cassie_KY Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 On Monday, July 6th, Nathan and I continued with Day 9 of our summer vacation. When planning our trip, we wanted to hit a couple sights on the way to Mobile and on the way home (other trip reports with our adventures will be posted as soon as they are typed and slideshows will be uploaded). Six Flags Over Georgia (SFOG) won out for the northern leg homewards. With season passes in hand, we left the hotel and headed to the park when it opened. Here is where the confusion ensued. There are two parking lots- east and west. They filled east up first. As we came in from Six Flags Drive, we entered the park on the west side. A park employee was flagging traffic in. We buzzed past her in the direction she pointed and realized we were going the wrong way on a one way street. Stopping, we looked around to see where we goofed. Then, an Explorer roared past us. Heartened we were not going to play chicken with another car in the next few minutes, we followed. That is, until we passed the next one way sign and the Explorer stopped. As our two cars sat puzzled, a white Honda zoomed past us both. We followed them and left Miss Explorer behind. We made it to the east parking lot and trekked to the front gate. I really liked how the walkway travels beside and under the coasters (Batman- the Ride, Mindbender, Goliath, and Georgia Scorcher).Walking past the ticket counters, we headed to the gates. Our passes worked no problem and we walked through the metal detector and entered The Promenade. Bugs and Daffy were there to greet us. The architecture was very pretty and modeled to look like the Old South. I loved all the flowers! It had stormed the day before and gray clouds loomed overhead. In case of bad weather, we decided to hit all the coasters and Monster Mansion first and then go back around for re-rides and anything else we missed. After studying the map, we decided to start at the front of the park and work our way back to Gotham City. Georgia Cyclone was first. I thought it was neat it was a replica of the Cyclone at New York's Coney Island. We had read several trip reports and saw video reporting how rough the ride was. We aimed for a seat closer to the front and were on our way as the ride was a walk-on. This coaster is old and it showed. It doesn't track very well and shimmied its way through several turns. I felt several areas where air time was promised, but the ride didn't fully deliver. What I did'nt experience was the pain and roughness so many claimed. While not re-rideable as The Racers, this ride was no Hurler either. We give this ride three stars. Ride it once a season, but no more than just to compare how it was from one year to the next. Next was Georgia Scorcher- the park's standup. The headrests were softer than other standups I had experienced and the ride-ops were working quickly to dispatch each train before the next arrived. I was glad to see two-train operation as some I have ridden did one train and that made for long wait times. We found this ride to be enjoyable. This is the fourth stand-up we have ridden and like it second behind Cedar Point's Mantis. We give this ride a six as it is a little short and we both experienced some head banging. I would ride this each time I went to the park providing the line was not overly long. Lockers are beside the ride, but most park guests went ahead and took their stuff to the station. We couldn't deny it anymore. Goliath's yellow track was calling. Twenty minutes later, we left the station. The lift hill is steep and the descent is pure thrill. While Diamondback is a series of airtime hills, Goliath is a mix of airtime hills and speeding curves. I liked this coaster better than Diamondback while Nathan favored the coaster in our back yard. If we had been allowed, we would have made multiple laps, but weather pushed us on. We give this coaster nine stars. Be warned- the ride ops were enforcing a strict locker policy and nothing was allowed to be carried into the station. In the morning, our hands were empty, but we were not going to pay to stick our drink cup in a box. People who wore sandals were required to take them off in the station. If a person has a big bag, then yes, use a locker, but a cup takes up less space than a pair of shoes. We took a break from coasters and headed to the French section for Monster Mansion. This was the new attraction for 2009 having undergone a makeover. This dark ride's premise is we humans are guests at a monster reunion. We boarded boats that hold six adults in three rows (two per row). While a little corny at times, we both thought the ride was a hoot and very well done. Eight stars for cute factor, quality of special effects, and storyline (Watch out for the marsh!). It would have scored more but audio was messed up in a couple areas and some animatronics were not working like they should. However, that is nitpicking. The ride is a good addition to the park going experience. Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster is over in the Spanish section. It is a cute mine ride for kids. One thing I liked about this park is the majority of rides will accomadate adults and kids. Nathan and I both fit in the car and were comfortable. The ride is pretty smooth, and thrilling for younger park guests. We give it a six as a good kid's coaster. Also, the area is really well themed with ACME props and gadgets. The air conditioned tunnel was nice too! Dahlonega Mine Train is in Peachtree Square and was coaster five of the day. This is a junior sized mine coaster. It has two lifts and a tunnel. It was pretty jerky through element transitions and some theming had weathered to the point of being unrecognizable. On this ride, I nearly had one of my big mouth moments. I am sure everyone can relate to this- someone is carrying on past the point of being tolerable and you can no longer stand it. On this ride, Nathan and I were practically twittling our thumbs (It was that mild- we weren't bored.) and a girl behind us was screaming her bloody head off. I turned around to see what the big deal was and the girl was in tears! No way would I say anything except shame on the boyfriend for taking her on that when she was scared. We give this coaster a five. OK ride, but forgetable. The Cotton Section and it's three coasters were next. The five looping Ninja sat over the water with Asian music over the PA. We had also heard this coaster was pretty brutal. Riding defensively was a must to see if it bettered the experience. This is a pretty coaster and we really wanted to like it. It goes out over the water, red is a nice color, and it loops. For us- most disappointing ride of the park. Even after pressing our heads back against the head rests, we were shook violently and my neck audibly popped once (rare for me). We continued to be bounced and thrown around until we were back at the station. We give it a three because we didn't have time to try a front seat ride and all coasters deserve the benefit of a doubt. Great American Scream Machine was the big wooden coaster sitting next to Ninja. While needing a fresh coat of paint, it is quite pretty painted red white and blue. A one car wait and we settled into our back row seats. They were a tight fit, but we made it. This coaster rattles you, but gives good air time. Twice, we were yanked back into our seats so hard we both said "ouch" simultaneously. It's not our Racer, but it was fun. We give it seven stars due to bonus points of going out over the water and all the surrounding buildings painted to match. We had been saving our seventieth coaster (we count them as how many we have ridden together) for something special and Superman- Ultimate Flight fit the bill as Firehawk was our first coaster. This was the longest wait of the day at half an hour. I had disliked previous flying coasters due to not being comfortable in the harness. Superman has a wide chest "vest" made out of a foamy material, the leg restraints fit comfortably, and I didn't feel like I was going to fall out. We were tilted forward and took off. I was surprised that I liked it! The wider chest plate spread the pressure out much better than a five point harness. The loop is pretty intense and was my favorite element. Where it travels close to the ground, it lends more to the sense of flying. We give it eight stars. Gotham City was the last stop. We headed straight to the green Mindbender. We didn't know it was an ACE landmark. The ride was a walk-on. The seats are wide and well cushioned. Billed to be the world's first coaster with three loops, it had a lap bar only. What fun! The lift rattled and clanked as the car hung at the top before we plummeted to the first loop. This ride was a surprise hit with pops of airtime that barely kept me under the lapbar. No seat dividers allowed us to slid around in the curves. We give it eight stars as we went in with lower expectations and were thrilled with the results. Our question is, do they count a helix as the third loop? Batman the Ride was the last one in the park. As it is a "dangly foot" coaster, I had some reservations about riding it, but I knew I needed to face my silly fear. The queue for the ride is ridiculously long (We want to know: when it first opened, was it totally full and how long was the wait?). We were happy to see open seats and no waiit. We jumped on and with Batman Theme music playing, we headed out. I closed my eyes for the lift. Then, just as we entered the first loop, I realized I wasn't scared! I finished the ride looking all around and laughing through the corkscrews. I loved it! We pulled into the station and were able to grab a second ride without getting off. We give this ride nine stars! With all ten coasters under our belt, we needed to eat. While we feel parks charge too much, we will pay for good food. Daddy-O's BBQ had been tempting us all day. We walked in and saw the most yummy looking chef salad. Chicken, whole cherry tomatoes and lettuce were packed inside a seasoned tortilla shell. Eight bucks didn't seem too outrageous. While they were large, we made quick work of them. Four thumbs up! With full tummies, we walked around the park and snapped pictures. The train ride (while not themed) was a fun way to see the park. The trees and landscaping are very well done and the place feels just as much a park as it does a land of thrills. At the end of the loop, we saw the cupola of the carousel and, horse lover that I am, we had to investigate. It is a beautiful machine opening in 1904 at the now defunct Riverview Park in Chicago. It was a five abreast model handcarved with more than 28,000 man hours put into them. I had to take a ride. Nathan was not amused, but he went along with it. Six stars for nostalgia. We felt a few "wayne" (rain) drops and headed back to Batman and rode it four more times. We tried different seats and found we liked towards the back on the left side. with little time left, we headed toward the front of the park. We rode Georgia Scorcher again. Not as fun as the first time due to my restraints being greasy. As we were nearing the end of the ride, I felt something hit my leg. The seat belt had become unfastened. Little worrisome as I had had the ride op do it for me. At this time, the goodbye music was playing. We stopped in the shops and bought a magnet and a pin. All the characters were lined up for photo ops and waving as we left. With a setting sun, we headed out. All in all, this was a great day trip. I wish we had been able to get more re-rides on the coasters, but sometimes time restraints happen. What we liked about this park: Ride ops and staff were very nice and engaged in small talk many times to see if we were enjoying ourselves. The park is really clean with lots of landscaping, flowers, trees, and waterfalls. The park is laid out fairly well with the exception that Gotham City has only one way into it. Soda deal- $12 for a souveniir cup and it had unlimited refills all day. Lots of food choices and not just burgers, hot dogs and other junk food. The park had a real family atmosphere with little profanity or rude people. We didn't experience more than one experience with line jumping and that one was not a bad experience. What we didn't like How to get into the park. The parking lot was confusing. $15 to park is too high. The park doesn't open until 10:30AM and closes at 9:00PM. No free watar. The asphalt was hot and slick in some places. Thanks for reading! We will post pictures as soon as we get them downloaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveStroem Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Thanks Cassie for the TR. I can't wait to see your photos. I would love to go to SFoG since we have season passes too. Mine does have parking so that will be a little less for us. I just don't know if I can swing a trip to Atlanta just for this park. One other thing about those SF drink bottles. I was told that they are good at all SF parks. You just have to purchase the wristband for $1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast79 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Can't wait to see all the pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gad198 Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Excellent trip report. SFOG is definitely one of the most underrated parks out there. It's interesting to hear the Goliath vs. Diamondback debate, particularly when you had a split vote between the two of you. The only thing that separates the two rides IMO is the amount of airtime you get on each. The front on Goliath gives you mild floater, at best, while the front of DB gives you much stronger air in all conditions. I did, however, have a trimless Goliath ride in the back and that one ride was better than "any" ride I've had on DB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Dave- thank you so much for your compliments! I am with you that I would not have traveled specifically to Atlanta solely for this park. We sandwiched it into a larger vacation (We did a cruise and had activities before and after. I will be typing trip reports for a week!) I don't know if this is something your family would be interested in, but the city of Atlanta has a City Pass and for $69 for an adult and $49 for children, it gets you into six different attractions including the Georgia Aquarium, Coca-Cola World, Atlanta Zoo, a Botanical Garden, and other places (Atlanta City Pass). We had gotten rained out the day before and went to the Georgia Aquarium, Coca-Cola World, and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. It was a very enjoyable time and all the attractions were in walking distance of each other. We stayed at the Baymont Inn which is an exit up from SFOG and they offered a free shuttle to the park. gad198- Yeah, Nathan and I have not done the "big debate" between the two coasters. An explanation may be what our favorites are. He likes Millennium Force and I prefer Maverick for example. I think Diamondback, while it does have insane air time is a little tame (please don't kill me folks- just my opinion!) and I like more twists and turns so I don't know what comes next. Nathan has the cameras (we took two digital and an underwater for when we went snorkeling). I will "suggest" he get to moving on uploading them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Here are our pictures! Pictures of Six Flags Over Georgia I have to go in and add captions to the photos. And yes, there are WAY too many pictures of me with the drink cup. Nathan found it humorous that I had a never-ending supply of Diet Coke. Thanks for looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveStroem Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 And yes, there are WAY too many pictures of me with the drink cup. Nathan found it humorous that I had a never-ending supply of Diet Coke. This one looks like you had one to many diet Cokes and need to get to the bathroom in a Speedy Gonzalas kind a way. http://www.where2next.org/gallery/main.php..._serialNumber=3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 That is exactly what Nathan said!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ki Man Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Goliath's really good. It's a classy B&M with a BEAUTIFUL location. It's sooooo pretty. I need to take a trip back to ride. I haven't been there in two seasons! But I ranked Diamondback higher than it. It's close though.. But all B&M is really good! And Acrophobia is one of my favorite Drop Towers. Sooooooo much fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragsterfan420 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I love SFoG. I've been twice. Once, I think, when I was a little kid and another in the 2006 season right after Goliath opened. Goliath is a really great coaster. I rode it when it was still in it's opening "fastness". Nice pictures of the park. You're like me; you alot of pictures. Which is a good thing for people who haven't been/haven't been in a while. If Diamondback is better than Goliath(when I rode it), it is going to be a vastly superior coaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 ^Thank you for the nice compliments! I probably take WAY too many pictures, but they are so nice to look at when you get back home. I have new photo editing software and it could be dangerous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragsterfan420 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 ^Thank you for the nice compliments! I probably take WAY too many pictures, but they are so nice to look at when you get back home. I have new photo editing software and it could be dangerous... No problem. On my last trip to KI I took a good 1,000 pics. I'm trigger happy on my camera. But it's alright. I got a huge memory stick and even on the highest quality and biggest size I can still take a good 7,000 pics plus like and hour or two of video. More pictures just mean more oppurtunities for a Photo Trip Report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westcoaster Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 would love to ride monster mansion, and see the park Great tr Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 dragsterfan420- We are alot alike on the photos. I am behind posting the rest of our trip reports because we are going through and organizing the nearly 3,000 pictures we took on our vacation! westcoaster- I didn't know what to expect for Monster Mansion, but I was very impressed with the theming, story line, and the fact that the whole family could enjoy it. I don't know what was there before, but I sure like what is there now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragsterfan420 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 dragsterfan420- We are alot alike on the photos. I am behind posting the rest of our trip reports because we are going through and organizing the nearly 3,000 pictures we took on our vacation!! That's crazy! You must have done alot for your vacation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 Slide over to the topic called Megatrip Report Part 1 here in the Trip Reports page. That is the vacation this trip report was a part of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIFAN! Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 This is a little off topic but I have never been to a six flags. If I could go to one which one would you recomend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 If you can only go to one, what are you interested in? Beautiful landscaping, an excellent balance of rides and a unique topography? Six Flags Over Georgia Intense thrill rides, very few flats and did I mention intense thrill rides? Six Flags Great Adventure or Six Flags Magic Mountain Shows? Incredible Shows? And glorious park? Six Flags Fiesta Texas That all being said, there is one Six Flags park that is not a park by which Six Flags should be judged, particularly right now. That's Kentucky Kingdom. It's simply not in the same league as the rest...it has doubtless been kept as it is highly profitable, but there are far better choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassie_KY Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 Thank you Interpreter! I knew you would jump in here on that one. I was not qualified ot answer as I have only been to two. As you said, the park of choice depends on what you like as a park enthusiast. All have good points and no two are alike (from what I have seen/read). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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