We enjoy theme parks but not marathon tests of endurance attempting to extract every penny of value out of high admission prices.
In our family, summertime always meant a visit to theme parks. And way back in the days when we only had three television networks, the family would travel to a nearby park where we tween-agers and teenagers were allowed to roam freely, binge ride roller coasters and consume mass quantities of park foods as long as we turned up at the assigned meeting points every few hours.
Many summers, adulthood, recurring vertigo and near-senior status have turned those simpler times to distant memories. Still, we enjoy occasional trips to theme parks as long as they don’t turn into marathon tests of endurance in a determined effort to extract every penny of attraction value out of high admission prices.
These days, our park of choice is Six Flags Over Georgia, a 30-minute drive from our home and convenient when we need a sure-fire fun day for our 13-year old and his friends of choice. We’re also regular visitors at the Christmas holidays, enjoying the seasonal lights, Santa visits, and smaller crowds with our two local grandsons.
If you’re a grandparent visiting Six Flags during the Georgia summer, we’re assuming it’s because you have younger grandchildren along. Teenagers are too cool and hyped-up to be slowed by us old folks, and by that, I mean anyone over 25! Plus, parents of teenagers should know better than asking grandparents to chaperone the raging-hormone crowd.
Regardless of why you’re here, you need a strategy – one that keeps the fun and your patience level higher and your internal temperature and blood pressure lower. With those seemingly mutually-exclusive objectives in mind, we offer the following suggestions for how to enjoy Six Flags over Georgia.
- Sky Buckets. We’re putting these first because you should ride them early. You can tell the family it’s to help them get a feel for the park layout. But the real reason is this attraction closes at the first sign of thunderstorms and remains closed long after. Unlike the towering, looping coasters, the Sky Buckets won’t be confused for an aerial daredevil experience. These slow-moving gondolas cross the park, providing a good view, gentle breeze and some relief from the closeness of the summertime crowds.
- Kiddie Rides. OK, so this is obvious. If you have little ones in tow, consider this your home base. Six Flags over Georgia offers two connected areas dedicated to the young crowd. Bugs Bunny Boom Town is the original kiddie land area, featuring seven rides perfect for the four-foot-and-under crowd. The newer DC Super Friends area adds four more superhero themed rides. For grandparents and parents, the only down side to the dedicated kiddie area is a lack of seating and shade. Well, that and the connector between the two is a black hole with an intense gravitational pull – the kiddie arcade area.
The cartoon-themed Boom Town features seven rides perfect for the four-foot-and-under crowd. - Riverview Carousel and Rocking Chairs. Every older adults ultimate resting ride, the Riverview Carousel is located on a shaded hilltop above the rest of the park. And it’s surrounded by classic rocking chairs, a perfect place of refuge from the hot, humid Georgia days. So you have two options: hop on and enjoy the ride, or grab a seat in the shade and watch the world and the little ones whirl by. While the Chattahoochee River flows nearby, this ride takes its name from Chicago’s Riverview Park, from whence the carousel was rescued following that park’s demise in 1967. The ride originally opened in 1908, and features intricate hand-carved horses and seats. If you want to enjoy the shade a little longer, walk over to the historical plaque while your family is in line. Then, when they’re done, regale them for a few extra minutes with grandparent-style trivial knowledge about the history of the hand-carved horses and seats. But if you do that, be certain you’re standing near one of the horses, and not the near-pornographic bench carving where a cherub looks surprised to see a half-naked woman wrapped in a tight embracing kiss with a bearded man. That just might be more that you bargained for!
The carousel is surrounded by old-fashioned rocking chairs, the perfect waiting place if this is a rendezvous point for your troops. - Hanson Cars. You passed these on the way up the hill to the carousel. Now that you’re on the downhill slope, coast into this line. One of the original park rides from 1967, these antique cars roar around on a rail track at speeds up to 7 mph. Lines are often long as you’re not the only grandparent or parent who loves this ride. When you’re done with the cars, you’ll find two other run-of-the-mill attractions that will provide some additional shade time for you and distraction for the younger ones: Rockin’ Tugs and Up, Up and Away.
- Six Flags Train. The train whistle is like the siren song of the Iliad for our grandsons – once they hear the beautiful sound, they ignore all else in a hypnotic trance. But once you’ve been in the park for a while, the whistle loses its magical qualities and so you will need to remind your younger charges about it to restore the mystical appeal. The Six Flags train is a 1.3-mile round trip to grandparent heaven, and you can enjoy it for an eternity as there’s no requirement to exit at any point (except during the Holiday Season, when the train ride is one-way to Santa Town!) You’re seated. Movement creates a gentle breeze. And sound of the wheels coupled with the rocking motion are perfect for inducing naps among tired and weary riders. Admit it, you’re secretly hoping the kids fall asleep. I’m just thankful my family members woke me up instead of abandoning me there.
The train whistle is like the siren song of the Iliad for kids. During the Holiday Season, it’s a one-way trip to Santa Town. - Monster Mansion. Walt Disney launched a sea of floating theme rides when he introduced “It’s a Small World” at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. At Monster Mansion, you swap out cute singing dolls for furry monsters and lose the mind-numbing song that sticks in your head. Yes, the ride features 107 imaginative ghoulish residents creeping, crawling and flying around with the intent to entertain and spook. But I’ll state the obvious: the real attraction for grandparents is the air-conditioning.
- JB’s Sports Bar and Grill. This is an adult refuge among the hustle and bustle of theme park madness, featuring appetizers, burgers, wings, lots of televisions and (YES!) cold beer. Most people line-up to place their orders at the main entrance, but we usually walk around to the side entrance, grab a picnic table and place a food and beverage order at the bar. There’s always sports on the myriad of TVs, and any channel featuring SEC football is the preferred fare in the fall.
JB’s is an adult refuge away from the hustle and bustle of Six Flags crowds — unless you visit during an SEC football Saturday.
What About Coasters?
Love ‘em but I can no longer tolerate any that include corkscrews or multiple loops. Six Flags offers a plethora of thrill ride and coaster choices, including a kiddie coaster, a log flume, and the gentle Dahlonega Mine Train suitable for your wee ones. New in 2018 is the Twisted Cyclone, a hybrid coaster that incorporates steel-track thrills into the tight quarters of a wooden coaster structure. An initial 10-story drop creates some impressive speeds, while the spinning turns generate a weightless feeling and some impressive screaming.
Very nice review! Did not realize you could order food items directly from the bar area… We discovered the Holiday in the Park again (after about 20 years), and grabbed the passes, then. The season pass has provided us an opportunity to get in some great walking (with or without nephews and nieces along), with moderate hills to boot. With the dining pass, we have lunch, a snack, and a dinner (often taken home). It has paid for itself, already, and the food options are surprisingly decent, unlike the theme park fare of two decades ago… 🙂 JB’s beer-battered fries are a great treat, and the lemon-yaki wings at Strutters are good, too… Be aware, however, that supplies may dwindle toward the later part of the afternoons, especially with the larger summer crowds.
And don’t forget the shows… This summer’s “Live&Local” fare has been very enjoyable, with everything from country and classic rock covers, to original artists, all local… (The Hearsay and Forrest’s Not Dead were two very surprising acts!)