SFMM's Superman Queue-line

[slick]

G'day folks,

 

I was just wondering, while I'd regard the Tower of Terror down at Dreamworld as a fairly decent roller-coaster, I'm still incredibly curious as to what the Six Flags version is like. So my question is I was hoping someone would have some queue line photos and the likes I could have a gander at to sort of judge what Superman The Escape is like. Any information or photography is greatly appreciated.

 

Cheers guys,

Slick.

[Wes]

It's actually fairly lame and short. The entire thing is supposed to look like ice, which for Six Flags, is blue/white paint with some blacklight paint slopped on top. Immediately after you walk in, you choose whether to go to the left or right side (or usually, are forced to go to the right side). There used to be a holographic S logo on a little TV screen right as you entered, but that stopped working like three days after the ride opened.

 

You walk down a small straight-away and then into a fairly small room where you choose which row you want. There's a statue of Superman's parents holding up the exploding planet and a robotic superman suit (which doesn't make sense..why does Superman need a robotic outfit?). And that's basically it. They play suspenseful music. It gets muggy and stuffy in there.

 

There's doors that lead to the actual station, but there's zero theming in the station itself, and the only theming through the exit is a bunch of murals of Superman that look like a 3rd grader drew them.

 

EDIT:

Here's a pic of the statue of his parents (thanks Julie!)

[disneyfan1313]

Wait - let me get this straight - you are supposed to be in ice and its muggy and stuffy?!!? That is what I call complete theming ..

[Blazen_AZN]

^ The line is actually pretty cold! ITs really nice, it can get stuffy when you're surrounded by people waiting for your row though ,but you can't really help that.

[The Cheat]

Yeah, the paintings at the exit are pretty great. I love SuperMullet.

[Wes]

^ Yeah...ugh long-haired Superman was so fucking stupid. I really wish they'd go back and replace all that stuff. Actually, I just wish they'd rip the entire thing out and build something better.

[jALIg]

when i was there the whole quelinr smelled like catpee. lucily it was just a 5 min wait

[slick]

Cheers for the response so far guys.

 

Yeah, it definitely sounds like Six Flags and Dreamworld have alot in common in terms of themeing!

 

For one, we've had "alot" of stuff that's either disappeared or fallen apart over the years. Before our Nick Central land, the eleven metre tall skull was on an elevated platform which could be seen from a hundreds or so metres away (that's like 300-something feet in yanksville) which was already impressive to start off with. You'd walk in, and it would be like 30 metres or so worth of industrial waste over an elevated platform with strobes and whatnot going off (don't forget the world's coming to an end and we're going on this thing to get to the moon... or something.)

 

From there, you'd head over a simulated city (like ET) where you'd then hop into an elevator, walk through some more stuff into the line-up and then, finally, two big doors (spanning the five rows of the pod) would open up revealling this shiny, spikey, and illuminated steel car. From there it's pretty much just an elevator back down into the gift shop, however, these days it's much more "walk through the delapodated skull through the amazing freezer room themed pathway of doom, up the construction site-budget style stairs into the hole and drink cup covered walls of terror before you cross the amazing "black room with small siren which used to be a city" until finally you go up the "amazing second construction staircase instead of an elevator" and then finally into the room to the pod.

 

Sound like SFMM version?

[maliboomer]

I've been in both. One is dark, muggy and ugly and the other is white, muggy and ugly. Superman's is probably less etched into though.

[Angry_Gumball]

I do recall, S:TE's station being hot, stuffy, and smelling like BO from those too lazy to wear deoderant...The only intimidating thing was hearing the ride take off through the doors in the small chamber of stank and sweat...and hearing people screaming as it launches. Otherwise, it's kinda 'meh.'

[jcf1]

I thought is was pretty cool. I liked the blacklights. It gave it a nice UV feel to it.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Wait a Tick!!!

 

Where is the statue that Wes posted??? I've ridden this ride WAY more than 150 times and I've yet to see this.

 

Some other pics:

 

The Superman statue:

 

 

The Launch Tunnel

 

 

The top of the tower:

 

[Mr.Six]

^ Right when you enter the small room with the lines. Look behind you. Its on both sides.

_six

[haiderodes]

The first time I rode it back in 1998 it wasn't that bad. They limited the amount of people they let into the actual building which meant for a line that went down the hill.

 

Anyways, they used to have it really cold and dark in the long straightaway. For some reason I remember mist or fog or something.

 

The last time I rode it was in 2001. Not much of a wait then and yes it was hot and stuffy in there. Theres like no air circulation in that building. In fact they had propped open the "chicken/emergency exit" in the last queue room.

 

My major complaint, in addition to the sad state of the building, is the queue. Because each door as those metal railings if you are trying to group yourselves its hard work when its crowded. Lots of climbing under railings! Its never that crowded anyway I say leave the doors without the railings.

[GMAN962]

Superman: TE is like really cool (as in cold), and you walk through a really dark tunnel, then get to the place where you might see some pictures, like the room with the statues. Hopefully that helped.

[sfmman2000]

I remember the first time I ride S:TE in 2001 I think it was, the beginning straight part of the queue was literally PITCH BLACK. You really couldn't see ahead of you... it was crazy. In recent years there has never been line in that part of the queue when I ride it, so a little more light has come into it I think. Anyone else think it was a little too dark? I remember bumping into the people in front of me, you really couldn't see.

[deano]

Here's a shot of Superman's ride entrance, sorry, i couldnt help but pretend to be able to fly in this photo...

 

Having ridden both Superman and the Tower of Terror, i am positive that Dreamworlds version is a little faster, i know that they've got the same stats but superman just didnt throw me back as much.

[slick]

Cheers for the huge response.

 

Ok, I think a slightly more complicated question for someone who would work at the park - how is the ride's control platforms and such assembled? Dreamworld's Tower of Terror has a large sectioned off area on the exit side of the station which is where the main control panel is positioned with a staircase that leads down to the lower maintenance/main PLC level with another two levels beneath for the souvenir shop etc.

 

I guess more specifically, is there a main and sub-style control panel system or is there a system that works for both?

 

Cheers again folks, this is getting really interesing.

[Calvin]

^Are you planning on hijacking the ride or something?

 

From what I remember there is a separate, boxed-off section in the middle between the two tracks.

[sfmmFREAK]

here's a few pics i took

[haiderodes]

Cheers for the huge response.

 

Ok, I think a slightly more complicated question for someone who would work at the park - how is the ride's control platforms and such assembled? Dreamworld's Tower of Terror has a large sectioned off area on the exit side of the station which is where the main control panel is positioned with a staircase that leads down to the lower maintenance/main PLC level with another two levels beneath for the souvenir shop etc.

 

I guess more specifically, is there a main and sub-style control panel system or is there a system that works for both?

 

Cheers again folks, this is getting really interesing.

 

To expand upon whats already been said...

 

Because S:TE has two tracks, the main control panel is in the middle rear of the station. There's also a small dispatch enable panel on each loading side.

 

Riders exit toward the center of the station and go down a stairway to get out. You walk under the tracks and up a ramp on the right side of the station. They used to have the on-ride photo sales along this pathway as well.

 

The tracks extend behind the station through a plastic curtain. There used to be a problem with over shoots, but I believe hearing that a few years ago they installed a friction brake in the station to prevent that.

[iZak]

^ Um...no. The car(s) still overshoot and end up in the holding area behind the station (which, ironically, is the front of the ride...). There is only a holding brake, which is designed only to hold the car in the station.

 

The stators (white boxes that power the car down the track) will de-accelerate the car and align it in the station with the holding brake, which will then clamp down on the brake fin under the car and hold it there so that the seats can unlock and the car won't roll out on to the track.

 

There's your S:TE lesson for the day. Now, you only have 3h 45m to go before you are an operator. Congrats!

 

(Wow, that was impressive that I remembered all that after almost 3 years...)