I have a four roller coaster limit. Actually, this is a marked improvement. When I was a teenager, I was never much for the coasters, particularly if they looped. I spent far too much quality time as a very little tyke being the crown prince of car-sickness, so dizziness was something to avoid. But on Saturday, I decided to put all of that behind me. I hadn’t been to Six Flags in ten years, and the last time I went, I was chaperoning a pack of teenaged Methodists. But this weekend, we had friends up from out-of-town. They had never been to Six Flags, so we decided to just go.
Over the course of the afternoon (we got there around 2pm), I rode the following:
- The Georgia Cyclone – Ouch. I know the Cyclone is only 15 years old, but damn, if it isn’t the most bone-rattling thing. Must be the wooden construction. For a first coaster of the day, it’s not bad, if for no other reason than the assurance that you’re not likely to find a less comfortable ride anytime soon. And hey, there’s not a loop in sight.
- Superman: Ultimate Flight – The signs along the queue do nothing to help the uncertain. “Please secure any loose items, such as glasses, cell phones, wallets, dental fillings, spleens …” But, I figured, if I’m going to do this, I might as well do it right. It’s not like people die on these kinds of contraptions, do they? What’s funny is that by the time we were on deck for the ride, we were all far more concerned about securing our assorted belongings than any peril on the rails. We ended up staggering our places in line so the girls went all the way around first. Then when me and Vince got on, we could just pass on all of our earthly possessions without worrying with the not-at-all secure “lockers” (that don’t lock). And it was so worth it. Superman was the best ride of the park, at least from my point of view. The positioning (strapped in and angled 90 degrees from the ground) is disorienting, but only for a second. The ride is smooth and fast and just plastered a grin on my face the whole time. With the exception of one gravity-defying and stomach-threatening drop, the ride was almost perfect and much too short.
- Ninja – Not much of a line for this one. We waited in queue for about an hour for Superman, but the Ninja was practically a walk-up-and-get-on ride. For a third coaster in a day, it wasn’t bad. A bit younger than the Cyclone, the Ninja is getting a little shaky with age — though that might’ve been the design all along. The worst part was probably the immediate stop at the end, right before it pulls into the station. Up until then, you’re just going and looping and all is well, and then … Remember that bit when Daffy Duck is dressed as Robin Hood? “Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!” … and then he smacks himself with his own staff. It’s like that.
- Mindbender – The oldest coaster of the day, as we hit neither the Dahlonega Mine Train nor the Great American Scream Machine. The Mindbender has been going through its paces since 1978. I’ve got five years on it, but it still left me stunned. If I recall correctly, Mindbender was my first looping roller coaster ever, from maybe over fifteen years ago. Not surprisingly, it was also my last until this weekend. Nikki calls this one her favorite, and I’ll grant her that for scenery and sheer variety, few rides beat it. But my opinions seem to count for little against the predisposition of my inner ear. I liked Mindbender, but it stayed with me long after I hopped off.
- Batman: The Ride – It was only fair. You can’t ride one superhero ride without riding the other one. Unfortunately, it looks like few others at Six Flags feel the same way. Superman probably still had a very long wait by the time we got to Gotham, but Batman’s winding queue line (through a small municipal park, some drainage tunnels and up two flights of stairs) was practically empty. Of course, the absolute lack of air conditioning at the loading deck might’ve been a clue. Hopping on in the jungle-like air, I had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be nearly as fun. Batman is a hang-and-ride coaster that leaves your feet swinging in the breeze — assuming there was a breeze. Long story short, about 20 yards from the deck, my equillibrium said “No.” Luckilly, Batman is not a very long ride. In the end, the worst part was hanging in the even hotter darkness of the waiting area at the end of the ride, as they keep the previous set of cars on hold while assembling the next crew of riders. Eventually, though a malfunctioning seat kept me there for a bit longer than I’d like, my feet found solid ground again and all I’d really suffered was a little unnatural pallor and overall “bleh.”
More lessons to follow.
