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^ That's what I'll do as well. Even if I don't understand all the way at least it opens the door to a better understanding of the operations of the ride. I've even made some good friends talking to ops while a ride is down. I've been on Xcel many times since it opened and I guess i'm lucky but i've never seen it go down. I guess I'm just lucky. And probably just jinxed myself once its finally back up.

At SFMM when rides come to an end and they spiel to visit something in the park, they always refer to X2 as the only 5D ride. Although I really wouldn't consider it 5D.

So then I take it the Deja Vu sign and the poles were removed? Or are they just out of frame?

I went that day as well. And it wasn't pleasant for me either. I drowned out the cheering pretty quickly. But what I couldn't stand was how rude some of the kids were. This one group behind us in line for Terminator kept bumping into us. It was rude and annoying. Especially since the line was like 45 minutes. I even asked them to stop but once some group started chanting to them they would get all rowdy. A little respect for the people around them would have been nice. That is my only problem that I had.

^If you see Key Club kids RUN AWAY as far as possible. Last Saturday was horrible. It was just my luck that the one Saturday I have off is Key Club day.

^ Their comments on Metro were very mixed. I don't think they really know what they are going to do with it. However I remember Tim saying that they took forever to take Flashback down because they had to write it off so maybe they are doing the same thing with Metro? Even though its older. But I would imagine that taking down metro will cost more since it covers a larger area.

I didn't even know that they posted that kind of info on their website. My friends who work there told me that it was getting repainted. Calicoasters: Where on the website does it say what rides are down?

I cannot believe that Goliath is getting a paint job!! Hopefully next they will do Scream!. In regards to the coaster. Maybe it will be motobike coaster. So that way they can throw away millions of dollars like Knott's did and label it a family coaster with a 48" height restriction.

I know that X2 has a laser sensor on the back of the train to the left of the music box(If you looking from the front of the train back, you can see it if you sit row seven left side of the train). And on the track there are stationary markers that have a certain number of ticks on it. The laser counts the number of ticks and plays whatever track is associated with the count number. I have yet to figure out how the audio on Termi works.

Name: Matthew Diaz Age: 20 What is your roller coaster count? 78 What is your home park? Six Flags Magic Mountain What is the nearest big city? Los Angeles What is your occupation? Student/Retail About how many times a year do you visit a park (including your home park)? 25 About how many times a year do you travel to a park that is not your home park? 3 When you travel do you go primarily to amusement parks or do you also try and hit other sites? Primarily amusement parks What is the farthest you’ve traveled to go to an amusement park? Across the country. Soon international. Does roller coaster time get in the way of family time? (Do you choose to miss your children’s or family’s sporting events, holidays, birthdays, etc…) I try and put family ahead. If it is an event that includes ERT than I may skip the family event. If its just a regular day then I will put family first. Do you have any other major hobbies? Photography Do you get feelings of sadness in the offseason? Do you even have an offseason? Do you travel during the offseason? No offseason. About 2 or 3 weeks after my last visit I go through times where I really I really miss my coasters. I start to miss them about an hour into my drive home though. I'm bad. Do you consider yourself friends with someone you met who works at an amusement park? (Or reverse it, if you work or worked and an amusement park have you made friends with enthusiasts?) Yes! We hangout outside of the park. Go to the beach and go shopping. I love my two girls. They are amazing. Would it bother you to go to an amusement park by yourself? Yes. I would much rather go with someone else. I find that it greatly inhanses the experience. Have you gone to an amusement park by yourself? If so have you ever ran into another enthusiast and tagged along with them? At Termination Day. And I ended up just going to Goliath and hanging out with the crew. Do you find it easy to make friends with other enthusiasts? Of course. They are the ones that don't look at your funny when you start raving about coasters. How do you get your coaster news? TPR!!! How many different forum sites do you regularly post on? One. If there was a poll that asked a large pool of enthusiasts what their favorite roller coaster is, what do you think would be the top 3 responses be for wood? And for steel? El Toro. The Voyage. Balder. X2. Nitro. Griffon. Same scenario but for amusement parks, what would be the top 3? Cedar Point. Great Adventure. The Disney Chain. Have you ever “stole a kid” to get a credit on a kiddie coaster? No. Some day. But borrow. Not steal. Do you cut other categories out of your budget to make trips to parks? (Entertainment, fast food, holidays, tobacco or alcohol, etc…) OF COURSE!! Need to fit coasters in or I will go insane. I see it a relaxing. Before you visit a new park do you research the park finding the best way to navigate the park, get the best deals, or what days to go? Indeed. Do you feel the roller coaster enthusiast community is a warm and accepting community, or a negative and discouraging community? I think it is half and half. Depending on who you talk to. Some people come off as cocky know it alls. And others are always willing to teach others and help them learn the ropes. Do you like to talk about your hobby with people who are not roller coaster enthusiasts? Yeah. But once they give me the crazy look I tend to tone it down.

I'm sorry but that amusementsafety.org webiste that is linked in that article is total BS. They way they phrase the whole thing it makes it seem like everyone should protest Intamin as if their rides are unsafe not taking into account if the park was at fault instead of the manufacturer.

^That was the first thing that came to mind.

That is what I was thinking. You are skinny and it fits nice on you. I am a waist size 29 and it is huge on me. Like a tent. Maybe they just put a small tag on a medium by accident. Accidents happen. Maybe i'll try another one. EDIT: I just took it out and it is actually one of the zip ups. My bad. Are the pull overs tighter fitting? I can try one, but my piercings tend to get in the way so I usually go for zip ups.

I ordered a pullover at the beginning of this year and it was a small. However, it is like 2 times too large for me and thus I really don't wear it. Out of curiosity is it the same manufacturer as previously used?

^Very true. haha That never even crossed my mind.

^Last year the last day it was backwards was Nov. 2nd. This year I believe it will be Nov. 1st. When I went last night they had the train in the station. But they weren't running it. Probably not until next Saturday. Okay so last night was Out on the Mountain. A LGBT night put on by Logo and Sponsored by Southwest Airlines. There was a live band. A DJ mixed music through the parks speakers. Which was really just an iPod with too short of a playlist. They originally only said that 5 coasters would be open. However, when we got there I asked a sup and was told that all rides except Rapids Tidal and Bunny World would be open. Attendance was pretty good. Half of the second lot was full. Longest wait was about 20 minutes for X2. Which was running 2 trains. Terminator was running amazingly! I think it is settling very well. It's getting better everytime I ride it. There was also a red carpet and search lights. For all of the queens. It was another fantastic event at Magic Mountain. If anyone was wondering if they should go ... next year is a must. And you do not have to be gay to attend. Just as long as you are comfortable being around a bunch of homos.

I tried to count the number of fins missing and I got 30. Could be more or less. But the park only has a couple replacements on hand correct? Cause with Ka they only had a couple on site so they had to wait for Intamin to send them some to replace the fins. And on the section where the most fins are missing, they seem to have removed the catch car channel. The knotts website says that it is going to be in rehab from the 17th-30th of September. So I wonder if they are hoping to make a speedy recovery. On a side note. Ghostrider was open and riding the same as I remember it. I hadn't been on it in a long time, and so I rode in the front. BIG mistake. I didn't know it was rougher there. But the back was amazing. It was just rough at the turn around after the drop after the MCBR. And Pony Express is amazing!! I am so glad they made that investment. I know its supposed to appeal to a different age bracket. But I personally don't see any age bracket really liking that ride. The layout is just too plain.

^ Isn't he the guy who has ridden it over 20,000 times?

The catch car doesn't really "hold" the train. It just pushes it. Like placing your hands on someones back when they are on a swing. There is an indent in the catch car and there is a rod on the train that slides into the indent. When the train reaches proper speed and the catch car slows down the train just goes on its merry way and the rod slides out. That is why the train slides backwards just a little before launch. That is the rod going into the slot. The train either ran over the cable, hit the catch car. Or went threw some fins that may have been bent. All of which could have caused structural stress. And to respond to my previous post the cable would have had to snap prior to proper velocity because the train never cleared the top hat. Unless the cable snapping killed some of the momentum.

^ Watch the people behind them. They seem very calm. Even when the guy freaks out and starts yelling at the station. I think the man and his son were just scared and the adrenaline was making them over react a little. And if the cable wrapped around the chair then it would have caught the guy behind him. It seems like it would be a structural change to the train. The guys chair behind him seems to move as well.

Did anyone ever notice that the point at which the cable breaks is almost at the very end of the launch. The cable snaps and then they start to go up the top hat. The train is only accelerated for 3/4 of the launch correct? So that way the catch car can slow down. So its interesting that the cable would snap at the point where acceleration is ceased or has already been cut off.

I don't think it looks that bad at all. Sure it is a very serious matter, but as long as the park attended to the guests then there really isn't much more that could have been done. Things just happen. It's just my luck that this happens one week before I go to Knotts. Too sound extremely selfish. Just out of curiosity .. does anyone know if any of the ops were hurt? Cause the cable runs to the back of the station. Funny how only the guests are important.

They have tons of land in the parking lot.

He is a really nice guy. He is so funny. Just a little too much sometimes. He worked at Disneyland Resort for about 25 years. I haven't seen him in forever. He always says all sides clear and then stares to the right with a big smile.

Good times. Unfortunately that crew has all moved on. I honestly think they were one of the best crews I have ever seen at an amusement park.