I noticed something during my visit to Six Flags Over Texas over the weekend, and I have to say I wasn't surprised.  There's one thing that even the pandemic can't change.

Long lines!  Holy cats, people will wait forever for a 2-minute rickety whirl around metal tracks. My first post-pandemic trip to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington included no shortage of long lines for rides and concessions.

Six Flags over Texas no longer has capacity restrictions so the crowds are back in full force, and I went a probably the worst possible time, on a Saturday at noon.  It took thirty minutes to get through the process of parking, and another twenty minutes to walk with the herd to the main entrance and get through the ticket-scanning lines to actually enter the park, and once we were in, we had to make a pit stop right away because one daughter needed the restroom and another was dying for a bottle of water.  There were lines for those things too.  You know how it goes, parents.  Everything takes twice as long as you think it will, just because it does.

The swing line.  Oh, Mylanta.  The Texas Skyscreamer swing ride probably didn't have the longest line in the park, but we stood in it twice, and each time the announcer came on over the loudspeaker and said, "We apologize, but the Texas Skyscreamer is temporarily closing for technical difficulty."  So, after standing in line for about thirty minutes, there would be no pot of gold at the end of our rainbow of patience. Drat!

Jen Austin - Townsquare Media
Jen Austin - Townsquare Media
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We left the swings, and I roped the girls into going on the kiddie ride nearby with me even though they wanted no part of a tame ride like that and only wanted one that would potentially make their heads fly off.  I enjoyed the kiddie hot air balloon ride because I am a wimp, and after childbirth frankly, there are things that a woman wants no part of, and wild rollercoasters are one of them.  Tell me if I'm wrong ladies.

Jen Austin - Townsquare Media
Jen Austin - Townsquare Media
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About an hour later, I did find myself on the Shockwave coaster and my head did almost fly off, I got a neck sprain trying to hold my head in position on the loops which is impossible, but I did it because I love my girls.

And we were able to get on the Texas Skyscreamer eventually after they fixed whatever technical difficulties had hampered it in the first place.  I kept my eyes closed the whole time, but I've heard that a person can see Dallas and Fort Worth skylines from the swings as they circle around four stories up, IF the eyes are open.  Maybe next time.

My 9-year old rode the Titan and came off it excited, on a total high, and talking a mile a minute about how fantastic and thrilling it was.  The wait was a little over an hour for that one.

The line for Batman was thirty minutes, and nobody lost a shoe.

Jen Austin - Townsquare Media
Jen Austin - Townsquare Media
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The line for the kiddie hot air balloon ride was three minutes, so I think I win.

Everything seemed to be completely back to normal on my first post-COVID trip to Six Flags, and the lines were no exception.  I guess that's a good thing!  It's proof that the pandemic can't change everything.

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