Photo TR: Derek rides El Toro

[rjholla2003]

GACoaster won the thread. If you really want to see how Shapiro is doing, wait until 2007 at the earliest, and 2008 as the *real* test. This is a Premier year with SIX control, if that makes any sense.

 

Derek, it's nice to see that you enjoyed El Toro, but I'm sad to see that you did catch it on a bad day, as did a lot of people on the boards. In seeing it run every day, I do in fact feel bad for those who caught it when it was still in one train operation, or those off-days that are stuck in there. For the most part, the dispatches have been amazing. I thought it would be horrible once they got the B train on since dispatches were 5 minutes at best. Boy was I suprised when I saw them consistantly churning out the trains from the get-go once the second train was added. I think the longest I've seen the trains get stacked was maybe 2 minutes, and that's only when somebody is boarderline not fitting and they are trying their hardest to spare them the walk of shame. At least the test seats have arrived, and they are great.

 

Unfortunately El Toro has been running buggy for about a week now since it got struck by lightning like 4 times, as those who post on Gadv fansites may know. It was down for all of today, save an hour or 2. Hopefully they can fix it up and it can be the line-destroying, fast dispatching, people pleasing beast that I see on a daily basis.

 

For those of you who had bad experiences with bad security, you should have reported them. For those of you that have bad experiences with lackluster security in the future, look at their nametags and report them. The park does take the complaints very seriously. Trust me. If you have a legitimate problem with anything in the park, go to Guest Relations. Action is taken. Also, if you really like something, go to Guest Relations. Action is taken. I don't understand why nothing was done about those line cutters. I watched two people get ejected from the park today for cutting Ka's line.

 

Last but not least, I leave you with a riding tip which I have picked up through my many rides: Ride El Toro at night. Just like a 'real' wooden coaster, it is tempermental. The heat and humidity play with this ride a lot. Hot summer days are a beautiful thing with this coaster. In the morning when the wheels are still cold, it gives a good ride, but the ending lacks flair. Let the bull warm up and it gets antsy. If you ride it on a hot night, it's the craziest bull in the world. It's a complete Jekyl and Hyde with El Toro. Not only can you feel the extra speed at night, but you can see it running faster visually. A heck-of-a-lot faster.

[michaelwmoss]

El Toro Got Struck By Lightning?????

[Hercules]

July 4th - It was running badly that day? I got my best ride on it so far then. Of course, it was my ride with larrygator at about 8:30, so maybe it warmed up. Thinking back, he first ride of the day wasn't that spectacular, so I guess I can see what you are saying. Even though it wasn't the best ride I had had on it, it was still top notch stuff, as was the second ride of the day an hour later.

[rjholla2003]

El Toro Got Struck By Lightning?????

 

And Kingda Ka, and Superman...

[michaelwmoss]

News Link?

 

I didn't hear about that!!

[DerekRx]

Odd that I caught it on a day when it was running with a bad crew, as I had different friends ride it on different days since the ride opened and they all pretty much report the same problems I've found with stacking the trains, sending them out with empty rows, opening the ride late, poor security, etc. The dayS I rode it, the stacking wasn't all too bad, but I know there have been days where friends there have waited in long lines WITH flash pass, some timing 7 minute dispatches and wondering exactly why they even need to have a second train. Perhaps its because of "big boys" which they sorta fixed with the test seats, but even still, I've yet to see an operator stationed at the front of the ride to test questionable people before they get in line for 2 hours of their day. I know Cedar Point stationed staff at MF during its first few years to test people.

 

As far as going to Guest Relations reporting every employee not doing their jobs, shouldn't supervisors actually be supervising their areas, noticing what the problems are? I'm sure going to report a problem could possibly help, but after so much annoyances, I'd rather just get the heck out of there as quickly as possible. Look at what Larry did. I'll be anxious to see if he ever gets a letter or anything from the park, or if it fell into the dead letter bin in security.

 

Besides, from the sounds of it, even the park-locals-in-the-know say Six Flags is using this year as a buffer and that next year will be so much better, so we don't even need to complain, the park already knows what the problems are and are intending to fix them all...next year.

[michaelwmoss]

I was going to buy Six Flags Season Passes next season. Looks like I'm going the Paramount Route now. Who knows, they may close the ones I was looking to goto lol

[rjholla2003]

This was the first mention of lightning hitting El Toro on a forum that I saw. It happened the weekend before, but that didn't end up on any forums. I missed seeing it happen as I left maybe half an hour before the strike happened, just as the storm was beginning. http://gadvupdates.com/forums/index.php?topic=699.msg8224#msg8224

 

GAInsider posted it on their front page as well.

http://www.gainsider.com/ (first story)

 

*edit*

Missed your post Derek. The only ones who seem to catch the good days (which have been the majority since the second train was put in service) are us locals. I try and keep a change of clothes in the car so if I work a day shift I can change and run into the park afterwards if something fun happens like El Toro walkons. Maybe you travelers need to stay away from Great Adventure. You're making our bull sheepish!

 

And yeah, a lot of the big problems have been 'next year-ed', but things like security not doing their jobs can be fixed with a few complaints. And yes, I do understand what you're saying about Sups actually supervising. That's why I keep a close eye on my team since I'm a Park Services lead.

 

RJ "My part of the park WILL be clean!" holla2003

[michaelwmoss]

Thanks for the links

[DerekRx]

Does Gain sider have exclusive camera phone video of the rides getting struck by lightning, because that would be awesome!

 

Of course the locals are the ones who catch the park on its occasional good days, its called Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of a regular week after 5pm when most of the buses start leaving. If a local drives to the park and its crowded, they'll just continue driving until they get to Seaside or something, at least that's what my local friends do. Thing is, I used to consider myself a local living 1.5 hours away. There'd be days when I'd just drive down for the day and have a really good day, but those days started really going downhill around the time of SUF. Now I gotta really fight to stay there for even half a day because I don't feel like I should need to shell out loads of cash for a Q-bot, nor should I be waiting in long lines for rides that even with full queues used to only take 45 minutes to go thru because they were running 3 trains and had excellent crews.

 

I wish SF the best of luck in their attempts at making the park fun again, maybe next year will be different. At least the park has some ride ops and supes that actually seem to take pride in their park and are trying to make it better.

[GAcoaster]

The night of July 2nd I was at the park and can tell you there were several direct hits to the park (the power got knocked out 3 times during the storm) and just about every ride to a hit. They all have lightning protection, but there are limits to what that does if a computer system takes the full hit.

 

I posted a few pics of the lightning on my site:

 

[SharkTums]

^I LOVE THAT PHOTO!!!

 

My Skull Mountain ride will screw you all up!!!

[Jumboshrmp]

Are there really multiple trains in one block in that picture?

Doesn't the computer prevent this from happening?

[niiicolaaah]

I love how this thread has turned into a random discussion of SFGAdv

[TheArchfiend]

It's about time Great Adventure got some decent theming.

 

I wonder how much it costs to have that lightning effect strike Skull Mountain all the time? That is Disney quality stuff.

[ParkTrips]

Wow!! Shapiro is going for the gusto, he's even got GOD on the payroll??!

 

NICE.

[DerekRx]

Well God better keep working, or Shapiro will send him back to the unemployment line like the rest of the slackers at his parks!

 

I'm amazed at the latest article from the LA Times released today about Six Flags and Shapiro. I'm glad to see that he also witnessed unfriendly, slow-moving seasonal employees, poor maintenance and popular rides with a single train running at a time on his last tour of the parks, this time in the busy season. At least he sees the problem for himself and its not just heresay. Maybe there is some hope for the future.

[Hercules]

I don't know if there is hope. He has seen the stuff first hand. I agree that this is a year where the old management had the say of things, but I feel like those things (Lazy employees, bad operations etc.) are things that can be fixed now and nothing seems to be getting any better.

[rjholla2003]

Of course the locals are the ones who catch the park on its occasional good days, its called Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of a regular week after 5pm when most of the buses start leaving.

 

Good days have also included busy weekends and busy weekdays too. (referring solely to El Toro of course.

[DerekRx]

^Considering El Toro hasn't even been opened for a month yet, and has had 2 train operation for less than half of that, I'm going to have to say "Shinannigans" here. There's been 3 weekends that the coaster has been opened, and only the last 2 of which had 2 train operation. I know the first weekend was a total flop, as many Coaster Celebrationers have reported having to wait until 11:30pm before the line was cleared out from the GP. Others have reported going the weekend of July 1-2 and facing the same "sorry folks, rides closed right now" issues that I've faced on both Monday and Tuesday before the "lightning" hit the ride (which consequently, from my inferior knowledge as to lightning and wood would result in splintering and fire if the lightning in fact hit the wood) as well as friends who were there shortly after returning from the UK trip and having long waits the weekend before that. Another friend was there on a Friday early evening and waited 1:30 in the stand-by line and even waited 20 minutes WITH an exit pass because that's how slow operations were going with 2 trains.

 

I was going to be nice and give you the benefit of the doubt since you work at the park and seem to be trying to make a difference there, but honestly, there are too many other people here who have already posted the exact same thing as me with regards to wait times, etc, for you to need to brown-nose the park and make up falsities. I don't think the park even reads ThemeParkReview, as no one here was invited to the media day. Kiss butt over at Gain sider, etc, but let's be realistic and fun over here.

 

Shapiro himself has seen many problems at parks (though he won't say which ones). Just admit that the ride (and park) are going thru a bad time right now, but hopefully the future will be better and that we shouldn't give up all hope and abandon the park just yet.

[rjholla2003]

No need to brown-nose. I don't get paid enough for that, LOL. You're right, days blend together when you're there every day. I'll admit I was wrong on the 'weekend' part. It was an honest mistake.

[DerekRx]

^Hey, no problem, I know how the blending goes (or at least I used to). Now I know when its not Monday-Friday because I'm actually free.

 

I just didn't want other readers who haven't been there to ride El Toro think "well maybe it won't be bad this weekend, forget waiting until September to go ride it, I'll go now" and then wait 2 hours for it, and then get line jumped 12 times. You're lucky you can ride it after work if you're on dayshift (and even luckier if there is little wait) because its really a great coaster, probably one of the best ones out there for people who don't travel the country and the world to ride coasters.

 

Keep hoping for the best from the park, and doing your part to make it so!

[Medusa1861]

I bet even if we had shown a video to the security at Great Adventure they would not have done anything. Their excuse would have be something like "Blah blah blah, policy, blah blah". I wish there was a policy that said they have to do their job.

 

I still can't believe that holding a spot in line for someone is not considered line jumping.

 

I've videotaped a man getting punched in the face for confronting a line cutter. I'm not sure what happened though. And it was the Jackson police that looked at it, not really Gadv.

 

I'm sure they probably got kicked out of the park, but I left their station before anything happened.

[michaelwmoss]

^Hey, no problem, I know how the blending goes (or at least I used to). Now I know when its not Monday-Friday because I'm actually free.

 

I just didn't want other readers who haven't been there to ride El Toro think "well maybe it won't be bad this weekend, forget waiting until September to go ride it, I'll go now" and then wait 2 hours for it, and then get line jumped 12 times. You're lucky you can ride it after work if you're on dayshift (and even luckier if there is little wait) because its really a great coaster, probably one of the best ones out there for people who don't travel the country and the world to ride coasters.

 

Keep hoping for the best from the park, and doing your part to make it so!

 

I hold this for most rollercoasters, particulary ones with either prototype or ones with a history of faulty ride technology (TTD,Kingda Ka's Launch). I usually wait one season for the "kinks" to get out and take my chances on the 2nd season and beyond.

 

Now an expection to this is Holiday World. They have an AWESOME Rookie Season Ride History!! More props to Will Koch and Company!

[GAcoaster]

Now an expection to this is Holiday World. They have an AWESOME Rookie Season Ride History!! More props to Will Koch and Company!

 

They also don't take risks on new technology. If you just want your basic run of the mill woodie, HW is your park. If you want a coaster that pushes the limits of technology, you have to expect there will be downtime and bugs, and you have to go to a CF or SF park.