HWFan

Stop scaring me. Seeing Colossus rotating today was scary enough.

I definitely suggest at least skimming through the call. It may be a bit dry at times but includes some important information. However, that website will make you create an account as you get into the transcript. I just made one for anyone to use: Email: sfsltpr@hotmail.com Password: sfsltpr

Lol sorry. No. A clue about something much less interesting.

Thank you for the kind words Steve. And no, Fireball has not arrived yet. I think that by trying to give you an extra clue, I just made it more puzzling.

I think that everyone will be pleasantly surprised on opening day with a plethora of changes & improvements. Even though there is a new park president, the park is staying on the same path. I was pretty excited when I got the lowdown on what all is being done this off season. I got the job, but the timeframe is still up in the air. Not to get too much into my personal life, but I have a couple procedures (one inpatient surgery while the other outpatient) coming up in March & April to hopefully kills a few of the brain tumors and cryogenically freeze the kidney tumor (I'll have kidney cancer the rest of my life, due to my genetic disorder). Whether I live another five years or fifty years, I want to spend it doing what I love. I have a lot of loyalty to Six Flags, especially to certain individuals at the company. It's honestly pretty cool that Jim Reid-Anderson, the President & CEO of Six Flags (who is in the announcement videos), and I have become pen-pals over email. It even takes him less time to respond than it takes me....and the man oversees a company with 30,000 employees. I'll be talking to the management of HR in the coming days, as I want to work out the best times for them and to see if I can get their "blessing" so to speak. It should be a great summer of Always Smiling And having fun in the shadow(s) of Rollercoasters, a sound that is as refreshing as listening to the waves as the Tide comes in and out.

The Screamin' Eagle is NOT handicapped accessible. They can't do much to make it accessible without demolishing the current queue and exit. If they do any major construction on the ride, they would be legally obligated to make it accessible. Sad really. I used to absolutely love that ride, but I haven't been able to ride it since 2011. (Btw, even though some signs might say it's accessible, it's not. Just like how a lot of the bathrooms (mainly the front mall) say that they're accessible but they're not. I'm glad I'm in HR now, because when I was in GR, there wasn't even a bathroom nearby that I could use. Sad.)

In case anyone is interested, the park was recently featured on Fox 2 News for the job fair. You can even see yours truly a couple times. Link

^I really appreciate the response. I guess that's more of what I consider to be "Guest Service" but thanks for the clarification. EDIT: I just re-read this post, and my response above sounds really sarcastic at the end. Please let the record reflect that I was being sincere.

I think it's not fair to over generalize such a complex subject like park operations with almost zero evidence to back up any claims.

Okay, so nobody has posted on this thread in an awfully long time. I was hoping to get a discussion started to hear what people had to say about this park, especially as I have never visited before. If you had to put together a five year plan for the park (2016-2020), what would you choose? Here's what I would do: 2016 I would lay low but open a scrambler ride and/or maybe another flat. Maybe reopen the log flume, if possible. Obviously keep building up infrastructure. 2017 I would add a ProSlide Tantrum complex or a Kraken racer slide. This would keep the water park fresh and high capacity. 2018 I would open a unique ride from Sally Corp that utilizes a gaming system similar to JLBM at SFSL & SFOT. Being very familiar with the installation at SFSL, I think they could get one without the DOF vehicles and a bit smaller for $3million. It would be something that would really set the park apart for families, and it would be a ride that the entire family could enjoy together. 2019 For 2019, I would try to reopen one of the old water rides or bring back a flat such as an S&S drop tower or Swinging Ship ride. 2020 I would open a Premier-built steel coaster, a clone of Superman from SFDK. It would really pack a punch and be an amazing addition to the park while investing less than $10million.

I promise I will/would keep up on the forum and post when warranted. If I choose to leave St. Louis for the summer, I think it'll make a lot of sense once I can say what I'll be doing and where I'll be doing it. I just got the "formal" offer today, and it's looking like it could be almost impossible to pass up. However, I'm still waiting on the family-approval and medical-approval aspects. Either way, if I leave, you'll realize that it wasn't me keeping this thread from "[going] to sh*t," but you all had that power inside you all along. You just have to believe in yourselves!

I again want to extend the offer of answering any questions for anyone who is interested in working at the park. Just send me a message, and I'll be more than happy to help. You can also head over to http://www.sixflagsjobs.com and apply for a position. Our new HR software has made things even more streamlined and simplified for the hiring process, which is great news for applicants & HR staff. Finally, I usually wouldn't post these "ifs and maybes" but I will in this case. I'm excited at the prospect of possibly joining the park's training team as one of the Training Supervisors, but we'll see if I am able to transfer over to that position or not. Second, and more importantly, there is a fair chance that I may not be in St. Louis this summer at all. I'm currently in talks with an awesome park regarding the possibility of working with them this summer. In which case, hopefully there will be other forum members who can regularly update everyone on the goings on at the park. Either way, I'll let you know what happens, partly so that you can visit me at the other park's forum, if you want.

There isn't a height limit. With the hill factored in, Superman must be at least 300+ feet.

To address the post a couple posts up, even if the park sells all of the rides, I still need a job. While I agree with the overall sentiment, I don't consider American Thunder to be a clone in the same way that rides like Batman, the S&S 4D Coasters, or even Mr. Freeze are considered clones. Even though AT isn't an original ride layout, it fits perfectly into its location and is a really fun ride. I think it would have been a waste of money to design a new GCI for that same spot when there was an existing model that was already known to be a hit with Guests. Plus, almost no AT riders will have ridden the coaster in Europe. Also, this may be an unpopular opinion (scratch that....this WILL be an unpopular opinion), but I would rather have both AT and PandaHawk than a hyper. I also have decided to start calling Pandamonium "PandaHawk" instead because a PandaHawk just seems like a badass name for an animal hybrid that science needs to make already. Finally, I can't finish this post without including some wish for the park that will probably never happen...so: I still would love to see Ninja replaced by a B&M mini-Dive Machine for the park's 50th. It'd be cheaper than a hyper or full size five machine, but its uniqueness could easily make it the "destination coaster" the park needs. Imagine a dive into a tunnel under the train tracks into an Immelmann before crossing back across. It'd also be the perfect time to build a second entrance to HH where The Joker/Axis Arcade is.

Good call out. We're speaking here in opinions, and it is my ardent opinion that it is much preferable to have Boss. As for Vekoma, it depends. SFStL's two Vekomas are their two worst coasters (opinion!). However, SFGAm's Vekoma, Spacely's Sprocket Rockets, is actually pretty good. I'd rather ride it than Superman. I wasn't really trying to "call you out" or anything. I just wanted to point out that calling Superman: Ultimate Flight "one of the worst coasters ever made" and phrasing it as a fact was rather ridiculous, and in terms of your comment regarding Wikipedia, it was a joke.

^If Superman: Ultimate Flight is one of the worst coasters ever made, then Vekoma pretty much shouldn't exist. Also, we have to remember that coasters are subjective.

My IP address is banned from editing Wikipedia, because I kept editing the SDC page by changing "Outlaw Run" to "Outlaws Running Wild & Trampling Park Guests" and "Wildfire" to "The Wildfire that Kills the Animals at the End of Bambi."

I know that there is some work being done on restaurants. However, I do not know which or how many locations, the type of work, or the scale of the work being done. I'll let you know if I find out more.

Sorry for a lack of pictures but still wanted to give a small update on the park and what's happening. The Boss' first large turn/helix is still trackless, but the work continues. Right now I'm trying to remember if it's the hill up to the MCBR or the hill down from it, but one of the two has very bright new wood on it. I'm not sure what's happening with Thunder or Eagle, but if you remember, they had already started track work on Thunder the day after closing. I think that, especially for the 45th anniversary, they should cover the fence (on the left of the train as you exit the train shed all the way to the employee railroad crossing) with quality graphics showing pictures of rides (whether they are still operating or not) from each decade.

^It would also be nice if there was a hyper coaster in the background. Anyway, in case you or someone you know is interested in a job at the park this season, you're/they're welcome to attend the "rehire party" today, as it is also our first job fair. Applicants can arrive any time between 10am and 5pm. It's best to go to www.sixflagsjobs.com and apply before coming, but we also have a dozen computers for people to use to apply. Remember, only apply for one position, because even if you apply for food service, we will talk to you in the interview about departments and which you would prefer. Applicants do not need to bring anything with them, and even if an applicant can't work until June or July, it's still good to apply/interview early. For anyone who would like to attend, here are the directions to the HR office: When you get off I-44 and are on the road headed towards the park, get in the left lane. The two right lanes will split off to become all of the lanes for the regular toll plaza, and the left lane will turn into a two lane road that you will follow for a couple hundred meters before there will be a guard shack on you're right. You'll pull up to the shack and tell the security officer that you are there for the job fair. They'll point you back towards the employee lot, at which point you can't miss the big HR building. If applicants are flexible, the best times to arrive would be 11:00, 2:00-3:30, or 4:30-5:30. I won't be able to check here, so you can call 636-938-5300 ext. 6314 with any questions (I'll probably answer anyway.) Finally, I'd like to add that applicants would not have to commit to working at the park today, so anyone with even a small bit of interest is still encouraged to come.

As you can see, the Boss is having some major track work done.

^Exactly! To a lot of people, buying a season pass two months before their current season pass is over* seems strange. The only thing is to make sure you get the pass physically processed and made into a card at the park by whatever date (usually the end of the season) specified. *Technically your season pass stays valid until around the first week of January the following year, because you can use it for Holiday in the Park at other parks, even though SFSL is closed.

^While a flying coaster could be amazing, I am really happy that they chose a wing coaster. First, I think that it is much more "family friendly" (even if it's just less scary looking to younger riders). Second, wing coasters provide a much larger feeling of freedom in terms of their restraints and views. Besides, that ending through-the-barn element is really cool. Now because this is a coaster enthusiast site, so that means we always know what's best for a park... I think a kiddie/family coaster would be something fantastic to add. It could replace the Howler or be in addition to it. What kind of kiddie/family coaster do you think would be best for the park? I really think they could do well with almost any type, but I would either like to see something like Firechaser Express (even if it's a smaller version of the ride) or one of the new inverted Vekoma family coasters. Finally, I was unfortunately unable to make it to the park this year (I live in the Catch 22 of getting to go to HW for free because of my job but also having to work so much for my job that I don't get time to actually go), so I had a general question: How was HWN this year compared to years in the past. I'm sure it was a great event as always, but I didn't know if there were a lot more attendees. Piggybacking off of that...I've spent a lot of money on different live/silent auction items in the past few years (I just can't help myself). Some of my purchases are basically commemorative and designed to be hung on a wall, but most are not. Have any of you found clever things to do with your auction items? Here's what I've done: 1. Old tire from the Lewis & Clark Trail - Turned it into a picture frame with a bunch of smaller (some cut down a bit) pictures from our HW trips in the past. A frame store did it real nice with a high quality matte and even doing a 3D effect when mounting the photos. 2. Test Dummy Thigh - I got it signed by a lot of the iconic HW management, as well as some of the coaster cats. Because it has two holes in it, I was able to make a mount to hang it on a wall fairly easily. It's definitely a conversation piece! 3. A seat back and a few cut out numbers & the Wildebeest name from one of the rafts - The seat back worked great in college for sitting up and studying in bed, but I can't figure out what to do with the numbers/name cut outs. Any suggestions? 4. A damaged 'running board' from a Voyage car - I'm really trying to figure out how to best use this one. I could always just mount it on the wall, but I was trying to find at least a couple other cool options first. With all of this stuff being in places around my dad's house, he wants me to find a good place for the Voyage piece before I can bring any other big theme park pieces in (which was one of the terms of our agreement when he reluctantly said I could keep one of the old boats from SFSL's Scooby-Doo dark ride in our garage). What do you guys think? EDIT: Looking back, that was a lot of random stuff and questions in one post, so I apologize for the constant subject changes.

If you are on this page, there are essentially three boxes or categories in terms of the type of pass. At the top you have the special deal, which is a free gold pass upgrade when you purchase four or more season passes ($60.99). Under that, there is a box that says 2016 Gold Pass, which is if you are purchasing between one and three passes ($75.99). Finally, there is a box that says 2016 Season Pass, which is if you are purchasing between one and three passes ($60.99). While it may seem confusing, their are two of Six Flags' strategies to be aware of in general: 1. The earlier you buy your passes, the better deal you will get. (Some people choose to wait assuming the price will drop as the operating season starts to go by, which is not the case.) 2. If at all possible, purchasing four or more passes is by far the best deal. At this point, for instance, you save $15 per pass compared to the regular gold pass price.

Just in case any of the users from outside (or inside) the STL area are curious about the park with the insane surrounding floods, the park tweeted that they were in no danger, after receiving multiple inquiries, and the park also extended their prayers to those effected. Many of the park's employees have had their houses flooded (no idea how many but Facebook alone has shone multiple in just one very small department). Please keep them in your thoughts or prayers. Next Saturday, January 9th, is the park's rehire party, which is where 2015 employees who want to return for 2016 turn in their HR paperwork and make any department changes. Also, if anyone is (or knows someone who is) interested in working at the park this spring/summer, January 11th through the end of January is the best time to apply. The earlier the better. Anyway, I hope everyone out there hasn't been affected by the flood too much, and finally, if anyone has a kayak, boat, helicopter, or hovercraft available for sale or rent, please message me. Budget is $28.