SFZIP

One factor as to why when The Hannibarrels broke it was dead for good, is that there were not that many Intamin Drunken Barrel rides made, the only two other Six Flags parks to have them were Six Flags Magic Mountain and Six Flags Over Georgia, there were other parks that had them, but they were pretty rare.

If you want an interesting look at the Hannibarrels go here, not very many people have ever seen this view and it looks a lot different today without any sign that the ride ever existed at the park.

Let's just say I know, also the food and merchandise changes have been on the new website since it was put up, so it's not really some unknown news, if you want to dig into the details.

With 10 weeks to go until opening day here is a little park update...ground work (basically plumbing) is going on for Tsunami Soaker (all of the Hannibarrels, all of the facade around the ride and the Airbrush shop that was next to the ride across from Outpost are all completely gone). I don't believe that any of the ride is at the park yet and I wouldn't expect the ride to open until sometime in May (what the planned opening day is I don't know). Other changes happening for 2014 include - J.B.'s Sports Bar and Grill is replacing Villain's Cafe next to Mr. Freeze, menu should be basically the same, but the restaurant will contain a lot of TVs, a full bar and a complete decor change (see what SFNE, SFGAm. and other SF parks have already done). Looney Tunes Main Street Market (big main shop located in front mall) is being remodeled/updated. Most of the other park changes have to do with admissions and have already been discussed before.

There are a few anniversaries in the park in 2014 - Wahoo Racer celebrates 5 years, Hurricane Harbor will be 15 years old and Ninja will have been at the park for 25 years this year (oh, and Boomerang turns 25 also, sorry I mean 1 ). Some useless facts about Ninja - The ride originally operated for 6 months in 1986 at Expo '86, in Vancouver Canada; Ninja was designed by Arrow Dynamics, but Vekoma was who built the ride after Arrow went bankrupt; Ninja has 3 trains, I don't think that it has ever run three trains at once here and I don't know if it's even possible; Ninja was originally red (track) and white (supports), it was repainted to it's current black/grey colors in 1998 with intention on being re-themed (rumor was Penguin themed), but when Premier bought Six Flags the change didn't happen; Other name possibilities in 1989 besides Ninja were - Viper, Fury, Venom and The Grizzly. While looking back through the park's history I saw that you really shouldn't expect the park to get much on years that end in "4", because... in 1974 - the park got nothing in 1984 - Rail Blazer was the "new" ride, it only operated for about a month before the accident/fatality and operated for only a few months after; it might be the worst addition the park has ever made in it's history in 1994 - Hollywood came to Six Flags in the form of The Robin Hood Stunt Show, Police Academy Show, Warner Music Rock Revue and more (why this park is the only one, besides SFFT to never have a Batman Stunt show of any kind and got stuck with the Robin Hood show instead I'll never understand) in 2004 - the park got nothing in 2014 - Tsunami Soaker is actually the only new ride ever added in a year that ends in "4" in the parks history

The Screamin' Eagle ran backwards in 1994, but I believe that the ride was re-profiled before that, maybe when the ride got it's new (current) trains in 1990?

When the Rail Blazer opened it had a belt that went from the knee bar to the bottom of the shoulder harness (see the picture a few pages back), after the accident it got waist seat belts and a bar on the outside so you couldn't fall out the side (like what had already happened), in the picture of EXT at WOF on the last page it has waist belts, did it always, since it went upside down or were they added after the accident at SFOMA?

The Rail Blazer has the shortest life span of any ride in the park's history, it opened on June 17, 1984, the accident (ejection) happened on July 7, then the ride was closed until mid August for modifications (including seat belts), then it operated the rest of the season, which by that time is basically just weekends only.

A kid has to 42" or above to ride any of the 9 coasters this park has, SFSL is the only Six Flags park that doesn't have a kids/family coaster, all the Cedar Fair parks have kids coasters and basically every other theme park in the country does. It's the most glaring hole in this parks roller coaster lineup, I understand why the park got ride of the old kiddie coaster, but the fact that in 6 years since it was removed (and two different corporate management teams) the park doesn't have a kiddie coaster is pathetic, it's even more sad that SFMM has four of them now.

There is no way the western facades are not coming down, if that was the case the Hannibarrels could have been removed years ago, maybe the park is going to carefully remove them to use them elsewhere? Since the facades are left over Time Warner theming it's actually quality themeing that likely wasn't cheap to put up back in the mid 90's.

The Hannibarrels were demolished today, a couple of pictures are up on the parks facebook page https://www.facebook.com/sixflagsstlouis, the Airbrush location that was next to ride is also gone.

Goliath at SFOG that opened in 2006, was purchased by Premier several years earlier when they were on their major roller coaster purchasing binge, it was intended to be built at SFSL sometime around 2002 or 2003, it was put on hold and never built until Premier decided to put in a bigger park when they were trying to save themeselves as a management team. American Thunder was in no way a replacement for the intended hypercoaster, Shapiro's management team was the one that purchased AT and from what I understand was not intended to be built at SFSL, which is why construction didn't start until around October, why the ride didn't open until June and why the Moon cars have the track layout it does. While it would make sense if there was a ride trade done late by SF corporate with SFSL and SFNE in 2008, which could be why SFNE never had the proper permits for The Dark Knight coaster and why the ride was never built there, I don't know if it's true or not that they were the park originally intended to get American Thunder.

The Boss almost always valleys between the second drop and the hill up to the brake run turnaround, it probably happens at least once every year.

There was serious talk of doing a Holiday In The Park event probably 5 years ago (under Shapiro), but the likelyhood of the event being successful (money maker) was not strong enough for corporate to ok anything. The chances of the current Six Flags corporate management adding HITP at SFSL is not very good, this park would need a whole lot bigger budget (for operations, maintenance and several other departments) that would go with the extended season, Six Flags current corporate management wants to spend as little as possible to keep the SF parks operating, so adding to the budget for the event is not something that is likely to happen. I personally don't think that there would ever be enough of an interest for HITP in St. Louis, the park relies very heavily on season passholders for their attendance and I don't think that season passholders would be enough to make the event a success, also with the drive-thru light display at the campground right next to the park, could the two events happen side-by-side and both be successful (probably not).

The park opening times for Fright Fest are 6:00 on Fridays and 12:00 (noon) on Saturday and Sunday.

Anybody going to Fright Fest should know that the attractions schedule is a little screwed up this year - On Fridays the park opens at 6:00 with Freaks Unleashed, but all of the haunted attractions (paid and free, except for Zombie Paintball which starts at 6:00 everyday) don't open until 7:45. On Saturday Freaks Unleashed is at 6:00, with none of the haunted attractions starting until 6:45 and on Sunday it's the same as Saturday (but the parks closes at 8:00 on Sunday, so the Fright Fest attractions are open for a whole 1:15 hours). Last year (and basically every year in the past) everything would open at 6:00 every night, but since the park is open for two hours longer this year (Midnight instead of 11:00) on Friday and Saturday, there likely had to be cuts made somewhere to keep within the corporate budgets and the cuts were to the Fright Fest attractions times. I may understand not opening the two outdoor mazes and the train until it's dark, but to not open anything until it's basically dark is really only something that Six Flags would do just to save some operating money.

Saturday's during Fright Fest are busy (as long as it doesn't rain), it will start off this weekend not real busy and then increase each weekend in October usually peaking on what this year will be the 4th or 5th Saturday (which will probably be in the top 5 attended days of the season, they usually are), but the majority of the attendance comes at night and not a Noon when the park opens, so if you go on a Saturday come early or expect large crowds.

Something in Insanity Alley (by Batman) caught fire, was not a big deal, but it was the second fire at the park this year in the middle of the night.

An old sun faded Thunder River boat that is stripped for parts (seats, etc.), there are a few of them used for the same thing. The extra surprise for Fright Fest 2013 is that SkyScreamer is running in reverse (backwards).

For unlimted one night entry to Slaughter House, Blind Fury, Total Darkness and Insanity Alley it is $15 (express is $25), prices are cheaper than last year. Zombie paintball is an extra upcharge seperate from the other four attractions, I don't know the final price, but I've heard $15.

With just 9 days until Fright Fest, everything is starting to come together, Fright Fest 2013 includes the following: Attractions - • The Slaughter House (extra charge) – in old Mine Train station house • Insanity Alley (extra charge) – outdoor maze behind Empire Theater • Blind Fury (extra charge) – outdoor maze in shade arbors • Total Darkness (extra charge) – inside Sound Stage No.2 • Zombie Paintball Apocalypse (extra charge) - hayride (enter by Tidal Wave) • Holidead Express (terror train) - enter/exit Bugs Bunny National Park station Shows - • Love At First Fright – at Palace Theater • Dead Man’s Party – Palace Porch • Freakout Circus (The Rotten Bros. freak show) – next to Sound Stage No. 2 • Freaks Unleashed (starts Fright by Night) – Palace Porch • Final Freakout (night show) {Friday and Saturday only} – Palace porch • Pyrogeist – DC Comics Plaza circle • Trick-or-Trance Hypnosis with Steve Daly – at Empire Theater Scare Areas - • Minions Of The Scare-O-Jack (with “Big Troll”) – front mall area • Zombieville – Old Chicago (Boomerang) area • Sinister Clowns – near Sound Stage No.2 • Spider Alley - Moon Cars/American Thunder area • Gnawlins’ Hollow - near exit of Log Flume area • The Seven Deadly Sins – St. Louis Train Station area • Gag Alley – near Calico’s For the kids - • Macabre Mansion (kids maze, story telling and more) – Miss Kitty’s/Calico’s area Also, there are survey markers around the Hannibarrels area, but I doubt that the ride will be removed before the end of the season.

The 9 coasters in 9 hours overnight marathon than was too have happened earier this summer is this Friday night into Saturday morning.

This article does confirm that the ride is replacing the Hannibarrels, so the park calling the section dividing lines whatever they want is true, so we can now stop worrying about what is the Gateway To The West section and what isn't.

Both the western set area in front of the Hannibarrels and the fake street set along the railroad tracks (both seen here on street view) were installed in 1996, the final year that Hannibarrels operated (the Hannibarrels name was changed to Powder Keg for that season only). When Time Warner still owned the park (for the 1996 and 1997 seasons), there were several "street set" shows located throughout the Backlot area, ever since 1998 when Premier bought SF the "sets" became useless since all the street shows were removed. Just because it's an old west themed set sitting in front the ride (there has been a gunfight show there in the past) does not mean in any way that this is the Gateway To The West section, which I hope people know has nothing to do with the West at all and everything to do with Missouri (which is what the Gateway To The West section was originally called anyway).

I know that Tsunami Soaker is going in the Gateway To The West section, the point I'm trying to make is that the Hannibarrels have never in the history of the park been considered part of the Gateway To The West section. The Hannibarrels were originally part of the France section (which today is called Choteau’s Market section), for the final season that the Hannibarrels were open (1996), they were changed into the Warner Bros. Backlot area (which today is called the Studio Backlot area). The park can move the boundary lines of the themed areas whenever they want to and it's very possible that that's what is happening, but wait until the park says something about the location to know for sure.