Roller Coaster Design Flaw!! - Mr. Freeze Reverse Blast Review & Analysis - Six Flags Over Texas 

I love a tight pullout.

Love that you talk about the technical side of the ride, that's something too many enthusiasts ignore!

"backwards front row" oh my head hurts

Growing up in St. Louis, Mr. Freeze was the coaster everyone would dare each other to go on. It was my first steel coaster and was the ride that first sparked my interest in roller coasters.

I had a guy try to argue with me saying that the launch on this ride is in fact not LIM but a hydraulic launch because he said his dad built the ride

I work at six flags and this is by far one of my favorite rides to attend. When the train initially leaves all you see is fear. it's worth seeing the joyful expressions when guests come back in

One thing I love about this coaster is the view from the spike as you’re facing down. It really gives you a sense of how high up you are in the air and adds to the fear factor of the ride.

“100 mph in 7 seconds, sometimes.” OK STR8 BOY SHADE. Do it Ryan.

I was TERRIFIED to ride this.. once I did, it quickly became one of my favorites.

I love Mr Freeze! I have been riding it since 2003, and it is still my favorite at the park, even over New Texas Giant. I knew that we got a boost on the spike, but I never thought of how big of an issue it would be if the boost fails. When I saw the title say "design flaw", I was thinking, "Don't you be dissing on my beloved Mr Freeze!" But I'm glad to hear that you enjoy the ride, and I realize that you're right about the potential problems.

I'm so SO glad they got rid of the over-the-shoulder restraints. Headaches for days.

I would love to shake the hand of whoever decided to reverse the train, because sitting in the back row going up that spike is an amazing experience

I grew up an hour from this park and I have so many fond memories of Mr Freeze. I think I rode it the day it opened or at least soon afterward. This and Batman The Ride have been my favorites for years for nostalgia at least. I don't think I've ever seen a train stalled, I've definitely never been in a stalled train, but this is a fascinating look at coaster history and mechanics that I've never considered before.

love freeze. my favorite ride at the park to ride and to work. another flaw you missed is that when they designed the ride they must have only accounted for the clearance with OTSRs and now that the ride has lap bars, if you have a bit of room you can actually slap a couple of the beams on the tophat. really stings in the back row.

I rode this coaster in January. The first time my wife and I rode it, we were unaware that it lunches backwards, so we sat on the train and looked at each other when we realized that is was lunching in reverse. Right after we looked at each other it lunched. We rode it 8 more time during our 2 day visit to SFOT. Loved it.

I started working at SFoT while Mr. Freeze was being welded. I remember on my first day, during orientation, the speaker was talking about reporting things that seem out of place. The example he actually gave was "like, for example, if you see a welder for Mr. Freeze in such in such area, where they have no reason to be, report it". During orientation, they showed us a computer generated video of what Mr. Freeze was going to look like, once completed. I rode it when the train was forward (launching out of the station forward and returning backwards). Also, this ride is frequently shut down because the spire keeps getting struck by lightning and it has to be repaired each time. As an employee, I got to be among the first to ride it before it was open to the public.

Best part of the ride is looking up while you’re at the top and seeing the entire park upside down, it’s even better at night and you see all of Gotham illuminated. My favorite ride in the entire park!

When I was 17, I rode the st louis one when they still had the shoulder restraints. It gave me such a migraine that I was puking an hour later.

Can confirm, the over the shoulder restraints would bang your head from side to side. The lap bars were a huge improvement (at least for the St.Louis model)

I remember when the overhead restrains were on the Mr. Freeze trains before they went to the lap restrain system. It was terrible. Your head constantly banged back and forth between shoulder restraints. Girls were advised to remove earings because early on, they were coming back into the station with bleeding ears from banging the head back and forth. Lap restraints made it much more enjoyable. Also, Freeze got stuck in the summer sometime between 1999-2002 if I remember correct. It was stuck in the vertical position at near the highest point. I am not sure what went wrong, but I remember helicopter footage on the news. Emergency crews had to take water up to the passengers because of the summer heat.

Wow I never realized this design flaw even though it’s so obvious.

El Toro Ryan hittin us with that knowledge. 🤙

I absolutely love the one in St. Louis. The weird forces it puts on your body make it more thrilling. Part of the thrill is that it's a bit janky. I love that you start off in reverse. After the launch going through the tunnel backwards you don't know when the track is going to go up, you can't anticipate it. I love that pulling feeling at the top because it's such a weird sensation. I get a really bad headache if I ride it more than 2 times in a row.

Six Flags over Texas used to be my home park. Mr. Freeze is great. It is definitely intense though. Not for the faint of heart. My favorite spot is the back row, which is technically the front row when going backwards.

ElToroRyan: "I guess Premier likes making things difficult..." Six Flags MM: *begins crying*

My band class had the entire STL SF to ourselves with a handful of other bands for the day and I can’t tell you how many times we rode this ride. The reverse part definitely forced your head down in an uncomfortable way but it was GREAT. I remember very vividly riding it in the rain and falling with it on the way down from the spike. Very surreal experience! Def one of my favorite coaster

Imo I’m lucky to have this at my home park and consider it a pretty rare credit I’m proud to have.

The second time i got to go to 6F St.Louis was the first year they added Mr Freeze. Bout shit my pants at the top of the spike, a truly awesome unforgettable ride. All day you could hear 2 conversations murmured around the park, #1 Omfg im not riding that, Mr Freeze is crazy! #2 Your such a wuss come on you gotta ride Mr Freeze, its awesome! Glad to finally see a vid giving it props an love the indepth tech side of your doc vid bro!

I rode this when I was like 13 back when it first opened and I think I liked it even better when it was forward launching, cause back then not only would the lights turn on in the tunnel on launch but it would shoot this kind of dry ice like smoke out that you would shoot through and it'd be so cool to watch yourself wizzing through all that with the sensation of being launched and the intense sounds of the LIMs going off. Also it made the first inverted top hat a bit more comfortable on the first run through it, the second run being a bit slower and not much an issue anyways.

I have been riding Mr Freeze for years I was born in 1991 so I was about 7 when the ride released and been riding it since I was like 8 or 9 and I am 29 going to be 30 this year. I have down the reverse and the original and love both. Its a amazing ride. You also taught me something about the ride I never knew which was the magnets at the top. I always assumed it was momentum that pushed you thru the ride backwards or in reverse forwards.

Actually, this valleying occurs often for Mr Freeze because it has a frequent problem of launching too slowly and not getting up to speed to course through the elements. It usually results in an E-stop or lock out, though the lock out has a nasty habit of erasing all of the run's error data and making it a heck of a job for mechanics. I've only worked at SFOT for a week now and it has happened often enough that it's talked about casually among my fellow ride ops.

This is a great point, I always wondered about that launch failing considering how unreliable they tend to be

So its 4pm in the Usa, its 10pm here in Germany, I Have school tomorrow and am still watching this Video xD

Rode this for the first time this past weekend on a short trip to Dallas. I dont care how flawed it is, this shit was just plain awesome.

I’ve never felt this was crazy crushing force, it’s quick and intense but not sure about insane forces, in a good way.

It looks fun, but I passed it up 3 times because i am unsure about the reverse launch. If it was still forward facing, I would probably ride it, but the reverse launch scares me.

The launch on flight of fear is one of the best lunches I've been on.

Great video, mang. I never noticed these flaws, so thanks for the info, I love to learn about unique and or flawed rides

My home park is Magic Mountain, but I went to Over Texas for the first time a month ago, and I fell in love. Such a great park, and this ride was so fun. I rode it like 5 times that day.

I rode Intimidator 305 before they “fixed” the first turn. Ever since then I’ve been infatuated with positive g-forces. Lookin forward to that tight pullout! 😎😎😎

What a great analysis. I feel like I have a good idea of what this ride feels like from your description. Now I have to ride it. Keep making these! Thanks :)

When this ride first opened it started front facing. I remember it opened a season late so season pass holders (myself and family included) got exclusive days to attend the park with limited rides so we could enjoy the ride. We rode this exactly 15 times and I had a headache the rest of the day. Totally worth it. It’s a lot more fun now that it’s reversed however. I have pretty serious back problems and surprisingly this ride doesn’t cause my any lack pain. They’ve changed the harnesses so the head pain has been significantly reduced. What a ride!

Another great vid! Your breakdowns are simply the best on RU-vid. Hands down. I look forward to gettin on one of these.

i rode this back when it was facing forwards, i loved it. i havent gotten a chance to ride it since they turned the train around though. what i can say though, its a crazy feeling going up the vertical spike forwards. when you hit those booster motors, you feel like you are about to go off the end of the track.

I worked at SFSL! This is one of my rides I was stationed at. I've ridden it more than 100 times easily. I actually preferred when it went forward. The rush of watching the train run out of track as you got boosted to the end was such a rush.

Absolute favorite coaster at SF STL. We used to keep a penny in hand for when we got to the vertical stretch. Right as we'd get to the peak we'd let go of the pennies and watch them float in mid-air, trying to catch them as we fell back to the ground. Great times.

Really interesting, I never really thought about this! I'm glad that their "bad design" didn't get shut down. As you said and something I just talked about in one of my vids, this provides such a unique experience that you can't really find anywhere else.

Went to six flags over texas for the first time in 2017 with a church group and made it my goal to ride every coaster in the park. I had such a blast on the texas giant and the titan that I rode them two or three times. Then we moved on to Mr. Freeze. It was, at the time, my #1 coaster. I loved every second of the ride. Felt so good that I had to get back in line each time. Rode it 4-5 times and missed my chance to ride Shock wave because of this. But I wasn’t even a little disappointed at the end of the day. Just said “guess I gotta come back and ride Shock wave” while smiling, knowing I’d get to ride Freeze again.

Looks like this coaster is bigger than hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop....

I've worked Mr Freeze awhile back, the look on people's faces when they get shot out the station was always priceless

Mr Freeze is a staple ride for me any time I go to Six Flags Over Texas. Can’t get enough of it.

Haha I used to live in St Louis and cannot remember a single time Mr Freeze wasn't closed.

Very nicely put together video and very entertaining as well. Thanks for posting this.

I rode this ride long time ago when my friend lived in Texas. I enjoyed it lunching backwards. The video help understand the aspect of the ride, thank u Ryan.

I'm so excited that you have this video, this is my favorite ride at Six Flags. My family used to go to six flags multiple times when I was a child. It stops working quite often so the line tends to be short and they're able to get it back up and running pretty fast sometimes so my family would always just wait til it was running again cuz most people would leave so it would send us nearly to the front. I remember riding it when it was forward facing way before they decided to flip the seats over. I used to always sit in the front to get to the very top of the end of the coaster cuz the drop backwards was so much fun, now I always sit in the back cuz the drop from so high is just so much fun.

Love this roller coaster! My cousin and I rode it about 10 times one day back in the mid 2000s when it still launched forwards. One of my favorite visits to 6flags over Texas.

I remember when the one in St. Louis was first built and when they did test runs on the coaster, one time we saw a wheel fall off into the Thunder River. It also used to launch people facing forward.

This is one of my favorite roller coasters. It is intense for sure but in the best way. Love your videos man. Never knew I wanted to learn about roller coasters so much.

For a brief time you could choose trains facing either direction at St. Louis. Unfortunately I never got to try them like this back-to-back as the ride had the most downtime in the park by a large margin. It was a joke that the guys who ran Mr. Freeze hardly worked at all. Haven't been recently but last I knew they both run backwards. (assuming both are working😅) I spoke with (allegedly) one of the maintenance guys who said that, during the reverse-blastening, a floppy was lost/broken and Premier (or Siemens or Rockwell, whoever made the controller) didn't have backups of the LIM timing. So it was six flags personnel that were adjusting each LIM, 1ms at a time, trial and error, to get the train out at the right speed. Probably just a tall tail from a delirious maintenance guy......but... then again, the launch *was* substantially jerkier after reverse blast was introduced.

This one of the best rides at 6FOT, literally every kid I knew growing up dreamt of the day they were tall enough to ride it

At 9:08, Formula Rossa also features the same design flaw! I don’t know how high the second hill is on that coaster, but I once saw on a National Geographic documentary that the coaster train got stuck on the second hill because the coaster didn’t launch fast enough to get through the whole layout! I love these problematic roller coaster videos, and they are making me think about roller coasters from a whole new perspective. Please keep up with this great content!

Please continue making informative videos about the operational/ design specifics about particular rides. They’re done so well! Really enjoying them. Thanks great job

Freeze delayed its opening, and as a result pass holders got 2 days the following season to exclusively preview the ride before general open. My mom, brothers and I proudly rode it 23 times that day. It wasn't reverse at that point, a beast nonetheless. Thanks for the special vid.

I'm Indonesian, and since the official announcement of Racing Coaster on Trans Studio Bandung, I have been actively looking on RCDB about the coaster's sister. And I found out it was a miniature of Mr Freeze Reverse Blast Coaster at Six Flags Over Texas! I really enjoy your explaination in this video. Although I never been into the Trans Studio Bandung, but once I find out how the coaster layout got major cut off from its original design it demotivated me to try the Racing Coaster. I found the Mr Freeze Reverse Blast Coaster are waaaay more intense! Hahaha

RU-vid's algorithm did right for once! I live in San Antonio, and we often travel to Arlington because we love Six Flags Over Texas so much. My sisters especially love Reverse Blast. This was a very interesting video. Thanks!

I went on the St. Louis Mr. Freeze in about 1998 when it still had the incredibly uncomfortable over-the-shoulder restraints and you're absolutely right about it hurting. I haven't been back to Six Flags St. Louis or Over Texas, but I'd give it a try now that they have lap bars.

I love that someone is actually talking about Texas because I’ve seen like one video about Texas so thank you

As someone who grew up riding this ride, they actually will switch now and then whether it starts with a backward or forward launch! So neat.

Rode MFRB at Six Flags St. Louis with my (then) girlfriend and my sister three years ago today (thanks Facebook memories!) - we didn't launch fast enough to make it through the initial tophat and we went right back into the station tunnel. Definitely was a unique experience!

I love these informative coaster videos. Great job!

Thank you for covering this ride. It's my all time favorite, as I haven't been on many :)

TOPHAT!! lol. Idk why hearing that word so many times was just a bit entertaining wondering how many times I’d hear you say it. I ENJOY UR COASTER VIDEOS! Informative, detailed and just plain COOL! 😎👍

Such a fantastic ride in my home town. Have ridden it both facing forwards and backwards and IMO, backwards is much more intense - after the launch, you get crushed into the restraint as the coaster SHARPLY banks upward. LOVE the airtime when it reverses at the top.

Awesome review, I love Mr Freeze the vertical spike and giant banked curve on the return trip are my favorite parts

Great vid and great to see that Carowinds opening day flashback!

I rode the Mr. Freeze coaster at SFOT in 1998 or 1999. The ride was brutal. I already had a bad back before I rode the coaster. After that ride I swore NEVER to ride it again (and I haven't). Thanks for the video!

Great video Ry, very informative! Mr Freeze was definitely a highlight of our Texas collab trip last year! 😄

I remember riding this when it launched facing forward. Same with Superman! Last time I rode Superman, I had NO idea they flipped it. It was quite a surprise.

Thanks for teaching me about the technical side of roller coasters. It’s definitely interesting how one little flaw can change a whole ride

Sounds like a design flaw that makes the coaster not only unique in having a specific issue, but also in having a thrilling element one wouldn't experience anywhere else. Would really love to ride it one day!

I Wish Every City Would Have A Theme Park

Awesome info. MFRB is a great adrenaline pumping ride, I've only ridden the one in St. Louis, love that view from the front row on the spike.

I was absolutely shocked the first time I rode this. It blew my expectations away.

I rode this ride the very day it opened. I think I was in the fourth or fifth grade at the time. And let me tell you it was the most amazing thing on earth. Even getting your head banged around you got off that ride and everyone was just like fuck yeah that was amazing!!!! I remember the wait times were like three and four hours that first season and even for such a short ride it was worth the wait. Even in the blazing Texas heat. I got to ride it again a couple years back and the memories of being a nervous grade schooler came flooding back. It was just as much fun and even more so cause it was more comfortable and the reverse launch made the ride feel brand new again. Definitely a fun and intense attraction.

This ride was awesome to me. It was the single coaster that sparked my love of night time rides. The view I got to see on that spike when I was younger probably pales in comparison to today, but it still makes me smile when I think about it.

You pretty much explained it perfectly for the St. Louis ride it was very very fun and I only went on it twice. 10/10 would ride again.

Great reviews brother..I’m hooked! Lol

I can’t speak for the Over Texas version, but I was a ride operator for the St. Louis version right out of high school. After four months of working there, I could ride that thing and not even react at all. The first time I did a safety ride for it I was literally praying to God not to die. The last time I did a safety ride, I would barely even react at all.

Not surprised that you found Mr. Freeze closed when you visited STL. Ever since it opened when I was a kid, it seems to be open sporadically probably due to the maintenance and costs of misoperation. Interesting to know why, thanks! I was waiting in line for it shortly after it opened and saw the failure mode of the launch not pushing the train over the first peak, bringing it right back in to the station.

I worked a SFOT in 2009 in the Entertainment department as a Stage Manager. I remember that year one day the employee who was running the Mr. Freeze made a major mistake. He had a small error while the train was dispatched and instead of letting the train complete it's course to call maintenance they hit the E Stop which left riders stranded for several hours on the upside-down loop. After they finally got all the passengers off the train the ride was out of commission for the rest of the day because that night SFOT had to rent a Massive Crain to work all night to remove the train from the stuck position. Renting that crain cost the park around 10 thousands dollars. Needless to say the employee was fired on the spot...

This was super entertaining and informative! Thanks, Ryan!!

This was my first true roller coaster ride, I never even realized how intense it was until i rode many, many more

This was the only roller coaster I have ever chicken out on. I was back in middle school though. I’d love ride it now!

All my friends LOVED the St. Louis version when we take the band trip there every spring

Is it possible for the trains to get stuck upside down on the inverted tophat, and can there be a video about trains getting stuck

I almost lost my sunglasses & bandana on the Mr freeze at six flags over texas. Best part of working at a theme park is free admission 😍 I miss it so much

I rode the Mr Freeze in St Louis years ago, maybe around '01 or so and remember feeling like I got some mild form of whiplash from the ride. Was forced to ride it by my mother. I still don't let her forget that. Lol

I like to think that they kept the LIM motors at the spike of the ride, instead of the valleys, to maintain that odd sort of sensation you mentioned occurred when reaching the top of the spike and they activate. Since that also creates a weird feeling when you begin moving again going forward, it likely adds to the enjoyment and intensity of the ride. It's a pretty unique effect, so preserving it is probably the way they want to go to make their coasters feel a bit more unique. Just my guess.

Makes me miss The Chiller here in Jersey. That was my favorite coaster of all time.

I got to ride Mr. Freeze a couple times, first in the late 90's second in the late 00's. I had a massive headache the first time I rode it due to the restraints. It was much better the second time. Still was an awesome ride, but now I need try the Reverse Blast!