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Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG) Discussion Thread


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It's a catchphrase from a sketch on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

 

 

No idea who Kool Moe Dee is.

And by me going a different direction with it and sarcastically posting the video I did, now you do....I think.

 

 

Anyway, back on topic....SFOG is 45 and stuff. Yay!

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I'm sure at least one member on this board has an idea, but I am sure he wont tell you anything.

 

Basically, it is too early for anything concrete to be out there yet. I would look for something late summer/early fall.

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And maybe an expansion to Skull Island

 

 

Anyway, Just got back like 2 hours ago. Rode the following (In the best order I can remember)

 

Georgia Cyclone

Goliath

Dare Devil Dive

Georgia Scorcher

Mine Train

Wile E. Coyote's Canyon Blaster

Monster Mansion

Superman

Great American Scream Machine

Ninja

Thunder River

Mind Bender (300th Coaster!)

Batman The Ride

Train

Sky Buckets

Hanson Cars

Riverview Carousel

Acrophobia

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How were operations? It looks like you got everything in the park that's not kiddie central. I'm assuming you got a Flash Pass.

 

 

Yes, I got a Platinum Flash Pass.

Some Rides were better operated than others. The rapids were horrible with capacity. Flash Pass Isn't perfect due to DDD.

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Next was Georgia Cyclone. First the Good…. I actually enjoyed this ride. I sat in the last car and I was out of my seat on every drop. I was pleasantly surprised with the "OMG Im going to fall out" effect that it had on me.

 

Next was Ninja, just because! No line so why not. I knew immediately by the short line that this was probably going to be like Ninja at SFStl, a Head Banger? Who made this ride? Even the riders who were leaving train as I boarded said "Don't do it"... but hey I knew to push my head firmly back against the head rest... problem was, the headrest are not tall at all so there was hardly any padding to press my headed against. All in all, I was able to manage a ride with ZERO head banging. That’s what you call skill lol! However, other weren’t as fortunate. Good thing the noodles keep you from putting your hands up because there are some serious head choppers on this ride.

 

Superman Ultimate Flights... DO nothing for me... so it was a big skip (which I regret because I would've been able to say that I've been on all the S:UF clones in US but I'm not a credit whore). We rushed to catch the Illuminate show but, the line was so long, the show filled up before we got anywhere close to the door. That's ok, we planned to catch the last showing of the day.

 

 

Georgia's take on the Cyclone is the best of the bunch for me, original included. Wish I could have done Astroworld's- I've only read good things about it. Shame.

I agree with what your impression of Ninja. Great layout, good forces, nice location. Can't say I've had one of those fabled torturous rides on it.

As for Georgia's Superman, I think it's the best of the 3 Six Flags operates- purely because it's somewhat suited to the terrain. It's not saying much though- it's still like having to choose between swine flu, avian flu, and SARS.

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I'm so glad to hear the park has invested in the Cyclone. Even if it's not 'traditional woodie' track, I'm all for whatever makes it a better ride. The last 2 times I was there (2011, 2007) it was awful. I mean, had to "hold myself up out of the seat to prevent injury" awful. Not to mention so slow that the train was falling "inward" on each curve.

 

Mmmm... a brand new 1990 Georgia Cyclone. I ranked at number 2 between Timberwolf and Texas Giant in my "top 10." (You know your a coaster geek when you have a "top 10.") Those 3 woodies were incredible when they were new but deteriorated and were neutered very quickly; the Six Flags models had brakes within the first 2 weeks of operation and track re-profiling within the first 2 years. I'm very lucky to have experienced them new. *If I could only go back in time and knew just how darn good I had it!*

 

Look at the *snap* at the top of this drop. From the new pictures I have seen, it looks like Rocky Mountain has tried to re-create this killer drop; it was neutered to a more parabolic shape around 92 or 93 (The Texas Cyclone had a similar re-profile in the late 80s):

 

479697_200135746778732_1580243296_n.jpg

 

This 6th drop (the "Post Turn" on the Texas Cyclone) was probably the most deadly part of the ride. It was leveled out within a couple years:

 

599322_200135823445391_1689543692_n.jpg

 

This dip was later removed in favor of more braking space, which the ride really did need:

 

283672_200135693445404_325558843_n.jpg

 

One of my favorite coasters - #1 steel coaster for me, hands down:

 

182545_200135900112050_672459709_n.jpg

 

I don't care how cheezy/70s this sign loops, I still love it - I also had the shirt and magnet, and pretty much anything with Mind Bender on it:

 

598474_200135926778714_2030780610_n.jpg

 

See, Mind Bender *really did* run 3 trains. They were originally all grey/silver with a rainbow stripe, but later received a metallic tan paint job - then a different color stripe for each train - Red, Orange and Yellow. I showed these pictures to a friend a while back after finally scanning them in - we had argued that the ride never ran 3 trains. So I showed him this and he was still like "well.. I haven't decided if that red train is really red... it maybe the orange train in bad lighting..." haha! So I'm not here to prove anything, I learned that:

 

552930_200135946778712_77777234_n.jpg

 

598794_200135986778708_1098517167_n.jpg

 

In this picture, you can see the Mind Bender viewing deck that was off the parking lot:

 

484185_200136173445356_1945559798_n.jpg

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Beautiful shots of Mindbender- some of the best I've seen so far.

 

Re: Mindbender's trains:

 

The twin Heartlinelooping coasters were designed for five train operation- as were any of the large-scale custom site looping coasters from the ground up. However, only one of the four customs had more than three trains: Revolution at SFMM. Three trains was the norm for the Heartlinelooping twins, and reasonably speaking, these are more than enough. Although two is now 'standard' on both of them, I'd love to see them return to three train ops in the future.

 

Being that Gerstlauer is now in the new train business, I could see in the future three new trains being delivered to both ShockWave and Mindbender. It would be good to see both of them running three trains as normal, and return them to the crowd-monster capacity eaters they can be!

 

R.D.

Praise be to Anton, Amen.

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Gorgeous photos of the best Anton, hands down! I remember the old school trains and how cool they looked back then. Thanks for sharing! I really wish I could find online the 1978 Mind Bender TV commercial featuring the knight riding it which I believe turned out to be a kid when he raised his helmet. It was amazing! Surely someone in the old school SFOG management has it.

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I don't think that Mindbender ever operated 3 trains. I do believe it had 3 though, and more recently, it got a train from Astroworld after the park closed (but I think that was strictly for parts).

 

Honestly, a third train wouldn't be necessary. Even their best operations couldn't enable them to run all 3 without backing up - can you imagine having to wait before the second vertical loop while the previous train is waiting for the station to clear

 

Georgia's take on the Cyclone is the best of the bunch for me, original included. Wish I could have done Astroworld's- I've only read good things about it. Shame.

I felt the 2 were pretty similar.

 

I actually like Viper the best, though I'm under the impression that its hit-or-miss.

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My gosh!! I love the Georgia Cyclone despite how rough it is, but I had no idea that it was that extreme of a ride when it first opened! Six Flags listen up! It would be great if the GA Cyclone was restored to its former glory using the topper track on the rest of the track to better handle the forces of the original layout.

Also, I love the retro Mind Bender pictures. I'm old enough to remember seeing the Mind Bender with its brown and beige paint job and thinking it was one of the coolest looking coasters out there.

Thanks for these pics!

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Honestly, a third train wouldn't be necessary. Even their best operations couldn't enable them to run all 3 without backing up - can you imagine having to wait before the second vertical loop while the previous train is waiting for the station to clear

 

Mindbender, like her sister ShockWave, has three train blocking for the station area. As in: they can/would stack three trains at the platform without any issues. Schwarzkopf designed it that way- as He did with all of the large-scale coasters in His arsenal.

 

If Mindbender were operated at normal 'full' capacity (45 second dispatch, normal ops), three trains would be a breeze to do. Same thing with ShockWave: The rides are inherently built to handle these ops. I don't bash SFoG for doing two trains- if they feel it is necessary to do so, good for them. I'd love to see three trains again, as Schwarzkopf designed it to be.

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Honestly, a third train wouldn't be necessary. Even their best operations couldn't enable them to run all 3 without backing up - can you imagine having to wait before the second vertical loop while the previous train is waiting for the station to clear

 

 

The ride is blocked for 4 trains, actually. As QueerRudie previously mentioned, those Anton coasters were built for 5 trains each. Revolution ran 5 (that I definitely know of) but actually had 6 until at least the 80s.

 

There is more than enough time on Mind Bender for 3 to operate - but NOT how the ride (or most rides at most big parks - especially Six Flags parks) is operated. Remember the days when people took their bags, stuffed animals, etc., on rides. No air gates. Ride operators rarely touched a lap bar back then... Only after the 1987 incident at Great Adventure did lap bars have to be checked physically by ride ops. Before then, It was very rarely more than a visual check.

 

Ride operations (I am not complaining, I am stating a very clear fact) are probably 50% as efficient as they used to be - even into the 80s. Trains stack at Six Flags Over Georgia faster than pancakes at the Waffle House across the street. "It is what it is."

 

Playing the "Six Flags does the best they can"/Devil's Advocate - 2 trains are just fine for Mind Bender. But the operation is still poor efficiency-wise on a busy day. Six Flags now capitalizes off said inefficiency with "Flash Pass."

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