Six Flags Fiesta Texas (SFFT) Discussion Thread

[jps294]

Well other thing is, when I went to Fiesta Texas on Friday, I got the best gift I ever got at Fiesta Texas!!

 

It is Six Flags-Opoly (Fiesta Texas)!!!

 

^ FRONT!

^ BACK!

 

WHO WANTS TO PLAY!!

 

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For more information on my trip on December 16, 2011; CLICK HERE

[nhman93]

That Game is so cool. I really hope they make these for all the parks in the chain. Also five years from now you can play and see all the rides that Six Flags has removed.

[XYZ]

Is the Boardwalk space the Boomerang?

[jps294]

^ No it's Superman: Krypton Coaster!

[coasterbill]

A few more Boomerangs and SixFlagsNewEnglandOploly can use Boomerangs as railroads.

[jps294]

It almost CONFIRMED!!

 

Screamscape reports:

One of our readers who resides in the Spokane, WA area pointed out an interesting article in the local paper about the Rocky Mountain Construction Group. The article talked about how the group is building a new $1 million shop building in Hayden, Idaho where they will move their track manufacturing operations. This will also free up room for the group to begin building their very own roller coaster cars.

Why? Much like why GCI created the Millennium Flyers that could maneuver through their extremely twisted layouts, Rocky Mountain’s track system is simply capable of doing things other trains wouldn’t be able to do. According to Rocky Mountain, “We will be building cars we think will be revolutionary for the industry.” They go on to state that the combination of their new track and cars will be able to allow a wooden coasters to perform inversions, a feat no one has tried since Son of Beast at Kings Island.

Best of all the article also mentioned that the group has roller coaster projects planned for Silver Dollar City and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, both to open in Spring 2013. This matches up well with the reports from IAAPA where Rocky Mountain was reported as having two 2013 projects in the works. Given the previous rumors about an upgrade for The Rattler being planned out, I can only assume that we’ll soon see Rattler given the Iron Horse treatment in the near future. The big quetion here is the timeline needed to complete the job.

The Texas Giant was closed for about 18 months to complete the project, which would mean that the Rattler would not open at all in 2012 if it was on the same timeline. After doing the job once, I would think it would be easier to complete the second time around, and perhaps the timeline needed could be cut back by quite a bit. Also the nature of Rattler’s more spread out layout may also make it simply easier to get in there and do the work. So keep an eye on the Rattler this season... you never know when they may need to shut it down to begin work.

 

http://www.screamscape.com/html/six_flags_fiesta_texas.htm

 

 

I guess I have some work to do on March 3 when the park opens!! But I am so Excited lol! Rattler is like the best ride there and this will make it 100 times better!

[Shavethewhales]

How much of the ride do you really think they'll rebuild? I ask in part because I'm wonder how much that $12 million is being split up since NTAG cost $10 million and SDC is building an entirely new coaster with part of that. Would they just do the first drop, since that is the main problem area, or would they go for the entire layout? It's a long time to wait if they're just redoing one piece of the ride, and I know the ride could use it pretty much everywhere, even if I'm hoping most of that money is being spent by SDC!

[cal1br3tto]

Whatever they do, I hope they make the coaster exciting. From a combination of the interesting layout and reports from its early years, I can just barely make out the potential the ride has, even though it's currently tame and rough.

[jzoole]

I hate to say it, but if their not going to give Rattler the complete NTAG treatment, they just need to scrap it and replace with a hyper.

[DJeXeL]

They already have Road Runner Express which is close enough to a hyper.

[Shavethewhales]

In Robb's interview of RMC at IAAPA (

) it sounded like they're doing a complete replacement project. I think that $12 million figure might be for EACH project RMC is doing in 2013 and not both, but we'll see. Those kinds of details tend to be flubbed a lot. Rattler with a drop that goes beyond even what the original legendary drop did would be... well, even more legendary.

[TXthrills2010]

Agreed, Fiesta Texas needs major attention right now. The park seems to be slipping away. If the Rattler project goes through then maybe we could see a brighter (not that it's dark or negative, but the park is starting to lack...) trend of Fiesta Texas.

[Justice]

I could see the Rattler getting Iron Horse track but also minimal layout changes. For the most part, Texas Giant's layout was dramatically changed. The Rattler already seems to have a fairly strong layout and I could see minimal adjustments to the actual layout, meaning a dramatic reduction in costs (and time).

[bottom_feeder_13]

^ Wait, a giant triple helix, a tunnel and a few really slow turnarounds is your idea of strong layout? I thought that Texas Giant had a decent foot print, it was just the way it was interpreted height wise was a bit sub-par while Rattler was simply one of the worse layouts, all round, ever come up with by mankind.

[cal1br3tto]

^I feel like I've heard the Rattler layout would be more difficult to work with because, as you said, it's not as interesting or standard to begin with. I must say, though, I actually enjoyed the helix a bit. "Rattling" through the structure was strangely appealing in the front seat.

[jzoole]

I feel like Rattler's layout is ok, but certainly doesn't live up to it's full potential. A lot of the elements would be much more fun if the train didn't creep along at a snails pace through them.

 

Here's what I imagine an ideal Iron Horse makeover would entail for Rattler:

 

1. Increase the lift height by 15 or 20 feet.

2. Reprofile the first drop to an OMFG near-vertical similar to NTAG's, that goes nearly to the ground.

3. Replace the current fan-turn thing with a lower overbanked turn.

4. Replace the ascension to the current helix with an airtime-inducing double-up (a la NTAG).

5. Replace the snore-worthy triple-helix with a fast, intense single helix into MCBR.

6. Steep drop off the MCBR into the existing tunnel.

8. Everything after the tunnel should be totally replaced. Maybe another highly banked right turn, two or three ejector-seat bunny hops, and an intense El Toro-esque figure eight finale into the brakes.

 

All wishful thinking of course.

[Double0Kevin]

I feel like Rattler's layout is ok, but certainly doesn't live up to it's full potential. A lot of the elements would be much more fun if the train didn't creep along at a snails pace through them.

 

Here's what I imagine an ideal Iron Horse makeover would entail for Rattler:

 

1. Increase the lift height by 15 or 20 feet.

2. Reprofile the first drop to an OMFG near-vertical similar to NTAG's, that goes nearly to the ground.

3. Replace the current fan-turn thing with a lower overbanked turn.

4. Replace the ascension to the current helix with an airtime-inducing double-up (a la NTAG).

5. Replace the snore-worthy triple-helix with a fast, intense single helix into MCBR.

6. Steep drop off the MCBR into the existing tunnel.

8. Everything after the tunnel should be totally replaced. Maybe another highly banked right turn, two or three ejector-seat bunny hops, and an intense El Toro-esque figure eight finale into the brakes.

 

All wishful thinking of course.

 

I agree with most of this. I don't think the lift height needs to be raised as long as they allow the drop to do what it used to do in regards to going all the way down to the ground (making it steeper would also be cool). I also think Rattler is kinda well known for it's triple helix so I would like to see that get preserved, though made more exciting if possible.

[jzoole]

The reason I would like to see the lift height raised is so it doesn't slowly crawl through elements such as the helix. But anyway, I don't see how the triple helix can be made all that exciting. If it slowly meanders through a triple helix, it's boring and monotonous, and if it takes a triple helix at a high speed, it would probably be way too intense. Just my thoughts.

[bottom_feeder_13]

^ The way to make the triple helix exciting is to start it off with an overbank, which proceeds to something similar to the current profile, except with real airtime in the undulations, and repeat a few times.

[ArizonaGuy]

The reason I would like to see the lift height raised is so it doesn't slowly crawl through elements such as the helix. But anyway, I don't see how the triple helix can be made all that exciting. If it slowly meanders through a triple helix, it's boring and monotonous, and if it takes a triple helix at a high speed, it would probably be way too intense. Just my thoughts.

 

It's the not the height of the drop that makes the train crawl through the helix on the Rattler, it's the brakes that slow it down on the way into the helix. I've ridden the Rattler when the brakes going into the helix we're fairly "light" and the trained hauled @$$ (if you can believe it) through the helix. The shaking was rather violent though.

 

As far as them changing the layout, it's totally possible since there actually a lot of room on top of the canyon wall where the helix is as well as where the current fan curve is. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

[jzoole]

^Good point. That would be fine then. But I still wouldn't complain about another ten or twenty feet

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^

How about rebuilding the legendary 166ft first drop?

[ArizonaGuy]

^^

I can totally see that happen. My understanding from many old articles that I read in the past is that the first drop itself wasn't the actual issue, it was the bottom of the first drop and the sharp quick jolt back up into the fan curve that was the issue with people getting hurt.

 

Assuming the coaster is going to be completed for 2013, I'm assuming it will be shut down for a good amount of the 2012 season considering the time it took them to revamp the Texas Giant.

 

Does anyone have a full copy of the article that was in the Spokane Business Journal???? The link only has the first part of the article and you have to pay to see the rest. I hope someone was able to cut and paste the article.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^ They could probably make the drop steeper and have a stronger banked turn?

 

 

I don't think the ride will be closed for all of 2012. Maybe by June/July they'll close it. Since it's not the first time they've revamped a wooden coaster, It wouldn't need as much time.*

 

 

* Denotes I'm stealing an Idea/quote from Screamscape

[jzoole]

^That would sound logical to me. Also. I would imagine they would announce they were closing it before they did. SFOT announced that Texas Giant would be closed for 2010 all the way back in '09.