Six Flags St. Louis Opening Weekend 2015

I arrived at Six Flags St. Louis on Saturday unaware of Friday’s power outage that shut the park down early. I’m glad the park was open on Saturday, or I would have been a very unhappy camper after making the four-hour trek to Eureka, Missouri.

We have experienced a power outage in the park. All guests are currently being escorted off of the rides. (Part 1)

— Six Flags St. Louis (@SFStLouis) April 3, 2015

Thankfully, though, everything seemed to be up and running just fine when we arrived at the park.

The process to get into the park was confusing. A line stretched toward guest relations under a sign that said “enter here if you have tickets or season passes.” Long story short, that line was for people who hadn’t already purchased their tickets and passes. Many thanks to the security guard who told us to proceed to the turnstiles, saving us a good chunk of time.

I was most impressed by the park’s new pass processing system. Everything was done at the turnstile, which meant no more standing in a second long line at a separate pass processing building.

I decided to splurge on a Flash Pass, which ended up being a wise investment. Between the great weather, holiday weekend, $20.15 general admission price and a few one-train operations, the park was unusually packed.

Boss was having a rough day. When we first arrived, an employee was holding up a sign that read “waiting for warmer temperatures.” It was 53 degrees outside.

Moments later, the coaster began testing. My excitement quickly turned to dismay as I saw a train valley. My hopes of riding the coaster were crushed. We decided to move on.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis (at least the exterior) still has a long ways to go before its “summer 2015” opening.

But the facade should look rather impressive once complete.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis as seen from the Mr. Freeze queue.

I was surprised to see Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast operating both trains, which helped tremendously with keeping the line moving.

Wouldn’t it be great if every shuttle or launch coaster featured a dual-load station?

I’m still a huge fan of the coaster reversed. I hope the conversion is permanent.

Nothing beats flying up the spike looking straight back at the earth.

A giant ferris wheel and nachos. Does it get any better?

This was a sign we’d see more than once during the day. Fortunately, Flash Pass allowed us to bypass the line.

Batman: The Ride turns 20 on April 22.

Nearly two decades later, it still draws the crowds.

Seemingly untouched from my last visit to the park, Six Flags New Orleans’ MegaZeph trains are still resting under the Batman station.

The Batman station was quiet without the usual eclectic mix of music (or is that only Six Flags Great America’s?).

The midways were packed for most of the day. I imagine that many people whose Friday visit was cut short due to the power outage returned if able.

American Thunder was also plagued by the one-train bug.

As a result, I had nearly an hour to admire the coaster from the queue line. In my many trips to the park since the wooden coaster opened (as Evel Knievel) in 2008, I’ve never waited more than 20 minutes to ride.

American Thunder may be the smallest wooden coaster at Six Flags St. Louis, but it certainly packs an unforgettable punch.

The bare trees allowed for some interesting views of the park’s skyline.

Boomerang is still drawing a crowd in its third season of operation at the park.

Before leaving the park, we made one last pass by the Boss. It was open. Although our Flash Pass still indicated that the ride was closed, we were instructed to walk to the exit where we were able to board a train immediately.

The ride was rough, but very enjoyable considering I was convinced this would be a Boss-less trip.

A ride on the Boss proved to be an excellent way to conclude at a beautiful day in Missouri. I still hope it receives the Iron Horse treatment from Rocky Mountain. Iron Boss has a nice ring to it, no?

Despite the crowds and one-train operations, the day was fun. I have to cut the park a little slack — opening in early April after a harsh winter like we’ve had is an impressive feat. We look forward to returning to check out Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.

See all of the photos from our day on Facebook.