originally posted on 8/6/2021
All renderings courtesy Six Flags Fiesta Texas. View full-sized image.
If nothing else, the great minds at Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio) love to tease. For weeks, hints and clues have been surfacing about something new and big for 2022. On July 28, the reveal was made at a fan event called FT 92. Gearing up for the park’s 30th anniversary, Six Flags Fiesta Texas spotlighted many events between now and the big new ride, but a new coaster always tops the list of things to get excited about.
Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger will be the continent’s sixth Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) dive coaster, that is if SeaWorld San Diego (California) opens Emperor first.
Although not for height or length, there will be a record to be had: steepest. This is the first B&M diver to feature its first drop at 95 degrees — five degrees beyond that of Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster’s 90 degrees, currently the park’s steepest coaster.
The 95-degree first drop will set records for B&M coasters.
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The first inversion on the ride will be an Immelmann maneuver.
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What else makes Cliffhanger stand apart? Quite a bit. The queue will tell the story of Dr. Diabolical’s plan to deceive willing victims into enjoying an “eternal life elixir,” only to harness their fears in an effort to bring monstrous creatures to life. The trains will be seven-passengers wide, a first for a B&M dive coaster. The coaster will feature eight intense elements (according to the park). Following two steep dives and two inversions, an air-time hill and high-speed spiral will finish the ride in intense fashion. The two inversions are an Immelmann and a 270-degree zero-G roll. A wildly banked turn is another feature, which the park has been in conversation with B&M to make it dynamically more exciting.
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“We wanted to make sure it was completely different from any other dive coaster on Planet Earth,” said Jeffrey Siebert, park president. “We wanted to make sure the finale of the ride was even more exciting than the first half.”
The location of the ride is in Crackaxle Canyon. In recent years, Fiesta Texas has given the area a steampunk makeover. The new installation will keep such gears turning in big fashion. Lost to the construction of Dr. Diabolical’s Cliffhanger will be the outdoor Sundance Theater. However, part of the performers’ backstage dressing rooms will be repurposed.
The site selected for the ride will replace the Sundance Theater.
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Siebert noted that not all surprises have been revealed. What happens inside the indoor portion of the queue is being held secret but will further the storyline. Could it be the new “What’s in the shed?”
The ride will implement a three-train operation; however, four trains have been purchased so that when one vehicle undergoes routine maintenance, operations will not be impacted. Two trains will be painted gold to match the ride’s supports; the other two will reflect the maroon of the ride’s track. They will also feature the newer vest restraints that eliminate head banging from the older style, over-the-shoulder restraints.
Many enthusiasts are intrigued by the seven-across seating. Because B&M accommodated Fiesta Texas’ requests for tighter and more forceful turns and elements, the maximum width allows either six or seven across.
“We’ll take any additional capacity we can get,” noted Siebert. “Plus the wider the train is visually, it continues to make it look different. And the enthusiast in us [knows that] the wider we make those trains, the more exciting those outside seats will be, specifically on this ride because the transitions are more dramatic. I think the transitions are going to be spectacular.”
Fiesta Texas worked with B&M to create pronounced airtime on one of the ride’s final elements.
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With the San Antonio installation, the park is approaching the station design differently. Instead of a shallow loading area, the park is opting for a deeper station to help preloaded groupings fill every seat. People wanting to wait for the front or back can still be accommodated.
Fiesta Texas’ version, because of its reduced height in comparison to that of its siblings, will have a track length in the middle of the pack. Many of its North American brethren will boast greater lengths, but Cliffhanger will be longer than its European cousins. Standing at 150 feet tall, the dive coaster will have a track length of 2,501 feet.
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Once entering the queue, guests will be in the center of the action, right between the two vertical dives. “Typically, waiting is not part of the ride experience,” said Siebert. “But this time, you are entrenched and surrounded by the machinery at all times. When you enter the Crackaxle area, the way the ride is sited, it will be spectacular and dominating right from the entrance to the area.”
Of note, this will be the first B&M purchased by Six Flags in 10 years, the last being X-Flight at Six Flags Great America (Gurnee, Illinois). It will be Fiesta Texas’ third, following Superman Krypton Coaster (2000) and Goliath (2008). As it is not a clone, it will yet again be a signature ride for the park.
“For folks who have ridden dive coasters, our goal and what we are confident in is this will not feel like any other dive coaster on the planet. For those fans out there who think they know exactly how a dive coaster feels, we’re going to surprise them,” smiled Siebert.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
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