Superman The Ride facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Superman The Ride
Previously known as Superman: Ride of Steel (2000–2008) Bizarro (2009–2015)
Six Flags New England
Location	Six Flags New England
Park section	DC Universe
Coordinates	42°02′19″N 72°36′41″W / 42.03861°N 72.61139°W / 42.03861; -72.61139
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 5, 2000 (2000-05-05)
Cost	Approx: $12,000,000
Replaced	Riverside Park Speedway
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Mega Coaster
Track layout	Out and Back Twister
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	208 ft (63 m)
Drop	221 ft (67 m)
Length	5,400 ft (1,600 m)
Speed	77 mph (124 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2:35
Max vertical angle	72°
Capacity	1300 riders per hour
G-force	3.6
Height restriction	54–76 in (137–193 cm)
Trains	2 trains with 9 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 36 riders per train.
Flash Pass available
Single rider line Non-Participating Attraction
Superman The Ride at RCDB

Superman The Ride is an exciting steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. It was built by a Swiss company called Intamin. This huge coaster first opened in 2000 as Superman – Ride of Steel.

Imagine climbing a 208-foot (63 m) tall hill, then dropping 221-foot (67 m) at a super-fast speed of 77 mph (124 km/h)! That's what Superman The Ride offers. In 2009, the ride's name changed to Bizarro, based on a DC Comics character who is like an opposite version of Superman. The track was repainted purple and dark blue, and cool special effects were added.

Then, in 2016, the park changed the theme back to Superman. They called it Superman The Ride. For a short time, you could even wear special virtual reality headsets for a 3D experience!

Superman The Ride is very popular. It often ranks as one of the best steel roller coasters in the world. This ride has won the top spot five times in the Golden Ticket Awards, which are like the "Oscars" for amusement parks. Over the years, some safety updates have been made to make sure every ride is as safe as possible.

History of Superman The Ride

Before 2000, Six Flags New England was known as Riverside Park. Six Flags bought the park and added many rides based on DC Comics characters. Superman The Ride was built where the Riverside Park Speedway used to be.

The Speedway was taken down after the 1999 season. This made space for a new area called DC Universe. Building Superman: Ride of Steel was a big part of a $40 million park upgrade. Six Flags worked with Intamin to design this amazing ride.

The last piece of the track was put in place on March 27, 2000. About 40 days later, on May 5, 2000, the ride officially opened. It was the tallest and longest roller coaster on the East Coast of the United States at the time! The entrance and station were decorated with Superman logos. There was even a mist effect in one of the tunnels.

Bizarro Theme Change (2009)

In 2009, Superman: Ride of Steel got a new look and name: Bizarro. The park had to get special permission for the new effects. Even though the track layout stayed the same, the theme changed completely.

The new theme was all about Bizarro, Superman's "evil" clone. The track was painted purple with dark blue supports. Many special effects were added to make riders feel like they were speeding through a city. There were even rings shaped like Bizarro's "S" shield that the train zoomed through. The two trains were repainted purple and had new sounds playing onboard.

Bizarro opened on May 22, 2009. Some of the original effects have been moved to other rides since then.

Superman Returns and VR (2016)

On September 3, 2015, Six Flags announced that Bizarro would become Superman The Ride again for the 2016 season. Then, on March 3, 2016, they shared another exciting update. This ride would be one of several Six Flags coasters to offer a virtual reality (VR) experience!

Riders could choose to wear a Samsung Gear VR headset. This created a full 360-degree, 3D world while they rode. The VR story was about Superman saving a city from Lex Luthor's Lex Bots. This VR option was also added to other Superman rides at different Six Flags parks.

The VR experience was available for part of the day. However, it was removed before the 2017 season.

Ride Experience

Track Layout

Your adventure begins as the train leaves the station. It then climbs the 208-foot (63 m)-tall chain lift hill. To your left, you'll see the Connecticut River flowing alongside the coaster.

Once you reach the very top, the train plunges 221 feet (67 m) down into a foggy tunnel. This is where the ride hits its top speed of 77 miles per hour (124 km/h)! After the tunnel, you zoom up a second hill. Then, you drop into a 120-degree^{[convert: unknown unit]} overbanked turn that tilts you to the right.

Next, you'll rush through cutouts that look like buildings. You then climb the third and fourth big hills. A camera takes your on-ride photo on the third hill! After the fourth hill, the train drops through "S" shields. You'll crest a small hill and turn right into a swirling helix, sometimes called the "spaghetti bowl."

The train then jumps over a small "bunny hill" and goes into another helix. It makes a right turn drop into another foggy tunnel. Finally, you'll experience three more "bunny hills" before banking right back into the station.

Trains

A train in the station before the 2009 theme change.

The roller coaster has two trains, made of fiberglass. They have stadium-style seats, meaning each row is a little higher than the one in front of it. Each train has nine cars, and each car has two rows of two seats.

When the ride became Bizarro in 2009, they added audio to the trains. Speakers were placed in the headrests of the fifth car's two back seats. This meant the trains could hold 34 riders instead of 36. At first, the audio played movie quotes and ended with Bizarro chanting his name. Later, it changed to rock songs, but the Bizarro chant stayed because people liked it!

The trains were originally blue and red. They were repainted purple when the ride became Bizarro. Each seat used to have a T-shaped lap bar. After some safety updates, the restraints now have two metal bars on each side, keeping your legs secure.

Track Details

The steel track is 5,400 feet (1,600 m) long. The lift hill is about 208 feet (63 m) tall. The track was first painted red with blue supports, matching Superman's colors.

In 2009, for the Bizarro theme, the track was repainted purple with darker blue supports. In 2016, when it became Superman The Ride again, the track and supports were repainted to their original colors, but with brighter shades!

Safety Improvements

Superman The Ride has received many safety upgrades over the years. These changes were made to ensure the ride is as safe as possible for everyone. For example, after 2001, the air hoses were made stronger with steel.

After 2004, metal bars were added to the "T-bar" restraints to hold riders' legs more securely. Shin restraints were also added to keep feet from moving. All seat belts were checked and made consistent in length. A "go or no-go" belt was added to each seat. This belt makes sure the lap bar is in the correct position before the train leaves the station.

When the new trains were brought in for the 2009 rebranding, they had even newer restraints. The center pole of the lap bar was removed, leaving only the side poles. New seat belts were also added to be stronger and less likely to come undone by accident.

Rankings and Awards

Superman The Ride, as Superman: Ride of Steel, seen from a football field.

Superman The Ride is very highly rated by roller coaster fans. It's known for being smooth and giving riders lots of "airtime" – that fun floating feeling!

This ride, along with another famous coaster called Millennium Force, has often been ranked among the top steel roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards. From 2001 to 2015, these two rides held the top two spots! Superman The Ride has been named the number one steel roller coaster five times.

• Bizarro at the Roller Coaster DataBase