Six Flags Keeping Us in the Dark about New Batman Coasters

Preview- The Dark Knight coasters debuting at Six Flags parks in NJ, and IL

UPDATEDIn 2009, Six Flags Mexico will debut the Batman coaster that was intended for Six Flags New England (but was never built due to permit problems) in 2008. Six Flags has a lot of coasters themed to the DC Comics hero, Batman, including the groundbreaking Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America. Debuting in 1992, it was the world's first inverted coaster. There are eight similar Batman: The Ride coasters at other Six Flags parks. Six Flags Great America, near Chicago, will be getting another ride themed to the Caped Crusader in 2008 when the park debuts The Dark Knight, a themed indoor coaster/dark ride. Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey (which also has a Batman: The Ride coaster) will be getting The Dark Knight coaster for the 2008 season as well.

The Dark Knight Stats

• Type: Indoor Wild Mouse coaster
• Height: Has not been announced. As a compact Wild Mouse coaster, it should be about 45 feet tall
• Top speed: Has not been announced. As a compact Wild Mouse coaster, it should be about 28 mph
• Track length: 1213 feet
• Duration: 2 minutes
• Height Restriction: Minimum 48 inches to ride alone, 42 inches to ride with an adult

Ticket Info
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See The Dark Knight Coaster

Six Flags Dark Knight Coaster Preview Mini Photo Gallery

Coasters to Drive You Batty

Capitalizing on The Dark Knight frenzy that Six Flags hopes this summer's (2008) Batman movie of the same name will generate, the chain is adding three of the themed coasters to its parks. As Wild Mouses (Mice?), which are generally considered "family" or "junior" coasters, the single-car rides won't feature great heights, speeds, or high-impact thrills (although the characteristic Wild Mouse hairpin turns and sudden drops could be fairly, um, wild, if the indoor buildings are kept very dark). The Dark Knight should appeal to riders of nearly all thrill-tolerance levels.

According to Six Flags, the coasters will place passengers inside a Gotham City that's been laid to waste by Batman's nemesis, The Joker. They will include "demented hallways" and "hallucinatory twists." At an announced budget of $7 million for each of the coasters, I'm not sure what kinds of hallucinatory effects ride designers will be able to incorporate into the rides. (And what the heck are "demented hallways?") Highly themed coasters typically cost considerably more than that. For example, the incredible Revenge of the Mummy coaster/dark ride at Universal Studios Florida cost about six times the allocated amount for The Dark Knight.

There are a number of indoor rides that are little more than tame junior coasters placed inside semi-dark buildings. Effects, if there are any, might include a few blinking lights. Skull Mountain at Six Flags Great Adventure is a prime example of an exceptionally lame indoor coaster. Here's hoping Six Flags injects some decent storytelling into their new Batman-themed coasters.

Six Flags says that the coasters will include filmed footage of District Attorney Harvey Dent (performed by Aaron Eckhart). I'd imagine the filmed sequences would be in the pre-show area leading up to the coaster experience.