Was there a lot of hype for Batman at SFGam?

Was there a lot of hype about Batman at SFGam in 1992, because it was the first inverted coaster?

"Hype" meant something a lot different 10 years ago, w/o the internet.
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"A gun is not a weapon...it's a tool...like a butcher knife, a harpoon, or an alligator"

I don't remember a word about it except when I was there, the big loop was gone and a bunch of upsidedown track was there instead. Of course, thats the way all 6 and 7 year olds see the world. I don't remember there being any commercials on TV, and no 6 or 7 year old watches the news, so I don't know if news stations around here had anything on it's media day (even though I'm near Green Bay, we did get media day coverage for Raging Bull, so we might have for B:TR)

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I have no signature.

Oh there were plenty of commercials in Chi-town. In fact the footage they used then is pretty much the same as they use now; showing the vertical loop over the shoulder of one of the white concrete statues.

The thing that we all tripped on was we couldnt understand HOW you could have a coaster with no floor. Back then, nobody even mentioned the "skilift" similarity. And "inverted" wasnt even a term. SFGAm marketed B:TR as "The world's first outside looping coaster".
jeremy
J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets! (Though I still predict a Bay area Super Bowl)

Yes there was. Aside from the commercials, I remember going to SFGAm in Batman's inaugiral season, and hearing some guy rave like a madman that he went on Batman 11 times. Don't see how thats possible, because if my mind serves me correctly, the lines where of gigantic proportions. There was also the afore-mentioned confusion as to how this ride would work.
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People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time.-Paranoid

*** This post was edited by RagingBullGuy on 1/12/2002. ***

I remember what I think used to be the advertising slogan "Theres nothing but air beneth your chair" I can't remember if it was from the commercial or just something I heard. Also RagingBullGuy about that guy riding 11 times it had to be impossible I waited about 5-6 hours just to ride it on opening day, it still stands as the longest line I have ever waited in for a coaster.
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How far did the line spill out the queue? I bet when people also saw the remarkible themeing for the first time it must of gotten another wow!

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Not MLK's words but mine..I have a Dream! I have a DREAM! I HAVE A DREAM!
I have a dream! That SFMM fans will be able to walk hand in hand with CP's!
AND no ONE cares what a coaster is and what a coaster isn't!

Yeah, that's what I thought too. We where by Whizzer when this guy met up with his friends and started bragging.
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People think I'm insane because I am frowning all the time.-Paranoid

I remember reading in a book (Yea, they still make those ya know...) that many thought the ride just wouldn't work. I would assume that these nay-sayers didn't know that the seats were rigidly attached to the cars, and were unable to swing like on Arrow's suspended coasters.

What a way to storm into the industry... any Batman: TR installation is a good ride in itself, but the first one must have sent B&M's competitors head over heels.
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Jes
Webmaster, Jes's Roller Coasters
"Thank You Jeff Putz" "My Fellow Americans, Lets Roll!"

I remember the first time I rode Batman at magic mountain, opening season i believe, summer weekend, we waited nearly 3.5 hours. Though if i had to go back i wouldnt have had it any other way. When you wait so long for a coaster that you know is going to knock your sox off, it makes the wait that much more exciting and nerve-racking, and makes the moment that you sit in the chair and look straight out towards the lift that much more sweet. One of the best coaster experiences ever. That ride was the most amazing experience, especially at a time when Magic Mountain had mostly conventional coasters.

C-Dude, yeah I doubt he did it 11 times *in one day* unless it was a media day or something (did they do such things back then?). But he *might* have been there more than just one day.

I dont think I waited too long to ride it. I think it was about an hour to an hour and a half wait when I rode it. Of course I went on a "special day"; Physics Day 1992. Now the *next* year when I went the first Saturday in June (June 5, 1993...the day after prom and before graduation) we waited over 3 hours. They used the entire main queue and this was before they made the queue behind Cajun Cliffhanger so the line stretched back over the covered bridge into Orleans Place.
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

willthethrill said:
"When you wait so long for a coaster that you know is going to knock your sox off, it makes the wait that much more exciting and nerve-racking, and makes the moment that you sit in the chair and look straight out towards the lift that much more sweet."

This was so true with Millennium Force in early 2000. There were only so many people that had ridden it in May and June, and you could brag to people about it. There was also a sense of electricity of excitement that went through the queue that year.

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Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

of course someone has to bring CP into every thread...

anyways i remeber not being tall enough for the first season of batman but i went on it i think in like 94 and my dad thought i was going to fall out

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As an ACE member, I remember the hype surrounding B:TR in 1991/1992. ACE News first started showing pictures of this "mystery" coaster and was quick to note that the track was on the OUTSIDE of the loops rather than inside. Even without internet access back then, it was quite exciting to see this ride open and get so many positive reactions.

I remember going absolutely ballistic when I went to Six Flags Great Adventure that summer and seeing a kiosk for B:TR coming in 1993!

Well, I remember seeing video of it on a newsmagazine show shortly after it opened (when I was in high school). I taped the show, then I showed it to my youth minister, and he was so excited about it, he agreed to take the youth group on a trip to SFGAm. So I guess there was enough hype to make a fully rational adult want to take 12 teen-agers on an 8-hour van ride!
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You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

Note: While Great America has been open, I have lived in the Madison, WI area which is just in SFGAm marketing radius.

With that being said, I don't recall much hype about it. I definately knew about it and have the brouchre from 1992. I felt there was more hype for American Eagle and Z-Force than Batman. It was on par with Raging Bull in terms of marketing for our area.

I remember my best friend's sister going down for Physics Day that May. Her group's assignment was to get the readings of The Tidal Wave. No one knew that Batman replaced it!

A week or two later, we rode Batman:TR on a rainy day. The first time we stood in line for about 4 hours. The existing queue lines were all there, but where Jack's Snacks is, the line ran parallel to the East River Crawler queue line. (This was still visible last season, but I never saw them use it for a couple of years.) It went around the back of East River Crawler where it went over a bridge to Oreleans Place. The it went along the back of Cajun Cliffhanger. There, temp queue lines were set up along with a test chair. I think there were about 4 "back n' forth" queue lines set up in Orleans Place. They also gave out tickets to prevent line jumping like they did with V2 early in this season. The second time we rode it that day came after the ride was down for weather. It was a short 1.5 hour wait!

In terms of theming, I don't remember the smoke when the train dispatched. Neither do my wife or friends. For the most part, everything else is still there. The soundtrack for the ride changes from season to season slightly. However, Six Flags still had costumes back from 1992-1998. The ride ops had tuxes and the security/sweepers/etc. wore Gothom City Public Works jumpsuits. I miss the costumes throughout the entire park!

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Perry

SFGAm home park for 25 years
Experience the Force in THX

Perry, you surprised me in your post, because the youth minister I mentioned in my previous post also is named Perry. Not a very popular name!

Anyway, I remember the tuxes and the extended line around Cajun Cliffhanger. I also remember being more "blown away" by a night, front-seat ride than ever before on a coaster. My friends and I actually laid on the ground and hooted and hollered for about 5 minutes, it was so fun. Ah, youth.

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You can't spell "dishonorable" without "honorable."

I come from Denmark, where the biggest coaster is a vekoma Boomerang. I remember me and my family coming to SFMM back in 95, and we saw it from the parking lot i think, or something like that, and we thought that riders were upside down riding the roller coaster.

the line of batman was past the bridge when i went there the first month it was open. just about everybody i know went to ride it it's first year. and i'm from boston.

This has got to be one of the most successful prototypes ever made. Even to this day, the original Batman:TR still gives great rides. The hype in the Chicago area was pretty great back then. I remember it being on the news and in the papers. 2-3 hour waits were very common for its first couple of years.
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"The Peoples Elbow" or "The Spinaroonie?. Cant decide which is the most electrifying move in sports entertainment!!! LOL