Aquaman Splashdown appears to be seeing its final days at Six Flags over Texas. Last seen operating in 2018, the park has removed the water ride’s pumps and signature Aquaman statue. But what will take its place for 2020 or beyond? In this post we’ll analyze one specific rumor of a massive water ride replacement.
In late March amusement park rumor mills started reported that a Mack Rides PowerSplash ride could be destined for the park.
What’s a Mack Rides PowerSplash?
The PowerSplash concept by Mack Rides combines a magnetically-launched shuttle coaster with a water ride. Linear-synchronous motors propel the vehicle back and forth between two 148-foot spikes. On the vehicle’s final pass, a valve releases water into a splash-down pool to create the finale’s signature splash.
The ride is a unique and eye-catching concept. But could it actually work at Six Flags over Texas?
Measuring the PowerSplash
Official data for PowerSplash is limited at Mack’s official site, so we resorted to empirical measurement methods. The only PowerSplash ride currently in existence is Pulsar at Walibi Belgium. Using Google Earth, we measured the ride to be approximately 530 feet long and 50 feet wide at its splashdown area.
Dimensions of Pulsar at Walibri Belgium (satellite imagery from Google Earth)
It’s an especially long and narrow-profile ride, which sounds like a problematic replacement for the more compact footprint of Aquaman Splashdown.
Fitting in Aquaman’s Location
Overlaying an image of Pulsar on top of Aquaman shows it to be an unrealistic fit, with the ride and station interfering with part of Bugs Bunny Boomtown and Pandemonium. The ride would also get very close to the Six Flags Railroad tracks, potentially requiring track changes.
Overlay of a Mack Rides PowerSplash over Aquaman’s Footprint (satellite imagery from Google Earth)
It’s possible the ride and splashdown pool could be modified, but it seems like an unlikely fit into Aquaman’s old spot.
The Final Verdict
Given the large footprint of Pulsar and the relatively small real estate Aquaman takes up, the installation of a PowerSplash ride would be a spatial nightmare. The ride’s station and splashdown pools could be modified for a better integration. But aside from scaling the entire ride down to better fit in Aquaman’s footprint, this rumor seems unlikely and is probably the result of enthusiasts’ wishful thinking for a new water attraction.
Guide to SFoT will continue to monitor the park’s rumors and news feeds, providing the latest information and analysis.
What are some rumors you’ve heard regarding Six Flags over Texas? Suggest them in our comments section to request a further look.
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