Bye bye Astroworld! - CoasterBuzz

I think that in 2006 you will be 16 years of age and getting a drivers license so make the trek to SFFT or SFOT.

My favorite MJ tune: "Billie Jean" which I have been listening to alot now. RIP MJ.

Dear God, Please send Swat to SFA.

:p

I've been meaning to go to AstroWorld ever since I moved to Texas... over three years ago.

This would finally get me off my butt to go, but then I read this.

Maybe I should just enjoy the pictures and wait to see if and where the rides relocate.

http://pouringfooters.blogspot.com

j_o_e_y__ said:
-Vekoma SLC (Serial Thriller): but what SF park doesn't already have one?
SFMM, SFGADV, SFSTL, SFNO, SFOT, SFOG, SFFT, SFGAM. More sf parks don't have it then do.

UH. Are you being serious? That's because all but ONE of those parks you you listed has a superior inverted rollercoaster what we all know as the B&M designed BATMAN THE RIDE. No sh*t they're not going to have a Vekoma SLC. The Vekoma SLC is the same ride concept as the B&M Batman but has crappier quality and design.

Well, the only SF parks without an Inverted are Great Escape, Enchanted Village, Wyandot Lake and SFFT... My guess is the SLC is going to Great Escape, painted black or yellow/black and renamed Batman: The Ride if it gets flagged. *** Edited 9/13/2005 3:08:09 AM UTC by Absimilliard***

Well, now Serial Thriller could go to SFFT, and Batman at SFNO (if they close it down) could go to Great Escape.

Chitown said:
I think that in 2006 you will be 16 years of age and getting a drivers license so make the trek to SFFT or SFOT.

What about the damn gas prices? i can afford if and astroworld is just miles away from my house.

kRaXLeRidAh said:
j_o_e_y__ said:
-Vekoma SLC (Serial Thriller): but what SF park doesn't already have one?
SFMM, SFGADV, SFSTL, SFNO, SFOT, SFOG, SFFT, SFGAM. More sf parks don't have it then do.
UH. Are you being serious? That's because all but ONE of those parks you you listed has a superior inverted rollercoaster what we all know as the B&M designed BATMAN THE RIDE. No sh*t they're not going to have a Vekoma SLC. The Vekoma SLC is the same ride concept as the B&M Batman but has crappier quality and design.

i was meanig vekoma slcs not inverted coasters in general.

They're not? The SLC was Vekoma's version of B&M's inverted coaster with a less-expensive sticker price.

After skipping over this park for the last 10 years or so, I finally decided to hit it up again this year. I hadn't been down there since Batman first opened.

To keep it short and sweet, I had a blast. Operators were friendly, and all of the coasters were on a two train operation. (minus greezed lightnin' of course).

Texas Cyclone, that day, won me over as my favorite woodie in Texas. It was fast, fun and forceful. It didn't kick you around too much, but it wasn't too butter smooth either..and it kept me smiling ear to ear the entire ride. If anything, I really hope this classic is salvagable. I'd LOVE to see it at SFFT, but its doubtful. Hell, I say take out rattler and replace it if you have to.

Either way, its sad to see it go. A nice collection of classic rides in a pretty nice park. The entire time I was down there, I couldn't help to think that it didn't deserve the bad wrap it had been getting for years.

Too bad I dont have time to take another trip down before it goes, but I cherish my final visit this year.

r.i.p Astroworld.

Coaster Lover said:
A good portion of the money spent on SFA in 2005 went to renovations of Hurricane Harbor and not just to new attractions. Selling the entire park to developers would net a HUGE loss as all that money spent on painting buildings and walkways and other investments that can't be "moved" to other parks would just have been a waste. I'm sure the selling of SFAW has been in development for a while, hence the lack of major additions over the last few seasons.

According to SixFlagsHouston.com, these were the additions for '04:

XLR-8 painted blue and orange, receives new queue canopies.

Ultra Twister repainted Lime Green and Navy Blue.

Batman The Escape repainted yellow and black.

Viper tunnel repainted.

New front gate canopy installed.

New Six Flags AstroWorld sign is erected over front gate.

New Six Flags welcome sign and electronic LED scroll sign added to parking toll plaza.

Freeway side of Reliant Showcase Theatre repainted.

Old Excalibur theming returns to Nottingham Village.

So they did make a few other additions, mainly to the entrance that won't be moved.

-Bigkirby

okay, i know those parks have a B&M inverted coaster. Your making it out like im dumb and no ccrap all which isnt true.. i was saying none of them have the vekoma slc 689 standard version and im sure they could pass for having one (-- Serial thriller from SFAW--) probably sfft being the best candidate for that since it doesnt have an inverted coaster at all.

^And again you are posting like you are dumb -- so expect to be treated as such. Why would any park in their right mind want a hang and bang as well as a B&M inverted?

Wow. This is definitely sad news. I was in AW six years ago. Its the second SF park I visited. I do remember that we had to park at the Astrodome. I really enjoyed my trip there, and I got to chill with my brothers. I definitely wouldnt mind though if some of their coasters (especially Ultra Twister) does get moved to TGE. It gives me more of an incentive to go back, and its only less than 3 hours from home.

You won't see me coming...

I think this is both sad and shocking news.

People bash this little park all the time, but, at this point, who cares if it doesn't have the best coasters? It's a place to go and have fun, and therefor has served it's purpose for the last 37 years.

The people of Houston should unite and try to save AstroWorld. They need to look at what happened to Nashville tourism after Opryland closed. (I'm sure the city's own position on the parking situation was a major factor into the final decision...in a way, they might have set themselves up)

This park has history, not only to the city of Houston, but to the theme park world as a whole. It could be considered the fifth in the modern theme park boom, behind Disneyland, SFOT, Legend City, and SFOG. It in some way inspired nearly every park to follow- Kings Island, Six Flags Over Mid-America, Opryland, Carowinds... It will be a shame to loose it because of Six Flags' mistakes.

*** Edited 9/13/2005 5:09:46 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***

Dukeis#1 said:

The people of Houston should unite and try to save AstroWorld. They need to look at what happened to Nashville tourism after Opryland closed.

Good point. Our tourism in Nashville has been drastically down since OL closed back in '97. I say move the whole park up here. We could use a Cyclone to go with our nearby Tornado. ;-)

I survived a Japanese typhoon and the Togo flat ride of death!!!!!!

Nashville and Houston are two very different cities. Houston is an up and coming booming city if it ever was one, and the scrapping of AstroWorld won't dramatically change the tourism market there.

And as for the idea to save AstroWorld, haha. I tip my hat to you for going all out as to make such a suggestion. But the truth whether you like it or not, is that the park will be scrapped, regardless even if some small protestors make their presence seen. Six Flags isn't going to change their mind because some fans that have an emotional tie to it dislike the decision.

The park's attendance in the past few years has been slipping rapidly as if it were caught in a 5-year mudslide and pair that with the guest parking dispute between Six Flags and Reliant Complex apparently was just too much to go through with. And not to mention that that park is land-locked and there's practically no where to expand the park.

How about sending Viper back to Six Flags St. Louis to replace Ninja and call it Jet Scream: The Revenge or Jet Scream's Revenge. *** Edited 9/13/2005 6:10:19 AM UTC by Railblazer***

/\ That's a reasonable proposal. But I doubt Jet Stream (before it was moved to SFAW) made that much of an impact that people will remember it to this day and somehow tie it in with the Jet Stream - The Revenge name...

I was joking to some extent, but I guarantee there will be at least a few people that do remember Jet Scream well and would take it over Ninja any day. I guarantee if a couple old favorites that no longer exist at my home park returned, I would be jumping for joy.