Six Flags America Mini TR 11 Oct 2009

[JEAPUgrad]

I was at the park tonight for about an hour.

 

I took a batted ball directly square on my big toe today on the ballfield and was still in a little pain.

 

Overall I think this year's attention to detail with the halloween decorations is the best it's ever been. The place looked great. I don't remember ever seeing them use theatrical lighting gels to reduce to amount of white light in the park.

 

I only rode Roar, JJ, and Wild One.

 

Roar had great off in the last row coming off the lift and after that the ride sucked. The whole train shuffles from side to side for the rest of the course.

 

JJ looked (and felt) like it was lagging in speed. The first three inversions felt like we were barely making it through them. Nor normal for JJ. Two good rides. I was stuck on the ride because my lap bar wouldn't unlatch. The ride op had no idea I wanted to get off. I was trying to get her attention but she didn't see me. When she came back to check, I told her I couldn't get out. She asked me if I'd like to stay on and I really didn't want to ride again but didn't want to be "that guy" that holds up the train. Decent ride despite lack of speed.

 

Over to Wild One and the fast pass line was closed but the ride op insisted they sent out full trains and took volunteers for the last car to move one or two rows up.

 

The ride ops in all three stations were overly friendly (they had to be on crack), fast, hustled down the train like they do at Cedar Point when the ops race, and looked like they were actually having fun working at Six Flags America. Shock doesn't begin to describe. I really hope they can continue this when the families come back to Thomas Town next year.

 

Wild One, as always, provided an excellent ride. This in my opinion is the one of the most under rated coasters in the world. It's not the tallest, it's not the fasted, it doesn't look like it's 92 years old and rides very well, is smooth but not to the point where you lose the "out of control feel", is loaded with ejector air, and has one of the best finishes with that wicked helix. Great ride.

 

As someone posted one of the three sites I post on, they said there were markings on the gravel lot between Joker's Jinx and Wild One and I can confirm this. There weren't many but they were on the south side of the lot near Skull Mountain's final drop lift supports. You couldn't see them from the ground but once your up on JJ you can see them. You can also see them on while sitting on the brakes on JJ.

 

Other things of note:

 

I didn't ride SROS. I had to take the walk of shame on my last visit to the park. I sat in the test seat and there was about six inches between the seat belt metal piece and that airplane style buckle. Last time when I took the walk, I was mere millimeters close to riding as the metal piece was in the buckle and I just needed that last little mmmph. I turned to the girl with the measuring stick and asked her if they shortened the seat belts (I've lost 15 pounds since my last visit in July) and she said before FrightFest kicked off a couple of weeks ago. I walked away in disgust.

 

The crowd was pretty substantial thanks to a cheer leading competition. Everything was running two trains that I know of. I can't confirm this on Batwing because I didn't want to walk all that way for a headache. Batwing always gives me headaches. Roar and JJ were one to two train waits and Wild One was several trains wait, maybe ten to fifteen minutes. It wasn't bad.

 

I guess waiting isn't as bad when the you see the crew hustling and enjoying their jobs.

 

Two Face is still on site. As we entered the helix on Wild One, I thought I saw a glimpse of orange through the trees but didn't notice anything exiting the helix. While sitting on the brake run, I looked over my shoulder and saw orange track and blue lift support sitting in the backstage area. For a coaster that was allegedly sold months ago, its still sitting on site.

 

They've installed a video board over by the first aid / Dippin Dots area down the right side of Main Street coming from the entrance. If its been there awhile than that's how long its been since my last visit.

 

Everything was open including all wet rides on the non-Hurricane Harbor side of the park.

 

Many structures and other objects like poles, railings, lamp posts were repainted and it stands out. I'm not use to seeing such vibrant colors at SFA.

[kingsdominionlvr]

Glad to hear SFA is cleaning up their act a bit more, I went earlier this year (late July) and noticed the same thing, but it sounds as if more had happened since I had been. There is still a whole lot of stuff they need to address, but hopefully they will continue on the right track.

[Capitalize]

The video board on main st. has been there since june/july or so.

 

Like you said Roar had good air on the firswt drop in the back, but other then that it isn;t a good time. Normally the front will provide a better ride with some decent pops of airtime.

[eddie200330]

I remember when Roar was first built, it really flew through the course rather well. The no tunnel/tunnel part was one of my favorite parts of the ride, but the last time I was there and rode it, it damn near tore me apart! I think it is actually worse than Hurler at KD if that is possible!

[airtime]

The tunnel on Roar is still very smooth, one of my favorite parts of the ride. Roar has it's good days and bad days. I'm forming a hypothesis that on cool/moist/rainy days Roar can give some great rides. On hot/dry days, the rides will tear you apart.

[JEAPUgrad]

I think it is actually worse than Hurler at KD if that is possible!

 

I wouldn't put Roar (SFA) worse than Hurler.

 

I'd put Roar above Hurler but no far from it.

 

Hurler is rough from the moment you leave the lift.

 

Roar doesn't get bad until after the first fan turn.