Rollerman87

Instead of posting a new thread, I'll put my PTR here, so enjoy. It is the year 2009. The economy is dying, and the country is going to hell. But 6 determined people join the Resistance and take a ride on... Terminator Salvation: The Ride For those who may not know what this is, it is the newest coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain, a GCI wooden coaster featuring a first of its kind pre-show and audio system. As the park put is so nicely, this isn't just a ride, it's an experience. And while the pre-show, audio, and flames (you read that right) were nice, the ride holds its own without the fancy extras. Although the coaster tops out at 100ft, and only takes you up to speeds of about 52 mph, the 3 minute long ride offers such an amazing feel, that it truly creates its own experience. To get the full depth of the small pieces of airtime, a backseat ride is necessary. For any who don't feel like reading the above, here are some pretty pictures to stare at: While waiting in line, there is scant theming to please the eye. One centerpiece is this Jepp, an actual prop from Terminator Salvation (the movie) One thing that personally impressed me was how close the queue is the track. You can literally reach up and touch the braces to the track in some areas. Upon entering the queue right before the pre-show, this massive tow truck lies half buried in the sand. This is an actual movie prop from Terminator Salvation (the movie). These tanks were part of the facade for the pre-show building. The theming, for being sparse, was quite elaborate and cool, especially for being Six Flags quality. Another little piece of theming outside the pre-show building. Station flyby. Would have been a lot better an element if the station could hold more, thus allowing people to be able to wait and see it pass. I apoligize for the quality of these 2 pictures. But in general, the first one shows that they are trying to keep the theming up throughout the entire ride. The second is a really bad quality shot of what the first car looks like. Even with the blur, you can see the detail they put into the seats. And now time to ride! Pic 1: (counter clockwise, starting at left) Me, Gene, Bolliger&Mabillard's girlfriend (don't know how to spel her name), Bolliger&Mabillard. Pic 2: (counter clockwise, starting in upper lefthand corner) Vekoma6382, Monica, B&M's girlfriend, Bolliger&Mabillard The 100 ft. lift. It had a weird jolt to it that had you rocking back and forth a bit when the train first engaged the chain. The predrop turn definitely gets you pumped up, in combination of the audio's machine gun fire and best quote of the ride: "They're coming!!!" After the drop, there is a nice little airtime hill that takes you right under the exit bridge connecting the station to the stairs. Great area for pictures, if you have a good enough camera. Great little pop of airtime at the end of the deadman's turn and right before the... Here's a hint One of the two tunnels on the ride. When we were there, they did not have the fog on. I end with 2 of my favorite pics of the ride. Surprising enough, they have the ride in an area that allows it to stick out and be noticed, but it is not a very photogenic coaster. It seems to give you its rear end most of the time.

Fair enough Kinda funny too I only even brought that up because we have to turn a few larger folk away at Knott's as well, but there are a few seats for "larger guests" put into the ride. Then there is Pony Express, the ride built by Italians for Italians

Interesting TR, to say the least. When I rode Maverick, I found the transitions for the inversions amazingly smooth while the quick cuts from one vert banked turn to another hurt like hell due to those thin OTSRs. I still thought it was great though As for the "check," our SOPs instruct us at Knott's to say "check" when we check the seats, and now come to think of it, they are all dated sometime 2001. For a regular sitdown ride (ie, Montezomma's Revenge, Xcelerator, Ghostrider, etc.), it makes sense, but we have to say "check" on Pony Express, where we end up telling the person behind the seat we are checking that the person in front of them is good. Weirdness And I hate to say it Electrik, but coasters were generally not designed with larger people in mind, so the fact that you were squeezed into a few seats at CP might have as much to do with your ICE membership as it does the park's, state's, and manufacturer's policies.

You're talking about the same park where we went to an outdoor vendor and asked him a question, and he couldn't bother to stop texting while he asnwered our question. Or I, a paying customer, wanted some Dippin Dots, but I sat at the window while one person swept the floor and the other just kept looking at me. Sadly, the employees don't seem care anymore than the guests.

Rode it yesterday and had an amazing time. We ended up riding 5, 6, or 7 times (yes, loads of strangeness). It was cool meeting William. Too bad the grouper up and left and we were left sitting outside for a good twenty minutes. What was sad to see though, was there was already a speaker that had been destroyed, and the ride has been open a week. If it's getting damaged that fast, I can only imagine in a month, or a year. There is so much more good and a bad I can say, but I'll post that on my PTR on one of the other sites I'm on. Perhaps it will end up on TPR as well.

This ride looks sick! In a good way I will definitely be heading out there next Thursday (if anyone cares to join me). I'm shaking just thinking about it

Honestly, I hate that term, "theme Park" as a whole because of the point that it is something very hard to judge. Heck, I work at supposedly America's First Theme Park, Knott's Berry Farm, but it's more like half a theme park. Ghost Town still has amazing atmosphere and character, and even the trash cans are nicely placed as to look like barrels and not red topped eyesores. Then we have the Boardwalk, the very poster child for Cedar Fair concrete and trashcan theming. Even the uniforms (except for Xcel's) are very generic and bland. I have always preferred the term Amusement Park for any park, even Disney and Universal parks.

Back in the day, I worked at a major theme park where "guest negatives" about employees fairly enforcing the rules were automatically treated as "guest positives" instead. Which I always thought was funny/cool. /Got hit with a "he wouldn't let me bring my drink on the ride" complaint once. //Got an attaboy out of it. ///No idea if the new management still does anything like that. If we are talking about the same park, then it now goes by the golden rule of "the guest is always right and we are always wrong." That's what happens with corporations

Think about it logically. Weekends on an off season would still be pretty busy due to the fact that no one is in school. But on and off season weekday, we ride ops might end staring at each other all day, for people are working or at school. Only a few tourists and other people come in on those days. Weekends are totally opposite of weekdays.

Remember, we are in between seasons (spring break and summer), so yep, it's as dead as it was January/February time frame. Come summer and then those won't be walk on lines

I was so blurry in that pic For Xcel, all I can say is be happy it's open again. It does a ton of rollbacks, but at least it runs consistantly. As a worked for Knott's now, of course I stick up for the park. I love that park. But I do see where you guys are coming from. They keep shoving the park with coasters, and putting in more trashcans. Also, a lot of us do like our jobs and try, but we are paid min. wage with no incentive to put in the extra effort, so people like me go the extra mile because we want to see the guests having fun

For a B&M, I would go with green. As for Intamin, I would say a blue. Not going with red for a certain awesome rocket coaster's fade just looks like poop *cough* Xcelerator *cough* Red leaves a bit of a bad aftertaste, literally. Arrows, however, are uber sexy in red.

^You have to remember though, that USH is also the only one that is a fullblown movie studio too. The other ones are more emphasis on the rides than the studio.

Those trains sound awesome. Sounds like a jetfighter, and smooth as hell. And yep, looking at those pics on the Gravitycast, they don't even have a proper grab bar yet, so I would definitely assume they are no where near their "final" look.

We had no rain today. And for the record, I've worked at Montezooma's Revenge and Pony Express in the rain. We go down when we HAVE to. There's all kinda of technical goodies about why, but we actual go down for a reason. Hell, Pony can stay running in the rain on a 1 train operation. And yes, we've done it.

^Just read my ultra defeat before about the Mine Ride I'm sinking faster than you But yep, that's what makes TTD and Xcel the 2 best Intamin Rocket coasters out there, for they're the only ones left without OTSRs.

I remember hearing about when they filmed that I had been wanting to see that AllTell commercial. As for other commercials, I know I keep seeing one where it shows a split second of Colossus, but I can't remember which.

^^Nope. Xcel has never had, and still does not have, OTSRs. Look it up on rcdb.com and get back to me

I'll be curious to see the difference then. There were some great Street monsters this year, and no auditions, but then again, they've been around for awhile. So yeah, just wondering about how different it really is.

The one thing Knott's Xcelerator has on TTD and Kingda Ka is (1) prototype and first of its kind, and (2) second most intense launch on the planet (thrid when Ring Racer opens). Plus, no OTSRs Screw you. When I originally put a list of the coasters up, I accidently put Silver Bullet and Ghostrider on the same line, and counting by lines, I had written 8 coasters. I was keeping that miscount in my head, until you happened to number them. So sorry that I'm human. Cause you know, Ride Operators must either be complete morons, or coaster gods.

So after the long deabte, I've have found that Mine Ride is actually labeled as a coaster. Yes, it is powered, but it is still a coaster That still only makes 9 though

^Pointing out, that beyond my blunt rudeness, I did have it somewhat right. And yeah, I talked to a friend yesterday who works the mine, and he said it really does depend on the driver.

^Your point?

I wanted to use that one Riddler's has those all over its queue, and honestly, the previous ones made more afraid of wanting to jump in there

"Agree to disagree"?? Fine, we'll agree to disagree on whether or not you have any idea what you're talking about. Clearly, things have changed at Mine Ride. Because when I worked there, they wouldn't let just anyone learn it. And they certainly wouldn't have run the ride in a manner that would cause trains to derail. /*sigh* We'll never resolve this. And I don't want to keep looking like an ignorant prick. All I know is they do have to run the train on power for more than unload to load, after load, and at the stalactites. Like the underground caverns. And yes, I've been in the train when they've had it on 4th gear going through explosion tunnel. Very soon I might be learning the ride, and so yes, technically I cannot talk. All I know is they at least apply a bit more power than you mentioned. Heck, I only see 'em "ride the brakes" on a few parts.