The Dark Knight (Six Flags Great America)

The Dark Knight
Location	Six Flags Great America
Park section	Orleans Place
Coordinates	42°22′15″N 87°56′00″W / 42.370769°N 87.933346°W / 42.370769; -87.933346Coordinates: 42°22′15″N 87°56′00″W / 42.370769°N 87.933346°W / 42.370769; -87.933346
Status	Operating
Opened	May 21, 2008
Cost	$7.5 million
Type	Steel - Wild Mouse - Enclosed
Manufacturer	Mack Rides
Designer	Werner Stengel, Six Flags
Model	Wild Mouse (2nd-gen compact mobile)
Track layout	Wild Mouse
Height	45 ft (14 m)
Length	1,213 ft (370 m)
Max speed	30 mph (48 km/h)
Duration	2:00
Capacity	850 riders per hour
Height restriction	3 ft 6 in (107 cm)
The Dark Knight at RCDB
Pictures of The Dark Knight at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

The Dark Knight Coaster is an enclosed steel roller coaster which is currently operating at Six Flags Great America.^[1] It opened on May 21, 2008,^[1] timed closely to the release of the film of the same name.^[2][3] The roller coaster was manufactured by MACK Rides.^[1] A similar ride of the same name opened at Six Flags Great Adventure a week earlier.^[4]

History

In preparation for The Dark Knight, the Theater Royale building was extensively modified and themed as a Gotham City Rail terminal.^[5]

Summary

Queue and pre-show

The Dark Knight coaster is located in Orleans Place next to Superman: Ultimate Flight and uses former Theater Royale as its queue. The Theater Royale building also houses a pre-show room where riders are greeted by Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) who is in a marketing video that sets up some of the plot of the film.^{[citation needed]}

Ride

At the loading station, the cars normally move through continuously. Guests unload at the rear of the platform, after which guests from the queue immediately load. Unlike almost all the other coasters in the park, there are no gates on the loading platform. Lapbars are locked and checked as the car approaches the front of the platform, then it proceeds onto the lift. The ride itself consists of several sharp hairpin turns and sudden drops, accented by various eerily-lit Gotham City buildings placed alongside the track. The ride layout is a standard Wild Mouse roller coaster layout. Guests must be at least 48 inches (120 cm) tall to ride alone or 42 inches (110 cm) if with an adult.

See also

• The Dark Knight

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Marden, Duane. "Dark Knight  (Six Flags Great America)". Database Entry. Roller Coaster DataBase. http://www.rcdb.com/4046.htm. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 
2. ^ Six Flags Great Adventure. "Six Flags Great Adventure Announces 'The Dark Knight' Themed Coaster for 2008 Season". RCDB. http://www.rcdb.com/4047.htm?dt=126&d=275. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 
3. ^ Six Flags. "Six Flags Releases New Elements of 'The Dark Knight' Coaster". RCDB. http://www.rcdb.com/4047.htm?dt=126&d=289. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 
4. ^ Marden, Duane. "Dark Knight  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Database Entry. Roller Coaster DataBase. http://www.rcdb.com/4047.htm. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 
5. ^ "Construction Photos: Six Flags Great America". Six Flags. 5 February 2008. http://www.sixflags.com/greatAmerica/rides/constructionphotos.aspx. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 

External links

• Official website
• Official Construction Blog