robbalvey

Actually, instead of writing a letter, if you have Twitter, why don't you tweet your concern? Send it to: @sixflags They seem to be at least responding about this issue. The more tweets they get, maybe they'll realize it's a real concern?

^ He can ride it! He's over 42" and doesn't have any kids. Look, you guys are NOT READING what I originally posted. I wasn't saying that everyone should boycott SFMM or the ride for this, I'm saying that... IF YOU HAVE KIDS...TAKE THEM TO DISNEYLAND INSTEAD OF SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN!!! Your 36" kid will be very HAPPY when they can ride Gadget's Go Coaster at Disneyland.

^^ No, I'm going to boycott the ride! There is NO EXCUSE that can be justified to me that why this ride has a 42" height restriction and the one that my daughter rode... A CLONE OF THE EXACT SAME RIDE ... 60 miles away she rode at 35" NO EXCUSE! It's either poorly communicated information, meaning that it's really 42" to ride alone or 36" with an adult, or it's just flat out one of the worst descisions I've ever seen any park make about a single ride. The 2nd worst being when Knott's raised Jaguar's height restriction from 42" to 48". It's right up there with that decision, IMO. --Robb "I already have the credit so I don't even need to ride it!" Alvey

I have tweeted the following: And have received the response:

Apparently, according to Twitter, Mark Shapiro has just confirmed the height restriction (for now anyway):

UPDATE! Just heard in from Six Flags Magic Mountain's Neal Thurman. He says "That height restriction was just a placeholder and it was never supposed to make it live to the website. We have not set a height restriction for the ride as of this time. The 42" height restriction will be removed from the site in the next 24 hours." --Robb

Right, but that makes sense. I wouldn't let KidTums go on Gadet's Go Coaster by herself, but I'd gladly take her on. That's why if the height restriction is 42" with an adult or 36" without, that would make sense, but that's not what the website says. --Robb EDIT: I just spoke to Neal Thurman at the park. He says he hasn't seen any documents or information about the ride so he cannot confirm nor deny the posted height restriction. He will get back to me as soon as he has information about it.

The Dragon is a very different ride, though. Remember it's not a Roller Skater and the design of the ride is based on a pre-existing ride at the other Legolands that was not originally designed or built by Vekoma. It also has that long, slow (and scary to some kids) dark ride part where a kid could potentially get out of the ride vehicle. So adult supervision might actually be more needed on this ride. I would think 40" is reasonable given that it's more like a "Big Thunder Mountain" and less like your typical off-the-shelf model Roller Skater. Remember that Legoland also has "Coastersauraus", which is more like your typical Roller Skater, and that coaster has a 36" height restriction. --Robb

Here is a list of all the Vekoma Roller Skaters currently operating in North America and their height restrictions: Ant Farm Express - Wild Adventures - 36" Gadet's Go Coaster - Disneyland - 35" Barnstormer - Magic Kingdom - 35" Merlin's Revenge - Castle Park - 40" Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom - 36" w/ Adult Six Flags Mexico - 35" Spacely Sproket Rockets - Six Flags Great America - 36" Woody Woodpecker - Universal Studios Florida - 36" Romp Bomp A Stomp - Six Flags Fiesta Texas - 36" Flying Unicorn - Islands of Adventure - 36" Okeechobee Rampage - Cypress Gardens - 36" w/ Adult Woodstock Express - Cedar Point - 36" Hang Ten - Freestyle Music Park - 36" w/ Adult Vapor Trail - Sesame Place - NO HEIGHT RESTRICTION (rider must be 3 years old) Mr. Six's DanceCoaster - Six Flags Magic Mountain - 42" Yeah, this HAS to be a mistake. I'll make a call to the park tomorrow to find out for sure. It just can't be right. --Robb

Interesting....when the ride operated at Six Flags New Orleans it was 36"... http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:pLzW3aB4cXoJ:www.acesouthcentral.org/Lost/SFNO/railrunner.htm+Rex%27s+Rail+Runner+36%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Road Runner Express Six Flags New Orleans Length (feet): 679' Height (feet): 28' Manufacturer: Vekoma Height restriction: 36" Date Opened 2000

No one suggested a boybott of Magic Mountain. I asked that none of the "families" of Theme Park Review support this ride, and instead bring their kids to Disneyland to ride their version of it. We have a lot of families here with kids that are 35" - 41" who would probably LOVE to ride this roller coaster. And they can. At Disneyland. --Robb "That's all that was being suggested....and hopefully Magic Mountain tells us the 42" restriction was an error." Alvey

Yes, absolutely. They put in a children's ride that children can't ride. WAY TO GO SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN!!!!

POP QUIZ! QUESTION! What is somethineg that Kristen WON'T be able to do at Six Flags Magic Mountain this summer, but she WILL be able to do at about 30 or 40 parks all over the USA and the rest of the world? ANSWER! RIDE A ROLLER SKATER!!!! OTHER QUESTION!!! Hey, Six Flags Magic Mountain! What ride can my daughter ride at the family friendly Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, but she can't ride at your park? A VEKOMA ROLLER SKATER!!!!

Exactly. What a waste of money to refurbish and install a coaster that can't be ridden by it's target audience. --Robb

Agreed. If this is in fact the actual height restriction, I'm going to recommend that NO ONE from Theme Park Review with families supports this coaster and their decision to have a height restriction set so high. If you are going to take your family to ride this coaster, take them to Disneyland instead where their EXACT version of this ride has a height restriction of 35" and is targeted for families. --Robb

ANOTHER 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 on lowering the height restriction so it will appeal to a wider audience. Jay was upset 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 UPDATE! According to the official Six Flags Twitter, Six Flags Corporate has confirmed the 42" height restriction on the ride. (See the screen capture photo below) --Robb ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? It has to be a typo...it has to be a typo..it has to be a typo... If not... I don't know about anyone else but I will be taking my daughter to Disneyland to ride their 35" roller skater. Or better yet, I'll take KidTums to Cedar Point so she can ride their even BIGGER roller skater than only has a 36" height restriction. --Robb "I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in the park as I am right now." Alvey POP QUIZ! QUESTION! What is somethineg that Kristen WON'T be able to do at Six Flags Magic Mountain this summer, but she WILL be able to do at about 30 or 40 parks all over the USA and the rest of the world? ANSWER! RIDE A ROLLER SKATER!!!! OTHER QUESTION!!! Hey, Six Flags Magic Mountain! What ride can my daughter ride at the family friendly Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, but she can't ride at your park? A VEKOMA ROLLER SKATER!!!! Here is a list of all the Vekoma Roller Skaters currently operating in North America and their height restrictions: Ant Farm Express - Wild Adventures - 36" Gadet's Go Coaster - Disneyland - 35" Barnstormer - Magic Kingdom - 35" Merlin's Revenge - Castle Park - 40" Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom - 36" w/ Adult Six Flags Mexico - 35" Spacely Sproket Rockets - Six Flags Great America - 36" Woody Woodpecker - Universal Studios Florida - 36" Romp Bomp A Stomp - Six Flags Fiesta Texas - 36" Flying Unicorn - Islands of Adventure - 36" Okeechobee Rampage - Cypress Gardens - 36" w/ Adult Woodstock Express - Cedar Point - 36" Hang Ten - Freestyle Music Park - 36" w/ Adult Vapor Trail - Sesame Place - NO HEIGHT RESTRICTION (rider must be 3 years old) Mr. Six's DanceCoaster - Six Flags Magic Mountain - 42" Yeah, this HAS to be a mistake. I'll make a call to the park tomorrow to find out for sure. It just can't be right. --Robb EDIT: Interesting....when the ride operated at Six Flags New Orleans it was 36"... http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:pLzW3aB4cXoJ:www.acesouthcentral.org/Lost/SFNO/railrunner.htm+Rex%27s+Rail+Runner+36%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Road Runner Express Six Flags New Orleans Length (feet): 679' Height (feet): 28' Manufacturer: Vekoma Height restriction: 36" Date Opened 2000 Six Flags Twitter CONFIRMS the 42" height restriction!

^ But that's just also dumb. Cedar Fair changed Jaguar's height restriction from 42" to 48" and now no one ever seems to ride it. It's really sad because again, it's a great family coaster but by the time most kids are tall enough to ride it, they aren't as interested in it. Something like Jaguar to a 48" kid becomes a "filler" ride for their day at the park instead of a major attraction for them. --Robb

^ Sorry, we don't give out those numbers as it could change from year to year. --Robb

I also submitted comments. I think it's important to point out that this is NOT one of those "useless internet petitions" and the form was VERY easy to fill out. It took me about 90 seconds to fill out and submit. There's no excuse why everyone at TPR can't fill this out! Even if you simply say "I support keeping The Edge" that's better than not filling this out! --Robb

But that's not true. At both West Coast Bash Q&A sessions this issue has come up. Jay and Neal have both said they could make the changes to the ride to possibly lower the height restrictions by adding the individual lap bars and/or seat belts that other Arrow Mine Trains have. They have said "It's on the to do list, but it's not in the current plan." Still that doesn't explain why a similar ride with a single position lap bar operates at 40" on the other side of town at Disneyland, or why other Arrow Mine Trains operate with the same lap bar restraint at other parks with a 42" or 44" height restrictions. And I agree with Jay and Neal that 48" is a good height restriction for a ride that families can ride together. That is if the ride in question fits the category. Terminator, Colossus, Revolution, and even Goliath are all good 48" rides. But Gold Rusher should be on the same caliber as Ninja, Big Thunder Mountain, Sierra Sidewider and the like. I mean, I think the mine train coaster at Hansa Park in Germany that KidTums rode when she was two years old was taller than Gold Rusher! And that's in Germany! Where they are insanely strict about safety and other engineering codes. And if the solution on Gold Rusher is just putting in seat belts? C'mon! --Robb "I actually really WANT the mountain to be more family friendly!" Alvey

I just want to remind everyone that as March starts getting closer, tickets will start selling out faster! The response has been crazy already and if you haven't registered yet, do so now before the event sells out! http://www.themeparkreview.com/store/index.php?categoryID=14 --Robb

That's kind of like saying you're the only guy left with Herpes.

Well, it was "nominated."

I haven't said anything about this poll because I just know that it's just going to get me in trouble. But every time I see a post about this where people are questioning it, I get the feeling a lot of people are thinking it, so I'm just going to say it... The poll is half-assed. There. I said it. Look, I respect and appreciate what you guys are doing. I really do. I know it takes a lot of work and effort to put this together. I just found the options and the categories to fall quite a bit short for me to be able to support the effort this time around. Not to mention that it seems like little research was done that allowed you to have poll options with incorrect data. I think more time thinking this through and editing what you were presenting to the public could have resulted in something far more impactful. And as much as you want to say "Oh, it's because something didn't get nominated..." well, you guys are the final editors, the last round of filters, etc, of everything you publish. I think you guys could have done a better job making sure that the data and the options that were being presented were a little more thought through. WARNING! ROBB RANT APPROACHING! STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T HAVE THICK SKIN! You can't think of 5 or 6 epic fails of the last decade? REALLY??? Off the top of my head - Hard Rock Park, Wild West World, Celebration City, Son of Beast, Disney's California Adventure, Cypress Gardens, Six Flags Astroworld, Geagua Lake, Frequent Faller, Hypersonic, Deja Vu's... REALLY??? You guys couldn't think of any? I mean, c'mon, Rip Ride Rockit was the best you could come up with? That ride freaking OPENED at least...in the same damn year it was supposed to! And it was ranked the #59 steel coaster in the world in it's opening year! Not amazing, but not a failure by any means. Most of the Deja Vu's didn't even make it the year they were supposed to open! And you put "The Dark Knight" as an "epic fail of the decade?" REALLY??? In the same decade where Disney admitted they needed to spend $1.1 billion dollars to fix their failed California Adventure, and you put The Dark Knight???? That's NOT an epic fail! Those coasters may not have been amazing, but they at least opened, and were more entertaining than your standard Wild Mouse! Same thing to those who suggested Maverick. A two week delay is NOT an "epic fail!" Opening a park that didn't last two weeks, like Wild West World, THAT is an epic fail! Closing down at park like Astroworld in the #4 largest market in the US...THAT is an epic fail...and you put Kingda Ka??? A ride that does actually work! (albeit only sometimes) In fact Kingda Ka seems to work a lot better than Hypersonic does now! Where is that one on your list? And your best "Water Coaster" includes rapids rides, water slides, splashdown boats and, um, hello, a ride that was built in 1996 (Yes, Master Blaster was NOT built in the 2000s...DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!!) In fact, I believe you really only have one water "coaster" in your entire water coaster category! I'm sorry, I just really am a stickler for polls and I can really get behind ones that are rock solid, like Mitch's poll, and I get very frustrated by ones that seem thrown together just to generate some traffic, like this one. If you want the traffic, that's fine, but PUT THE EFFORT INTO IT to deserve it. It seems like you guys want all the glory of this poll without doing the required work to make it great. My advice to you guys? Re-do it and MAKE IT GREAT! Again, you guys could have done SO MUCH BETTER and this poll could have been amazing. Something more people could really get behind and support. But really, it's half-assed. And that's my honest, constructive opinion. --Robb "Sorry John, I really respect what you guys have done and the support you've given TPR, but I just had to say my mind and I needed to rant about it." Alvey

The same can be said for Big Thunder Mountain. The both use a single position lap bar for both riders in the train. Runaway Mine Train, the Arrow Mine Train at Six Flags Great Adventure using a very similar single position lap bar and it's 44" Other Arrow Mine trains in the Six Flags Family: Roadrunner Express - Six Flags Fiesta Texas - 42" Dahlonega Mine Train - SFOG - 42" River King Mine Train - SFSL - 42" (I think this one also uses the same bar at SFMM) Runaway Mine Train - SFGadv - 44" Canyon Blaster - The Great Escape - 42" The Runaway Mine Train - SFOT - 42" Other Arrow mine trains operating in the US: Big Bad John - Magic Springs - 42" Carolina Goldrusher - Carowinds - 48" Cedar Creek Mine Ride - Cedar Point - 48" Thunderation - Silver Dollar City - 42" Adventure Express - Kings Island - 44" There you have it. There are 11 Arrow mine train roller coasters in the US. Only 3 of them operate with a 48" height restriction. And Magic Mountain's is the only one in the Six Flags family with a 48" height restriction. It's not going to change. I don't expect it to. But it's a shame that such a great family ride doesn't get the attention I think it deserves. But hey, I have no room to complain as it doesn't affect me personally. I'll take my family to a park where they CAN ride more coasters! --Robb SFGadv's Mine Train restraint.