UPDATE 4/24 – The New Texas Giant has arrived! I rode it on opening day and I have to say that it definitely lived up to the hype. Check out my full Texas Giant review.
The new Texas Giant, one of 2011′s most anticipated coasters, was open today for a select group of riders participating in a film shoot at Six Flags Over Texas. The 20-year-old woodie that had a reputation for being rough and painful to riders received a reprofiling this winter
from Rocky Mountain coasters that made it a hybrid coaster with steel
track and wood supports. The coaster sets multiple new wooden coaster records, including steepest drop (79 degrees) and steepest banking (95 degrees). Feedback from those who were able to ride was overwhelmingly positive, with one poster on Theme Park Review claiming, “El Toro has met its match.”
Six Flags posted a Texas Giant POV video here.
All indications say that this overhaul will be a huge success. If so, it could mean that other parks give their rough, aging woodies this same treatment. The ride opens to the general public on April 22nd.
This (You)Report was submitted by OSM.
Supporting Links: Theme Park Review & Six Flags Over Texas Facebook Page.
More on the new Texas Giant.
What’s Your Take?
How do you think Texas Giant looks? Leave a comment below.
March 10, 2011 at 20:01
Having never had the chance to ride one of these hybrids, id just like to know, do they ride like a woodie?
March 10, 2011 at 22:30
If you mean El Toro, no it didn't. It had the layout of a wooden coaster, but the feel was so smooth and fast that it felt a lot more like a steel coaster.
March 11, 2011 at 06:10
oh yeh my bad, i meant prefabs as im guessing the ride is comparable.
They are become popular these hybrids for various reasons do you think if they continue in this way we will see a third class of coaster becoming widely accepted?
March 11, 2011 at 20:06
There is no third class of coaster, and I don't think there ever will be. There is steel, and wood. It is determined by track type. Texas Giant is a steel coaster, because it's track is steel.
March 10, 2011 at 20:08
The video looks really cool, but I was wondering about airtime. From the reviews on TPR, seems like one guy mostly, the airtime is on-par with El Toro (my favorite wooden coaster).
I'm even more excited to get down to SFOT now.
March 11, 2011 at 01:50
That does look very jummy indeed
March 11, 2011 at 03:29
Yes, Six Flags, we all know you own the video. Now quit taking up my screenspace!
PS-Those banks look crazy.
March 11, 2011 at 04:35
Cool.. 21st of April is my birthday. I wish I could go and ride it and if I do, it'll be my first wooden coaster, well, maybe a hybrid cause we don't have any wooden coasters here..
March 11, 2011 at 07:05
Maybe this hasn't been pointed out, but the New Texas Giant is NOT a wooden roller coaster. Yes, it has wooden supports, but it is in the exact classification as the Gemini at Cedar Point (which many still believe is a wooden coaster) however because both ride on steel, they cannot be considered as such.
Both are hybrids, you are correct, however to be a wooden roller coaster classified as a hybrid, the setup would have to be similar to Hades at Mt. Olympus or the Voyage at Holiday World.
Therefor, New Texas Giant can not be accurately compared to El Toro, nor can it officially hold and wooden roller coaster records.
March 11, 2011 at 11:55
Technically though, both ride on steel. Steel coasters use metal tubing while woodies use more flatened steel.
March 11, 2011 at 20:10
Very true. Both do ride on steel. It is determined, however, by what the track is primarily made of. With a wooden coaster, the track (other than the top steel rail and the bolts that hold it together) is all wood.
On New Texas Giant, the track is made ***entirely*** of steel. Therefore, it is a steel coaster, and can't take any wooden coaster records (unless they want to say steepest DROP with a wooden structure, most banked turn with a wooden structure, etc.)
April 26, 2011 at 16:46
I think its funny that you all have your opinions of what kind of coaster it is, but its already been deemed a wooden coaster therefore it does qualify for those records. Also, Ive ridden both and its better than El Toro which is still incredibly fun, but cant touch the giant.
April 26, 2011 at 17:07
It has steel track, therefore it's NOT a wooden coaster.
March 12, 2011 at 01:46
Vince, you're right. I didn't clearly state (in this post at least), that Texas Giant is now a STEEL coaster.
But, it can be compared to El Toro (a wooden coaster). Comparisons can be drawn from it's layout which is still more indicative of a wooden coaster. The same goes for Gemini for me. It is a steel coaster no doubt, but it'd be okay to compare it to other wooden racing coasters from the past because that type of ride only exists in the wooden coaster realm. I can't think of a steel racer like the twin racing woodies that are all over the U.S. at least.
March 11, 2011 at 11:56
All advertisements feature red trains. While all we see is blue trains. Anyone know if there is a red train?
March 12, 2011 at 01:48
On the TPR message board they mentioned that only one train was used during the filming of the commercial.
March 12, 2011 at 01:51
Vince also made a good point about the records. SFOT can market it however they want, but to call it the steepest woodie isn't really accurate. I'll leave it in the post b/c that's how the park is referring to it, but I'll note it from here on out.
March 13, 2011 at 16:37
CC, I can also see your point on the comparison with El Toro. Because New Texas Giant has a layout similar to a wooden roller coaster, it is much easier to compare than say a true steel coaster such as Millennium Force or Diamondback.
That also goes with your point about Gemini. I can't think of any other "traditional" steel racing coasters other than Gemini, which forces us to compare it with the wooden racers.
Keep up the good work here buddy.
April 9, 2011 at 23:32
Hmmmmm…. SWEET!!! Maybe there's some hope for the horrible Beast, if it's boring length doesn't make it cost prohibitive. Other candidates for an extreme makeover: KD's Grizzly, Mean Streak, Rolling Thunder, SFOG Cyclone, SFNE Thunderbolt.
Who knows? Maybe this could have saved Hercules from its untimely demise.
April 10, 2011 at 00:59
Agreed. After I ride Texas Giant and confirm it's as good as reported. I'd like to do a post/poll asking fans which woodies should get a TXGiant-like overhaul. KBF's Ghostrider is a strong candidate too.
October 25, 2011 at 13:29
What about son of the beast
And screamscape said colossus at sfmm might get it to
April 29, 2011 at 09:13
i want to see the new texas giant clips
April 11, 2012 at 15:31
I've ridden the NEW Texas Giant and the OLD Texas Giant.
The old one was better. I literally thought my head would shake off my neck. Lots of airtime. The OTG was righteously voted the best wooden rollercoaster in the US (if not the world). The exit bridge had a 55 gal can that had a rider puking in every couple of runs. NO EXAGGERATION.
The NTG is still an excellent ride. Riders frequently applaud with delight when returning. First drop is exhilarating and I would characterize it as enjoyably long. Nobody is puking at the end of the ride…its too smooth because…
However, it is not a true wooden coaster. The cars have a third and fourth set of wheels on the inside of the I beam track. Cars are simply not sitting on the track like the old version. There is not car "air time" although there is plenty of rider airtime. The I beam track is continuous.
June 25, 2012 at 11:35
We went this past Saturday. I refused to wait an hour in line to ride the new Texas Giant so I did not ride it. I was a huge fan of the old version and was disappointed when they announced they would rehaul it to make it smoother. My sister did ride it last Saturday and reported that although the first drop was fun, it was nothing special after that. Let me stress she said it was fast, but she really missed the rickety, bumpy, "air time", shaky ride we all knew as "the Giant".
June 25, 2012 at 17:01
That's a first. I haven't heard anyone say that they missed the rickety, bumpy, ride. To each their own, but you should really ride it for yourself.