Six Flags Over Texas (SFOT) Discussion Thread

[Sportsdude360]

^^Ah yes, I had forgotten about TSS. I suppose it would have to be considered a flat. But I doubt we'll see a Max Air

type ride in here anytime soon. Although, if we beg, maybe SFFT will give us Spinniker/Wagon Wheel back.

[chadster]

^The only flats the park will likely get are hand-me-downs from other parks.

We were nice enough to send Flashback to SFSTL, maybe they'll be nice enough

to send us their Excalibur ride. Larson Loop anyone?

 

Several new kiddie flats were installed last year. The boomerang was awarded to SFSTL when it became available due to the need to remove it for TSS construction.

[LiftThrill]

I went this past Thurday/Friday and everything we went on except NTaG, La Vibora, and Texas SkyScreamer was consistently a walk-on or station wait.

I finally rode Mr. Freeze and it was definitely a favorite. It overtook Judge Roy Scream as my 2nd favorite coaster at SFOT and 4th favorite overall.

I also tried my first drop tower, Superman: Tower of Power (aka S:TOP IT). Fun even with the eerily loose OTSR.

Can't wait to try the shorter one at SFFT.

 

What I noticed:

-Shock Wave is better in the back. Last time I rode it it was in the front and it felt slow and boring, but in the back it feels insane and I wasn't in my seat once after the loops were over. The smoothness is also more noticeable in the back.

-NTaG is amazing as always.

-Judge Roy is best in the front row. Great pops of airtime compared to the back.

-Mr. Freeze has got to be the most messed up roller coaster of all time. Hangtime everywhere.

-Runaway Mine Train is the roughest, jerkiest, and lateraliest coaster I've been on. It's just so classic and fun even though it shows its age.

-Titan's on-ride photo should be moved away from the second helix so I'm not in a helix of death brace position in all of my photos

-Titan is still the smoothest coaster I've been on.

-First ride of the day on NTaG (Thursday) and Mr. Freeze (Friday) is worth getting up early for. Even if NTaG wasn't fully warmed up yet (ran very sluggish), it made it a unique experience. We also got a triple ride on it after it broke down midday Thurday, and got a quadruple ride on Judge Roy late Thurday night too

[chickenbowl]

What should crowds be like this coming Saturday night and Monday? Thanks in advance!

[LiftThrill]

Saturdays are busy, Mondays aren't. I've done a Sat/Mon SFOT trip but it rained a ton. Not too sure about Saturday if it doesn't rain. Get there early Monday and get as many rides on NTaG as you can before a line shows up (sit near the second to back row, less people go there). From my experience Titan is a walkon all the time on weekdays, but weekend lines get a little long. Shockwave and Judge Roy are always walkons or single digit train waits, hit them whenever. Mr. Freeze is a one-train wait most of the time. Lines get long for NTaG, La Vibora (which takes an hour after the park opens to open due to testing and whatever else), Texas SkyScreamer, S:TOP, Pandemonium and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting.

[PhilNotPhil]

Unless you absolutely must ride together, use the single rider line on Vibora, Pandemonium, and STOP. Maybe Justice League too. I did it for the first time last week and would not have waited in the full line, which was the longest in the park by a decent margin, but then again I wasn't with a family.

 

Batman is once again a weekday walk-on (and ride as many times as you can stand by switching seats) now that Backwards is gone.

[coastercrazi]

Agreed. SToP's line can get INSANE. Also, when I first rode Pandemonium in 2008, I WENT IN SEPTEMBER and the line was 2 1/2 hrs long. (I wasn't single rider) Also, the water rides, especially the Log Flume's, lines can get loooong so if you are planning on riding them, don't do it in the middle of the day. You will regret it. As for Monday, La Vibora's line is ALWAYS long, so if you are preparing to ride it, ride in the morning or late at night. It is quite fun riding it at night actually. Hope this helps!

[LiftThrill]

oh yeah JLBFM's lines are deadly use the SRL

[scooterdoug]

I'll be visiting next Tuesday (8/4). Is there any single train operation that I can expect on the coasters, or will everything be 2+ train operation? Thanks.

[chadster]

Provided there are no mechanical issues or rain, you can usually always expect 2+ operation

[DJeXeL]

Is JLBFM suffering from the same issues that it's counter part at SFStL is suffering from?

[chadster]

On my last several visits I experienced no downtime and what seems to be 6-7 car operation (Sorry, I'm not nerdy enough to count, but whatever number they are using is providing for constant loading). Other sources say the gremlins are becoming few as we expected would happen. Unlike Universal of Disney they didn't have months to perfect the operation before it opened, and even with those guys you can always expect a test and adjust period. For all of the new technology, new ride vehicles, and everything else that has gone into the ride, I'd say it's performing well. I hadn't been to the park in two weeks, tonight virtually every ride in the park was walk on or damn near close to it, NTAG included, yet Justice League had a 30= minute wait with a steady moving line. (Thanking SF's everytime I ride for single rider line, I'm so glad the one night it was closed was not permanent)

[bigboy]

Interesting. Maybe the heat is clearing the place out in the late afternoon. We may give tomorrow night a shot.

 

I heard from someone I know at the park earlier in the summer that Justice League may have an extended shutdown in August to straighten out its issues before the busy fall season. Sounds like it may not be needed.

[scooterdoug]

Provided there are no mechanical issues or rain, you can usually always expect 2+ operation

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I figured 2+ train operation would be the case during the summer, but I didn't want any surprises (like when I went to Kings Dominion last year on a Tuesday and discovered that they run only 1 train on I305 on weekdays). Thanks again.

[misterfogg]

Finally after 40 times I beat my goal on Justice League which to beat 306,000! I even bought a picture of it but when I went to claim it on the website they conveniently "Can't find the photo" I tried to take a shot of it with my go pro. Thanks for scoring so high to give me a goal to reach for.

 

David W. Merchant

Justice League Battle for metropolis score.

[chadster]

You have a new goal

 

Highest for me 445k.

[RandallDuell]

On my last several visits I experienced no downtime and what seems to be 6-7 car operation (Sorry, I'm not nerdy enough to count

 

Then had this locked and loaded...

 

You have a new goal

 

Highest for me 445k.

 

Gonna go ahead and say that you are nerdy enough

[chadster]

Pbbt, I did that months ago, just never posted it, didn't want to discourage anyone

 

Just giving them a new goal is all!

[LiftThrill]

I'd like to say that JLBFM is one of the most immersive rides ever. I gave it a shot when I went last Thursday/Friday and I didn't mind waiting in line since the whole queue is so well themed once you get inside.

[misterfogg]

Come on Man, Now I have to go back to six flags right now and try to beat another high score. lol Leaving now!

[chadster]

LOL! Single Rider line! Seriously tho, concentrate on the first scene and try to rack up 125k there. If you do, you have an excellent chance of getting in the high 300's

[jray21]

It's been way too long since I've been to this park. I really want to check out Justice League.

[Mad Hatter]

The wife and I will be visiting this park on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I'm hoping the lines are manageable! We are from STL and this will be our fist visit to this Six Flags. We are leaving hot temps to go someplace HOTTER! We obviously weren't thinking when we planned this trip months ago.

[chadster]

Some area schools are winding back up this week so hours are reduced with replacement workers stepping back in. Park closes at 8pm. Should be high 90's on your visit (4 days, wow! hope you are checking out Dallas/Ft. Worth while you are here) The A/C is working nicely in Mr. Freeze, Runaway Mountain, and JL:B4M. Stay hydrated. Busiest day will likely be Saturday, Sunday will be fine until around 1pm when people crawl out of bed and say hey, lets go ride a roller coaster!

[scooterdoug]

I just visited SFOT for my first time last week. I had a good time there (though felt like I spent the day staying one step ahead of dehydration). Definitely a solid collection of roller coasters. I got to ride everything once, except for NTAG, which I rode 16 times.

 

On a whole, I enjoyed the park and the coasters. La Vibora was fun, though those entries into the various brake runs were jarring. I enjoyed getting to experience the classic Arrow mine train as well. Judge Roy Scream was a fun little woodie. I thought that Mr. Freeze was very unique, going through the inside Top Hat was a unique sensation. Titan was great: just like Goliath at SFMM, except with the extra helix to make you feel even more drained when you exit the ride. Smooth as can be. I also enjoyed Shock Wave. It really amazes me how smooth of a ride Anton could design by hand. A definite classic. Runaway Mountain was also enjoyable. Very smooth, and the air conditioning was a very welcome treat. Batman and Pandemonium were enjoyable clones. I've ridden both before in other parks, but they were still enjoyable.

 

Of course, the undeniable star of the day (and my primary reason for visiting) was Texas Giant. This ride blew me away. It certainly lived up to the ample hype, and ended up my #2 coaster (behind Intimidator 305). I was amazed at how smooth and quiet the ride ran. And, holy s#&t, the airtime! I loved how it was just one airtime hill after the other, all producing significant airtime...none of the floater nonsense. I didn't expect the hill before the MCBR to kick up THAT much. It was glorious. Overall, the ride just felt complete: generous airtime, laterals, steep drop, overbanked turns, a funky angled airtime hill, and even an awesome corkscrew hill thrown in for good measure.

 

After my day there, I slept like the dead. The next morning, I was set to drive down to San Antonio. My only real need for the day was to stop in Lockhart for some good barbecue at Black's (which, by the way, was unquestionably the best barbecue I've ever eaten). I was checked out of my hotel and ready to go at 11:30. Still plenty of time (I didn't want to get to Lockhart for a 3pm dinner), so I had some time to kill. I thought of going to Zero Gravity in Dallas to try out their SCAD tower (it was suggested to me by another forum member), but decided against it. Instead, I figured I'd just go back to SFOT for some more NTAG love (hey, I've got a season pass, so it was free). I got a few more rides in before the ride broke down around 2. I figured that was my cue to start driving south. I picked up my quick La Vibora credit on the way out (it was closed the previous day) and headed out. On my drive down, I stopped in Lockhart solely for the barbecue. I stopped at Black's to get baby back ribs, fatty brisket, and a sausage. I inhaled my food, as it was that good. Like I said before, it was the best barbecue I've ever eaten. I didn't bother with any sauce, the meat was absolutely perfect on its own. I would have happily driven several hours out of my way to eat that. Fortunately, I didn't have to, as it's on the way to San Antonio (just a small detour).

 

All in all, a good day and a half. Like I said before, I felt like I was staying one step ahead of dehydration all day. I was aggressive about drinking water, stopping at numerous food vendors to get cups of water (and many refills), as well as stops at the (unfortunately) few drinking fountains for huge drinks of water. I went though several liters of water that day, and never had to use the bathroom once (I was sweating every ounce that I drank). There were a couple of lightheaded moments that subsided quickly after I drank. Seriously, I've never felt like I was flirting with bona fide dehydration like I did during my full day there. That heat is just incredible. For Mad Hatter (who I see from a few posts previous will be visiting soon): DRINK WATER. Seriously, stop at every drinking fountain and drink lots...even if you don't feel thirsty. Any food establishment that has a soda fountain will give you a free cup of ice water. Drink lots of them, and get refills. I had three glasses at every stop I made. Just drink like mad!

 

A great time. I miss NTAG already...especially those front row rides. I hope to go back again some time.