I must admit that for most of my adolescence and teen years, I was deathly afraid of riding roller coasters. I imagined that as soon as I worked up the nerve, the particular ride of my choosing would decide to malfunction. As the years progressed, I challenged myself to take the plunge (pun intended) and I found that I indeed do enjoy a little “thrill” every once in a while. That being said, I have found myself at metro Atlanta’s largest national theme park, Six Flags over Georgia on a few occasions. From my personal experience, I’ve put together a little review of my favorite coasters along with a few others. If you’re planning a spring or summer get-away to the “A.T.L” -and have the craving for a thrill or two, have a look at some of Georgia’s best coasters…
PICK #1: The Batman Ride
What I really loved about this ride, was the entertainment before I actually set foot inside one of the cars. The theme of this ride dictates that thrill seekers join the line at “Gotham City”, an imaginary simulated “city” which mimics Bruce Wayne’s stomping grounds. The city has been created and designed as an eerily realistic-looking labyrinth of special effects and props.
The scenery really took my mind off the long wait for the ride (which itself, lasts only a few minutes). Designers of this “set” did a great job of immersing park patrons in the comic book fantasy. As you exit the “city”, you enter the batcave, and can only escape by means of the Batman Ride.
And this is where it gets exciting. The beauty of this ride is that riders’ feet dangle in the air because the cars proceed underneath the tracks instead of on top. With all the loops (2 vertical ones) and corkscrews (which are 40 feet long), the Batman Ride creates a sensation unlike many traditional coasters which keep one’s feet firmly planted on the floor. Helpful hint: don’t wear loose flip flops on this ride.
PICK #2: The Georgia Scorcher
There is something extremely exhilarating about riding a roller coaster in a fashion other than the traditional way. The Georgia Scorcher fast became one of my favorite rides because you’re literally “standing” while swooping and swerving in death-defying corkscrews.
I am not one of those people who likes to lift her hands in the air during the perilous roller coaster drops. So, when I realized that this coaster was a “stand-up” ride, I was a little apprehensive. However, my fears were quieted upon being strapped in. The ride itself was very smooth, and I was pleased with how quickly we dipped into and out of the loops. Suffice it to say, standing up on this ride was not tedious, nor as frightening as I thought it would be. And the line moved at a reasonable pace.
PICK #3: The Georgia Cyclone
Chalk this coaster favorite up to nostalgia. My jaunts at Coney Island provided enough reason for me to want to brave this ride. The Georgia version (modeled after the Coney Island specialty) is one of the few wooden coasters in the park.
There is something incredibly sinister about hearing the slow “click, click, clicks” of the train’s wheels as it pulls up the first major hill. Standing about ten feet higher than the original in New York, this coaster’s first drop did a successful job of pulling my stomach up into my esophagus. What I really love about coasters in general, is a nice succession of high-speed banks and turns. And this ride has plenty of those. Oh yeah, what I did NOT like, however, was being completely and thoroughly embarrassed by the photos which are taken by cameras at various points throughout the ride; my photo revealed exactly how chicken I truly am.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Though I have named my personal favorites, there are tons of other thrills at this park. I have mentioned a few of them for those who dare to brave some of the more recent attractions:
- The Viper (1995-2001) – Though this coaster is no longer a part of the Six Flags over Georgia family, it simply must be mentioned. Had it remained, it would have made my Top Three list easily. This ride is called a shuttle coaster which essentially propels its riders into a fierce loop, before sending them to a “spike” (dead end) in which they come tumbling down at the speed of sound. It is one of the few rides which does not give patrons the time to be scared; the ride lasts only 30 seconds.
- The Mine Train – This is not a “real” roller coaster. And I must admit that this was the ride I chose before deciding on the bigger rides. The Mine Train (officially called the Dahlonega Mine Train gets its honorable mention as being a mid-range thrill ride. Smaller children (or less courageous adults) will get a kick out of the bends and turns. And the tunnel drop makes for a nice surprise. When you’re looking to chill out, and come down from the “big people” rides, this is a good one to kill some time with.
- The Great American Scream Machine – This is one of the park’s oldest coasters (debuted in 1973), and is one of the longest rides of all. This traditional bender is great for all those who miss the charm of older roller coasters.
- Goliath– If you really want thrills, you’ll head for the biggest attraction in the park. Dipping through the air at 70 mph may be too much for the timid at heart. But true thrill seekers will not leave Six Flags without braving this monster at least once.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
Last AND least, there are a few coasters which I will simply never ride again. They are :
- The Ninja– While the ride itself is not really scary or unpredictable, the headache I endured afterwards was indeed rather hellish. The Ninja is truly one of the rockiest, most painful roller coasters I’ve been on. My head whipped from side to side causing a good deal of pain afterwards. This is never good.
- The Mind Bender- I used to ride this one because I developed a thing for multiple loops. But on the last occasion I had to ride this Six Flags “classic”, I was put at ill ease by the unnatural creaking sounds the coaster makes. Furthermore, at the very top of the first drop, the coaster stopped on us. I don’t know if it’s because it’s an older ride, or whether it was simply a fluke that day. But an additional attempt garnered a similar result. What I particularly hate about this roller coaster is the narrow track on which the train sits. This gave me the impression that the structure itself was not that secure. Suffice it to say, I felt very uncomfortable on this ride (unnaturally so)-and have avoided the Mind Bender ever since.
