| Six Flags America 6/01/02
Date: June 1, 2002 (Saturday)
Weather: Sunny, Hot, in the 90's
With the weather looking to be sunny and very hot, this was a risky trip. We weren't sure if we would be stuck in crowd hell or forced to deal with nasty, irritated visitors.
We arrived the evening before and stayed at a Marriott Courtyard in New Carollton, MD. It was a very convenient location about 20 minutes from the park. It also was nearby to the DC Metro allowing us easy access to the Capital.
The weather predictions held out and we were met with a glorious day. We arrived about 30 minutes prior to the park's opening at 10:30AM, but were pleased that they allowed the crowds to enter the park and mull around the shops at the entrance. The crowd grew as 10:30AM came closer. We were allowed to enter at 10:30 on the nose. The crowd took off into a run with 90% headed toward "Gotham City".
We had come prepared for the heat and had brought a knapsack with waterpark gear and a change of clothes. We headed for the centrally located lockers near the theater and were initially dismayed at the $5 + $3 deposit fee they charged. However, the more we frequented the locker during the day, the more reasonable it seemed. Our plan was to ride every coaster at least once, starting in Gotham City. We still couldn't gauge how crowded it would get, so we were planning on a very aggressive morning ride session.
We headed toward Superman. Most of the crowd must have headed straight for the Batwing, because Superman was a walk on. We took the back and had a great ride. More folks had entered the station as our train returned, but we still managed to move up a couple of seats and stay on the train for the next ride. (Not a bad start to the day). During the time we experienced our first and second rides on Superman, we noticed that Batwing STILL had not run EVEN ONCE. We disembarked from Superman and, instead of heading for Batwing, headed back toward the middle of the park.
Joker's Jinx was a walk on, so we took advantage and jumped on. The park was only running one train (the other being in pieces for repair next to the station). We moved on from there to the far corner of the park occupied by Two Face and The Wild One. We scored two quick rides on Wild One and then walked right on to Two Face. With half our plan executed, we headed toward Roar.
We were disappointed to find Roar out of service, but kept moving toward Mind Eraser. This was the first line we encountered, but at 15 - 20 minutes it wasn't bad. While on line, we saw Roar back in action and headed over. We walked right on Roar and thoroughly enjoyed the ride - enough to get right back on for a second ride. We decided we were ready for the challenge of the Batwing queue and walked back. We were extremely happy and surprised to see a minimal line and TWO trains running. We took the plunge and headed back to the middle of the park.
There was still one coaster we hadn't ridden - The Great Chase. We meandered into Looney Tunes Town and found the Great Chase. Me and my buddy each wedged ourselves into the seats and, after completing the circuit, realized we had done it! We rode all of the coasters by 1:00PM and had ridden Roar, S:ROS, and The Wild One twice.
The heat was building and water rides were our next priority. We started with a soak on Shipwreck Falls and followed it up with a rather tame ride on Renegade Rapids. This was followed by a ride on the Typhoon Sea Coaster, which is one of the most original and unusual water rides I have ever experienced.
It was nearly 3:00PM and the sun was brutal. We headed to Paradise Island Water Park and found it (not surprisingly) packed. We trekked to the furthest reaches of the park and finally found an empty chair on which to place our gear. We immediately headed for the slides. We had some good runs on both pairs and couldn't resist being soaked by the giant water bucket. That done, we returned to the park - dressed in dry clothes and ready for the evening.
We rode Wild One again and then headed to Roar. We followed with a Superman circuit and repeat on Roar before succumbing to the night. That was the order of things . . . Now for some commentary.
The Crowd:
This year I have managed to visit SFGrAdv in April in temperatures below 50 degrees and visited SFNE in much the same manner in May. Both trips were extremely enjoyable because crowds were small. I was worried on this trip because the weather seemed tailored for big obnoxious crowds and school bus loads of unchaperoned brats.
The crowd, for the most part, was polite, pleasant, patient, and, compared to other experiences, relatively small. We didn't have to wait more than 30 minutes for any ride at the height of the rush. It might have helped that it was Christian Music Festival Day and there was a good chunk of people testifying by the bandshell. However, toward the end of our visit in the evening hours we did witness people blatantly littering and a couple of cases of line jumping.
The Amusement Park:
You've heard it before and I'll state it again: This park layout is terrible. It is clear that the park has LOTS of room for growth and most certainly has plans for Gotham City. The management must start connecting paths to create an ENJOYABLE and LOGICAL flow of visitors. There is one AND ONLY ONE entrance to Gotham City (over the railroad tracks and under Wild One). This ONE ENTRANCE leads to ONE PATH. In the high heat of the day, it can seem a path to hell. It is LOOOOONG, with nothing more than snack carts, a few newly planted trees, and iron fencing. It is NOT an inviting area. Please, Six Flags, put some paving funds in the 2003 budget and build two paths: one toward Two Face and Wild One, the other toward Roar. The old parts of the park had some fairly convincing theming and mature landscaping. We did find one odd stretch behind the theater and between Roar and Wild One that was ominously like a back alley. Because the crowds weren't too large it wasn't critical, but at the height of the season, I can see this lack of flow being a MAJOR hindrance to over all enjoyment.
The park started out in immaculate condition and seemed to be pretty well maintained through out the day. That is until you entered a queue. Garbage cans overflowed. Station platforms were strewn with litter and there weren't ANY grounds people in sight. It was disappointing, because we found litter to be the single biggest detriment to our overall enjoyment of the trip. Ample waste containers are useless if they are not emptied on schedule.
The staff was pleasant and, to our happy surprise, enforced park rules and policies: shirts and shoes had to be worn at all times, no line jumping (we saw them send folks to the back of the lines), and thorough checking of safety devices. Only recommendations I would make is that management emphasize SPEED in dispatching trains and loading rides AND a manager at each ride to stop the incessant and detracting personal conversations between operators which cause the back-ups.
The Water Park:
Okay, this was totally disgusting. The pool areas were covered in outdoor carpeting on which we had to navigte through spilled and encrusted food, towels, blankets, chairs, people and other obstacles. If you expect 5,000 people, then at least have 3500 chairs. It was a welcome relief to the heat and the lines moved extremely well, but I felt like I needed to be bathed in antiseptic afterward.
The Coasters (Rated on scale 1 to 10):
Superman: Ride of Steel (9)
The minimal line but slow loading of this ride cancelled each other out. The ride is exhilarating and pulls some great G's in the turn after the first hill. It doesn't compare to its totally different cousin (by the same name at SFNE - which is a 10+), but it is a good ride. If only they kept the bunny hills going a while longer. I liked the helices (but prefer the way they are suspended over water at SFDL). This is a great ride.
Roar (8)
I love this ride and think it is a VERY underrated woodie. A wonderfully convoluted track easily disorients riders and the speed just keeps building. It's best ridden at night. Turns are banked so you get few laterals on this oherwise perfect coaster.
Wild One (8)
Classic out an back that delivers! Designed by John Miller and Later aletered by Herb Schmeck - this is proof that it doesn't have to be super big, super fast, or super new to be a great ride. LOvingly maintained and run by enthusiastic operators!
Batwing (6)
My second trip to SFA and my enthusiasm has waned for this ride. I kept wondering if the safety features were dependable and praying the buckle didn't burst open. I don't like being suspended on ferris wheels, skyrides, condors, or ski-lifts. I think this ride is in that category of rides.
Mind Eraser (7)
Vekoma SLC in a nice wooded setting. Ride the front for a most effective and intense ride. Nice elements.
Joker's Jinx (6)
Beautiful track layout. They removed the OTSR from this ride and replaced them with lapbars GREATLY increasing the enjoyability of this ride. I like it better than Flight of Fear - which is the same ride indoors - but which has enough light inside to make the argument for not having enclosed it at all.
Two Face (6)
Invertigo Boomerang. You done one, you done 'em all. As I get older, I am more positive that humans should not go backwards through loops. For what it does, it does it well.
The Great Chase (3)
Yes, I rode it. Me in one seat, my buddy in another. I was lucky enough to have a VERY chubby mom ask me to ride with her daughter (or we'd hve looked very silly). It was surprisingly wild around the last turn requiring me to create a head rest for the little girl from my arm. She loved it and so did I.
Last edited by BrooklynRider; 06-02-2002 at 10:05 PM..
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