The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[rcjp]

^Oh really I had no idea (and I've been on GL). But is it a coaster that doesn't get that much attention at SFMM? I would be surprised if it was.

[biker7766]

I don't know why, but I have looked many times into Green Lantern's maintenance shed, and it only has 2 trains inside. Maybe one has become a parts donor? I was under the impression that SFGAdv may have sent back the third train.

[singemfrc]

I don't know why, but I have looked many times into Green Lantern's maintenance shed, and it only has 2 trains inside. Maybe one has become a parts donor? I was under the impression that SFGAdv may have sent back the third train.

For quite a while SFMM only possessed one train for Riddlers (which really made the line suck especially combined with it's rideops being low on the totem pole and thus usually pretty uninterested in quick dispatches), the one that was recently sent back gave them a total of two now. The last time I was there Riddlers operations had been drastically improved.

 

Quick tip: if you find the Riddlers line too long and you arent with a large group, use the Single Rider entrance. You can basically walk onto the ride on even the busiest days as long as you don't mind not riding next to others in your group. Riddlers and Green Lantern First Flight have by far the biggest wait reductions by using the single rider queues. Lex has one but sometimes you can still wait 20+mins to get on, Viper and Revolution have them but they're usually useless.

[JeromyL]

How about enclose goldrusher and theme it as a dark ride with maybe a collapsing mine

[jedimaster1227]

That'd be too much theming for Six Flags. They have a maximum theming limit for attractions that started and ended with Terminator Salvation: The Ride. No more, very likely less.

Edited February 14, 2014 by jedimaster1227

[DJeXeL]

SFMM got their 3rd train back for Riddler's. Riddler's needs it more than GL does.

[singemfrc]

SFMM got their 3rd train back for Riddler's. Riddler's needs it more than GL does.

Oh I might be misremembering. Maybe I was thinking they only had one because one was always being rehabbed so they only had one of two running at any given time. I know they were running two when I was there a few months ago, I didn't look to see if a third was parked.

[11slataus]

It astounds me how both SFMM and SFGadv. can operate their stand-ups with 3 trains (even if they do it seldomly) when CP only ever tries to run two. I mean, I went to Great Adventure GL's inaugural season and they were actually running 3 trains flawlessly. And I consider CP to be actually pretty fast with Mantis. I feel like they could integrate the 3rd train without much problem.

[DJeXeL]

SFGAdv won't be running 3 trains on GL as they don't have the 3rd anymore. It was on loan from SFMM which they have shipped back.

 

SFMM hasn't ran 3 trains on Riddler's in 3 or 4 years if I recall correctly. The 3rd train will help with their rehab schedule as they can always rotate 1 train out for rehab at a time so that there's 2 running on any given day.

[Kevin6279]

It astounds me how both SFMM and SFGadv. can operate their stand-ups with 3 trains (even if they do it seldomly) when CP only ever tries to run two. I mean, I went to Great Adventure GL's inaugural season and they were actually running 3 trains flawlessly. And I consider CP to be actually pretty fast with Mantis. I feel like they could integrate the 3rd train without much problem.

 

Three trains on Mantis would be nearly impossible. The reason they removed the 3rd train is after they added the seat belts, you would pretty much stack every single time (and this is coming from managers who used to work on the ride back when it had 3). Also, if you've never had the displeasure of a hard stop in the service brakes, it hurts.

 

If they overhauled the control system, removed the bins, maintenance fixed the seats that stick, and guests magically decided to stop taking off their shoes, you MIGHT be able to do three. The reason Six Flags can probably do three is they are probably less strict about seat heights. I heard B&M changed the controls for the stand-ups after Mantis, and Green Lantern and Riddler's both have the newer controls which makes it easier, but I don't think it's true.

[singemfrc]

The reason Six Flags can probably do three is they are probably less strict about seat heights. I heard B&M changed the controls for the stand-ups after Mantis, and Green Lantern and Riddler's both have the newer controls which makes it easier, but I don't think it's true.

There might be something to that because when I rode Mantis the ops were very strict about making sure everyone stood up as straight as possible before the restraints were locked whereas for Riddler's and Vortex (at CGA) they just make sure anyone is not sitting too low to stand up.

[goatdan]

Three trains on Mantis would be nearly impossible. The reason they removed the 3rd train is after they added the seat belts, you would pretty much stack every single time (and this is coming from managers who used to work on the ride back when it had 3). Also, if you've never had the displeasure of a hard stop in the service brakes, it hurts.

 

I went on Mantis after it had seat belts when it was running three trains, and it so depended on the crew. A great crew would mean you were barely stacked, but a bad one meant a lot of stacking. Amazingly, Iron Wolf was intended to have three trains when it opened (you can see the spot for the block brake near the loop on the track still today on Apocalypse) but someone correctly figured out that was insane and it was never installed.

 

If they overhauled the control system, removed the bins, maintenance fixed the seats that stick, and guests magically decided to stop taking off their shoes, you MIGHT be able to do three. The reason Six Flags can probably do three is they are probably less strict about seat heights. I heard B&M changed the controls for the stand-ups after Mantis, and Green Lantern and Riddler's both have the newer controls which makes it easier, but I don't think it's true.

 

Technically speaking, I believe there are three different control schemes for B&M stand ups - one for the Intamin B&M stand ups and Iron Wolf, one for the Vortex to Mantis B&M train era, and one for the ones after that. They all have their eccentricities for operating.

 

As for the seat height strictness, it definitely does make a difference, although it depends on how it is done. I haven't visited Mantis lately, but I know when I rode it originally they had someone explaining it when you got near the station - sit in your seat, it will adjust, it will be locked, don't jump or you'll end up being uncomfortable. I don't blame the ops at all, because I'm fascinated to watch people take off their shoes for stand ups, and 10 years ago even that NEVER happened.

 

I think that might be what actually kills the stand up - we seem to have gotten so poor at knowing how to ride them, why bother investing in one to get a miserable capacity? Regardless, Riddler should run two trains as much as possible

[singemfrc]

As for the seat height strictness, it definitely does make a difference, although it depends on how it is done. I haven't visited Mantis lately, but I know when I rode it originally they had someone explaining it when you got near the station - sit in your seat, it will adjust, it will be locked, don't jump or you'll end up being uncomfortable. I don't blame the ops at all, because I'm fascinated to watch people take off their shoes for stand ups, and 10 years ago even that NEVER happened.

 

I think that might be what actually kills the stand up - we seem to have gotten so poor at knowing how to ride them, why bother investing in one to get a miserable capacity? Regardless, Riddler should run two trains as much as possible

Yeah absolutely. I love all three standups I've ridden. I was told all three were uncomfortable and on all three I found it to be mostly untrue. A little common sense to wear your restraints correctly and they are just fine. I actually found Mantis to be the most comfortable and I was warned it would be the worst!

 

On any standup I find if you stop just short of standing up straight you don't end up with your weight on the bicycle seat (bad for men) yet you can still stand without crouching, and close the OTSR tightly so you arent banging around, the ride is mostly enjoyable. Vortex has some headbanging issues that can be worked around and so does Riddler, but I didn't experience it on Mantis (granted I only rode Mantis once).

 

If you stand up all the way like the ops usually tell you to, you're gonna have a really bad time. If you don't close your restraint tightly, you're going to have a bad time (and I find thats true of most OTSRs).

 

Beyond just Standups I find very few coasters to be truly uncomfortable and when they are it's usually due to wear and tear (X2) or modifications (Revolution). I have that middle of the road average guy body shape though, so some rides are more uncomfortable for people of different shapes and sizes. Green Lantern isn't the slightest bit uncomfortable for me but it seems if you are too short or too small it can be painful.

[kailisun98]

As for the seat height strictness, it definitely does make a difference, although it depends on how it is done. I haven't visited Mantis lately, but I know when I rode it originally they had someone explaining it when you got near the station - sit in your seat, it will adjust, it will be locked, don't jump or you'll end up being uncomfortable. I don't blame the ops at all, because I'm fascinated to watch people take off their shoes for stand ups, and 10 years ago even that NEVER happened.

 

I think that might be what actually kills the stand up - we seem to have gotten so poor at knowing how to ride them, why bother investing in one to get a miserable capacity? Regardless, Riddler should run two trains as much as possible

Yeah absolutely. I love all three standups I've ridden. I was told all three were uncomfortable and on all three I found it to be mostly untrue. A little common sense to wear your restraints correctly and they are just fine. I actually found Mantis to be the most comfortable and I was warned it would be the worst!

 

On any standup I find if you stop just short of standing up straight you don't end up with your weight on the bicycle seat (bad for men) yet you can still stand without crouching, and close the OTSR tightly so you arent banging around, the ride is mostly enjoyable. Vortex has some headbanging issues that can be worked around and so does Riddler, but I didn't experience it on Mantis (granted I only rode Mantis once).

 

If you stand up all the way like the ops usually tell you to, you're gonna have a really bad time. If you don't close your restraint tightly, you're going to have a bad time (and I find thats true of most OTSRs).

 

Beyond just Standups I find very few coasters to be truly uncomfortable and when they are it's usually due to wear and tear (X2) or modifications (Revolution). I have that middle of the road average guy body shape though, so some rides are more uncomfortable for people of different shapes and sizes. Green Lantern isn't the slightest bit uncomfortable for me but it seems if you are too short or too small it can be painful.

I totally agree! My favorite would be Riddlers Revenge at SFMM though. It's long, smooth, and intense.

*edit* Well, except for Vortex at CGA. Vortex is like a concussion machine.

[goatdan]

Yeah absolutely. I love all three standups I've ridden. I was told all three were uncomfortable and on all three I found it to be mostly untrue. A little common sense to wear your restraints correctly and they are just fine. I actually found Mantis to be the most comfortable and I was warned it would be the worst!

 

I don't like Mantis quite as much once they added the drop trim as it is a little jerkier now, but I don't find it to be that bad. My favorite stand up ride was actually Chang, which was like Mantis' slightly larger brother without the brake, and I never feel like I had a bad ride on it.

 

I thought that Iron Wolf beat the crap out of you though, although it was amazing when it first opened.

 

Regardless, I actually meant from that comment more about the fact that people don't pay attention to boarding procedures much any more - seriously, why the hell are you taking off your shoes for a stand up ride - but it does also come from people not understanding how to move their bodies for the motion. When rides like Iron Wolf, Mantis, and even Riddler's came out, people were used to Arrow loopers like Shockwave, Corkscrew, and Viper - rides that you had to ride defensively. Now, with few exceptions rides are so much better constructed you don't have to worry about it, which makes stand ups with your head so far away from the track tougher.

 

But what sucks is you get a ride like Riddler's that because of guests that don't know how to board the thing, combined with a tough system to operate, and you're looking at an average capacity less than 600 people per hour. Which is nuts. A decent crew on most other similarly sized rides can hit 1000 per hour, so why would you spend a ton of money on a stand up when you could buy a Wing Rider or whatever for the same amount and move nearly twice as many people through it?

 

Having said that, it can be done. Not long before it was removed (a year or two? Not sure) I was at Great America and I was floored because they were not stacking train after train after train on Iron Wolf, and it has only about a two minute cycle.

[MrSum1_55]

I have seen SFGAdv operate Green Lantern efficiently with three trains.

 

However, one factor to note is that ops at SFGAdv>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ops at SFMM.

[Domm]

Heading down south for a trip to the mountain tonight, is tomorrow gonna be a flash pass kinda day? Was thinking about staying at the Hilton garden inn near the park- does anybody have other suggestions for hotels nearby with good pool/hot tub set ups?

[CPSFMMCW]

I found the operations at Great Adventure to be really good. They were running 3 trains all the time on a lot of their coasters. All the big ones at least.

[XYZ]

I found the operations at Great Adventure to be really good. They were running 3 trains all the time on a lot of their coasters. All the big ones at least.

 

Yeah, they were running three trains on Bizarro. Though, all three trains were stacked...

[singemfrc]

Heading down south for a trip to the mountain tonight, is tomorrow gonna be a flash pass kinda day? Was thinking about staying at the Hilton garden inn near the park- does anybody have other suggestions for hotels nearby with good pool/hot tub set ups?

I've stayed at that HGI several times, it's my preferred hotel when I travel down there. The Courtyard by Mariott that's close by isn't bad either.

[coasterfreak101]

I found the operations at Great Adventure to be really good. They were running 3 trains all the time on a lot of their coasters. All the big ones at least.

 

Yeah, they were running three trains on Bizarro. Though, all three trains were stacked...

 

The worst ops are by far the Bizarro team. Horrendous.

[rcjp]

^ It's funny how they got significantly worse in the evening, I remember being stopped right before the station for an eternity at around 21:30.

[Jew]

This is the SFMM thread. Lets get back on track. Save the SFGADv discussion for the SDGADv thread.

[coasterfreak101]

This is the SFMM thread. Lets get back on track. Save the SFGADv discussion for the SDGADv thread.

 

The worst ops are by far the Bizarro team but at least they're still better than anything Magic Mountain can do.

 

Fixed.

[VCXfreak]

Has anybody noticed the backwards train on Batman yet? I was wondering if the maintance crew is making that change or is it the train from back east?

Edited February 18, 2014 by TPDave