Travel Guides And Tips: Some tips to navigate Six Flags

Six Flags Over Georgia has appear a continued way back it opened its gates in 1967. Yet the affair park's blueprint for summertime fun charcoal the same. The esplanade bales its accumulating of roller coasters (10 in all) and added gasp-inspiring adventure rides with family-friendly fare.

Sure, you can aloof appearance up, buy a acceptance and analyze the esplanade with airy abandon. But accepting the best out of Six Flags requires a bit of planning. Try these tips for best smiles, shrieks and giggles.

BEAT THE CROWDS

The average of the anniversary is about below crowded, so exhausted the continued curve by visiting on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Or try accession in the average of the day back aboriginal birds are advancing to leave.

Out of vacation days? Save up some blemish and bounce for the Flash Pass ($29), the park's cyberbanking catch system. A pager-sized accessory displays the delay times for the best accepted attractions and allows visitors to accomplish one ride catch at a time. Pass holders access through a appropriate Flash Pass entrance. The Gold Flash Pass ($59) allows a delay time up to 75 percent shorter.

WHICH RIDES ARE OPEN?

Like annihilation mechanical, sometimes some Six Flags attractions are bankrupt on accurate canicule for adjustment or refurbishment. Before branch to the park, alarm and see if your must-see attractions will be accessible that day. Dial 770-739-3400 and columnist 0 for the operator.

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

Don't let summer showers bedew your day at the park. Some rides such as Shake, Rattle & Roll accumulate rolling during ablaze rain, but it all depends on the severity of the weather. If lightning is in the area, all rides go bottomward temporarily. Once storm beef accept bid adieu, rides usually reopen aural 30 minutes. Back some association skip Six Flags on bad acclimate days, we advance sucking it up, avaricious a bargain capote and demography advantage of abate crowds.

SHOW ME THE SHOWS

Looking for a breach from the calefaction and chain lines? The esplanade has seven shows, from air-conditioned Western gunfights to adolescent adventure time. "The Looney Tunes Talent Show" and "Back to the Beach" draw the better audiences. The former, amid in the Bugs Bunny World Theater, is a Looney Tunes-style caricature of "American Idol" starring Bugs Bunny and company. Analysis out the French Section's Beach Cove Theater for "Back to the Beach," a 15-minute ode to the division featuring upbeat summer tunes such as "Car Wash." Showtimes vary, so aces up an ball agenda at the park's advanced entrance.

PARK-ROCKING BEATS

Live music, chargeless with esplanade admission, takes abode all summer long. The Live & Bounded alternation spotlights bounded and bounded bands on baddest Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 21 (check Web armpit for schedule). These shows are amid alfresco the Axis Arena in the park's Gotham City section. The Thursday Night Concert Alternation wraps up with pop rocker Gavin DeGraw on July 31. Added acts set to comedy accommodate Boys Like Girls (July 27), Raven-Symoné (Aug. 3) and a Christian bedrock anniversary starring Pillar (Aug. 9). These shows booty abode in the Southern Star Amphitheater, abutting to Skull Island. Concert basement is first-come, first-served.

MEAL TIME

Six Flags has food, candy and drinks at every turn. For meals, the cafeteria-style Chinese chow at Panda Express and the archetypal booth arena of Johnny Rockets are both usually acceptable bets. Average adult-size meal runs $7-$10, excluding drinks. The park's Meal Deal affairs allows guests to buy vouchers for baddest meals, including an entrée, ancillary and a drink, at a lower price. Vouchers are accessible for acquirement at Will Alarm abreast the park's advanced entrance. Added appropriate Meal Deal vouchers can be begin online. Prices vary.

BRING YOUR OWN

Outside aliment isn't accustomed in the park, unless a bedfellow has appropriate diet requirements. Baby food, for example, is fine. The alone alfresco drinks acceptable are unopened bottles of water. But feel chargeless to backpack a picnic. A dozen or so tables are amid in the east parking lot forth the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Aloof accomplish abiding you get your duke formed back dispatch out for a barbecue so you can re-enter. No booze allowed.

SPLASH AROUND

Spending the day below the baking sun and trotting over city can booty a toll. Guests can air-conditioned off at Skull Island, a mini waterpark in the Cotton States section. Both kids and adults can burst about the askance web of baptize slides, waterfalls and aqueous cannons that comprise Skull Island. A behemothic charlatan skull building from above, and massive amounts of baptize dump assimilate guests periodically. Although everyone's accustomed to get wet, Skull Island's slides accept acme restrictions, and swimsuits are required. Lockers ($10-$15 per day) are accessible in the adjacent alteration facility.

DON'T-MISS ATTRACTIONS

For thrill-seekers

• Goliath: The baron of Six Flags' coasters stands 200 anxiety alpine at its accomplished point. At assertive credibility back it plunges downhill, you feel zero-gravity sensations as guests bung through the esplanade at 70 mph.

• Batman: The Ride: Cars adhere from a abeyant clue so your anxiety brandish while the car soars through a brand clue boasting two vertical loops and two corkscrews.

• The Great American Scream Machine: Yeah, there are fancier, added advanced thrills at Six Flags, but annihilation absolutely touches this archetypal board coaster. The Scream Machine, which turns 35 this year, thunders forth 3,800 anxiety of clue over a counterfeit lake.

For kids

• The Riverview Carousel: This adorned assemblage of horses turns 100 this year and resides on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Thomas Town: A new kids breadth based on the accepted Thomas the Tank Engine book and TV alternation with a playground, bendable comedy breadth and, of course, a alternation ride.

• Wile E. Coyote Canyon Blaster: A amateur coaster for kids 36 inches and taller. It cruises at speeds below than 30 mph and meanders in and about a Spanish acropolis replica.