kraxleRIDAH

What lucky little girl. Born into a coaster-nut family. I'm jealous. Kristen is a beautiful name. Great choice.

The thought or suggestion of a new roller coaster going into Magic Mountain makes me ill. Please don't do that ever again. Maybe after the new Thomas & Friends and Wiggles World areas are secured; Metro becomes operational again; Colossus, Goldrusher and Batman get repainted, Cyclone Bay getting fixed up and renamed -- THEN start suggesting a new roller coaster...

It is indeed really strange to see Psyclone missing from that plot of land. I'm almost overwhelmed with joy.

According to a story done by LA DAILY NEWS (3/3/07), Magic Mountain is doing the following for 2007: - Resurfacing and restriping their parking lot. - Introducing a Coldstone Creamery. - KODAK will be responsible for all in-park photography services. - Introducing Nintendo Wii console preview/gaming area(s). - Refurbishing Grand Carousel (we know this was completed recently) - Removing Psyclone and Flashback (I know, I know, old news ) * Park spokeswoman Sue Carpenter confirmed that no Wiggles World or Thomas & Friends areas will be introduced in the park this year, but that management is working on bringing those to the park in the near future. So I think it's safe to assume what Magic Mountain will introduce in 2008. * Nothing was mentioned in regards to a Johnny Rockets or Johnny Rockets Express going into Magic Mountain this year as Mark Shapiro said would happen in a live conference call to investors on 1/12/07. However, they may have not announced it yet, so this may still pull through this season. Source: LA DAILY NEWS

^ 17 roller coasters IS too many roller coasters for one park. Magic Mountain and Cedar Point both alike. Just THINK for a second about that number. SEVENTEEN. More than half of which at Magic Mountain and Cedar Point are considered large to very large. It may be subjective in a way, but there really is no denying such a thing as too many roller coasters in one park. Cedar Point doesn't get criticized as much for this because they are capable of managing all 17 and keep them all open, well-staffed, and at good capacity. In addition, Cedar Point's non-coaster ride lineup adaquetely balances out the number of coasters they have to offer. The same can't be said for Magic Mountain.

I love Las Vegas, our family usually takes a trip out there at least three times a year. The best hotels to stay at are Bellagio and The Venetian. Everything at the Wynn is too overpriced.

Now that Psyclone has been completed razed down (as of today), I think we should expect Flashback to be gone within the next few weeks. Can't wait to see these two plots of land empty -- should be a nice surprise and change the look of the two areas of the park a lot.

Yeah. I was thinking about that too. But then again, Dominator is at Dorney Park. If a 200-foot tall tower ride that has a shrill hiss everytime a vehicle reaches the top isn't qualified as noisy, then I don't know what is. Impulse coasters can be noisy, but I don't think it's noisy enough to deter any plans Dorney Park has with Steel Venom.

^ Not the mention that new independant power feed brought into the park recently... I think it's safe to assume Steel Venom will be on its way to Dorney Park. However, it doesn't look like the ride will be up and running in 2007...according to a story done by Crain's Cleveland, the ride will be dismantled then STORED at its future location.

UGH! For the people that STILL can't give into the fact that Steel Venom is being taken out and sent to another Cedar Fair park, this should finally seal your trap : http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/geauga/117274215973470.xml&coll=2

WISHFUL THINKING: I know, I know. This is Six Flags...but hear me out. Even before Six Flags acquired rights to the Thomas & Friends brand, I had always imagined how fun a "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad" style runaway mine-train roller coaster themed to Thomas the Tank Engine would be. As a little kid, I used to love watching Thomas on Shining Time Station and playing with those wood train track playsets. The ride's back story and plot with theming elements would be very executable for a themed roller coaster ride. I felt like being a little creative and let my imagination run so let me set it up for you: As you read the following description, just think of Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster and its setup with all the mountain and the way the ride winds through the mountain. Visitors to the Island of Sodor (you, the guest) board the passenger coaches (roller coaster cars) at Shining Time Station (loading platform). The passenger coaches are attached to a lead car that's themed like one of the train personalities (Thomas, Henry, Gordon, Edward, etc.). The story of the ride begins as an audio recording of Sir Topham's voice over the queue PA tells each of the locomotives to "safely and carefully take our dear guests visiting the island back to the village" through a potentially dangerous industrial mining area based in the heart of a rocky mountain. Meanwhile it also narrates all safety precautions and instructions to riders. Ride operators (dressed like railway station attendants) dispatch the trains, riders squeal with delight as the trains pull forward into a tunnel in the mountain and climb a chain-lift. A sound system built into the locomotive does a little "toot-toot." At the top of the lift, you see two openings leading out of the mountain, one way marked directly ahead of you (DANGER: MINING ZONE - DO NOT PROCEED!) and another offset to the left (THIS WAY TO SODOR VILLAGE). The opening and track leading to the left is fake obviously. The coaster train proceeds directly forward to the (DANGER: MINING ZONE - DO NOT PROCEED!) opening and a recording sounds loudly for all riders to hear - "THOMAS! No! STOP! You're going the wrong way!" Then the coaster goes down and through the mountain like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and everyone has a great time. The coaster approaches a separate unload platform and a voice recording of Sir Topham begins to scold Thomas for being so careless. As riders get off the ride, the voice recording tells all passengers to exit to their (left/right) and hopes this incident won’t keep you from revisiting the Island of Sodor and wishes you a great stay at Six Flags [insert park name]. Thrilling enough for young children, fun and exciting enough for parents, teens, and young adults. But of course, it'll never happen as long as Six Flags has the rights to Thomas & Friends. I was thinking the same thing too. Am I alone when I say that Six Flags New England could have marketed Wiggles World for this season AND THEN go open a Thomas Town area for next year? Why build two kiddie areas in one season when you could split them up within a course of two years so you could "introduce" and market something new back to back rather than blow it all in one season? New England's Thomas Town could have been allocated to another Six Flags park for the 2007 season that wasn't ALREADY introducing a brand new kids' area. Kind of reminds me of what old management used to do with thrillrides. They'd drop multiple major rides into a park in one season when they could have been split up over the course of two or three years. Unless someone would like to correct me and say that Six Flags New England's selection of childrens' attractions is nearly non-existent as of pre-2007...

If I had to pick, I'd say Time Warner. I wouldn't be so quick to say Dan Snyder/Mark Shapiro because they've only been operating the chain for a little over a year now. Premier Parks (Later Six Flags Inc.) under Gary Story/Kieran Burke would probably be the absolute worst.

Actually Knott's changed the most starting with Supreme Scream in Summer 1998 and followed by GhostRider a few months later. And what'dya know? Those were the first things Cedar Fair changed when they acquired the park. It was all downhill after that.

Magic Mountain is definitely a candidate. Though for the worse. What used to be a beautiful park with a charming aura is now a roller coaster laden dump that has half its infrastructure looking like it was left as it was when it first opened in 1971. Please, allow me to use visual aids: http://history.amusement-parks.com/Revolution/three1.jpg 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Knott's also comes to mind. Though it's a no-brainer that any park seized by a corporation will always change drastically.

I think of a black female hip-hop artist doing some twisty dance manuever.

I've visited Magic Mountain once or twice while they were hosting a cheer competition. If you enjoy groups of adolescent girls yabbering away loudly in front and from behind you in line and then releasing high-decibel drawn-out screams from the row behind you on Viper and Colossus. Otherwise, I suggest visiting some other time.

With the heavy and consistent rain today and tomorrow, I don't think Ninja's paintjob will be complete until next week. And with all the acid rain, I don't think Ninja will retain that glossy look.

I know you worked at Riddler's, so what you have to say does seem valid, but from a logical perspective, I believe the station's row line-up setup is probably the best. It's undeniable that more people are inclined to wait for the very first car for a roller coaster than any other row and you can observe this ANY time you go to an amusement park. The way Riddler's station is set up is that the first row has the lengthiest waiting area to prevent a congestion in the flow of the queue, while all following rows decrease in waiting area length all the way to the last car. It makes perfect sense to do that. Otherwise, you'd have queue flow problems in the station like you do at Scream!, Goliath and Batman, where the huge amount of people waiting for the front row block the entry to the station while all other rows are close to being empty. However, I do agree with what you're saying about the Flashpass situation, although there's nothing that can be done about it because Riddler's queue and station wasn't built to accomodate a line bypass system back in 1998 -- so the current situation is the best fit the park can do with the ride at this point. I find that funny considering Riddler's Revenge, next to Goliath, has the LONGEST queue path than any other ride in the park (distance walked from queue entry to station). There IS an outdoor switchback queue area just right before you hit the stairs, though it's not big by any means. Most of the queue meanders underneath the coaster for a good quarter mile. What's there to blame? If anything, I think Riddler's was one of the best executed rides at Magic Mountain in YEARS in terms of overall ride design, theming, queue setup, and just the overall picture. You can't possibly make the conclusion like you did that just because Time Warner was exploring to unload the Six Flags chain in 1997 that they half-assed the queue line on a new roller coaster they were building. If anything, that's miles ahead of anything Premier Parks did with Magic Mountain in the years to follow. You think Riddler's was a mess? Then what do you call Scream? Scream! has a queue line about as short as a driveway by comparison.

^ They need to fix more than just the "junkyard" below it. They need to fix EVERYTHING surrounding the ride. Can anybody honestly look at this and tell me with a straight face that it's a pretty sight?

Like most coasters which people think are "ugly" as they lay in pieces awaiting vertical construction, it'll probably turn out to look good or decent once the ride has been completed. People said the exact same things about X, Scream! and Silver Bullet. But they look good up close in person.

You are taking that article quite too literally. It certainly would be a unique vertical drop in the state of Pennsylvania. Anyone know of any other spiraling vertical drops elsewhere in that state? Thought so.

Yeah, but you're comparing Knott's to DISNEY. I certainly hope you aren't suggesting for Knott's admission price of $39.95 (print-at-home) that you expect the same experience you get by paying $63.00 to get into Disneyland or California Adventure. I mean come on, Knott's motto is "More Bang For Your Buck." They know they can't go up to par with Disney and they accept that. I know plenty of people living north of Southern California that have taken the Knott's option and stayed at the Resort and played there as a substitute for the much more expensive Disneyland. Rather, they stay at Knott's, and take a shuttle to Disney. Please make sure you know what you're talking about before you type it. Cedar Fair does not own any property that's still undeveloped within park borders. There is no "expansion" room. But as they've been doing for the past few decades, all new attractions replaced other existing attractions. That's an immediate sign of no room for immediate expansion -- where you have to take something out in order to put something new in. The lots across the street from the park are designated employee parking and equipment storage. I'm not even sure if Cedar Fair owns this land or has it leased from the city of Buena Park...in any event. Knott's does not have "plenty of room to expand."

Don't know if you're familiar with Knott's, but it is already a resort. Nothing on the scale of Disney mostly due firstly to its 10 mile proximity to the Disneyland Resort. Secondly, the park has no immediate room to expand. It's "boxed" in from all four major streets that surround it. Knott's fits its niche just fine. But no matter how much effort or money Cedar Fair pours into Knott's to make it "such a resort," it will never be able to top Disney. Knott's and Cedar Point are the only parks under Cedar Fair Entertainment Company's wings that are considered "Resorts." So Cedar Fair does have the vision and proper management skills to do what you say they couldn't do. Because they already did it. More than 5 years ago, to be exact. They turned a single venue income (just the amusement park) and expanded it to include revenue from a new park and hotel. There's no surprise why Knott's is Cedar Fair's second highest revenue source (2005 revenue pull: $186 million), and that's including the former Paramount Parks. Knott's Berry Farm officially became a "coined" multiple-day destination resort in '99/'00 when Cedar Fair bought the hotel adjacent to the park and began operating it as their own on-site accomodations while at the same time opened the adjacent water park. So you have the Knott's Berry Farm Resort Hotel, Knott's Berry Farm Theme Park, and Knott's Soak City USA operating under one title. Prior to 1999, Knott's business orientation catered strictly to the local one-day visit market and the Disney stragglers that want to spend that last day doing something else. http://www.themeparkbrochures.net/2006/kbfresort2006.html http://www.knottshotel.com/ http://www.knotts.com/camplace/index.shtml If you will, Knott's is very much like a smaller-scale Cedar Point Resort in every way. A separate pay water park, a free monumental attraction (Independence Hall), separate pay amusement park, outside-park shopping district and dining area and a hotel --- all practically adjacent to each other.

^ No, the track was red too, which I already confirmed two or three posts above yours. I think you might have read that person's message not knowing there was another thread page following it. Oh, the olden days.

^ Yup. It looked nice. Now to hope (all the things we hope the park will do, but we just accept that they will never happen) that those old trains can come back. Those Morgan trains on Colossus are honestly part of the reason for the demise of that coaster. They're horrible http://database.thrillnetwork.com/dbgallery/photo_view.php/1560/six_flags_magic_mountain/colossus_left1785.htm