Six Flags recently announced all of their 2019 projects. The Coaster101 team got together to discuss our thoughts on the whole range of announcements, including what surprised us, what we’re most excited about, and what we think could come next.
Overall Feelings on Six Flags 2019 Announcements
Eric: Alright, so Six Flags just finished making their “New For 2019” announcements (you can find them all here if you’ve missed any). As in past years, every park is getting something. We also saw a few of cool looking coasters announced, and a few new takes on flat rides along with the usual clones. What do you guys think of the Six Flags 2019 lineup overall?
Andrew: I like that Six Flags adds something at every park in their chain, every year. With the re-acquisitions of Darien Lake and Frontier City earlier this year, I’m glad to see they were taken care of as well. It was a good Six Flags announcement, some cloned attractions (that all have different names), some decent looking roller coasters, and somehow, there are still parks in the chain that don’t have a Larson Loop yet.
Nick: The big winner in all of this is Zamperla. What a year for them! And the resurgence of S&S!
Mike: Like Nick, I love the fact that S&S has made a resurgence! I never got a chance to ride Hypersonic XLC at Kings Dominion, so I’m glad they decided to revisit the concept.
Maxx Force is a come back for S&S!
Nick: Yeah, and this is why I’m glad we’re still seeing coasters from a wide variety of manufacturers. S&S is bringing some unique elements and inversions to the table this year and it’ll be awesome to get that compressed air launch back in the states, something most of us probably have never experienced before.
Eric: It’s definitely exciting to see two unique coasters coming to the chain this year, and seeing coasters from a range of manufacturers.
John: Overall, this is going to be an exciting year for the chain. You have two headlining coasters coming online (Maxx Force and West Coast Racers), some solid mid-tier additions (Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom) and the return of two former properties (Darien Lake and Frontier City). I think the 2019 announcements reaffirm my belief that the future is bright for Six Flags.
Surprises
Eric: Other than a few leaks here and there, Six Flags seemed to do a pretty good job keeping things a secret. I certainly didn’t know anything about the Magic Mountain coaster coming. And while I knew Six Flags Discovery Kingdom was going to replace the Go-Karts and I figured they’d eventually get a Free Spin, I didn’t think it would be happening this year. Was there anything about the announcements that were big surprises or really unexpected things to you?
Andrew: I think I was more surprised what wasn’t announced. No RMC wooden coaster refurbs? No Skyline Skywarps? No RMC Raptors? No more Tourbillons? Seems odd for none of Six Flags parks to get any of these. Also, hey, Frontier City is getting a new coaster? Did I read that right?
Frontier City is getting a new (kiddie) coaster!
Mike: The Magic Mountain announcement surprised me. While it certainly is welcome and looks like a really good ride, it doesn’t necessarily fill any gaps that Magic Mountain potentially has. They already have a multi-launch coaster in Full Throttle, and they already have a racing coaster in Twisted Colossus. But am I complaining? Not at all!
Nick: I also have to ask: why did Magic Mountain get that coaster? I think West Coast Racers looks like an amazing ride, but not one that Magic Mountain really needed. Maybe it fills a spot for younger coaster enthusiasts depending on the height restriction? Similar to how Cedar Point has a ton of coasters but there’s nothing between 36 inches and 48 inches. The thing is, at Magic Mountain, it’s just another coaster. If they had put this at one of their other parks it could have been the marquee attraction and gotten a lot more hype.
We’re excited for West Coast Racers, but was Magic Mountain the right park for this ride (or was this the right ride for Magic Mountain)?
Eric: Yeah, the Magic Mountain one surprised me the most, since they already have one continuous circuit racing coaster. Of course, part of that surprise is based on how frequently Twisted Colossus actually races, but maybe they have a better plan for West Coast Racers? As Mike said, I’m not complaining about it.
Also, good catch Andrew. Sort of hidden in the announcements that Frontier City is getting a kiddie coaster in the new land. I’ll also throw out that I’m surprised that part of the Mexico kids area is DC themed. We haven’t seen any “Super Friends” stuff before, right? That’s kind of a cool little throwback.
John: I was fully preparing myself for a Hurricane Harbor expansion at Six Flags Great America even though rumors of a S&S launched coaster were present. Maxx Force is going to fill the much-needed full-circuit launch coaster in the park’s lineup. One of my favorite things about this park is how the park crams coasters into limited space. It began with Batman: The Ride in 1992 and has continued ever since (e.g. X-Flight and Goliath). I can’t wait to see this coaster rise (and then ride it).
Most Exciting
Eric: Ok, so I think I’d be able to make a few guesses as to what will rank here, but which of these announcements are most exciting to you?
Obviously my personal bias is that I’m really excited for two new coasters on the West Coast, both a fun looking launch coaster and our first Free Spin. But, I also think its pretty cool that Six Flags is putting in a couple flat rides that are not clones across the parks (I’m thinking Cyborg at SFNE and Super Girl at Six Flags St. Louis). Great to see some variety starting up there.
For someone on the West Coast, can’t complain about two new coasters!
Andrew: I think West Coast Racer looks the most exciting. I mainly remember West Coast Customs from Pimp My Ride, so to see a true “themed” coaster with IP at a Six Flags park. (Not just slapping a superhero logo on the train and queue.) Semi-locally, I’m glad that Six Flags America is converting Apocalypse to a Floorless Coaster. B&M standups aren’t my favorite at all.
John: That Maxx Force launch. Enough said.
Nick: Not a huge fan of rides that even have a little bit of rotation, but a flat ride that goes 75 miles per hour? That’s insane!
Most Disappointing
Eric: I know we like to stay pretty positive around here, but was there anything that disappointed you guys? Maybe an announcement we were expecting or hoping for that didn’t happen?
Nick: No Rocky Mountain Construction coasters! I guess I’m not too surprised there aren’t any wood-to-hybrid conversions but I really thought we’d see those single rail Raptor coasters pop-up all over the place. Maybe it’s because the RMC crew is busy in Japan and Europe this year so they don’t have time to skip all around the country like they did last year.
No RMCs for Six Flags this year (like last years Twisted Cyclone). Surprising?
Andrew: I know it had been discussed that Six Flags was taking a break from the Justice League Dark Rides, but I love a good dark ride, and wish they were like the Larson Loops and Giant Discoveries, and were a staple at every Six Flags park.
Mike: No disappointments here. I mean, maybe I’m disappointed that they didn’t use the Cyborg theme on a better ride? Same with Supergirl.
What do you think? Are you excited for Super Girl, or are you disappointed that IP wasn’t used on something bigger (or both)?
Eric: Aww dang, Mike, I’m kind of excited about both those flat rides…
I’ll come out say it: I’m disappointed that they’re still building Larson Loops. I mean, I guess they must be pretty successful on like a cost per rider basis or something for the chain to still be building them, but man those are rides that just do nothing for me. I guess if it thins out lines for other rides I shouldn’t complain.
John: I don’t think there are any glaring disappointments — every park is getting something of substance. Which is more than can be said for a competing chain that will not be named. I do feel bad for Six Flags St. Louis. The last coaster the park received was a used boomerang in 2013. And after the modifications Boss recently received, my hopes for a RMC conversion have dwindled (but I can still dream). Perhaps 2020 will be the year corporate finally shows this park some love.
Nick: That’s what I’m talking about John! Imagine if St. Louis was getting their own West Coaster Racers, how big that would be for the park. I bet CoasterRadio would’ve made a point to stop there for sure.
Looking Ahead
Eric: Lastly, and always the best part, what do we think comes next for Six Flags? Six Flags America teased us last year by hinting maybe Roar was going to go away, but that may have been a red herring related to the Apocalypse announcement. What things do you think might be coming in 2020, or maybe more importantly, what do you hope will happen in 2020 or beyond?
Nick: I wonder if we’ll ever see any of the parks that didn’t get one add a Justice League dark ride? Maybe Six Flags Over Georgia will convert their stand-up to floorless next year. I think it’s safe to say don’t expect any expensive B&M or Mack coasters to be built at a Six Flags park anytime soon.
Andrew: Who gets the next Skywarp? Wonder if Six Flags would ever go with Euro-Fighters (like Tantrum at the newly renamed Six Flags Darien Lake) for quick and easy coaster options? It’ll be interesting for sure.
Will we see any more Skywarps come to Six Flags parks?
Mike: Will Six Flags America ever get a brand new coaster? Or will it perpetually be stuck with hand-me-downs?
Six Flags America is getting a floorless conversion of Apocalypse, but will they ever get a new ground-up coaster?
John: Adding to Mike’s comment: will Six Flags St. Louis ever get a brand new coaster? I think a RMC raptor would do wonders for this park, and the model’s low capacity wouldn’t be an issue for this park.
What ride are you most excited about? What most disappointed you? What do you think will be next for Six Flags parks? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter or Facebook what your thoughts on the Six Flags announcements are!
I figured SFOG would get a Zamperla Giant Discovery, if not a different flat ride, or Hurricane Harbor expansion. Maxx Force and West Coast Racers look sweet. Cyborg dark ride at SFNE looks neat too. Supergirl getting her first ever ride, in the form of Zamperla Endeavor at SFSL.
Six Flags parks have milestone anniversaries coming up. 2019 being 45th anniversary for SFGADV and 65th for Great Escape, and they kind of were overlooked for coasters. Great Escape is going on 14 years since receiving a coaster. SFGADV getting Zamperla Giant Discovery isn’t too bad, but I could see 2020 being the year for next big coaster. 2020 will be the 150th anniversary for SFNE. 2021 will be 60th for SFOT, and 50th for both SFMM and SFSL. I’d hope those 4 parks could be positioned to receive headline coasters or attractions.
With Apocalypse at SFA being convert from stand-up to floor-less, and rechristened as Firebird, I wouldn’t be surprised to see SF parks converting its remaining B&M stand-up coasters to floor-less in the next few years. I could see SFOG being next in line to convert Georgia Scorcher to floor-less. SFMM and SFGADV both have a stand-up and a floor-less, and that could be interesting. I could see a traditional sit-down as a possibility, if we don’t see them relocating a coaster to another SF park.
No RMC coasters for 2019 in North America market, as they’re focusing on 2 parks outside the US. I’d imagine we may see something good in 2020. I could see SFGADV possibly getting first ever T-Rex coaster. In the next couple of years, I could see I-Box conversions for The Boss at SFSL, Le Monstre at La Ronde, Predator at Darien Lake, and Roar at SFA.
Eric there was a supergirl ride at Mexico
Better yet, WHY HASN’T CYBORG BEEN ADDED TO ST. LOUIS YET? HE’S BLACK! And I’m not being racist, either; sorry if i made it seem like i was
And of course Grid is shoehorned in the Cyborg ride because THEY CAN’T THINK OF ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS APPEARED IN THE COMICS! Come on where is Kazuki, Alluria, Rosh, or Sohta?