Note: This trip report was started on 5-29-05 in Mt. Vernon IL, but was finally completed tonight at home on 6-15-05.
Six Flags St. Louis
Eureka MO (30 min. west of Downtown St. Louis)
Crowds: Moderate
Admission: Free with SFKK pass
Parking $10
Weather: Low 70s, partly cloudy, but no precip./storms
My second day of my St. Louis trip took me to a new-to-me park. Past reviews gave this park a decent, somewhat positive rating overall, but I have been looking forward to this park for a few years. Probably my desire to see the Busch Stadium in its last season (see previous post) is what finally brought me here.
Batman: The Ride: 3 rides. I've done the same coaster at Six Flags Great America, but since that one was pretty good, that's probably why Six Flags ordered more from B&M. 2 of 2 trains in use.
Ninja: 2 rides. This Vekoma multilooper manages to be smoother than some Arrows out there. The exit out of the half-cobra roll takes you inches below the lift hill chain, probably more scary looking than those underpass beams on Gemini. 2 of 3 trains in use.
River King Mine Train: 4 rides. A good ride, not too boring or thrilling, with some good dips, helices, and a drop tunnel near the end. Built with the park in 1971, the resrtaints seemed more comfortable than Cedar Creek Mine Ride. 2 of 3 trains in use.
The Screamin' Eagle: 2 rides. This John Allen designed wooden from '76 was a good ride, with a short pop of air or two. This coaster wasn't perfect, but the setting in the woods an terrain were nice. There were some quick turns, but being Allen's creation, it went for a simple out-and back configuration full of hills and dips. 2 of 2 trains in use.
The Boss: 2 rides. The rides I had today, helped put this CCI woodie from 2000 into my top 10, if not 5, wood list! Lots of speed and height were great, but was surprisingly smooth! I heard some mixed reviews about The Boss, but I let first-hand experience form my opinion. This is about the kind of ride you'd get from Legend, but longer and faster. 2 of 3 trains in use.
Mr. Freeze: 3 rides. This is probably my favorite Premier coaster now. The launch out of the tunnel into the great wide open was awesome, (0-70 in 4-5 sec) and so were the upside down and 90 degree elements. And very smooth and fun with the lapbars. 2 of 2 trains in use.
But wait, isn't Mr. Freeze a shuttle?, you ask. How in the world can they use 2 trains on a shuttle without collisions.
Well, there is a system of two stations, that use transfer tracks, which moves trains from the load platform to the center track to entter the ride. What this allows is for operation of one train to take place, while load/unload is tajing place on one of the two trains.
Now if Vekoma could have tried something like rhis for their Invertigo/Super Inverted Boomerang, I would ride Face/Offs and Deja Vus more.
Other rides
Tom's Twister
This is my very first Rotor, it was fun as I did it several times, but some friends said that the cycle used to be longer, more intense, and the floor dropped more than the present one foot. I think they named it after someone else.
Excalibur
By Vekoma, some hybrid of a Frisbee and an Enterprise, except that the arm swings a complete 360 degrees.
Colossus
A gigantic ferris wheel, similar to those found at Cedar Point and Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, and pretty much the only way to see the park from above.
Railroad/Tommy G. Robertson Train
Although the two stations are not too far from each other, this is a nice relaxing way to see most of the park. Each seating row has the park's original logo marked at each end (it was known as Six Flags Over Mid-America, 1971-96)
There were a few rides that I did miss, mostly because of long lines and capacity.
Scooby-Doo! Ghostblasters was essentially similar to the Scooby haunted houses I've done at PKI and PKD, but using boats. It had a 1-1.5 hour line, so I passed
Ice Mountain Log Flume also had a pretty good line, and because I did the shoot-the chutes twice without any wait, I passed this one too.
A Whitewater raft ride that I got a picture or two of. I had no desire to get drenched today.
Looney Tunes land, which had the Acme Gravity Powered Ride a kiddie coaster that I wouldn't be able to ride without a kid. Keep in mind kiddie coasters are not necessary on the track record, but if I can easily ride them, I will.
Overall a very impressive visit, probably almost as good as my visits to Six Flags Great America in 2003 and 04. Or because the fact that I got to ride every coaster more than once, better, probably this was my best Six Flags experience. It was a clean park, and there were friendly employees throughout. The Vengaboys song "We Like To Party," as heard in the Mr. Six TV commercials, played often. One minor peeve was the long queue lines, especially the Batman park and the trek to the Boss. This is a park I don't mind visiting again, especially if they get a new thrill ride or two, or new coaster, in the next few years. Probably a hypercoaster or floorless would fit fine.
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