Posted
[Ed. note: The following is an unedited press release. -J]
Another one for the history books, Six Flags Magic Mountain, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, announced today the world’s tallest vertical drop ride, LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom, will make its debut for the 2012 season. Named after one of DC Comics’ most dangerously intelligent super-villains and Superman’s greatest enemy, LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom will be an engineering phenomenon, attached to both sides of the iconic SUPERMAN: Escape from Krypton tower. Soaring at a sky-scraping 400 feet, LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom is slated for a spring 2012 launch.
Fearless riders will be seated inside floorless gondolas on two vertical tracks flanking each side of the SUPERMAN: Escape from Krypton tower. Passengers on the gondolas will be pulled to the top of the tower, experience a brief pause before being released and dropped at speeds of up to 85 miles-per-hour. After five seconds of freefall, the gondola will be stopped by a sophisticated magnetic braking system just a few feet from the ground.
“Six Flags is known world-wide as the industry leader in delivering world-class thrills, and Six Flags Magic Mountain is proud to be at the head of the pack, offering guests the biggest and the best,” said Bonnie Rabjohn, Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President. “We are excited to add another world record to our collection of record-breaking, first-on-the-planet attractions.”
Changing Magic Mountain’s legendary skyline, LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom will offer riders breathtaking panoramic views as they are lifted to the top of the tallest vertical drop ride ever built. Sitting eight abreast, riders will plummet 40 stories at an extreme speed before coming to a stop, all while the SUPERMAN: Escape from Krypton cars are blasted to the top of the same structure.
“Six Flags Magic Mountain continues to deliver powerful thrills to our guests year after year,” said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO of Six Flags Entertainment Corporation.
“LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom is a tremendous addition and brings a new dimension of excitement to the park’s already remarkable collection of thrill rides.”
LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom is being manufactured exclusively for Six Flags Magic Mountain by Intamin AG of Switzerland.
Drop Rides are one of my last weaknesses in terms of rides that still unnerve me a bit.
This is sick.
SteveWoA said:
This is what they did with the other Superman type ride in Europe(?) or wherever it is. Installed on the side of the ride tower.
Not Europe, 10,000 miles away in Australia. Giant Drop is around 380ft and that's an awesome ride for sure. This will be a huge success for SFMM no doubt and long overdue many would say.
I wonder what the true cost will be given that it's essentially being added to an existing structure.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
I have to say, this would seriously have me thinking twice about riding. I can do the launch side of Power Tower, and don't mind the drop side...that much. Drop Zone (Tower) at KI, however, had me squirming all the way up, and I was the most scared I've been on a ride probably since I was forced on Demon Drop shortly after I was tall enough for that. I don't know what it is about drop towers, but man, do they keep me on my toes, so to speak!
Original BlueStreak64
It's not so much that it will be the tallest drop tower in the world that'll make this a must ride for park goers and enthusiasts alike, but the huge height gap between it the current drop towers in North America is what is so startling and unnerving. For instance:
400' - Lex Luthor - Drop of Doom
272' - Drop Tower | Kings Dominion
264' - Drop Tower | Kings Island
252' - Supreme Scream | Knott's Berry Farm
250' - Power Tower | Valleyfair!
245' - Superman - Tower of Power | Six Flags Over Texas
240' - Power Tower | Cedar Point
I've come to enjoy Power Tower, although it still makes me tingle a little and I have to look out instead of down. The one that gets me every time though is Waldameer's XScream. I do rides for the G's, not the 'fright' aspect, but XScream is an exception. "Shouldn't we be stopping now???"
CP and SFMM will be a tie according to RCDB. If they counted it like most counting enthusiasts, SFMM would still have more with their 2 double tracked coasters vs. CP's 1. But, if you ask a suit at CP, they will tell you they don't count Superman as a coaster. :p So, in the mind of CP, they were only ever tied and once Deja Vu is gone, CP will most definitely be marketing as having the most again/still.
Other than for an easy way to market the park, it's all pretty meaningless if you ask me. I'd rather have a smaller collection of very good rides than the most mediocre rides. I'm not saying either park's rides are mediocre. I'm just trying to make a point.
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Pagoda Gift Shop said:
What a line up. Well done SF. Retrofitting an existing ride to make one that breaks a world record. Who does that?
Kennywood did it with Steel Phantom/Phantom's Revenge. How is is breaking a world record? Dunno, but it pretty much rocks.
Kudos for the park doing a little something VERY cool and unconventional. That is very scarily tall for a drop ride! EEEeeeeks!!!
^ I think what he meant was that Six Flags took advantage of Superman's extremely tall structure to integrate a world-record breaking ride at the fraction of the cost if they were to have built an entirely separate tower to house the drop ride.
I don't see how Steel Phantom or Phantom's Revenge has to do with it. Phantom's Revenge didn't set any records when it was retrofitted from Steel Phantom.
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