WFChris

Considering the title of this thread SHOULD have been 'Lets start arguing about fast-passes again,' I will have to contribute by saying my favorite 'Queue Management System' is a well themed, shaded queue. I don't mind waiting around 20 minutes or so in line. Part of the park experience is standing with your friends, talking, hyping up the ride, and hearing other peoples bizarre conversations. If you are waiting more than that, you are probably visiting on the wrong day of the week, and thats kinda your fault. Some comparisons to that theory: I avoid the line to get to work ((aka i-5)) by commuting outside of commuter hours. I avoid the line at my favorite restaurant by going on weekdays. I fly red-eye. I guess what I'm trying to say, is if lines bother you THAT much, then YOU can take preventative measures to avoid them. I am opinion-less regarding the fast-pass systems; clearly they are here to stay. I dont use them, but then again, since I make sure im not at the park the days they are necessary, I have never NEEDED to. Nor, am I offended by them. If I somehow end up at a park on a super busy day, well then yeah, I'll likely pick one up. Chris.

I agree that Colossus backwards seems smoother than forward; Im not a mechanic but I think the heavier trains actually relieve some of the bumping. The only part that can throw you off guard is that little turn before the mid-course. I slammed my elbow into my friends head the first time I rode it backwards. AND, one time, they raced the trains. The Psyclone train took forever to get up the lift, but after that, it hauled ass and beat the forward train by around 2 train lengths. I also think SFMM's fright fest is cool because you can still show up at 10am and stay till night. Its usually DEAD in the park until night falls. Season Pass holders get in free, another plus. chris.

well I dont think it was crappy, pretty good first TR if you ask me! chris.

...people wait upwards of 45 minutes just to ride tidal wave at sfmm...and that has a puny drop at maybe 25 degrees, so YES! I think its worth it...PP is intense.

I think everybody is being a bit critical about the drop, just wanted to point out a couple of things: Most shoot the chutes rides dont get anywhere NEAR 45 degrees. Colossus, at SFMM, has a first drop of 43 degrees, and it is still a wonderful drop. I think 45 degrees will be just fine, considering the height. I think a longer drop at 45 degrees will actually be a bit more thrilling than a shorter, steeper drop. I know Perilous Plunge is very 'OMFG thats steep' but its over before you know it. I think this drop will add a lot more anxiety toward that inevitable splash at the bottom. If you have ever hiked half dome in yosemite, which reaches about 48 degrees, you would have to agree that the 45 degree neighborhood is quite steep! Anyway, theres my 2 cents:)

Hey I was there yesterday on monday:) On the train ride you can see a lot of the land they have cleared for the ride. Im sure the pictures online would be pretty useless, however being from california, 'cleared land' is something you dont always see when a new ride is being built! You know, cuz the land is clear anyway. Ok Im gonna go now, bye! chris.

OK Time for a really stupid question from somebody that has never left the states... On the 'Stealth' pictures, I noticed it quoting the height and speed in Ft and Mph. On the Chessington segment, you took a picture that had a sign saying the park was 1/2 a mile away. I thought everything was in Kilometers out there? Was this just different at the parks to please the American tourists?...not seeing ANYTHING in Kilometers was kind of confusing me...anyway...just wondering... Chris.

Regarding the foreign employees, The company I worked for employed 20% foreign staff at all times because it was a 'World Heritage Site.' They were by far the most efficient employees in the park. Granted there was a language barrier, but once you got passed that, they were eager to work. My favorite were the Brazillians. Work hard, party hard. haha:) Anyway, I guess the point im making is they may be there to motivate the American employees, among other reasons. Show that its 'ok' to be 19 and a hard worker. Chris.

^ I agree, it WAS funny, but now it has turned into a place where enthusiasts show off about how they 'out-dorked' a regular park goer. Way to go, guys:) Chris.

So I went on a nostalgia trip one last time to Wild Rivers a couple weeks ago, and I have to say I had a lot of fun. I also have to say that I'm glad my friend and I brought his little sisters because we would have totally looked weird there without them. EVERYBODY was either 9 or the 9 year olds parent. Not much has changed since I went when I was a little kid, which is kinda nice, and I will definitely miss this place. I agree with a post a few back, I really dont understand the purpose of razing the land...there are TONS of bare hills all around it! OK So a few observations that I would love some commentary back about: 1) I Got a MEAN ball-smack from the bombay blasters. Cross your legs, or else, ouch!!! Nonetheless, this now, and back when I was 10, is the most re-rideable thing ever. 2) The Bazooka Bowls. Is this unique to Wild Rivers, or was this not THE most painful waterslide I have ever been on? Something compelled me to go a second time, and man, I was curling up in a little ball to avoid the excruciating pain on my back. Were they just not putting enough water on it or something? 3) The rapids ride is the most insane thing ever. It basically forces you backwards and we FLEW down that slide having no idea where we were going. Pure fun and TERROR all in one:) 4) The Edge. What the heck happened there? Doesnt look like it operated in years. Would love to hear some more feedback and comments about this weird, truly UN-LA park that we are about to lose. Chris.

Giant Dipper at the San Diego...boardwalk thing...kinda cute little prelift tunnel. Its dark and smells like grease Chris.

Ninja is TOTALLY re-rideable. I rode it like 10 times at WCB. LOL. I guess the only problem was the 2 lift hills, got annoying after a while. But as far as the "less extreme" approach goes, I'm all for it. I love Ninja, Revolution, and even Gold Rusher Would be nice to add to the collection of terrain-type coasters. Chris.

Surprisingly, America is still more or less in the dark in regards to MIKA. Somewhat bizarre despite his enormous success in europe. Chris.

I stand corrected and educated, thanks KingOfNynex2003! chris.

...and to follow up on my comment... I noticed that they dont list The Revolution on their website, however any SFMM fan knows that it definitely received the designation. While the sign is MIA right now due to vandalism, its supposedly due to be replaced. Furthermore, even if it WAS removed, it would be on that rescinded list that they have on their website, which it isn't. Perhaps this would be more appropriate in a new thread, as I do not intend to change the subject from this absolutely wonderful TR, but I thought I would throw in my two cents. Chris.

Regarding Blue Streak losing its ACE classic status, I find this interesting due to a local issue: Revolution at SFMM is still an ACE classic, even though it has the OTSR's. According to their rules, this would void the Revolution from being a classic. Are you sure this is the reason? Chris.

I think Scream would look great with some Kumba-esque landscaping, but of course...any ride would! I say this only because a good amount of the ride is close to the ground, and I think the blue and yellow would look great next to grass. Im sure it would be quite the investment though. Chris.

That clip of Tatsu coming down the first drop reminded me of WCB, where my friend almost got nailed in the head by a flying loogie torpedo. Chris.

So, I personally dont have a problem with the at-ride lockers. I usually spend my whole ride holding my pockets shut worrying about my cell phone flying out, so yeah; the address book is worth the extra buck, ya know? Now being mandatory, can a park employee let us know if they have had problems with this? For example, a guest is turned away from riding at the actual platform. Are they given the opportunity to exit and lock, and come back up, or is the problem approached at the head of the line? It just seems to me, that having been visiting SFMM my whole life, Ive seen my share of attitude from other guests. Ok and lastly, I dont work at a park or anything and I know the lockers are contracted out, but would the idea of a "Prepaid Locker Card" work? Like, at the locker buildings at the front of the park, there could be a sign detailing the situation with the lockers around the park and offering a, say, $5 card or password that grants access to all lockers around the park? I know it can backfire with the time limits, etc., but it seems like a good idea. Am I wrong? Chris.

Does anybody know if the tower has any future plans for the space previously occupied by the high roller? I think they can definitely find something pretty thrilling. Imagine them putting one of those new S&S coasters with the outside banking up there? That would be sweet! I also think bungee jumping would be a great idea:P Chris.

I used a number of mens restrooms around the park....(stalls)....and they were all fully stocked, and clean. Well except for one but that was the fault of the patrons not flushing...I cant stand having to flush for other people but thats just me, not the parks fault Chris.

^ There was a chunk of yellow and purple where the chain mechanics at the bottom of the lift is too chris.

One thing I found at the q&a that may have been what the previous poster was talking about (the post about 'missing the point') A specific question was worded something like 'I understand the new paint is nice and everything, but when I leave the park, the only thing I will remember are the completely appalling bathrooms.' ~In my opinion,~ six flags offered us a wonderful opportunity to ask them questions and actually receive answers, surely we can return the respect back to them in the form of properly wording questions. "What do you plan on doing to fix the sub-par bathroom situation?" would have worked just as well. I dont know about you, but I would like to give Six Flags a REASON for inviting us back for this kind of event in the future....not going all ACE on them and only being positive, but providing criticism in a respectable manner. Other than that, I very much enjoyed everything, especially the evening ERT!!! Having an entire Colossus train to myself will always be remembered. Oh yeah, and the Revolution train, Gold Rusher train, and Ninja train. I was with my friends, not being a loser for the other rides so I GUESS had to share with them. STILL, a bunch of the rides we went on had just the 3 of us...Batman, Riddlers, & Scream. I got to be in the sky tower for sundown; I was one of those people that left Magic Moments seconds after they told us that it was 'ready and waiting!' It was spectacular watching the park go from day to night in 'Google Maps Mode' as I like to call it Thank you thank you TPR for making this all happen. The only experience I have in the past with ERT was with ACE, and this kicked those experiences asses!!! Chris.

Its 29 degrees and snowing, with a 36 inch base. Oh winter:P Chris.

Out of curiosity...is it possible to build a career out of working at SFMM, or for SF in general? I noticed their job postings online offer (in my opinion) incredibly low starting wages. Do these increase dramatically in a relatively short period of time?