Late Sunday night I visited Six Flags’ website to check to make sure my group’s reservations for an upcoming Sunday, October 25, 2020 trip to Six Flags Great Adventure (SFGAdv) were placed properly. While I was online, I looked at my membership perks page and saw something odd. I saw that I had a bring a friend perk for my home park of Six Flags America (SFA) for the next day, which was a Monday. I didn’t even think the parks were open on Mondays at this point, so I went to look at the park’s hours. Low and behold, they were open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
I shot Sam a text message and asked her if she wanted to go up for a few hours after her online classes finished, which was at 3:15 p.m. With an hour drive, we’d still have a little over 2.5 hours to ride whatever we wanted. Although it had been raining for a couple of days and it was slated to be raining all day on Monday, we decided to take the chance. It ultimately paid off.
Wanting that Joker's Jinx Credit
Sam had been wanting to get back to SFA ever since she really began to embrace his hobby. We visited back on Monday, July 6, 2020. You can read about that day when we met up with Chris D. and his daughter, Carrie, while they were up from Virginia, “Summer of Sam – Six Flags America Meet Up w/ Chris.” On that day, Sam was still intimidated by some coasters and never got to experience Joker’s Jinx, Mind Eraser, Firebird, or Batwing.
As many of you know, I typically write these trip report blogs in sequential order from the start of the day to the end. With a visit such as this one, where were got in multiple rides on most coasters, bouncing back and forth throughout the park, I am going to just talk about our experiences grouped by the coasters themselves. I figure it’s a little easier to follow if you wanted to know about a certain ride.
Sam Rides Her Least Favorite B&M
It might look pretty with its bright orange and red paint scheme (although I prefer the Apocalypse paint scheme), but one thing that Firebird is not is new. Had you watched the 2019 Six Flags hype video for new rides coming to their parks, you’d be led to believe that this ride was added in 2019. I mean, I guess it technically never existed under that name, with that paint scheme, or with the floorless trains, but it did exist. From 2012-18, Firebird was called Apocalypse and was a stand-up coaster. Then there was its life as Iron Wolf from 1990-2011 at Six Flags Great America (SFGA). So yeah, this coaster is 30 years old. Sadly, you can feel it too.
This was the first and second ride of our day, going right to it upon our arrival. No one was waiting for the ride, so we walked up and got in the front seat. We rode twice in a row without having to get off the trains, but both rides featured some headbanging for Sam and myself. I could tell it was happening to Sam with her groans and comments throughout the ride – mostly in the first half.
While you think this would be one of the more comfortable rides at SFA being a B&M, this is far from the case. I actually prefer the park’s Intamin and two Vekomas to it these days. I think I actually liked it better as a stand-up too.
Sam Gets Super-Stapled on Superman
Just like with Firebird, Sam and I did two back-to-back rides on Superman Ride of Steel without getting off the trains. We went for the back row since Sam has been exploring the different experiences with different rows as of late. She really has become a lot more comfortable riding coasters and things like that just prove it. Naturally, she was also excited to get some more rides on her very first hyper coaster.
What Sam wasn’t excited for was getting hardcore stapled on the ride. During our first two rides, the staff member checking my restraints just gave it a little tug. Sam’s, however, shoved hers down, literally putting his full weight into his downward shoving motion. He looked like he was trying to stuff 500 things into the trunk of a car that couldn’t possibly fit. He did it again on our re-ride too.
Later in the evening, Sam and I did get a third ride on Superman, that time going for the front. She didn’t get stapled in the front, which made her happy.
We Were Inverted on Sam's First Non-B&M Invert
Sam is a B&M fangirl and her favorite steel coaster is Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW). When her trek to becoming an enthusiast began, Hersheypark’s Great Bear was her number one coaster with her limited credits. She’s also experienced and loved Dorney Park’s Talon. Although she did experience SFGAdv’s Batman the Ride, she said it was her least favorite B&M invert and least favorite B&M overall. Well, at least the overall part has changed since Firebird earlier in the day.
Walking up to Mind Eraser, she knew all the rumors about how bad these Vekoma SLC’s are and she was expecting the worst. I told her that over the last three years, I have actually had better rides on this particular Mind Eraser than I ever had in years prior. It’s not running the new trains or anything, but I just don’t bang my head like I once did. I also bang my head a lot less on it than I do Firebird.
As for Sam’s first Vekoma SLC, she didn’t hate it, but certainly didn’t love it. Don’t let the fun pose we did out by the Mind Eraser sign on the We Were Inverted Instagram (@WeWereInverted_IG) account fool you. That was done more for fun than anything.
Front Row on the Flying Dutchman
One of the coasters Sam was intimidated by earlier this year during our first visit to SFA was Batwing. We didn’t get on it that visit and Chris D. and Carrie almost didn’t either. It’s known to go down quite a bit and it actually did the very first time we walked back to it on this visit. We lucked out later on, however, even though when we approached, we thought it still might be down. It hadn’t went in a bit, but that was because no one was that far back in the park except us. The ride staff looked surprised to see us when we came up on the station.
Sam admitted to still being a little freaked out boarding the train, especially since it was a Flying Dutchman instead of a B&M flyer. I assured her that Batwing was the best of the three Dutchmans built, in my opinion, as far as ride smoothness goes. Immediately after saying that, our seats tilted back, Sam yelled, “Oh sh*t,” a few ride ops laughed, and we were headed up the lift hill in the front row.
Just like with Sam’s first ride on Skyrush, I could tell immediately that she was into the ride. Her excitement was being verbalized with every element along the way. When we rolled back onto our backs to end the ride, all she could keep saying was, “That was awesome!” So, we went again! I really think Batwing is right up there with Superman as her favorite ride at SFA at this point.
The Raccoon Incident
No, this has nothing to do with Resident Evil. It’s about an actual raccoon stopping a roller coaster. It was nuts and funny all at the same time, so I had to share it.
Upon walking up onto the station for Wild One, some commotion took place toward the back of the train as it departed the station. A ride op saw a racoon in the station and somewhere back by the last brake spot. They didn’t want to bring the next train in and hurt it, so they kept it parked just outside the return into the station. Park employee after park employee came to see what the commotion was all about. Before long, there were about 12-15 employees inside the station. Sadly, the couple sitting on the back row of the blue train (pictured above), was not. The train extended just far enough to leave them out in the light drizzle for a good amount of time.
Sam and I stood there watching this for like 15 minutes. They had closed the ride temporarily, but we wanted to see what would happen. Before long, however, we decided to go get in some more rides. We think the Umbrella Corporation finally sent in a Nemesis to end the situation… Sorry if that video game reference goes over your head. Look it up. S.T.A.R.S.!
Joker's Jinx Jinxed Sam with Launch Coasters
The remainder of the park’s coasters we did not ride during this visit. Roar, we just didn’t want to do. Ragin’ Cajun was closed and roped off. Joker’s Jinx, however, was waiting for the rain to end before opening. We kept checking back over and over with no luck. We even stopped by twice when the rain was so light it was a struggle to even feel it. I’m not sure why they can’t run the ride in the rain. If it’s due to the speed of the launch, that doesn’t quite add up to me. The launch is in a tunnel and Superman goes 13 MPH faster than Joker overall. If someone can fill me in, please do.
Not getting the credit means that Sam is now just one credit shy of completing the park. What looms larger, however, is that Sam actually sat on this coaster train during our first visit to the park, but ended up getting off when her nerves got the best of her. Since then, she has not been able to obtain a launch coaster credit at any of the parks we’ve visited. Storm Runner has been closed all season at Hersheypark. Possessed was down at Dorney Park back in August. The line for Kingda Ka was just too long for us to fit in during our SFGAdv visit. Verbolten went down several times during our September visit, teasing us all after a long walk back to the coaster each and every time. Then there was Joker’s Jinx on this day.
Positive Outlook for Upcoming Parks
Hey, hopefully Verbolten is up later this month when we return to BGW. Tempesto is also slated to run, so she has two possibilities there. We are also headed back to SFGAdv and we aim to get in Sam’s last remaining credits that include Kingda Ka, along with Green Lantern, Joker, and Superman Ultimate Flight. Lastly, we have Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream Mall before the month ends. TMNT Shellraiser, Timmy’s Half-Pipe Havoc, and Sandy’s Blasting Bronco are all launch coasters in their line up. If she doesn’t have a launch coaster on her credits at the end of October, that jinx might be permanent.
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): n/a
Sam
Commander
New Credit(s): Batwing, Firebird, & Mind Eraser
