Six Flags St. Louis’ newest attraction, The Joker: Carnival of Chaos, offers a thrilling, whirlwind ride.
The pendulum swing ride whips back and forth, reaching a maximum height of 172 feet, with a giant disk simultaneously rotating the 40 dangling passengers in a circular motion for about five minutes. The Joker’s maniacal laugh is broadcast from nearby speakers, making the ride even more exhilarating.
“When you think it’s going to stop, nope, it’s still going,” said Danny Snider, the park’s general manager. “That’s what’s so thrilling about this ride. You might want to take a break, but you’ll want to ride it over and over again and that’s what’s really unique about the ride and why we love it.
“It’s a perfect fit for Six Flags.”
Those looking to ride The Joker may do so during the Six Flags Fright Fest, which ends Sunday, Nov. 3, the end of this year’s season for the Eureka amusement park.
The Joker replaced Six Flag’s Dragon’s Wing ride and is tucked into the northwest corner of the park between the Boss and Thunder River rides.
Park president John Krajnak said Dragon’s Wing was phased out because popularity was waning, and park officials wanted to introduce something new for attendees.
Snider said an indoor funhouse-themed queue for The Joker ride will open sometime during the 2025 season. The funhouse will include animatronics, small games and “some of the Joker’s favorite tricks and gags,” according to a written statement from the amusement park.
Riders on The Joker must be at least 4-feet-4-inches tall, and riders are secured to the seat by an over-the-shoulder harness. Once all passengers have boarded and their harnesses are secured, the platform lowers and the pendulum swing begins to slowly rock back and forth, eventually reaching a top speed of 75 mph.
Snider said it’s the fastest ride in the park, narrowly beating Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast, which reaches a top speed of 72 or 73 mph.
“It’s intense,” Krajnak said. “You feel every mile per hour on some of the rides, and I feel every minute on this one.”
Leader Publications staffers tested out The Joker: Carnival of Chaos at Six Flags St. Louis.
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Three Leader staffers – Abby Stetina, Lindsay Recar and Goldie Lowe – recently had the chance to test out the ride before it officially opened. The following are their takes on the ride:
Stetina
I had many reservations when preparing to ride the new Joker: Carnival of Chaos at Six Flags. While staring up at the towering structure with the huge swing, my first thought was, ‘How am I not going to throw up on this thing?’ I’m an avid thrill-seeker and enjoy taking a spin on the Batman or going down Thunder River, but this new ride seriously tested my limits.
My biggest hesitation was my ongoing battle with vertigo, which I’ve suffered through since early high school. As I watched the riders ahead of us on the pendulum swinging back and forth, not to mention the ring of seats spinning in a circular motion, I thought I was in for a world of trouble.
Luckily that morning I had taken my vertigo medicine and pooh-poohed my usual hearty breakfast for a light toast and coffee spread. No way was I going to hurl in front of my cool colleagues and what seemed like the maintenance and grounds crew for the entire park.
I was pleasantly surprised by my experience with The Joker. I was a little lightheaded after our first go around, but I definitely wanted to ride that crazy, pendulum swingy thing again, and even with no break in between.
The entire world had the chance to see my reaction to our first spin on The Joker, including my screaming and hair blowing, since it was recorded and conveniently uploaded to the Leader Facebook page (scan the QR code here for a good laugh).
On the second time around, not shared with the people of Facebook, I and my fellow staffers had a more subdued reaction. However, my stomach turned upside down one too many times, and I was seriously ready to get off ASAP.
My recommendation for those like me who have vertigo or those who are worried their stomach won’t be able to stand up to the test: don’t ride The Joker right after eating, and don’t ride it too many times.
Otherwise, have fun!
It looks daunting, but the adrenaline rush is well worth the pre-ride jitters.
Recar
Appropriate to the ride’s theme, The Joker had me cackling (and screaming).
While I’ve always been a fan of roller coasters, it had been some time since I last visited Six Flags, so I was excited to try out the park’s new thrill ride.
Watching from afar, the pendulum swing doesn’t look too intimidating for the average adrenaline junkie. The Joker starts nice and easy, slowly rotating the ring of riders as the back-and-forth motion picks up speed.
This, of course, lulled me into a false sense of ease.
The ride secures parkgoers to the seats at the shoulders and torso, with their legs dangling. I was grateful for the handholds, because whatever Gs the ride exerted on my body, I was squeezing with what felt like the same amount of force.
The Joker doesn’t flip riders a full 180 on their heads, but it certainly feels like you are suspended upside down when the ride reaches its highest point.
At ground level, I felt gravity bear down on my body, stomach sinking to my feet. Up above, there was a second or two of weightlessness that lifted me the slightest bit from my seat.
The back-and-forth of sensations left my head feeling light in my skull.
Since the ride also spins, there were times when I either faced the sky or the ground when at the apex. Between the two, spotting the ground while 172 feet in the air was the most thrilling.
Though it’s a long ride at about 4 to 5 minutes, my colleagues and I were eager to take a second spin, despite some of the park workers warning us that they themselves could only handle one.
And really, you only need one ride to get the full experience.
By the end, we were out of breath, looked a mess and were happy to be on solid ground, but we had a ton of fun.
If you stop by Six Flags, I recommend taking a ride on The Joker, gathering your bearings at the surrounding attractions and then going for another spin.
Lowe
When I was a kid, the faster a ride was, the more I wanted to try it. My need for speed often outmatched my short stature, and many times I was turned away from a ride, even while wearing my tallest shoes.
It felt like the world was my oyster as I finally cleared 4’6,” just in time for the 1998 opening of the Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast ride to blow my hair back at a staggering 70 mph.
More than 25 years later, I still love a fast ride, but after a car accident and the general effects of aging, smoothness is also a must for me. Any hard jerking movements will give me a headache or neckache faster than you can say “whiplash.” (I think karma has come to haunt me for all the times I rolled my eyes as a teenager when my mother said roller coasters made her neck hurt.)
On this trip to Six Flags, I was hoping for a ride that could bring the speed and thrill of Mr. Freeze that wouldn’t have me feeling my age the next day.
Well, move over, Mr. Freeze, there’s a new sheriff in town! The Joker: Carnival of Chaos not only meets but exceeds the speed of Mr. Freeze by several mph. I always loved the feeling of my stomach dropping on a ride, and The Joker brings that sensation on steroids. At times the thrill of the ride was so intense, I felt like I could barely breathe!
While the ride may resemble an overgrown version of Excalibur, the feel of the two rides are nothing alike. The Joker does spin, but the primary sensation comes from the pendulum swing. The ride was very smooth without any jerking motions, and by the end, I had no hint of neck pain or a headache.
This ride gets two big thumbs-up from me. I would absolutely ride it again. And again. And again. But probably not consecutively.
A word to the wise: I would not attempt this ride with either a full stomach or full bladder.
