Six Flags Over Texas is one of the most important parks in the amusement industry.
Not only was it the first park in the Six Flags chain, but it also was the testing
ground for several prototype rides that would be added at parks across the world.
This park’s significance cannot be overstated, but it also happens to be a strong theme park
on its own. Find out why in this review! Wealthy real estate developer Angus G.
Wynne Jr. visited Disneyland and wanted a theme park like that back in his home state of Texas.
So he purchased over 200 acres of land in Arlington, and opened Six Flags Over Texas
back in 1961. The name refers to the flags of the six different nations that have governed Texas.
The park originally opened with 6 themed areas, each to a different country who governed Texas.
Now let’s run through all the firsts that Six Flags Over Texas
brought to the amusement industry. The park was the first to offer a
pay-one-price admission structure that has become pretty standard at parks across the globe.
The park was also the first park to feature Broadway style shows,
which are a staple at parks, particularly on days with less-than-ideal weather.
El Aserradero was the world’s first log flume in 1963 and that model went on to become arguably
the most popular water ride of all time. Runaway Mine Train was the first mine train
roller coaster in 1966. This would be one of the best family coaster models, relying on setting
and theming to provide an engaging experience. Wildcatter was the first freefall ride in 1982.
While there aren’t many of these first generation Intamin drop towers still remaining,
they paved the way for the larger and more innovative drop towers that thrill guests today.
Multiple manufacturers also got their start at Six Flags Over Texas. The Jet Set was the first
ride ever built by Intamin. Runaway Mountain was the first attraction ever built by Premier Rides.
And last but not least, Rocky Mountain Construction proved their innovative I-Box track
when they converted the old Texas Giant wood coaster into New Texas Giant.
Today, RMC hybrids are some of the most popular attractions at any theme park
because of the smoothness and abundance of airtime.
Imagine a world where you always have to pay-per-ride and didn’t have all
these popular attractions? It very well could have happened without Six Flags Over Texas.
We also may not have any of the other 15 Six Flags parks out there.
Six Flags was one of the first theme park chains and they’re still one of the most prominent.
And that all goes back to the success of their original park.
Now let’s talk about what you can expect if you visit the park today. Six Flags Over Texas
is in a brilliant location. It’s roughly 15 miles from both Dallas and Fort Worth,
two of the largest cities in Texas. This makes the park easy to access. And the park also has a huge
population base to draw on, especially since the climate allows for year-round operation.
As you approach the park, it’s impossible to miss this park’s skyline. The park’s large
tower rides and the Titan roller coaster can be seen for miles. Then the sideroads near
the park run right next to several attractions, most notably Shock Wave and Judge Roy Scream.
Getting this close to some of the park’s roller coasters really builds anticipation for your day.
If you don’t have a season pass, be prepared to pay $35 to park on top of the daily admission
tickets. Whatever you do, don’t buy admission at the gate. You can get steep discounts online with
tickets as low as $35 on the official website. But my recommendation is to invest in a season pass,
so you can visit this park (and possibly other Six Flags parks)
as many times as you like in a season while also having parking covered. And this parking lot is
relatively close to the main entrance, especially compared to some other Six Flags parks.
Once inside the park, it’s hard not to notice a higher degree of theming than
most other Six Flags parks. While you have the obligatory Looney Tunes and DC sections,
each area seems to look fresher and have a better sense of immersion. The park’s
original areas also have a quaint charm to them you don’t usually get at a chain park like this.
One thing I do not like about this park is the layout. It is extremely confusing. Several rides
are accessible by single, often poorly marked pathways. For example, the only way to reach
Titan is to head down this unassuming archway past the picnic grounds. To ride Judge Roy Scream,
you have pass under the roadway since this coaster travels along the water and street,
neither of which can be seen from within the park. Then the path to Shock Wave is in
the very back of the park behind both the Oil Derrick observation tower and trees.
But the confusion doesn’t stop there, there are some windy pathways in the center of the
park near Runaway Mountain. The midway cuts through a restaurant at one point.
Then if you choose to purchase a Flash Pass skip-the-line pass, you’ll have to go on a
scavenger hunt. Many of the Flash Pass entrances are nowhere near the main entrances. For example,
remember that random pathway to Titan? You need to head down that way to get to New Texas
Giant’s Flash Pass entrance. And this isn’t the only ride where you’ll run into that problem.
Depending when you visit, you may want to purchase a Flash Pass.
This can cost $50-$200 depending which tier you select. Typically, I go with Gold if I use it.
This park can get busy during Spring Break, Fright Fest, and Saturdays. You can do most major rides
if you have a full-day, but it can be tricky to do everything, especially because this park has
recently shortened its hours from past seasons. Operations at this park have been pretty good
in my visits, especially for a Six Flags park. Most coasters regularly run multiple trains and
dispatches come at a steady rate. This park also offered convenient single rider lines in the past,
but I heard they were recently removed. There are two other downsides with the operations.
One, the year-round operations mean rides will close for maintenance at points.
However, Six Flags doesn’t post their maintenance schedule in advance so it’s luck of the draw which
ride or rides are closed. Two, one of their premier coasters in Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast is
notoriously unreliable. I’ve never had it closed for an entire day, but it always breaks down for
me. I know others who weren’t so lucky and had it closed for the entire day. Three, this park
has had a weird policy in the past where single riders cannot ride alone in the back of a car.
If you arrive at opening, I recommend starting with La Vibora. This bobsled routinely has the
longest line due to its limited capacity. Even on a quiet day, this attraction gets a sizable line.
I would then ride New Texas Giant. It’s the park’s best ride and also tends to
get a lengthy line. You should be able to get a few rides before crowds arrive. It’s also smart
to hit the Pirates of Speelunker Cave early in the day given its capacity and newness.
The other rides that tend to get long lines are on the opposite side of the park, so if you head
over there within the first hour or two, you should still find manageable waits for the
Riddler Revenge giant frisbee, the Justice League dark ride, and the Pandemonium spinning coaster.
Mr. Freeze is another smart one to hit early between its popularity
and propensity to break down. Another one that will likely garner long
waits on hot days is Aquaman: Power Wave. This Mack Power Splash has been delayed two years,
but it’s finally set to open in 2022. While I haven’t ridden one of these PowerSplashes,
they look like cool rides between the launches and weightlessness on the spikes.
Moving onto the other rides, Six Flags Over Texas has a strong ride lineup. It starts with their
coasters. They currently have 13 and they’re well-rounded, covering most major genres.
One of the things that stands out most to me is how intense many of this park’s coasters are.
Four in particular pile on the positive Gs, which hit even harder in the Texas heat.
First is Titan, which is the tallest, fastest, and longest coaster in the Longhorn state. While
this Giovanola hyper coaster doesn’t offer the airtime you’d expect from a coaster of this size,
it does offer two powerful helixes that can causes riders to greyout. While it’s
not one of my favorite hypers as I mention in a review, I cannot deny this ride’s intensity.
Second is Shock Wave, which is a Schwarzkopf that offers airtime and the most intense moment
in the park. Those back-to-back vertical loops reportedly pull nearly 6 Gs and will make most
riders dizzy. Then the ride’s drops offer some scary pops of ejector airtime, particularly the
two turnarounds in the middle of the layout. This may be one of the park’s oldest coasters, but it’s
a deceptively intense ride. Especially since it carries a surprisingly low 42” height limit.
Third is Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast, which is a Premier Rides launched shuttle coaster.
The ride is short but powerful. The inverted top hat is one of
the craziest elements in the world between the positive Gs, laterals, and negative Gs.
Then you have another forceful overbank and a vertical spike with some glorious weightlessness.
I have a review on this one as well, but you do not want to miss this ride.
Fourth is Batman the Ride. This familiar Bolliger & Mabillard invert may be a clone,
but it’s a good layout. This one has the usual whip and intensity, but this one
tends to run a little rougher than the others. Joker is another clone that I genuinely enjoy.
This S&S free spin does feel more like a flat ride than a traditional coaster,
but I love the mayhem of the flipping. The park’s airtime quota is filled by New
Texas Giant, which also happens to be the park’s best attraction. This RMC creation has 4200 feet
or 1300 meters of airtime hills. The negative Gs aren’t as intense as the newer RMCs,
particularly in the second half, but the ride compensates with quantity.
I also have a review on this attraction and while it’s one of the weaker RMCs,
I cannot deny how important this ride was for the industry.
Runaway Mountain is an indoor coaster that’s a great option during storms. This is Premier’s
take on the common Windstorm model, but it runs smoothly and the elements are accentuated by
the darkness, particularly that super steep and devilishly twisted drop midway through the ride.
The remaining 6 coasters are awesome for families as they all have 36-42” height requirements.
I love how many coasters this park has available for budding thrill-seekers.
Judge Roy Scream is the park’s lone remaining wood coaster. This ride features a basic
out-and-back layout. Most of the ride isn’t too noteworthy, but the first camelback and
little speed hill towards the end deliver nice ejector airtime, which I mention in my review.
La Vibora is one the few remaining Intamin bobsleds.
The inline seating and entries into the brake run can cause some leg banging,
but I do like the visual riding in such an oversized trough.
Pandemonium is a Gerstlauer spinning coaster. It was recently repainted purple, but it offers
a satisfying layout with some solid helixes and a fun finale with a nice drop and bunny hill.
Runaway Mine Train is a mostly scenic mine train. The first two-thirds aren’t too eventful,
which is understandable for a prototype. But Arrow made one heck of a finale.
After passing through this well-themed saloon, you get a surprise pop of ejector on the
ride’s largest drop if you’re in the back. Mini Mine Train is infamous for being the
Mr. Beast coaster, but this Arrow is a fun junior coaster as it smoothly winds beneath Mr. Freeze.
The other junior coaster is Wile E. Coyote’s Grand Canyon Blaster, a Chance Big Dipper. It’s a little
larger than your usually kiddie coaster, which makes it more accessible for adults.
And yes, coaster enthusiasts can get the credit without a child.
This ride is part of Bugs Bunny Boomtown, a sizable and colorful kiddie area themed
to the Looney Tunes. This is the best spot in the park for kids. There are
a few other kiddie rides scattered about the park, but no other dedicated areas.
For adult flats, you have some great options. The park has some fun-themed spinning rides
such as a swing ride themed to guns, a Chance Trabant themed to a sombrero,
and a break dance themed to a corral of cows. But you also have a trio of tower rides. Texas
SkyScreamer stands 40 stories tall. This Funtime star flyer offers incredible views of the park,
surrounding area, and downtown Dallas while spinning at a solid clip.
Superman Tower of Power is a 325 foot or 99 meter tall S&S combo tower.
I think this drop tower is weak in terms of airtime and power, but the views are incredible.
Alternatively, you can take them in atop the Oil Derrick observation tower,
which is equally as tall. You can stay up there as long as you like snapping photos and videos.
Two other notable flats are located in the Gotham City section.
Riddler Revenge is a Zamperla giant discovery. This frisbee runs a long cycle loaded with
floater airtime. If you’ve never tried one of these, definitely give it a spin.
The final one is Harley Quinn Spinsanity. This ABC Tourbillon is a visually stunning gyroscope.
The rotating rings are mesmerizing and the flips have some fun hangtime.
For dark rides, you have a few options. Justice League: Battle for Metropolis is a 3D shooting
dark ride from Sally. It uses the DC Comics IP perfectly as you take aim at familiar villains.
And along with the screens, you have some nice physical sets mixed in.
Then for 2022, the park opened Pirates of Speelunker Cave.
This replaced the former Yosemite Sam Gold River Adventure ride that flooded in 2018.
I’ve yet to experience this attraction and don’t want to spoil it for myself by watching the POV,
but the way the park paid homage to a former attraction seems like a positive sign.
For water rides, you have two options inside the park. El Aserradero is the original log flume.
The layout and drops aren’t as impressive as newer ones,
but it’s a must for log flume fans because of its significance.
Then you have the Roaring Rapids river rapids ride if you want to get soaked.
That ride can generate some sizable waves, which are refreshing in the hot summer months.
While Six Flags Over Texas doesn’t have an included water park,
Hurricane Harbor Arlington is just 1 mile down the road. I haven’t been there,
but it looks to have a sizable collection of slides for all thrill levels.
Beyond the rides, Over Texas also has some annual events. Fright Fest is the highly popular
Halloween event. I typically avoid this time at the other Six Flags parks due to the increased
crowds and lower quality of the haunts, but it’s a great time of year to accrue night rides.
I love visiting during Holiday in the Park though. Crowds tend to be lighter than peak season,
you have wonderful light displays, and most rides are operational.
The biggest rides that are routinely closed this time of year are the water rides and
Oil Derrick. The latter is closed since it’s transformed into a 30 story tall Christmas tree.
Food options at this park seem to be pretty average for the Six Flags chain.
It’s pricey without a meal plan and nothing has really stood out to me.
Before wrapping up this review, I also want to note how much there is to do in the surrounding
area. You have both the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys stadiums next door. And
you have Prairie Screamer opening in 2022 at the nearby Trader’s Village,
which is an intense Miler coaster with some impressive airtime.
So do I recommend Six Flags Over Texas? Absolutely! Between the high quality ride lineup,
solid appearance, and importance to the amusement industry, this park is well-worth visiting.
I really like how balanced the offerings are at this park not only from a coaster perspective, but
also from a flat ride and dark ride perspective. I think this is in the upper half of Six Flags parks
and I don’t see that changing anytime soon because of how much love and attention this park gets.
So those are my thoughts on the original Six Flags park.
What are your thoughts on Six Flags Over Texas? Do you like what this park offers?
Let me know what you think about this park down in the comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!