ABOUT THE REPORTER
Tom Kelley is a lifelong roller coaster and amusement park fan. He grew up in northeast Ohio near Cedar Point, an amusement park recognized for its collection of rides and roller coasters. He is a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts and has ridden more than 300 different roller coasters.
IF YOU GO
Six Flags Over Georgia
Where: West of Atlanta on I-20 outside of I-285
When: Open weekends during the spring and daily for spring break April 4-12; open daily starting May 22. Hours vary.
Prices: General admission at the gate is $62.99 for adults, and $42.99 for children under 48 inches tall, but discounts abound; save $20 on adult tickets at sixflags.com/overgeorgia. AAA and some credit unions also sell discounted tickets.
For more information: www.sixflags.com/overgeorgia
In hindsight, it turns out to be a great idea.
Six Flags Over Georgia is running Batman the Ride with its seats facing backward, giving a new perspective to the roller coaster’s already twisted experience.
Even facing forward Batman is an intense ride. But when you are turned around and cannot see the loops, twists and drops coming at you, the ride takes on a new character. Perhaps more like the Joker?
Instead of a view of the ride ahead of you, the track fades away behind as the ride speeds along. It’s a disorienting sight as you head backward into the unknown.
And for some reason, Batman backward seems even more powerful than when you can see where you are headed. Instead of being pushed back into your seat from the power of the ride, you are pulled by the ride’s restraint against your chest, an unusual yet not uncomfortable sensation. The ride remains smooth, fast and furious as always.
“It’s always been intense. Even though I’ve ridden it so many times and know what’s happening, riding it backward is always a surprise,” said Robert Ulrich, director of the 23 regions of the American Coaster Enthusiasts, a worldwide group with more than 5,000 members.
“We wanted something to kick off the year with an emphasis on Gotham City,” the part of Six Flags where Batman is located, said Dale Kaetzel, president of Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags White Water. “We’re starting out with Batman backward, one of the park’s favorite rides. The area is getting a complete re-do. Landscaping, paint, and two new rides (opening later this spring). It’s our guests’ favorite section of the park.”
The two new rides, the Joker Chaos Coaster, a giant loop of track, and Harley Quinn Spinsanity, a spinning family ride, are set to open in May.
Running Batman backward is “a unique way to promote a ride that’s been loved by the park patrons for so long. Like a special edition,” Ulrich said.
Batman opened at Six Flags Over Georgia in 1997, and since then, more than 16 million people have ridden the ride — but up to now, all have been forward. Six Flags Over Georgia is the fourth Six Flags park to operate the backward version of Batman. The parks located outside of Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas also have run Batman backward.
If you want to experience Batman the Ride backward, you’ll have to head to the park by May 10. After that, Batman returns to running normally, facing forward, at Six Flags Over Georgia. Then the backward trains will head to another park, but Six Flags isn’t saying which one.
About the Author
