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Photo TR: Six Flags America Preview Day


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Six Flags America is a park most people seem to really love or really hate, with little ground in between. Anyone who's read my TRs on the park in the past couple years know I fall into the former category, which is why when I read in the SFA thread that sfafans.com was hosting a preview day at the park this year, I was intrigued enough to sign up. I'm glad I did.

 

This was a day of firsts: my first non-TPR theme park club event, the first theme park event I've ever attended without any sort of ERT (or rides of any kind, actually) and, I found out later, the first time this event had ever been held at SFA. I had a great time, and I really hope it continues.

 

That said, we (or at least I) learned a lot during the Q&A sessions:

 

--Besides the "Survivor" show previously announced, SFA will host a "Bob the Builder" show in its saloon this season, and the saloon itself will be changing. Starting next month, the venue officially will be called a "restaurant and theater" rather than a "saloon" in an attempt to broadcast its child-friendly atmosphere. In addition, the menu will change to cater mainly to kids. Child-friendly selections such as chicken fingers will top the list of main entrees, while more adult-oriented selections (which I hope still includes the barbecue) will move toward the bottom of the menu.

 

--There will be storage racks for riders' souvenir cups at all coasters in the park for 2011! The cups themselves will feature the new Six Flags "Go Big!" logo.

 

--Six Flags Corporate has pledged "substantial" capital funding for SFA each year for the next five years. I'm not sure if this was just corporate-speak or not, but if true, it does seem to bode well for the park's future. However, it came with the caveat that it didn't necessarily mean a major new attraction each season. Major capital upgrades in recent years, for example, have included new data wiring and other things that may not mean much to the general public, though they're essential to keep the park operating safely and smoothly.

 

--The Six Flags Kids shop and candy store in Coyote Creek will merge into a new mega store in 2011, featuring over 100 different types of bulk candy.

 

--There is a chance that the old water slides in the park may re-open in some form at some point.

 

--SFA is in talks with several vendors to offer additional up-charge attractions for 2011.

 

--In response to reaction to the new "season passholder parking is valid only at the park where it's purchased" rule, Six Flags may include a one-time free or discounted parking pass for other parks in its 2011 coupon books. Certain parks also may be "bundled" for parking (for example, an SFA passholder may also receive free parking at SFGAd, but not other Six Flags parks).

 

--Pirates will continue to be the theme of the stunt show in 2011--and probably the foreseeable future since money was spent to overhaul the set to a nautical theme just a few years ago--but none of the characters from past shows will be repeated this year. If the stunt show continues to be successful, there's an idea to add a boat on the audience-left side of the stage that would appear to sail in from backstage.

 

--SFA is currently the only Six Flags park with a choreographed theatrical stunt show.

 

--Despite popular demand, the Batman stunt show likely will not be returning to any of the Six Flags parks. During its final year, the show cost $1 million per park to produce, with the bulk of that going to Warner Bros. for licensing fees. SFA's pirate shows, by comparison, cost $30,000-$40,000 per year to produce, not including actors' salaries. That said, SFA has kicked around ideas for other comic book-themed shows.

 

--Another idea the top brass at SFA have considered (and I think it's a good one myself) is a holiday event at the park. A P&L has been drafted, and ideas for shows have been vaguely considered, but until Six Flags Corporate green-lights the idea, it likely will not get off the ground. Even then, there may be issues. A trial holiday event at Great Escape a few years ago didn't attract as many people as corporate execs had hoped, and there are concerns that holiday events at other parks within SFA's visitor radius (Hershey, Busch Gardens, Dutch Wonderland), as well as other Christmas events in and around Washington, D.C. (Gaylord's "ICE," national tree-lighting ceremony, etc.) would dilute the potential client base.

 

--There is a plan to add more flat rides to the park in the coming years. Many in the audience said they would support this--as well as the addition of a wild mouse or mine train coaster (though to be fair, it didn't sound like those were in the plans)--to help attract the tween audience. SFA has made a push for families in the past couple years, and there was a concern among those attending the event that once the children who enjoy Looney Tunes Movie Town and Whistlestop Park become too old for those areas, the park really doesn't offer them too much reason to return until they're old enough to tackle coasters like Mind Eraser and Superman: Ride of Steel.

 

There's probably more, but that's what I remember. And now, without further ado, here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

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Wow, Six Flags America! What's it been, like five months? You haven't changed a bit!

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SFA's crack group sales team staffed the goodie bag table and basically treated us like VIPs during the entire event!

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Speaking of goodie bags, this is what was inside. I thought the SFA golf balls were kind of a neat--if random--surprise.

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And awaaaayyyy we go!

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First stop of the day: the Crazy Horse Saloon.

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BUF-FAY!!!!

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See that stuff on the hamburger roll on the left? That's some *extremely* tasty barbecue! I never imagined theme park 'cue could taste that good, especially this side of Knoebel's. The petit fours (between the garlic bread and the cookies) were also a surprise.

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Six Flags director of operations Randy Wilke was among the "big wigs" who spoke during the Q&A. Though, truth be told, their wigs really weren't that big. For the most part, we got straightforward answers to all our questions, and there really didn't seem to be a strict time limit. In fact, the event as a whole went about an hour over schedule. I don't think any of us minded.

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Hey, I don't remember that in the Santa Claw!

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Those must be the most painful seats in the park!

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The second half of the event took place at the stunt show arena, where live show supervisor and stunt coordinator Jason Cabrera spent over an hour going through the process of writing, coordinating and producing the park's annual stunt show, from the initial idea to actor auditions to rehearsals to the finished product. I have to admit, when I read about this part of the day in the event description, I was a little underwhelmed. But it turned out to be awesome!

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First up, we got to see how the stunt arena's two major effects worked. The "blast shack" is basically a flame thrower concealed inside a building. Propane is sprayed over a flame to create the fire effect while a sound technician in a booth at stage left maked the "boom."

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Similarly, the well is a water cannon concealed inside a structure. If you listen carefully during the show, you can hear the pump recycling the water back to the tank after the effect goes off.

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Next, it was on to a demonstration of stunt coordination, including punches...

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...and flips. My favorite was the "Charlie's Angles" flip, so named because, as Jason noted, it was used in practically every episode of "Charlie's Angels." I never would have noticed that had he not pointed it out, but as soon as I saw it, I knew he was 100 percent right! In fact, I've seen it in quite a few episodes of "The Rockford Files," as well.

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Sword fighting was next. Each of the blunt-edged swords used in the stunt show costs about $500. They're made and repaired by a specialty arms shop in Virginia.

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"Shhhh! Be vewwy, vewwy quiet! I'm hunting piwates!"

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The neatest part of the stunt demonstration was watching how the falls are produced. The ladder fall is the easiest: "Just hold on and scream."

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"I'm the king of the bait shop!"

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"You told me the cape was magic!"

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"Yaaah-ha-ha-hooey!"

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You think he's sexy now? Wait until he gets his new 2011 boots! They're made by the company that provided them for the second, third and fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies (really).

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"Sorry, ladies. Rest room's closed. The moose out front should have told you."

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And so ends the inaugural Six Flags America Preview Day. See you again in a few weeks, SFA!

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