The Giant Loops opening at four different Six Flags parks are now all open or about to open. We got a chance to go to a small preview event of the loop at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Dare Devil Chaos, which is now open to the public. The ride, which you saw renderings of back in our original post on when the additions were announced, is a 70 foot tall loop track that a small train of 24 riders rolls through back and forth, at times hanging at the top of the loop with riders suspended. According to park president Don McCoy, “The suspense of anticipating the upside down hang time takes the thrill factor up several notches.”
The new giant loop at Discovery Kingdom. I’m actually a big fan of the logo.
The launch event for the ride included announcement of a charitable partnership with the St. Baldricks Foundation, a charity that funds and supports research into children’s cancer treatments, including announcement of a “head-shaving” fundraiser to take place on June 27 as part of the opening remarks introducing the ride. After some brief words, the first riders, young patients fighting cancer and their families, went for a spin. Following that the ride was opened up to the media members in attendance.
At night the ride will add some nice new color to what is a surprisingly dark park (courtesy Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)
While it’s probably not exactly accurate that Six Flags is referring to these rides as coasters, the ride was actually a pretty solid attraction. The ride lasts a little over two minutes (I clocked it at 2:07), involving multiple forward and reverse cycles. Starting off at increasing speed and going further and further up the loop. The climax is a several second hang at the top of the loop, followed by several more full revolutions (although with less time stopped at the top). Overall the hang time was pretty enjoyable, and the speed of the coaster cycling through the loops felt faster than it looked from the outside. I think the biggest perk of the ride is that it takes up almost no real estate in the park. In the case of Dare Devil Chaos, it’s in an area that was previously just walk way (and I think one game area may have been displaced), so it fit perfectly into a mostly unused piece of land, and didn’t require anything to be removed. It should help lessen crowds at other rides in the area, and adds another attraction near Medusa. In the end, for taking up minimal real estate in a park that is space limited, it’s a decent addition to the parks thrill ride lineup. My only real concern is that the capacity seems pretty low, with only 24 seats and a ride time over two minutes, realistically the throughput will likely only be 300-400 riders per hour.
Looks like they’ve updated the nearby concession stand as well, although it wasn’t open yet.
By the end of this weekend all four new giant loops should be up and running, with El Diablo at Six Flags Great Adventure and Joker’s Chaos Coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia both open already and Bourbon Street Fireball at Six Flags America opening on May 25. Have you had a chance to ride one yet at any? What did you think of the new thrill ride in Six Flags repertoire?
Recent Discussion