arrowfanman

Good day everyone! How are we all? Well, I hope. Anyway, over a month ago I realized that Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction would be turning 40-years-old this year! I thought the occasion would make a great little excuse to plan a small trip to the park! I asked Mike (mr.six) if he wanted to go, but after the “UnSolace Weekend” trip to the park (while I had an amazingly-fun time) I have to admit I was rather burnt-out! I thought it was time for a “break”, if you will. But low-and-behold, the work of school and the politics of life had me begging for another little vacation! So once Mike reminded me of the trip to the park, I decided a trip was definitely in order! And boy was I glad I did! It really turned into a fun little meet at the parks! So you’re welcome to join me as I share the day with you! Mike was dumb and hit his head on the roof of the tram. Promptly after doing so, he fell off and I jumped off after him and suffered head-injuries! Ooooh! This looks like it’s going to be a great day! The day started around 9:00am at the Main Gate. Me, Mike, my sister and her friend, met up with Chris from the boards. We headed into the park and split up from my sister and her friend so she wouldn’t bug us (well, bug me ). Grabbed FastPasses for Rockin’ Space Mountain! Next we thought we would kick off the day with the Matterhorn Bobsleds. …of which none of my photos came out from. So no Matterhorn pictures for you. BTW…since Mike, Chris, and I weren’t about to lap-sit, we were going to sit in our own rows. Rather than explaining ourselves I decided to just claim to be a single-rider from the start. But apparently the CM picked up on what we were doing and kindly implied that I shouldn’t be at the front of the group anymore because I wasn’t smart enough to count the number of my group. Jerk! Anyway, after the Matterhorn we met up with TJ, who was waiting for us at the exit. We have a habit of hitting all the major attractions early, so today, we decided to begin the day with smaller attractions that will only grow in wait-times, so we headed for Toontown. Toontown needs some work! With two rides with regularly-heavy waits and bubble-wrapped play areas, it just isn’t so “toony” anymore! Chris, deciding if he just tasted the “Screamin’ Water” or the “Woozy Water”. A quick ride on Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin (Jessica Rabbit is a major babe, BTW) and we next walked onto Gadgets Go Coaster (who is even cute, for a mouse! Ok, I didn’t just say that). The expressions of joy are so convincing. …at least Gadgets Go Coaster didn’t try to kill us with water like Merlin’s Revenge did! I still can’t believe that thing! Anyway, we left Toontown and walked to Fantasyland, hoping Peter Pan didn’t yet already have a 45-minute wait. It was probably around 30-minutes, but we still didn’t feel like waiting so we opted for the, much cooler anyway, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. By the time we were off that, we were all feeling sort of hungry! I already had breakfast, but that was hours ago! It was time for second breakfast! Annoyed with the line at the River Bell Terrace, we headed to Café Orleans. I have never been there before, but it was really nice! It has been recently converted from a cafeteria style restaurant to a table-service restaurant and the staff was very friendly. I got the Mickey Waffles, which I think I now prefer to the Mickey pancakes! Crazy, I know! So I’ll definitely be back there one day. Now that’s pretty damn fancy! But it was oh so good! Our bill came with little stickers and we were suddenly reminded of why we were there! …so then we decided why not go ride Pirates, before the lines got to long! Arrr! Ye come seeking a piece of birthday cake, eh? Well, we aren’t be servin’ any! Pirates was just great as always. For being 40-years-old, it still looks better than any other dark ride I’ve ever been on, thanks to the recent refurbishment. The only thing that I didn’t care for was that the Davey Jones waterfall effect was out of focus! You could hear his voice, but only see a faint outline of his head fade in and out! And on this ride’s birthday! Shame on them! Uhuh ladies…..you’re absolutely right. …the water IS 2-feet-deep. Aaaanyway…. Upon exiting, we stubled upon the little event they were hosting in honor of the ride’s anniversary! Ooooh. Quite a line-up they got here! While we were all intrigued and willing to go check out the “Legends”, none of us could justify waiting in line to do so. And thus, we passed. Damn Disney-freak-passholders! Even though I’m categorized in your group, I don’t like you getting in my way like that! *snaps fingers back and forth* Anyway, we decided to get over missing out on “X and Friends” by grabbing some Indy FastPasses (the machines were like, dead, so they just had a CM handing you the pass!) and going to use our Rockin’ Mountain FPs. But, it was just our luck that the ride was down. Disappointed we were missing both “X and Friends” and Rockin’ Mountain, we realized we should just go do something better! THE JEDI SHOW!!!!!! It was funny—neither of the two ladies we were gawking at two weeks ago were at the show, but rather it was a third Jedi Chick who, in my opinion, topped them all! She wasn’t all plastered in make-up like Jiggles the Mii! Just beautiful! I even picked up an action shot… Oh do I wish I was that kid right now! Anyway, after a quick peek at the Jedi show, we decided to catch some Monorail-action. After all, it just recently opened back to full-circuit operation. We also hoped for a peek at the nearly-complete lagoon. FOUR PLEASE?!?! We were at the back-most gate, ready to walk over and ask the CM if we could sit in the end-car, but they opened the gates one by one and some CRAZY monstrosity of a woman darted out and scored the back car! Dammit! So we took the more modest middle car and cursed that evil lady! Mike was so mad, he ate the first thing he could find—his camera! Heading back through the park, we can see a BEAUTIFUL lagoon! I posted this picture on my wall next to the one of the Jedi chick! Anyway, we got back to Disneyland and saw that Rockin’ Space had reopened (of course already had a 45 minute queue), so we used our FPs on it. No matter what planet you’re from…this ride pretty much sucks! You know, the ride isn’t necessarily as bad as I said it was. I was so much in shock at how bad it was, that I did emphasize it a bit too much. Heh. That being said, I really hope it doesn’t come back ever. I hope this was my last ride on it for good. After Rockin’, I don’t know what prompted it but we felt like grabbing Big Thunder FPs and riding Poo! On our way, we stopped at two stops, just for Derek! These ones are for you Derek!... Dole Whips = love! Cause he’s Captain Jack Sparrow, he’s Captain Jack Sparrow! He’s Captain Jack! He’s Captain Jack! He’s Captain Jack Sparrow! Anyway! On with the show! We all got in line for Poo, who’s wait was so short, the wait time sign wasn’t even posting a number! There was just absence of reality where the queue was! Buff, Max, and Melvin > Buffalo This is ironically TJs own poo face. As for Mike…he went in a trance after seeing the Heffalumps and Woozles room and would chase his tail for 30 minutes after the ride! It’s true! After Poo, we had 5 minutes to kill before we could use our Indy FPs, so we decided to check out Tarzan’s Treehouse. My legs are still freakin sore! Boo…it’s starting to get more crowded! Note the signs in the middle of the midway for crowd control, telling guests to stay to their right. Mike got a few words, but still hasn’t gotten down the whole “reading” thing. This is pretty much what Robb looks like with KidTums. Once we were safely at the bottom of the tree it was time to go ride Indy!!! TJ’s confused, Chris is relaxed, and Mike is determined. As for me, I’m getting yelled at by CMs for not sitting in my seat! Our Indy ride was great, but a lot of the effects are still noticeably broken and the lack of fire is disappointing. It’s still the greatest ride ever! But it needs some work! Anyway at this point in the day we all thought it would be ok to hop over and try our luck at DCA. After all, the only thing left nearby was the Jungle Cruise and I think we all knew nothing would top the UnSolace ride on it! But we were all shocked when we arrived at DCA…crowds! They’re…they’re EVERYWHERE! We came from pretty average crowds at DL to, by DCA’s standards, INSANE crowds! That’s got to be like, a 4-5 show wait for the tortilla factory! Chris says: “Screw the tortilla factory! I would rather munch with Rosie O’Donnel”! After our sourdough bread, we prayed that we could get on California Screamin’ but didn’t feel that we could at that time! The line was in the extended queue, around 60 minutes!!! Even the single-rider line was backed up badly! SR-queue! Crazy huh! I guess none of these people could get dates either! Frustrated with the queues, we decided to FP Mulholland Madness (it had only a 60-minute FP wait time, with at 49 minute queue….yes, it was posted at 49 minutes!) Then we went to grab some grub at the Taste Pilots Grill! Upon arriving, we were in shock by what we found!... Computerized ordering screens!!! WTF?!?! You know, as much as I wanted to hate those computers, I couldn’t help but like them! They were actually VERY efficient. And we got our food quicker than we usually would! And it was good food, as always! After lunch we hopped in a real short wait for Grizzly River Run, or GRR (as Yeti Ball calls it…of course, he calls most rides that! ). Half wet, half dry, we exited the ride and launched a quest—the quest to find TJ! Chris walks forwards while Mike walks backwards, to cover 360-degrees of surveillance. Meanwhile, I used the many lookouts to search the area for him. There he is! As I have said before—it’s the hat that makes the costume! After finally checking out the Challenge Trail for the first time, which was actually quite nice, we were off to use our FPs at Mulholland Madness! We aren’t screaming because of the ride, but because we want away from the creepy single-rider guy in the back! That guy freaking creeping us out! We got off Mulholland Madness and were lucky enough to get another addition to our group—Chuck! Unfortunately for him, we were about to go make another very special stop at DCA! Yup! This will actually be my Golden Dreams Devirginization! Holy crap, it IS crowded today! Either that, or all these people are REALLY here for Whoopie Goldberg! I know a lot of you would disagree, but I really didn’t think that Golden Dreams was quite as bad as I had heard! In fact, up until the never-ending montage at the end, it was actually decent to follow! Historically, it was decent (except for skipping from the 1600s to 1850s to ignore the fact we pretty much stole the state from Mexico Sorry…the history guy in me!). And cinematically, it was well done (except for the cheesy implied-explosion scene I had heard about). I was really an ok flick and that armpit-Mickey was the greatest thing ever! Granted, as a Californian, I’m now constantly worried that Whoopie Goldberg is following me around! It had that “educational” feel that made it seem more Epcot-esque than DCA-esque. Not that there’s a CA pavilion or anything! Anyway, after Golden Dreams we managed to get on Screamin’. It definitely took us much quicker to get on then we had anticipated, which was good! I had a great front-seat ride with Mike. I have to say, I almost might miss this version. It was a good last ride. Off of Screamin’, we had pretty much finished with DCA. Soarin’ had a 75 minute posted wait…60 for tower! Even Monsters Inc. managed to fill its entire extended queue! So really, we were done! Back in Disneyland, we decided to head over to the Haunted Mansion—and it would prove to be one of the craziest rides on the Haunted Mansion ever! So there’s practically no wait and before you know it, we’re on the ride. Everything was absolutely normal until the end. Right as Chuck and my doombuggy’s restraint opens, there’s a ride-stop, trapping Mike and Chris about 3 feet from the exit ramp! We proceed to the exit and notice the cast member (CM) frantically heading up the little ramp where the doombuggies turn away to reload. Apparently a kid had jumped back on the ride and tried to ride around again. As the CM went to get him out, we rode up the exit ramp and waited at the top, to see what was going on. All of a sudden we see the kid appear, followed by the CM. The kid was screaming and we couldn’t tell if he was laughing or crying. As the CM went to get the ride-phone, the kid darted back up into that ramp! WTF?!!? WTF mate! Sure enough, a second CM was on the scene and the two CMs, with much effort, might I add, cornered the kid and tried to get him up the exit ramp. It was at this point that it was evident the kid wasn’t just some prankster but rather had a very serious mental condition. Why he was without parents baffles me. Perhaps that’s why he was freaking out. Sure enough, he jumped up the exit ramp, flapping his arms and screaming like a velociraptor. Not that I’ve heard one! Anyway, we got all the way out of the exit as they reset the ride and emerged onto the midway, waiting for Chris and Mike. The kid was running around holding his ears as if he heard voices or what not, screaming, and then ran back into the exit. Of all the “spooks” on the Haunted Mansion, that was seriously the scariest thing I have ever seen! After our ride, we headed to use our Big Thunder Mountain RailRoad FPs. I figured I’d throw in a “nice” picture! It’s a refreshing change, I know! Chris and Mike are trying to communicate with the suicidal goat! After BTMRR, my sister and her friend joined us and we were really becoming a full group. We headed through Fantasyland and towards It’s a Small World for no apparent reason, stopping to see the parade. We found the Ursula puppet’s zipper, and let me tell you—you do not want to get near that thing after a meal! Since the parade ended and it would be hell to go anywhere else, it was actually best to just go on It’s a Small World. The ride was almost tolerable to me until I found something… Penguins!??! You GOT to be kidding me!! They’re here too?! We exited IASW and ran back into TJ! We were now a full group! You asked for it and now you got it!—The Yeti popcorn turner! We then rode Star Tours and headed to dinner. Dinner was again at the French Market. I wish they had their live band playing, but the company was a beautiful substitute. Chris has that “I did something wrong” look about him. Suddenly as we’re eating, the park speakers chimed on and we heard the announcement for the fireworks! Crap! We gotta get over there! So we made Mike stop eating and made a zipline for the Hub! There was still just an INCY bit of room for us in the back of the hub and we made it with a minute to spare! The group at the end of the night, waiting for Remember…Dreams Come True, Presentado por Honda! Fireworks….THROUGH THE TREES! Honestly, despite the hub trees, we still could see the entire show and it was great as always! With the exception of the “head” shell for the Mickey’s head fireworks failing-to-launch, the show went off without a hitch. After the show, we all looked at each other and wondered what to do! It was late, but we all had a little bit of energy in us, so I proposed hitting up Pirates one final time before the night was out. So we did! 40-years and I’m still turning this damn wheel! You know, when I started to look at Pirates of the Caribbean as more than just a slow-moving boat-ride and allowed myself to look at it as a story-experience, I grew such a greater appreciation for it. It really has some intricate storytelling techniques throughout the ride making it the most thematically-heavy ride I have ever been on. When you look at the show as more than just “pirate scenery” and treat it as a painting, analyzing the placement of props and scenes, you come to fully understand the story they’re trying to tell. What sells the story is the detail. The ride is 40-years-old and just on this very ride, I noticed a gag I never have before! It’s this level of detail that keeps guests coming back again and again. It really made for a great little “excuse” to come down to the park. Pirate Jahan looks constipated! Anyway, that final ride on Pirates made for a GREAT conclusion to a GREAT visit. I had so much fun. It’s visits like these that really “stand out” and keep me coming back. So a major thank you to all who were able to join me! The great company made the day. Of course, at this point I could still use a little break. It looks like I wont be getting down there until after this Rockin’-scam is over with. But that will only better build the anticipation for my next trip. Goodnight DL. Goodnight DCA. Thank you guys for reading another really really really long PTR! I totally appreciate it! Feel free to post any questions, comments, concerns, or praise, if you wanna! -Jahan

I'm skeptical simply because, while the program seems decent in theory, in practice, I dont think a park like SFMM is capable of effectively pulling it off--for both the normal guests or the VIP guests. For example, I've practically stopped asking for my Xtreme Playpass food discounts, as every time I show them my card, they give me a dumb stare and the stare into the cashregister hoping they can figure out what to do with it. They then go search the back for a lead or manager to come over and punch in the discount for them. Hell, I've even had to argue with them as they claimed my pass wasn't actually an Xtreme Playpass--when it was! It said right on the card! And SFMM operations cant even effectively handle the regular fastpass, let alone something like this! If they were to dedicate staff members to manage the FP/VIP while the normal operators cycled, that would be one thing. But when its 100 degrees outside and crews are locked in positions with minimal employees, SFMM simply cant handle the added stress of a system like this. The inclusion of a "VIP Host" will definitely ease some of this stress, without question. But the lack of communication between departments leads me to believe that it wont ultimately change anything. So basically, as a guy who hasn't visited SF parks outside of CA, my arguement is simply it is too soon to impliment this program effectively at SFMM. No matter how easy it is for the intended customer to drop the money on these passes, that wont stop them from noticing when they dont get an "as advertised" expirence. -Jahan

Another eye picture! Sorry, I'm just fascinated by the colors of the iris--reminds me of those Hubble Telescope random-nebula pictures. One of my four balls.

That was the most rigged comparison ever! You pretty much counted the train-closure twice! Oh well. That's just because we actually maintain our rides. Great PTR Derek! Glad you guys were able to manuever the crowds and have a great time! I really look forward to my next chance to get out there! -Jahan

Wow Erik, that was a really great trip report! So nice to have a fresh perspective on my-area parks! (Note to Robb...I said "my-area" rather than "my parks"...is that ok? ) Hope to see another PTR from a Johnson-vacation soon! -Jahan

^ I dont think that they "decided" to keep it in the chain so much as the park wouldn't sell! Now all of a sudden it's a new year, SFMM is still on their hands, and they have to do something with it! While they had some preliminary ideas in their head, nothing has really been developed. I understand what you're saying. I even agree with it, to an extend. But nearly everyone I talk to around here claims that they dont like taking their family to Six Flags simply because it's dirty! No lie! The employees are unprofessional, the midways are dirty, the maintenence is frown-worthy. It's not worth the 60 dollars! I think this effort to "clean up the park" is a good FIRST step in sending the park in the right direction. If they stop here, then they are guarenteed failure. But if they pursue this, they have a chance to make something of this dump. Heh. -Jahan

^ Basically, they're going to shift the intersection of Magic Mountain Parkway and the Old Road up just a tad. For those unfamiliar, the intersection, which is immediately behind Mike in that picture, will be shifted to about where the first streetlight is in the picture. This most likely is to help ease the gridlock between the Old Road and the 5's ramps. Dont know for sure. I think Newhall Land's development propositions are purposefully boring so you wont read through enough to protest it. -Jahan

I miss posts like these Joe! Homer, like I said in chat--just dont bring up Thrillville. Or how deep the water on Pirates of the Caribbean is! Not that I'm particularly speaking out of expirence or anything. As for me.....whats the easiest way to dispose of a body? -Jahan

^ Wimp. -Jahan

Oh dang! It's freakin blowing my mind! I really dont like that this show has grown on me. -Jahan

Great PTR Erik! I'm really glad that you enjoyed the parks as much as you did! Looks like you went on beautiful days. And I'm so envious that you stayed at the Grand Californian! One of these days I'll rake up the money and an excuse to stay there! I'm also glad you said you liked Indy, or else I'd have to kill you! Cant wait to see more! -Jahan

Great pictures Erik! Scanda Screamer was so freakin crazy! Cant wait to see the next installment! -Jahan

Great PTR Wally! Always nice to have you share new perspectives and expirences from Japan. -Jahan "Microsoft Word thinks my name is 'Japan'" Makanvand

^ Not Great America! I'm confused and laughing my ass off at the same time! -Jahan

Great PTR Craig! It was nice to see you again! That Psyclone-wall photoshop is GREAT! -Jahan

As I was just telling some best of friends, it's 93 degrees here. -Jahan

I go to SFMM like, 40 times a year, and you manage to catch a picture better than I ever have!.... I still cant get over how awesome that is! Anyway, great photo trip report! It really was a nice day! Nice meeting you too! -Jahan

Hey everybody! Well, with the West Coaster Bash tomorrow and so many exciting things happening around the park, I thought it would be interesting to go do yet another SFMM update! I mean, hell!—I’m not doing anything else, right? So you’re welcome to join me for my tour around the park! Thanks! The Calm After the Storm (Part 2) Well, as most of you know by now, last weekend a few of us visited SFMM to find Psyclone a mere pile of scrap-wood on the ground! And much to our surprise, Bob Logan (Magic Mountain’s Director of Operations, direct from Astroworld) and Kevin Casey were willing to give is a small tour of the deconstruction site! Insane, I know! But in a sick bit of irony, Mr. SFMM-Updates himself, yours truly, had taken his memory card out of his camera for the first time since he put it in and forgot to replace it! So I didn’t even get the chance to take pictures. Photo by Max Taylor. For more photos from our little tour, check them out HERE! In an interesting little tidbit, we asked our tour guides a few questions. I asked how long it took to come down. Our response was 3 days of major prep-work, but the actual deconstruction took a mere HALF A DAY! Ouch! As for how it came down, they were able to simply make some strategic cuts to the structure and essentially just pull it over! And yes, the trains have all been moved to Colossus. As of today, any and all wood from Psyclone has been completely removed. Nothing is left but a mere footprint of the ride. I still cant get over how weird that looks! The entrance sign has also been removed. Dejavu doesn’t have a friend anymore! Mike feels like he lost a little part of his soul...after all, he did trip on Psyclone’s lift! Two trains are actually already sitting on Colossus’s transfer! Another one, hidden in the corner. As for Flashback, you may be wondering? Oh well, there is still absolutely no noticeable work towards its removal yet. Remember, if the park speaks of the truth, the ride will essentially be dissected so that it can be stored for potential ‘future use’. So its removal should be much more meticulous and not so carelessly, as with Psyclone’s. Thanks to season pass processing, this is the most action Flashback has ever gotten! …I suppose that I’m not allowed to say ‘action jokes’, eh? Anyway…moving right along… The Return of the Ninja Well, as most of you know, Ninja has been closed for the past few weeks in part of a major repainting! Well it was to both Mike and my surprise that when we walked over there today, the “closed” sign had been removed and the ride was scheduled to open at 11:00am. Woahohohoah! Long story short, the ride is open and as beautiful as ever! They didn’t just paint certain areas, like with Revolution, but in fact painted the ENTIRE RIDE! The station, the lifts—hell, even the transfers! And beyond that, the exit handrails, ride catwalks, operator shack, and even some brand new lift lights! I’ll let some entirely random photos do the talking… Yay for shiny-new exit rails! This is officially the most beautiful ride in the park! Track you didn’t even realize was there…is all of a sudden there! As ‘arrowfanman’, I more than approve of this! Even the freaking transfers were all cleaned up! Ooooh…even a bit of black for this Ninja! Supports…utilities… …catwalks…lifts! All clean and SHINY! Ahhhh! Somebody call LVPD! I hear they still do some filming in the SCV! I had to take a front-row ride for myself! Note: There’s something interesting in the background. Was this photo really necessary? One final photo from SkyTower of the ride in all of its new-painted-ness! Well, I sure hope that was enough photos! Year of a Million Refurbishments Ok, I know that it is still way too soon to call “revolution” within Six Flags Magic Mountain. But still, I am growing more and more surprised and pleased with the various TLC-projects going on throughout the park! So as they happen, I’ve decided to present them as SFMM’s a “Year of a Million Refurbishments”! We can start with the “superhero rides”. Batman’s queue has received a bit of work! The fan is running again, the SFX is playing, and the lights have been replaced! A horrible photo, but it’s to show that they actually cleaned up the trash in the “junkyard” area of the queue! I didn’t feel like walking back to the station (since Riddler’s has like…a MILE of queue! ), but last week I noticed that Riddler’s station had received new paint! Speaking of new paint!!! … At our little behind-the-scenes tour at Psyclone last week, Bob Logan did ‘comfirm’ that Superman: The Escape would be the next ride to receive a paint job! Not my first choice for a paint job, but it DOES need one! And the rumors suggest that it wont simply be “gray” paint, but rather actual “Superman colors”! Weird! On the topic of “Superman refurbs”… They are currently in the process of fixing all of the Superman queue lighting and music! Note: I said in the PROCESS! The entire length of the indoor queue had absolutely NO lights on! So if you go tomorrow, be VERY careful! …or just trip and fall and retire early! ; (Also note that my unsuccessful attempt to take that photo screwed up my ISO…why a lot of the other photos are all noisy… ) Dejavu is still down. The most obvious reason would be for Psyclone’s removal, but Kevin Casey claimed that they’re actually synching the ride’s “annual cable replacement” with the Psyc-removal. Log Jammer’s refurbishment is much more extensive than I thought! It’s now beyond simply mechanical and is aesthetic too! A closer look, to waste space. Anyway, earlier I asked if you guys saw anything in the background of that one Ninja pick…did you? I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! That’s right! Both last week and this week I saw Thrill Shot test! It’s even running with people now! “Look what I can do!” A pretty freakin cool closeup! Finally for today, as you may or may not have heard, the parking lot is being refurbished! Oooooh…black top! It actually does look sort of nice! (Also note how crowded it is!) Only problem is that it looks more as if they simply “painted” over the original parking lot! The poor quality hasn’t improved any…it’s just darker! Finally, I know a few of you may be wondering about Tatsu’s refurb. Maybe? No? Oh well! Absolutely no progress has been marked, other than a picture for “Joe”. Hi Joe! Oh, BTW…Tatsu’s third train is actually MISSING right now. It is not on the transfers, or anywhere to be seen. Rumor has it that the train has actually been sent BACK to B&M for refurbishment work. Random Crap! Alright folks…you know the drill! Here we are at the “Random Crap” section of the update! First and foremost is SFMM’s new employee uniforms! The front of the shirts are rather harmless. I actually like the “retro” return to “Magic Mountain”… Not very different…yet! It’s the BACK SIDE of the uniform that caught my attention. I mean, I know that the message is sincere and all…but the way they’re conveying the message. OMG! I found a lot of employees who would rather wear a jacket in 80-degree weather than sport the new polos. Upon asking an old friend of mine about the shirt, he simply responded, “Get off my back.” …seriously. Also, it would appear that most supervisors actually wear business attire now, rather than a standard uniform. Interesting. The “My Six Flags Photos” peeps are also sporting unique uniforms now, as well. It appeared to be another ‘cheerleader day’…accept these ones were a little bit older. *eyebrow raises* Tatus’s line today—2 trains, 1 station operation. Aren’t you glad you’re getting ERT tomorrow? What the hell is this guy doing at SFMM?! Found you! “Alright—I already got the seagulls on Chuck and the penguins on Jahan…now I need to contact the pigeons and the eagles!” Finally, I’ll leave you with this. It’s nearly 1/4 the way through 2007 (werid, huh?!) and they’re still running on the ’06 maps! …and yes, Psyclone is on the maps. Thank you so much for reading! As always, feel free to post any questions, comments, concerns, or praise! -Jahan (arrowfanman@yahoo.com)

Good news guys. Ninja opened today! So it will most likely be open tomorrow! -Jahan

Any film about trying to slaughter Persains simply blows, in my mind. -Jahan

Awww...thanks for the pictures Robb! Do we really need a cartoon KidTums yet? I say give her a chance to develop a character to animate--dont just give her one! -Jahan "Just my opinion" Makanvand

I voted as well! Very cute video! Best wishes to you! -Jahan

I too have to chime in and say this ride looks great at night! Looks sort of out-of-place during the day, but at night...wow! The "shooting-star" effect was pulled off quite nicely. I love to see that Universal shuffles out the money to push B&M coasters beyond their off-the-shelf potential. -Jahan

^ Somebody needs a time out. First of all, X quite literally can not run 3 trains. The downtime running 3 trians would make the ride less efficient than 2 trains. Second of all, Tatsu does NOT have 4 trains!!! I dont know where you saw the magical 4th train, but it doesn't exist. Hell--as of the moment, the ride only has 2 trains! The 3rd has already been sent back to B&M for refurb work. And the bulk of the time, Tatsu opening late is purely operational problems. Staffing, testing, leadership, etc. Not "maintenence inspection issues". Yes, the ride breaks down at opening, delaying the opening of the ride--but the bulk of the time, its operational. Please dont be so sure of yourself. And DEFINITELY do NOT call other people a "dumbass". I'm not sure what deranged source you're using for your claims, but the evidence seems to stack against you. Please calm down. -Jahan

Also, just a guess, but the magnetic brakes could be "in house", like what the dealio was on CA Screamin (an extreme example, no doubt), thus the original manufactuerers have been left out. -Jahan