost everything by lunchtime. It was just a shame that some of the roller coasters were unfortunately closed during my visit.

What’s your opinion on the theme park Six Flags Magic Mountain? Simply write it in the comment field below the report!

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California Adventure Day 7 and 8 / Six Flags Magic Mountain

The legacy of Dinocittà

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The History of Cinecittà World

The history of Rome as a film location dates back to 1937, when the film city Cinecittà was founded. Equipped with what were then the most modern studios in Europe, a backlot and a copy studio, around 300 films were produced by 1943. Bombed by the Allies and looted by the Nazis, the film production was moved to Venice. After the end of the war, Cinecittà served as a DP camp for two years before the film production site was returned to its original purpose. In the 1950s the Cinecittà Studios experienced a golden age, probably also due to the film funding of the Italian state, and served as the film location for important Hollywood films such as Ben-Hur.

Due to constantly increasing demand and limited studio capacities, the producer Dino de Laurentiis founded Dinocittà, at that time the largest film studio in the world, also in the south of the Italian capital. The studio mainly produced historic and monumental films such as Barabbas (Italy 1961, Richard Fleischer), Waterloo (Italy/USSR 1969, Sergei Bondarchuk) and John Huston’s mammoth work La Bibbia (Italy 1966). However, due to the reduction of subsidies at the beginning of the 1970s, the film studio was not able to survive for long, and so in 1973 the land was sold to the Italian state. From then on Dino de Laurentiis produced in the United States and the Dinocittà remained unused; although not forgotten. Plans in the early 2000s to run the studios under the name Roma Studios were quickly discarded and Cinecittà Holding took over the site.

Originally planned for 2012, the movie park Cinecittà World opened its doors for the first time in the summer of 2014. Unpaid bills and a lack of visitors, despite the surprisingly low target of 1.5 million visitors, quickly left the park in a negative light. Short-notice cancellations of seasonal events and the planned winter opening quickly gave rise to doubts as to whether the park would ever open again. However, after restructuring over the winter months, the park opened punctually at Easter.

Tour of the park

Through an elaborately designed entrance portal, one enters the park directly into Cinecittà Street, the park’s main street, inspired by New York of the 1920s. Although the set is only of generic design, i.e. not based on any film, this area has a lot of charm as long as it does not look like a ghost town due to a lack of visitors. The design is generally of a very high quality and equipped with all kinds of details, so that the first and last impression of the park is inevitably a positive one.

Aktium

To the left of Main Street the set extends around Aktium, an elaborately designed Super Splash from Mack Rides. It is supposed to depict the naval battle at Actium, in which Octavian, the later Emperor Augustus, asserted himself against Marcus Antonius and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII, thus securing sole rule in the Roman Empire. As violent as the battle was, the area around the ride is just as impressive and once again you can see that the Cinecittà World is a place where quality is the name of the game.

After you have left the spacious queue behind you, the journey can start right away. Without much foreplay, you go directly up the first lift hill, where you approach the first slope in a rough curve. Similar to various larger Spillwateranter installations, this runs directly down into the water without any great gimmicks. One turn later, the boat climbs up again and also makes a rough left turn. Where the ride showed itself to be quite untypical for this type of roller coaster the true character is revealed in the second shot. With a lot of momentum you pass a valley and take off on the adjacent hill before you get in contact with the water. After a little sailing through the canal you soon reach the station and are bid farewell by the staff to thunderous applause.

Aktium is a nice spillwater replacement, but it shows the limits of this roller coaster and reveals the reason why almost all other rides of this type use turntables instead of curves for the turning manoeuvres. Apart from the angular curves the ride runs without any other problems, although the level of wetness could have been a bit higher.

Studio 1

Across the Piazza Dino de Laurentiis with all its fountains and fountains we now enter Studio 1, where a magic show took place. Except for the time-consuming mind-reading number (which was only presented in Italian), the show was very professionally staged, but unfortunately not as worth seeing as the comparable show at Movieland Park.

Altair CCW-0204

Directly behind it is Altair CCW-0204, a roller coaster that many people are probably already familiar with from the English amusement park Thorpe Park near London. Unlike the former record-breaker, however, the ride takes passengers up to the starting height of 33m a little faster and without a failure-prone chain lift. After an exciting start, the passengers are then thrown through the rollover elements in trains without shoulder restraints. A massive spaceship serves as an oversized station building, in which mankind returns to earth after more than four millennia and has to ask the question who is the alien, the creatures that developed here, or we who left them in the 22nd century?

While the background story of Altair offers plenty of room for philosophical discussions, the train, whose restraint system is very similar to that of the Divertical water rollercoaster at Mirabilandia, ascends the lift hill directly. At the top, you pass the top of the hill quite leisurely and immediately drop down to the ground. With a high speed and a high pressure you go through a steep left turn before you shoot up the first inversion, a loop. This is traversed with the usual intensity, followed by a small hill with some airtime. In the valley below, the Cobra Roll is initiated, which is crossed just as confidently. After three rollovers, the half time of the ride is rung in with two corkscrews.  After another left turn above the first downhill run, the quadruple heartline roll in the back of the ride is initiated. Because of the freer sitting position, you can complete this with a slight lateral overhang and thus the feeling of always being able to fall out. The train then passes through a last left turn and then the final inversion, a right leading heartline roll towards the brakes. In contrast to Colossus in Thorpe Park, this roll is a bit disappointing, as it is identical to the previous rolls and therefore offers no more surprises.

Altair is a great roller coaster with excellent ride characteristics and a significantly improved seating position compared to the original. However, Colossus also has its strengths, which are mainly reflected in the grandiose final roll and the better integration into the terrain; it is simply more photogenic, although Altair is by no means photo-shy either. The modified first drop is a great experience and the lack of vibrations in looping and the subsequent cobra roll, as well as the absence of a queue to our visit point, make the ride a guarantee for repeat rides.

Erawan

Through the pretty western town of Ennio’s Creek, named after Ennio Morricone, the composer of numerous Italo western scores, where a scary walkthrough is to educate during the season, and past Studios 3,4 and 5 (with a 4D cinema in Studio 4 and a children’s playground in Studio 3), we head towards the most impressive ride in Cinecittà World, the Erawan Freefall Tower. This visual treat includes four lanes, two of which offer pure falling pleasure while standing, while the other two lanes entertain their passengers while seated. All gondolas are tilted forward before the fall, which generally ensures a great and outstanding ride experience. But even apart from the special features Erawan is a magnificent tower. The pure fall reaches similar qualities as Apocalypse from the English amusement park Drayton Manor, which is in my opinion the best freefall tower in Europe. The only difference is that you are one experience poorer due to the absence of the hilarious standing gondola with corridor. Erawan is undoubtedly the best designed giant drop far and wide and also offers a great ride that you should not miss.

Darkmare

Just a few metres from Erawan is the entrance to Darkmare, the family rollercoaster of Cinecittà World featuring a very dark story. Thematically one takes up Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, which was to be filmed in the 50s in Studio Hall 2. However, there were numerous strange accidents and finally a fire, whereupon the shooting was stopped and nothing happened afterwards.

After years of standstill we venture into the hall and experience a wild ride through hell, which begins with a short descent in a right turn, into the lift hill of the lift. You pass a mirror, which is admittedly a really great effect. Passing numerous, artistically valuable projections, all of which make Van Helsing’s Factory from Movie Park Germany look old, you quickly reach the ceiling of the hall, whereupon the train immediately plunges to the ground in a steep left-hand bend. Regardless of losses, the first valley is crossed with outstanding intensity, whereupon the train soon gains altitude. After a curve change, the train passes through a narrow downward helix and winds its way to the other end of the hall in a zigzag curve combination. After a short ascent you reach the freefall segment, where a demon now shows itself and puts its wings around us. Shortly afterwards we are already one level lower and leave the segment very quickly. Now follows a narrow left turn, which is immediately joined by the final turn to the right. Shortly afterwards we reach the station and are once again bid an enthusiastic farewell.

Darkmare is really, really, really damn good! In contrast to the prototype Th13teen of the English amusement park Alton Towers, the ride has no funny backward part after the drop segment, but the rest of the track is much better. In addition, the general design of the ride in its dark comic style is really outstanding and the projections are just perfect. The large and demonically well darkened hall makes the compact ride look three times as big as it actually is and extends the ride in equal measure. The free fall is also quite ok, but can be a bit too much for first-time riders, after all the ride is not lacking in power anyways. But you shouldn’t take such a gloomy view, because Darkmare is definitely the best roller coaster of the park and one of the best roller coasters in the country; so it’s a great ride with a very high repetition urge.

Aquila IV

Opposite Teatro 2 is the submarine Aquila IV, which was used in a German submarine film and a music video by the band Bon Jovi. Of course it is not Das Boot, because it is still located in the Bavaria Filmstadt not far from Munich, but the U-900 from the film of the same name with Atze Schröder in the leading role. Admittedly, the scenery builders did a good job, but we couldn’t explain to ourselves what the meaningless tour was supposed to be in Italian. Without language skills you should avoid Aquila IV and even with language skills you really shouldn’t expect too much, especially since the waiting time is very long. On the other hand, a visit in a real submarine is really recommendable; we at least wished to return to the U-571 of Movieland Studios.

SpacExpress

In addition to the SpacExpress, an immersive tunnel of Simworx, which however was not yet in operation at the time of our visit, the children’s kart track Velocità Luce and the entrance to the children’s land Sognolabio are also located in this area. This area is very colourful and offers some nice rides for children made in Italy, as well as a very annoying soundtrack and a nice splash battle.

Pictures Cinecittà World

Conclusion Cinecittà World

Cinecittà World is a good amusement park that has made quality its top priority; here neither the design nor the rides are of inferior quality. Unfortunately, sometimes the quantity is still missing, because you can only manage a whole day in the park if you actually watch every single show, eat comfortably in one of the restaurants and take multiple rides. The Movieland Park shows how it’s done, but at the Cinecittà World their own professionalism still stands in the way. In no other Italian park you could meet as much staff as here, neither in the shows nor in the attractions. Although this creates a good image, it is known to be somewhat more expensive than the one-person operation of the Mirabilandia. In addition, Cinecittà World is based on something you know and which is also used in numerous film parks or film studios with guided tours, but it is questionable whether they are on the right track; because sometimes they only show larger generic sets without any actual film reference with suitably embedded attractions. A larger reference to own productions would therefore be advisable, but one does not necessarily have to give up the intended concept. I’m curious how the Cinecittà World will develop in the next few years, because the park has potential and already offers a lot of quality; a condition that one would wish for other parks around Rome.

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Cinecittà World / Il Viaggio dei due Runner Day 5