Tag: HUSS

Having a great day at Six Flags America

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Six Flags America

Main Street 1776

The first impression on entering Six Flags America is extremely positive. From 1776 Main Street, the paths lead to the themed areas Looney Tunes Movie Town, Chesapeake, Mardi Gras and the extremely attractive Hurricane Harbor water park, which is also included in the admission price. In addition to the carousel, wave swinger and teacup ride, you can also take a ride on the vintage cars of Minuteman Motors.

Looney Tunes Movie Town

Looney Tunes Movie Town, home to Zamperla’s Great Chase rollercoaster, is one of two children’s areas at the theme park.  In this area, there is a good chance you will meet your favourite Looney Tunes characters.

Mardi Gras

The Mardi Gras themed area offers a very nice ambience and some very cool rides. In addition to the French Quarter Flyers – the classic flying scooters – there is the Big Easy Speedway go-kart track, the Chance Rides Falling Star Zydeco Zinger, which unfortunately can only be ridden in twos, the Bourbon Street Fireball flat ride and the absolutely brilliant Intamin Voodoo Drop freefall tower. You can also experience the Ragin’ Cajun and Wild One roller coasters in this area.

Ragin’ Cajun

The Reverchon Spinning Coaster Ragin’ Cajun fits perfectly into the Mardi Gras themed area, which is perhaps due to the fact that the ride was already operated in the Mardi Gras themed area of the Six Flags Great America theme park between 2004 and 2013. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to experience the ride on the day I visited.

Wild One

Although the Wild One wooden coaster only came to the park in 1986, it is the second oldest roller coaster in America. Prior to that, the wooden giant stood for 68 years at Paragon Park in Massachusetts, where the ride was known as the Giant Coaster. Wild One is now over 100 years old.

The ride on Wild One starts out quite leisurely with a long straight and a left turn before reaching the ride’s lift hill. Once at the top, you immediately enter the first drop. With a lot of speed you then go over the first airtime hill and immediately under the final drop of the park’s former log flume, which makes for a great near miss moment. After a double up you enter the high turn, which you ride at a good speed. With the best view of the now clearly visible remains of the log flume, the ride continues with a double down into the depths. Two big hills are on the way. A couple of smaller hills along the Mardi Gras themed area follow. After a left turn, the ride enters the big helix which is the finale of the ride.

The Wild One wooden roller coaster has a very fast-paced layout, but it slows down considerably towards the end. Unfortunately, the ride was also quite rough, which is why I ended up leaving it at one ride.

Gotham City

There are also plenty of rides in the Gotham City themed area. Alongside the classic Riddle Me This Round-Up ride, there is the absolutely fantastic Harley Quinn Spinsanity swing ride and the giant Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth Star Flyer.

Joker’s Jinx

After boarding the Joker’s Jinx we take off straight from the station. At full speed we immediately enter the extremely pressurised Cobra Roll before flying over the ground after two headstands. After a pressure packed valley we head straight up a sidewinder before cruising through the top of the ride. After a few turns we pass through a strange straight before entering the lower part of the ride. In a constant up and down motion we spiral down before changing direction after a wide left turn. We quickly approach the ground again before changing direction again. After two more steep turns close to the ground, we find ourselves upside down for a fourth time in a corkscrew, whereupon we reach the braking section and soon find ourselves back in the station.

The launch coaster Joker’s Jinx is a very solid roller coaster with a nice track design. It’s nice to ride the Flight of Fear coaster in an open area and see the spaghetti bowl in its full glory.

Penguin’s Blizzard River

A ride on a WhiteWaterWest Spinning Rapids Ride is always a pleasure. Unfortunately, Penguin’s Blizzard River was still closed for the season on the day I visited.

Superman Ride of Steel

There is hardly a better roller coaster than an Intamin mega coaster. The roller coasters, which are usually 200 feet high, offer a fast ride with a lot of airtime. At least that’s the case with the newer rides. Six Flags America’s Superman Ride of Steel is a carbon copy of the Ride of Steel coaster at Darien Lake, and the initial installation focused on a pronounced speed profile.

After the first drop, the ride goes straight into a low to the ground right turn and then over a large camelback. This is followed by a very long straight before entering a very flat 540° helix. Still at very high speeds, the track continues straight for a while before the second airtime hill follows. This is followed by another long straight and the second big helix of the ride. The finale is a bit unusual, consisting of three airtime hills before hitting the brakes.

Superman Ride of Steel is not a bad roller coaster, but not a good one either. Despite the excellent smoothness, the airtime and the high speed, the ride is a bit boring; after all, most of the ride is just long straights or even longer helices.

Batwing

Either Six Flags America has a lot of space or they had big plans when they opened the Batwing coaster. Vekoma’s Flying Dutchman stands a bit apart from the rest of the park.

But the coaster has nothing to hide. Once you have sat down on the train, pushed the bar down and put on the two-piece vest, the ride can begin. What you think is the back row turns out to be the front, thanks to an ingenious folding mechanism. Lying on your back, you leave the station and immediately enter the lift hill after a turn. Once at the top, we first enter a curve which gradually increases its banking and brings us into flying position. Looking down, we immediately enter the ride’s biggest drop. We enjoy our flight for a while in a big, steep turn, before lying elegantly on our backs in the next turn. After a descent we enter a loop which is simply breathtaking in this riding position. After a headstand 3/4 of the way through the loop, we whiz through the valley and change riding position again in a steep turn. Now we fly through a flat valley and a steep turn before turning twice on our own axis in a double inline twist. Finally we fly through a low to the ground helix before being flipped on our backs in a fly-to-lie element and shortly after reaching the brake section of the ride.

The ride on the Batwing is truly breathtaking. It’s just a shame that there are so few of the Flying Dutchman left. Compared to other Flying Coasters in America, Batwing has the edge and offers a really nice mix of positive forces and the feeling of weightlessness during all the flight manoeuvres. All in all, a great ride.

Whistlestop Park

Whistlestop Park is the second of the theme park’s two children’s areas. In addition to several rides from Zamperla, there is a miniature version of the Whistlestop Train to match the large Capital Railways park railway.

Chesapeake

The Chesapeake themed area is also home to some really cool flat rides, including Pirates Flight – a rare Flying Dutchman from Intamin – the High Seas pirate boat and a classic Eli Bridge scrambler called Cyclone.

Firebird

Like Ragin’ Cajun, Firebird was originally located at Six Flags Great America. Formerly known as Iron Wolf and Apocalypse, it is B&M’s first roller coaster. From 1990 to 2018, the coaster could be ridden standing up, but since 2019 it has been a sit-down floorless coaster.

The ride on Firebird starts immediately after a dip as you enter the lift. Once at the top, the ride descends in an increasingly steep curve. With a lot of pressure we then enter the loop of the ride. We gain height in a right turn. Another descent takes us parallel to the loop, where we enter a horizontal loop that circles and crosses the loop once. After a straight, which used to be a block brake, we descend again and at the same time enter the second inversion of the ride. After the corkscrew, it goes through a steep turn and a fun combination of figure-eight turns into the final braking section.

Unfortunately, B&M’s first ride is no longer a good coaster. Where you used to be able to ride a merciless stand-up coaster, you are now beaten by the restraints. The ride should have been demolished rather than desperately given a new lease of life. As an apocalyptic bird, the ride doesn’t really fit in with the pirate theme, but it looks good.

Roar

The wooden coaster Roar is the second coaster from GCI. Similar to Wildcat at Hersheypark, the twisting and playful layout promises plenty of action. It is the only GCI wooden coaster to use classic PTC trains instead of the Millennium Flyer.

The ride on Roar starts with a long right turn. After two short changes of direction you reach the lift hill. At the top we immediately enter a steep turn. A short climb then leads us into a steep left-hander, after which we cross the hill we just rode over at a 90 degree angle. After a classic camel-back, we take a steep, high-altitude turn over hill and dale before plunging down again. With a lot of momentum we now take a bend close to the ground and a hill directly into the next steep bend. Now we race through a covered section of track right across the course. Following a Bayernkurve and several low-hanging hills, we enter the final right-hander and slam on the brakes.

Like Wildcat at Hersheypark, Roar is a really good wooden coaster. The ride has a great layout with a really good flow and a consistently high speed. The ride characteristics are also really good for a wooden coaster of this age, which is why I rode several laps in a row.

Shipwreck Falls

Man, I love a good Shoot the Chutes, especially when it is an O.D. Hopkins ride. Unfortunately, like all the water rides on the day I visited, Shipwreck Falls was still closed for the season.

Coyote Creek

Der letzte Themenbereich in Six Flags America ist Coyote Creek. Dieser Western-Themenbereich ist wirklich gut gemacht und bietet neben dem Autoscooter Los Coches Locos auch das HUSS Break Dance Rodeo und die extrem coole (und leider geschlossene) Wasserbahn Renegade Rapids. Außerdem gibt es einen stilechten Saloon, der als Hauptrestaurant des Parks dient.

Mind Eraser

The main attraction of the Coyote Creek themed area is the Mind Eraser from Vekoma. The classic suspended looping coaster offers the tried and tested layout with roll over, sidewinder and the two inline twists towards the end of the ride. The ride characteristics during the ride are fine, so you can get on without hesitation.

Pictures Six Flags America

Conclusion Six Flags America

I really enjoyed Six Flags America. The park is really well designed for a Six Flags park. There are some very coherent themed areas and an extremely large number of flat rides, which makes the park feel more like a European theme park. I can’t agree with the often criticised slow loading times of the roller coasters, as on the day I visited there was not much going on, thanks to the forecast rain. As a result, I was able to ride every ride without having to wait. I also like the fact that the staff here are quite well equipped (with headsets etc), so that the trains were always sent on their way quite quickly. In short, I had a pretty good time at the park.

Six Flags America / The Stumbled Runner Day 11

Kennywood: A classic amusement park

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Kennywood

Sky Rocket

Immediately after the entrance tunnel, you will find the Sky Rocket rollercoaster on the right-hand side. The Turnpike vintage car ride used to be located here. As parts of the rollercoaster run far above the site, it could be assumed that the rollercoaster was originally intended to run above the Turnpike.

The Sky Rocket ride begins with a downhill left-hand bend. On the subsequent straight, we accelerate to 50 mph using LSM before climbing a top hat. Unfortunately, our descent on this is heavily delayed so that we are only slightly lifted out of our seats. After an overbanked turn, we go through a zero-G roll and then into a right-hand bend. We reduce our speed slightly on a straight before plunging into another very steep descent. Now we enter a tight left-hand bend and then the second roll of the ride. A right-hand bend then leads us into a section with several S-bends in a row. With great momentum, we then enter another right-hand bend, which leads us into two airtime hills. Shortly afterwards, we reach the braking section of the track.

The Sky Rocket is a really nice rollercoaster with a great launch and some pretty cool elements. Unfortunately, only one of the two trains was in operation on the day I visited and the handling and the rather slow speed of the train between the brakes and the station unfortunately led to a very long wait.

Old Mill

One of the oldest rides in the park is the Old Mill dark ride from 1901, which takes you through a narrow tunnel with small scenes to the right and left of the canal. Even back then, the darkness provided a certain degree of intimacy and the creepy scenes during the ride offered a socially acceptable excuse for physical contact. Today, the Old Mill is a eerily delightful family attraction that was known as Garfield’s Nightmare from 2004 to 2019 and was modelled on the famous comic strip. The attraction was redesigned again for the 2020 season. Now you can experience an adventure with the skeleton pistolero Harold.           

Jack Rabbit

At 102 years old, Jack Rabbit is the oldest roller coaster at Kennywood. The ride has a simple oval layout through which you ride two laps. The highlight is that you only reach the lift in the middle of the ride, by which time you have travelled through two dips. The highlight is the big double down of the ride, where the cars mercilessly try to throw you off. Unfortunately, the spectacle is already over after another drop.

Racer

Right next to the Jack Rabbit roller coaster is the Racer, where you can have a hot race against another train. It is one of the few roller coasters with a Möbius loop, i.e. the trains always have to complete two laps before they arrive back on the same side of the station.

The ride on the racing coaster The Racer begins with a curve before both trains enter the parallel lift hill. However, these are slightly separated from each other. After the first drop, the two tracks run directly next to each other. Here, the track first goes through a left-hand bend, with the left-hand track quickly taking the lead. The curved drop and the subsequent hill are travelled slightly offset by both trains. In a right-hand bend, the right-hand track then largely catches up. After another winding descent and an equally winding hill, another right-hand bend follows. Both trains then run parallel into the final downhill section of the line. After an incline, the final brake is reached, where the winner of the race is crowned.

The Racer really is a great roller coaster. Although the wooden roller coaster is neither high nor fast, it is characterised by very sweeping descents and hills that shape the wild race against the other train.

Steel Curtain

Since 2019, the Steel Curtain roller coaster has characterised the Steelers Country themed area dedicated to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The high-speed and, despite its height of 67 metres, very compact layout runs in a ribbon through the back of the park. Unfortunately, the ride was not in operation on the day I visited due to the low temperatures.

Aero 360

With its oversized Kennywood arrows, the Aero 360 somersault ride is one of the most visually striking rides at the theme park. The Zamperla Hawk ride offers a long and varied ride cycle.

Lil’ Phantom

Lil’Phantom is the park’s smallest roller coaster. The ride, built by Molina & Son’s, offers an oval layout with many small ups and downs.

Auto Race

One of the most interesting attractions in Kennywood is the Autorace built in 1930 by Traver Engineering. Here you drive in soapboxes on a wooden track. The vehicles are only guided by guard rails on both sides of the track.

Thomas Town

Kennywood is home to Thomas Town, a themed area built around Thomas and his friends. In addition to the small family drop tower, Cranky’s Drop Tower, and the two rides, Flynn’s Fire Training and Harold’s Helicopter Tour, there is also the Island of Sodor train station from which the Journey with Thomas departs. The ride offers the best views of the Monongahela River and Pittsburgh’s steel mills.

Ghostwood Estate

One of the park’s most modern rides is the Ghostwood Estate interactive dark ride. In a pre-show, we are invited by Lord Kenneth Ghostwood to drive the ghosts out of his house. Equipped with guns, we make our way through the eerie estate and experience a really nice ghost train with lots of animatronics. 

Raging Rapids

Like the neighbouring wooden roller coaster, the Raging Rapids water ride was also undergoing a lengthy renovation period at the time of my visit and was therefore not in operation. The Intamin Rapids ride offers a rather compact and winding layout here in the park.

Thunderbolt

At the time of my visit, the Thunderbolt roller coaster was still under reconstruction and was not due to reopen until the bank holidays in July. The almost 100-year-old wooden roller coaster shares the same slope as the Phantom’s Revenge roller coaster and covers a height difference of almost 100 feet.

Turtle

Kennywood ist die Heimat vieler klassischer Fahrgeschäfte, darunter die einzige noch existierende Tumble Bug Berg- und Talbahn des Herstellers Traver Engineering namens Turtle. Die Bahn aus dem Jahr 1927 ist eher gemütlich unterwegs und bietet einen tollen Blick auf die Achterbahn Phantom’s Revenge.

Black Widow

The Black Widow swing ride is one of the first Giant Discovery rides from Zamperla. The ride is very varied and offers plenty of airtime. Be sure to try it out!

Pittsburg Plunge

I am a big fan of the classic Shoot the Chute rides, but on the day I visited I was very glad that Pittsburg Plunge had not yet started its season, as it was freezing cold. Here in Kennywood, the water ride built by O.D. Hopkins has a very classic look, reminiscent of the first rides of this type built at the turn of the century.

Exterminator

The Exterminator indoor rollercoaster is one of the highlights at Kennywood theme park. The Spinning Mouse from Reverchon surprises with its consistent and very detailed theming, which is something you won’t even find at Disney or Universal in this depth. At least not for an attraction of this size. Kudos!

Whip

Right next to the Pittsburgh Plunge water ride is another classic ride at Kennywood. Opened in 1919, The Whip is great fun thanks to the lateral acceleration at the two reversing points and the resulting high-speed ride.  

Swing Shot

In addition to the classic wave swinger Wave Swinger, there is also the large swing ride Swing Shot, which reaches its maximum deflection with just a few swings. You race through the station at high speed and experience plenty of airtime at the two peaks.

Noah’s Ark

One of the special attractions in Kennywood is Noah’s Ark. This is a crooked house where the eponymous ark swings back and forth as you walk through it. A similar attraction adorns the entrance to the English theme park Blackpool Pleasure Beach, but can no longer be visited there.

Musik Express, Cosmic Chaos and Pirate

A large square in front of the large drop of the Phantom’s Revenge rollercoaster is home to numerous classic flat rides. In addition to the Musik Express, you can also take a ride on the Pirate and the Disk’o Cosmic Chaos.

Phantom’s Revenge

In the race to be the fastest and tallest roller coaster in the world, looping coasters have long been the favourites. The record was set by Arrow’s Steel Phantom in 1991 with a vertical drop of over 230 feet. After the big drop, the ride went straight into a loop, then into a batwing and finally through the final corkscrew back to the station. Just nine years later the ride was rebuilt by Morgan as Phantom’s Revenge.

The ride on Phantom’s Revenge starts with the lift hill, which takes us to a height of 160 feet. Once at the top, we take the first drop in a steep turn. This is followed by a long straight before we climb a hill and immediately plunge into the much bigger drop. On the way down we pass the Thunderbolt wooden roller coaster. We gain some height in a very long left turn. Instead of entering the inversions we follow the curve for a while. After another drop the track takes us through a right turn where we pass the Thunderbolt again. In several bunny hops the train tries to throw us off. After another right turn comes the final hop into the coaster’s braking section.

The ride on Phantom’s Revenge is short but still breathtaking. The coaster’s high speed and very smooth ride speak for themselves. The airtime on the many little bunny hops is also not to be underestimated. In short, a really great hyper coaster and the flagship of the park alongside the many classic rides.

Pictures Kennywood

Conclusion Kennywood

Kennywood is one of those really cool, classic amusement parks. Originally founded as a trolley park for the city of Pittsburgh, the park has been entertaining visitors since 1899, and with many of the rides almost as old as the park itself, it has an incredible charm. What’s more, the park has a distinct identity, with an industrial look that blends in with its surroundings. This is largely due to its location in West Mifflin, with the best view of the Edgar Thompsons Works, one of the oldest steelworks in the world.

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Kennywood / The Stumbled Runner Day 10

Going on a Great Adventure

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Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Great Adventure has a rather unusual park layout, with visitors entering the park at its narrowest point in the centre. Here there is a long midway that runs across the entrance, with the Giant Wheel at one end and a land of milk and honey themed area with a carousel and a tea cups ride at the other.  The main attraction in this area is the Sky Screamer swing ride.

Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth and Cyborg Cyber Spin

To the right of the Ferris wheel is the large Movieland themed area. In addition to the interactive dark ride Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and the two roller coasters The Dark Knight Coaster and Batman The Ride, there is also the large swing ride Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth and the flat ride Cyborg Cyber Spin. Unfortunately, the latter wasn’t on my schedule during my visit, so I didn’t get to ride an Intamin Tourbillon.

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.

The Dark Knight Coaster

The Dark Knight Coaster is proof that Six Flags can do theme rides when they want to. The indoor Wild Mouse offers an amazingly fast ride in total darkness, with the hairpin turns in the upper part of the ride being themed throughout. The wilder part of the ride on the lower levels takes place mainly in the dark. All in all a great attraction!

Batman The Ride

Directly after the great success of the B&M inverted coaster Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, the Dark Knight found his place at Six Flags Great Adventure in 1993.

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 expect 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 instantly as you go through a steep bend and a straight section of the track. It then heads mercilessly towards the bottom, where the first corkscrew awaits us. 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.

Nitro

Since the release of the computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, Nitro has become one of the most famous hyper coasters in the world.

After a turn, the ride immediately begins on the 230-foot lift hill. Once at the top, the ride immediately descends. Interestingly, we change direction on the very first hill. The momentum takes us through another valley and over a classic camelback before we change direction in the best out-and-back style in a horseshoe turn. Another airtime hill is followed by another hill where we turn left. With plenty of speed we then enter a powerful helix that gets tighter and tighter and ends in a block brake. We then ride a series of very nice airtime hills to the final brake.

Nitro is a very cool old school hypercoaster. Although you only get floater airtime during the long ride, the many hills make it a real experience. The highlight of the ride is the intense helix before the block brake. In short, a really great coaster.

Jersey Devil Coaster

Past the Intamin Rapids Ride Congo Rapids, which was unfortunately closed on the day of my visit, we now head to the park’s newest rollercoaster, the Jersey Devil Coaster. The ride on the RMC Raptor Track begins immediately with the ride’s lift hill. After reaching the starting height of 40 metres in no time at all, we plunge straight down a very steep descent. After a quick ascent, it’s straight back down again 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 delay, we then enter the next descent, after which another turn awaits us. Still very fast, we now race over a series of airtime bumps before reaching the final brake.

The layout of the Jersey Devil Coaster single rail coaster has a really nice flow. The inversions are all very easy to ride and the airtime is also very nice. I at least really enjoyed the ride, even if it is a bit tame compared to the other Raptor Track Coasters from RMC.

Skull Mountain

Every Roller Coaster Tycoon player will remember the Skull Mountain indoor roller coaster for its façade. The ride itself is a family roller coaster from Intamin, which is located in an unfortunately rather bright hall.

The ride begins rather curiously with a two-section lift and a short panoramic ride through the first level. Once in the main hall, the ride continues upwards for a while before a steep curve takes you straight back down to the hall floor. After an incline, we quickly change direction and make our way round a wide left-hand bend. After a short right-hand bend, we immediately enter a longer Bayernkurve, which leads us further and further downhill over hill and dale. After a right-hand bend, we enter a helix. Finally, after a short climb, we reach the braking section and soon afterwards the station, where our wonderful ride unfortunately comes to an end.

Harley Quinn Crazy Train and The Joker

Directly opposite the popular family coaster Harley Quinn Crazy Train – a Zierer Tivoli coaster that has run several laps in a row in this park – is the S&S free spin coaster The Joker. As always, the ride comfort on this coaster was quite good and there were plenty of rollovers at the end. For this reason, I can only warmly recommend a ride on the free spin coaster The Joker.

Houdini’s Great Escape

While Vekoma Mad Houses are a very common sight in European theme parks, they are not at all well known to an American audience with Houdini’s Great Escape being one of only two installations in the United States. In the story, we take part in a séance to bring Houdini back from the afterlife. In reality, however, we only experience a clever trick in which the benches each swing 30° to the side while the room rotates around us. A great attraction!

Twister and Parachute Training Center: Edwards AFB Jump Tower

Right next to the unfortunately closed HUSS Top Spin Twister is one of the park’s major attractions from the 1970s, which goes by the long name of Parachute Training Centre Edwards AFB Jump Tower. The Intamin Parachute Tower offers a great view over the park and the ride is quite fast. The actual drop, however, is very leisurely.

Superman – Ultimate Flight

Superman Ultimate Flight is located next to the entrance. As it takes a little longer to clear the coaster, it is advisable to get to the ride as soon as the park opens.

The ride on Superman Ultimate Flight begins immediately after a right turn as you enter the coaster’s lift hill. After reaching a height of 106 ft, the ride immediately descends in a right turn. The ride then climbs a hill, which introduces the main element of the ride: the Pretzel Loop. We are now pulled down with all our might and then hurtle through a valley on our backs. Once back up in the air, the ride takes us through three very gentle turns that add to the feeling of flying. A helix is followed by a nice roll. We then reach the braking section and shortly after the station.

The ride on Superman Ultimate Flight is very leisurely for a flying coaster, with the pretzel loop at the beginning being the highlight of the ride. Without it the ride would be a bit boring.

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern stand-up coaster has been located on the site of the Great American Scream Machine since 2011. However, the ride itself is much older and was located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom from 1997 to 2009, where it was known as Chang.

The ride on the giant stand-up coaster starts right away with the lift hill, which takes us to a height of 47 metres (154 ft). After a bend at a lofty height, the big drop awaits. In classic B&M coaster style, a very large loop awaits us and after a right-hand bend we enter the equally large dive loop. After a sweeping ascent, we pass through a high left-hand bend and immediately afterwards into an Inclined Loop. After a quick change of direction, the route then heads uphill again into a mid-course brake. Without adjusting the speed, we head downhill again. Here we enter the first corkscrew and after a crazy right-left bend, we immediately enter the second corkscrew. Another right-left bend then takes us into the final braking section of the rollercoaster.

Green Lantern is one of the most modern stand-up coasters, so the ride is relatively fast. The ride is very spectacular due to the impressive height and the huge inversions, but not quite as pleasant due to the frequent contact with the bars.

Runaway Mine Train

One of the theme park’s original attractions is the Runaway Mine Train. It is housed in a large fort. There is also a station for the Skyways gondola lift.

The ride on the rollercoaster begins with an unusually high lift hill. Once at the top, however, we first make our way through the treetops. The path first leads us through a long helix and then over several hills. After passing a block brake, we fall to the ground for the first time. Now the trail leads us into a surprisingly intense helix and over a flawless airtime hill. We then whizz over the lake past the fort before taking an incline and reaching the braking section of the rollercoaster shortly afterwards.

The Runaway Mine Train has a surprisingly high layout for an old school mine train. Although the start of the ride is not quite as exciting with the longer helix and the slightly descending and ascending straights, it gets really fast from the steep curve after the brakes. The Airtime hill and the bend at the lake around the fort characterise the overall very good ride.

Medusa

Passing the Saw Mill Log Flume, which was unfortunately still closed on the day of my visit, we now head to the back of the park, where the Medusa roller coaster is located. This rollercoaster is quite something and should definitely not be missed.

It is not to be missed. After climbing the coaster’s lift hill, you immediately descend into the depths. The ride takes you through the valley at high speed and immediately into the large loop of the coaster. A climb to the left turns out to be a dive loop and immediately brings us to the ground. With a lot of momentum we then go through a Zero-G roll and immediately into the Cobra Roll of the coaster. A climb then leads us into a block brake, where we get only a brief moment to catch our breath. A steep bend takes us downhill. We then enter an intense helix just above the ground. After changing direction we enter the Interlocking Corkscrews. A short turn to the left then leads us into the last incline of the ride, after which we enter the braking section of the roller coaster.

What a ride! The Medusa floorless coaster is an absolute fun machine with a breathtaking layout and a total of seven inversions. I always enjoyed getting on this ride, partly due to the very efficient handling of the ride.

Zumanjaro Drop of Doom

Unfortunately, the Zumanjaro Drop of Doom freefall tower, which is attached to the support structure of the KingdaKa rollercoaster, was out of service during my visit. This tower is the largest freefall tower in the world. Interestingly, in the early days of the attraction, the tower was only allowed to be operated when the rollercoaster was not in operation. This led to long queues for both attractions. However, this restriction has now been lifted and both rides can be operated at the same time.

Kingda Ka

Kingda Ka has been the theme park’s main attraction since 2005. The 456 ft high launch roller coaster from the manufacturer Intamin towers over the park and cannot be overlooked, casting a spell over everyone in its immediate vicinity.

Right at the start of the park, I was able to ride several laps in a row without having to queue for long. After all, the ride only takes a few seconds, during which you reach a top speed of 128 mph before climbing the tall Top Hat. We then cross its apex rather leisurely and with tension on the vertical slope directly in front of us. On the way down, we turn round once on our own axis. Finally, we race over a 130 ft high hill where the roller coaster brakes.

Kingda Ka is a damn short roller coaster, but also a damn good one. As the speed increases, you realise what forces are acting on the train before it goes up the top hat. You are really shaken up. The descent and the final rush of speed also provide enough endorphins to leave the ride overjoyed.

El Toro

Five years after Colossos revolutionised wooden roller coaster construction at Heide-Park in Germany, the El Toro roller coaster opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2006.

Here, too, the ride begins after a rapid lift hill with a high turning curve before entering the steep drop. We then experience the finest airtime and an unrivalled rush of speed over two consecutive airtime hills. After a lively turn, we ride over another airtime hill and then over a speed bump. At high speed, we are now drawn into a left-hand bend and immediately afterwards onto another airtime hill. This is followed by three quick turns in a row. With momentum, we then ride over a series of rather flat hills. Shortly afterwards, we reach the braking section of the rollercoaster.

El Toro is a really great rollercoaster with a genuinely good layout. Unfortunately, the ride characteristics of this wooden roller coaster are no longer the best compared to the other Prefab wooden roller coasters from the manufacturer Intamin. Despite being retracked during the seasonal break, the ride is quite bumpy. Accordingly, I like Colossos much better than El Toro, and not just because I have ridden Colossos hundreds of times and El Toro only once.

Pictures Six Flags Great Adventure

Conclusion Six Flags Great Adventure

My visit to Six Flags Great Adventure left me with rather mixed feelings. On the one hand, the park has a lot of really good roller coasters to offer, but on the other hand, the park simply has no charm. The existing buildings are all getting on in years, and the park really does have a lot of open spaces and lots of areas covered in concrete. Nevertheless, the park is very popular and was accordingly well attended on the day I visited. In the end, I was able to try out all the attractions except for the water rides, which were unfortunately closed. I think I’ll have to come back sometime in the middle of the season to experience the park in its entirety.

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Six Flags Great Adventure / The Stumbled Runner Day 8