History
In 1999, Six Flags Great Adventure spent $42 million on new attractions including a prototype Floorless Coaster by Bolliger & Mabillard, Medusa (later Bizarro). Due to the immediate popularity of the ride, Six Flags Fiesta Texas was one of four amusement parks to announce plans on installing Floorless Coasters in 2000. Aside from the announcement of Superman: Krypton Coaster on November 1, 1999, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom announced Medusa, Geauga Lake announced Dominator, and SeaWorld Orlando announced Kraken. The $20 million Superman: Krypton Coaster was announced as part of a wider multi-million dollar expansion of Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
At the time of the ride's announcement, construction had already began on an unused portion of land bordered by quarry walls and an irrigation pond. The initial plans for the ride specified it would have seven inversions including a 114-foot-tall (35 m) vertical loop and a 96-foot-tall (29 m) dive loop. Following the ride's announcement in November 1999, the design was altered to remove the dive loop completely and increase the size of the vertical loop to 145 feet (44 m). This saw Superman: Krypton Coaster obtain the record for the world's tallest vertical loop when it officially opened to the public on March 11, 2000.
On March 6, 2010, Six Flags Fiesta Texas offered exclusive ride time on Superman: Krypton Coaster to help celebrate the ride's 10th anniversary.
In Spring 2013, Superman: Krypton Coaster will lose the title of having the world's tallest vertical loop. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California will open Full Throttle which will feature a 160-foot-tall (49 m) vertical loop, 15 feet (4.6 m) taller the vertical loop on Superman: Krypton Coaster.
Read more about this topic: Superman: Krypton Coaster
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