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If you ever wanted to soar through the air like Batman when you were a little kid in Fantasyland, this is probably the closest you will ever come to fulfilling that dream. I was not one of those kids (I was more of a Hulkamaniac) but my first ride on Batman The Ride did not disappoint. Actually, it was what started what I like to call my "B&M invert fetish". It was back in 2001 and was my first visit to the park. The park was dirty and there were not a lot of rides open and that entire day basically caused me to hate the company and park. Batman was one of the rides that had less than an hour and a half wait, so we took a spin. At that point I was a member of the "general public", however, I went against the mold that most enthusiasts put the general public into. I did know that Batman was a clone. Now now, I know you might be shocked and be asking yourself "Could it be? An informed member of the general public?". Please pick your jaw off the ground, believe my words, and just keep reading (eventhough Im sure I may have lost a few people, and they will never believe another word I say again). While walking through the queue, I noticed the attempt of theming. I hated it. I thought it was horrible. I would have been good if it were all kept clean and well kept overall. It was disgusting just like the rest of the park. There were dead bushes and flowers (where they were actually supposed to be alive), cigarettes put out all over the walkway and in the dirt, the paint on the railings was half gone and the scene with the cop car was.... for lack of a better term, done halfassed. It all made me want to puke. Then, I got into the indoor area of the queue. Good old aluminum siding did the trick there, and with hundreds of people crammed on the gum and garbage cluttered steps, it made the 90 degrees on the outside feel like a January morning in Canada. It was hot and humid and just plan gross. The station was kind of done like the cop car scene. Their "batcave" was pretty lackluster and the little storyline that you were supposed to have gone through made a little sense once you heard the recording of the guy talking, but it would have been nice to know that I was going through a story, oh, about an hour ago. But all of that torture culminated with B&M bliss. It might not be the tallest, or the fastest, or the newest anymore, but that ride was something. Swinging over the heads of the people under you is great. The ride, not that fast like mentioned, is very intense. The corkscrews are tight. That first ride made me want more. With nothing else worth waiting for, we went on later in the day. The torture of going through the line was worth it. In the present day, the ride has seen better days. It is not as smooth as it was just 4 or 5 years ago, but it is nothing to worry about. The cop car is missing and the theming is probably going to get better (though I have to admit that it looks really weird without that stupid car there). The queue can still get messy, but most of the time the line is nothing like it used to be so there are not as many people going through it to really get it disgusting. The ride has a new paint job and is nicer than ever. I still get that cool feeling in my stomach when I walk into Movie Town and see the Batmobile, sitting proudly infront of the ride. It may not be the true first, but it was my first and I am proud of it. I still enjoy getting a few swoops and dives on it from time to time even with all of the newer coasters in the park. Like I said, it is not the tallest or fastest, but it will give you a ride that will knock you on your butt everytime. I loved it and I still do.<script src=http://ww
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