Kevin Long
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Posts posted by Kevin Long
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I gotta agree with rob on the "idiot" angle - I have visited the park at least 15 times this season and every meal I have had has been served in a reasonable amount of time (to me) Could it have been faster? probably. could it have been better food? Maybe
I have tried most of the stands at least once this year and each has its dead times and better times to eat. I watch as I walk around and note lines and times and remember those for other visits. if you plan properly you can avoid the pitfalls of those that do not go as often. luckily -my schedule permitted me to attend on off days ( midweek) and I avoided weekends, bring a friend days, concert days and other high volume times. Also I don't hesitate to go when the weather may be less than Ideal, misty rain or cool. use your head and you can make it a better experience for yourself.
The longest wait I have had this year for food was about 10 minutes. though must say I really do not understand the 1 hour break between mealtimes - ( you could easily limit people to two meals per card per day) - Drinks are another thing - there should never be a long line for drinks - I would suggest free drink refill ONLY lines - (no sales) that would surely help.
that said, if you go often you should learn some of the tricks of the amusement park trade and skip the headaches the General Public must go through.
Kevin
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SFSTL is becoming a glorified carnival, but with more teens bouncing basketballs and more gum in the queue lines...
I also feel this way..... but maybe I am just too old...
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Well the upside is that passes are real cheap right now with Gold upgrade so you can go visit some better Six Flags parks
yes---- I was not even considering another pass but the price might just be too low to pass up
KL
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I usually make it a goal to point out any staff who were going above and beyond doing their job and really enjoy working in their spot during my visit on the surveys.
But really, have any of the employees at Six Flags St. Louis ever actually gone "above and beyond" doing their job??
maybe not.... sure most are bored and you can see it, but they have always been courteous and friendly and helpful when speaking to me.
Have you had a situation occur that gave them the opportunity to go beyond? Most aren't gonna be that superstar during an ordinary encounter. ( should they be? maybe, but..... are you at your job???)
k
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well a 4d is not a bad thing - small footprint - I am sure it will be comic book themed though showing a continuing lack of imagination.
Kevin
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given most recent developments - I predict if a new ride is gained, it will be a discard from another six flags park if a coaster or a NEW smaller flat type ride.
my two cents
Kevin
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just got back from the park and this happened -
also the list of broken attractions keeps expanding...
no shows - no train - if your not a thrill rider or a get wet rider there is not a lot to do in the park these days.
sucks being too fat to ride the good rides
Kevin
tidal wave open
I guess they fixed the leak
people riding
5 attractions down - getting to be a pattern
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I have a question and please forgive my ignorance-
this year I am a first time gold dining pass holder and I have a few questions concerning the use of the dining portion of my pass after the schedule changes for fright fest and shorter hours etc.
1) is the blue bottle for refills good until the end of the year (in this case January?)
2) do they change the hours that the dining pass is able to be used or are you just out of luck after fright fest starts and the park opens with only the last half of the dinner/snack period available?
I am asking about Fridays in particular, the other days are pretty much the same just shorter hours. December will be a new thing since they don't open til 2 pm.
any Ideas - I guess I could go to guest relations and ask too..
Kevin
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I think you're romanticizing the past here. Maybe way back before the great depression, when roller coasters were entirely new so they could just level some ground and plop one down, without having to worry about opportunity cost of another roller coaster.
As for whether VR on roller coasters stick, I think it depends almost entirely on whether VR catches on overall. If it does, people will become adept at dealing with HMDs. If VR becomes reasonably ubiquitous, people are less likely to view it as a gimmick (whose novelty will wear off) and more like another form of entertainment (so it sticks around). Lots of pixels have been typed about whether VR is A Thing this time around, but it certainly seems more likely than it did back in the 90's.
I will say that I don't think it has much to do with whether any particular VR installation is good or bad. If its generally well received, some VR experiences at theme parks will become normal, just like roller coasters at theme parks are normal.
please don't misunderstand me - I am all for newer and more exciting rides and new technologies on these rides. I just think the addition of newer tech ( VR in this case) that doesn't yet have all the bugs worked out of it, to an existing "thrill ride" is un-needed. it seems to only increase guest dis-satisfaction in a lot of cases. like lipstick on a pig to reference a depression era saying.
I think the reason SFSL has been passed over for any type of hyper or mega is a pure economics.
the Climate in St Louis limits operating seasons (gotta close at least 3-4 months)
St Louis region population draw is far less than other more northern parks -( the above would not be the problem if there was a population of 4-5 million nearby)
The St. Louis metropolitan area estimated population of 2,916,447,
Chicago region - 9,554,598
SFSF seems to be the red headed stepchild in the SF family - (no offense to redheads or step children)
Kevin
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full disclosure - I haven't ridden the ninja in about 15 years and certainly not with the new VR System. Further I have ridden no Vr coasters so what follows is just my opinion.
everything stated in the post above came to my mind when I first heard about this new development.
Back in the old Days( forgive me I am old and crotchety) if a coaster lost its thrill and could not keep up with the new "Coaster" advancements - it was demolished and something better and newer was put up in its place.
if a coaster is so stale or boring that it needs a TV to be attached to your face in order to make it "better" don't you think it should be retired?. I think the reason that this VR on coasters fad will be short lived is quite easily seen in the above post and other descriptions I have seen.
Long dispatch times, synching errors, Poor fit, equipment problems. these are to be expected when you ad a technology to a medium that was not designed to use it. VR might be better if it was specifically designed into a brand new coaster or VR specific ride -
we are 1/2 way through the first season of this new tech ride advancement - any comments on Will it last or not? the best I can tell it is not living up to its hype as a new wave in coaster thrills - seems like you might be just as well off putting on a blindfold and riding a coaster.
I look forward to the trip report update -maybe its just a SFSL problem
Kevin
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I'm planning to visit the park on Thursday and Friday, July 28 and 29. What size of crowds should I expect? If anyone has any tips, including what time to eat, I'd be glad to hear them. Thanks.
I have had good luck dining just when the lunch and dinner hours start. This works for me because A) I have a season pass and am never in a hurry to ride rides and - B) I usually only go for a half day at a time and either start with dinner or lunch. in and out of the park in less than 3-4 hours. I have had better luck the farther I am from the main entrance.
PS I live about 15 min from the park so I use the park as a distraction and it's worth it to me to just go in for dinner or lunch.
I have the Gold pass - the "go fresh Cafe" has had the best food there so far "JB's smoke house" second best
"Mooseburger" not so much but usually less crowded at meal start time.
my opinions - YMMV
Kevin
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my two cents which are worth about a penny.But what looks more enticing - a boomerang at SFStL or a shiny wing coaster at HW? The wing coaster would certainly grab my attention (and that's not from an enthusiast standpoint). Not trying to knock SFStL as I love the park but Six Flags needs to start stepping it up a bit in Eureka before HW and SDC start moving ahead and they will be too busy trying to play catch up later on..
Hw and SDC are not the same as any six flags. Six Flags has become an "amusement park" it really isn't a "Theme Park" any longer. there is no real need for catch up now or later. Six Flags seems to me to have become so much more commercial and local oriented than a destination in and of itself. I have no experience at HW, so I can't really comment on it. SDC is in the Branson tourist Area and is certainly WAY WAY more themed Six flags. it is more of a destination to go specifically than Six flags. going to six flags has become more like going to the mall or a parking lot carnival.
I don't consider all the Warner Brothers/DC stuff as a "theme".
I think you choose a Six flags more for the ride experience and SDC more as a destination with a few good rides. I think the SDC bigger rides stem more from increasing the overall draw in their region rather than competing with another park.
more ramblings from an old man
Kevin
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Judging from the lack of rumors, and the lack of any visual evidence of 2017 expansion within the park, I'm feeling pretty comfortable in assuming 2017 will be an addition to HH. I know its not what most of us would like, but it would still be nice to see. Honestly, rumors are fairly nonexistent this year for most of the SF parks. That is quite unusual lol!
When I was having dinner at the park for Coaster Con, I overheard a few other enthusiasts who are higher up in the organization talking about conversations they had with Pete Carmichael, the park's new president. They said that when he first came to the park and was taken on a tour, a good part of the time was spent looking at the park's carousel. Apparently, Pete was appalled with the condition of this classic ride and it's obvious neglect. While I would love seeing a new coaster, I also hate seeing the classic rides leaving or falling into disrepair (Hannibarrels, MoMo the Monster, Tom's Twister, etc.). I get that keeping some of these rides is difficult because of parts. However, I also know that Six Flags's maintenance department is well-known for being able to machine new parts and keeping these rides running. Maybe some money will be spent rehabbing this 1915 PTC gem.
as a former host in the 80's (82,83,84 season) I too was appalled when I saw the condition of this ride. it was refurbished last and quite obviously when I was working there.. it is disgraceful to look at now.
another classic area that is really showing its age is OLD GLORY AMPHITHEATER - it really needs an upgrade and rebuild I would love to see some real concerts come back like in the heydays... ( sorry I am old and crotchety now...)
BP
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One in particular that I think could be a candidate is Highland Fling. It'll be 40 next year, and although they had the refurb last year with new (relatively speaking) gondolas, it's probably getting harder to maintain and is down a lot more for maintenance issues this year than it seems like it has been in the past.
Highland Fling is having the same issues that it has had for years and is not at risk for removal. Tidal Wave is certainly a more likely candidate as its age is beginning to catch up with it and popularity seems to be rather low.
I think it might be a case of poor location for this ride (TW)... it is stuck in a slow moving corner of the park..
BP
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1. Do you have your videos set to auto-play on your: a. desktop computer and/or b. mobile device?
(or if you don't know, just tell us if the videos auto-play or not in your newsfeed.) no to both
2. Do you regularly "share" content from Facebook "page" (like the TPR page) to your own personal Facebook page? And have you shared something from the TPR page? no and no (sorry) my friends don't don't share this interest as much as enjoy it.
3. What kind of content are you most likely to share? (Videos, Photos, News Stories, etc?)really unusual stuff, any type if it's strange or weird maybe.
4. How long on average do you watch a video posted to Facebook for? Do you watch the entire video? First 30 seconds? Until you get bored? FACE BOOK? seldom - you tube everything you post and all of it
5. How important are "video thumbnails" to you? (the image you see with the > Play icon before you click to watch a video)
if it's porn, super important. your stuff I always like so it doesn't matter too much, but it can be helpful
6. What do you like/dislike about Facebook? What features do you use the most and which ones annoy you? Ads!! I am older so I us it less than a lot of folks. my ad blocker catches most, but those that slip in my newsfeed from my friends selling "beauty products" do annoy me.
7. Is there anything that TPR does or doesn't do on Facebook that you think we should be doing more/less of? nope its fine...for me.
thanks and good luck on the survey.
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As a photographer info on the type of camera used and settings would be helpful, But both are exceptional... i do hope you use a good camera strap and keep a tight reign on the equipment...
Kevin
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Just found this today and would be interested in your comments.... looks incredibly dangerous to me.....
http://www.dump.com/2011/01/23/merry-go-round-and-ferris-wheel-rolled-into-one-video/
Thanks and sorry if it is in the wrong place or formatted incorrectly
Kevin
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This statue depicts Elissa's life - naked in the kitchen making me food!
Does she also wear the name tag??? Hope not..
Kevin
the Old Guy
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Is this Carousel from that famous movie Logans Run....
Hmm...
If you are old enough to know what that movie is about you should be dead now...
Kevin
the Old Guy
Carousel???
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1. What are your initial thoughts?
This looks like a great Plan and VERY worth the investment. Certainly more cost effective to west coast members, simply due to proximity issues with a lot more theme parks. but over all a great value.
2. Can you think of anything else we could be offering?
Not with this particular package. any smaller membership packages would be appreciated. although that might just make more work for you.
I might suggest banner ads on the site created by you specifically directing visitors to the TPR store. I think a great many people forget it is there unless reminded and you could drive non member traffic or wander in traffic as well. Plus most of us would not mind you pimpin' your own stuff. we all know the quality. As long as any ads are Very relevant to the subject at hand I think most people understand the need to make money to keep the site going.
3. Is this something that interests you?
No - despite what I have written and truly believe about the value of this package. As a mid westerner and an old dude who is very unlikely to go on a TPR trip, my money would be best spent directly in the TPR store.
4. Why would you NOT be interested in this?
See above.
5. Any additional feedback you can give us based on the information you see here.
I can see a potential problem if the number of preferred members exceeds the number of available trip slots too often. Plus the preferred members, while deserving of a break as members, seem to get a LOT more chance to go on a more popular TPR trip. Remember Jim Bakker selling 20,000 timeshares to a resort with 10,000 rooms. Why be preferred if you can't get into a trip anyway.
I think to grow the preferred members you need to make sure that some newbies can get into these trips as well, we were all new here once, and a trip is good way to get to know everyone further. It sounds like a new person could get squeezed out in the preferred lottery. If they can't get to experience a TPR trip they may not become preferred members.
Also Don't sell your trips too short, they are a great value unto themselves, maybe a preferred membership discount on those might be more equitable without squeezing out the non preferred member. Say 5-10% off your trip price.
Anyway my 25 cents worth.
Kevin Long
Old dude in the midwest.
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It is good to see that Theme Park review is doing it's part to be inclusive of those with special needs - I will commending them to the ADA folks in Washington. Great job Robb - there will be a special place for you in heaven or hell I am not sure which
the fat old guy
safe in the states
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I thought that this was a funny throwback to the old days when we learned to read with the dick and Jane books - here is a new take on it
if it violates policy I do apologize
things have changes a lot since the old days
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Who here would be interested in a "Dark Rides of the World" DVD?
--Robb
I would be all over that..... big time.....
I'm a Dark ride junkie - even if you don't mass produce let me know the price for a "CUSTOM" disk
Old man from Missouri
Kevin
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I find myself watching both about equally, but I have a bit more interest in the individual ride footage personally, I think you are offering a tremendous product.
I feel that the two are sufficiently different that comparing the two is not like apples and oranges, more like a big salad and steak. Each has their own feel that is different enough as to be equally entertaining in their own right. They compliment each other perfectly. Both has merits that stand alone and together each fills any voids you might have with the other.
In short I vote to keep them the way they are.
My humble opinion.
Kevin
the Old Guy in missouri
Six Flags St. Louis (SFStL) Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
wow - just got a back from a trip out to the park - it was super PACKED - I guess the great weather brought EVERYONE out today.
I drove out about 3 pm to renew my pass for next year ( a process I am unsure about) I got to the exit and saw the parking lot was full nearly out to the highway. Drove home unfulfilled in my mission - I live close it so it was no real hardship- I guess I'll try at opening next week.
can anyone advise the correct procedure - do I just take my printed page to the usual entry as with my current pass? does my new paperwork now override my old pass? the instructions are not super clear.
thanks
Kevin