![]() ![]() The ride had a tight, twisted design with lots of banked turns, reaching a speed of 50.5 mph. The ride started with a twisted drop similar to what we’d see on many future GCI coasters, including Gold Striker, a GCI opened at nearby California’s Great America in 2013 that is one of my favorite wooden coasters. The layout of the ride features many of the things that became standbys in future GCI designs. The ride was similar – although not identical to – the “Roar” at Six Flags America, with one of the major difference being those trains.Ī good look at the Millennium Flyer trains that now exist on all GCI coasters ( courtesy San Jose Mercury News) Even more significantly, Roar the first to use a signature part of any GCI ride: Their signature Millennium Flyer Trains. The wooden roller coaster company is still going strong today and responsible for some of the best modern wooden coasters (see our review of Mystic Timbers from a couple of years ago). Roar opened as just the third ever roller coaster built by Great Coasters International (GCI). As staff writer Kevin Courtney from the Napa Valley Register said at the time, “combine the sight of Roar! With Marine World’s new moniker, Six Flags, and suddenly you have a theme park with some bona fide thrill ride credentials.” ![]() It was the parks first custom(ish) coaster installation when it opened in ’99, and was a major step in the transition from purely and animal park to full on amusement park. Roar would take up a former parking lot, rising 95 feet tall and 3,291 feet long. They added some small theme park rides in ’97, and in ’98 some relocated and off-the-shelf coasters. ![]() In 1997, Premier Parks – which merged with Six Flags – took over operation of Marine World and began to turn it into a mixed animal park and theme park. The park had until just a couple years before been entirely an animal park, going through a series of different locations and names. Roar opened on at what was then called Six Flags Marine World. This week we’re looking at a wooden coaster that is no more, but did have some pretty historic coaster significance over its life: ROAR at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Sign up for Getaway trips at the Info and Tickets Desk at the Student Center or online at the last several months we’ve been taking a look back at some of our favorite coasters celebrating their 20th birthdays this year in our 19 for ’99 series. Find out more about Six Flags Discovery Kingdom at Contact for more information. Usually they close at 5pm so we are home by about 6:30pm. Feed sea lions and seals at Seal Cove, touch a stingray and see sharks up-close at the Shark Experience. These tickets are more than half off the regular ticket prices. See bottlenose dolphins in spectacular presentations, observe pinnipeds (sea lions, seals and walrus) during fascinating demonstration shows and even see a tiger swim underwater during an incredible and educational tiger demonstration. Kids of all ages can experience such thrill coasters as the longest, tallest looping coaster Medusa, launch coaster SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight and the exciting hybrid wood and steel coaster, THE JOKER and new in 2019 is the coaster to thrill all, BATMAN: The Ride, a 4D free-flight coaster. The park features over 40 rides and attractions including 11 thrilling roller coasters, kid play areas and unique wildlife presentations, animal exhibits and programs. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is the Thrill Capital of Northern California. ![]()
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