• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Six Flags Quiddiya

Bowser said:
Oh and i'm pretty sure the windscreen is only on the front carriage?
Click to expand...
From watching the new animated video, it appears that the windscreen is on the front of each 2 row car. It looks a little silly!

I'm sure we can all trust Intamin to ensure that it will be securely fixed to the train, what with the speeds this thing is going to be travelling at...!
 
Rob said:
From watching the new animated video, it appears that the windscreen is on the front of each 2 row car. It looks a little silly!

I'm sure we can all trust Intamin to ensure that it will be securely fixed to the train, what with the speeds this thing is going to be travelling at...!
Click to expand...

Ah yes you're right, didn't notice that!
 
I have to admit I am sceptical about this. It feels RingRacer 2.0 - a great concept taken to build, but with unforeseen problems which means it doesn’t live up to the intended design.

Have a look into the Ain Dubai for an example of overreaching engineering and the end result, all to say “mine is bigger than yours”.

I’m not saying this is going to explode, break windows, be SBNO for years and then get torn down… I acknowledge the different launch mechanism at least.

I note still that on that official render some of the physics look off - the speed up the large hill (no way am I giving it credit for being a top hat, its not a ninety degree entry or exit) looks like it’s achieved with some sort of additional power?

Also the air pressure going into a tiny tunnel off that huge cliff… if that is the high speed point, I’m unsure about the impact on rider’s ear drums!
 
I don’t the slow bits are a problem. With 14 people in a train, it needs multiple block sections. If the brakes and launch dividing a block section were taken at 120mph, it’d need to be long enough to stop a train from 120mph and long enough to launch one to 120mph again. Bringing a train to a much slower speed for the brakes/launches between block sections does make sense, and to be fair there are lots of coasters with multiple lift hills, like The Smiler, where you could say it’s a lot more noticeable than this is going to be.

I’m not an engineer, but I do agree that it must be a high risk project from an engineering perspective.
 
I hope it's a massive massive failure personally. 😂 That regime doesn't deserve nice things but sadly their vast lakes of oil can pay for whatever it is they want.

I don't think we need to worry about throughputs either guys. The parks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have some incredible rides and theming and they are ghost towns 90% of the time. I don't think there's an appetite in that part of the world for theme park trips 2-3 times a year. This is a state funded vanity project and nothing more.
 
I do wonder if having the necessary windscreen will make the speed worth it? Like you'll still feel the gforce of acceleration but without the wind in your face will it just feel as fast as a slower 80mph train for example?
 
ArtyGrey said:
I do wonder if having the necessary windscreen will make the speed worth it? Like you'll still feel the gforce of acceleration but without the wind in your face will it just feel as fast as a slower 80mph train for example?
Click to expand...

More like a convertible car, you'll definitely feel (and hear) it far more than a train.
 
This rollercoaster is going to be a maintenance nightmare. That is a fact.

The very harsh environment alongside the extreme engineering challenges are going to bring alot of problems, plus, Intamin yada yada yada...only one company who could take a project like this one though.

The thing they do have though, is large amounts of cash which will be thrown at this to help minimise any issues.

Looks like I'm going to Saudi Arabia, riding a coaster as extreme as this is simply not an opportunity I can pass on. It is like something you would build drunk on Planet Coaster. Get me on that plane, this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity.
 
AT86 said:
No rollercoaster is worth the human rights violations perpetrated by Saudi Arabia.
Click to expand...

I won't go into this here, (goes into it anyway) but if we don't want to financially support a regime by not going on a rollercoaster, we should also stop using every single product that has any trace of oil in, like all those plastics not to mention fuel. Else that argument falls a bit flat.

The truth is, we have all supported that regime by living our modern lifes, much more than a single trip to ride a coaster will support it.

I'm not going there because I agree with what they do, I'm going there for the coaster. The rollercosster is simply phenomenal and I won't miss it. I've been to North Korea, that doesn't mean I support or agree with what they do. I'm curious of the people and the culture within the regime, who the atrocities are directed at. Not the regimes themselves. The citizens are just humans after all, why should we not meet and engage with them because their 'overlords' are horrible, doesn't mean they are themselves. You find in these country's, the actual citizens are some of the most kind, caring and compassionate people on the planet. A far cry from their own government within the same countries..

But what I can understand is people not wanting to visit out of fear I guess. You just have to make sure you do your due dilligance.
 
Last edited:
DistortAMG said:
I won't go into this here, but if we don't want to financially support a regime by not going on a rollercoaster, we should also stop using every single product that has any trace of oil in, like all those plastics not to mention fuel. Else that argument falls a bit flat.
Click to expand...

Alternatively: It's undoubtedly frustrating that a regime like that in question is in lockstep with multiple industries to contribute to the the mass-market manufacturing of products that are in some cases essential to our daily lives. But as long as they are murdering gays, I can at least avoid travelling across the world to ride their new rollercoaster.

You find in these country's, the actual citizens are some of the most kind, caring and compassionate people on the planet.
Click to expand...

At a Six Flags?!
 
I don’t think they’re following a bad strategy as such. A lot of attempts to open major new theme parks in Asia and the Middle East have basically involved building budget versions of Disney and Universal parks, which is obviously a hard sell. There are a lot of challenges to this park, but most of them come from its existence, rather than the specific design.

There’s no denying that this does look really cool and different. If they can get this coaster to work reliably with a decent throughput, then it will be a massive draw. Particularly in the age of social media. Admittedly, it is a slightly high risk strategy when this coaster is going to be such a big part of the park’s identity, when the technology might not stand up.

Clearly it takes more than one coaster to make a great theme park, and we don’t know so much about what the other coasters are. But the world’s ultimate roller coaster park does sound really cool.

It is going to be hard to attract international visitors, but I think most of the reasons would apply to any theme park there. I don’t think a budget version of Disney, Universal or any other park would necessarily do any better.

Here are some of the big problems. The human rights record is very offputting. A theme park in the desert could look a little sterile, unless they spend a lot on irrigation system to sustain more foliage. It looks like most of the initial management team will be internationals, which is likely to mean that at least initially the management team is unstable. Six Flag’s reputation has been going downhill over the last 15 years. It’s just one park, and there are other places in the world with multiple parks close together. Thrill parks don’t tend to attract huge numbers of international visitors. Even Cedar Point doesn’t.

Only one of these is directly related to the design they’ve gone for, while the declining reputation of Six Flags is indirectly connected. If this park does fail, it won’t necessarily be because they spaffed too much money on a big mega coaster. It might just be that a major theme park of this scale was a non-starter.

If you want to set a park apart internationally the three main ways to do it seem to be:
1. Use internationally renouned intellectual properties, but a lot of the big intellectual properties are either owned by other companies, or at least being used by other parks which would reduce their impact. You then potentially lock yourself into very expensive IP contracts which are a constant drain.
2. Come up with enough exclusive technology to wow people, but that would be very difficult to do, and also high risk if the technology failed.
3. Break some records.
 
Last edited:
Plastic Person said:
At a Six Flags?!
Click to expand...

The park will undoubtedly be made up of local citizens. Plus, you won't exclusively be spending every minute of time inside the park walls.

I totally get the reasons, fully understand why people feel the way they do. I just have an appetite for travel in unusual places. Doesn't mean I agree with what goes on, I don't. I strongly appose it. But curiosity gets the better of me.
 
One thing to consider is that I don't think they're necessarily trying to tap into the international market. A lot of the press releases have made reference to trying to build a theme park to appeal to the local market in Saudi Arabia.

As for the human rights issues with Saudi Arabia as a country, it is undoubtedly a tough one. It really is up to the individual to decide whether they feel that they can look past Saudi Arabia's human rights issues.

However, what I would say is that I think it's very hard to be a truly ethical traveller and avoid visiting countries that have committed any kind of human rights infraction. If you rule out anywhere in the world that has ever done something slightly shady in terms of human rights, you're ruling out a surprising proportion of the world.

Now for clarity, I'm not saying for a single second that I agree with what Saudi Arabia does or that I agree with the draconian laws they impose upon women, LGBT+ people etc. However, they are far from the only country on Earth that has an arguably tainted human rights record, and plenty of other countries committing arguable human rights infractions or doing things that are ethically questionable have enthusiasts flocking to them without a moment's hesitation.

The UAE has laws discriminating against women and LGBT+ people, yet plenty of enthusiasts go there without a moment's hesitation. China are run by an authoritarian government who impose wide-ranging restrictions on their citizens' lives and have previously resorted to tactics such as barricading people inside their homes during COVID and invading Hong Kong, yet plenty of enthusiasts still visit China without flinching. Even the USA has arguably done ethically questionable things. Large parts of the country recently outlawed abortion following the overturning of Roe v Wade, its lax gun laws are an ever-contentious issue, and around 50% of states still have the death penalty. Yet you don't see any enthusiasts questioning whether they want to go to the USA or any of these countries.

Now as I say, I'm not saying that what these countries do is necessarily comparable to what Saudi Arabia do, and I'm not excusing or agreeing with what goes on in Saudi Arabia for a second. However, I think being a truly ethical traveller is nigh-on impossible. With this in mind, I would politely play devil's advocate and ask; where do you draw the line? What level of human rights violations are people willing to accept?
 
Matt N said:
One thing to consider is that I don't think they're necessarily trying to tap into the international market. A lot of the press releases have made reference to trying to build a theme park to appeal to the local market in Saudi Arabia.

As for the human rights issues with Saudi Arabia as a country, it is undoubtedly a tough one. It really is up to the individual to decide whether they feel that they can look past Saudi Arabia's human rights issues.

However, what I would say is that I think it's very hard to be a truly ethical traveller and avoid visiting countries that have committed any kind of human rights infraction. If you rule out anywhere in the world that has ever done something slightly shady in terms of human rights, you're ruling out a surprising proportion of the world.

Now for clarity, I'm not saying for a single second that I agree with what Saudi Arabia does or that I agree with the draconian laws they impose upon women, LGBT+ people etc. However, they are far from the only country on Earth that has an arguably tainted human rights record, and plenty of other countries committing arguable human rights infractions or doing things that are ethically questionable have enthusiasts flocking to them without a moment's hesitation.

The UAE has laws discriminating against women and LGBT+ people, yet plenty of enthusiasts go there without a moment's hesitation. China are run by an authoritarian government who impose wide-ranging restrictions on their citizens' lives and have previously resorted to tactics such as barricading people inside their homes during COVID and invading Hong Kong, yet plenty of enthusiasts still visit China without flinching. Even the USA has arguably done ethically questionable things. Large parts of the country recently outlawed abortion following the overturning of Roe v Wade, its lax gun laws are an ever-contentious issue, and around 50% of states still have the death penalty. Yet you don't see any enthusiasts questioning whether they want to go to the USA or any of these countries.

Now as I say, I'm not saying that what these countries do is necessarily comparable to what Saudi Arabia do, and I'm not excusing or agreeing with what goes on in Saudi Arabia for a second. However, I think being a truly ethical traveller is nigh-on impossible. With this in mind, I would politely play devil's advocate and ask; where do you draw the line? What level of human rights violations are people willing to accept?
Click to expand...

This is the Six Flags Quiddiya topic so it makes sense the discussion has focused specifically on this location. I am not sure the idea that someone shouldn't question a visit to Saudi Arabia because they would travel to the USA is really comparable or helpful.

For what it's worth my views on travel to SA would also extend to the likes of the UAE and right now I have zero interest in travelling to the USA and especially Florida in the current political climate.

However this feels like it is very much straying off topic so I imagine I will get fifty lashes or perhaps a stoning, so I better shut up.
 
AT86 said:
This is the Six Flags Quiddiya topic so it makes sense the discussion has focused specifically on this location. I am not sure the idea that someone shouldn't question a visit to Saudi Arabia because they would travel to the USA is really comparable or helpful.

For what it's worth my views on travel to SA would also extend to the likes of the UAE and right now I have zero interest in travelling to the USA and especially Florida in the current political climate.

However this feels like it is very much straying off topic so I imagine I will get fifty lashes or perhaps a stoning, so I better shut up.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying they shouldn't by any stretch of the imagination. As I said at the start of my post, it is entirely up to the individual to decide whether they'd like to or not, and I respect their choice either way.

However, I just thought that it was an interesting point to consider.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top