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Dark Knight coaster debuts at Six Flags Great Adventure
Thursday, May 15, 2008 11:46 AM ET | contributed by Jeff

Six Flags Great Adventure today unveiled the highly anticipated "THE DARK KNIGHT Coaster." Based on Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming movie THE DARK KNIGHT, the indoor, dark coaster offers guests a one-of-kind ride experience.

More than just a ride, THE DARK KNIGHT Coaster features the most world renowned DC Comics characters in an adventure that utilizes storytelling, physical movement, video, sound and special effects to bring guests a one-of-a-kind dark ride thrill. As part of the experience, park guests will see, hear and feel the action of the movie the moment they enter the ride queue line, as they are transformed into citizens of Gotham City — caught in the middle of a city under siege and torn apart by The Joker.

Read the press release and view video on PR Newswire.

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Lord Gonchar (Edit)     5/15/2008 12:11:42 PM
I still think it looks like fun.
Mamoosh (Edit)     5/15/2008 12:47:05 PM
How about.......now? Still look like fun?
Geewhzz (Edit)     5/15/2008 1:15:58 PM
Sound bites sounded really really cheesy/fake.
*** This post was edited by Geewhzz 5/15/2008 1:16:16 PM ***
Lord Gonchar (Edit)     5/15/2008 1:23:30 PM
Yes, Moosh. It still looks fun.

I don't think it's going to quit.

Frantic Ferret (Edit)     5/15/2008 1:51:03 PM
It's "Fire the Hole 2008"!

FitH is still my favorite ride at Silver Dollar City, so I would probably love this.

Ensign Smith (Edit)     5/15/2008 2:28:46 PM
I can't believe I thought it was a spinner.
Mamoosh (Edit)     5/15/2008 2:37:51 PM
When it comes to this mouse, the only spin is coming from the park's PR dept
Spinout (Edit)     5/15/2008 3:10:42 PM
More pictures, and thoughts from this site: http://gainsider.com/

^As least, someone gets what they did. Slaps my head. It's a more of a kids roller coaster, and they put in a box to hide that fact, and put the Batman stuff on it so they don't have to spend for the big B&M, or Intamin. All of sudden, it's an exciting coaster, and they added the theme to get people that go on Kingda Ka to go on this ride too.

I am one of the few that really likes the standard non-spinning mouse coasters. I go to Busch Gardens Tampa, and I'm estatic when Cheetah Chase was empty. I find it funny that people are like this is the kids ride, and next year the park is going to get a gigantic coaster for the teens. Hello, this is the teen year.

One year was cleaning the parks, one year was family as in toddler rides, and the third year which is this year is teens/tweens year. I have no idea what they are doing next year.

Mamoosh (Edit)     5/15/2008 4:41:09 PM
Woah...I wasn't knocking the ride, just being funny at Ensign's expense. Not only do I think it's a great addition to the park I think it's a positive step by Six Flags towards themed story-telling rides. And I'd never categorize it as a kid's coaster. This screams "family coaster" all the way.
superflybri03 (Edit)     5/15/2008 6:38:23 PM
Just a quick question on someone who already rode it, if anyone. How long was the waiting for you over outside, then in the preshow room? Were they using all 10 trains?
majortom1981 (Edit)     5/15/2008 10:17:33 PM
People who have ridden it state that its not trimmed so that its a pretty good wild mouse. They state you go too fast through the ride to notice the effects. Some people even state they think the pre show is better then the ride. I guess if you epect it to be better then a wild mouse you wont like it.*** This post was edited by majortom1981 5/15/2008 11:52:44 PM ***
Bob O (Edit)     5/15/2008 10:25:37 PM
Of course Fire in the Hole has some Baldknobbers as part of theming, which will be very hard for TDK to beat(lol)!!
Coasterfantom2 (Edit)     5/15/2008 10:44:19 PM
I can imagine it in the middle of the Summer, and the line is 3 - 4 hours long. Everyone will come off the ride thinking I just waited that long to ride that? Better yet considering the crowd they draw from there people will be cursing instead. It looks fun, but I'll wait to ride it when the park isn't so crowded.
kRaXLeRidAh (Edit)     5/16/2008 1:30:24 AM
Though I haven't ridden it myself, I think from what I've seen in photos and videos thus far, these coasters look great. These are the first coasters done by Six Flags that actual attempt to incorporate a story line in with a theme via a pre-show entertainment area and on-ride sensory effects, ironically besting the mouse coasters at two of Disney's parks (surprise, surprise!)

The Dark Knight Coasters under Kieran Burke rule would have looked a lot more similar to the embarassing Mulholland Madness and Primeval Whirl mouse coasters at Disney's California Adventure and Animal Kingdom...if even that.

Congrats to Six Flags for doing a great job with these rides.

sfgadviper (Edit)     5/16/2008 8:47:30 AM
It is exactly what SF promised to everyone, a themed Wild Mouse in the dark. Now with that being said it is probably one of the best mice rides I have been on in a long time. There is little braking on the entire ride making it feel very out of control. The lack of braking is also a problem since the themed elements go by so fast they are almost a complete blur. In reality I wanted the speed over the theme while on the ride so I enjoyed every minute.

1) Full queue with the crew from yesterday was 45 min.
2) Great landscaping while in line and SFTV plays while you are waiting.
3) Pre-Show is fantastic. One of the best I have seen outside of Universal.
4) Station is nice and not overly crowded
5) Trains are very nice and roomy for those, like me, whom are tall. Some mouse rides seem to cram you in while this one had a comfy restraint and deep seat.
6) The ride is a wild mouse take it or leave it. If you like mice this is a standout if you do not then you will be disappointed.

Spinout (Edit)     5/16/2008 10:57:25 AM
I heard people waiting an hour for the full queue. The preshow is only 4:02, and it's on youtube. I wonder if this ride has the hard hitting brakes at the end of the ride. I really like that part when you slam into the brakes like on Cheetah Chase. Can anyone tell me about this?

The reviews I get from other sites are these (NOT my opinions, just saying what people are saying): It's a mouse coaster. Don't expect anything more than one. You can barely see the scenes because it's going too fast. The lifthill goes too fast. The preshow is awesome! The preshow is the best part of the ride, and than it goes downhill from there. The preshow is better than the ride. The building is themed nicely. The Joker cards are glued to the walls. How long will it last until the GP takes them?

It's probably the best themed mouse ride, but it's still just a mouse coaster. It's a kiddy ride. I heard the lines range from an hour to an hour and a half. Someone else says 45 minutes. I don't know who's right. The cars for the roller coaster always move similar to Primival Whirl. I can fit in the ride, and it's the most comfortable mouse coaster. 3 out of 5 stars, 8 out of 10

LJ (Edit)     5/16/2008 12:08:40 PM
Just spoke to two people who rode. Comment was "Very lame, nice theming, cheap ass ride, not as good as what Kennywood did a decade ago with their indoor spinning mouse." Just talked to frineds who went to SFOT and rode Freeze a dozen times - faster than ever!! What a bunch of jerks to take away a major ride like Feeze's brother Chiller and stick a cheap mouse that I can ride any day down at the piers in the same location. they must think we are dumb.
Mamoosh (Edit)     5/16/2008 12:37:21 PM
I find it very hard to believe any one from the general public (in other words, a regular non-enthusiast guest) would say "...not as good as what Kennywood did a decade ago with their indoor spinning mouse."

I'm sure the two friends said that...but that's definitely enthusi-speak.

ApolloAndy (Edit)     5/16/2008 1:03:42 PM
^^ More than likely, they are trying to actually turn a profit instead of caring what .000001% of their guests with no experience in the industry say they should do.
Spinout (Edit)     5/16/2008 1:19:21 PM
I don't really get the whole Chiller problems. All I can think of is that it was two sides like Superman at Magic Mountain, and both sides running at the same time is a no, no. Thus, one side was broken, and than you have that accident which I also don't get. I can only guess bad maintenance on the roller coaster.

It sounds kind of weird, but couldn't they have separated them, and sent the other one (whichever one they didn't want) to another Six Flags park?

I think many things killed it. Batman and Robin is an older movie which some people didn't like, but I thought it was the best movie out of all of them. They changed the harnesses early on which was money. Two sides running was probably a no, no. Than, you have the accident. Demon had a much worse accident, but it's still around.

I don't get the point of the zero g roll, and them getting rid of it?? Mr. Freeze is awesome, but it's a lower capacity ride. It only has 20 people per train minus empty seats, and it can only go one at a time, but they have 2 sides, but how many more workers do they need for both sides (2 or 3 workers for each side)? At SFOT, it was the later ride to open up at the park.

The kid said it's better than Nitro in this article. http://www.1010wins.com/Six-Flags-Opens-Indoor-Batman-Themed-Coaster/2194014*** This post was edited by Spinout 5/16/2008 2:15:27 PM ***

BullGuy (Edit)     5/16/2008 3:12:37 PM
"With crazed laughter ringing in their ears"

I haven't seen the movie or been on the ride, but I was done with that laugh after about the fiftieth time I heard it. I didn't see anything special about it to begin with, but clearly they (directors, producers) do. I really hope they don't have it going off on the ride every 3 seconds.

Mamoosh (Edit)     5/16/2008 6:00:46 PM
I think many things killed it. Batman and Robin is an older movie which some people didn't like, but I thought it was the best movie out of all of them.

Do you really think the quality of the movie played any part in the ride's demise?

It was a poorly-manufactured and engineered ride. It's opening was delayed an entire season, it was very costly to run and maintain and required multiple modifications. In short, it was a lemon.

Kinda Ka <3 love it (Edit)     5/16/2008 6:15:48 PM
I must say I went to Six Flags yesterday to ride the new coaster...and although my intentions of the ride actually being half way okay..werent in the least bit close. This ride has to be one of the most terrible ride I have ever ridden in my 21 years of living on this planet. My friends and I waited on line for an hour for the ride with our expectations of the ride sucking, but not to this extent. I encourage anyone to ride it and experience what I have experienced yesterday. I think this ride is a disgrace to SFGA and I an embarrassed for them to even allow it to be up and running. SF is $800 million dollars in debt, and they build this.. come on I can think of a lot more things that they could have done with their money. So yea .. you gotta love the "Under-developed Theme Park" as my frined and I call it lol.
Jeff (Edit)     5/16/2008 8:33:56 PM
So what exactly sucks about it, or should we just take your word for it?
Chitown (Edit)     5/16/2008 10:33:20 PM
^Probably nothing sucks about it. It sounds like another enthusiass who didn't get the next big record breaker they wanted built.

I really don't get it. It's meant to be a dark ride. It just so happens a mouse coaster is used to move you around. The whole experience including waiting in line is what a darkride is all about IMO.

Lord Gonchar (Edit)     5/16/2008 11:04:56 PM
I think it's funny that people are signing up just to complain about this ride. Six Flags hit an enthusiast nerve here.

Did I mention that I still think it looks like a fun little ride?

Chitown (Edit)     5/16/2008 11:29:55 PM
Thank god SFNE didn't get this. That park has now been saved from "suckiness".
majortom1981 (Edit)     5/17/2008 7:31:51 AM
Wow. The enthusiasts that I have talked to that have rode it state that if you take it just as a wild mouse its prob the best out there. The coaster goes by the theme elewments to quick.

Any enthusiast would take this ride as a wild mouse and nothing more.

Ajrides (Edit)     5/18/2008 4:02:40 PM
Ok I got to ride it 2 times today thanks to a gold FP because the line was insane all day for it. I was totall impressed from the moment i walked into the Que building and saw all the theming which included fake rats all over the place. The big screen showing the news and press conference which was interupted by the Joker was really cool. The ride it self was very good IMO the cars were neat and the theming was really better than i expected it to be. I also heard that alot of the theming was left out due to the time limit they had to open on time. I just hope that they do add the rest this season and not wait till next year to do it.All in all the dark knight is just what it was advertised as a family ride which explains why older teens were walking out of the exit giving the ride a thumbs down as it is not an extreme thrill ride. On a side note i also rode Skull Mountain which had all of its theming working except for the waterfall from the skull on top of the building. I had a great day today at the park even though it was very crowded.
Cropsey (Edit)     5/20/2008 2:55:33 AM
Themed family attraction that will appeal to families instead of thrill seeking teens. Seems like Six Flags totally delivered exactly what they promised and is on track with the game plan to shift the tone of the parks a bit. When was the last time you heard the term "pre-show" in conjunction with a Six Flags attraction? (Yeah there's a couple here and there but you can probably count them on one hand chain wide.)

This, like most wild mice, will have capacity issues. But then I guess it just encourages more Fast Pass sales. Some of the complaints about this are amusing...lest we forget that building a huge thrill ride each year was the formula that got the company into out of control debt.

CHILLERLC1 (Edit)     5/21/2008 6:36:25 PM
I like this ride a lot. I hate the extreme forces mouse rides and this is not that. There's a neat theme to it. I love Batman and the movie. I didn't miss anything in turning the corners cause I looked up and forward. The building was dark enough. The ride met my expectations. I will not wait for the ride more than a hour though. A Wild Mouse is a wild mouse. The public has to be educated it's a family coaster. I told the mom in line with me what the ride was about, being coaster beginners friendly.

Krax is so right that the mouse is better than the Disney ones.
*** This post was edited by CHILLERLC1 5/21/2008 6:37:16 PM ***

Monaghan (Edit)     5/26/2008 10:18:51 PM
I am a frequent visiter to Great Adventure. I love all the roller coasters like Nitro, Medusa, El Toro, and Kingda Ka. However, the new ride, The Dark Knight, to put simply, it sucks. When I heard it was a mouse coaster I was upset. I was hoping for something a little more thrilling. I still wanted to give the new ride a chance so I waited 2 hours in line to go on this only to be unsatisfied. The ride has absolutely no thrill value. Great Adventure already has one indoor coaster, Skull Mountain, and has no need for another considering Skull Mountain has also lost its popularity. I know I'm not alone in saying that Chiller was a great coaster and Movie Town Water Effect was a refreshing water ride and to have them both taken down to make room for this "kiddy-coaster" is disappointing. The Dark Knight is a waste of space I am sure to never ride again. Next time, build something a little more thrilling.
Jeff (Edit)     5/27/2008 9:10:08 AM
It might seem impossible to get your mind around, but not every coaster at the park has to be 200 feet tall and exceed 70 mph. I suspect you don't have kids.
dhdrixle (Edit)     5/28/2008 12:38:21 PM
I went to Great Adventure yesterday and we waited about 20 minutes for the ride, but as we were by the exit, a group of people behind me kept asking the people who would leave how they liked the ride. EVERYONE, including the smallest kids would say how lame it was and to get out of line, that it isn't worth it. Skull Mountain, which we rode after just for kicks is a better, more exciting ride. Yes, Dark Knight is a wild mouse, but as we have seen, the genre of wild mouse can be spiced up by making the cars spinning, or just doing something original with the ride layout. Six Flags just went on a quick and easy route to adding a new attraction and by putting it inside they prevent the public from truly knowing what they are getting (which is nothing) until the actually ride the roller coaster. It will only appeal to those who have been on it once, and then no one will ride it again. It is truly a waste of space.
SCM (Edit)     5/28/2008 10:12:44 PM
Absolutely the worst NEW coaster I have ever ridden! Just rode it at "Great America" and it is all hype and no thrill!

If you have ever ridden the Rajun Cajun you have ridden this rides bigger brother. Put that ride in the dark, take out the spins, and make it shorter and WHAMMO, you have Dark Knight.

I won't waste another 90 minutes or more in line to ride it again.

Viper and Raging Bull blow this out of the water ... and Hades at Mount Olympus in the Wisconsin Dells, now THAT is a roller coaster!

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