Shane's Amusement Attic

Z force looks so photogenic before it was flash back

Not sure why they removed the water from the Beast que, probably so they didn't have to keep the water and area clean. I believe that's where the canoe stuff was that the Brady Bunch rode, so maybe it just evaporated over the years.

I miss King Cobra and Screamin' Demon (my first inversions). Would Jeff count SD as two credits? One forward, one backward?

The cool part about that King Cobra pic is the monorail in the background. Maybe they will take out SOB and put the monorail back in. (Yes, I know Jungle Jim's has it now, but I can dream, right?)

Not sure why they removed the water from the Beast que, probably so they didn't have to keep the water and area clean.

I think you're right. If I'm not mistaken, there were quite a few littering problems with guests. They continually threw trash into the pond. I also believe there were quite a few insect related problems when the water was there.

Not sure why they removed the water from the Beast que, probably so they didn't have to keep the water and area clean.

 

I think you're right. If I'm not mistaken, there were quite a few littering problems with guests. They continually threw trash into the pond. I also believe there were quite a few insect related problems when the water was there.

Yeah, living in OH my whole life, I can only imagine the wonderful amounts of mosquitoes that would be near that water in the fall. It would have been horrible!!! I can remember the water being their when I was younger, but don't recall when it was gone.

super fun as always to see your archives! thanks for sharing!

So taking your cue Shane, I was going through some old pictures from my Grandpa's stuff and found these. I'm not sure of the year, but still pretty fun to look at.

I was bored at work and tried to mess with one of your pictures. It didnt come out the greatest, then again I didnt spend that much time on it either....

Skramps pic

The First Six Flags Park

Although I am still a little bitter about my Six Flags stock being worth NOTHING, I won't hold it against Six Flags over Texas. It has always been one of the stronger and most loved park in the chain. This "Amusement Park Journal" article takes a look at the history of getting the park built. How it was first going to be a major Sports Complex but they couldn't get a franchise (funny the way that played out).

Hope you enjoy this article on a theme park that once featured trains, cranes, cars, canoes and animal driven attractions as their major rides. Six Flags over Texas...you've come a long way baby!

- Shane

That's how it was done in the 60's...but Taft did things differently in the 80's. Canada's Wonderland is announced!

On the 3rd page of that SF article, it mentions a "gay fiesta train" ride. My question is WTF is that? One can only imagine.....

Fiesta Texas

Remember when Fiesta Texas was a partnership between a big insurance company and Opryland? Yes, Opryland! Fiesta Texas was originally more of a show park than a thrill park. The park had a beautiful setting, lots of charm, entertainment and the BEST drop of any wooden coaster I have been on. Well things change, that drop is gone, Opryland is gone, shows are gone and some of the charm has been lost. But overall Six Flags Fiesta Texas has held up as one of my favorite theme parks. Here is a look back at the first year, a souvenir book and brochure from their initial season.

Tomorrow is opening day for Cowabunga Bay so updates may be few and far between over the next months. Hope you all have a great summer.

-Shane

the money shot!

Man what i would have given to ride Rattler before it re profileing. I rode it after it had been redone and still thought it was a pretty exciting ride (the first 45 seconds at least), but that drop and helix look amazing. One of my favorite six flags parks currently, but the original concept and design looked great.

Seeing Rattler with those trains and the drop not cut off makes me scared! It was an unusual ride, very unique. Too bad it was rough beyond belief.

Has anyone seen the track/structure sway from side to side more than this wooden coaster? It's very eerie how much it bends.

^ I have seen a video (on YouTube, I think) showing the entire structure almost rippling back and forth as the train comes up a hill after the helix drop (again, I think). Unbelievably creepy-looking. I'd swear it was a digital effect.

I sure hope if the Texas Giant reboot works, they'll take a stab at restoring this coaster's legendary first drop... would have loved to have tried that back in the day...

Rattler looks really cool with all the new, fresh wood.

Thanks for sharing! I miss living 2 miles from SFFT.

Here is the video I took of the park opening year. When the park opened they were a little short on rides, but the great shows made up for the lack of thrills. The Boardwalk was a great addition to the park. It added much needed rides and the entire section was done extremely well.

[coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=FiestaTexasRattler_cvty[/coastertube]

^The shot of the train going into the tunnel into the quarry wall reminds me of the last scene in Hitchcock's North by Northwest...the best sexual innuendo ever recorded on film

Has anyone seen the track/structure sway from side to side more than this wooden coaster? It's very eerie how much it bends.

I remember the Mean Streak had some pretty crazy sway in it during it's inaugural season. My mother pointed it out to one of the ride op's at the gate and her response was, "You wouldn't get me on that thing!" Of course, that was then they didn't have all the trims and you swore you were going to be flung out of the car on some of those turns because it was going so fast. From what I heard, the sway is pretty standard on some of the newer wooden coasters because of the flex in the wood and they have to build to allow for stress relief? Not sure if that is true or not, but it still looks a bit intimidating when you see coaster structures swaying when a train rolls over it!

Anyway, great report as always, Shane...love the shot of Rattlers first drop - that looks insane! Best of luck with Cowabunga Bay this season too!

Awesome video of Fiesta Texas Shane. Love the B-52's song too!

Checked out the photos on the TPR:TM. Great photos of SD and Beast. I must admit I really liked the park better back then, perhaps it was because I was a kid, but I have such good memories of the park then. I remember climbing those stairs to ride SD. The queue for Beast was much better with the pond, which now I can show to my daughter rather than try to describe.

These pics brought back some great memories. Anyone remember the way the park was themed in Oktoberfest? The food was tasty too.....

I love the over exaggerated photo of the drop.

They did that for the Desperado at Buffalo Bills too.

Thanks for the update! As always I love everything you post Shane!!

Hello friends of Shane's Amusement Attic-

It has been awhile since I have been able to do an update to my thread but I just wanted to check in and let you know that there are still some great treasures hidden up in my attic and occasionally when I have some time I rumage through them and try to get them posted here.

It has been a busy summer for me at Cowabunga Bay, we have had incredibly good weather and that is GOLDEN for water park business. Our numbers are looking really good and I am very pleased with the business we have been doing.

Today I was busy booking my plane flights for an upcoming TPR trip to Munich for Octoberfest and I thought I should try to to a quick update just to remind everyone out there that Shane's Amusement Attic, although it has been lost somewhere out past page 10, is still alive!

Here is a short update: Alton Towers years ago

Shane, great to hear Cowabunga Bay is doing so well!!!

Alton Towers sure looks to have come a long way since the mid-80's shown in that brochure which also happens to be around the same time period I visited the park. I don't remember much about it except riding the Corkscrew, 1001 Knights, and the river rapids ride.

To add to your mid-Summer update, here's a press release for a park that never was built - Aero World. It was proposed for the San Diego area back in 1980. I'm not exactly sure what happened that it never got built. I've never been to San Diego, so I have no idea what (if anything) is built on the proposed park location now. Anyway check it out...

^Wow, that is very cool! I would love to visit a park like that, especially when it's only 20 minutes from my house!

Wasn't there supposed to have been some kinda dinosaur land built somewhere in San Diego too at some point. I think, and I might be mistaken, that there might still be a dinosaur or two still around. I used to be into roadside attractions and I remember reading about a dinosaur, but that was long time ago.

Wow, now having finally visited Alton Towers, I cannot believe just how much of the park has changed. Thanks for this great look back.

See you next month!

Glad to hear that Cowabunga Bay is stil a hit and that the Attic is not empty.