The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[Chrisrad]

Perhaps I should wait to post this because of the focus on Jay's unfortunate departure, but here it goes anyway..

 

Went to the park yesterday (Tuesday). According to The Weather Channel - on my phone - temps were around 110.

 

Park looked great! Everything open expect Ninja (some welding being done on the ride) and Superman (obviously).

 

I took two friends along for the day.. one had been to SFMM before, the other had never been. My biggest complaint is the Panda Express by Viper.. VERY poor customer service. I don't mean to bitch, but it's $12.06 for a meal/soda. There were two cashiers when we walked up to the window, but one closed right when it was our turn. Our particular cashier was quite rude, and was VERY hesitant to make any accommodations for one of my friends who is a vegetarian - as some of you might know, the combos are already prepared and are ready-to-serve.. the cashier had to think about asking the cooks to make something special.. and they were all quite rude about it; there were easily 4 cooks and 2 cashiers in the little building..

 

After receiving our food, we had to ask for napkins.. between the three of us, we got four napkins! There are NO dispensers anywhere near the tables or building. Again, he was offended that we asked for them.

 

We ate lunch.. and watched the line get bigger.. and also watched as only one cashier serviced the customers.

Anyway.. it irks me to see people that have jobs.. yet they don't want to work.. And they don't know ANYTHING about customer service..

 

Sorry for the bitching.. NEXT

 

Construction for the N'awlins roller coaster...

 

Somebody put sunglasses on one of the props.

 

Some welding on Ninja.

 

And a random shot from the Sky Tower.

 

 

All-in-all, great day! We made it our goal to ride every 'major' ride twice.. Except for Revolution and Deja Vu.

 

So:

 

X2: two rides without getting back in line (changed seats). Audio worked out of station, up the lift, and at the end of the ride; cut out while on the track.

 

Viper: 2x.. front, then back.

Riddler: 2x.. front and back.

Goliath: once; tried to go twice but the line at 5:55 pm was at least an hour.

Scream: twice

Colossus: twice

Batman: twice; front and back

Terminator: twice; front and back

Tatsu: twice; front and back

 

 

Did I miss any? Maybe. Crowds were light..HH had some decent crowds.

[ebl]

^ With such fairly light crowds, which enabled you to ride like you did, I'd guess that Goliath was either running only one train, or the ops weren't really efficient. It just seems odd that you could get back-to-back rides on others (like X2) and have to wait so long for Goliath.

 

Many schools are back in session, which may explain why it wasn't so crowded.

 

I really hope that Jay's efforts during his time at SFMM will rub off on employees, and that any who care about the park will continue to keep it clean.

 

Eric

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^One can only hope. He took that park a long way but I hope whoever proceeds him shall take the park to the promised land as Jay would have.

[Chrisrad]

^^In the morning, it was the first ride we went to.. We were able to walk on to rows 3 and 4..

 

We made a backwards loop around the park, ending at X2, then reversed the course, ending at Goliath. Since the park closed at 6, it was probably a bad idea to plan on riding Goliath last.. as that is a pretty 'big' ride in that section of the park..

 

Or.. as the GP makes a loop starting at X2, ending at Goliath, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the people in line were ending their day at Goliath.

 

There were two trains running on Goliath, and all of the other rides for that matter (excluding Deju Vu). Based on the light crowds, I was definitely surprised to see 2-train operation.

[gforce532]

Goliath is one of those rides that can all of a suddenly have a long line, when all other rides don't. I think mainly because the real untheme park knowlegeable GP, who will only go on mabey four rides in a day would want to go on Golaith in particular because they see the first hill from the parking lot. And then there are those who are intimidated by, loops so they all go on it. Or, I think alot of times like you said above, Golaith is the last ride that a lot of people go on because it is convenently located. Because it usulally has longer lines in the afternoon and evenings.

 

As for the food service, that is my biggest pet peeve at amusement parks is slow horrible service. At MM I can't tell you how many bad experience that I had. They are usually friendly but are just SO SLOW, pretty much to the point that sometimes I can ride X2 five times in a row before their done. Every once in a while like 1 out of 10 would be the ideal food service employee who is quick, intelligent, friendly, and who actually cares. But that should be 10 out of 10 emloyees not 1 out of 10.

[Chrisrad]

After riding Goliath yesterday in the AM, the drop really has no effect on me anymore..

 

While I love B&Ms, and their loopy goodness (Tatsu #1, Batman and Riddler tied for #2), I am beginning to enjoy traditional coasters even more (non-looping).. While I appreciate the thrill of Viper, and the fact that X2 simply owns its riders (that ride is just plain ballsy), I am more into drops and speed.. perhaps being able to enjoy the surroundings without being jostled all over the place..

 

 

Also.. I've ridden scream a few dozen times.. Is it really true that the track piece at the bottom of the first drop was dropped during construction? Or is that just hearsay? There is definitely a noticeable 'vibration' at the bottom for a second.

 

If so, any more details of the mishap?

[ebl]

^ Regarding your second paragraph, I have to admit that I'm feeling the same way. One or two inversions on a ride is fine, but too much "loopiness" doesn't do much for me. I'd rather ride something with a lot of airtime, or something simply fun. Also, with no inversions, most likely there won't be OTSRs to hold you in---just a simple lap bar and/or seatbelt.

 

As it is, SFMM already holds the world record inversion-wise at 35.

 

Back when Mark Shapiro was still with Six Flags, it was mentioned a few times that he wasn't a big fan of loops either. To me, that implied that forthcoming coasters wouldn't be as likely to have the inversions and that perhaps a good airtime machine was due. Now that Mark and Jay are both gone, we'll just have to see what's next.

 

Eric

[Magic Alumni]

Bonnie Rabjohn officially announced...

 

Rabjohn is the new park president of Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor

 

Bonnie Rabjohn is the new park president of Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor, officials said Wednesday.

 

Rabjohn, who began Tuesday, replaces Jay Thomas, who is taking a position at the Six Flags corporate office in Dallas.

 

"I am very excited about rejoining one of the leading family theme park properties in the world," Rabjohn said in a statement. "Having worked at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor for many years, I look forward to ‘coming home' and contributing to the park's exciting future."

 

Rabjohn has lived with her family in the Santa Clarita Valley for 16 years. Most recently, she was director of worldwide marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products division. Before then, she spent 25 years with Six Flags, a New York-based amusement park company, handling marketing, promotions, sales, communications and retails.

 

"Bonnie is one of the strongest, most talented and aggressive park marketing people in the industry, and has a proven track record of success in the highly competitive Southern California market," Six Flags, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Al Weber said in a statement.

 

Thomas was appointed to president of the Valencia theme park in 2007. He navigated the theme park through the economic recession and financial setbacks.

 

Despite the challenges, Thomas and the theme park celebrated the opening of its roller coasters X2 in 2008 and "Terminator: Salvation" The Ride in 2009 and the new children's area, Thomas Town, as part of a mission to make the theme park family friendly.

 

"What I'm proud of is how the team came together and created an environment where employees felt like they were empowered to make a difference in the guest's day," Thomas said.

 

The details of his new position in Dallas are still being worked out, but Thomas said he is looking forward to returning to Texas, which is where he and his wife are originally from.

 

"I'm really excited about Bonnie Rabjohn taking over the reins of the park," Thomas said. "I know she is going to do a phenomenal job moving the park forward."

 

Besides running Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor, Thomas devoted his time to serving local nonprofit organizations, an experience that showed Thomas how much the local community serves those in need.

 

"We have had the opportunity to live all over the United States," Thomas said. "When we came to Santa Clarita, we definitely came to a community that's unlike any other."

 

Thomas' dedication to the local community did not go unnoticed.

 

"He was just involved in everything," said Don Fleming, co-owner of Valencia Acura. "He helped everyone that he could. This community will miss him and I will miss him."

 

Fleming and Thomas became friends after meeting at a nonprofit board meeting.

 

"There's always a smile on his face," Fleming said. "He's just an absolute asset to this community."

 

Thomas also served on the College of the Canyons Foundation board, where he became friends with Chancellor Dianne Van Hook.

 

"You can tell he loves what he does," she said. "You can't fake that. There's no way to fake that twinkle in your eye."

 

Gail Ortiz, city spokeswoman and vice president of the local Domestic Violence Center, appreciated how Thomas put cleanliness and safety as a top priority for the Valencia theme park.

 

"Jay Thomas leaves behind a legacy of community service and the highest level of customer service to be emulated for years to come," Ortiz said.

[Tmcdllr]

I never got the chance to meet Jay. All my visits while he was there I noticed many positive improvements that he made and from what people on here have said about him he sounds like a really great guy. Jay, eventhough I don't know you I appreciate all that you have done for Magic Mountain and I wish you nothing but the best in whatever it is you are going into. Whatever you end up doing I hope they realize how lucky they will be to have you and embrace any of your great ideas.

 

Thank you Jay and good luck!

[Magic Alumni]

Another article from Santa Clarita's local radio station...KHTS...

 

Thomas Talks About Texas, Tearful Goodbyes

 

Six Flags isn’t letting the grass grow under Jay Thomas’s feet, flying him out to Dallas Thursday morning to start his new job.

 

The details are still developing, but the former president of Magic Mountain/Hurricane Harbor said that he’s excited about the prospects.

 

“I’ll be overseeing some key initiates for all of the parks,” he said. “What I’ll be working on is a top priority of our board of directors. I’m excited about the new position and its challenges and rewards.”

 

He said his family was excited about returning to Texas, especially his two children.

 

“The kids are excited to be closer to their grandparents,” he said. “I think it has to do with getting more toys.”

 

He leaves Santa Clarita with a bit of regret, having enjoyed his time on various nonprofit boards and organizations. Many of the friends he made in those groups contacted him when they heard the news about him leaving.

 

“It is such a wonderful feeling to get so many great notes from close friends,” he said. “The greatest thing about this community is how giving it is. When you operate and function the way Santa Clarita does, you look forward to being a part of it.”

 

Asked about his approach to the park and the infamous “leaf policy” where he unabashedly carried a leaf scooper to keep the park’s walkways clear and encouraged other administrators to do the same, he quickly deferred credit for the attitude change to the whole park team.

 

“I felt it was important to create a culture where people could feel like they made a difference,” he explained. “To empower young people or seniors or people with second jobs to suggest improvements when they saw something that wasn’t working improved things at the park exponentially.

 

“It wasn’t me,” he said. “It was the entire team that brought that change to fruition.”

 

Thomas said that he will be traveling back and forth for awhile until his family can make the move, but he did say he hates to say goodbye.

 

“I’ll come back and visit,” he promised. “But right now, it’s an exciting time and I’m looking forward to the change.”

[COASTER FREAK 11]

He should coma back for West Coast Bash, Haha. Jay was a great guy and I'm sad to see him leave. But I'm happy that the company didn't fire him, that would have been a big loss on their part.

[ebl]

^ Honestly, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Jay made an appearance at WCB next year. It really sounds like something he'd do.

 

Eric

[Calicoasters]

I'm bummed! I'm going to miss Jay, and this totally ruins my hope for the re-themed Jay Thomas Dance Machine.

 

Coming Spring 2011... Not anymore!

[Mechanic]

No matter what role he's in, I'm certain Jay Thomas will continue to be a huge asset to Six Flags. We'll all certainly miss the personal interaction with him at SFMM, but I think the entire chain, including the southern California park, will do nothing but benefit from having him stationed in the corporate offices.

 

I think the "infamous" leaf policy is awesome! It's a whole lot of "little" things like that, all added up together, that have improved the overall atmosphere at the park. If Jay does happen to make it to the next WCB, I feel he deserves a standing ovation for the way his leadership has helped to turn the park around from the dismal state it was in not that many years ago.

 

Best of luck in all your future endeavors Jay. I have great confidence that you will do Six Flags proud.

[ericm95]

Was looking at screamscape and saw this:

I’ve been sent an interesting rumor about the future of SFMM as rumors of a new project are starting to emerge. Nothing specific… we only have a name right now. Project: 18. You know what that means… but is it real or just a fanboy dream?

What exactly is project 18?

[Tmcdllr]

^ The obvious answer is the 18th roller coaster but really it could be anything or nothing.

[atem122]

Project 18 is without a doubt a codename for their 18th coaster. Kinda like SW6 at Alton Towers.

Idk about how legit the codename Project 18 is, but there are those rumors that SFMM might get something pretty rad in 2012.

[ebl]

I agree with "Project 18" being a code name for SFMM's 18th coaster.

 

We all know that Mr. Six's DanceCoaster was supposed to be SFMM's 17th coaster, but it was never set up (supposedly delayed till next year). We know also that something is going on with Superman--The Escape. With MSDC opening and Superman's makeover, the park will have 17 coasters.

 

Setting up MSDC won't take much capital, and I can't imagine that launching S:TE backwards would take much either. Either 2012 will be the debut of something HUGE (this so called "Project 18"), or it may take place as an as-of-yet-to-be-announced project for 2011 alongside what's already known or hinted at.

 

Eric

[MagicMountainMan]

Wasn't it stated by Shapiro that Magic Mountain would be getting a new coaster in 2011 for the chain's 50th? Mr. Six's Dance Coaster was supposed to be for 2010 so that wouldn't count, and Superman for all we know it's going to become a "new" coaster. Maybe the plans have been changed though and Magic Mountain won't be getting a new coaster for 2011 now that Shapiro is out.

 

Actually now that I think of it, if Magic Mountain was getting a new coaster, there should have been some marker sightings by now shouldn't there?

 

-Brandon "Even if we don't get a new coaster in 2011 or 2012, we still have 17 others!" Tisor

[SharkTums]

I disagree with all of you.

 

Project 18 is just the code name to raise parking to $18!!!!!

 

Thanks folks, I'll be here all week...TRY THE VEAL!!!!

[Wes]

I was gonna try to start the rumor that Project 18 was going to be the park getting 18 new flat rides but literally no one would believe that.

[SharkTums]

^Yeah, my parking scheme is more believable than that!

[Sir Clinksalot]

18 new flat rides does sound awesome though Wes.

[Sunfire]

For you guys who are more familiar with the crowd patterns at SFMM, how crowded do you think the park will be this week? I might be going, and I was wondering how long the lines may be.

[atem122]

^Most likely pretty empty if you go on a weekday. I'm hopefully going Tuesday cause of the low crowds.