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Park News - (5/6/13) The early rumor from our Texas sources is that corporate may be dropping a little more coin on Fright Fest at Six Flags over Texas this year. More Scare Zones and possibly two new haunts to bring up the count to six, possibly located in the new Adventure Theater building as well as the old Studio 13 location near the Texas Sky Screamer. They may also be taking a lesson from the big haunts in California and Florida, and extending the run of Fright Fest to begin in mid September.
    (2/18/13) Here we go again… another park guest at Six Flags over Texas is attempting to file a discrimination lawsuit against the theme park because they were told they could not ride because they do not have fully formed hands. Much like the story about the burn victim without hands who was turned away from the Texas Giant, this man was also turned away from riding Aquaman at the park during the 2012 season.
    In both cases, the men report having visited the park in the past, and having been able to ride other rides in the park without any problems until the 2012 season. When he complained to park management, he was told that the park’s current policy is that all riders must now have “at least one fully formed arm all the way down to the fingers.”
    I get it… and it does indeed… for lack of a better word… suck. But the park is well within their rights to not only request this, but they may be required to request such a restriction, as the ride manufacturers are the ones who establish the overall safety requirements and rider restrictions. This includes height limits for younger riders, weight limits for big riders, and limb requirements for those who are handicapped. Ride manufactures are also known to update their safety policies years after the fact, often as the fallout because of another incident at another park.
    For example, a good number of Ferris Wheels now no longer will allow singer riders to enjoy the attraction. As crazy as it sounds, this policy was added to the safety procedure guides from several Ferris wheel makers after one rider decided that they wanted to commit suicide taking a lone ride on a wheel and jumping from the top. The lawsuit happy society that we live in went crazy and tried to sue not only the park, but the ride maker for allowing this person to commit suicide in such a fashion.
    As for the situation at Six Flags over Texas, the entire amusement industry was just put under the microscope in 2011 after a handicapped Iraq war veteran was thrown and killed while riding the Ride of Steel coaster at Darien Lake. The man was missing one entire leg and most of the second, but apparently thought nothing of the fact that the coaster on had a lap-bar safety system to keep him safe.
    Following this tragic accident, you can be sure that parks all over the world as well as ride manufacturers updated their official safety policies regarding the required number limbs, and how functional each one must be. Jump ahead a year later to 2012 and ride operators everywhere are now trained to handle these kinds of situations. In several cases, these restrictions may have already been in place, but not as aggressively included in the training procedures, allowing some guests to slip through for years.
    After all, standing in line to ride a coaster at Six Flags doesn’t include a TSA style body inspection, and nor should it. Just as this wasn’t the first complaint or lawsuit to be filed for this problem, I know this wont be the last as the public is slowly brought up to speed with the new park safety policies. Again… I know it sucks… especially in this case, as the man clearly points out how ironic it is that many riders will partake of the very same rides that he is now barred from riding, with their hands freely held up in the air. Hopefully some kind of balance can be found, but unfortunately our modern lawsuit happy society will make this very difficult issue to come to a compromise on.
    (2/5/13) I’ve been sent some rumored new entertainment updates for Six Flags over Texas in 2013. From what I’m told the Lonestar Theater will either see a new Looney Tunes themed show, or an updated version of the old Looney Tunes Dance Off show. A new unknown show will be added to the park’s Crazy Horse Saloon along with a new Country music themed show in the Majestic Theater. The “iLuminate" show will not return in 2013 however, and I’ve been told to expect to see the return of the Chart Topper show (or something similar with a new name) take over the Southern Palace theater.
    (1/25/13) The new Dining Program add on for your Six Flags over Texas Season Pass will cost you $69.99, but provide you with a free lunch and dinner during every visit. Click here for the official details on how it works.
    (12/18/12) A reader sent us a link to a video showing off the new continuous loading system now being used on the Texas Giant at SFOT. Looks like the process is pretty smooth as the train keeps on moving, but at a very slow speed. The video ends with a peek at the new on-board pocket for small items installed in the trains.

2013 - Texas Sky Screamer - (5/22/13) A new construction update for the Texas Sky Screamer has been posted to ThemeParkOverload this week.
    (5/13/13) Curious to see what your view from the Texas Sky Screamer will be like? Check out this picture of Six Flags over Texas taken from the top of the tower just before it was capped off. You will be looking DOWN on the oil derrick as well as the Superman: Tower of Power. Yikes!!!!!
    (4/29/13) The gargantuan Texas Sky Screame r has been topped off and as you can see in a photo sent in by one of our readers, it looks HUGE!  Now who’s ready to ride this time… way WAY up high in a little metal chair held in place by tiny little metal swing chains… errrr…. Nevermind, I’ll wait on the ground for you .
    (4/25/13) The Texas Sky Screamer is growing at a rapid pace and now appears to be about 300 feet tall according to the lastest pictures sent my way on Twitter here and here.
    (4/23/13) A reader posted a new picture on Twitter earlier today showing off the progress being made on the Texas Sky Screamer which is quickly climbing very high into the sky.
    (4/12/13) A new video from Ride Entertainment shows off the start of the Texas Sky Screamer going into place earlier this week.

    (4/10/13) Six Flags over Texas tweeted a picture earlier today showing off the first bit of vertical steel going into place on the base for the Texas Sky Screamer.
    (4/1/13) New pictures have come in from the Texas Sky Screamer construction site, and I have to retract that last update claiming the ride was going vertical. It isn’t… what is happening is that the tower sections are about 25 to 40 feet tall and are being placed at the construction site vertically. (So from outside the park fence, it looked like the first tower piece had been put into place last week.) 
    There is also a photo included of the concrete base for the ride which has now been poured, and as you can see, has yet to have any tower sections installed on it just  yet. In fact, I’ve been told that while they work on these individual tower sections, it will likely be another couple of weeks before they begin stacking them up to assemble the ride on the base.
    (3/29/13) Reports were sent in this afternoon found that the Texas Sky Screamer has now gone vertical. It shouldn't take long to put all the tower pieces in place.
    (3/5/13) A trip report from the opening day of Six Flags over Texas has been posted to TPR this week. Looks like the park was packed, plus we get a look at the future home to the Texas Sky Screamer.
    (2/8/13) A few construction pictures from outside Six Flags over Texas have been posted to the TPR forum this week. Other than land clearing however, there is no sign of the new Texas Sky Screamer just yet.
    (10/12/12) Today we’ve got a video clip of the Texas Chute Out tower coming crashing down to Earth where Flashback once stood, all to make way for the Texas SkyScreamer (Funtime Star Flyer). Speaking of which, if you want a preview of what you’ll be getting to do in 2013, take a look at the second video showing off the current tallest Star Flyer in the world at Wiener Prater (Austria) which is 385 feet tall, just 15 feet below the Texas SkyScreamer.


    (8/31/12) It’s official, Six Flags over Texas will add the Texas Sky Screamer to the park’s skyline in 2013. This is Texas, so it has to be BIG… 400 feet of BIG, making this the tallest swing ride in the world. When you hit the peak you’ll be swinging out in a 124 ft wide circle at 35 MPH with the best view of the Arlington skyline anyone could ask for. Check out the video below!

    (8/28/12) With only a few days left before the big announcement for SFOT, you can expect to see the new 400 foot Star Flyer ride replace the Texas Chuteout and be named something along the lines of Texas Sky Screamer.
    (7/25/12) It has been revealed that Six Flags New England is planning a 400 foot Sky Screamer for 2013, which sounds very familiar to what I had heard was proposed for Six Flags over Texas as well.  Need another good hint? Apparently at the meeting with the city to pitch the ride, the SFNE president mentioned that the New England ride proposal was just one of TWO such rides that Six Flags was planning on installing at their parks in 2013. I think we know where the other will go. For comparisons sake, it’s fun to note that the park’s Oil Derrick tower stands “only” 300 feet tall at the tippy tippy top.
    (7/21/12) The latest rumors around the park suggest that a very tall Sky Screamer ride (Funtime Star Flyer) may indeed still be in the works for the park after all. Unlike the rest of the Sky Screamer’s we’ve seen so far, this one may be themed to offer up some fun Texan themes and live up to the saying that everything is bigger in Texas. From what I recall, the world’s biggest Star Flyer is the 100 meter tall version at Wiener Prater. Could Six Flags over Texas be hoping to match or surpass this beast of a tower?
    In other news, the rumor mill reports that Flashback seems to be the most likely coaster expected to leave the park at the end of the season. There were rumors of a second ride being removed, and according to some rumblings, apparently there was some talk about removing the Texas Chute Out, but local park management is very nostalgic about keeping this ride for as long as possible.
    (7/11/12) I’m hearing that Six Flags over Texas may not get a Sky Screamer in 2013.  Another project has been green lit for the park… and while I don’t have the details, I’ve heard that it may disappoint many of you.  Oh… and speaking of disappointment… I’ve also heard a rumor that Six Flags may be planning on removing a coaster at the end of the season, which will be sent to another park in the chain. I’m trying to dig up info on which one.
    (7/9/12) According to the Screamscape Spy Network, we will see a few more Sky Screamers added to various Six Flags theme parks in 2013. We’ve already seen a confirmed proposal for one at Six Flags New England, and if I had to guess where Six Flags would drop in a few more, I’d look to Six Flags Great America, Six Flags over Georgia or even Six Flags over Texas. SFGAm may opt to wait for another year since they just added the large budget X-Flight coaster in 2012. Keep your eyes peeled… I’m sure we’ll hear more very soon.

2013 - Typhoon Twister & Tsunami Surge at Hurricane Harbor - (2/7/13) While Six Flags had previously announced that The Black Hole slide at Hurricane Harbor would add new spec ial effects and be renamed as “Black Hole of Doom 4-D”, Six Flags sent out word earlier today that they adding two new slides to Hurricane Harbor this season instead called: Typhoon Twister and Tsunami Surge
    Each will two dual passenger rafts, and while Typhoon Twister will drop rides through a tunnel and into a giant bowl for a few spins before twisting and dropped out the bottom chute, the Tsunami Surge will shoot the raft down a 68 foot long tunnel to build up speed for a run up a 40 foot tall wave slide before the hit zero-g at the top and fall back down into the chute to the splashdown pool. Both of the new attractions are from ProSlide.
    As for the Black Hole of Doom 4D… that’s been put on the back burner.  According to Sharon Parker, the Communications Manager for Six Flags over Texas, “we actually decided to Go Bigger! We’re excited to debut the two brand new slides and we feel like they will be a fantastic complement to The Black Hole and all of the other great attractions at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.”

2014/2015 - DC Universe - Rumor - (2/27/12) While we shouldn’t expect to see this right away, I’ve heard that there are long term plans in the works for Six Flags over Texas to expand DC Gotham City themed area between Mr. Freeze and Batman into an entire DC Universe themed area, much like what was done at Six Flags Magic Mountain last year when they added the Green Lantern coaster. Given that the park owns the land used by the closed mini-mall behind Batman, this site has long been rumored to be used for a possible DC Universe themed expansions over the years, including once being considered as a home for another Dark Knight indoor mouse coaster project by Shapiro’s crew back in the day.
    No word on if Flashback will remain or be removed in the process as that coaster has certainly been showing it’s age as of late.