Wednesday, August 4, 2010

A Bizarro Good Time At Six Flags New England - Part 2


Editor's Note: This is the second part of NPN's review of Six Flags New England. Don't miss the first section, located here.

After exploring the area surrounding Bizarro there was still a lot of Six Flags New England left to explore. After entering the park through the beautiful entrance area you end up at a large cross roads. While deciding which way to progress it's hard not to notice the enormous thrill ride sticking up in front of you.

Okay, I will. Ahhhhh!

Scream! That's both the name and what happens when guests try out this ride. The massive, 200 ft. tall tower is actually three separate rides. One blasts riders up to the top, one takes them up slowly and then blasts them down, and one does a combination of both!

Scream provides one sweet view of the park from up there

The ride was originally only one tower but during one of the park's expansions it was increased to three. The imposing structure towers over most of the park, which makes it quite photogenic. I ended up with a bunch of photos like this one!

The hustle and bustle of Rockville

Let's switch back to that cross roads I described earlier. If you enter the park and turn to your right you enter the Rockville section. The themeing here is fantastic - it's a lively town main drag packed with themed buildings, rides, games, entertainment, and more.

One highlight of both Rockville and Six Flags New England is the Baby Care Center, located near the Kontiki ride. The center has all a family could need to take care of those parenting necessities: family rest rooms, nursing rooms with glider chairs, high chairs for feeding, and plenty more. Honestly, I was tempted to relax for a bit in a glider chair but there was too much park still to see!

Not your Grandma's taffy pull

While the Baby Care Center provides a quiet place to relax the Twister, seen above, provides quite the opposite. The gondola that seats the riders has a tendency to flip wildly as the arms turn, creating an effect that's as fun to watch from the ground as on the ride!

Like a cold... soda on a hot day!

As you move through Rockville and deeper into the park you enter what is known simply as the South End. The is one of the older sections of the park, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been upgraded and changed over the years. In fact, some of the park's newest scream machines can be found here.

2006 brought Splash Water Falls to the park via a distinctly Southern route (it was moved from Texas). No matter where the ride came from it fits perfectly at the park. Families can board a raft together and take off down the slide for a splashy good time.

Watch out for that spraying water!

Splash Water Falls also serves as a water attraction that cools you off but doesn't provide the full soaking that some rides do. That makes it even more attractive to the entire family, much like the one I caught mid-plummet in the photo above!

Mind Eraser might do just that.

This is Mind Eraser, an inverted style steel roller coaster that for some time anchored the South End of the park's thrill roster. The lift stands well over 100 ft. tall and it features five very twisted inversions.

Thankfully those in my party had patience enough to let me get shots like this!

The ride is actually the second oldest steel coaster at the park, after only the kiddie ride. It recently got a new paint job and looks like brand new once again.

Na na na na na na Batman!

Mind Eraser got a shiny new sibling in 2002 when Batman: The Dark Knight was added to Six Flags New England. The coaster sits at the very edge of the park and also borders Hurricane Harbor - but we'll get to that area later on.

It's color scheme is best described as sleek and near perfect for a Batman themed ride in my book. It grabs your attention with its black supports, purple track, and blue trim. Dark and moody, just like the super hero!

The Dark Knight takes you on a wild ride

Batman has a unique feature to its trains, as they technically have no floors to them. That leaves your feet with nothing below them but the track flying by! The ride has multiple inversions as well, like the big vertical loop seen above.

Famed coaster designers Bolliger and Mabillard created Batman; one thing they are known for is the smoothness of their coasters. This holds true on the Dark Knight, no rough ride to be found here, just smooth exhilarating fun.

Right across from The Dark Knight is the Gotham City Crime Wave, a circular swing ride found at many theme parks. The theming on this one is great - from the evil characters down to the pun in the name. (Wave Swinger is the ride's trade name)

Time for a wiggly day!

Six Flags New England has three separate children's areas, each with their own unique theme. Here we see the Wiggles World, one of two kiddie areas added in 2007. Based on the popular Wiggles television series, the area contains a large assortment of rides and attractions aimed at the tiny tots.

The rides are all based on characters and concepts featured on the show - here we have Wags' Doggie Copters, which takes kids up in the air on a simulated helicopter flight. The educational nature of the show carries over into the presentation of the land. Families can grab a bite to eat at the Yummy Yummy Cafe. The food outlet features plenty of healthy snacks and meals.

The Big Red Cars

I've encountered other Wiggles World areas in my travels at other theme parks and the one at Six Flags New England is by far the largest I've seen. There are numerous rides, play structures, an interactive fountain and live entertainment all within the area.

Kids delight in seeing the Wiggles characters live and in the flesh during the Get Ready To Wiggle show. Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, and Henry the Octopus all appear during the interactive children's production.

We'll continue our tour soon - but I wanted to point out that the Travel Channel's Bert The Conqueror will feature Six Flags New England on an episode tonight - August 4th at 10 p.m. Eastern. Bert takes on both Bizarro and Catapult while at the park.

They let me preview the episode and they have some amazing shots of Bizarro taken from the top of Scream!


0 comments: