![]() I finally had some time to put together the last report from my cross country trip, my first visit to Six Flags St. Louis. I really enjoyed the park, but did find the layout to be rather confusing (could be because I had just driven from PA that day and was tired). We'll also share some press information, a video and press release for the all-new Tsunami Soaker. We've also included some great press pictures provided by the park. If you missed any of the previous reports from the parks I visited during my trip you can click on any of the following links: Out in front of the park you are greeted with the Six Flags bag checks, no surprise here. I felt the bag check went pretty well at the park and I didn't have any issues with the new biometric scanners. Upon entering the park the inside reminded me a little bit of Six Flags Over Georgia's entrance, but instead of a "main street" it was just a wall of shops. Like some other parks, Hurricane Harbor has an entrance directly from inside the park. I wish Magic Mtn. would reopen the entrance directly between the two parks. As somebody who likes to park-hop between the parks it'd be nice. A couple of Hurricane Harbor shots provided by the park. Heading into the park, I thought the front area with all of the shops was really well done. Where have I seen this before? =) After checking out the shops I headed directly for the Flash Pass office. I'll admit, I couldn't find it at first and had to ask an employee where it was. But seriously, I LOVE the Flash Pass. if you only have a few hours to visit a park or it's going to be a long time between visits I couldn't recommend one more. I think the only Six Flags park I haven't used the Flash Pass at is SFMM (because it's my local park). I know there is a lot of controversy about these passes as "Cutting the line" devices but the way I look at it is that it gave me more time to enjoy the park and ride some things multiple times vs. waiting in line. Let's head into the park a bit and figure out how many times I got turned around and lost (a lot). Any park that has an awesome train is great in my book. Ferris Wheel ... I didn't get a chance to ride it on my visit, but I certainly took note to do so next time. Maybe I could have navigated the park a little better if I had. =) I headed first to Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast. I had ridden the one in Texas about 10 years ago, but it was a very different experience backwards. Really packed a punch and just proves how good Premier Coasters are. Thunder River looked like a great rapids ride, but I didn't get a chance to ride. Again, next time!! Sorry for the water spot, got a little bit of rain. I thought it was kind of odd that Batman: The Ride and Mr. Freeze are pretty much at opposite ends of the park, but they did put some Justice League stuff near Mr. Freeze so I guess that's ok. Although right next door is Scooby Doo, not sure if the Scooby gang is in the Justice League or not. =) JB's BBQ is here too!! Pandemonium, a lot of fun, seemed to be a slightly different layout than the one that was at SFDK. I'm pretty sure it's a clone though. Probably just because it wasn't at the edge of the park. This was also when I first encountered the parks locker policy. Unlike other parks in the chain, the "Locker Policy" is STRICTLY enforced in St. Louis. I don't personally have a problem with the policy, but because I had a Flash Pass I didn't see many of the signs and missed the lockers on a few rides. Pandemonium in action. The Boss was a coaster I hadn't heard much about, but I absolutely LOVED it. Other than Mr. Freeze I think it was my favorite coaster in the park. I rode it in the Front, Back and Middle and it delivered a great ride each time. This was also the ride where I experienced the worst of the Locker Policy on. The queue/exit line is VERY long yet when I got to the station I was told that I had to put my camera bag in a locker, at the front. Being that the Fast Pass line is through the exit, I missed the locker sign. I've ridden with my camera bag on a LOT of coasters, LOTS. I was told that I had to tie the bag around my waist in order to ride, which seemed odd since that is where the restraint goes. I did end up purchasing the all-day locker pass for future rides, but I really wish the park would have more signs for the policy. More kiosks are also needed as many rides only had 1 and those ended up being the longest lines I waited in all day. Obligatory park Carousel shot. Walked through the parks Bugs Bunny World on my way to Screamin' Eagle and thought it was very well done. I didn't get too many pictures because I always feel weird taking pictures of kid's area's when I'm solo and don't have my kids. Screamin' Eagle was a lot of fun but was the only coaster I saw that didn't have Flash Pass (or I didn't see the entrance for it). Luckily the line wasn't too bad. Not sure why this one didn't have Flash pass. Boomerang ... luckily I had the credit from SFOT so I didn't need to ride. The paint job looks great and I remember not hating this one when I rode it in 2004. Lol Aww, Moose Burger. =( Heading over towards Batman, the Joker's ride is a dragon swing. I didn't notice until I rode Batman that it's a mirrored image of the one at SFMM. Ninja was pretty much a credit ride, not terrible. I thought the theater facade looked really nice. Overall, I felt the themeing in the park and the parks cleanliness was good. American Thunder, kind of a miss, but you can see where it has potential. Always a fan of Log Flume's, this one is quite unique in that it has two sides and four loading stations. The side I rode seemed like it was about 5 seconds long. LOL. Overall, I thought the park was fun, it has a great collection of coasters and flat rides and was themed well for an amusement park. Despite a confusing layout and the strict locker policy I had a really great time. Below is some information on the newest addition for 2014, the Tsunami Soaker. Below are some of our pictures and some from the park as well as the press release for the ride. The ride was a heck of a lot of fun, highly interactive without being annoying. I was actually surprised at how much the water rose and that the boats actually float. Very clever. Would LOVE to see this come to some other parks next year. Below are some pictures from the park as well as some B-Roll footage. Some great B-Roll footage provided by the park. Six Flags St. Louis’ New Tsunami Soaker Delivers a Spinning, Spraying Water AdventureEUREKA, MO — May 22, 2014 / PRNewswire / — The newest family thrill at Six Flags St. Louis, Tsunami Soaker, spun into action today. This spinning, spraying water adventure is the first of its kind in the park, bringing yet another unique experience to the Coaster Capital of Missouri. Guests aboard Tsunami Soaker will engage in a water battle of epic proportions while twisting and churning ‘round and ‘round.“Tsunami Soaker is the perfect complement to our lineup of thrills,” said Dave Roemer, Six Flags St. Louis park president. “Guests of all ages are going to have a blast on this ride spraying fellow riders and being sprayed. Adding to the fun, bystanders can arm themselves with water cannons from the sidelines and squirt riders as they go by. This really is an interactive experience for everyone!” The floor of Tsunami Soaker spins in a clockwise direction, while nine boats individually rotate with a total of 54 riders equipped with giant water cannons launch streams of water at other boats and bystanders. The main floor of the ride disappears into the water once riders have been seated. As the floor descends, water fills and boats will actually float as they rotate. On hand today for the preview of Tsunami Soaker was Olympic Swimmer David Tarwater. Tarwater grew up in Knoxville, TN and won a Gold Medal in the 2012 London Games for the 800m Free Relay and holds titles in many World Championship and U.S. National competitions. About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation: Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.1 billion in revenue and 18 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 53 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions including up-close animal encounters, Fright Fest® and Holiday in the Park®. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/SFStLouis Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/sixflagsstlouis
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![]() When I was planning my cross-country trip I was hoping I was planning my trip around the opening of Goliath. Unfortunately it turns out I was a couple of weeks too early and the ride was still being constructed during my visit. If you missed our Goliath Construction update click the link, but it doesn't look like that anymore. Since we did a Goliath update, we are going to look at the rest of the park. If you missed our reports from Adventuredome, Las Vegas, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park and Adventureland click the respective links. Welcome to Six Flags The parks entry. They are using the new finger scanners and they seemed to work better here than at the other parks I've visited. The "Great America" entrance. I love walking around this park and seeing the similarities with this park and it's former CA Companion Park that is new California's Great America. Coming soon!! When this was taken the ride was already supposed to be open by this point. We are still waiting for an opening date although testing has begun. I had visited the park in 2011 so there were a few new things for me, mainly X-Flight. Below are some X-Flight pictures from angles that you've never seen before ... ;) Original Shots I tell you!!! =) Nobody has ever taken a picture of the train going through the keyhole in the history of taking pictures. But seriously, I thought the ride was great. I know the wingriders have gotten crapped on but I rode in the front and back on both sides and enjoyed each ride. Very smooth, very re-rideable. Hoping one of these comes to the west coast soon. Test Seat! Takis have infiltrated this park too. I really liked this open seating area where non-riders can sit and enjoy the ride, have a snack, etc. Obligatory X Flight store. Moving beyond X-Flight, the only other "credits" I needed in the park was one side of The American Eagle (oddly enough I'd only ridden the backwards side in 2011) and Little Dipper since it didn't have FlashPass during my last visit. American Eagle has the longest queue line in history. History I say!! Little Dipper is a fun little ride. Even though it doesn't look like this anymore, I had to include a Goliath picture. The Mardi Gras area of the park seems a little bare now that Ragin' Cajun is gone. Hopefully something new will be in this area soon. I know these rides get a lot of crap, but for what they are I really enjoy them. Superman Ultimate Flight, still one of my favorites. Unfortunately Condor was closed the day we were there. :( As much as I loved X-Flight I still think Whizzer is my favorite ride in the park. My favorite flat ride and I take any opportunity I can to ride one. Raging Bull!!! Fun ride, but probably my least favorite B&M Hyper. Full Throttle ... I mean JB's Barbeque (Barbecue?) and Sports Bar!! Another picture that nobody has ever taken in the history of picture taking. Lets take an aerial look of the park courtesy of the Sky Trek Tower Viper and Hurricane Harbor. Next time I'm at the park I'm definitely going to set aside some time to visit the waterpark. Raging Bull! A couple of Goliath shots Whizzer ... drooooool That's going to wrap it up for today. As soon as we get some word on Goliath opening we'll be passing it along. Look for a media day report whenever that is. ![]() Today we are going to take a look at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. Of course the big draw this summer is the new Bonzai Pipelines, and they are great. But as fans of this park, and considering we go almost weekly during the summer, just as great are all of the off-season enhancements that have been made. If you missed our Six Flags Magic Mountain update from yesterday click the link. As we entered the park, I was glad to see that the Gold Pass Early Entry was back for 2014. Truly a great benefit. Allows you to get in, get your spot by the wave pool and ride a few rides before the bulk of the crowd gets in. Entering the park, it was a perfect Southern California Day. Let's start off with a look at the new Bonzai Pipelines. If you missed our coverage of the rides opening you can find that here. Great new signs. Unfortunately the Black Snake Summit tube slides that share a tower with the Bonzai Pipelines aren't currently open due to some water pressure issues. It is being worked on and they should be open soon. A look at the two new slides. From this angle it almost looks like one big slide complex. I first did the blue slide, if you squint you can see me in the "capsule" getting ready to launch. This was the scariest part for me, the anticipation. There is also audio and they play a "heartbeat" and there is a 3, 2, 1 countdown. And here I am flying down the slide. Such a thrill. As you can see, by the time I went down the slide and was getting up, the person riding the yellow slide was just reaching the bottom. That's how fast the blue slide is. I did the yellow slide next and I honestly can't rank them as I enjoyed them both for very different reasons. Incredibly smooth and incredibly fun. I can't wait to ride them more this summer. Just like with the old Venom Drop, the best views of the new slides is from the tram road. The slides are truly great and you should go ride them. But the Bonzai Pipelines aren't the only changes this year at the park. Many of the parks splashdown pools, the lazy river and the wave pool have been completely redone. I can't remember the last time the lazy river looked this blue. I also have to warn you, I was using a waterproof camera so some of these pictures may have water on the lens. Underwater Selfie!! The kids are also looks like it had some freshening up over the "winter". Lost Temple Rapids also had some off-season work done if you recall they were doing some work on it a few updates ago. All of the platforms on the stairway have been redone. The platform provides the best views in the park. As you can see, the splashdown pool has been completely redone. Tornado, always a favorite. The sign for Tornado was missing, I'm assuming it's getting some TLC as some of the parks signs were re-done this off-season, like this one for Tiki Falls. The restrooms near Tiki Falls and the wave pool have also been re-done this offseason. More redone signs and new paint jobs. Great to see the park getting some TLC. Even the directional signs got some love. Tube rentals are the same price as last summer. I REALLY wish they'd offer some kind of "Tube Pass" to add on to your Season Pass. We'd be all over that. The Paradise Pan Band is back this year and they sounded great. A look at the wave pool where they will be doing all of the Dive-In Movies this summer. Lastly, the Lockers are now the electronic lockers with the kiosks, so no more long lines to get your lockers in the morning. I can't recall if these were in use last year or not, but another great change. That's going to wrap it up for this update. We are really looking forward to spending our summer at the waterpark this year. Great improvements made during the offseason and the park is looking better than ever. The two new great slides are just the icing on the cake!! Hope to see you in the waves!! ![]() We headed up to Hurricane Harbor today to get our first rides on the new Bonzai Pipelines, and they do not disappoint. They also made some HUGE improvements at the waterpark during the offseason. But that update is tomorrow, today we'll start at Magic Mountain as construction on the parks newest coaster, Speedy Gonzales: Hot Rod Racers, has finally gone vertical. We'lll also take a look at the newly reopened Revolution. Before we get inside the gates, this picture was taken at about 10:15am, so it looks like they are once again doing some kind of "rope drop". Wondering if this has to do with the new finger scanners. Either way, we hope this continues!! Fast forward to a few hours later, it looks like they've installed some new shade for the employees at the front gates. Just a few pics from Magic Mountain today. As you'll see they are still working on Bugs Bunny World. Plants are starting to grow in but there is no new sign yet. "Vertical Construction" has started on the new coaster, it's not too often you see coaster track being installed by hand. You can also get an idea of the themeing for the new ride, it fits Speedy Gonzales. I'd anticipate construction being complete sometime this week. I know a lot of people have been critical of the park for not having this open already, but remember this isn't just 1 new ride, they are totally redoing the entire Bugs Bunny World area. Elsewhere, Pepe Le Pews is back open. Merrie Melodies Carousel still needs some work. Looks like the stage is finished and shows could start at any time. Moving beyond Bugs Bunny World, starting to wonder if the park has forgotten they have a ride called the Swashbuckler. No, these aren't pictures from January, February, March, April or May ... but June 1. Revolution is back open, and I have to be 100% honest ... EASILY the best ride I've had on this since the OTSR's were installed. I only found myself having to "brace for impact" once during the entire ride. While it's NOWHERE near where it was, it's obvious some work went into the trains during it's recent closure. As a point of reference, I did ride the train with the ad on it, not sure if you'll have the same ride I did on the other train. I encourage everybody to ride it to see for yourselves. It didn't feel like I just got "lucky" because of my seat or something, everybody on the train seemed to enjoy it. Maybe if ridership of this goes up the park will finally invest in new lap-bar-only trains one of these years. Not too much going on in the rest of the park. Walking Dead shirts now for sale at theme park prices!! Looks like they are replacing a sign ... at 1:00pm on a Sunday? The Full Throttle stage is back, showtimes are below. And lastly, we'll have a HUGE Hurricane Harbor update for you tomorrow including lots of pictures and my review of the new Bonzai Pipelines. But in the meantime, how about some different angle SFMM pictures taken from the waterpark? |
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