There’s a new reason to visit Six Flags Great America’s Fright Fest this year. The annual Halloween-themed attraction, which opens tomorrow and runs through Nov. 2, features a brand new roller coaster: Wrath of Rakshasa.

Will this new roller coaster be worth the trip out to Gurnee? 

Let me rephrase the question. Do you want to be hung over the ground, then dropped free-falling for nearly 200 feet, then flipped around through the air? 

If so, get in line – but be smart about when you go and how long you wait.

For context, Wrath of Rakshasa is a record-breaking dive coaster with numerous moments of fear, weightlessness and beyond-vertical elements. A dive coaster is a roller coaster with a special element that holds you facing the ground before dropping you on the first drop. 

The majority of dive coasters are made by the company B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard), which has built five currently standing roller coasters at Six Flags Great America, including Wrath of Rakshasa 2025, Superman- Ultimate Flight 2003, X-Flight 2002 and Raging Bull 1999. 

B&M is undoubtedly known for making well-made, unique coasters. Wrath is no different, standing at 180 feet tall, going upside down five times and reaching a top speed of 67 miles per hour. 

Each inversion (upside-down element) packs a punch. Depending on where you sit, the zero gravity inversion (zero g-roll) does have some of the “B&M rattle,” or vibration, that has been more present in more recent B&M coasters. This rattle seems to be more present the more times I ride this coaster.  

This roller coaster overall is something you’ve got to get on, but during Fright Fest, that is another conversation. Lines average multiple hours long for Wrath of Rakshasa during the regular season, and during Fright Fest, park attendance skyrockets. 

If the Wrath line is full, that is about a two-and-a-half-hour wait. If only the first “queue house” is full, it is around 45 minutes, which would be worth the wait. A queue house is a building at the entrance to a ride that creates a thematic and fun atmosphere for the people waiting in line. 

When you’re at Fright Fest, you should prioritize the haunted houses, as those are not annual attractions, unlike Wrath of Rakshasa. If the line is past the first queue house, I consider skipping the attraction until the regular season. However, it is important to note that the drastic increase in wait times is true for many, if not all, the attractions during Fright Fest. So if you have a particular desire to go on Wrath of Rakshasa, it might be worth considering. 

This year, there are a total of five unique haunted houses, including: The Conjuring Universe, SAW: Legacy of Terror, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Forgotten Carnival and The Estate at Wretched Meadows. Plus, Fright Fest returns with seven unique scare zones and seven shows and performances. 

So there’s plenty to do while you’re waiting to ride Wrath of Rakshasa.