It’s down until further notice. Not a great look this week

(Pictured in order: Superman: Ultimate Flight, Blue Hawk, Dare Devil Dive, Great American Scream Machine)

Despite the accident that occurred last Monday on Goliath, a few of my friends and I decided to get our coaster hesitancies out of our system, and I'm happy to say that this trip indeed worked in accomplishing that goal.

Upon arriving at park opening (6pm) tonight, all rides were slowly opening after maintenance teams went to every ride and did thorough, in-depth maintenance checks which also included at least 6 testing runs before even letting guests in line. Green shirt staff were posted at almost every ride tonight, rotating out to always keep an eye on things.

There were a handful of rides not open tonight, I assume from staffing and extra precautions taken during maintenance checks. There would be a few times when we'd see a ride testing with ride crews in the station, only for the ride to not open for the night at all. I can't speculate much on that front. However, everything that was open was running smoothly.

Operations were very good tonight. Everything except the mine train was running two trains (even Scorcher, which surprised me), and dispatches were fast and efficient. One slight downside, out of precaution ride operators were clearly instructed to staple everyone on every ride tonight, with one of the ops even apologizing for having to make the restraints so tight against us. With that being said, ride crews were checking every restraint thoroughly, and some crews would even check a second time just to be sure. It was some of the cleanest dispatches I have seen at the park since August, where trains were consistently being pumped out in a safe manner.

As one could imagine, crowds were non-existent tonight. Every single ride was an instant walk on, and in many cases we would be able to keep our seats if we wanted to ride again.

Overall, this was a good trip, even with the current loss of Goliath and a few other coasters closed, such as Twisted Cyclone and Mindbender. This trip reassured me well, as I had been in somewhat of a dejected mood ever since the accident earlier this week and needed something to snap me out of it.

The B&M Hyper was closed during this week likely due to the accident at Six flags over Georgia.

Could that mean that B&M was able to confirm the cause and rule out any risks for the other existing Hypers?

Happier days: Viper. My gateway drug of rollercoasters as a young kid. A lot of trash being talked about SFOG park ops these days but man mid 90s at that park were fun. Viper, Ninja (the painful OG), mindbender, all American scream machine. Simpler times.

Anyway, Viper had a solid run at 3 parks.
1978–1991: Originally operated as Tidal Wave at Six Flags Great America in Illinois.

1995: Relocated to Six Flags Over Georgia and reopened as Viper.

2001: Closed on September 16, 2001, and was replaced by Superman: Ultimate Flight.

2003–2009: Moved to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and operated as Greezed Lightnin' until the park closed after the 2009 season.

This fence was built blocking off Nitro’s exit, and a customized sign has appeared out front.

so today i was waiting in line for steel vengeance before it opened, and when the line started moving into the entrance i was scrolling on my phone not paying attention and accidentally cut in front of a bunch of people RIGHT in front of an employee 🫣 got told to go to the back and yelled at by everyone in line, basically sprinted away because i was so humiliated. anyway, it got me thinking- what other stupid/embarrassing things have you guys done at theme parks (whether intentional or unintentional)?

☆☆☆ - Must ride every visit. FastLane may be used.

☆☆ - I'll wait for it.

☆ - Only if someone else wants to.

0 - One and done.

1. Maverick (9 rides) ☆☆☆ The launch gives this the edge over SteVe in my book. Also makes for an incredible night ride, even in the back you feel like you're being flung into the lake on the first drop.

2. Steel Vengeance (4 rides) ☆☆☆ Just an absolute beast of a coaster. Only problem is the restraints, my knees/shins were slamming on them more than usual on my last ride and it kind of took away from the ride a bit, but one bad ride won't ruin a coaster like this.

3. Siren's Curse (4 rides) ☆☆☆ The soundtrack and theming add to the already fun ride. The drop in the back row at night is truly on another level.

4. Millennium Force (1 ride) ☆☆ If SteVe, Sirens and Maverick weren't such great rides this would have a better shot at #1.

5. Top Thrill 2 (1 ride) ☆☆ Amazing ride, just everything else above it is a little better in my book. Was not expecting the backwards launch to be that intense even though I knew how fast it goes.

6. Valravn (3 rides) ☆☆ Siren's Curse kind of steals its thunder, but the view from the drop is amazing.

7. Gatekeeper (1 ride) ☆☆ The first keyhole moment had me trying to move my legs away from the wall even though I'd seen it do that manuver from the entrance a ton.

8. Magnum XL 200 (1 ride) ☆☆ Absolute jank-fest, but an oddly enjoyable jank-fest, unlike several rides below. Bonus points for the incredible lake view.

9. Gemini (3 rides) ☆☆ I love this ride, I just wish it was open when I go to the park. If it was open more it may have a higher spot on the list.

10. Iron Dragon (2 rides) ☆☆ Not really bad, not really great. Just kind of exists. Nice little time eater

11. Wild Mouse (1 ride) ☆ Not a big fan of being spun around. Never have been, and likely never will be.

12. Blue Streak (1 ride) ☆ Being a wooden coaster gives it re-rideability in my book, but still got a very rough ride when I went on.

13. Raptor (2 rides) ☆ I know people like this ride but I got a really rough ride both times I went on it. Guess I’ll have to give it another go next season.

14. Cedar Creek Mine Ride (1 ride) Being 6’ and riding this with a fellow 6’ tall friend isn't the greatest of ideas.

15. Rougarou (2 rides) If this thing isn't on the re-track list it needs to be. Actually, skip the re-track, just go straight to the dumpster.

16. Corkscrew (1 ride) How on Earth did this ride make it to 50? At the very least Rougarou builds up some decent speed and has a fun first drop.

Possibly a common question, but I was wondering if any more exist? There used to be the Gyrosphere in Rochester, NY but it got closed in the early 2000's. It was a fever dream experience, and one i'd love to relive if at all possible. Best part was it being pitch black inside, so you felt like you were going a million miles an hour.

1. …it opened 5 years later. Can’t blame them for not predicting the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression was right around the corner.
2. …they built it literally anywhere other than the Bible Belt. It’s been said before, but a park this edgy and this expensive was doomed to fail in a place like Myrtle Beach.

God there was so much potential here for something incredible. Getting newer artists on board would be a challenge, I cannot imagine Thom Yorke or the Cobain estate loving the idea of their art turned into theme park attractions. But the 60s-80s theme they had for the music represented was a strong start and done tastefully. I never had the privilege of visiting but I hold out hope that the concept of a music theme park will be resurrected.

This man is the father of the child who Hassan was riding with and contains first hand information from her. It should be said that she's 13 in a stressful situation and may not get every fact right, but this whole interview is worth checking out. Breakdown from a few users over in this thread over at /r/sixflags. Thank you /u/MzOpinion8d and /u/cjapurr

https://www.reddit.com/r/sixflags/comments/1x7833v/family_member_break_silence

A few key points:

-Apparently the man beside Hassan was not related to him in any way

-Navi said Hassan passed out a little bit into the ride, and it was after that when the restraint seemed to open and he came out of the seat

-He says Hassan had decided NOT to ride some of the other rides in the park that day for safety reasons (he does not elaborate if this was due to health, if he didn't feel like he felt safe in the seat, or other reasons)

-He says Hassan's phone was in his vehicle and his glasses were in Na'vi's backpack that she put in the cubby; his car keys were in his pocket and had to be obtained by investigators later so his wife Ebony could leave the park

-His wife Ebony and their daughter did not see what happened

-Navi caled him at the end of the ride, upset and telling him what happened - he then called Ebony who knew nothing about it yet, and while on the call to her she said she'd call him back because they were announcing the park was closing (so basically he is the one who told her that her husband had come out of his seat and been flung off the ride)

-He loved Hassan very much and considered him a big brother, he was a joy to be around, and well-liked by his students and others -Hassan had told Na'vi he was very excited to ride this coaster, he had not ridden it before, and their hopes are that his excitement and happiness were his last conscious memories.

-------

TLDW: This is an interview with Hassan's brother-in-law, who shares details about the incident and what his daughter (Hassan's niece) witnessed while sitting next to him on Goliath.

-Hassan was riding Goliath next to his niece, who was at the park celebrating her 13th birthday with family.

- It was his first time riding Goliath. (For the day?)

- He passed out sometime before being ejected from theride

- His niece noted that his restraint was unlocked during one of the hills at the end of the ride. He was not reaching for his phone

- Hassan's fiancée was at the park but wasn't on Goliath and didn't witness the accident. - He had apparently avoided other rides at the park due to health/safety concerns, although it's unclear whether this was his own decision or because he wasn't permitted to ride. He had previously battled cancer and experienced complications from COVID.

- His brother-in-law described Hassan as an incredibly kind person who loved his family and was loved by his students.

Just keeping tabs. Did Apollo open? Or any of the sea world brands b&Ms?

You’ve all been there. Hate to drive by!

Nope. Still just as shaky as the first ride. I will give it at least some praise that the first drop and loop are pretty fun, but after that it's like the ride said "Ok you had fun, now I hate you". This thing needs a retrack badly.

Includes park, food, and dark/flat ride reviews. 

Finally got back to Universal Florida, my last visit was in February of 2019. Dueling Dragons had closed and Hagrid’s was being built so I had quite a bit to see this time. That was the trip that made me into the thoosie I now am. 

We did 4 days at WDW first and I ended up with a sinus infection and bronchitis. My worst day was the park hopper day for Universal/IoA. Happy honeymoon to my poor husband. 

Merch note- HP wands are now EIGHTY FIVE AMERICAN DOLL HAIRS. I recall them being $50, $85 is highway robbery. (I have been informed those wands are the second gen wands, the first gen wands are $65.)

** Park Hopper ** (Island of Adventure/Universal Studios) 

We started at IoA and rope dropped Hagrid’s with a 70 minute posted wait, we got through in about 50 minutes. I know it recently came off the FastPass but I don’t know how those wait times compare. Definitely the best themed coaster I’ve ever seen, on top of it being a legitimately very fun ride. Worth the rope drop. 

Then I finally got my long awaited ride on Velocicoaster, 20 minute wait, no single rider option. It was an absolute blast, and had I not come off of it dizzy due to my head being 12 pounds heavier than normal, I likely would have re ridden it 5 more times minimum. I fully understand why it’s a favorite, because it’s definitely one of mine now. 

Next was Incredible Hulk. This was my first big coaster, so it will always have a special place in my heart. Holy cow that thing got rough. Still a great ride, but definitely bumpy. Also had a 20 minute wait, no single rider. 

My husband rode Spider-Man, I did not as 3D glasses give me migraines so those are always a hell no from me. He said it was as fun as he remembered it being, and it has held up despite being an older ride. 25 minute wait on that one. 

We park hopped to go ride the Mummy, which is superior to Universal Hollywood because Brendan Frazier is in the ride videos. 35 minute wait, which was the longest wait of the day. Top 3 of my favorite indoor coasters honestly, I friggin love those movies. 

We got lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, and it was very ok. I had the veggie hand pie thing, which felt very microwaved, where my husband’s cottage pie looked like it was more freshly made. I remember the food being way better on my pre-Covid visit. 

We walked back to IoA for Forbidden Journey, which is still fun. 15 minute wait, I have no idea if single rider was open. 

At this point I felt like absolute ass so we went back to our room. We came back that night for dinner at Toothsome’s, which is by far the best food at Universal Citywalk (and Universal in general.) I had the Tooth & Blue burger, any place that puts that much effort into their veg options means all the food is spectacular. Hubs said his burger that I do not recall the name of was great. 

**Epic Universe**

We stayed at Helios. It was pricy (Disney deluxe resort levels of pricy), the rooms are high tech with tablets for lights and curtains, but otherwise not remarkable. The dedicated security and park entrance was excellent though. We ate lunch at Flora Taverna on our transfer day, and it good. (I legit don’t remember what I had, I felt awful that day too.) There’s also a bar on the top of the hotel that appeared to have a similar menu so I suspect that one is good too. 

**Harry Potter** and The Why is He in 1920s Paris

We rope dropped Battle at the Ministry. We waited a little over 2 hours, the staff told us there was a fire alarm that morning so they didn’t get started on all their safety checks until very late. We opted to stick it out, and we were second in line for the day. The ride itself was good, but I expected more from the IP compared to all the other HP rides. Also the floo didn’t work when we went in, so that was sad. The main room of the queue is incredibly impressive, it rivals Rise of the Resistance for “big queue room that makes your jaw drop.” The ride is also the only part that is “current” Harry Potter, the rest is all Fantastic Beasts/1920s Paris. 

Cirque de Arcanus (show) was great. Good stage magic, very cool puppets, excellent actors and a story that makes sense for the land it’s in. 

Dinner at Café L’air De La Sirène, which was the worst food of the whole trip. The vegan cassoulet was so bad I didn’t finish it. Hub has the veggie sandwich and it was not much better but we did finish it. 

*Ministry didn’t drop below 180 minutes the rest of the day, so I’m glad we stayed while it was down. 

**Nintendo** much better theming than Hollywood

Mine Cart Madness was 210 minutes so we did not ride, but we walked through the land and watched it for about 10 minutes, in which time we saw exactly 2 carts with 4 people each. No wonder the line is so damn long. I would probably rope drop this on a repeat trip, it does look fun but zero rides are 210 minute wait fun. 

We skipped Bowser’s Challenge as we’ve ridden it at Universal Hollywood and it’s fine. I don’t remember the wait times for it because we legit never looked. 

We rode the Yoshis and got absolutely baked in the sun. Highly recommend riding that at night. Definitely for the littlest kids and it’s adorable. 

**Berk** I should probably watch the movies 

The land is very cute, lots of dragons everywhere. Hiccup’s Wing Gliders was either down or at 120 minutes all day, so we didn’t want to risk waiting that long for it to go down again. 

The Untrainable Dragon (show) was cute and musical, definitely for smaller kids. Cool puppets, story is not as good, but I’m sure they spent 95% of the show’s budget on the flying Toothless. Still fun and the only Berk thing we did. 

**Darkmoor** this land is so good you guys 

The theming here is fantastic. Absolutely my favorite land in Epic, and it’s especially good at night. I wasn’t expecting it to be the favorite. We saw the Invisible Man and also Igor, whose actor was hilarious. 

Curse of the Werewolf was 120 minutes, but I’m suspicious of spinning rides on a good day so it was a no on a sick day. 

Das Stakehaus for lunch, this was the best in park food we had. Husband has the steak on a stake, I had the bits and pieces (which was like mushroom meatloaf on a stick.) 

Monsters Unchained is so underrated, we rode it 4 times lol. We kept going back because it only had a 20 minute wait and it was worth it have Igor call us delightful little freaks repeatedly. Same ride idea as Forbidden Journey, but a mix of truly outstanding animatronics and screens. It does fling you around more than Forbidden Journey but this one did not make me nauseous with repeat rides. I’d have just walked back and forth from this to Stardust Racers all day if I’d known beforehand. 

**Celestial Park** 

The carousel would have made me puke, but it is the prettiest one I’ve ever seen. 

Stardust Racers is a masterpiece. Rode yellow once, green twice. I got a dusk ride on green and it’s even better. Had 15-30 minute waits all day, no single rider. This was also my first dueling coaster, and I don’t think any others will measure up. The celestial spin was the most unreal feeling I’ve ever had on a ride. The whole ride feels like freedom, like what I expect riding a dragon would feel like. 

TL;DR - being sick at theme parks is super lame, Velocicoaster good, Stardust Racers good, Darkmoor is coolest land, eat at Toothsome’s. 

Just wondering if anyone is willing to. I can also do a trade if that’s what you would like. I have unopened iron gwazi and also arieforce one.

The official Bakunawa trademark included this subheading

Hello!!

I'm a huge Velocicoaster fan and I've fallen in love with the model that's displayed in the queue for the ride.

Does anyone know if this is being sold anywhere or available to purchase? I would seriously pay a billion dollars for it. If not, are there any replicas I'm able to purchase online? I'm aware of some of the 3D printed train replicas they sell online (I plan to buy them), but I'd love something high quality and accurate such as the one shown in the queue. It would be amazing to display and I would love it so so so so soooo much.

Any other cool merch for Velocicoaster you find please share! :)

Leading up to it, I knew the hype was high and my expectations were even higher. I would be getting my first rides on it, along with re rides on Velocicoaster.

Anyways, I finished up my first visit to Epic Universe the other day and I got to say, it exceeded expectations. Got multiple rides on SR, along with multiple on Velocicoaster (including a night ride). SR outclassed it and anything else I’ve ever been on. My lap bar was pressed so bad into me from the ops yet I was still FLYING out of my seat. I was laughing like an idiot the entire ride. It’s my new #1 for sure.