Six Flags: Are they stepping up their game?

By: Alana DeRose

Go Big! Something Six Flags hasn't really done. Until now.

On August 29th, 2019 Six Flags announced Six Flags Great Adventure's new for 2020 coaster Jersey Devil Coaster, With Jersey Devil Coaster being Six Flags Great Adventure's new for 2020 addition, this will mark the 3rd consecutive year Six Flags has brought in a new record breaking, original coaster into the chain. However there was a pandemic in 2020 so it's opening in 2021, but I'll still give them the "3rd Consecutive Year" title because it was originally planned to open in 2020.

Dated back all the way to year 1995, Six Flags was in major debt, and nine years later in 2004 Six Flags started selling some of their parks, such as: 'Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure' 'Frontier City' 'Darien Lake' 'Six Flags AstroWorld' and their European parks.

However those aren't the only parks they lost. In the year 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit 'Six Flags New Orleans' completely destroying the property, and Six Flags never decided to rebuild it, so it's just sitting there destroyed, abandoned, and unloved.

Then in 2009 Six Flags filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy making them sell their Kentucky park 'Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom', in 2010, which did open again four years later in 2014 under the name 'Kentucky Kingdom'.

Now since 2009, Six Flags has built record breaking, original coasters such as: 'New Texas Giant', which opened in 2011, 'X-Flight', that opened in 2012, 'Full Throttle' and 'Iron Rattler' in 2013, 'Goliath' in 2014, and 'Twisted Colossus' and 'Wicked Cyclone' in 2015.

Sadly the years 2016 and 2017 were complete trash for Six Flags. As they were adding many clones like 'The Joker 4D Free Spin Coaster', 'Justice League Battle For Metropolis' and the super loop "coaster" that's not really a roller coaster.

I mean it was cool when Fiesta Texas got 'Batman: The Ride', their 4D free spin, and I guess when Six Flags Great Adventure got one too in 2016, but in 2017 there were like four new free spins all under the name 'The Joker'. It was crazy! I know Six Flags wants to keep their promise of adding new attractions to their park each year, but when the only other option is cloning a used to be original ride five more times the next year, just don't.

Quality > Quantity.

However what makes the solid years of 2011 - 2015 different from the glorious years of 2018 - 2021, is that Six Flags has actually incorporated some of their former properties such as: 'Darien Lake' and 'Frontier City' into their chain again while adding some new ones such as: 'Wet'n'Wild Phoenix' 'Wet'n'Wild SplashTown' and 'White Water Bay'.

Also not only did Six Flags gain five new parks in 2018 but they also brought 'Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster', the first single-rail coaster to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and after that Six Flags has been going crazy!

With MaxxForce, North America's fastest accelerating coaster going from 0 to 78 mph in less than two seconds, to Six Flags Great America, and West Coast Racers, the first launching, racing coaster, to Six Flags Magic Mountain, in 2019.

However Six Flags has mainly be focusing on adding great new additions to SFGA and SFMM for like ever now. So the fact that Six Flags Great Adventure, aka the park that hasn't received a new, amazing coaster since El Toro which opened in 2006, is receiving Jersey Devil Coaster, the world's tallest, fastest, and longest single rail coaster, is a true sign that Six Flags is starting to become the park they once were!

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if in the near future they acquired Kentucky Kingdom into their line up again and or even tried rebuilding 'Six Flags New Orleans', or even 'Six Flags Ohio' to bring some competition to Cedar Point, which has for consecutive years been voted the 'World's Best Amusement Park' by the Golden Ticket Awards.

But Six Flags may not need to rebuild a park in Ohio to compete with Cedar Point. The new park they're building in Saudi Arabia, 'Six Flags Qiddiya', looks as if it will give Cedar Point some very tough competition for the best amusement park in the world.

Hopefully Six Flags does a better job of managing their money this time.