Apocalypse: The Ride

Last updated

Apocalypse: The Ride
Previously known as Terminator Salvation: The Ride (2009–2010)
Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain.jpg
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Location Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section The Underground
Coordinates 34°25′17″N118°35′59″W / 34.4213°N 118.5998°W / 34.4213; -118.5998
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 23, 2009 (2009-05-23)
Cost$10,000,000
Replaced Psyclone
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Great Coasters International
DesignerJeff Pike
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height95 ft (29 m)
Drop87.3 ft (26.6 m)
Length2,877 ft (877 m)
Speed50.1 mph (80.6 km/h)
Duration3:00
Capacity1000 riders per hour
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains2 trains with 11 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 22 riders per train.
Fastpass availability icon.svg Flash Pass available
Apocalypse: The Ride at RCDB

Apocalypse: The Ride, formerly known as Terminator Salvation: The Ride, is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Great Coasters International, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 23, 2009. It is located in The Underground section of the amusement park on a plot of land formerly occupied by the Psyclone (1991–2007), Shockwave (1986–1988) and Sarajevo Bobsleds (1984–1986). It was the first wooden coaster to feature onboard audio, and its Terminator theme was short-lived following a corporate restructuring by Six Flags in 2011.

Contents

History

Terminator Salvation: The Ride (2009–2010)

Entrance of Terminator Salvation: The Ride Terminator Salvation The Ride (1).JPG
Entrance of Terminator Salvation: The Ride

Terminator Salvation: The Ride was originally announced as Terminator: The Coaster,[ citation needed ] but the name was later changed to coincide with the then-upcoming Terminator Salvation movie. [1] Six Flags spent approximately $1 million on the ride's theme surrounding the film, most of which was placed in the line queue area. [1] Guests waiting in line would also enter a preshow theater complete with video footage that featured actors from the film. [2] The theme's storyline focused on trainees in a post-apocalyptic setting getting trapped by attacking machines at the amusement park, and the coaster serves as transportation to a safe house location. [2] During the ride, the train would pass by pyrotechnic fireball effects and through three tunnels filled with a fog-like cooling mist. [1] [2] Each train also featured onboard audio, considered a first for a wooden roller coaster. [1]

Terminator Salvation: The Ride debuted to the media on May 21, 2009, and opened to the public two days later. [3] The onboard audio stopped working in early 2010 and was not repaired or replaced, although the rest of the ride's special effects remained intact. [1] [4]

Apocalypse (2011–present)

Updated entrance to Apocalypse SFMM- Apocalypse.JPG
Updated entrance to Apocalypse

In late 2010 following a post-bankruptcy restructuring, Six Flags announced that it would be moving away from intellectual property licensing agreements, aside from those involving DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes.[ citation needed ] The initiative involved rebranding Terminator Salvation: The Ride to a more generic theme as a cost-saving measure. [1] On January 8, 2011, the roller coaster began operating as Apocalypse the Ride. [1] Terminator animatronics and themes were removed from the queue, the ride received new signage, and new video was created for the preshow room. The updated storyline centers around survivors of a global war taking refuge in a bunker, with the coaster offering a way to get there. [1] [4] Apocalypse retained the existing pyrotechnic and fog effects featured under the previous theme. [1]

In 2015, Six Flags announced that Apocalypse would be temporarily renamed Shadows of Evil: The Ride as part of Activision's partnership to support the upcoming release of the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops III on November 6. The ride would be named after the game's Zombies mode. Its story would transport guests to the 1940s Film Noir-inspired Morg City, including zombie encounters and more. This lasted during the 2015 Fright Fest event from September 26 to November 1. [5]

In early 2017, Apocalypse temporarily closed for a major re-tracking and refurbishment. [6] The ride reopened in May 2017. [7] Following an announcement in 2018 revealing a new roller coaster, West Coast Racers, Magic Mountain closed Apocalypse and the area it resides in. [8] [9] It reopened in September 2019 prior to the planned debut of West Coast Racers. [10] [11]

Ride experience

Queue

Guests enter an industrial military research compound following a post-apocalypse. After passing underneath the entrance, guests cross a bridge over a drainage ditch. A right turn leads to the first switchback section. Some of the portions are surrounded in shading areas with rectangular tan roofs. Guests walk underneath the tracks and head into the next area, which features a jeep, barrels, water tanks and plants. On busier days, there will be an employee that controls the merge and only lets so many people beyond this point at a time, who then pass under the track again and into another holding area, just outside the pre-show building. In between the second and third switchback areas is a guard tower. Guests then gather in the staging area and as the doors open, they head into a warehouse with the first pre-show and multiple electronic devices. After this pre-show is over, guests walk through a hallway and watch the second pre-show on the television monitors. The next room features the third pre-show, yellow racks and cables. While the ride was called Terminator Salvation: The Ride, these racks held the upper torsos of Terminator robots, as if they were rolling through the assembly line. They would even roll back and forth a few inches in each direction as the guests were standing there. Following this area, guests climb up the stairs that lead to the loading station. [12]

Layout

As the train exits the station, riders make their way through a 180-degree left turn and begin climbing a 95-foot (29 m) chain lift hill. At the top, the train turns left and drops 87.3-foot (26.6 m), reaching 50.1 miles per hour (80.6 km/h). The train speeds underneath the exit bridge followed by a right-handed banked turn. Riders drop towards the first drop and turn left, passing by a fire effect mounted in the engine compartment of a truck. After the fire effect, the train zooms through the Sector 3 Transport Tunnel, the first two tunnels. Inside, there are red lights and fog effects. This tunnel also wraps around the outside of the first drop. Upon exiting the Sector 3 Transport Tunnel, the train flies through the station. Then, riders go through the Sector 12 Transport Tunnel. After this, the train emerges on the other side of the ride and moves through a 360-degree right turn around the queue line. Riders pass under the second tunnel and make a 360-degree left turn into the final brake run. The train slowly makes a left turn past the maintenance shed and transfer track. After a left turn, riders return to the station, where they exit the train. [12]

Awards

Apocalypse: The Ride was ranked in the Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards for best new ride of 2009 with 7% of the vote, to come in fourth place. [13]

Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2010
Ranking
4 [13]
Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year20092010201120122013
Ranking43 [14] 27 [15] 36 (tie) [16] 28 [17] 49 [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Six Flags Magic Mountain</span> Theme park in Valencia, California

Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly known and colloquially referred to as simply Magic Mountain, is a 209-acre (85 ha) amusement park located in Valencia, California, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It opened on May 29, 1971, as a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc. In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added "Six Flags" to the park's name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incredicoaster</span> Roller coaster in California

Incredicoaster is a steel launched roller coaster located at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, California, United States. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride was originally opened to the public as California Screamin' in early 2001. It is the only roller coaster with an inversion at the Disneyland Resort and it is the fastest, reaching a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). With a track length of 6,072 feet (1,851 m), Incredicoaster is the sixth-longest steel roller coaster in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beast (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster at Kings Island

The Beast is a wooden roller coaster located at Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, United States. Designed and manufactured in-house for approximately $3 million, the ride opened in 1979 as the tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Decades later, it is still the longest, spanning 7,361 feet (2,244 m) across 35 acres (14 ha) of hilly terrain. Two lift hills contribute to the ride's duration of more than four minutes, which also ranks as one of the longest among roller coasters. A refurbishment in 2022 increased the angle of the first drop and lengthened the ride by 2 feet (0.61 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Force</span> Steel roller coaster at Cedar Point

Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Intamin, it was the park's fourteenth roller coaster when it opened in 2000, dating back to the opening of Blue Streak in 1964. Upon completion, Millennium Force broke five world records and was the world's first giga coaster, a term coined by Intamin and Cedar Point to represent a roller coaster that exceeds 300 feet (91 m) in height. It was briefly the tallest and fastest in the world until Steel Dragon 2000 opened later the same year. The ride is also the third-longest roller coaster in North America following The Beast at Kings Island and Fury 325 at Carowinds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: The Ride</span> Roller coasters at seven Six Flags parks

Batman: The Ride is an inverted roller coaster based on the DC Comics character Batman and found at seven Six Flags theme parks in the United States and at least one outside the US. Built by consulting engineers Bolliger & Mabillard, it rises to a height of between 100 and 105 feet and reaches top speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h). The original roller coaster at Six Flags Great America was partially devised by the park's general manager Jim Wintrode. Batman: The Ride was the world's first inverted roller coaster when it opened in 1992, and has since been awarded Coaster Landmark status by the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Clones of the ride exist at amusement parks around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Riddler's Revenge</span> Stand-up roller coaster

The Riddler's Revenge is a steel stand-up roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the park's eleventh roller coaster on April 4, 1998, setting multiple world records among stand-up coasters. Originally located in the Movie District section of the park, which later became Metropolis in 2017, The Riddler's Revenge was also the park's single biggest investment at a cost of $14 million. It features a height of 156 feet (48 m), a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h), six inversions, and a track length of 4,370 feet (1,330 m).

X2 (roller coaster) Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

X2 is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It was the world's first fourth-dimension roller coaster and was the final roller coaster installed by ride manufacturer Arrow Dynamics. The ride is unique in that the trains' seats pitch 360 degrees forwards and in reverse independent of the main chassis. The coaster initially opened to the public on January 12, 2002; numerous issues delayed it from debuting in 2001 as was originally anticipated. On December 2, 2007, the ride closed for its transformation into X2. It was completely repainted, received new third-generation trains, and featured new special effects including onboard audio, fog effects, and a pair of flame throwers. The ride reopened on May 24, 2008, following the upgrades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure)</span> Wooden roller coaster

El Toro is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened to the public on June 11, 2006. Intamin subcontracted Rocky Mountain Construction to build the ride, and the coaster's track was prefabricated, allowing for quicker installation and lower construction costs. El Toro is the main attraction of the Mexican-themed section of the park, Plaza Del Carnaval. It replaced another roller coaster, Viper, which closed following the 2004 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Krypton Coaster</span> Roller coaster in Texas, U.S.

Superman: Krypton Coaster is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Fiesta Texas amusement park in San Antonio. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model opened to the public in 2000 as one of the first of its kind in the world. The well-received ride held the title for the world's tallest vertical loop from its opening until 2013. Superman: Krypton Coaster stands 168 feet (51 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firebird (roller coaster)</span> Steel coaster at Six Flags America

Firebird is a floorless roller coaster located at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. The roller coaster had originally debuted in 1990 as a stand-up roller coaster named Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America. It was later relocated to Six Flags America in 2012 and renamed Apocalypse, under which it operated until 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montu (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by that company following the success of Kumba, which opened 3 years prior. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster, a title it has since conceded to Alpengeist at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The ride stands 150 feet (46 m) tall and reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatsu</span> Flying roller coaster

Tatsu is a flying roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard at the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park located in Valencia, California, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, it opened as the tallest, fastest, and longest flying coaster in the world on May 13, 2006. It became the park's seventeenth coaster, featuring a height of 170 feet (52 m), a track length of 3,602 feet (1,098 m), and a maximum speed of 62 mph (100 km/h). Tatsu also features the world's tallest pretzel loop and the only zero-gravity roll inversion on a flying coaster model. Nearly a decade later, The Flying Dinosaur opened at Universal Studios Japan in 2016, breaking Tatsu's length record and matching its speed. In its debut season, Tatsu was ranked 40th among steel coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today, peaking with a rank of 28 in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Ultimate Flight</span> Roller coasters at three Six Flags parks

Superman: Ultimate Flight is the name of three flying roller coasters currently operating at three Six Flags amusement parks in the United States, those being Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags Great America. Each of these steel coasters were designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and opened in 2002 and 2003. Since 2003, Six Flags has installed Superman: Ultimate Flight in three of their parks. Themed to the popular comic book character, Superman: Ultimate Flight simulates flying by positioning its passengers parallel to the track, supported by harnesses and facing the ground through most of the ride. In the station, riders board the train sitting down. After the train is locked and checked, the trains are raised into the flying position. After the ride, the seats are lowered back into the sitting position for the next round of riders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted Colossus</span> Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Twisted Colossus is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Originally designed and built by International Amusement Devices, the roller coaster opened as Colossus, a dual-tracked roller coaster, on June 29,1978. It was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world and the first with two drops greater than 100 feet (30 m). Colossus became well known after appearances in film and television, including the box-office hit National Lampoon's Vacation and the made-for-TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. For 19 years, it was the park's main attraction until the opening of Superman: The Escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags Magic Mountain)</span> Steel roller coaster

Goliath is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Giovanola of Switzerland, the hypercoaster is located in the Goliath Plaza section of the park and opened to the public on February 11, 2000. Its sub-tropical theme is characterized by ancient ruins of the Mayan civilization. The ride is nearly identical to Titan at Six Flags Over Texas, but it lacks a 540-degree upward helix prior to the mid-course brake run and features a slightly shorter track layout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster

Scream is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the Floorless Coaster model was the park's sixteenth roller coaster and is located in the Screampunk District area of the park. The 150-foot-tall (46 m) ride consists of a series of roller coaster elements including seven inversions ranging from a zero-g roll to interlocking corkscrews. The ride is a mirror image of Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viper (Six Flags Great America)</span> Wooden roller coaster

Viper is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, which opened in 1995. Viper is a mirrored replica of the Coney Island Cyclone and is the only roller coaster ever to be built directly by Six Flags. It was built by Rygiel Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Freeze (roller coaster)</span> Roller coasters at two Six Flags parks

Mr. Freeze is a launched shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, Texas, with another installation known as Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast at Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Missouri. The steel coasters feature a linear induction motor (LIM) launch system that accelerate riders from 0–70 mph (0–113 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. The two installations are mirror images of one another and are themed to the famous Batman villain Mr. Freeze. Originally, they were themed after the 1997 film Batman & Robin prior to a conversion in 2012 to operate backward. The Over Texas version returned to forward operation in 2022, but in July 2023, it started operating with one train launching backward and one train launching forward to offer different experiences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full Throttle (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Full Throttle is a launched roller coaster located in Six Flags Plaza at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Designed and manufactured by Premier Rides, the ride opened to the public on June 22, 2013. It featured the world's tallest vertical loop of 160 feet (49 m) when it opened, a record that was surpassed in 2016 by Flash at Lewa Adventure in Xianyang, China. Its top hat element is also unique in the way it is situated on top of a vertical loop. It is the only roller coaster to have track on the bottom and top of a vertical loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goliath (Six Flags Great America)</span> Wooden roller coaster

Goliath is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and designed by Alan Schilke, the roller coaster features RMC's Topper Track design and opened to the public on June 19, 2014. Goliath initially set three world records among wooden coasters, having the longest drop at 180 feet (55 m), the steepest angle of 85 degrees, and the fastest speed of 72 mph (116 km/h). It still holds the record for the longest drop and fastest wooden roller coaster. In addition, the ride also features two inversions and a maximum descent that reaches 15 feet (4.6 m) below ground level.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 MacDonald, Brady (December 3, 2010). "Six Flags Magic Mountain renaming Terminator wooden coaster". LA Times. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Niles, Robert (May 21, 2009). "Take a ride on Six Flags' Terminator Salvation: The Ride". Theme Park Insider. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  3. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Terminator Salvation: The Ride  (Six Flags Magic Mountain)". Roller Coaster DataBase.
  4. 1 2 Sim, Nick (December 7, 2010). "Terminator Salvation: The Ride to become Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain". Theme Park Tourist. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Call of Duty is Back for Fright Fest, Six Flags and Activision Announce Partnership to Support COD: Black Ops III". September 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ Dahlin, Kurt. "Apocalypse Being Retracked at Six Flags Magic Mountain". The Coaster Guy. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  7. ↑ Condon, Gregg (May 8, 2017). "SFMM Justice League Update #9". Park Journey. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  8. ↑ "World's First Racing Launch Coaster, West Coast Racers, Debuting at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2019". Six Flags Magic Mountain. August 30, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  9. ↑ Muir, Maverick (December 5, 2018). "West Coast Racers Construction Update 12/4/18". Mechanical Amusements. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  10. ↑ Cha, Ethan (April 10, 2019). "New Attractions Coming To SoCal Theme Parks". Medium. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Member Appreciation Day". Six Flags. September 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  12. 1 2 Dahlin, Kurt (April 24, 2012). "Apocalypse At Six Flags Magic Mountain". The Coaster Guy. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2009" (PDF). Amusement Today. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  18. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today . 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.