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Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread


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So were these TPR members able to ride because of a soft opening? Once I saw this update I considered changing my spring break plans last minute, but when I called the park they said the Texas Giant doesn't open until April. Any information is appreciated.

If you follow the thread and read the posts you'll know they were there for a film shoot and the ride opens on April 22nd. Please don't be lazy and READ. All the information you're asking has already been posted.

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So were these TPR members able to ride because of a soft opening? Once I saw this update I considered changing my spring break plans last minute, but when I called the park they said the Texas Giant doesn't open until April. Any information is appreciated.

They are/were filming for a commercial for the NTG, and needed extras to ride the train, so on Tuesday, they posted a casting call on their Facebook page. You had to email in with name/picture and be approved to come up today.

 

 

EDIT: Oh, and regarding legroom...I had no problems, but I'm only an average-height guy...5'9" or so. But it wasn't really that enclosed, and I didn't get any sensation of being cramped, nor did I hear any of the taller riders say anything.

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^ Thanks for the information. I read from the page posted to this page, because I thought any information I needed would be covered in that range.

It was posted a few pages before hand (we also FB posted and Tweeted the opening date.)

 

Here's a TPR Forum Tip!

 

In every thread on the forums there is the "Search this topic" box up there on the left hand side. Type in "Texas Giant Opening" and you'll see the date comes right up. Just trying to help you find the information you're looking for better.

 

--Robb

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If you plan on going the day this ride opens, I must say that it is well worth the wait that there is most likely going to be on it! So much airtime, nothing to really compare it to in the entire park. The ride is super smooth and there were only 1 or 2 rough spots on the 5 times I rode it in the 2nd to back row. By far the most airtime I have encountered yet on a coaster yet and the banked turns were just amazing. The drop offers A LOT of airtime, as when you are in the back you're out of your seat for almost the entire drop. Seats are extremely comfortable, but I wouldn't offer advice to try and ride it if you are a larger build. Lap bars are like on Millennium Force, TTD or THBS, I would recommended to push it close to all the way down, as you still get a lot of airtime. Otherwise, great ride and personally rated 5 stars.

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I had my reservations about the trains when I first saw them, and they're still not my favorite, but they do looks better on the track than I was imagining. I can only hope they can get this on Mean Streak and turn that sucker from losing to WINNING. I've always liked the layout and whatnot, but its just too damn rough. Sounds like Rocky Mountain has a big winner in this, lets hope they start rolling out the renovations.

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I find it ironic that a coaster that was once ranked at the bottom of the best wooden coasters poll may now possibly be ranked close to the top (According to these early reports).

 

Check the early years of the poll.

 

Texas Giant was once a top-10 ride.

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I have mixed feelings now that I've read the glowing reviews.... The $10mil price tag is really steep, but this was a learning curve project, and part of the expense involved the labor-intensive process of removing part of the existing structure without damaging it, retrofitting new supports onto the structure, figuring out and engineering a new layout that fit onto the previous layout's footprint, etc etc etc.

The cost should be considerably less when the coaster can be designed and built from a clean slate and construction doesn't have to tiptoe around what's already there.

The mixed feelings come from the suspicion that as this technology becomes cheaper to produce (and that happens to all new tech), that the number of parks willing to build a classic wooden coaster will diminish drastically. If they can, for a slight percentage more upfront, have a smooth, low-maintenance, crowd-pleasing ride, then why would they build a coaster that will cost much more to maintain and has the potential of deteriorating into an unridable mess?

 

I love the classic wood coaster experience and while I know that there are park owners out there who are of like mind and will continue to pamper their wooden creations and maybe even build new ones, I fear that a lot of parks will now say "build one of those Iron Horse rides instead of a woodie" or will give up on maintaining their existing rides when the costs escalate, figuring "why spend the money to keep it up when we can just Iron Horse it and be done"....

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Being that it's a Hybrid roller coaster, why don't we just keep it in that category? Isn't it the first hybrid? What is California Screamin'?

 

This is not the first Hybrid coaster. I am not certain, the earliest I can think of off the top of my head with out digging around would be the Bobsleds at Sea Breeze in Rochester, NY. It was a wooden coaster that they replaced the wood track with a tubular steel track.

 

While I get what you're saying about it being a Hybrid, and though its been said many times on this thread...a coasters wood or steel category goes exclusively by the make up of the track, not by what is holding that track up. This is a steel coaster. Period. A Hybrid yes, but that's secondary. Hybrid always refers to a coaster that is made up of steel and wood, regardless if it has wood supports and steel track (like a mine train, or now the Texas Giant) or steel supports and a wood track (like the Voyage or Hades.). No Hybrid category. Coasters are steel or wood. The Hybrid is really not as important, nor as relevant, IMO. Peace!

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It has to give a little more than a typical Steel coaster. Look at Rattler, it got topper track, it's probably still going to bend quite a bit. Watch an Intamin steel coaster sometime, very solid. Sure there is a little give but a whole lot less than a wooden coaster. Supports make a huge contribution to how the ride rides. Even though there are steel on wood hybrids, nothing out there is like this and at this point I don't think anything can compare.

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While it most definitely is a steel coaster, I will say this...It didn't feel like a wood coaster. It didn't feel like a steel coaster. It really did, to me, feel like something completely new. I'm just not sure how to describe it.

Would you say it's sort of similar to other steel coasters with wooden supports in the way it rides (Cedar Point's Gemini for example)?

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