Photo Credit: USA Today
In an announcement early Thursday afternoon, Six Flags Fiesta Texas announced that they will be debuting a new coaster model from Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) in 2018.
Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster will be a first of it’s kind rollercoaster by using new single rail technology from RMC called the Raptor track. The width of the track will be around 15 inches allowing for trains to have only one rider per row and a total of eight cars per train. This coaster’s layout will feature a 90 degree first drop, three inversions and several airtime moments. Photos of the upcoming coaster look stunning with the vibrant bright yellow track with dark red supports over a pond of water with the quarry wall highlighting the background. This coaster looks to provide an exciting and innovative coaster experience for thrill seekers of all ages.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas has been known in recent years to be the testing grounds for new attraction concepts. Just last year, the park added the chain’s first rocket blast water rollercoaster. They also were the first of the Six Flags parks to install a S&S 4D Free Fly Coaster. The Golden Lasso Coaster will be the second RMC coaster to be added to the park following Iron Rattler which many guests have raved about since it opened in 2013.
Although Six Flags Fiesta Texas is the first park to announce an RMC Raptor coaster, we noticed that RMC hinted on their Facebook page that Wonder Woman wouldn’t be the only Raptor coming in 2018. “We are proud to announce that one of our Raptor coasters for next season will be at Six Flags Fiesta Texas!” via RMC’s Facebook page. It’s no surprise that parks are jumping at the opportunity to try out this prototype. According to RMC, this new style of track will provide a smoother experience for riders versus the traditional two-rail wooden and steel coasters. RMC argues that the double rail tracks have a better chance of becoming slightly off in their alignment which causes the uncomfortable shaking or rattling effect on some coasters. Because the Raptor track is monotonous, the alignment factor is eliminated increasing the smoothness of the ride. Besides a smoother experience, RMC also adds that this design is a cost friendly option that can help out smaller parks.
The main critique of this coaster design is the capacity. Does it make sense for a park as big as Fiesta Texas to add a coaster design for much a small-sized theme park? Many argue only being able to send 8 riders per train will inevitably make lines long especially in its first season. Even if Fiesta Texas has flawless operations, guests will need to patient on busy days if they want to a journey on this brand new coaster.
Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster is first in a series of what looks to be several major rollercoaster announcements for 2018. With multiple world’s first attractions coming in the next few years, the future of the coaster industry is looking very bright.
