Over the years, I've visited many different Amusement Parks in general, and most of the Six Flags locations specifically... Six Flags over Texas in the Dallas/Ft Worth area is one of their best. We went to this one on a Memorial Weekend (yes, as a matter of fact, we ARE crazy). The crowds were crazy, but that is what we were in the mood for so it all worked out.
Parking Lot
In spite of the crowds the parking lot was very clean and well-kept, as was the park itself....and we were actually able to park in the preferred area. It is well marked with plenty of friendly attendants. Unfortunately, I can't tell ya about the trams, since we parked right outside the entrance. Exiting was a breeze at the end of a long day.
COST
Admission was $39.99 for adults the day we went, which is right in keeping with national averages....and worth every red cent! Discounts are available thru various merchants and special promotions. We had $6 off coupons from the hotel, but while standing in line to pay someone came thru handing out $10 off coupons. YAY! Parking was an additional 9 smackers.
Food
Food quality was not bad at all.. not spectacular, but pretty good for an amusement park. We went with my brother and his teenage daughter this time and Siarah wanted to eat at Chubbie's Diner for lunch. Actually a pretty darn good burger at a reasonable price, about $8 per person for the meal. For dinner we ate at Eddie Deen's Texas BBQ, where they loaded us down with food Texas-style. Lots of food from here, and well worth the price (again, $8)... although not nearly the best BBQ I've ever had. There is a total of 25 places to eat at this park.
One thing that didn't make sense to us though was the souvenir cups. You know, the ones that you can refill cheap (relatively). The problem is, you can't refill them with lemonade What's up with that? I mean, you can, but for an outrageously higher price. This is the only park I've come across that has this policy and I don't like it.
Games
Oh yeah. Lots of carnival-type games such as ring toss and the like. Every game we tried turned out to be fun and win-able. We walked away with two humungous stuffed animals from different locations: A dolphin for my brother the Miami freak, and a doberman for my niece. Boy was I glad we had parked near the entrance... and even more glad it was not me who had to carry them. They were not over-priced to play like at Cedar Point, with slightly better odds of winning than there also.
Theme
This is a concrete park, but done very nicely. Lots of trees and flower beds make Six Flags Over Texas a pleasant amusement park to wander through. There's not alot of difference between areas... Mexico/Spain, Texas, and the Old South, but in this case that's A-OK.... there are too many great things to do here to spend much time lolly-gagging in between. Besides, when you go to Texas, ya wanna see Texas stuff, right? Alright then! This Theme is perfect.
Shows
Yeah, they have some.... *cough* Welllll...I was tooo busy riding the coasters. Ok, ok... They do have Merlin's Magicademy -- Filled with music and wonder. State of Rhythm -- A musical journey through the USA. The Crazy Horse Saloon "Raise a Ruckus" -- A high-energy show for the whole family. Sam Houston's Texas -- A visual and sensory tour of the 600-year old Texas story. "Rangers & Outlaws," The Texas Rangers Wild West Adventure -- Non-stop action from start to finish. Celebrate Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders light up the stage at their summer home. Like I said, I saw none of these..but I'm sure they were great...grin. (*descriptions from the Six Flags website)
Shopping
This is the only place they fell short of 5 stars. There are lots of shops, but aside from Indian Village (Silver jewelry, western apparel), it's mainly just your basic theme park memorabilia. At least they do have park-specific branded stuff, unlike Six Flags America. My niece did get her name on a piece of rice into a necklace..that was pretty cool to watch.
Rides
Lets get to the meat of it, shall we? *grin*
Batman is an older suspended steel coaster which only reaches about 50mph with a height of around 109'. Fun, but there's much better coasters to ride at Six Flags Over Texas...
Judge Roy Scream is a wooden coaster which screams over an eight-acre site along the park's entry lake at about 50mph. This seemed to be a favorite judging by conversations heard in line... it was alright but far from my fave. I used to love wooden coasters when I was young (I'm almost 50 now) but I have been sucked into the world of launch coasters and thrill rides. If you are enamoured of the old wooden glories, you will love this one.
Flashback is a little more thrilling at 125', it is only 50mph, but it turns you upside down SIX times -- three times going forward and three times going backward. Not a top contender nationally, but fun none the less.
Texas Giant has been around for 15 years, but it's still one of the best wooden coasters in the country at 143' high and 62mph.
Shock Wave was the World's first roller coaster with back-to-back 70' vertical loops at 60mph. This one is pretty damn fun.
Mr.Freeze is an acceleration coaster which launches you from 0 to 70 mph in less than 4 seconds to a height of 238 feet. This line was over 2 hours long, but it was inside a themed building so it was at least not a boring wait... and well worth it. A definite rush.
Titan has a drop of 255' at over 85mph. That's what I'm talkin' about. Oh yeah. This steel coaster boasts a full three-and-a half minutes of spectacular plunges, a 120-foot long tunnel shrouded in total darkness, a series of camel back hills, huge spiral curves, and high-speed helixes! Awesome air-time! YeeHaw!!!! If all they had was Titan and Mr.Freeze, the long trip still would have been worth it.
There are lots of your basic carnival rides also.. the obligatory swinging ship and what-not. There are 16 lesser rides, and 10 for young'uns in the Looney Tune area. But, I mean, with alll those great coasters... yanno?
Bottom Line
Am I going back? You betcha. This park rules. Every line was worth the wait.
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Comments: 17
Kris... I used to love them also. Collosus at Six Flags Magic Mountain was the bomb. But, the older I get, the less I can tolerate the jarring. I'm becoming a wuss.
I like Batman a lot; it's a small and somewhat short ride, but really packs a lot of punch in its layout. For a wood coaster, Judge Roy Scream is pretty gentle, but perhaps maintenance issues have caught up to it and it's rougher than it's been. Texas Giant is far more aggressive. I love Shock Wave, an old ride that still stands up very well. In contrast to the powerful positive G's of the loops, it also has some strong negative G moments. Newer coasters tend to tone the forces down a bit more. I haven't been to the park since Titan was installed, though I rode the very similar Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Someday I'd like to visit again. In fact, I'd like to do a whole tour of the Texas amusement parks. It's a big state, so that would make for a considerable trip, and I just haven't found the time to squeeze it in.
Donna. Seriously? I adore Texas.