Space Shot

A visit to the original Movie World

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Warner Bros. Movie World

Warner Bros. Movie World is one of the best-known theme parks in Germany and one of the most influential movie parks in the world.  The park was founded in 1991 by the film studio Village Roadshow, which belongs to WarnerMedia, and is the model for our local Movie Park Germany. From 1996 to 2004, the film park was also known as Warner Bros. Movie World. The Spanish theme park Parque Warner Madrid is also based on the park on the Gold Coast and continues to use the licences of WarnerMedia.

While Parque Warner Madrid is a huge park and Movie Park Germany is also of respectable size, Warner Bros Movie World is rather small. Apart from the Main Street, which is well-known to visitors of Movie Park Germany, the park only consists of a small children’s area, the log flume Wild West Falls and a DC Heroes themed area, where almost all attractions of the amusement park are located.

Tour of the movie park

Green Lantern Coaster

This area is located directly at the entrance of the amusement park, but is not a dead end due to the clever integration of the roller coaster Arkham Asylum. Right at the beginning we come across the Green Lantern Coaster, an El Loco from S&S.

Climbing the steep and fast lift, it quickly goes into a combination of curves without any cross slope, which shortly afterwards leads into a steep 120.5° drop. The associated world record was short-lived, as Takabisha opened in Fuji-Q Highland just a few months later. With a small sideways turn, it immediately goes up to the first block brake.

This is followed by a curve that could be used more often in various roller coasters, as the outwardly inclined section of the track is quite impressive. Unfortunately, this part is completed soon after and a seemingly conventional curve follows, which, however, becomes more and more inclined towards the end and quickly puts you in an overhead position. The hangtime is very pronounced and you are quite happy to fall towards the ground in a half loop shortly afterwards. However, the ride is not over yet and another incline with a subsequent barely regulating block brake follows. The last traditional curve comes next, which ends in a downhill heartline roll – actually the most interesting element of the ride. A trivial turnaround in the form of an Immelmann turn follows, after which the ride ends abruptly.

Thanks to the wider cars and the increased ride comfort due to the lack of shoulder claws, the ride on the Green Lantern Coaster is much more fun compared to other (almost) identical rides. The ride is exciting and bizarre – basically a bit Loco.

Batwing Spaceshot and Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D

Directly opposite is the Batwing Spaceshot, a vertical drop ride by S&S, which takes you up to a height of 61m at high speed. Once you’ve reached the top, you’ll get a good dose of airtime and a big grin in your face.

The entrance to the dark ride Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D is located in a hall behind it. Previously, the simulator Batman: The Ride was located here. The dark ride, developed by the Sally Corporation, combines large plastic scenes with 3D screens where you have to fight off the aliens of the villain Starro before they take control of all mankind. It’ s the kind of delightful fun you’d expect from Sally. The ride itself was later the inspiration for Justice League: Battle for Metropolis, which can be found in various Six Flags parks.

DC Rivals HyperCoaster

One of the reasons to visit Warner Bros Movie World is the DC Rivals HyperCoaster. The roller coaster by Mack Rides has a breathtaking out & back layout including a highly twisted first drop, a 40m tall non-inverted loop, as well as a multitude of breathtaking turns and airtime hills and the possibility to experience it backwards for a small extra charge. It’s just a shame that the roller coaster was closed during my visit.

The DC Rivals HyperCoaster was not all that was closed on the day I visited. Actually, the Village Roadshow Theme Parks allow quite easy planning of the visit, because there is a maintenance calendar for each individual park, but they don’t plan these periods very well, so that the individual attractions usually have a longer maintenance period. At the same time, however, visitors are not informed about this, so that they are first confronted with it on site. Other amusement parks that are open all year round, such as the Disneyland Parks or Efteling, show how it could be done better, and the nearby Dreamworld amusement park does it better without question.

Road Runner Roller Coaster

Thus, once past the closed Roxy Theatre, we were drawn to the children’s area on the right-hand side of the main street. Some time ago, this was where the Looney Tunes River Ride used to be, but it was replaced by a covered money printing machine, the Junior Driving School. The Road Runner Roller Coaster, the theme park’s first roller coaster, has been located in the outdoor area in front of it since the year 2000.

Interestingly, the children’s roller coaster Coyote’s und Roadrunner’s Achterbahn from the German branch of Warner Bros. Movie World was used as a model for this roller coaster, but the elaborate rock structure of the roller coaster was not used on the Gold Coast. The coaster does, however, have a second train, which means that you only do one lap at a time through the tried-and-tested roller skater layout of the manufacturer Vekoma.

Hollywood Stunt Driver 2

Past the small collection of children’s rides, we are now drawn to the theme park’s big stunt show. Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 offers a similar spectacle to Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular from the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris and thus a very strong focus on filming with a few selected performers. We can be glad that Movie Park Germany continues to focus on a jam-packed stunt show like the original Police Academy Stunt Show with Crazy Cops New York. Unfortunately, the show over here was no good.

Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster

A roller coaster has moved into the former Gremlins dark ride building at both Warner Bros. Movie World theme parks over the years. Here on the Gold Coast, the Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster was created in 2002 and is based on the Scooby Doo live-action film of the same year.

The ride begins with the familiar ghost train ride from the film. The whole thing is peppered with a few small drops, swinging axes and animatronics worth seeing. Basically, the Spooky Doo Spooky Coaster is a dark ride well worth seeing, but then we enter the ride’s vertical lift. Accompanied by a scene in which Scrappy Doo mutates into a monster, we leave it facing backwards. Shortly afterwards we plunge down a 7m drop. On the other side of the ride we change direction again on a turntable. Accompanied by the song Scooby Doo, Where are you? we now go through the well-known course of a classic wild mouse. Where we would normally expect a double shot, we drive straight into a brake after only one shot. Shortly afterwards, we leave the Sound Stage, where a large part of the roller coaster is located. After a short interlude, another 3m high drop awaits us and soon the exit station of the ride.

Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster is a great roller coaster, but thanks to its limited capacity it often has a longer queue. However, the ride in the extended Wild Mouse is quite something and makes you leave the ride in a good mood – although the actual roller coaster ride mainly takes place in a dark hall with a light show.

Doomsday Destroyer and Wild West Falls

Passing the Doomsday Destroyer – a suspended version of the popular Kamikaze ride built by Intamin – which offered a very solid ride, we now approach the western area of the theme park. The only attraction in the area is the log flume Wild West Falls, the only remaining attraction based on the film Wild Wild West. Originally, however, the ride was supposed to be based on the film Rio Bravo, which is also reflected in the existing theming of the ride.

After crossing the rather long queue, you can immediately take a seat in one of the boats. Shortly afterwards, the boat bobs past the maintenance hall of the ride towards the first lift hill. Once you have reached the top, you drive into the huge mountain massif where the first turntable is waiting for you. This then releases the boat into the first shot, which is completed backwards. This is followed by a small hill. Shortly afterwards, the descent into the cool water starts, whereby the level of wetness is still very manageable. After a bend, you reach another turning point, whereupon the boat moves forward again. The river now takes you unspectacularly through a canyon, an Indian village and the western town of Dogde City before entering the mine again. Once you reach the highest point of the ride, you are brought into position again via a turntable, whereupon the second and final shot is initiated. When you reach the bottom, you are pleasantly moistened. This is followed by the return journey to the station.

I love water rides from Hopkins and Wild West Falls is an all-round successful water ride with a great setting and two breathtaking drops. However, compared to the log flume Rio Bravo from Parque Warner Madrid, it is in many ways the weaker ride. The revision of Wild West Falls, built by Intamin, scores mainly with its airtime, which is unfortunately completely missing here on the Gold Coast. The ride in Spain also seems to be in a slightly better state. Nevertheless, the log flume Wild West Falls is not to be missed.

WB Studio Showcase

On the way to the next attraction, we stopped by the WB Studio Showcase, where some props from recent WB productions, including The Great Gatsby, Shazam!, Suicide Squad and Mad Max, were on display during our visit. Unfortunately, this was also the only attraction that took up the original idea of the movie park. I would have liked to see more of this.

Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy

The Vekoma Suspended Coaster Arkham Asylum – Shock Therapy should have been open on the day we visited. On a later day, the ride was also closed until further notice. In fact, the coaster has not been operated since then and will probably disappear from the park soon. I would have loved to do a lap on the SLC with its bonus helix, as the ride also featured the VR film known from Parque Warner.

Superman Escape

The last attraction on our tour is the Superman Escape roller coaster. The queue for the roller coaster is rather inconspicuous and ends in front of automated doors behind which the MRT (Metropolis Rapid Transit) underground can be boarded.

The journey begins quite leisurely. However, it soon becomes clear that our situation is a little more tricky. Warnings of earthquakes ensure that we do not stop at the next stations. Burst gas pipes, which led to the blowing up of a pumping station, cause the railway tunnel to flood and suddenly police cars also crash into the tunnels. Although the situation seems hopeless, Superman comes to our rescue at the last moment. What follows is a breathtaking rollercoaster ride, starting with an insanely good hydraulic launch.

At a good 100 km/h we immediately climb a 40m high top hat, which we enter straight and leave to the side. After a high-pressure right turn along the ground, we immediately enter an airtime-rich camelback. This is followed by a left turn where we drive through a hall. After another turn, the path leads us through a further right turn close to the ground before we change direction again on the following hill and soon find ourselves in the braking section of the ride.

Superman Escape is a mercilessly good roller coaster. The ride through the compact layout is extremely tough and convinces with its fast turns and great airtime. Unfortunately, however, the roller coaster is only located at Warner Bros Movie World and not here at Movie Park Germany, which in turn reveals some weaknesses. The low capacity of the ride in a a one train operation is exacerbated by the high number of fast pass users, so that unfortunately you have to queue for a very long time at this ride. Movie Park Germany now has the immersive tunnel The Lost Temple and the roller coaster Star Trek Operation Enterprise in the same place, but I really wish they had taken another inspiration from the park on the Gold Coast.

Pictures Warner Bros. Movie World

Conclusion Warner Bros. Movie World

Warner Bros. Movie World, you must have been a really good theme park once. In the early 90s you surprised everyone with your concept, but now there’s almost none of that magic left. You’re more like a classic theme park these days, but your roller coasters can hardly hide your lack of attractions and shows. To be honest, I really wonder how one is supposed to spend a whole day here. A question that, interestingly enough, you would never ask at your younger sister in Bottrop.

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Click here for the next report of the Hell Yeah, Schabelteah! Tour

Hell Yeah, Schnabelteah Day 15 to 19 / Warner Bros. Movie World

A short visit to a beautiful Tivoli

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Linnanmäki

The story of Linnanmäki begins in 1907. Children’s Day events were organised across Finland in order to collect funds for child welfare. At first, the events were arranged on a non-regular basis but in 1945 Children’s Day became a regular annual event. In 1950 six child welfare organisations joined forces in the Children’s Day Foundation and opened the amusement park Linnanmäki.

Ukko

When you approach Linnanmäki one of the first rides you see is the roller coaster Ukko – a Maurer Sky Wheel towering the entrance area of the park. This ride features a vertical lift which goes over into the sky loop element.

The Sky Wheel itself is a roller coaster experience that is quite difficult to describe. In the moment before you are relieved from the elevator upside down, there is a strange feeling in your stomach, which returns to normal within the first roll. This is followed by a descent with high centrifugal forces in the valley before you rush backwards through the valley again shortly afterwards in order to partially climb the sky loop element. After another pass through the station, the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop on the ride’s lift and is then lowered to the station again.

To be honest, I am not a big fan of Maurer’s Sky Wheels. The sensation is good, do not get me wrong, but they are not my kind of ride. The feeling of hanging upside down in 46m only hold by a lap bar is weird and not very enjoyable and the rest of the ride is just okay.

Raketi and Vuoristorata

Past the great S&S Space Shot drop tower Raketi, we now head towards the oldest roller coaster of Linnanmäki: Vuoristorata. The name translates to or better said defines the term roller coaster in Finnish. It is the last of the four scenic railways by Valdemar Lebesch, who also built the two Rutschebanen of Bakken and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Vuoristorata starts with a long curve leading to the left before the train engages with the cable lift. With a great view onto the roller coaster Ukko just in front, we quickly rise to the top to the lift. Another left curve follows before we dive towards the ground in a large drop. Now, we transverse the Figure-8 ride diagonally and climb a hill while doing so. On the front end of the ride, we now turn around in a curve leading to the right. We take off a bit on the double down, before racing over a large camelback. On the other side of the ride, we now take a left turn. This is followed by another double down leading into one more camelback. On the next hill we gently take another turn around. Parallel to the lift we now initiate the grand finale. Hereby we dive into a tunnel after another camelback. In darkness, we now pass the last curve before we reach the station of the ride and come to a halt.

Vuoristorata is a nice wooden roller coaster which offers a good amount of airtime, speed, and forces during its two-and-a-half-minute long ride. The scenic railway built in 1951 sure offers a great experience and should not be missed when visiting Helsinki.

Kirnu

One of the most interesting coasters of Linnanmäki is Kirnu. This Intamin Zac Spin is one of the earliest examples of a 4D coaster and resembles a large marble run. After the lift, the ride vehicle races towards the edge, plunges down, hits a high forced valley, and turns around on the next crest while the gondola can freely rotate around its own axis. Normally, a roll over is inescapable on the last hill of the ride.

Kirnu might just be a short ride, but also a very unpredictable and powerful one too, so you better not underestimate it.

Linnunrata eXtra

In the large water tower, situated right in the middle of the park, you can ride the Zierer family coaster Linnunrata eXtra which opened in the year 2000 as Space Express. Nowadays, the ride is not only named after the Finnish word for Milky Way, but also offers VR goggles, which makes it eXtra special. I rode the ride without the glasses, which I immediately regretted. The theme inside is dark and not longer visible. The ride itself is very gentle and therefore without any surprises. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to test the ride with the glasses, as it started to have a queue shortly after my ride.

Kieputin, Taikacircus and Mustekala

Back to the light, we quickly encounter the HUSS Top Spin Kieputin, which offered a short, but quite intense ride cycle. In the same corner of Linnanmäki, you can ride the dark ride Taikacircus, have a walk through the nearby funhouse or encounter a well-hidden Schwarzkopf ride called Mustekala at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Kingi

The 75m high drop tower Kingi does not have the best reputation among theme park enthusiasts. Albeit the ride on the Italian made ride offers a very intense drop, the experience itself sits on the uncomfortable side. The restraints by Moser Rides are very tight and the seats themselves are not made for Northern Europeans as they are simply not wide enough. Therefore, if you do not want to squeeze yourself into the seats for a rather long period of time, you should be either very slim and short or still a kid.

Magia

Passing the equally high observation tower, we now step down to another level where another Italian made ride awaits us. Here, however, we find ourselves in seats with a little bit too much room. The Technical Park fying pen Magia offers some heavy rotation and huge forces. It is a fun ride, which does not create a dizzy aftertaste.

Salama

The spinning coaster Salama at Linnanmäki is a great example for an efficient use of space as it is located right on top of the rapid river Hurjakuru. As one of the latest spinning coasters built in Europe, it still offers the excitement of previous Maurer installations like Tarantula at Parque de Atracciones de Madrid or Spinball Whizzer at Alton Towers.

Salama begins with a short curve into the lift. Once at the top, the descents start with a tight turn leading into a curvy drop. With a good spin, we now cross the first valley and enter the large Immelmann turn, the track’s main element. Shortly thereafter, we climb a hill and find ourselves in the first block section of the ride. Another drop follows, whereupon we swirl over an inclined hill. After another upwards leading curve, we enter the second block brake. From here on, the hills get a little bit gentler. In a zigzaggy style, we now make our way towards the next block section. The finale of the ride consists of a downwards leading curve, a small hill and curve with a dip leading into the last brake section of the ride.

Salama is a great spinning coaster with an excellent spin. The ride offers a cool layout and a great pacing. Although the ride is quite short, it gives you a good repeatability factor.

Hurjakuru

Something you could also say about Hurjakuru. The compact rapid river by Intamin offers a refreshing ride through a well themed tunnel, various rapids, and along numerous water effects. Moreover, it also gives you an excellent view onto the spinning coaster above the ride.

Pikajuna

Another ride which is located above the rapid river is the powered coaster Pikajuna by Mack Rides. Like many of the old-style powered coasters, the ride features a bunch of helices and curved sections in a rather compact layout. Unfortunately, the ride is quite slow.

Tulireki

The exit of the ride leads us directly to Tulireki: a Mack Rides E-Motion Coaster. The prototype coaster is a rocking sensation, as the ride vehicle can rock forwards and backwards, as well as sideways. Nowadays, only the sideways rocking remains.

The ride starts immediately after a short curve with the incline of the very steep lift. At the top, we can enjoy the view onto Helsinki during our race through the gentle serpentine curves. After the first block brake we quickly head downwards in the largest drop of the ride. The following incline leads us into a spiral before we change direction at a lofty height. A downward leading curve to the left quickly goes over into a curve to the right and then into the second brake section of the ride. We continue our journey on Tulireki with a shallow downward leading curve to the left into a upwards leading curve to the right. Shortly thereafter we find ourselves in the final brake of the ride.

Tulireki is a fun little coaster when you are sitting in the front row on the vehicle, otherwise the ride can be very bumpy and not as satisfying. The ride system was a good trial, but it did not work out as expected.

Taiga

Right next door, you could ride the water coaster Vonkaputous by Premier Rides till the end of the 2017 season. Nowadays, this space is used for Taiga, the large Intamin LSM launch coaster which dominates Linnanmäki since June 2019.

The ride on Taiga starts with a launch into the first inversion. This is basically an oversized corkscrew, whereby the entrance to the element is initiated by a twist to the right while climbing a hill. According to the roller coaster database (rcdb.com) this element is a Zero-G Winder. With a lot of momentum, we now race through the valley and swivel over hill and dale in a large curve to the right. On the crest of a hill, we quickly change direction and race along the ground. After another change of direction, the second launch section is reached, and we accelerate towards the next element: a 52m Top Hat.

With an awesome view onto the city of Helsinki we now dive down towards the powered coaster Pikajuna. In an inverted airtime hill, we now cross the roller coaster Tulireki and experience a moment of pure joy before turning towards the ground again. In the next valley, we reach our top speed of 106 kph. After flying over a bunny hop, we head upwards and change direction in an Immelmann. Hereafter, we climb a left-hand bend into an s-hill followed by a right-hand turn. At a lower speed, we now swivel a bit from left to right, before plunging down to the ground for one more time. In an airtime hill, we enter an inclining left-hand curve, which releases us into the final inversion of the ride: a heartline roll. One last right-hand bend then leads us into the brakes and shortly thereafter the ride comes to an end.

Taiga is awesome. This coaster is simply terrific, and the layout is just perfect. Intamin did an incredibly good job by giving its masterpiece from Phantasialand some new elements and include a bunch of outstanding inversion.

Pictures Linnanmäki

Conclusion Linnanmäki

Linnanmäki is a great amusement park and one of the best Tivoli, I visited so far. The atmosphere within the park is great and the attractions are amazing. You simply cannot have a better day in an amusement park while supporting a large child welfare foundation at the same time. You are doing something good while having fun and that is something you will not find that often.

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Linnanmäki

The Six Flags of Texas

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The History of Six Flags

If we want to talk about the big chains in the amusement park industry, we have to talk about Six Flags and there is no better place to start than Six Flags Over Texas. The park in Arlington nearby Dallas opened its doors in 1961 after a short planning phase of just two years. The real estate developer Angus G. Wynne, Jr. wanted a park like the just opened Californian amusement park Disneyland in his home state of Texas.  The initial idea of the park was to show Texas under six flags – the title quickly changed to Six Flags Over Texas, as Texas can’t be under anything. The six flags represent the six nations that have governed Texas during its history: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States of America, and the Confederate States of America.

Interestingly, the park was never intended to last for long. With more than 8000 visitors on the first day of operation, Six Flags Over Texas was an initial success and was set to stay. With the investment of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad two more parks (Six Flags Over Georgia (1967) and Six Flags Over Mid-America (1971)) were constructed. In the following years Six Flags continued to grow by acquiring independent parks such as AstroWorld (1975), Great Adventure (1977) and Magic Mountain (1979). With the acquisition of Marriott’s Great America in Gurnee (1984), Six Flags obtained the rights to use the Looney Tunes characters by Time Warner.

In 1982 the Oklahoma based real estate company Tierco Group bought the theme park Frontier City. Plans for converting the park into a shopping centre quickly dropped due to an oil bust in Oklahoma City. By investing into the park and new family-friendly rides, the popularity increased. In 1992 Tierco acquired the Maryland based Wild World (now Six Flags America) and changed its name to Premier Parks. In 1995 Premier Parks acquired Funtime, Inc and their properties Geauga Lake, Wyandot Lake, Darien Lake and Lake Compounce. A year after, Elitch Gardens, Great Escape, River Side Park (now Six Flags New England) and the Waterworld USA parks were bought, while Lake Compounce was sold to Kennywood. In 1997, Premier purchased Kentucky Kingdom and Marine World (now Six Flags Discovery Kingdom). During the same time, Premier Parks agreed to buy 94% of the European Walibi Group, adding six more parks to the portfolio.

Six Flags being perfectly stable was sold to Premier Parks in 1998. Premier Parks continued its rapid growth by acquiring the German theme park Warner Bros. Movie World (now Movie Park Germany), the Mexican Reino Aventura (now Six Flags Mexico) and taking over a small share in the upcoming major theme park project Warner Bros. Movie World Madrid (now Parque Warner Madrid). It’s no surprise, that the European Division didn’t last for long. The increasing depts lead to the parks being sold to Palamon Capital Partners in 2004. Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (Geauga Lake) was sold to Cedar Fair, which led to its closure some years later. Six Flags Astro World was sold and cleared due to its real estate value but did not even made half of it and Six Flags New Orleans was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. Six Flags now fighting was hardly stroked by the financial crisis of 2007/08, which led to the reconstruction of the company.

Nowadays, Six Flags doesn’t grow as rapidly. Since this year the theme parks Frontier City and Darien Lake are back under Six Flags. A park in China will be licenced with the Six Flags name and the project of Six Flags Dubai has been finally cancelled.

Six Flags Over Texas

After this small history lesson, it is time to move on. I think you can understand the importance of this true giant in the amusement park industry. Although, I already visited all of the former Six Flags parks in Europe, my first visit to an actual Six Flags park was always intentioned to be at Six Flags Over Texas. Therefore, I looked forward to my visit for quite a long time.

After a short night in Wichita Falls, I drove all the way to Arlington and ended up spending quite some time in a traffic jam because of a giant interstate/turnpike road work. With best views of the Shock Wave roller coaster and the observation tower Oil Derrick, the anticipation of the visit changed to steadily into despair. It didn’t help that all the other roads towards the park were congested as well. With a fantastic view on Judge Roy Scream, I finally arrived at the parking. Due to my Six Flags membership, I did not have to pay for parking, which is a good thing regarding the parking fees at most of the American theme parks. After a while, I found a parking spot at the rear part of the parking lot.

When walking towards the entrance, I admired the view on Titan, the biggest roller coaster of the park, and their cool bobsled coaster La Vibora. After standing in line for the security control for quite a while, I realised that I’ve left my wallet in my car. After a ten-minute walk back and forth, I was finally ready for my visit at Six Flags Over Texas. By scanning my voucher at the entrance and after a picture has been taken, I quickly had my membership card in my hands. The included member bottle for unlimited soft drinks could be picked up at the membership office, but the line was way to long to even consider it.

Stepping into the park you find yourself on a small plaza. From here you could begin your journey clockwise and counter-clockwise. You could also take a ride on the Silver Star Carousel which is located slightly above the plaza.

Conquisador and El Aserradero

We start our journey in the clockwise direction, where we immediately find the Spanish theme area. The signature coaster of this area showed a rather long line and the beautiful swing boat ride Conquisador was down due to the construction on the Larson Giant Loop El Diablo Looping Coaster. Therefore, we moved on to the parks log flume El Aserradero.

El Asseradero was the first log flume ever build. Back in 1963 Arrow Development has created a new kind of ride, which quickly became the most desired attraction in every theme park around the globe. In Germany, the manufacturer Mack licenced the patent of Arrow to build the log flumes for the European market. Log flumes were everywhere. Some years after the first installation, the capacity of the ride was enhanced by building another one right next to the first one. Nowadays, the second flume is the one being in operation. Till 2019, the first log flume was used on crowded days. The remaining ride features a lot of curves and just one drop at the end of the ride. Unluckily, the ride was not in operation during my visit.

Oil Derrick

Following the pathways through the older section of the park, we quickly encounter the almighty Oil Derrick. This observation tower is one of the first projects of the ride manufacturer Intamin and features a great view at Six Flags Over Texas, the water park Hurricane Harbour in the distance and the surrounding area. Unluckily, due to strong winds the tower did not operated most of the day of my visit. It opened in the late evening and I had to rush to get a ride on the bobsleigh coaster La Vibora before the park’s closure.

Shock Wave

Just behind the shiny tower, which just got a new coat of paint last year, you can find the entrance to the legendary roller coaster Shock Wave. This Schwarzkopf classic was the first roller coaster being constructed in regard of the heart line. This all new concept allowed for smoother ride for the ride passengers as their hearts would not experience any abrupt motion nor high lateral G-Forces. Due to this change, steeper curves and other manoeuvres were possible.

Nowadays, Shock Wave does look quite tame from the outside. The rides significant loops were placed right next to the interstate and feature a nice advertisement to the park, but apart from that the layout does not offer anything special. To be honest, this is true for most of the rides being build in the 70’s – but Shock Wave is indeed the perfect coaster.

After climbing the lift hill the train quickly gathers some speed before the big drop. Without any merci we quickly run over the hilltop and shoot down to gather some speed for the two inversions. Forcefully as always, the world keeps on turning upside down till we climb the next hill. Up here, we take another turn before we drop down once again. With a significant amount of negative G-Forces we are pulled out of our seats immediately. Back in the valley we experience very high positive G-forces. This delta of forces speaks for the ride. With a big smile on the face, we quickly pass through another curve above the station, before the game of G-Forces repeats itself several times. After a short lefthand curve, a descending straight and a very long righthand curve, we quickly approach the brake run of the ride. Shortly thereafter, the ride is done.

Shock Wave is a great coaster full of speed, powerful inversions, great ejector airtime and high positive G-Forces. The ride is just perfect, which should not come by surprise as this ride has been built by the famous ride manufacturer Schwarzkopf based in Münsterhausen, Germany (nowadays the site of Gerstlauer Amusement Rides). Although we basically invented the modern vertical loop, we always thought of an American invention. The world is rather strange.

Roaring Rapids, Caddo Lake Barge and Superman Tower of Power

After the brilliant ride of the Shock Wave and the great weather I wanted to cool down a little bit. Unfortunately, the big Intamin rapid ride Roaring Rapids just had a break down when I passed by. The ride itself does not offer anything special, apart of the loading system which uses two parallel stations and therefore requires two lift hills right next to each other.

Passing by the beautiful looking Zamperla Rockin’ Tug Caddo Lake Barge, I quickly hopped on a ride of the Superman Tower of Power, which offered a great view at the park and a hint of airtime. Apart of the massive tower, the ride does not fit in greatly. The theme is negligible and looks rather off. Especially since the DC universe part of the park is located at a different corner of the park.

Runaway Mine Train

The roller coaster Runaway Mine Train certainly looks better. The second oldest roller coaster based on tubular steel pipes does a great job. It is the first true mine train roller coaster and defined every element still being popular on modern roller coasters of this type of ride.

After boarding the ride, the operator wishes us fun on a mine train of one of the Six Flags parks before releasing the train. This is kind of geeky, but I had my fun. The ride starts with a small lefthand curve out of the station. After passing the transfer track, the first lift hill is reached. Arrived at the top, the ride builds up some speed during a descent of alternating left- and righthand curves. When passing by the roller coaster Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast the train crosses a hill and dives into a helix. This is followed by a wild ride over hill and dale, which also passes through a tunnel. After another curve, the second lift hill is reached.

After a short hill climb, the track starts its very flat descent. It basically takes a while passing some right and left turns and lots of straight track until the train gets some speed. After passing a building and a righthand curve, the third lift hill is reached.  Things reach their climax when we pass through a saloon and dive directly into a tunnel. This is were we hit the last curve before we reach the brake run of the ride.

The Runaway Mine Train is a fantastic family coaster. The ride is not fast nor high, but it delivers many great moments of pure fun. The wacky and way to narrow curves, the small hills and the tunnels all come together for a complete roller coaster package, which somehow looks kind of odd when seeing onride footages of the ride. For me, the ride was a complete surprise and one of the best roller coasters of the park.

Mini Mine Train

Therefore, it doesn’t surprise me that the Runaway Mine Train was a complete hit among the park visitors. Many similar rides where build in a similar fashion in parks all around America in the following years. Due to its popularity, Six Flags Over Texas even built a smaller version of the ride right next door: The Mini Mine Train.

While the name of the roller coaster is not really creative, the ride certainly is. Even though it looks kind of unremarkable from the outside. After climbing the lift hill, the ride starts with a small and flat descent into a left turn. After a short straight the train then enters a tunnel followed by a small righthand curve. When leaving the tunnel, the ride surprises by one of the best views onto the roller coaster Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast you could ever imagine. This moment is simply amazing, especially at night. After a small drop and another tunnel and passing through another curve the train quickly crosses over a hill and dives into the final curve of the ride before it reaches the brake run. Although, the ride is a rather short one, it is a fun one as well and should not be missed.

The Gunslinger and Mr. Freeze

Passing by the wave swinger The Gunslinger, we quickly change the theme when entering Gotham City. Here we find a lot of rides allocated to the dark knight and his villains. This area was expended in the last years, but it surprisingly started by the launch of the LIM Shuttle Loop Coaster Mr. Freeze in 1998 by Premier Rides.

Initially the trains were launched with the riders facing forward. Interestingly, the ride featured over the shoulder restrains for the first years until they got removed on all the Premier Rides installations in all the Six Flags parks back in 2002. The second big change happened during the year 2012 when the trains got rotated to face the first half of the ride backwards. A change that was set to stay, as it enhances the ride experience like nothing else.

Being launched backwards is kind of an amazing feeling, as there is only the lap bar to be pushed in rather the whole back of your seat. After reaching full speed the train quickly climbs the inside Top Hat element, where the riders experience an intense upside-down moment before falling to the ground. With full speed a large steep turn is being taken before the train climbs the vertical spike at the end of the ride. The train is now pushed upwards by linear induction motors in order to have enough energy to be able to finish the cycle. At the same time, the riders are experience a great moment of pure weightlessness by facing ground forward. Back on the ground the train takes the large turn once again and climbs back into the Top Hat, where it just passes it without getting stuck upside down. Soon after, the train slows down on the launch track. When entering the station, the train then get transferred to the loading position.

Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast is a heck of a ride. The ride is extremely intense and features many great moments. The inside Top Hat is simply amazing and the vertical Spike at the end of the ride is just awesome when facing to the ground. Unfortunately, the ride is also kind of shaky. I’m glad to not have experienced this ride with over the shoulder harnesses, as it is simply not a smooth ride. The whole experience is great, but it also could be better at the same time. Nevertheless, Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast is one of the most intense roller coasters I’ve been on.

Batman: The Ride

Seven years after the first Batman: The ride was built in Six Flags Great America and another copy was already established in Texas, the dark knight finally found its place in Six Flags Over Texas in 1999.

After climbing the lift hill, a pre-drop awaits its passengers before the train finally plunges down the first drop in a steep turn. When passing the valley high G-Forces awaits the passengers before entering the first loop. In the twinkling of an eye the second inversion, a Zero-G Roll, is taken. Another loop follows. The blood pressure in your feet suddenly increases when passing through an upward helix and a straight section of the ride. Without merci, we drop down toward the ground level, whereupon the first corkscrew awaits. This element is just pure madness when riding in the back of the train, as the acceleration suddenly changes. After a short righthand turn, the second corkscrew is taken. This is followed by a left turn into the brake run.

Batman: The ride is still one of the best inverted roller coasters out there. The ride offers an intense ride layout with a lot of positive G-Forces on a rather small footprint. Apart of the theming, the ride experience does not vary between the different installations, which is a good sign. Due to the more immersive experience I prefer Batman: Arkham Asylum in Parque Warner Madrid but this is just personal taste.

The flat rides of Gotham City

Passing by the Telecombat Batflyer, we quickly enter the new part of Gotham City where most of the other villains found their home and got some great amusement rides. Personally, I don’t like this area as all the rides were just placed on a big concrete filled place with no theme at all. The rides themselves are solid. Catwoman Whip is a Zamperla Endeavor and therefore a fancy enterprise style ride, which HUSS would like to sell to somebody someday. Riddler Revenge is a Giant Discovery – also by Zamperla – and therefore automatically a good ride, which at some day was the biggest one of its kind. Harley Quinn Spinsanity however was once a HUSS Troika and is now an ABC Rides Tourbillion (the name is great, so why not keep it) which I would like to have tested. This new kind of multiaxial Top Spin ride was down on the day of my visit.

The Joker

The last ride being left in this area is the S&S Free Spin roller coaster The Joker. After riding the similar roller coaster Arashi at the Japanese theme park Nagashima Spa Land I was not looking forward for a ride on The Joker, as the ride was uncomfortable and rather boring. I nearly skipped it. As I’m also a curious person, I wanted to make sure that my feelings regarding this type of ride were right.

As a single rider, I met a nice woman and had a great chat with her before boarding. Whilst on the ride, our vehicle flipped itself over a dozen of times offering a ride of a lifetime. At the end of the ride, we were rushed by all the adrenalin pumped into our body and left the ride with a big smile on our faces. It is hard to say that the marble run roller coaster The Joker could not convince me. The ride is epic!

Aquaman Splash Down, Texas Sky Screamer and Judge Roy Scream

Do you remember the roller coaster we saw just when entering the parking lot? Well, I nearly missed it as I couldn’t find the entrance to it. Even a look on the map does not really help you out, as there is only a small sign above a small tunnel which gives you a hint where the roller coaster is located. If you are coming from Gotham City and passes by the now demolished Shoot the Chutes Aquaman Splash Down you already missed it. It is easier if you just want to take a ride on the giant Funtime Star Flyer Texas Sky Screamer, as the entrance to Judge Roy Scream is right next to it.

The roller coaster with the unusual name is named after Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. better known as the justice of the peace (Judge) Roy Bean. Back in the days, Judge Roy Bean used his saloon as a court and officially sentences two man to death by hanging, one of them escaped. In Western movies he is usually referred as the hanging judge; what a pleasant theme for a family roller coaster, isn’t it?

Nevertheless, the name is creative and original. The layout of the ride on the other hand is quite normal for an Out & Back Woody. After the climb and the first drop, the train runs over a series of airtime hills before turning in a large curve at the other end of the ride. The return itself also features a bunch of smaller hills, which indeed makes it a perfect family roller coaster.

After I finally found the entrance to the ride, I really enjoyed my rides on Judge Roy Scream. It is not the perfect airtime machine, but it is a classical wooden roller coaster offering a lot of great moments. During my last rides on the Judge, I was sitting next to a small boy who could otherwise not ride alone. He reported me everything about his visit and his family in just around 3 minutes in a deep southern accent. This pretty much made my day 😊.

Pandemonium

Another interesting encounter happened at the Gerstlauer Spinning Coaster Pandemonium, where an employee immediately identified by Dragon Khan shirt and asked me some questions about Port Aventura, as he planned a coaster trip during the summer. I ended up recommending him the fast pass of the park, as Port Aventura truly isn’t any fun without.

After climbing to the top of the lift, the ride immediately starts with a curvy drop which sets the cars into rotation. Two small hairpin curves then enhance the spin before two helices in style of a figure eight are taken along. After a small drop, a large Bayernkurve follows. With a good spin, a larger drop follows with a funny camelback hill right after. A final upward helix joins in, before the brakes are being hit and the funny ride comes to its end.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and Looney Tunes Boom Town

Passing by the extraordinary dark ride Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and the rather ugly kids area Looney Tunes Boom Town with its coaster Wile E. Coyote’s Grand Canyon Blaster – which I have not tested – we quickly make our way to the other side of the park where La Vibora still needs to be tested.

La Vibora

As a big fan of the now demolished Bobbaan of the dutch theme park Efteling, I was looking forward for my ride on La Vibora. Even in Roller Coaster Tycoon 2, the ride was one of my favourites to be placed in every scenario where possible due to its beautiful looking alternating colour scheme resembling the German flag.

After reaching the top of the lift hill, the train rapidly descent in a right bend. The valley is driven through with an absurd force with the first change of direction directly following. A helix then leads you up into the first brake run. Another curvy drop follows and leads you into another powerful valley. A swinging S-curve combination adds itself and leads you into the second block brake run. This game now repeats itself in the same brilliant manner. After the third and final block brake, the train swipes down a lefthand curve and into the final upward helix. Shortly thereafter, the brake run of the ride is reached.

La Vibora is an extraordinary coaster. Due to its train design (it features the trains used on the Bob in Efteling before its change to the two-seater rows) the ride is even wilder than I could ever imagine. This train design adds a lot to the thrills, as you are always in fear to fall over. The rest of the ride is quite forceful and offers a great and fun experience. Thanks, Six Flags Over Texas for keeping this ride alive.

Runaway Mountain

In search of the roller coaster Runaway Mountain we pass by basically every corner of the old section of the park. At our way we meet the HUSS break dance Rodeo and the Chance Trabant El Sombrero, but don’t bother a ride. Finally, we stand in front of a giant and impressively decorated rock face covering the hall of the park’s only indoor roller coaster.

Runaway Mountain is basically a copycat of the Italian coaster model Hurricane by S.D.C. build by Premier Rides in 1996. It therefore features a rather compact layout with a very interesting element in the middle of the ride. As the hall is not perfectly dark and no theming elements can be found within the cave, let’s focus on the ride’s layout.

Right after climbing the lift hill, the train takes a gentle descent in a left turn and runs over a small hill. On the other side of the ride the train gains some height before plunging down the big drop. After an uphill curve, a very steep drop follows quite surprisingly. In the same motion an even steeper ascent adheres twisting the riders like crazy. After a small even section, the train takes a downhill helix into a small drop. Another helix at the other side of the rides acts like the grand finale of the ride before the brake run is reached and the fun ride comes to an end.

New Texas Giant

As everything is bigger in Texas, it doesn’t come by surprise that the park featured once the biggest wooden roller coaster on earth. The ride was massive and although it had a brilliant reputation during the first seasons, the ride’s comfort got worse with time. The construction company Rocky Mountain Construction just provided a new solution for typical wooden roller coaster problems and Six Flags Over Texas was pleased to try it out. The rest of the story is coaster history and led to one of the biggest success stories in the amusement park industry. RMC was set to stay and to become a market leader.

Due to technical difficulties, the New Texas Giant was the only ride in the park running with one train only which led to a waiting time of around two hours. It did not help, that the team working on the roller coaster was not in their best mood and worked rather slow. Overall, the New Texas Giant was the only roller coaster in the park with dispatching times of up to six minutes. Apart of the many downtimes on the day of my visit, every other ride did very well.

After finally taken my place at the back of the train, the ride is about to start. After a small turnover at the end of the transfer track we reach the ride’s lift hill. At a height of 153 ft (~47m) we suddenly fall down a fantastic 79° drop. With full speed we jump over a hill and continue our way upwards in a long and heavily banked curve. At the peak of the hill we take another drop down. In the same manner as the first hill, we bank ourselves sideways in the upcoming hill before falling back to the ground. Once again with full speed we climb a slightly overbanked turn before flying over a small hill after which we hit the first brake run.

Without losing any speed, we drop back into the action by flying over a series of airtime hills towards the other side of the ride. Next to the final brake run and the station, we surpass the rides support structure in a curve at ground level after which we continue our way through out another series of airtime hills. Suddenly we enter three tunnels in a row, each having their own dips and turns. Back into sunlight, we pass over another two airtime hills before we reach the final brake run of the ride.

The roller coaster New Texas Giant is a surprisingly tame RMC coaster providing a pleasant re-rideability to the overall madness experience. All the hills offer an excellent floating airtime, which lets you fly over each of the countless camelbacks and bumps. The first drop is brilliant, and the large curves provides a good feeling of pacing. You simply can’t do anything wrong when boarding this great ride.

Titan

Passing by the Scrambler Sidewinder, we quickly encounter the last ride of Six Flags Over Texas we need to talk about: the almighty Titan. One year after Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain was being build, a bigger roller coaster had to come to Six Flags Over Texas. It is the second hyper coaster ever built by Giovanola (former subcontractor of Intamin and B&M) and the last out of the three coasters built by the company before going bankrupt.

After riding the New Texas Giant, I was kind of worried about the dispatch of the biggest roller coaster of Six Flags Over Texas, but I was wrong. Apart of a small down time, the line moved surprisingly quick. Every now and then, a train left the station and it didn’t take long until I could ride it in the back of the train.

Leaving the station, the train takes a right turn whereupon we hit the lift hill of the ride. When reaching a height of 245ft (~ 75m) the train starts its long and amazing descent into a tunnel leading to an overall height difference of 255ft (~78m). With a speed of 85 mph (~137kph) the train head upwards into an impressive looking overbanked turn. After completing the turn, the train heads down another drop which is followed by a fantastic airtime hill. A long ascent then leads into a forceful upward helix. At the end of the helix, the train hits the mid-course brake run and got slowed down to near standstill.

The train continues its journey in a slow pace, before it finally gets some speed in a hard left turn. In a fluent motion, the train changes its direction and we drop down towards the ground level. This is followed by a powerful and insane 585° helix. Then, the track turns upwards and banks to the left. After another powerful valley, the train takes an ascending right turn which leads us into the final brake run of the ride.

What a ride! Titan is a beast of a roller coaster. It is forceful, fast and perfectly paced. I cannot even describe how much I admire this roller coaster, as it jumped directly into the Top 10 of my favourite roller coasters. It is by far the best hyper coaster, I’ve ever ridden. Man, I love this ride. Unluckily, I could only ride it twice in a row. But there will be a next time in Six Flags Over Texas and I’m already looking forward for some more rides on the Titan.

Pictures Six Flags Over Texas

Conclusion Six Flags Over Texas

Although my first impressions of Six Flags Over Texas were flawed by the many down times during the first half of my visit, I managed to get all the rides I wanted to ride. Especially in the late evening, I could ride a lot of rides without any big waiting times. Overall, I really enjoyed the park. It has a lot of charming places and a bunch of great rides. While Six Flags Over Texas is not a flawless park, it tries its best to be one. Therefore, I’m looking forward to my next visit. Your new for 2020 roller coaster could be a reason, as Pulsar of Walibi Belgium (ex Six Flags Belgium) is a blast of a ride.

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Six Flags Over Texas / Texas Round-Up Day 2