The Dark Knight (Six Flags Great Adventure)

The Dark Knight
Location	Six Flags Great Adventure
Park section	Movietown
Coordinates	40°08′12″N 74°26′34″W / 40.1366°N 74.4429°W / 40.1366; -74.4429Coordinates: 40°08′12″N 74°26′34″W / 40.1366°N 74.4429°W / 40.1366; -74.4429
Status	Operating
Opened	May 15, 2008
Cost	USD $7.5 million
Type	Steel - Wild Mouse - Enclosed
Manufacturer	Mack Rides
Designer	Werner Stengel, Six Flags
Model	Wild Mouse (compact mobile, rev. 2)
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	1120 riders per hour
Height restriction	4 ft 0 in (122 cm)
Flash Pass available
The Dark Knight at RCDB
Pictures of The Dark Knight at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

The Dark Knight is an enclosed steel roller coaster that is currently operating at Six Flags Great Adventure.^[1] It opened on May 15, 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 roller coaster with the same name opened 6 days later at Six Flags Great America.^[4]

History

To aid in the construction of The Dark Knight, both Batman & Robin: The Chiller^[5] and Movietown Water Effect were removed. The roller coaster primarily occupies the previous location of the Movietown Water Effect, with the queue area placed in front of the building.^{[citation needed]} Original plans called for the demolition of the Batman & Robin: The Chiller station and observatory but were later excluded from demolition plans.^{[citation needed]} The exit was originally slated to go through the present Justice League gift shop adjacent to the ride, but this turned out not to be the case.^{[citation needed]}

On May 15, 2008, The Dark Knight officially opened to the public.^[1]

Summary

Pre-show

After an outdoor, lightly themed queue area, riders enter a pre-show room where they view a TV broadcast of a press conference hosted by Gotham City district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). One of the reporters asks about the Joker cards found at recent crime scenes. Almost immediately, The Joker himself hijacks the TV broadcast and his messages (such as "HA HA!") appear all over the walls of the room. Guests then enter the secondary queue area, which features a TV screen in which guests can see themselves. The two guests closest to the camera have joker masks digitally superimposed over their faces.

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.

See also

• The Dark Knight (film)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Marden, Duane. "Dark Knight  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Database Entry. Roller Coaster DataBase. http://www.rcdb.com/4047.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 America)". Database Entry. Roller Coaster DataBase. http://www.rcdb.com/4046.htm. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 
5. ^ Marden, Duane. "Batman And Robin: The Chiller  (Six Flags Great Adventure)". Database Entry. Roller Coaster DataBase. http://www.rcdb.com/424.htm. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 

External links

• Official website
• Official Construction Blog