Batman the Ride
Batman the Ride is an inverted roller coaster that debuted at Six Flags over Texas for the 1999 season. Designed by famed Swiss coaster designers Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M), Batman’s inverted trains hang below the track. Riders’ legs freely dangle below, making for a different ride experience from traditional sit-down roller coasters.
Although not the largest or fastest ride at a 105-foot lift hill and 50 mph top speed, Batman is still one of the most intense rides at Six Flags over Texas. Located in the Gotham City area, Batman packs five inversions in a small footprint: two vertical loops, two corkscrews (or flat spins as B&M refers to them), and a zero-G roll.
Aerial View
An aerial view showing the entire Batman the Ride layout
Second Loop
Another view of Batman’s second loop.
Corkscrew
Two corkscrews, or ‘wingover’ elements as they’re often called on B&M coasters, are featured on Batman
Corkscrew
The corkscrews have a signature ‘snap’ in the middle that produces decent lateral Gs
Entrance
The entrance to Batman wouldn’t be complete without the Batmobile
First Drop
Riders enjoy the bottom of the first drop of Batman the Ride
First Loop
The first of two vertical loops on Batman the Ride
Zero-G Roll
The zero-G roll element rotates riders about their heartline and produces great lateral G-forces
Heartline Roll
The zero-G roll is also known as a heartline roll
Second Loop
Batman the Ride’s second vertical loop leads riders into an intense helix
Kick the Sky
Inverted coasters like Batman the Ride literally allow riders to ‘kick the sky.’
Turnaround
This turnaround element briefly allows riders to recover from the intense helix before the ride’s two corkscrews.
First Half
First half of Batman the Ride’s layout
Second Half
The compact second half of Batman the Ride includes near misses with the station and a concrete ditch
Banked Turn
Despite being compact, Batman the Ride’s second half still packs a punch.
Queue Line
The queue for Batman starts out with lush landscaping but quickly deteriorates to simulate Gotham City’s criminal overtaking
Station
The ride station is themed to Wayne Foundation
Dueling Rides
The first drop of Batman comes within mere feet of Mr. Freeze which gives the illusion of the two rides ‘dueling’
Batman the Ride Trivia
Batman the Clone
Batman the Ride is a standard layout from coaster manufacturer B&M and at least 11 rides with identical or mirrored layouts can be found at 11 other parks worldwide. In fact, 6 other Six Flags parks have Batman the Ride clones (Six Flags Fiesta Texas named theirs ‘Goliath’ instead of ‘Batman the Ride’).
Backwards Batman
In 2014 the park announced it would reverse Batman’s trains as part of its 15th anniversary. The “Backwards Batman” experience drew mixed reviews and the regular Batman returned the next season (as intended).
The reversed trains weren’t simply the regular trains installed backwards. They were customized trains that slowly rotated through a number of Six Flags parks as a sort of “Backwards Batman” tour.
Texas' 3 Clones
Texas is home to 3 “Batman the Ride” clones — one at Six Flags over Texas, one at Six Flags Fiesta Texas named “Goliath” (which is actually a mirrored version), and one at Sea World San Antonio named “Great White.” SFoT’s was the second built of the three, with Great White opening 2 years earlier in 1997.
The Batsuit that Never Was
Several Shades of Gray
Unlike most other roller coasters, Batman’s track arrived at the park unpainted (only a gray primer was applied). After construction completed, the park went back and painted the ride its blue and yellow color scheme.
Batman the Ride Stats
| Ride Type: | Inverted roller coaster |
| Height: | 105 ft |
| Top Speed: | 50 mph |
| Length: | 2700 ft |
| Year Introduced: | 1999 |
| Inversions: | 5 |
| Manufacturer: | Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) |
| Duration: | 2 min |
| Height Requirement: | 54" |
| Status: | Operating |
| Flash Pass Enabled: | Yes |
Live Wait Time
BATMAN The Ride is currently closed.
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Where to Sit?
Ride in the front row for the best view (the only row with a view, really). Ride in the back for the most intense experience.
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