Six Flags Over Wombat

[BRWombat]

The Wombat family’s ongoing flooded house saga wasn’t enough to earn us a spot on Extreme Home Makeover (thankfully/dang it!), but it was enough for a local radio station to have pity on us and award us four passes to Six Flags Over Texas (not Disney, but the original Six Flags and still the best IMHO).

So… we set out yesterday for a relaxing, low-cost day away at Six Flags. And of course I have to come and report back here on the various forms of stupidity I encountered -- which thankfully were pretty mild -- along with a few random thoughts:


At the parking entrance: $15 for general parking? Wow, prices have shot up. The very friendly attendant wishes us "Have a Six Flags day," which strikes me as odd. I can’t help but think of the less-than-positive "Have a Disney day" that I don’t really ever want to have said to me.

My handicap tag is still valid (and needed, sadly), so we get relatively close parking. Yay! Then as we walk to the entrance, we find that the park has opened up a second, side entrance for those who already have tickets. Good idea on their part. We have our free passes, so we’re in very quickly, right at 10:00 when the park opens.

The first behavior even close to SG-ish that I observe comes from my elder son, who has just ridden El Vibora, a bobsled ride. He saw signs in the loading area saying that if a guest was observed with a camera out on the lift hill, the guest could be ejected. His response, "Who’s even going to see you do that?" Not quite the "obey the safety rules" attitude I'd hoped for in my teen. A brief talk steers him back.

Our side entrance puts us into the park in the Spain and Mexico sections of the park. I notice that all of the ride announcements are done in both English and Spanish. That used to be done just for theming, but I suspect there are now Spanish announcements all through the park, even in the France, Old South, and Gotham City sections. I'm right.

I notice a lot of guests dribbling basketballs around the park. At first I think it's an odd thing to bring to an amusement park, but later I realize that the balls are prizes for various skill shot games. It still strikes me as odd that so many go win a basketball early in the day and then dribble them around the park all day.

At lunch, we hit a counter service restaurant. We're almost to the registers when we're delayed by someone who'd forgotten their change returning to claim it. This requires two cashiers, a manager, scanning in of receipts, and lots of button pushing. Then the next guy in line, right in front of me, just buys a $13 refillable mug, pays with a twenty – and walks off without his change. I promise the cashier I won't forget my change, and he thanks me.


(cont'd below)

[BRWombat]

After lunch, we climb aboard the train for a relaxing trip around the park while our food settles. But the train doesn't leave the station. A western-voiced recording informs us that the train is experiencing technical difficulties. After sitting for 15 minutes, we see the engineer fiddling with something at the engine. There’s a significant "BOOM," and white smoke (or steam) pours from the smokestack. When the smoke turns thick, black and smelly, we take it as our cue to get off the train and find something else to do!

They later get the trains going again. We're in the station at the head of the line waiting to board. As soon as boarding begins, starts to step over a bench to join us at the front of the line. I point and say, "The line goes that way." To her credit, she steps back and stays in line after that.

What is with this crowd? It's… actually pleasant. The numbers are light early in the day but get heavier as time goes on, but people are being nice to each other, the teens are not too obnoxious. The only time I see smokers is… in the smoking sections. I only see a couple of kids with heelies, but even they only roll for a second before walking again, as if they just momentarily "forgot." I can handle crowds like this!

There’s an odd clothing accessory going around -- capes. The park sells Superman- and Supergirl-style capes in a variety of colors and designs, and I see a lot of them. They’re kind of cute on the kids… but not so much on the adults.

SG alert: a balding 40-ish idiot, with a normal-looking wife and older kids in tow, is proudly wearing an "I [heart] HOT MOMS" t-shirt. I pity his family.

Stupid Park Trick: advertising a movie as a "3-D" adventure when it's not. "Fly Me to the Moon" is short but cute, about three animated flies who stow away on Apollo 11, and there are motion seats to add to the experience, but there are no 3-D glasses. It's 3-D in the sense that Cars and Toy Story are 3-D. That is, not. It's CG animation, not 3-D.

Many of the Six Flags employees are wearing shirts with large lettering on the back reading "Have a [heart], Do your part, Keep the park clean." Two thoughts: (1) It's sad that there have been enough problems that someone feels that that is necessary, and (2) I'm glad Disney doesn’t do that. It's kind of condescending.

Why, oh why, don’t other parks have Pink Things? These are to Six Flags Over Texas what Dole whips and Mickey bars are to WDW, and they've been around forever. A Pink Thing is a creamy cherry ice on a stick, about two scoops worth for only $2.00, and if the signs are to be believed they are exclusive to SFOT. They're a perfect mid-afternoon treat on warm days.

Our last ride for the day is the relaxing and gentle Silver Star Carousel. Our boarding is delayed by an SG family who thinks that because they stop on the side opposite the single attendant, the attendant won’t notice if they don’t leave and stay on for a second ride. The attendant, though, has kept count, and has to go shoo the SGs off of the ride.


All in all, a good, relatively cheap, and pretty relaxing day, and a break we definitely needed!

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

But........

what flags were over you????????


hehehehehehehe


sounds like a fun time and a good park to visit!

Hmmm, pink things!

I DO like Cherry flavor!!!

[Zazu]

What is with this crowd? It's… actually pleasant. The numbers are light early in the day but get heavier as time goes on, but people are being nice to each other, the teens are not too obnoxious. The only time I see smokers is… in the smoking sections. I only see a couple of kids with heelies, but even they only roll for a second before walking again, as if they just momentarily "forgot." I can handle crowds like this!
I think some credit for polite crowds in Texas goes to the grand old Texas tradition of packing heat at all times.

I quote once again Pournelle's Law: "An armed society is a polite society."

And of course Niven's Rejoinder: "After a very messy first six months."

[GaTechGal]

But........

what flags were over you????????



That would be France, Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, The Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.

[BRWombat]

That would be France, Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, The Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! :D:

This original Six Flags park was always themed pretty well, with sections of the park themed to each of these six periods in Texas history. That's not emphasized as much any more, though the original sections are there along with a few new ones (Boomtown, Looney Tunes USA, Goodtimes Square, Gotham City).

But the generic "six flags" logo, with the bland multi-color pennants and no tie to history, just can't compare.

[GaTechGal]

The same was true for Six Flags Over Georgia. They had to stretch the six flags for us a bit and used Spain, France, United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Confederate States of America and the state of Georgia. France really didn't have much involvement and Georgia was never really a republic itself like Texas, but it seemed ok. And each area was totally themed. I don't really care for the comics themeing all over the place now.

[Moonliner]

I notice a lot of guests dribbling basketballs around the park. At first I think it's an odd thing to bring to an amusement park, but later I realize that the balls are prizes for various skill shot games. It still strikes me as odd that so many go win a basketball early in the day and then dribble them around the park all day.


I would almost prefer a bevy of Brazilians than the sound of all the dribbling balls.

Should I add, "That's what she said".

[Lasolimu]

Should I add, "That's what she said".

No, no you should not.

[disneyaddict]

Should I add, "That's what she said".

Hmm, a bit too late to ask, isn't it?

[Ho-say]

Hmmm....the original Six Flags certainly sounds better than the one in my neck of the woods (Six Flags Over New England). I was somewhat disappointed with it. While technically the "oldest" Six Flags park, it had been another amusement park (Riverside) for just about all of the 20th century (bought by Six Flags/Premier Parks in the late 90s).

Unfortunately I also kept comparing it to the WDW/DLR/IoA theme parks, which of course was a foolish notion to begin with...

[BRWombat]

Hmmm....the original Six Flags certainly sounds better than the one in my neck of the woods (Six Flags Over New England). I was somewhat disappointed with it. While technically the "oldest" Six Flags park, it had been another amusement park (Riverside) for just about all of the 20th century (bought by Six Flags/Premier Parks in the late 90s).

Unfortunately I also kept comparing it to the WDW/DLR/IoA theme parks, which of course was a foolish notion to begin with...Once you've experienced a Disney park, others are never the same...

[Cheshire Figment]

Once you've experienced a Disney park, others are never the same...

How so true. A couple of years ago before we opened the gates at TL I was talking to a family from Texas. They mentioned how they lived only about a 30 minute drive from Schlitterbahn and how wonderful it was. I happened to recognize the family when they were on their way out and I was at the exit turnstiles and asked them what they thought, and was told they decided they had a new favorite water park, that really there was no comparison.

[chelleb]

Hmmm....the original Six Flags certainly sounds better than the one in my neck of the woods (Six Flags Over New England). I was somewhat disappointed with it. While technically the "oldest" Six Flags park, it had been another amusement park (Riverside) for just about all of the 20th century (bought by Six Flags/Premier Parks in the late 90s).

Unfortunately I also kept comparing it to the WDW/DLR/IoA theme parks, which of course was a foolish notion to begin with...

I went to Riverside all of my youth, and have to say that though I go more now then I did then (only cause I can't go to Disney that often, lol), I much preferred it as Riverside than as Six Flags. Maybe it was all the old rides that are no long there, or that I was with my family and cousins, lol.

[ktulu]

How so true. A couple of years ago before we opened the gates at TL I was talking to a family from Texas. They mentioned how they lived only about a 30 minute drive from Schlitterbahn and how wonderful it was. I happened to recognize the family when they were on their way out and I was at the exit turnstiles and asked them what they thought, and was told they decided they had a new favorite water park, that really there was no comparison.

Depends if themes are important, Schlitterbahn kinda has a theme. Having been to TL, BB and Schlitterbahn, I would say that Schlitterbahn has a slight edge due to the various slides, however I have not been to TL since they got the water coaster (from Schlitterbahn no less!), so my opinion could change.

If you add in themes, TL or BB wins.

[Syndrome]

I'm immune to the constant dribbling of basketballs in amusement parks, having cut my teeth at Six Flags Great America where it is just accepted as a constant. Heck, even Mr. Syndrome would get into the action. I can't complain that he always insisted on winning a ball as I had mastered a couple of games (hoola hoops and quarter pitch) and always won at least one giant plush. I can't say our fellow park goers were terribly civil though. Line jumping was so bad that they literally gave you numbered tickets as you entered the line to prevent it. But SGs would STILL jump the line and then get into major self-righteous arguments with the workers when caught.

I've always loved TL's theming. When I married Mr. Syndrome, we'd go to Wisconsin Dells a lot. Noah's Ark in the Dells is a great park for rides, but I'd always yammer on and on about the lack of theming. He never understood until I finally dragged him to FL and he saw for himself.

[Rob562]

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! :D:

This original Six Flags park was always themed pretty well, with sections of the park themed to each of these six periods in Texas history. That's not emphasized as much any more, though the original sections are there along with a few new ones (Boomtown, Looney Tunes USA, Goodtimes Square, Gotham City).

But the generic "six flags" logo, with the bland multi-color pennants and no tie to history, just can't compare.


At least here at Six Flags New England they get to fly the state flags of the six New England states...

About the only truly good thing about Riverside becoming Six Flags was the installation of Superman: Ride of Steel, one of the best steel coasters out there... Though they're adding an on-board soundtrack and trackside fire effects this year, and it's becoming "Bizarro". Ugh. (And the newly-purple track makes it look like it should be "Hannah Montana: The Ride") I'm withholding final judgement until I ride it, though.

As for basketballs, I think the solution is to give them out partially deflated so that they can't be bounced around the park. (I've heard stories from ride ops of wayward basketballs bouncing and rolling into the track in the station, hitting a sensor and causing it to go 101...)
They can then have a place to fill the basketballs for free *outside* the park gates when you're leaving. (And then don't let the balls back into the park)

-Rob

[BRWombat]

As for basketballs, I think the solution is to give them out partially deflated so that they can't be bounced around the park. (I've heard stories from ride ops of wayward basketballs bouncing and rolling into the track in the station, hitting a sensor and causing it to go 101...)
They can then have a place to fill the basketballs for free *outside* the park gates when you're leaving. (And then don't let the balls back into the park)

-RobI love it -- and I'd really love to be around on the first day watching a bunch of confused kids carrying around half-inflated basketballs all day!

Since this is a simple and sensible solution, you realize it has almost zero chance of ever being adopted, right? :rolleyes:

[Lady Eeyore]

Nah, the SG's would try to dribble the ball and when it went SPLAT instead, they would argue that they were given a defective ball and demand a new one.

:)