The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[atem122]

^^ Thank you. We need a Grammar Fairy around here sometimes...

 

Now that Batman and Goliath are both very close to---or done---with painting, I hope to see them both open soon. The only ride now that could really use an exploding is Scream! Riddler's Revenge is holding up fairly well for a 12-year-old ride, and Tatsu, while starting to show some fading, isn't that bad yet.

 

Eric

Fixed.

 

I wonder if we will see Batman reopened soon, or if it's gonna receive more changes to whatever it needs after...idk.

 

Also, is it standard protocol for ride ops to say "go check out *insert ride here*?" I've heard them doing it recently at both SFMM and SFDK

[ebl]

^ I noticed that on New Year's Eve when the guy at the Revolution control panel told us to "go check out Tatsu" and even threw in the infamous "HIYAAA!!!" To me that seems kind of pointless unless a ride has been having fewer riders than normal and they're trying to boost ridership.

 

Now if they said to go check out Flashback or Psyclone, it'd just be funny if anyone actually tried to look for either one. But I have heard people referring to Terminator as the park having rebuilt Psyclone and changing its name.

 

Eric

[coaster_bob]

I wonder if we will see Batman reopened soon, or if it's gonna receive more changes to whatever it needs after...idk.

 

Per a ride op on Ninja yesterday, Goliath and Batman will both reopen this coming weekend. He also said Ninja would be going down soon for a month. That can't be for painting since it was painted 2 or 3 years ago, so maybe general maintenance?

[SharkTums]

They always seem to close Ninja down during the winter just because half the time it's too cold to run it anyways. Probably gives them some time to rehab it a bit and staff other rides that need it more.

[rawrtotheargh]

In regards to the "go check out *insert name*." They had a list like a couple months ago on ride panels that would have different spiels for the ride ops to say. Like "make sure to check out X2." Or "make sure to check out Thomas Town." My favorite was "don't forget to get a funnel cake a suzettes bakery." I think the ops just usually use the coasters because it comes easier than reading the paper and changing up the theme.

[austinlee]

Cool that Goliath will reopen this weekend. It was closed on my last two visits. I will be going again later this month. The most funny promo comment I have heard was on Terminator Salvation. The ride op said "make sure you get a burrito combo at Los Cuates grill."

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Here is a small update from my visit to the park on Sunday.

And lines on Sunday were terrible.

 

The line for X2 at 2pm.

Doors have been added to the first and second pre show rooms in Terminator. Now the employees force you to watch each of the pre shows, even when there is no line and empty trains are being cycled.

 

On the upside the doors make it much easier to hear the dialogue during the pre shows.

The Loony Toons Super Store has been repainted and looks great!

[austinlee]

The park must have really been deserted for the line on X2 to be that short. I have only seen it that short a few times. I'm not happy about those doors in the Terminator pre-show. I liked it when they would let you walk all the way through and skip it when there was no line. Looks like a perfect day to have been there.

[wrs28330]

I liked it when they would let you walk all the way through and skip it when there was no line.

 

Does Tower of Terror allow guests to skip the library preshow when elevators are half empty?

[robbalvey]

Does Tower of Terror allow guests to skip the library preshow when elevators are half empty?

The Tower of Terror pre-show is 90 seconds long.

[Jew]

^^I can't honestly think of a time on any of the three Tower of Terror's I have been on where the elevators have been half empty.

 

Disney rides also offer more than one pre-show room (so there's a constant flow of guests entering the boarding areas) and more queue space after the pre-shows to ensure full elevators and vehicles (Test Track and Journey to the Center of the Earth follow the same model). But more importantly, as Robb mentioned: Tower's preshow is only 90 seconds long!

 

2 preshow rooms+90 second preshow+queue space after the preshow before loading+3 minutes or so between cycles=full elevators and maximum theoretical capacity.

 

Whereas with Terminator...

 

Long Pre Show+Short Ride=wasted capacity. There's really no way to avoid empty seats when you are forced to go through all 3 pre-show rooms.

[ebl]

This is where Terminator runs into problems. Can they not either have shorter pre-shows, combine two of them, or maybe just one that's a couple of minutes long? In my experience, most people don't even watch the first one, let alone the rest of them---they just want to get on the ride.

 

Eric

[robbalvey]

Long Pre Show+Short Ride=wasted capacity. There's really no way to avoid empty seats when you are forced to go through all 3 pre-show rooms.

Agreed. I think the Terminator pre-show is a great effort from Six Flags, probably some of the best theming the company has done to date.

 

But it doesn't hold a candle to Tower of Terror's preshow. Especially when you sit through something for several minutes in multiple rooms and you know they are cycling empty trains while you're watching it.

 

I think the preshow is something great to watch and keep the guests entertained when there is a line, but to be forced to watch it while you could be on the ride I think takes away more value than it adds.

 

--Robb

[atem122]

The pre show was cool the first time, I'll give them that. But I can basically quote it now I've seen it so many times, yet I've never waited for Terminator with a line. The only good thing about them, is that it makes getting a re ride much much easier as there are bound to be empty rows because of the pre shows.

[robbalvey]

The pre show was cool the first time, I'll give them that. But I can basically quote it now I've seen it so many times, yet I've never waited for Terminator with a line. The only good thing about them, is that it makes getting a re ride much much easier as there are bound to be empty rows because of the pre shows.

Yeah, see...this is a problem. I can honestly say that every time I've ridden Terminator, aside from our events, I've seen plenty of seats empty on the train.

 

Now granted, I'm not going to hit the ride at a busy point of the day, but still. Last time I rode it, we were made to watch the entire pre-show and when we got into the station, it was empty, with empty trains arriving in the station.

 

--Robb

[atem122]

^I'll agree that it is a HUGE problem before I ride, the pre shows bore me to 'shiza,' but getting an extra ride or two in because of this problem isn't thaaat bad after the ride. I'd much rather just have them not run it in slow hours though since that's when I hit it, and I'd either get a re ride anyway, or go around again.

[RCFreak]

Can they not either have shorter pre-shows, combine two of them, or maybe just one that's a couple of minutes long?

 

You know what could work well, if SFMM wants you to see all of the pre-shows for the full Terminator® Salvation™: The Ride experience, I would love to see them combine the three of the videos in the first room and leave the second two for queue build up on slower days. Maybe even adding some queue rails in the larger third pre-show room to allow more people to wait. It would allow having more people directly waiting for the trains without really killing any of the mood and without the gap in the videos of having to move rooms, it would go a little bit faster. While yes, you would still have gaps and would still probably have empty trains on the really slow days, I don't think it would be nearly as bad as you could shuffle people through a little faster only having to deal with stopping them once in one room and not really having to wait for the next room to clear up.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Has any park tried to combine a pre-show of Terminator's length with a coaster of its style before?

 

Is there really a precedent for that to follow that isn't apples vs. oranges like a comparison to Tower is?

[bp/19]

I agree with all posts above the preshow is very well themed, however I find it extrodinarily bad that Six Flags did not design it properly in accordance with capacity of the ride. The preshows should have been designed to hold at least 50 more people and have a longer path afterwards and not just a staircase. I dont understand how they spend millions on designing/building a major attraction but do not calculate details like this correctly.

 

I couldn't believe my first few rides on it that they were sending half empty trains all the time with a 1 1/2 hour line of just letting people through and figured eventually they would figure it out and from these posts it sounds like they haven't. The pre-show is the by far the best themed part of the ride and I agree that people should see it, but compared to most preshows its very difficult to follow and doesn't make much sense. Just having a regular queueing flow through it would make the most sense in my opinion.

[CreditCrazy]

Just having a regular queueing flow through it would make the most sense in my opinion.

 

I agree, maybe just turn it into more of a walk through thing. You would still stop in the pre shows, but you would leave when the train in the station leaves, not when the pre show would end. Then the 3rd room would move up, fill that train, etc.

 

That would definitely take care of the problem. In all the times I've been on the ride, no one really pays attention to the pre-show (which is sad) and if they want to, it isn't possible with all the noise of people talking and ignoring it.

[austinlee]

Last time I was there, they were sending out almost every train with 3-5 empty rows and the line ended up being 30-45 minutes. It should have been about 1/3 shorter if they were running at capacity. The problem seems to be that they don't let enough people into the pre-show rooms. I would not mind watching the pre-show if there is a line and the trains are running at maximum capacity. When there is no line I think they should just let you walk through and get on. I have seen the pre-show so many times, I already know what they are going to say too. I have also noticed that many people don't pay attention to it.

[atem122]

...At least they did finally succeed at making the audio...well...audible.

 

Nerd moment: What's everybody's favorite row on Terminator? I'm kinda split between the front row at day, and the back row at night, I guess if I had to choose, I'd choose the back.

[robbalvey]

Has any park tried to combine a pre-show of Terminator's length with a coaster of its style before?

 

Is there really a precedent for that to follow that isn't apples vs. oranges like a comparison to Tower is?

This issue being discussed isn't whether or not the pre-show is a good idea but that they keep allowing seats to go out empty 8 months after the ride has opened.

 

I would have thought that something more proactive would be done to increase the capacity of the ride so that's not still happening.

 

Again using other rides as an example, most coasters or thrill rides that have a pre-show also have a post-preshow queue area to ensure that ride vehicles aren't being sent empty.

 

Based on how many people are in that post-show queue area they can alter the number of people being put into a pre-show room. I've been in the library room of Tower with as few as 10 people and as many as what seemed like 100! And sometimes the lower count library room opens up to a very backed up boiler room and the larger sized library rooms sometimes opens up to a near empty boiler.

 

That area from the last pre-show room to the station of Terminator is the only "post show" queue they have. And IMO, that area should always be filled with people. Far too often I have walked right up those stairs into an empty station. And if the train coming in was totally full and the station gates were able to fill that train, that's fine. But in my experience that's rarely what happens.

 

Even on some of the slowest days at WDW they seem to have the queue system down to where there is always some people in the boiler room of Tower or the limo waiting area of Coaster to fill an entire train.

 

And even in the very, very, VERY rare chance that you'd walk up to a Rock N Roller coaster train in the station with empty seats, the pre-show you sat through was only about 60 seconds, or if you're at Disney Paris, about 10 seconds!

 

Here's an idea SFMM - if you really are hell bent on having everyone watch the pre-show during slow periods, have them just watch the first room pre-show. You really "get" the story from there, and just let them walk through the other two rooms. It's still impressive, you still get the story, and you're increasing the capacity of the ride instead of sending empty seats.

 

--Robb "Maybe there is a reason a coaster pre-show of this length hasn't been done before?" Alvey

[cooksta77]

Well if they had it where their was maybe 4 rows of queue in the third preshow it would remind me of the feel of this scene in the actual movie.(Picture) My idea is you watch the whole show in the first preshow and make the second preshow more themed queue and use the idea from the picture for the third preshow and it makes you feel like you are in the Terminators lair. You could make preshows 2 and 3 regular queue so their is always someone in the station.

Andrew "It's an idea" Iorio

[Crazy4Coasters!]

^ I didn't know Terminator Salvation: The Ride is still in it's developmental stage...