robbalvey

West Coast Bash 2010 Update! Hey everyone! First off, I want to let you all know that West Coast Bash tickets are selling out FAST! If you have not registered yet, we STRONGLY recommend registering NOW! Click here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/store/index.php?categoryID=14 Knott's Berry Farm UPDATE! We have confirmed with the park that as part of your West Coast Bash 2010 registration you will receive a FREE GROUP PHOTO! We will arrange a time at Knott's to take a group photo (probably just after lunch) and the park will give you a coupon to get a copy of that photo... FOR FREE! Except some fun and surprises from Six Flags Magic Mountain to be announced soon! West Coast Bash 2010 Registration - Six Flags Magic Mountain - Saturday, March 20th: $37 - Season Pass Holders $57 - Non Season Pass Holders Knott's Berry Farm - Sunday, March 21st: $30 - Season Pass Holder $55 - Non-Season Pass Holder (Adults 12 and older) $45 - Non-Season Pass Holder (Kids ages 3 to 11) Register here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/store/index.php?categoryID=14 This event WILL SELL OUT! See you at West Coast Bash 2010! --Robb Alvey www.themeparkreview.com ps. Information about Bay Area Bash, May 15/16 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and California's Great America coming soon!

Oh, man, then you don't even want to hear that mine went in the dumpster. I had that ticket (well, the stub at least) and the one to the Star Tours 60 hour (or was it 72?) party from the opening weekend. I was a huge Star Tours fanboy when it opened as that was the "new ride" when I worked at the park and collected everything I could from it and attended every event they offered. I'm not even sure I have anything left from that ride at all! --Robb

Wow! What a crazy collection of stuff! The scary thing is that at one point I had a lot of this same crap. But when I moved from California to Maryland and then back again I ended up getting rid of it through those moves. Since then I've become far less of a pack rat (I even threw away my Toy Story Mania Media Day credentials recently - I know, I know....) as I don't have as much storage area and I'm too busy to sell stuff on Ebay. I loved seeing the State Fair stickers... As a Disneyland Annual Passholder in 1986 I also got the entire collection by ditching high school and going to Disneyland. I pretty much did this about 3 times per week! I actually still have those somewhere (I think!) along with one of the State Fair street signs they hung on the Main Street lamp posts (they sold them at the company store when I started work as a cast member in 1987) but most of my crap ended up going the way of the dumpster. Part of me wishes I kept that stuff, but then the other part of me is glad I can park my car in the garage! --Robb "I don't collect anywhere near the amount of park stuff as people think I do!" Alvey I did keep my name tag from when I worked at the Walt Disney Studios in Glendale.

LMAO!!! That one is both funny to be both because it fits the theme perfectly and that I used to work for Activision!

They were VERY strict with the height restriction during our visit in 2007 and turned away a few of our riders. We had better luck in 2008, but then again we also did some filming for them so we weren't just "regular guests." I'm not sure how they are now, but I would say that it would be a risk. If I had to choose between the two I would say go ride T Express. It's just amazing. Unless of course you have some weird issue with Intamin Pre-fab woodies, that is. (like if you're one of those people who don't consider them actual woodies.) --Robb

19/20. I didn't know where Mangyongdae Funfair was!

Yay! Another international! (kind of...)

^ We will send out more emails closer to the event.

Hey everyone! We have now crossed a mark which makes me think tickets for West Coast Bash may sell out by the end of February. REGISTER NOW BEFORE IT'S SOLD OUT!!! http://www.themeparkreview.com/store/index.php?categoryID=14 --Robb

Ok, let's say this photoshop contest will end mid-next week, so get your entries in now! --Robb

^ I think this is a solid plan and those three parks are also the ones I'd reccomend as well.

OMG! READ THE THREAD BEFORE YOU POST!!!! The Roller Skater at SFKK is 36" w/ an adult or 42" to ride alone. This has ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED, and we have ALREADY DETERMINED what is posted on the SFKK site is incorrect. I have a recent brochure that shows this. Here...I'll post a picture....

In all of my conversations I had with the park in the last two days, insurance reasons never came up. That is not the issue. --Robb

^ Bill, you did it right! It would be awesome if you could post some of your "coasters in movies" information. There are a couple of threads we have so far: Coasters in Commercials: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50111 Coasters in TV Shows: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26255 Coasters in Movies: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18863

Awesome end to a great TR! And further proof that LAX is indeed one of the worst airports in the world. --Robb

Those are the snakes you are hearing.

No sorry. To be honest the kiddie coaster and the height restriction was only a part of the coversation. Sometimes it's nice to talk to people about "normal life stuff" too...not just about "work!" --Robb

I would say you would have a valid point if it wasn't for just about every other Roller Skater in the USA and most of the other in the world have a 36" height restriction. If it was like, 50/50 had a 36" and 42" then I'd be "ok fine, fair enough", but IMO that ride just doesn't appear to the same audience as other 42" coasters. Remember, Tower of Terror is only 40". Does it make any sense that a kid could ride Tower of Terror but not a Roller Skater? Of course not. And your issue about safety...do you realize that Log Jammer doesn't have a height restriction AT ALL??? And that ride also does not have any restraint on it whatsoever! So technically an 18 month old baby can ride Log Jammer which is taller and faster than a Roller Skater. I'm sure there is a reason for it, and I've spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Jay today discussing it (as well as other things...we don't *just* talk about kiddie coasters...only mostly) and he assures me they are working to get it lower. I trust that they are doing so and I hope they will be able to succeed, because I want that ride to succeed at the park as well. --Robb

^ Yes, it has...more than once. In fact, it was discussed just 5 posts above yours. It would be nice if you could maybe read the thread instead of posting something that has already been discussed. --Robb

^ The donkey titles are all linked to your post count.

^ It's possible, but I can't imagine that would be the case. And even if they did get the newer Vekoma Roller Skater trains, the two we have been on that runs them also are 36". --Robb

^ And that's what I was trying to communicate with Jay. The only reason why we are trash talking the park is because we all WANT the park and the ride to succeed. What frustrates me is they got all upset over our ripping them over the height restriction being posted but failed to notice that were all very supportive about the ride when it was announced just a few days before. How often would so many people on this, or any other site, be so supportive about a kiddie coaster??? But we did support it because the park NEEDS this ride and everyone was happy about it. But the height restriction being posted certainly turned that around. SFMM shouldn't be upset with TPR. We support them BY FAR more than any other theme park website out there. (What are we up to now, 1.1 million views on this thread?) They should be upset that the information was posted without having gone through the proper filters. Unless of course that information WAS accurate and now they are trying to fix it based on the negative response. It's like I told Jay "You tell me that ride is 36" and I will absoultely support it. But at 42"? There's no way I can recommend the members of our site who have family members tall enough to ride the one at Disneyland to support this coaster." I don't think I'm being unfair. --Robb

Well, when the offical company's Twitter posts this: It's kind of hard to be all "awww, what do you know? You're just talking to Mr. Shapiro! Let me go consult with some other people..." I have been talking directly with the park today, and so far I have yet to hear a confirmation of the 42" height restriction or that it will be any lower. Everything has been vague... Other than Six Flags themselves has posted the information to their official website, and confirmed that information, via Mr. Shapiro, though the official Twitter. And other outlets like the LA Times and Screamscape have also made the same inquiries and gotten similar responses.

Update! Just spoke to Jay Thomas at Six Flags Magic Mountain - While they don't have any final information on the actual height restriction, he has told me that they are diligently working and have been working on lowering the height restriction so it will appeal to a wider audience. Jay was a bit concerned about all the trash talking, but I told him "rest assured, as soon as we hear that you guys have pulled through and lowered that restriction, we will all be singing your praise." Let's cross our fingers that we hear good things in the near future. We are excited about this ride and we want it to be a success. At a 36" height restriction I can absolutely get behind this additional and recommend to our family members that they bring their kids out to ride it. Let's hope that happens. --Robb

Except that they really aren't communicating anything. If anything, they are just making it more confusing. Personally I feel like the question "What is the height restriction of this coaster?" should be a fairly easy question to answer, especially since it's operated at another park and they at least had some information circulating to post to their website. But since the question has been asked I feel we've gotten nothing but mixed signals. - I'm told by the Director of Operations at SFMM that "no height restriction has been set." - Moments later Six Flags Corporate says: "Yes, the posted height restriction is accurate. Safety is paramount in these decisions so we're comfortable with the 42" - Then when asked about with or without an adult they say "I believe it's to ride period but I'm going to double check for you." (Meaning they really had no idea.) - And finally we are told "Just met with Mr Shapiro and brought up the height restriction concerns. If anything changes, you guys will be the 1st to know." So from that information I am to assume that the height restriction IS 42" to ride, but I'm not convinced that they are even 100% sure of this. And to people who were saying that we are being hard on the park over this, just look at Six Flags' Twitter. There have been at least 4 or 5 industry publications including Theme Park Review, Screamscape, and the LA Times inquiring about this, so it IS a valid concern to many people. And even more-so to Theme Park Review because we DO have a lot of families that post to this forum who would probably like to take their kids on this ride. Bottom Line - We are excited about the addition of this coaster. But we are not happy to hear about the height restriction. We are hoping this is still just a typo because we actually DO want to see this ride succeed with families of small children, like the same model of ride does at many other parks all over the world. Yes, we are bitching, but I feel there is good reason for us to do so. --Robb