haiderodes

So many warning signs for such a slow ride.

I think its funny I have the opposite problem. It suprises me that certain people think of me as straight. I'm not saying that I walk around "limp -wristed" and "sa-shaying" around like im on a runway, but if you knew me, I'd think you could tell.

Marketing coordinator for a large gaming company.

Although I have havent seen picture of these evacs, I'm thinking that its not the holding mechanism (chain) where they were evacuated from. I'm thinking its the holding brake before the chain as that is a relatively flat spot and seems safer than trying to get people off at a forward pitching angle.

Ditto...let it find you. I'd suggest not looking at it as a choice (its less stressful that way). Go with your heart. You're about the same age I started thinking about guys, but I always thought it was a phase, just a physical attraction sort of thing. Once I tried dating girls, it still took me a while to put it all together. Don't rush yourself...its more fun that way! I definately agree with the comment about people becoming a mess in their 20's. I see it all around me, people who had to announce they were gay like its all about them all of a sudden...that pushes people away

We got a 52" 1080p Samsung DLP. When showing HD programming it looks great. I also like the "just scan" feature which automatically adjusts the letterboxing and screen size to give the best frame possible. DLP is good if you want something low maintenance as there is just one bulb to replace. On the otherhand, it does give off some heat. Looks great with Direct TV HD.

I was at SFDK the first sunday in June, it was warm and sunny but the crowds were very managable. There were lines, but nothing over 10 to 15 minutes except the shoot the chutes. Some advice is to ride the bigger attractions while the larger shows are going on.

Let us not forget that Disney MGM Studios was the place where one of my favorite TV shows was taped in front of a live studio audience...MMC aka The All New Mickey Mouse Club! Haha...dork moment. I think most people are over the fact that the studios no longer have production, but it would at least be nice to see some attractions put into that space that they have back there. I just wanna see the hat go the way of the wand.

^^That's what everyone I know always says about the park...its fun except for "that damn hill" or "suicide hill" or "scaling the mountain". haha...its so obviously pre-ADA guidelines, but it gives the park character. You lucked out with the weather then. I have been when its been hot and humid and walking up those hills isnt pretty in the heat of the day. I love the park at night tho, it cools off, the hill is usually nice and dark, especially in the area near Rapids Camp Crossing, you can hear Revy "whoosing" through the trees and the smell of pine...aww memories.

I tend to have quite a few movies that are still wrapped in plastic, never been viewed. I buy them, but never have the time to sit and watch them When I do have the time, I'm usually catching up on all the stuff I have recorded on the DVR. I could open a DVD store! I have a lot of DVDs becuase i'd just rather buy it than rent it. At least that way you can watch it again or have it as a part of your collection.

FINALLY! There have been rumblings about this name change for years and it seems it will finally happen. When I was on my college program in 2003, they'd reinforce the proper names for the parks. We were to call Disney-MGM Studios by its full name, if not then "Disney Studios", or simply "the Studios" when speaking with guests (as opposed to MGM as everyone inevitably called it). I remember taking one of those educational tours of the park and them telling us that eventually the name would be changed due to the agreement over the use of "MGM" expiring. I think it remains to be seen how quickly the name will catch on with the public. There's still people calling Epcot, EPCOT Center.

Its always cool to see reactions toward SFMM for those who have never visited. I'm not sure that I understand what you meant by the park not being user friendly... Out of all the parks in the LA/Orange County area, I happen to think SFMM has one of the most straightforward/easy access entrances. Think about it, you enter on Magic Mountain Parkway, drive past the sign that says Six Flags California, and follow the roadway to the toll booths...theres no lane changes or intersections. As they say in the new marketing line...YOU ARE HERE. If you are talking strickly about walking to the park to save money, well yes you are correct...they dont make it really easy for that. But I have a feeling that they never really wanted people to walk to the park. Seeing as how the entrance is quite a walk from the closest main street...uphill even! As far as I can remember, they never had sidewalks up that hill and I dont see a reason they would, I never see more than a couple of people even attempting it anyway.

Looks like you had fun... But I have to ask, were you guys pretty wiped out at the end of the day? I mean, from the way it was written, it seems like you did a lot of hopping around the park and for those that have been to SFMM, we know thats a not so easy thing. How'd you like "suicide hill" or did you take the long way around the mountain each time?

I been having so many dreams lately about coming out to the family. Some of them are sooo realistic, but they vary greatly. Its either the "I already knew that" to the "its the Devil and its because you don't go to church" one. All my friends pretty much know (some of them knew before I knew myself.) Of course I don't talk about such things with co-workers, but I'm sure they suspect it. So in a sense the family is the last frontier. I still don't think I'm ready for it. So I commend anyone who is completely "out".

^ No, its the same loud ride its always been. I think they have bigger things to worry about. Superman was designed to be loud.

Does anyone know why waterfalls have been out of commission for so long?

For the few roller coasters I trained on and operated, it was always policy to evac the lift from the back to the front, doing one car at a time. Meaning unload the last car and walk them down with one op in front and one op in back. Then go back up and repeat. I was always told this is to keep the passengers on board calm as they wouldnt have to see people getting off before them and walking past them. As someone mentioned, it seems like the lift started back up, but I'm not certain that was the case. On the Arrow Dynamics coaster I operated, which is very similar to some Vekoma rides, we had a policy to not stop the train on the lift once it got past a certain point. The logic, as I think is illustrated in the video, is that center of gravity could shift bringing the train all the way over the lift. Granted we dont know the circumstances of the evac and park policy, but I'd assume it was a last resort to evac n such a precarious position. At minimum the wheels near the front should have been chalked some how. Honestly, I was more worried for the employees on the lift than the people on the train as they were less likely to fall out as the others were to fall off the stairs. All that said, this probably wasnt a "block set-up" because if that happens the train parks itself near the top of the lift, but not at a point where the first car has started to go over the crown. We never hear the lift motor, we just hear the anti-rollbacks.

I was just happy to see ride ops reading instead of text messaging for a change. Haha.

^ That is a very sexy phone. Too bad the US is so late to get phones. We get them after the rest of the world has them.

I really wanted the Samsung Blackjack, but I ended up getting a BlackBerry Pearl. Honestly, it all worked out in the end and I'm glad I got the pearl instead.

Yay for being gay at Erasure concerts! I love them although I'm not too familiar with thier older stuff. I also really dig Young Love too. I always wondered what the inside of The Grove looked like. Didn't it used to be something else before it became a concert venue?

I thought it was a cute video, BUT To play devils advocate for a second as a former ride op, I'd always suggest following the rules for any given ride. Usually this entails sitting all the way back and upright with your feet flat on the floor. I hated when people would hassle my coworkers and I about sitting correctly. When I had to correct someone it wasn't about being mean or ruining someone's ride experience, it was making sure I followed my rules and training so that my ass was covered. If something happens and you are the one who "checked" that harness, its going to fall back on you. And at one park I worked at, we even had cameras in the station so you had to be particularly on point. That said, leaving a little space between you and the harness, isn't a big deal to me. Its the blatant disregard, by attempting to leave harnesses much higher than usual, that gets me. No one likes to be stapled, but I do think the harnesses should be used as designed which most of the time requires it to be at least touching your body.

Great report. Makes me really want to make the trek up to Lagoon. I have been debating driving up there, but I think flying into Salt Lake might work better.

up close and personal

Another tip...be prepared for ANYTHING as a CP. A good part of enjoying the program is just going with the flow. March 2003 The big "Shock and Awe Campaign" that started the war in Iraq, really sent Disney and CPs for a spin. As a result, a lot of people wanted to leave and go home because they weren't sure what was about to happen with the war starting. Disney started ramping up security and access to backstage areas so it seemed as if something really could happen. Coincidentally, this was the same time they were filming The Real World Paris and people were acting the same way. Basically, because of the situation, they said if you wanted to leave, you could and not suffer any consequences and would be welcome to reapply in the future. I knew at least 5 people who took advantage of this as they felt it was "safer" to be back at home with their families. For me, leaving wasn't an option. I'm from Las Vegas, which was one of the supposed targets as well, so me leaving wouldn't have made any sense (this was during that whole get-duct-tape-and-canned-food debacle when the terror alert kept rising and falling.) So what happened is that they ended up recruiting less people for the upcoming season and they consolidated everyone remaining into Vista Way (they closed Chatham). During this time the parking got out of control at Vista, people were getting citations left and right because there simply was no place to park. I remember coming back from clubbing in Downtown Orlando at 3a and having to park across the street in the visitors lot. Long story short, despite the panic, nothing happened. Sure it was less crowded for a while and they cancelled the "Fun Bus" to the mall, but by mid-summer things picked back up again. It actually worked in my favor as I was able to transfer roles which something that hardly ever happends. Rumors, however, did run rampant. Some said that Chatham never closed and that it was all a way to keep the Asian internationals away from the general population due to the SARS scare. In speaking of rumors, you'll get a lot of those...A LOT. How Coca-Cola pays for the College Program. How they are closing Vista Way and building a new complex near Chatham (it ended up being a regular apartment complex, not CP related). How the government pays for the program and everyone was going to get a refund check for their rent. And so on... Like I said, sometimes you just have to take everything with a grain of salt and just go with the flow. There's less stress that way. Don't get caught up in the rumors.