Jew

I still feel like this will be a revitalization of that whole area. It's kind of the stepchild of ghost town.

Can't really do much to the restraints on a raft ride since there is an ever so slight chance of capsizing. Unfortunately that means dumb guests likely ruined that forever. But I agree the waterfalls were the best part of the ride---hoping it wasn't you getting drenched by them was basically all the fun!

If the last two refurbishments are any indication, I would expect something more than a "basic" overhaul. That entire area from Mystery Lodge to the western entrance could use an overhaul.

It's OK to forget the giants.

They're totally buying the mall and opening a second gate.

I really enjoyed Aftermath 2 when it was launched. I just don't think Six Flags realized how much working with a creative firm actually costs (same company that did Dark Harbor). This year it very much was an afterthought.

Great news! Lets hope they don't have to take their fights public every few years in order to keep the park growing...

I knew this would eventually happen.

Doubt chance had anything to do with the show elements of the ride.

I have no doubt Disney will still go forward with re-developing that area. My guess is they will keep the existing architecture, but cut back on some of the planned amenities expected of a four diamond resort. Either that or give that area a Disney Springs like makeover and load it up with more restaurants and do as Chris suggested with the new paradise pier tower for hotel capacity.

^Yeah, Paradise Pier has always been an outlier since it wasn't originally a Disney hotel. Adding another Tower to it and doing more to "Disney" up the original tower would be a good idea as well. And moderate pricing would allow them to have more inventory to compete with the Hilton quality level hotels in the area.

They price all their hotels as four diamond, so if I was Disney I would still build the four diamond and lower the price of paradise pier hotel as the moderate option.

I still feel like this is Disney now firing back at the city. Disney desperately needs another hotel for their capacity needs.

That will also sell out if you wait too long, leaving your only option as an express pass that is only valid from 11pm-close. Pricing varies each night.

Very few SFMM front line employees work full time, and the above mentioned employee culture problem is rather well known. All these things contribute to a result of SFMM having a hard time hiring employees. Magic mountain just doesn’t offer anything competitive for entry level jobs when it comes to benefits. Many other entry level service jobs offer stuff like tuition reimbursement, health insurance if you stick around, paid time off, annual raises, and so on...magic? Free park tickets is all they offer. That being said, their business model works for them. So long as they can stay away from running up massive debts again, they’ll stay a successful company.

ESP (and all those other major event staffing companies like Staff Pro and CSC) are completely different than a typical temporary staffing agency. It's not the same business model. Knotts and Universal have no problem staffing their "maze security" positions with their own temporary staff, so knowing what I know about event staffing, I have no doubt SFMM made the decision to save some money on labor costs. And to be fair, more power to them to run their business and make more profits off Fright Fest---it's just tacky because it's clear these employees don't even meet Six Flags standards and stick out like a sore thumb with their different uniforms and complete lack of care for service.

What cost savings? Does CA force them to pay for health insurance on those 6 week positions or something? I doubt there are any cost savings. Typically employers will go to a temp agency when they were not able to find enough employees on their own or their HR department couldn't handle the volume of work. I am guessing with low unemployment and competition with retail and delivery industries for seasonal workers that the talent pool is slim and temp agencies have a greater volume of people that jump job to job and might be available. I am positive there is a cost savings. I would assume they are paying ESP a flat rate for the maze hosts instead of their own variable costs for training, wages, workers comp insurance, wardrobe, administrative costs, etc.

What cost savings? Does CA force them to pay for health insurance on those 6 week positions or something? None of the overhead costs associated with employment: workers comp insurance, uniforms, training, etc.

Because it’s low capacity and barely open?

Brilliant marketing campaign for Six Flags. The amount of money they award will cost FAR less than the national headlines they received... As Far as Fright Fest this year? 2/3 of the new mazes weren't bad at all. General observations are: 1. it's weird to me for them to have an outside staffing company staff the mazes, but I get the cost savings from them not hiring a bunch of seasonal maze staff positions. So very Six Flags. 2. The monsters need to learn how to scare. Lots of popping out and yelling. 3. City under Siege has definitely lost its luster as a cool scare zone. No projection mapping on the building this year, monsters seemed more interested in photos than scares. 4. All the scare zones were weak Mazes: 1. Loved Sewer of Souls. Old school 3D maze with a practical effect I hadn't seen anywhere else that was very simple, but so effective! 2. Condemned. Nice sets and some fun things Six Flags hasn't done before. 3. Aftermath: I love the wide open nature of it. 4. Willoughby's: Time to retire it. Nothing wrong with it per say, just old and tired. 5. Red's Revenge: Also time to retire it. 6. Hell Fest: Billed as a new maze, but most of it is just recycled from the old maze with new costumes. Not sure what was going on with the story at all.

It is a pretty safe bet that Fridays & Saturday's will sell out of everything. You can take advantage of early entry if you arrive before 6:00pm (it says 6:30 on the tickets, but you have to factor in the security checkpoint). Early entry begins at 5pm for the mazes on the lower lot at 5:30 for the mazes on the backlot.

Friday the 12th Going on a Friday in the middle of October---I would most definitely recommend Fright Lane. It will be very busy.

Perhaps instead of posting here, you should be out educating the actual residents of Long Beach? Have a friend who is a coaster enthusiast who lives in Belmont shore who had no idea this concept was still around since the last time you made headlines in 2013 with an LA Times article. To answer your questions: 1. I don’t live in Long Beach. I’m not putting my name behind a cause in another city that has absolutely nothing for me to believe in besides a cool model. 2. If you are serious about this project, you wouldn’t consider this feedback to be bashing. If theme park nerds are having doubts and asking questions about the funding and operation, what the heck do you think the actual city council/planning commission/coastal commission/actual residents of Long Beach are going to ask?

You are asking the community here to put their name behind something with very few details besides you have a model and a rendering of a possible pier location. If you can provide solid information on who the investors are, an architecture/creative firm that is leading the project, an operating company for the park....it might be worth our time to email city council members of a city we don’t live in.

It cost $8 million in 2013 to rebuild a small section of the Santa Monica pier. $70 million seems very low for 14 rides and a pier from scratch. Galveston’s pier cost $60 million, and I can only imagine it’s less to build in Texas than California.