Six Flags Over Texas makes historic personnel change, lays out summer plans
Six Flags Over Texas has plenty of exciting announcements leading up to the summer months, from a new general manager to revamped rides.
Sharon Mayo Parker was appointed as general manager of Six Flags Over Texas this week, becoming the first Black woman to hold the role within the company.
“Being the first Black female in this role is something I do not take lightly – and my hope is that my experience has paved the way for future minority leaders. As we continue to focus on park enhancements, our priority will be providing an amazing guest experience this season and beyond,” Parker said in a statement.
Historic hire
Parker has been with the Arlington-located Six Flags Over Texas since 2007, serving as communications manager and marketing director of sales and entertainment, over that period.
Before joining the company, Parker was a news anchor at the Waco-based television station KWTX. Working in the role from 1998 to 2006, Parker was the station’s first Black female evening anchor, according to KWTX.
Parker then joined Fort Worth ISD as an external communications coordinator from 2006 to 2007. She would join Six Flags Over Texas in 2007 and the rest is history.
New and revamped rides
Park goers have two new rides to look forward to later this year and one that has been revamped to offer riders a chance to fly like a superhero.
The Texas Skyscreamer has been at the park since 2013, but now riders can try out the ride in a flight suit, rather than a traditional seat.
Riders are strapped into a flight suit with their stomachs toward the ground and are raised 400 feet in the air as the coaster spins them around at 40 mph. The ride is now open for those looking for an adrenaline rush.
Aquaman: Power Wave is a multi-launch water coaster that suspends two 20-passenger boats up 148-foot-high twin track towers and hurtles them across more than 700 feet of track at 63 mph toward a massive splash.
The ride is the first-of-its-kind and will be the park’s 15th coaster. Although a specific opening date has not been announced for the ride, it will open this year, company spokesperson Brad Malone said.
Pirates of Speelunker Cave is a reinvention of The Speelunker’s Cave, also known as The Cave, a ride that ran from 1964-1991. It will take the place of a similar ride, Yosemite Sam and the Gold River Adventure, which opened in 1992 and closed in 2018.
The family-friendly ride places riders on a six-passenger boat as they descend into the Speeluker’s Cave, featuring cinematic projections, immersive sets and animatronics. It will open later this year, but no specific date has been announced quite yet, Malone said.
Besides the new attractions at the park, visitors can expect an improved entry experience at the front gate, freshly painted buildings, lush landscaping and other enhancements throughout.
Six Flags Over Texas is currently only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The park opens for summer on May 30 and remains open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
