Houdini's Great Escape
Encyclopedia
Houdini's Great Escape, also known as Boo-dini, is an indoor Vekoma Madhouse
attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure
. The ride is located in the park's Fantasy Forest section. The attraction opened in 1999, and was SBNO from 2008 - 2009 but was opened again due to popular demand. Houdini's Great Escape is widely believed to be the best flat ride in Six Flags Great Adventure, as well as the most well-themed and unique.
at the end of the 2009 season. Excited park guests were disappointed to find out that the ride was planned to be closed the entire 2010 summer season until Fright Fest. A Facebook
group was made to support the reopening of the ride for the whole season. Six Flags management said during a "Super Fan Call" that Houdini's Great Escape was slated to be open Memorial Day
through Labor Day
during the 2010 season. The ride opened early on May 22, 2010 and although the ride was planned to be closed on Labor Day, the park decided to keep the ride open past the planned closure date. The ride is still operating despite the park's official website saying that it was supposed to have closed on Labor Day.
. Screams can be heard from the Dare Devil Dive while waiting in line for Houdini. The line stops in front of Houdini's house, which features posters advertising Houdini's magic tricks, as well as daily seances which are held in the house.
in the front of the room move, Houdini's face appears on the mirror in the front of the room. The candles light themselves again and Margery congratulates guests on bringing back Houdini's spirit, and invites riders move on to Houdini's parlor, where the main ride takes place.
, called Houdini: The Great Escape, but it is inside of an opera house instead of a Victorian-style house.
to Labor Day
during the 2010 season. It is unknown whether the ride will remain open for Fright Fest or beyond the 2010 season at this time, although Six Flags has not announced the closure of the ride.
Vekoma Madhouse
A Vekoma Madhouse is a flat ride manufactured by Vekoma. The ride is designed to be an optical and physical illusion, consisting of several rows of seats attached to a swaying gondola within a rotating drum...
attraction at Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure
Six Flags Great Adventure is a theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey, owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corp., the world's largest amusement park corporation...
. The ride is located in the park's Fantasy Forest section. The attraction opened in 1999, and was SBNO from 2008 - 2009 but was opened again due to popular demand. Houdini's Great Escape is widely believed to be the best flat ride in Six Flags Great Adventure, as well as the most well-themed and unique.
History
The area where the Garden of Marvels and Shockwave roller coaster were located was cleared as part of Great Adventure's "War on Lines" in the 1999 season. It became home to the still running Dare Devil Dive and Houdini's Great Escape. The ride was opened slightly after the start of the 1996 season as a very successful ride. The ride was closed after the 2007 season, not be opened again until Fright Fest 2009. The Houdini's Great Escape entrance sign was removed, but the indoor and outdoor parts of the ride remained. No information was given about the fate of the ride until it was re-opened for Fright FestFright Fest
Fright Fest or FrightFest is a Halloween-oriented event that takes place at some theme parks, notably Six Flags parks, called "Six Flags Fright Fest", and PARC Management-owned parks, called "FrightFest".-General information:...
at the end of the 2009 season. Excited park guests were disappointed to find out that the ride was planned to be closed the entire 2010 summer season until Fright Fest. A Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
group was made to support the reopening of the ride for the whole season. Six Flags management said during a "Super Fan Call" that Houdini's Great Escape was slated to be open Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
during the 2010 season. The ride opened early on May 22, 2010 and although the ride was planned to be closed on Labor Day, the park decided to keep the ride open past the planned closure date. The ride is still operating despite the park's official website saying that it was supposed to have closed on Labor Day.
Queue
The queue weaves through Houdini's garden, which features several trees, shrubs, and an ornate fountain. The queue line is next to the park's Carousel, as well as the Dare Devil Dive SkyCoasterSkycoaster
Skycoaster, most commonly also named Ripcord or Xtreme SkyFlyer , is an amusement park ride, produced and managed by Skycoaster, Inc....
. Screams can be heard from the Dare Devil Dive while waiting in line for Houdini. The line stops in front of Houdini's house, which features posters advertising Houdini's magic tricks, as well as daily seances which are held in the house.
Preshow
After entering the house, guests come into Houdini's library, complete with faux candles and books. Margery, an unseen narrator, tells guests about Houdini and about their goal - to bring back the spirit of Houdini to the world of the living. She shows a film of Houdini so guests can concentrate on his image. Soon after the film ends, all the candles in the room blow out and Houdini's spirit begins to enter various objects in the room, including chains, gargoyles, and the Chinese Water Torture chamber. After making the candelabraCandelabra
"Candelabra" is the traditional term for a set of multiple decorative candlesticks, each of which often holds a candle on each of multiple arms or branches connected to a column or pedestal...
in the front of the room move, Houdini's face appears on the mirror in the front of the room. The candles light themselves again and Margery congratulates guests on bringing back Houdini's spirit, and invites riders move on to Houdini's parlor, where the main ride takes place.
Ride
After sitting down in one of two sets of benches which face each other, the exit doors close and the lights dim. A crystal ball illuminates, showing Houdini's head inside the ball. He denounces Margery and other frauds who claim to bring Houdini back to the world of the living, since he claims he never left. In order to show you his power, he locks you in place with a set of magical keys (projected onto mirrors) and tells you he will show you his greatest illusion to date. The room begins to rotate, and the benches swing, leading guests At the climax of the ride, the room and benches stop so that riders should theoretically be upside down. Once the ride ends, Houdini unlocks riders from their position and allows them to leave the ride, forever believing in the power of Harry Houdini.Technical Information
Houdini's Great Escape is a Mad House attraction, manufactured by Vekoma. The ride's benches, in reality, do not even rotate beyond 50 degrees, but they do rotate while the room spins to give the illusion of flipping. The themeing of the attraction was done by Showquest Studios. A near clone of the ride exists at Six Flags New EnglandSix Flags New England
Six Flags New England , formerly Riverside Amusement Park, is a Six Flags theme park, named for the New England region, in which it is located. Located off of Massachusetts State Route 159, Six Flags New England is located less than from the major City of Springfield, Massachusetts, in the nearby...
, called Houdini: The Great Escape, but it is inside of an opera house instead of a Victorian-style house.
Closure
At the beginning of the 2008 season, the decision was made not to re-open Houdini, along with several other rides being in SBNO state, and several flat rides being removed. That was not the plan from the beginning, but the ride was closed for reasons unknown. The ride stood, fully intact except for its signs, for the whole of the 2008 season. In 2009, Houdini's Great Escape was rumored to be opened again for Fright Fest, and sure enough, it opened on September 25 and remained open for all of Fright Fest. However, a furor among Six Flags Great Adventure fans started up when Houdini's Great Escape was taken off the park's website. A group on Facebook was started with a goal to reopen the ride, and after reaching over 600 fans Great Adventure announced during a Super Fan Call that Houdini's Great Escape would operate from Memorial DayMemorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
to Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
during the 2010 season. It is unknown whether the ride will remain open for Fright Fest or beyond the 2010 season at this time, although Six Flags has not announced the closure of the ride.