Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

Six Flags America (SFA) Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

991290954_Hallowfestlogo.thumb.png.265f3b1a37a4c0413c6010f152abdeb5.png

 

Six Flags America Announces All-New HALLOWFEST Event features Halloween Thrills by Day and Scary Chills by Night

in a Safe Environment

 

UPPER MARLBORO, MARYLAND — August 17, 2020 — Six Flags America, DC’s Thrill

Capital, leads the way for Halloween thrills and chills with a new event for the entire family—

HALLOWFEST. The event will feature Thrills by Day with plenty of family-friendly activities and

Chills by Night with rides on monster coasters in the dark and haunting Halloween theming

throughout the park. HALLOWFEST will kick off October 3 and run weekends through

November 1, operating from 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. with limited capacity admission to ensure

social distancing. Reservations will be required and slots are expected to fill up quickly.

Comprehensive and ongoing safety protocols will be in effect for the entire run of the event.

 

“Our HALLOWFEST celebration represents exactly what our Members, Season Pass Holders

and guests have asked for…more opportunities to spend time together and create family

memories this year,” said Park President Rick Howarth. “This newevent will still be scary,

provide lots of thrilling rides and Halloween fun, and most importantly, will be safe for our guests

and team members. HALLOWFEST will operate the same way we have operated our parks all

summer, with daily temperature checks and face masks required for guests and team members

prior to entry, social distancing, and enhanced sanitization measures.”

 

During daylight hours, families and young thrill-seekers will experience HALLOWFEST Thrills by Day including:

 

- Back by popular demand, a Trick-or-Treat Trail with individually packaged candy and treats;

 

- Kid-centric hay bale maze in one direction along with Great Race and Tea Cups receiving a spooky, fun Halloween treatment;

 

- Four family-friendly Halloween shows, featuring verbal interaction only and no physical contact;

 

- Over-sized seasonal décor throughout the park perfect for festive family photos; and

 

- Halloween-themed specialty treats, like gooey caramel apples and funnel cakes made with Snickers candy, available for purchase.

 

For Chills by Night, creepy fog, eerie lighting, and sinister music will create the perfect backdrop for nighttime scare-actors and chills and:

 

-Six Flags’ signature collection of world-class roller coasters ramp up the fear factor for a heart-pounding HALLOWFEST experience as guests fly through the air at high speeds on SUPERMAN: Ride of Steel, Wild One and Firebird in total darkness;

 

- JOKER’S Jinx: The lights that would normally illuminate the coaster’s knot of twistedtrack will be shut off, enhancing the thrills with every turn and inversion obscured in theinky darkness;

 

- Fan favorite WONDER WOMAN Lasso of Truth – backwards in the dark;

 

- The return of four themed scare zones; and

 

- Halloween gear, such as themed masks, light-up devil horns, and scary apparel, will be

on sale along with everybody’s favorite glow-in-the-dark swords, wands and headbands.

 

Six Flags worked in partnership with its epidemiologist consultants to create a safe Halloween

experience that meets or exceeds federal, state, and local guidelines. Park attendance will be

carefully monitored to ensure social distancing and all Members, Season Pass Holders, and

guests with single-day tickets will be required to make a reservation to attend HALLOWFEST.

 

- All team members (including scare-actors) and all guests 3 years and up will be required to wear masks covering the nose and mouth while in the parks;

 

- No indoor mazes, haunted houses, or indoor shows will be operated;

 

- A limited number of nighttime scare-actors will remain at least six feet away from guestsand each other;

 

- Guests viewing outdoor entertainment will be separated by at least six feet;

 

- Props, rides, restraints, handrails, and dining and restroom facilities will be cleaned andsanitized regularly; and

 

- Multiple hand-washing and alcohol-based hand sanitizer stations will be locatedthroughout the parks for guest and team member usage.

 

For more information on HALLOWFEST and Six Flags’ comprehensive safety guidelines, visit https://www.sixflags.com/america/special-events.

1015709826_HALLOWFEST_KeyArt.thumb.jpg.dceb95a0cb332b790f4c4867e061beae.jpg

1645952025_Hallowfestkidsincostumesv2.thumb.jpg.ca04b127599121a31a02d200b95d912c.jpg

622699059_SFA_HALLOWFEST_ElinoratHallManor.thumb.jpg.89bac3cb9c4a1c7c1fe66175bb57e636.jpg

1305442530_SFA_HALLOWFEST_SkeletoninCage_CreditRussellHolly.thumb.jpeg.3322b6af0e87a43cbfdc04df3f2ae7c8.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Visited yesterday, had a great time! Crowds were light and distancing was easy. Mask wearing varied a bit from time to time but overall was maybe 70% wearing it correctly, I was more disappointed with the number of staff members wearing their mask incorrectly, maybe 1/8 employees were wearing it wrong.

 

Impressively, most of the queues I waited in actually were adequately distanced, which was very nice to see.

 

I'm glad to report that all rides as far as I could tell were open. I arrived around 1:30 and stayed to close. Lines were very short for pretty much everything, and operations on the coasters were acceptably efficient given the low crowds. All coasters except Ragin Cajun and Wild One ran one train. Superman and Mind Eraser's other train was actually nowhere in sight. An op on Superman told me they expect the blue train to be out of service for the season, and I think I was able to spot it partly disassembled in a backstage area from Wonder Woman.

 

Harley Quinn looks like the ride itself is largely complete. The seats are installed and it looks like the platform is too. They just need to put in the operator's booth (unless I missed it) as well as landscaping and the queue line. Tip: for the best views of the construction, ride the riddler ride, you can see it up close without obstruction as you exit.

 

Both Wild One and Roar are getting fairly rough, but their still fun, and Wild One's roughness is largely because they don't let you sit in the middle rows of the front and back cars, which usually give the smoothest rides. They were both running fairly fast, which is nice.

 

Jokers Jinx, in addition is its great repaint, also has a new automated pre-ride spiel spoken by some guy doing a Joker impression, which while I'm not sure whether it will ultimately help or not, was fairly loud and easy to hear and understand.

 

I got my first front row ride on Mind Eraser (or on any SLC for that matter). The ride was snappy and intense, and while I don't mind the headbanging too much (the padding is softer than on a B&M OTSR), the shoulder restraints are really painful, and literally prevent you from putting your arms up. Vest restraints would really improve this ride.

 

I also finally did the kiddie coaster. Unfortunately, since I was riding with my sister, the seat belt (which crosses both riders) barely fit over the two of us, and the metal part dug into my gut painfully the whole ride, which made it more difficult to enjoy the surprisingly good laterals, particularly in the last turn.

 

I also rode several of the flats, and the biggest takeaway is that SFA has my favorite Scrambler I've ridden. It has a reasonable long cycle, and it runs fast. 10/10.

 

Oh, and Wild One's ACE landmark plaque has returned, now prominently positioned on a brick pedestal!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

I got my first front row ride on Mind Eraser (or on any SLC for that matter). The ride was snappy and intense, and while I don't mind the headbanging too much (the padding is softer than on a B&M OTSR), the shoulder restraints are really painful, and literally prevent you from putting your arms up. Vest restraints would really improve this ride.

 

 

 

!

 

They need to Riddler Revenge with new Vest restraint trains to this and Kong at SFDK. Then send the the old trains to DL which could really use the old parts

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

I got my first front row ride on Mind Eraser (or on any SLC for that matter). The ride was snappy and intense, and while I don't mind the headbanging too much (the padding is softer than on a B&M OTSR), the shoulder restraints are really painful, and literally prevent you from putting your arms up. Vest restraints would really improve this ride.

 

 

 

!

 

They need to Riddler Revenge with new Vest restraint trains to this and Kong at SFDK. Then send the the old trains to DL which could really use the old parts

 

I say give Mind Eraser the full on treatment (new trains & re-tracking) that Great Nor'Easter got.

 

And as far as SLC's go, some have said that Kong is even worse than ME.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I got my first front row ride on Mind Eraser (or on any SLC for that matter). The ride was snappy and intense, and while I

 

I say give Mind Eraser the full on treatment (new trains & re-tracking) that Great Nor'Easter got.

 

And as far as SLC's go, some have said that Kong is even worse than ME.

 

 

Knock it down, build something else...

 

ME needs different trains. SFA has been pretty receptive the last few years. I still can't believe we got the Superman bathrooms. New trains are more likely than the RMC Roar especially with this year being a wash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say give Mind Eraser the full on treatment (new trains & re-tracking) that Great Nor'Easter got.

Moreys spent like 5 mil on that. But they're a pay-per-ride park. What benefit would SFA get from doing this to Mind Eraser besides pleasing enthusiasts who insist on torturing themselves with it and the whining about it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Riddler was 20 years old when it got the new trains, ME is now 25 years old. The GNE got new trains back in 2008 and that was $1.2M. It's also the park's top, signature attraction, in a wonderful location unsuitable for replacing it with something else. I think there's a limit to how old these can get before the cost of new trains/restraints is excessive.

 

Surprisingly, I think ME may run a little better now with the train shortened by one row.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say give Mind Eraser the full on treatment (new trains & re-tracking) that Great Nor'Easter got.

Moreys spent like 5 mil on that. But they're a pay-per-ride park. What benefit would SFA get from doing this to Mind Eraser besides pleasing enthusiasts who insist on torturing themselves with it and the whining about it?

Eh, they could always repaint it, retheme it, and present it as a "new" attraction. Wouldn't be the first time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be awesome, honestly. Mind Eraser in New England is much better now.

 

And yeah like others have said no park would do what Morey's did except Morey's. They charge per ride and they have other things so woven into that space that there's nothing else that they could realistically put there. There's also a water slide and a log flume built all throughout the layout and a lazy river, restroom and tiki hut thing under it. If you watch a POV of it it's actually kind of insane.

Edited by coasterbill
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 9/30/2020 at 1:11 PM, DarkRideNick said:

 

Thanks for sharing, such a shame!

 

I would expect at least cardboard cutouts of the Villains or Wanted Posters possibly.

Maybe next year... the bartenders at the bar were extremely nice but very bored. Very few people took advantage of the beer event, even though I felt it was great. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was down in MD visiting friends this weekend and after making a quick stop at American Dream on Friday on the ride down (threw a couple pictures on FB), I started the ride back with a stop at American Nightmare...err...SFA!

 

After a gorgeous day yesterday, today was dreadful with temps in the 40s and showers. I expected to see SFA post that they would be closed for the day but around 6 I decided to head over, parked nice and close, and headed in with a heavy mist falling.

This park gets sh*t on a lot, and for good reason, but on a gloomy night with a small crowd and walk on rides everywhere, it was a good time. Grabbed dinner on the meal pass on the way in and then made my way back to Mind Eraser...LOL just kidding, screw that. Started with a nice front row ride on Roar. This is like the Hershey Wildcat to me...everyone on here bitches about how rough it is but it's a fun and decently forceful woodie and not that rough at all. Sure, an RMC makeover would be awesome for the park, but Roar is a nice ride as it is.

Firebird is one of the two new to me coasters in the park and was my next stop, but was down temporarily so I made my way to the drop tower. Not a very tall one, but a nice forceful drop. Can't just walk by a walk on drop tower and not hop on.

Next up was the biggest gem at SFA, Wild One. How Six Flags manages to keep a 103 year old wooden coaster so smooth is one of the world's great mysteries. Lots of good airtime all over the layout and great laterals in the helix of death, all while maintaining a mainly perfectly smooth ride.

The other new to me credit, Rajun Cajun, was closed so kept heading back to Jokers Jynx. Another great ride, very whippy but smooth in the transitions. 

Headed back further (lol this park has the worst layout in the world) to Superman which was an absolute blast. For some reason they were loading every row which felt weird after not seeing that at all this year. Rode in back and it was absolutely flying through the darkness behind the park. Not the most inspiring layout ever made but still good Intamin fun and cool to see the old trains (coming from an SFNE homer).

The world's most ridiculously placed coaster was next, Batwing! The good thing is the dark foggy night masked the fact that the ride is plopped way out in a field. I want to love the ride, it has a much better layout than the Supermans and is very intense. But good lord those trains suck. They shuffle like typical Vekoma trains and the vests don't really hold you in so the buckle point pretty much does the Heimlich on you through the flying sections. A Batwing layout with B&M trains would be an awesome ride.

Started making my way back to the front, intending on getting my Firebird credit and heading out. Couldn't resist a 2nd ride on Wild One, but then made my way over. After making my way through the queue that is about 4000 feet too long, I walked right up to the front. 

Backstory: I don't like Rougarou. I'm one of the rare people that actually preferred Mantis. But most people seem to approve of that makeover. On the other hand, I've seen people who like Rougarou not like this one at all. Anyway, yeah...this thing is a pile of sh*t. Just bashes your head around from beginning to end. I came off with the worst headache a roller coaster I've ever gotten from a coaster. Hopefully the asteroid coming for the earth around Election Day lands directly on this thing.

If I didn't have a horrible headache I would've ridden Mind Eraser to remind myself what a coaster that only bashes your head into nice soft padded restraints feels like. But with a long ride home I decided I was hurting enough and called it a night. 

A sour ending, but overall I actually had a really great time at SFA. I know people drive right past this place all the time to head for much better places, but honestly it's a great place to break up a ride to BGW for a couple hours and really has a few decent coasters in its lineup. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/