The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[AllenA07]

I like the look of the new colors very much, I think it fits the ride much better. However while it is nice to see paint and all that, the verdict remains out on the new X until I start seeing some reviews of it. It's the ride, not the paint, that matters.

 

Again though, with that said, paint is always a nice touch.

[Xmeister]

^ Refurbished. The boats were being worked on in the area were Psyclone used to be.

 

 

--Robb

 

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe the boats won't flood now!

[fdelhomez]

I really hope to go there one of these days.....

Grrrrr.... France.... Damnit....

[TheRealTinkerbell]

Being a smoking pumpkin pays about $8.50 an hour.

 

 

Did anyone read the Pam Spam incident?!

 

Magic Mountain your creativity levels just make my day a little bit better!

[haiderodes]

It looks like they also had test seats for Riddler (on the right) and Scream (to the left). Anyone know why they don't use these in the park? I'm sure they'd save a lot of embarassment for larger riders if they just put them in front of their prospective rides.

[SharkTums]

^I asked that very question to Neal!

 

I was told that right now (and in the past) they use the seats for operations training purposes backstage. But they do hope to put them out soon!

[Jew]

Finally!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe the boats won't flood now!

 

They will still flood. It's up to the operators to keep them clean. The flooding is caused by paper that gets wet and clogs the drain. Then once the paper gets inside the drainage area, it's basically stuck in the boat blocking the drain until a full rehab. Thankfully it looks like the boats are getting some TLC...

[ebl]

INTERESTING FACT TO REMEMBER:

 

Now that X2 and Viper's track are painted red, all four of SFMM's Arrow coasters have/had red track at some point.

 

Eric

[arrowfanman]

And congrats to Jahan for getting a job. Personally, I would have worked at Disneyland, but Magic Mountain's good too.

 

 

 

 

Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah.

 

Hold on there.

 

 

 

 

First of all, thank you.

 

Second of all, I have HAD a job for some time now and it's always been at Magic Mountain. This is just a new position.

 

Third of all, I have a lot of friends that work at Disney, all over the parks. Do you know what they do at work? Push buttons. Wave batons. Paperwork. And that's it. They're told to follow a set list of instructions. When you think about it, the "Disney Difference" is pretty much about sucking the individuality out of each cast member in order to standardize an experience. Now, that's not to say that cast members don't do an awesome job--they execute these "set instructions" flawlessly, normally. But I work in an environment where my superiors don't only ask me to follow a set list of instructions, but seek my advice, and the advice of all my peers, on improving the guest experience. Essentially, at Magic Mountain, they celebrate what each individual can bring to the park--rather than try to neuter that.

 

Again, Disney is great. My favorite place in the world is Disneyland. But I've had CMs tell me they're jealous of the open work environment I'm in. That they're simply subjects in a fascist dictatorship, while I have the ability to really participate in the direction of the company.

 

 

 

After the experiences I've had, I don't know if I can ever downgrade my work environment and go to Disney.

 

-Jahan

 

 

EDIT: The original post I was quoting to has been deleted. I didn't mean to "single out" any individual or jump on you, as you were just giving a personal preference. But now that I've posted this, I'm going to leave it because what I have to say still stands true.

[ebl]

^ The way SFMM seems to be improving may mean that even better things are ahead of you there.

 

Hopefully that'll be the case.

 

Eric

[thrillgeek]

According to rcdb Goliath JR has officially changed its name to Percy the Small Engine . Jeez I didn't realize the ride was so old!!

 

http://www.rcdb.com/id749.htm

[AllenA07]

Actually it is unclear how old the ride really is, as far as I know there has never been any solid conformation on its age. However regardless if the ride is the one from Beverly Park (I assume that is what you are talking about), it has been at SFMM since the park opened.

[robbalvey]

I have just uploaded high res versions of some of the update photos in the members only forum here:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=531094

 

--Robb

[Cyber.Fiber]

Thank You Robb!

 

All of the high-res photos are greatly appreciated! They can make for some wicked backgrounds!

[thrillgeek]

Yeah thanks Rob! I use them all as backgrounds for my computer and my ps3!!

[haiderodes]

One more thing I forgot to mention about the park on Saturday...

 

The LA Kings Mascot was on Colossus around 1030a doing some filming. As shaky as the ride is, I'm suprised the head didn't come off.

 

Also on Colossus, for some reason they weren't loading the 4th car on the red train.

[AllenA07]

Was it all day that they were not loading, or only for a while. After somebody throws up they tend to let the train cycle a few times before putting people back in it.

[haiderodes]

^ I got back to Colossus around 1030a and it was all blocked off with black tape (including those boarding aisles). I came back around 2p and the boarding aisles were open, but the red train still had the tape on it.

[Mr.Six]

^ That sounds more like there's a problem with the coach(s). Whenever a guest gets sick on a ride we actually clean it with either water or oops. ( The sawdust like cleaner ). Depending on the ride. I can't speak for Colossus, because I've never worked it, but everytime its happened on my rides we never send the train with guests on it, instead its always completely empty.

 

-Mike

[haiderodes]

That's what I was thinking especially considering they still weren't loading it hours later.

[gotdane]

Push buttons. Wave batons. Paperwork. And that's it. They're told to follow a set list of instructions. When you think about it, the "Disney Difference" is pretty much about sucking the individuality out of each cast member in order to standardize an experience. Now, that's not to say that cast members don't do an awesome job--they execute these "set instructions" flawlessly, normally. But I work in an environment where my superiors don't only ask me to follow a set list of instructions, but seek my advice, and the advice of all my peers, on improving the guest experience. Essentially, at Magic Mountain, they celebrate what each individual can bring to the park--rather than try to neuter that.

 

Again, Disney is great. My favorite place in the world is Disneyland. But I've had CMs tell me they're jealous of the open work environment I'm in. That they're simply subjects in a fascist dictatorship, while I have the ability to really participate in the direction of the company.

 

 

 

After the experiences I've had, I don't know if I can ever downgrade my work environment and go to Disney.

 

-Jahan

 

Bwaaaah!? My experience has been sooooo far from your description...I don't understand how it's thought that Disney doesn't appreciate advice from their Cast Members, especially on the subject of a guests experience. If I had advice to give I can think of several people above me that I could talk to and actually have a guest and future guests experiences positively affected.

 

Button pushing, baton waving, and paperwork is all part of the job. I'm sure you and other SFMM employees push buttons and fill out paperwork...(I haven't seen the baton waving at Magic before...but it isn't expected anyways.) Interacting with guests can be an extremely rewarding experience and I've had one such experience just in the last week.

 

And I have also experienced an INCREDIBLE "cast" community going through the Disney College Program...

 

Anyways, Jahan, I totally understand what you're experiencing in your job and I know you have great things ahead of you, too! I really am happy for you with the advances you've made!

 

But ...I just sooooo disagreed with what you said.

[hifalling]

^

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Push buttons. Wave batons. Paperwork. And that's it. They're told to follow a set list of instructions. When you think about it, the "Disney Difference" is pretty much about sucking the individuality out of each cast member in order to standardize an experience. Now, that's not to say that cast members don't do an awesome job--they execute these "set instructions" flawlessly, normally. But I work in an environment where my superiors don't only ask me to follow a set list of instructions, but seek my advice, and the advice of all my peers, on improving the guest experience. Essentially, at Magic Mountain, they celebrate what each individual can bring to the park--rather than try to neuter that.

 

Again, Disney is great. My favorite place in the world is Disneyland. But I've had CMs tell me they're jealous of the open work environment I'm in. That they're simply subjects in a fascist dictatorship, while I have the ability to really participate in the direction of the company.

 

 

 

After the experiences I've had, I don't know if I can ever downgrade my work environment and go to Disney.

 

-Jahan

 

Jahan, I know you have always said you would never want to work for Disney because its the place you come to relax and it would ruin that for you, but I don't understand why you said this. All the cast members I know (which we know a lot of the same ones) have not expressed that opinion of their work experience; at least to me anyway. I don't get where you are coming from with this, both companies offer ways for the employees a chance to make a difference.

[Jew]

Here's how I look at it...

 

Jahan...a little over a year...he's a supervisor

 

My friends at Disney? Only one has made it to the emerging leaders program, and it took him 3 years. The other one I know who is full time took 7 years to get her job. The rest of them are stuck as leads, trainers, and ride ops. It seems that is just how the Disney machine works...get your 10 emerging leaders every year to develop (which they do a great job of), and leave everyone else behind until its time for the next round.

 

That's not to say Disney isn't a great place to work, or that waiting longer to move up at Disney is a bad thing...It's just how the systems work. MM offers a great opportunity to move up and gain valuable experience at a younger age (I know I wouldn't have moved up as quick as I did without experience I got being a lead at RRv when I was only 16!). Jay even gave a great example to us at the DVD party, about how a lead made a suggestion and they ran with it, when talking about all the upcoming things going on with the park...

 

At least I think that is what Jahan is getting at.

[hifalling]

^^^,^^,^ still !

 

I see the argument both ways.

 

It's hard to bring a valid, non-biased, argument from either side.

 

The truth is, I have no idea what it is like to work for the SF corporation, and my experience in the theme park industry, I would say, has moved rather quick for the amount responsibility , and number of projects of which I have had the opportunity to be a part.

 

I would not change one thing.

 

From what I have learned from my SFMM friends, it sounds like the Supervisor role is very similar to that of a DLR Lead, which is pretty awesome.

 

Congrats to Jahan for achieving that status so quickly.

 

I know achieving that kind of status at the DLR, amongst over 20,000 CM's is quite a feat. Something of which one should not be ashamed.

 

Management is a big step...on several levels...and in any LARGE Business...that is successful, choosing those leaders, should be a rather selective process. I hope it takes time.

 

chuck "I love both parks" garcia