Six Flags Fiesta Texas (SFFT) Discussion Thread

[SoCalCoasters]

^I'm surprised SF doesn't do the grouping like they do for Medusa on Busy days; Have someone grouping, but if a guest wishes to wait for the front, let them wait for it. It seems ridiculous that a grouper would force you into a seat that you've clearly expressed your desire to avoid.

 

However, the PR clash was completely un-needed. Throwing Disney in their face? Demanding a refund after he's used the pass twice? That's just insulting, especially to the manager. Now Six Flags might not be perfect, and they may get a bad rap for the penny-pinching habits left over the from the Premier Parks, but never is their a reason to bash an entire park or an entire company over something so dang trivial as a seat preference.

 

If the guy REALLY didn't want that back seat, he could have let two people pass him. I'm sure someone in line would have loved up to take his place and ride the coaster in the back.

[GayCoasterGuy]

It's much better to let a park know your complaints (constructive criticism) than to walk around mad, complaining on online coaster geek forums saying "it doesn't matter, they won't do anything about it anyway." Have a freakin spine, you know? Our society is full of spineless lemmings walking around doing basically nothing. Learn your resources and learn how to communicate effectively in person. (I'm not blaming cell phones/internet; I won't even go there )

 

The parks are (or should be) trained to deal with upset guests. I'm *NOT* excusing poor/loud behavior, but I look at it this way - the employees are there for US. The reward is a paycheck (albeit not a big enough one).

 

The years I worked at Cedar Point, I saw many a ... whats the word... *snoooty* (coming from the Chausee' side of the Point, not the causeway) giving managers (and Jack Falfas in one situation) a very hard time about not getting what they wanted. And heck, the park was run much better back then!

 

Because the guy that did this story is a *coaster fan/enthusiast*, people are going to come down on him. He did some stuff wrong, sure. But what the park (any park) gets from some non-enthusiast folks is much MUCH more offensive and moot.

 

This guy was upset (we are only human) and said some stuff that was off (I don't know a perfect human). Either way, the employees should be trained to deal with this. It's good to communicate with the park, tell them your concerns, and learn how to do it in a polite, constructive and hopefully productive manner.

 

Of course, the employees are not trained properly and underpaid - that is a Six Flags corporate issue. "Let's make lots of money RIGHT NOW and ignore customer service and the future" only get's you so far. Six Flags has had many re-boots over the years. It's always some new scheme.

 

Assigning seats on coasters is a strong-arm method of attempting to get better capacity. It rarely works and pisses people off. I mean, you are going to tell me you have to assign seats to "get a train out on time"? There is nearly no training. On top of that, you get over-zealous (or just plain idiotic employees, in this case) that get all *true grit* when you ask a question or request something. (I wish some of these idiot employees would be assigned to nabbing line jumpers. The Six Flags parks would be much better places.)

 

Back then, we filled seats, paired up singles (who were willing to ride together), let people wait for any seat they wanted, AND got the trains out on/before time. You really can do ALL that. We actually talked to people - not always over a garbled microphone - and connected with people. That's lost on many big parks these days. Like most GP know what a muffled "the next train only has 3 seats in row 5" (on Superman at SFGAm, for example) means. You really think they got anything out of you repeating that every other train? Over a cheap loud speaker with "I wanna move it move it" AND an automated Superman spiel blasting in the background??

 

Higher capacity may hurt their "pay to cut" profits, too.

[gh1garyhits1]

WOW! So he was THAT guy! I work games over at Crackaxle and I have received SO MANY complaints about wait time and not being able to get on the seat they want. I was working at a game and then I noticed a big racket over at The Rattler with security and people leaving the ride AND a manager going. I asked my security guard friend what was going on and then he said some stubborn a hole complaining.

I've heard and know people in rides who are jerks and say the truth to people in line but he should have let people behind him cut in front of him. It's pretty simple. When we have people complaining about games, I hate when people say "I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER! " or "YOUR SUPERVISOR ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH! " As for the refund goes, you need to read the small print of your tickets and when you enter the park.

 

Anyways, lets talk about The Rattler or how disappointing the Sky Screamer was?

[jps294]

The Rattler is now closed!

[ImmelMatt]

The Rattler is now closed!

 

You say it like it's a bad thing.

[RyanGsatMCO]

There is still time... Last official ride is at 10:00pm CST!

Ryan

[jps294]

There is still time... Last official ride is at 10:00pm CST!

Ryan

 

Is there something going on with Rattler until 10pm, cause I thought the park closed at 9pm?

[texcoaster]

There is still time... Last official ride is at 10:00pm CST!

Ryan

 

Is there something going on with Rattler until 10pm, cause I thought the park closed at 9pm?

 

I'm guessing that the queue closes with the park and they'll keep running it until the queue is depleted... probably at least an hour.

[RyanGsatMCO]

Here is an article from MYSA.COM on the final ride with a picture of the last train in the station..

 

The Rattler, a giant wooden roller coaster and Six Flags Fiesta Texas landmark, shook, rattled and rolled into the memory of millions of thrill-seekers with a final run Sunday night. Some have predicted the massive 20-year-old serpentine amusement ride will simply shed its skin and return with new steel rails and other upgrades.

 

Officials of the park had said it would be “going away,” and that the “last opportunity to ride the Rattler before it slithers away” was Sunday. They have not said what, if anything, will replace it. The commemorative final run closed out the last weekend for guests to climb aboard the ride, which has been cherished by those who relish high-speed drops and feared by those who don't.

 

An eerie hush had fallen over the park after closing time Sunday night as the last group of riders boarded the Rattler for the last time. Roller coaster devotees, police, firefighters and park employees were among those who took the final ride.

 

“One last time,” said Tim Baldwin, editor of RollerCoaster! Magazine, who was seated in the front row of the first car. At 10:05 p.m., the train pulled into the station for the last time. A loud pop was followed by a cloud of colorful confetti that fell upon the riders.

Baldwin said it marked the end of an era.

 

“It's a ride to tell your grandkids about,” he said. “When it was first built, it was undeniably the best first drop,” he said. “It had people flocking here from all over the country.”

 

Albert Alcala, a San Antonian who says he has ridden the Rattler more than 5,000 times, also was on the final run. He said it was “kind of sad,” to know the ride no longer would be around.

“Wooden roller coasters have always been unique,” he said. “Because of the give of the wood frame, every time you get a different ride.”

 

Ron Kuehnle of Friendswood was among the visitors who got in a last spin during the Rattler's final weekend.

“I hoped to get on it before it closed, so this was perfect timing,” Kuehnle said Friday.

He said the ride reminded him of the Texas Cyclone, a white wooden coaster at Six Flags AstroWorld, which closed in 2005.

“It was neat. You not only got super thrills, but added movement with the wood. It's old-school 3-D fun,” Kuehnle said.

 

The Rattler was one of 15 rides at the 200-acre musical theme park when it opened in 1992. The park was built in an old quarry by La Cantera Development, a USAA subsidiary, and Gaylord Entertainment.

The Rattler, with a framework made of Douglas fir and southern yellow pine, was initially billed as the world's tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster. It was modified in 1994, with reconfigurations and reductions in speed, after some patrons reported injuries and said it was too jarring.

 

Since it became part of the Six Flags chain in 1996, Fiesta Texas has added more rides and a water park. It now lists about 50 rides on its website, with Goliath, Poltergeist and Superman/Krypton Coaster among its most thrilling roller coasters.

In January, the Spokane Journal of Business reported that Rocky Mountain Construction has a contract to build a wooden coaster with a high-performance track system and cars at the park. The Idaho firm collaborated on renovation of the wooden Texas Giant coaster at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, resulting in what park officials call a “hybrid” design with all-steel rails and wheels. Both parks are run by Six Flags Entertainment Corp.

 

After 19 years of operation, the Texas Giant closed at the end of the 2009 season in Arlington, then reopened in the spring of 2011 with new tracks, steeper drops, reshaped curves and new modern trains with contoured padded seating.

The Arlington park announced last week that it is closing two older rides. The Texas Chute Out, a parachute-drop attraction that opened at the Arlington park in 1976, and Flashback, a steel coaster that has operated since 1989, will be open through Labor Day.

Six Flags officials have said the Flashback has provided rides to 17 million guests.

shuddleston@express-news.net

 

 

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Good-to-the-last-drop-3764755.php#ixzz22k5xBWpV]

[ArizonaGuy]

^^

Here is the pic of the last train.

[greg31190]

Visited the park today (8/8) to check up on the rattler and while riding Goliath I noticed a section of track off the helix has been removed. Also all of the signage for the entrance to the rattler is gone... Iron horse treatment starting?

[narkitty]

I went to the La Cantera parking lot to try an get some pictures of the missing helix section, but someone was parked in the photo-taking sweet spot. Was it one of you?

I'm so excited for this renovation, it's stupid.

[ArizonaGuy]

I'm sure if the iron horse treatment.....or any treatment for that matter is going to happen, I'm sure a lot is going to start right away. Now that it's confirmed that a part of the helix has been removed I'm sure it won't be much longer before we see some major demolition in full motion. September is just around the corner so I'm sure Six Flags will be announcing something big in the next month or so. Silver Dollar City's Outlaw Run is gonna be SICK!!! I can only hope there's going to be some wickedness coming to SFFT in the reborn Rattler.

[Me007gold]

Drove by today, and can confirm big sections of the helix are gone. Just got off work so I didnt get any pictures, Ill swing by Sunday morning and creep the best I can.

[texcoaster]

OK, when y'all say that sections of the helix are gone... do you mean that track is missing and supports are still there, do you mean that entire sections of track and supports have been removed, or do you mean that sections have been bulldozed into piles of matchsticks like they're not coming back in any form?

[greg31190]

OK, when y'all say that sections of the helix are gone... do you mean that track is missing and supports are still there, do you mean that entire sections of track and supports have been removed, or do you mean that sections have been bulldozed into piles of matchsticks like they're not coming back in any form?

From what I saw Wednesday it was cut at the very beginning of the helix, only the top section-supports and all. My guess is they are going to separate the helix from the structure then bulldoze it so as to not damage the entire structure. At least I hope that's what they are doing... But I don't know what has happened since then...

[Me007gold]

OK, when y'all say that sections of the helix are gone... do you mean that track is missing and supports are still there, do you mean that entire sections of track and supports have been removed, or do you mean that sections have been bulldozed into piles of matchsticks like they're not coming back in any form?

 

Entire sections of the track and structure is gone. like the post above me said, looks like they are seperating the Helix from the main coaster so it makes it easier to remove it safely.

[ArizonaGuy]

Based off whats happening now, I'm sure the first drop and fan curve are going to remain somewhat the same (as far as foot print is concerned) so there's not really going to be much demo on the first section other than "remodeling" like they did with NTAG's first lift, drop, etc. The second half of the ride (helix) is going to be complete demo and completely new. Since there's a lot of open space up there on top of the cliff I'm thinking we're going to be seeing a whole new expanded middle section of the ride. (just thinking this based on what's happening now where they're "separating" it from the rest of the ride before they bulldoze). 9 months until May 2013 so i guess there's ALOT that can be done in that time.

 

Can't wait for our spies to get some pictures for us!

[Me007gold]

I got up a little earlier then expected so I made a trip over to La Cantera. Deconstruction was starting early today

 

[Arrow Dynamics fan]

Ding Dong, the witch is dead!

 

Hopefully the next ride will not be the rib cage breaking experience that the ride has been.

[jzoole]

So glad to see that ridiculous helix go. I hope they somehow keep the tunnel through the cliff.

[KDcoasterMAN]

^^ Thanks for the photos, notice that the foundations look untouched.

[ArizonaGuy]

^^

Leads me to wonder if they might keep the helix footprint for a quick single or double banked helix. Geez I wish they would just announce the revamp details already!

[jzoole]

^ I was wondering that myself. I wouldn't mind that if it had some good speed and forces going through it. But I wouldn't be surprised to see no helix returning up there.

 

I hope they do announce some details! With NTAG, we didn't really know what they were doing and what the layout was until they actually built the thing. I guess it made for several exciting moments as construction updates appeared though.

[theonetheonlyJT]

I hope they do announce some details! With NTAG, we didn't really know what they were doing and what the layout was until they actually built the thing. I guess it made for several exciting moments as construction updates appeared though.

Next question is how many inversions will NRAT have