The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[LaMapa]

Just got back from the park. Not that busy today. Not any busier than a normal weekday in July. Everything had a decent line except for X2. We had the whole entire station to ourselves!! We went over and over again on half empty trains! It was strange. It did look like there was a new piece of wood over by the monorail tunnel on the samurai summit side. But I didn't walk over there.

[Double0Kevin]

I would not hold my breath that SCBB is getting a premier launched coaster. I see them getting a Spinner or at most a eurofighter.

 

 

I'm sure it's been mentioned that Premier offers much more than just launchers.

 

Yeah, and of the 25 rides they've built, 4 were non-launched and 3 of them no longer operate(well Buzz Saw Falls operates as a different ride). It's not impossible for them to build a traditional coaster, the odds lean towards launch most of the time.

[XYZ]

The last two days, I was at SFMM for the first time in almost a decade. When I went there last, I was too short to ride many of the coasters, but now I have ridden every coaster at SFMM other than Magic Flyer & Canyon Blaster. SFMM definitely surprised me and I had no problems with trash the last two days as the park was very clean. The one thing I have to complain about SFMM is waiting. Pretty much all the major rides have 45+ minute waits in late August which I found surprising. Usually, I wouldn't blame the park for the lines, but SFMM never put the coasters in full capacity. Goliath, Riddler, & especially X2 & Tatsu have ridiculous waits for two-train operation when all these coasters can support three-train operation easily. Superman constantly had an hour wait and they were running one side on Saturday & Sunday! I don't think the other side is closed for maitenance, I just think it is closed because of Six Flags cutting corners. Viper had a full station with ONE TRAIN OPERATION with two trains on the transfer track. How cheap is Six Flags? Other than Six Flags cutting corners, the park was really nice. I didn't get the chance to ride Lex Luthor because I am not waiting 45 minutes for a drop tower. I'm not getting a Flash Pass because of how frequent I'm going there, but I recommend buying one if you are going there for one day and you aren't planning to go to SFMM anytime soon.

 

Here are all the coasters and my opinion of them:

 

Apocalypse: A very good woodie and it seems GCI really perfected the out-of-control feeling since it just leaves Roar in the dust. Apocalypse is starting to get rough, but the roughness is extremely tolerable. The fire was working the whole time. Apocalypse had the strongest airtime of any coaster in SFMM on that small second hill, though Colossus has the most airtime. I really enjoy the theming on this coaster. Apocalypse almost always has a 5 minute wait which I found surprising.

 

Batman: I call Batman the hidden gem of SFMM, I don't care the thing is cloned a million times, it is a very good coaster. I prefer Batman over Riddler as it is constantly intense from start to finish. I think Batman blows Flight Deck (CGA) out of the water. Also, Batman has a 5 minute wait which is very well worth it.

 

Colossus: This was the coaster that exceeded what I expected of this. I couldn't believe how amazing this coaster was. Colossus wasn't very rough and is very re-rideable and has the most airtime out of any coaster. Colossus is my favorite woodie in California (I rode Giant Dipper, Grizzly, Roar, Apocalypse, & this). SFMM did a very good job on maintaining this classic and I could feel how this coaster was built to be a world class coaster. Though, the MCBR has to go. The MCBR kills the last part of the ride and is my only complaint about Colossus. Also, SFMM was just running one side with two trains, so I doubt they will be running 6 trains anytime soon. I think Colossus doesn't need any topper track or Iron Horse track, all it needs is just a fresh coat of paint. Colossus has a 15 minute wait.

 

Gold Rusher: I expected a little more from this coaster, but all it did was push me around like a wild mouse coaster. It had some speed and the final helix is definitely the best part, though I almost get bruised on my legs after getting off of this. Goldrusher was always a walk-on.

 

Goliath: This was one of my favorites and it has a pretty good drop that lasts a long time, sure I prefer a steeper drop but I have to live with this. I really like the tunnel at the bottom of the drop and the coaster has good laterals in the front but surprsingly has no laterals in the back. The floater airtime hill is one of my favorite elements as you have a small airtime feeling for a long duration. Though, I enjoy the part before the MCBR rather than the last part of the ride. The helix of doom or whatever you call it wasn't as intense as I thought and I never blacked out on Goliath. Goliath has a 30 minute wait.

 

Green Lantern: This is the most insane ride I ever went on. This blew Knight's Tournament (Level 5) & X2 out of the water in terms of intensity. I don't know how everyone on this thread is whining about balanced rides as most of the rides are unbalanced including mine. My ride on GL wasn't very unbalanced, but a slight unbalance. The first part of the ride had this weird force that seems like a freefall but it just feels like beyond freefall, I really can't explain it well, but those who have ridden GL should know what I am talking about. Though, after the MCBR was insane. In that final dip, I was inverted and all the blood was rushing to my head. On that last hill which you usually invert at the top on, I had insane airtime on it, but it didn't feel like airtime, it more felt like those padded restraints killing you. GL had massive headbanging even though I tried to put my head to the headrest and I will never ride GL again because I think it is just too intense. GL has a 45 minute wait, though I went on it right before closing and it has a 15 minute wait.

 

Ninja: It was a fun ride but I thought the swinging would be like going on a pirate ship, though the swinging was just like turning on the coaster which I found dissapointing. The coaster does almost go to 90 degrees and is smooth, though you hear rattling which is odd for a coaster that is smooth. I always get sprayed by Jet Stream. (Fix those leaks on Jet Stream, Ice Queen!) Ninja is a fun ride that never has a line over 15 minutes and is sometimes a walk-on.

 

Revolution: Just like Colossus, this exceeded my expectations. I really enjoy Revolution just like Colossus. I never get headbanging as I tightly grasp the OTSRs (Vekoma Death Grasp). It has really good speed and is very smooth and has good forces on the loop and I think this is the perfect coaster for kids who want to go upside down the first time. Revolution is one of my favorites and is very re-rideable. Revolution has a 20 minute wait, but by night time, it can be a walk on.

 

Riddler's Revenge: This is the total opposite of Vortex (CGA) as this is tall, long, and smooth. I enjoyed this more than Scream! which is odd since usually the floorless is better than the stand-up. Riddler does have some minor headbanging. On this thread, people complain how it is tough on your legs from the forces, I did feel the forces but it didn't hurt my legs and it wasn't tough on my legs at all. Riddler has a 45 minute wait.

 

Roadrunner Express: Yes, I just went on this for the credit, but it was a fun little coaster with good forces. Vekoma did a very good job with this coaster and feels exactly like a mini version of Dragon (Legoland CA). Roadrunner has a 5 minute wait.

 

Scream!: I knew this wasn't going to be that good, but this was a terrible coaster. The rattle was much worse than expected and barely gets smooth by the end. It's strange how all the element feel different from Medusa (SFDK). I think this is a better layout than Medusa, but it is much worse. I won't be riding Scream! ever again as it isn't worth it. Scream! has a 10 minute wait.

 

Superman: This slightly exceeded my expectations as this was a very nice coaster. I didn't like V2 (SFDK), but this was a really nice launching coaster. I really would've liked to re-ride it, but it constantly had a long line. Superman has a 60 minute wait.

 

Tatsu: I felt a little uncomfortable on this coaster, especially on the brake run, waiting for Magic Mountain's "amazingly fast" crew. Tatsu had more forces than I expected and that pretzel loop was insane. I'll re-ride Tatsu again to form my final opinion of it. Tatsu had a 45 - 60 minute wait.

 

Viper: This was a very uncomfortable coaster. The trains are plain terrible. I felt like the coaster was designed for people 5 feet tall. The coaster itself was a bit rough and is basically what you would expect from an Arrow looper supersized. Viper had a 15 minute wait even though the line was short because of one train operation.

 

X2: This was insane, not as much as GL, though I actually enjoyed X2. The audio wasn't working at all, though the fire was working. The first drop was crazy and I didn't expect to go upside down on the first drop. The ending of X2 had a lot of headbanging, though the intensity of the coaster overshadowed that. X2 had a 60 - 90 minute wait, I was lucky to have a 20 minute wait because I was rushing there when the park opened.

 

So, there is my trip report, sorry if it is a bit long. I have no pictures because I don't bring my camera to Six Flags parks because of the locker policy. I had a fun two days, but the park does have the Six Flags essence.

[singemfrc]

The last two days, I was at SFMM for the first time in almost a decade. When I went there last, I was too short to ride many of the coasters, but now I have ridden every coaster at SFMM other than Magic Flyer & Canyon Blaster. SFMM definitely surprised me and I had no problems with trash the last two days as the park was very clean. The one thing I have to complain about SFMM is waiting. Pretty much all the major rides have 45+ minute waits in late August which I found surprising. Usually, I wouldn't blame the park for the lines, but SFMM never put the coasters in full capacity. Goliath, Riddler, & especially X2 & Tatsu have ridiculous waits for two-train operation when all these coasters can support three-train operation easily. Superman constantly had an hour wait and they were running one side on Saturday & Sunday! I don't think the other side is closed for maitenance, I just think it is closed because of Six Flags cutting corners. Viper had a full station with ONE TRAIN OPERATION with two trains on the transfer track. How cheap is Six Flags? Other than Six Flags cutting corners, the park was really nice. I didn't get the chance to ride Lex Luthor because I am not waiting 45 minutes for a drop tower. I'm not getting a Flash Pass because of how frequent I'm going there, but I recommend buying one if you are going there for one day and you aren't planning to go to SFMM anytime soon.

You were surprised that there were long lines on a summer weekend?

Re: Superman, it probably WAS maintenance, because the ride has been down for several days, I didnt even realize it had reopened.

Re: X2 I don't believe it supports 3 train operation does it? Someone else will know..

Re: Tatsu thats the one I agree with you on. I've never been able to figure out why that run that coaster like they do.

[XYZ]

The last two days, I was at SFMM for the first time in almost a decade. When I went there last, I was too short to ride many of the coasters, but now I have ridden every coaster at SFMM other than Magic Flyer & Canyon Blaster. SFMM definitely surprised me and I had no problems with trash the last two days as the park was very clean. The one thing I have to complain about SFMM is waiting. Pretty much all the major rides have 45+ minute waits in late August which I found surprising. Usually, I wouldn't blame the park for the lines, but SFMM never put the coasters in full capacity. Goliath, Riddler, & especially X2 & Tatsu have ridiculous waits for two-train operation when all these coasters can support three-train operation easily. Superman constantly had an hour wait and they were running one side on Saturday & Sunday! I don't think the other side is closed for maitenance, I just think it is closed because of Six Flags cutting corners. Viper had a full station with ONE TRAIN OPERATION with two trains on the transfer track. How cheap is Six Flags? Other than Six Flags cutting corners, the park was really nice. I didn't get the chance to ride Lex Luthor because I am not waiting 45 minutes for a drop tower. I'm not getting a Flash Pass because of how frequent I'm going there, but I recommend buying one if you are going there for one day and you aren't planning to go to SFMM anytime soon.

You were surprised that there were long lines on a summer weekend?

Re: Superman, it probably WAS maintenance, because the ride has been down for several days, I didnt even realize it had reopened.

Re: X2 I don't believe it supports 3 train operation does it? Someone else will know..

Re: Tatsu thats the one I agree with you on. I've never been able to figure out why that run that coaster like they do.

 

Well, I heard LA kids were in school, so I didn't expect that many crowds on this weekend, but now I know.

 

I guess Superman was for maitenance, after going through all the coasters without going to their full potential (capacity wise), I thought they just ran one side for saving money.

[singemfrc]

Yes they are which is why the park was so dead during the week last week, but on weekends there is usually no school. Sundays are probably lighter than Fri/Sat but it's still a weekend.

Yes SEFK has been down for several days, I never heard why..its possible that there's a mechanical reason that one side is down, but because it is now officially the "off season" theyre are more likely to run fewer trains than normal on most rides. Next weekend might be different since it's a holiday weekend.

[DJeXeL]

^^^^ X2 can support 3 train operation but with the time it takes to load/unload it almost more efficient to just run 2. When they ran 3 trains for the 1st few weeks of X2's opening summer, the 3rd train would usually stack in the transfer for 3-4 minutes. Not to mention the park probably won't ever have all 3 trains available for operation at any given time. 1 train will always be in rehab.

[Sir Clinksalot]

2 train ops on X2 is just fine. Having the 3rd train won't make a difference unless they were going to use the unload station. And even then I don't think it would really make that much of a difference.

 

As for Tatsu, there is absolutely no excuse for the way the park runs that ride.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Also, Tatsu has a horrible rehab schedule. At this point, the park may want to invest in a 4th train, or stop just rehabbing one at a time. I've operated Tatsu with three trains and if you get a good crew with all three trains then that whole switchback section full is a 35 minute wait.

[JJ728]

As for Tatsu, there is absolutely no excuse for the way the park runs that ride.

As sad as that is, I just had to laugh when I read this. It's so true.

 

It really is a good thing X2 doesn't run three trains. Like someone said, I remember summer '08 they had three running. One was in the loading station, one was in the unloading station, and the third was backed up behind the unloading station. The ride just isn't long enough and even with a perfect crew, it's impossible to get those trains out much faster.

[JJ728]

.

Edited August 28, 2012 by JJ728

[DJeXeL]

Tatsu hasn't been ran decently since summer of 2007. 2 trains 2 stations raises capacity however park doesn't want to staff it so horrible 1 station operation is what we get.....

[singemfrc]

Tatsu hasn't been ran decently since summer of 2007. 2 trains 2 stations raises capacity however park doesn't want to staff it so horrible 1 station operation is what we get.....

I know I'm constantly asking myself why they went through all the time and cost to design and build that wonderful second station if they're never going to commit the resources to use it, even though it clearly needs it. Tatsu operations are the most confounding thing I've ever seen at any theme park.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Tatsu hasn't been ran decently since summer of 2007.

Oh really? I wonder who was in charge of that crew....

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

I know I'm constantly asking myself why they went through all the time and cost to design and build that wonderful second station if they're never going to commit the resources to use it, even though it clearly needs it. Tatsu operations are the most confounding thing I've ever seen at any theme park.

Perhaps I can shed some light on this issue. I was speaking with someone who worked in management at SFGAd. Originally with the S:UF in Georgia, Six Flags was unhappy with the dual loading station so they decided to modify the next two orders by dropping the second station and using 8 car trains. However, the extra four seats didn't compensate for the benefit of loading two trains simutaniously. So Tatsu was to feature both eight car trains with two statios, which theorhetically makes it the highest capacity flyer, however, due to having to staff two stations apparently is a burden on the park, so they opt not to do it.

[SharkTums]

So Tatsu was to feature both eight car trains with two statios, which theorhetically makes it the highest capacity flyer, however, due to having to staff two stations apparently is a burden on the park, so they opt not to do it.

 

And it's a burden on the parks guests to have to wait in a ridiculous line that shouldn't be that bad.

[thestripedtaco]

All I can get out of this is that Six Flags is cheap.

[singemfrc]

Perhaps I can shed some light on this issue. I was speaking with someone who worked in management at SFGAd. Originally with the S:UF in Georgia, Six Flags was unhappy with the dual loading station so they decided to modify the next two orders by dropping the second station and using 8 car trains. However, the extra four seats didn't compensate for the benefit of loading two trains simutaniously. So Tatsu was to feature both eight car trains with two statios, which theorhetically makes it the highest capacity flyer, however, due to having to staff two stations apparently is a burden on the park, so they opt not to do it.

Facepalm. Not at you, at the park. I don't understand why they feel that is an unnecessary burden..Tatsu would be considered either the #1 or #2 flagship coaster at the park and usually has the appropriate longest or next-to-longest line in the park..it would seem to me that on this particular ride, the extra staffing cost would be justified.

 

And it's a burden on the parks guests to have to wait in a ridiculous line that shouldn't be that bad.

Exactly!! The second station just mocks us while we wait. Edited August 27, 2012 by singemfrc

[DJeXeL]

^^^^Same scenario as leasing a car you can't afford and saying the high car payment is a "burden."

[tk2012x]

Using one out of two stations seems to be a six flags thing. Even Kingda Ka was modified to run 3 trains with one station while the other one just sits there. Only positive with KK is that they modified an extra block which helped the rides Rph. Unfortunately i dont think the flyers with dual loading stations were designed with an extra brake room to run all the trains with one station. Just curious but do they use one station during fright fest as well?

[DJeXeL]

^Yes Tatsu will most likely still have 1 station during Fright Fest which can get extremely busy on Friday and Saturday nights. I guess the guests should consider themselves lucky if Tatsu even has 2 trains.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Which is a shame because to run the second station only requires TWO more operators than running one station. And yes, the only reasonable arguement that can be made from this is Six Flags is saving money at the expense of the guest.

[Sir Clinksalot]

From what I understand though, using only 1 station on Kingda Ka has actually HELPED that ride.

[DJeXeL]

^I can see that as 3 on KK trains still keeps a decent efficiency. Same way 5 trains on TTD is more efficient than 6.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

Using one out of two stations seems to be a six flags thing. Even Kingda Ka was modified to run 3 trains with one station while the other one just sits there. Only positive with KK is that they modified an extra block which helped the rides Rph. Unfortunately i dont think the flyers with dual loading stations were designed with an extra brake room to run all the trains with one station. Just curious but do they use one station during fright fest as well?

No. Tatsu only has four blocks. 1.Station, 2.Lift, 3.Main Brake, 4.Transfer. Because the station can house two trains at the same time is the only way to allow three trains.