The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[brneff99]

That sign has been on Scream since at least early April when my company had an event there...it was one train at that time...seriously, does it take that long to rehab another train?? Really...? So glad we are skipping Saturday of WCB this year to focus on Sunday...I'd like the Yolo credit but I can wait...I hope its a great day on Sat for those going but I remain skeptical...

[coolkid]

Why didn't they announce the coasters name? I though they would. If they announced it with the coaster, then we would all know.

[Wes]

Why didn't they announce the coasters name? I though they would. If they announced it with the coaster, then we would all know.

 

I have to say: This is a rock solid statement.

[cfc]

^

 

[cmullin]

Why didn't they announce the coasters name? I though they would. If they announced it with the coaster, then we would all know.

Obviously.

[Jew]

^I wouldn't hold your breath!

Especially since we already announced there won't be a Q&A at Magic Mountain: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1330101#p1330101

I loved the SFMM Q&A last year, that sucks! So I guess that means no Log Jammer pieces for me.

 

It's not like they actually said anything of interest besides "I can't answer that" anyways...

[cmullin]

^I wouldn't hold your breath!

Especially since we already announced there won't be a Q&A at Magic Mountain: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1330101#p1330101

I loved the SFMM Q&A last year, that sucks! So I guess that means no Log Jammer pieces for me.

 

It's not like they actually said anything of interest besides "I can't answer that" anyways...

Still, the questions were amusing.

[TopThrill182]

I wish California would publicly grade amusement parks as the state does with food establishments. I'd be interested to see what SFMM would get...

 

Thoughts (mostly negative ones, I warn you) from my visit on Tuesday:

 

• -Has the park passed out third party promotional materials at the parking booths before? Definitely not a fan of receiving a Famous Footwear catalogue upon entering... (It really cheapens the park experience, IMO.)

• -Full Throttle still looks like it's sitting in a construction zone, even though I suppose the park has technically finished the project. Everything about the ride area screamed, "We want to spend as little money as possible on this!" From the temporary queue rails to the afterthought of a station canopy (not to mention the red rope light sloppily hung around the entrance to the tunnel), the whole setup felt cheap and lackluster, even screaming of laziness.

• -Can someone explain to me how Full Throttle's theme is different from X2's?

• -The Full Throttle ride experience is surprisingly great. I was shocked at the ride's quietness and smoothness. The hang time on the loop is plain awesome.

• -Scream is still running one train?! What a joke! It was running one train when I visited last spring. Is the maintenance department totally incompetent, or are they running on a shoestring budget? Either way, this speaks very poorly of the park. (On the bright side, though, it prepared me for what Full Throttle will be like in a few months.)

• -I had trouble finding many attractions that weren't in urgent need of paint.

• -The Scream / Colossus midway is looking especially neglected and trashy, IMO. (Now that Scream's colors have faded so significantly, the parking lot motif has become, unfortunately, much more prominent.)

• -Much of the park's infrastructure (e.g. buildings) looks like it's ready to crumble, especially in the back half of the park.

• -While employees were, for the most part, fairly friendly, I was rather surprised at the collective casualness on display. There seemed to be a lot of fooling around on ride platforms, with employees more interested in joking around with one another than doing their jobs. I understand it's nearing the end of the season, but still. The fact that a Goliath employee joked over the sound system that her co-worker hadn't actually checked any of the restraints was rather off-putting.

• -I realized how very little there is to do at the park other than roller coasters.

 

I enjoyed my visit, and appreciate having so many roller coasters so close to LA, but the in-park experience was rather craptacular when compared to my other theme park destinations this past summer. The place could definitely take a few years off from adding anything new and invest that money into some much needed TLC throughout. I can't help but feel that the park has fallen back into some of it's pre-Shapiro bad habits.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ The promotional stuff handed out at the booths is nothing new.

[Koasterking48]

^ I was completely unaware of this practice. I guess nobody's mentioned it while I've been on here, but I agree that it's pretty cheap-looking to already put ads in your face before you step foot into the park. Oh well, whatever gets the $$$ I guess.

Edited August 31, 2013 by Koasterking48

[cal1br3tto]

^I've seen that at SFDK. I remember getting a couple small ads last time, at least one for a local business.

[Angry_Gumball]

Yup, I've gotten adverts for food products when entering the lots at SFDK... I usually forget the coupons by the time we're parked and entering the gate. Still though, it leaves a weird first impression...not to mention the string of billboards with advertisements as you pull up to the plaza.

 

I rode Scream for the first and only time back in April and honestly that whole corner of the park felt like it was the forgotten area, almost felt like the back alley. And the fact that Scream's fadedness is present adds to it.

 

Speaking of scream...I was using a polarizer on my camera and honestly it made the ride look that much more faded when the sky's blue deepened. Here's a few shots I got of the coaster back in April (in which I still have yet to write up my trip report from the said visit).

Faded track and polarizer don't mix too well.

"Back Alley" exit

Shooting in RAW and pumping up the color still can't save the ride's appearance. I've actually never been a huge fan of its color scheme to begin with.

[cmullin]

I've also got those promotional coupons at SFDK, yet they still charge $20 for parking...

[coasternut]

I've been watching, but not noticed any posts on "pocky" aka: Apocalypse. Have they reopened this ride??? I really hope so, since I'm coming from South Florida today to ride at "The Mountain." It's my #3 wood.

[UberBeavis]

We were handing out promotional coupons at the tollbooths in 1996 when I worked there.

[itsasamccormick]

I wish California would publicly grade amusement parks as the state does with food establishments. I'd be interested to see what SFMM would get....

 

This is completely opinion-based, however I would be very surprised to see if SFMM's rides each received less than an "A". Safety is always a top priority, and I really think that all parks (especially chain parks) strive for complete safety. Plus, the parks would receive plenty of time to prepare for an inspection and would most likely receive a pre operational inspection; where the inspector will simple note everything that needs to be completed before they'll complete a real inspection. (Please note- this is based solely on what I know of food establishment inspections in my home state, I'm well aware it would be different with rides)

 

I think that inspections like this would be a great thing. It would really give the park something to strive for- receiving all A rankings. It would be very bad PR to have a sign posted saying "This ride received a C ranking upon last inspection by CalOSHA" I know I'd think twice about riding!

 

This is a great concept, maybe one day we'll see it in action.

[cmullin]

I wish California would publicly grade amusement parks as the state does with food establishments. I'd be interested to see what SFMM would get....

 

This is completely opinion-based, however I would be very surprised to see if SFMM's rides each received less than an "A". Safety is always a top priority, and I really think that all parks (especially chain parks) strive for complete safety. Plus, the parks would receive plenty of time to prepare for an inspection and would most likely receive a pre operational inspection; where the inspector will simple note everything that needs to be completed before they'll complete a real inspection. (Please note- this is based solely on what I know of food establishment inspections in my home state, I'm well aware it would be different with rides)

 

I think that inspections like this would be a great thing. It would really give the park something to strive for- receiving all A rankings. It would be very bad PR to have a sign posted saying "This ride received a C ranking upon last inspection by CalOSHA" I know I'd think twice about riding!

 

This is a great concept, maybe one day we'll see it in action.

But that shouldn't happen because don't most parks, if not all, have inspectors check the rides every morning too make sure they're safe. And if the ride doesn't pass the inspection, they won't open it that day. If that's what they do, you would assume that all rides would get an 'A', or at least a 'B'.

[itsasamccormick]

I wish California would publicly grade amusement parks as the state does with food establishments. I'd be interested to see what SFMM would get....

 

This is completely opinion-based, however I would be very surprised to see if SFMM's rides each received less than an "A". Safety is always a top priority, and I really think that all parks (especially chain parks) strive for complete safety. Plus, the parks would receive plenty of time to prepare for an inspection and would most likely receive a pre operational inspection; where the inspector will simple note everything that needs to be completed before they'll complete a real inspection. (Please note- this is based solely on what I know of food establishment inspections in my home state, I'm well aware it would be different with rides)

 

I think that inspections like this would be a great thing. It would really give the park something to strive for- receiving all A rankings. It would be very bad PR to have a sign posted saying "This ride received a C ranking upon last inspection by CalOSHA" I know I'd think twice about riding!

 

This is a great concept, maybe one day we'll see it in action.

But that shouldn't happen because don't most parks, if not all, have inspectors check the rides every morning too make sure they're safe. And if the ride doesn't pass the inspection, they won't open it that day. If that's what they do, you would assume that all rides would get an 'A', or at least a 'B'.

 

This make be a little contradicting to my last post, but it's still something important I'd like to highlight. I'm a manager at a local fast food restaurant with food safety training. Each day, we complete a checklist of the store to make sure everything is up to standards, and that we are in complete compliance with regulatory requirements. I know without a doubt, even if I completed the checklist to the best of my abilities I would still miss many things than an inspector would not. The problem with internal inspections (while still being very helpful), is the simple fact that they're being done internally. If the state changed or revamped its inspection policy, they wouldn't be seeing things from the parks eyes. They're simply looking out for each and every thing that is not to code. The top priority of an internal inspection is to make sure that, by the end of the day, your rides are safe and opened to guests. An external inspector doesn't see things that way. In a better sense, all they look for is that the ride is safe and you aren't violating any rules. They don't have that feeling in the back of their head that this ride needs to be (or restaurant if you're following that way) open to the public.

 

I have complete faith in Six Flags keeping their rides safe to everyone, however sometimes internal and external inspectors can see things in two completely different lights.

[mykolbeta]

I've gone 2 times this month and several times each year and I've never been given or seen anyone handing out promotional brochures from the parking entrance booths. I guess I've just been lucky every time I've gone

[Jew]

I wish California would publicly grade amusement parks as the state does with food establishments. I'd be interested to see what SFMM would get...

 

You can go to Guest Relations and ask to see the rides certificate of compliance.

[coasternut]

I just came back from a quick visit to the Mountain. I processed my Gold 2014 season pass in less than 30 minutes today. I bought it online yesterday. They still want to take a new picture of you.

 

Also the only ride listed on the not operating board was X2. So I'm guessing "Pocky" aka Apocalypse is running again. I didn't go back since I only had an hour before the park closed tonight. I got 6 on Goliath.

[cmullin]

^ That's great news! Was the park not that crowded?

[Xceleratorfan96]

^^ This sign (in front of Scream)?

 

Yes, thanks :3

[Xceleratorfan96]

That sign has been on Scream since at least early April when my company had an event there...it was one train at that time...seriously, does it take that long to rehab another train?? Really...? So glad we are skipping Saturday of WCB this year to focus on Sunday...I'd like the Yolo credit but I can wait...I hope its a great day on Sat for those going but I remain skeptical...

 

Yeah I hadn't been since late late December so I'm not sure how long it had been one train, possibly a few months before April. It would break my heart to see the park do the same one train stuff they practice with Riddlers

[Xceleratorfan96]

I just came back from a quick visit to the Mountain. I processed my Gold 2014 season pass in less than 30 minutes today. I bought it online yesterday. They still want to take a new picture of you.

 

Also the only ride listed on the not operating board was X2. So I'm guessing "Pocky" aka Apocalypse is running again. I didn't go back since I only had an hour before the park closed tonight. I got 6 on Goliath.

 

Are normal 2014 passes on sale yet? I know they usually come out during Fright Fest time