Six Flags America (SFA) Discussion Thread

[chadster]

...

[larrygator]

Chad, When I used to track the opening and closing hours of all major US amusement parks in a spreadsheet it was not uncommon to see a handful of parks closed for buyouts on a Saturday.

[Highridin]

Super packed there today. One would actually have needed a fast pass

[Vonni]

How does SFA do Fright Fest? Is it good, or is it about as poor as most reports/opinions I hear about the park?

[Highridin]

Honestly, I have always had a good time. Their main haunted attraction always gets 'voted' the best at a amusement park. I'll look for the link later.

[FSUFanChris]

How are the crowds? I'm trying to go Saturday? How about the day crowds?

[I305forever]

^ They'll be terrible once Fright Fest starts at 5.

[Password121]

^The crowds are never that terrible. As long as you don't try to ride Batwing when the crowds are heavier if it's running one train, you won't have much difficulty doing every coaster multiple times and every maze once if you're interested in that.

[I305forever]

^ I went last year and it was packed. I waited in line for one of the mazes for almost an hour and a half.

[Highridin]

If it's anything like last weekend, it will be terrible. Lines galore. First week of fright fest will be worse. Good news is that in the past, they've always run two trains during fright fest. Didn't make a difference last weekend though. Maybe it was because the park was closed on Sat., so everyone came on Sun. My daughter had the best line. She said,"what are all of these people doing here"

[FSUFanChris]

Maybe the weather will keep people away.

[Highridin]

Probably. I bet the crowd will be light during the day since the park will be open late today for FF anyway.

[FSUFanChris]

Probably. I bet the crowd will be light during the day since the park will be open late today for FF anyway.

Everything was a walk on.

[Highridin]

Yeah, u were right. Threat of weather kept folks away.

[blk_mamba]

Yeah I think this is about as short as the stick can get. I thought getting a Larson Looper "coasters" was as low as we can could go however I was proven wrong. This year we are getting a splash fortress to replace the one we already had. at least they've been teasing this for a while so it was expected.

[ImNotOneOfYou]

How bad is Apocalypse? I rode Vortex at Carowinds, and I didn't find it to be that bad. It was uncomfortable, but not painful like Green Lantern or Mantis

[RideofSteel]

^I liked Green Lantern MUCH more than Apocalypse. I really did not like Apocalypse.

[Highridin]

How bad is Apocalypse? I rode Vortex at Carowinds, and I didn't find it to be that bad. It was uncomfortable, but not painful like Green Lantern or Mantis

 

Guess it depends on the person. I know some here who love the ride. I really do not because of the head banging.

[coasterbill]

I liked Vortex at Carowinds a lot. Actually it's the only stand-up coaster I like. Apocalypse is a steaming pile of crap.

[cfc]

I liked Vortex at Carowinds a lot. Actually it's the only stand-up coaster I like. Apocalypse is a steaming pile of crap.

 

I would say they're both a "steaming pile of crap," but Iron Wolf/Apocalypse is the bigger pile of the two.

[larrygator]

I just find Apocalypse boring

[Coaster Hero]

Apocalypse was kinda boring but it wasn't necessarily painful (except the corkscrew transition, which was very rough) which automatically puts it ahead of GL for me.

[KrustyBurger]

FRIGHT FEST 2015 REPORT

I went to SFA last night to experience this year's Fright Fest! They have a total of 6 mazes ($16 for a wristband to enter them, $35 for express), 4 scarezones, and a few Halloween shows. Thought I'd post my thoughts on this year's event. For a Saturday night, crowds weren't bad at all. We only waited 30 mins for Superman with 2 trains, and about the same for the most popular haunted house. First up, I'll review the scarezones :

 

NECROVILLE : This is the scarezone in Mardi Gras that accompanies the Voodoo Curse maze. Wasn't too impressed with this one. Didn't see many characters walking around and not much in the way of theming. 1/5 Skulls

 

ZOMBIEVILLE : One of the better scarezones! Themed to a zombie apocalypse and being located right by the ride, this one had larger amounts of theming than other scarezones. Many zombies roaming around scaring the pants off people! 3/5 Skulls

 

GHOST TOWN : My personal favorite, this one is themed to a haunted old western town. Lots of fog and darkness in this one, which made for a lot better scare opportunities than some of the brighter, more open scarezones. Lots of old miners and ghostly saloon gals were walking around which was a good compliment to the existing western scenery of Coyote Creek. 4/5 Skulls

 

CARNEVIL : Your typical clown-themed area. The clowns weren't doing much except standing around and smiling, which would be very creepy if you're afraid of clowns. I am not, so I thought this area was very boring. The theming and detail were extensive and extraordinary but sadly the lackluster characters brought this down for me. 2/5 Skulls

 

Now onto the main draw of Fright Fest, the houses!

 

SPIDER OUTBREAK : One of the smaller houses, this maze isn't anything amazing but it does it's job well. Themed to an old house infested with spiders and creepy-crawlies, this maze relies more on a Creep factor than Gore or jumpscares, One scene was especially my favorite and was very claustrophobic. Located in an out of the way location, this house had no line when we visited around 9pm while other houses around that time had 20-30 minute waits. Due to the nonexistent wait time, we ended up doing this house 4 times! 3/5 Skulls

 

TERROR TOY SHOP : This was one of the best houses of the night! Themed to Christmas at the North Pole gone horribly wrong, I thought this was one of the most creative and entertaining houses I've been in. From evil elves to a visit from Santa Claws himself, this one scared me a few times. This house was very successful at morphing the Christmas holiday we all know, and turning it into a demon-filled gore fest. We did this one 3 times because we liked it so much. Definitely the second best haunted house of the event! 4/5 Skulls

 

TWISTED FAIRYTALES 3D : Although this house utilized the 3D gimmick, it didn't accomplish the effect well. I actually didn't notice anything really 3D until the second half of the house. I also noticed this house was sending in people a lot slower than others. Why I'm not sure, but it was noticeably slower. Other than those downsides, this house was creative and fun. My favorite scene featured Little Miss Muffet and gave me quite a startle. Seeing all the storybook characters as psychopaths was fun and refreshing after spending so much time at Disney mwahaha. Overall, not amazingly executed but had it's fun moments. 3/5 Skulls

 

VOODOO CURSE : This maze had great potential, but fell flat. Not many scares inside and the ones that were there all got the 3 people in front of us, not us or anyone behind us. There were open areas that would've been prime character placement spots but just seemed strangely empty. Secondly, for a house themed to voodoo, it seemed more like a generic haunted house than something themed to a voodoo curse. In fact, the only thing that struck me as related to the theme was seeing a man dressed like Dr. Facilier from Princess & the Frog. This house could be a lot better if they added more scares and actually added voodoo/swamp/New Orleans themed elements. 1/5 Skulls

 

AFTERMATH : Toxic waste and zombies! What would a Halloween event be without them? Yep, this is your generic Zombie Apocalypse haunted house except painted with gallons and gallons of dayglo. This house struck me as more corny than scary. Strange elements like a robot and a room painted with flames made this house feel disjointed. Plenty of characters about in here, but not many scares. In my opinion, there was only one good scare and it was near the end (NOTE : watch out for the barrels ) I went through 3 times to see if I would end up liking it since there was no one in line, but it ended up seeming less and less creepy everytime. Oh well! I just realized that while it was themed to zombies, characters weren't dressed as such. They looked more like clowns or dolls splattered with neon green paint. Odd. 1/5 Skulls

 

THE HAUNTING OF HALL MANOR : Ah, the highlight of the event. This attraction is a long trail through the woods behind the park and boy is it scary! There is a point where you walk past the original Hall Manor from the 1800s, all broken and crumbling (still standing due to it being historical, the park can't tear it down). It's genuine theming that the park tied the storyline of the trail to. If you don't know, Six Flags America has an official ghost named Eleanor. She died in her house back in the 1800s when she was just a child, and the land where the park was built was her owned by her family. That part of the story is proven fact, but legend has it that while building the park, a bulldozer accidentally ran over her tombstone and cracked it, causing her to curse the park. This trail plays off the legend as you walk around the former Hall grounds, she appears numerous times. This trail is more creepy than outright scary, but the location in the dark woods is highly effective. Overall, this was my favorite house. 5/5 Skulls

Welcome to Gotham Ci..err..CarneviL!

Quit clownin' around!

the Stage Fright Magic Show! An entertaining show, and featured some creative Halloween themed illusions!

The Soul Snatcher! The host of this year's event, he and his minions are awakened at The Awakening show and roam around through the night.

Did somebody say cheap 3D tricks?

Cheesy zombie haunted house? Check!

you remind me of the man! what man? the man with the power! what power? the power of voodoo! Who do? Oh you do you do!

Milky Way : the official candy bar of demons and psycho-killers?

[DarkRideNick]

visited Fright Fest the other night, thought I'd post ratings of the 6 houses

 

Terror Toy Shop - 8/10 - Super entertaining, must do

Twisted Fairytales 3D - 7/10 - fun but not that scary

Aftermath - 4/10- Lots of empty spaces, not very scary

Voodoo Curse - 5/10 - biggest letdown of the night, not much voodoo & more generic haunted house I noticed

Haunting of Hall Manor - 9/10 - amazing trail, very spooky, must do

Spider Outbreak - 5/10 - short house and had a short wait, spooky but nothing to write home about

[Highridin]

FRIGHT FEST 2015 REPORT

I went to SFA last night to experience this year's Fright Fest! They have a total of 6 mazes ($16 for a wristband to enter them, $35 for express), 4 scarezones, and a few Halloween shows. Thought I'd post my thoughts on this year's event. For a Saturday night, crowds weren't bad at all. We only waited 30 mins for Superman with 2 trains, and about the same for the most popular haunted house. First up, I'll review the scarezones :

 

NECROVILLE : This is the scarezone in Mardi Gras that accompanies the Voodoo Curse maze. Wasn't too impressed with this one. Didn't see many characters walking around and not much in the way of theming. 1/5 Skulls

 

ZOMBIEVILLE : One of the better scarezones! Themed to a zombie apocalypse and being located right by the ride, this one had larger amounts of theming than other scarezones. Many zombies roaming around scaring the pants off people! 3/5 Skulls

 

GHOST TOWN : My personal favorite, this one is themed to a haunted old western town. Lots of fog and darkness in this one, which made for a lot better scare opportunities than some of the brighter, more open scarezones. Lots of old miners and ghostly saloon gals were walking around which was a good compliment to the existing western scenery of Coyote Creek. 4/5 Skulls

 

CARNEVIL : Your typical clown-themed area. The clowns weren't doing much except standing around and smiling, which would be very creepy if you're afraid of clowns. I am not, so I thought this area was very boring. The theming and detail were extensive and extraordinary but sadly the lackluster characters brought this down for me. 2/5 Skulls

 

Now onto the main draw of Fright Fest, the houses!

 

SPIDER OUTBREAK : One of the smaller houses, this maze isn't anything amazing but it does it's job well. Themed to an old house infested with spiders and creepy-crawlies, this maze relies more on a Creep factor than Gore or jumpscares, One scene was especially my favorite and was very claustrophobic. Located in an out of the way location, this house had no line when we visited around 9pm while other houses around that time had 20-30 minute waits. Due to the nonexistent wait time, we ended up doing this house 4 times! 3/5 Skulls

 

TERROR TOY SHOP : This was one of the best houses of the night! Themed to Christmas at the North Pole gone horribly wrong, I thought this was one of the most creative and entertaining houses I've been in. From evil elves to a visit from Santa Claws himself, this one scared me a few times. This house was very successful at morphing the Christmas holiday we all know, and turning it into a demon-filled gore fest. We did this one 3 times because we liked it so much. Definitely the second best haunted house of the event! 4/5 Skulls

 

TWISTED FAIRYTALES 3D : Although this house utilized the 3D gimmick, it didn't accomplish the effect well. I actually didn't notice anything really 3D until the second half of the house. I also noticed this house was sending in people a lot slower than others. Why I'm not sure, but it was noticeably slower. Other than those downsides, this house was creative and fun. My favorite scene featured Little Miss Muffet and gave me quite a startle. Seeing all the storybook characters as psychopaths was fun and refreshing after spending so much time at Disney mwahaha. Overall, not amazingly executed but had it's fun moments. 3/5 Skulls

 

VOODOO CURSE : This maze had great potential, but fell flat. Not many scares inside and the ones that were there all got the 3 people in front of us, not us or anyone behind us. There were open areas that would've been prime character placement spots but just seemed strangely empty. Secondly, for a house themed to voodoo, it seemed more like a generic haunted house than something themed to a voodoo curse. In fact, the only thing that struck me as related to the theme was seeing a man dressed like Dr. Facilier from Princess & the Frog. This house could be a lot better if they added more scares and actually added voodoo/swamp/New Orleans themed elements. 1/5 Skulls

 

AFTERMATH : Toxic waste and zombies! What would a Halloween event be without them? Yep, this is your generic Zombie Apocalypse haunted house except painted with gallons and gallons of dayglo. This house struck me as more corny than scary. Strange elements like a robot and a room painted with flames made this house feel disjointed. Plenty of characters about in here, but not many scares. In my opinion, there was only one good scare and it was near the end (NOTE : watch out for the barrels ) I went through 3 times to see if I would end up liking it since there was no one in line, but it ended up seeming less and less creepy everytime. Oh well! I just realized that while it was themed to zombies, characters weren't dressed as such. They looked more like clowns or dolls splattered with neon green paint. Odd. 1/5 Skulls

 

THE HAUNTING OF HALL MANOR : Ah, the highlight of the event. This attraction is a long trail through the woods behind the park and boy is it scary! There is a point where you walk past the original Hall Manor from the 1800s, all broken and crumbling (still standing due to it being historical, the park can't tear it down). It's genuine theming that the park tied the storyline of the trail to. If you don't know, Six Flags America has an official ghost named Eleanor. She died in her house back in the 1800s when she was just a child, and the land where the park was built was her owned by her family. That part of the story is proven fact, but legend has it that while building the park, a bulldozer accidentally ran over her tombstone and cracked it, causing her to curse the park. This trail plays off the legend as you walk around the former Hall grounds, she appears numerous times. This trail is more creepy than outright scary, but the location in the dark woods is highly effective. Overall, this was my favorite house. 5/5 Skulls

 

I agree with your ratings. Last night (Sunday), was so crowded that they extended closing time to 10 instead of 9. The stunt show was awesome.