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The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread


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Hey guys! I don't know if these two things have been posted yet so I will do so now. First, Del Taco has a thing where you sign up, they e-mail you a link and you get a pass that says you get an hour of ERT time on X2 every Friday! And it works because I am going two weeks from Friday, and I have my pass. Then, on a sader note, my friend who is there now says on the Viper train(s), it is plastered white and on the front of the train(s) is a guy spiking his hair and it says" fend off the Viper with you hair".

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Launched in 2007, Six Flags Magic Mountain’s X2 sends riders screaming around a 3,600-foot maze of steel track in massive wing-shaped trains. The train’s seats extend off track, allowing riders to independently rotate head over heels, forward and backward creating a one-of-a-kind "don't- know- what- to- expect- next" sensation.

Those Del Taco marketers sure did a lot of fact checking...I mean I'd be fine if they made a mistake, but when you're trying to sound all technical and everything, you shouldnt get a simple fact like that wrong

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Those Del Taco marketers sure did a lot of fact checking...I mean I'd be fine if they made a mistake, but when you're trying to sound all technical and everything, you shouldnt get a simple fact like that wrong

 

Thats the first thing I noticed as well. Its kind of random too because nothing happened in 2007 with X.

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The gf and I brought our friend on his first trip to the park today. He's from Omaha, so he has only been to Arnold's Park, and DLR. He also has cerebral palsy. It only affects his legs, so he can ride pretty much anything. I was really excited to share my home park with a newbie. I was also very interested to see the park from a different perspective. I got more than I bargained for.

 

I've defended SFMM a lot in the past few years. I know that recently there have been many positive changes to operations there, and I appreciate them. Sadly, we found their policies toward disabled guests to be substandard and even demeaning at times.

 

First off, as my friend is visibly relegated to a wheelchair, we found it very odd that no one told us to visit guest relations before we attempted to ride anything. By the time we reached the Goliath station, we were turned away and told to get a special permit. This was not a huge deal, though rather inconvenient on a hot day, but I accepted responsibility, as I felt I should have done prior research.

 

The permit mentions some interesting policies.

 

Everyone that visits SFMM will wait the same amount of time to board our rides.

 

The Ride Operators will allow one additional person to wait at the entrance with you. Any additional members of your party will need to wait in the standard queue.

 

We were surprised by this. My friend has been to DLR several times, and says that he and up to eight guests are seated with minimal wait time. We imagined that SFMM might have a similar policy, but instead, we often ended up on the ride later than if we had just waited in the line, and were apparently required to divide our party. Thankfully, many of the ride ops ignored this latter policy and allowed us to wait together.

 

On Terminator, we were told to wait through the whole queue and preshows, which was fine, because though it was a long line, it was moving quickly and it was completely wheelchair accessible. Then, once we finished the shows, we were told to go around the side, and up the elevator, where "if they give you any trouble, tell them you've already been through the preshows." Why the heck would they give us trouble?? We just waited through the whole line like everyone else! Sure enough, the ride op viewed us suspiciously, and asked if we had been through the preshow. We then watched our preshow group board the ride. Then we watched them exit the ride, along with 4 more trains before we were allowed to board.

 

Also, on every ride, we were told we could not ride in the front seats. I understand that the spot is coveted, and that some guests might get bent out of shape to see a group with a disabled person get on before them, but it's basically like telling the disabled that they are not ever allowed to ride a coaster in the front seat.

 

On Goliath, the ride op even made an announcement on the loudspeaker as we boarded, apologizing to the guests "for the inconvenience of having their seats taken." That was really unnecessary and made us feel pretty awful. One ride op explained to me that it was unfair for us to board before others, who had to wait in line. I was so tempted to ask him what the crap was fair about not being able to walk.

 

These are just a few of the problems we encountered today. Sorry if this turned into a long rant, but I was really disappointed with the park and its policies today. Though my friend was gracious and said he had a good time, I know he left with a negative impression of Six Flags, and I can't blame him.

 

I'm interested to read other TPR members impressions of the SF policies toward the disabled, of this TR, and of their own experiences.

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Ive been saying this for awhile about the SF parks, as the quality of applicant for the parks positions has slipped to the point they've started hiring little thugs similar to the ones who jump the lines. Its a reason I avoid my local park until the early fall, as the ratio of thugs to normal folks is lower. Id be a little put out w/ having to get a "permit" for my challenged friend to ride, then told he/she would have to wait through the queue. Maybe snyder and co. will breeze through these comments (as they have been known to do) and look at changing the policy accordingly.

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^^It stinks that you and your friend had trouble, especially with a delicate issue. The current policy in place that deals with disabled persons is flawed, but if anyone remembers the blue cards they used to give out (they got rid of them like two months after I started there as a ride op, so think April 07) and though I think the blue card system worked a lot better than the system now, (go to the ride, get a time to come back, then ride with no problem). However, too many people took advantage of the fact that it's against ADA laws that you can't ask what someone's handicap is, which ultimately meant people who were perfectly fine walking into GR and getting cards and using them as a "fastpass" (in fact I used to run into a few people that called them that, which boiled by blood, because it diluted a program for those less fortunate) However when they changed the policy (to what it is now) I would just tell whoever to wait two trains, then they could sit where they wanted.

 

Just so you know, the current MM guidelines for disabled persons is bluepprinted on the fact that an amusement park is only required to accomidate a wheelchair or other similar devices. That's why when it was first incepted, the pass was not valid for X, Deja Vu, Freefall, Revolution, and any other line with ramps that would have allowed a wheelchair in the standard queue. Rides with elevators (Batman, Scream, Riddles, Goliath, etc) required you wait up until the point of the elevator. At Tatsu, we would just have everyone wait in the "cage" between stations and load them all either:after about a two train wait (on slower days) or when the "cage" was full with groups, which in either case was about every 10 minutes.

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I might get sh*t for this, but well. I apologise in advance if I use the wrong words, or wrong grammar, cause I'm not a native English speaker.

 

- Isn't it normal that they only allow 1 person with a handicapped person? Only one person can actually sit next to you? Maybe 3 would be reasonable so you can enjoy your day together the whole time and some rides have 4 seats nex to each other... but 8? That's ridiculous and not necessary at all. In my opinion that's the same as skipping the line.

 

- If a queue line is totally wheelchair accessible I think it's only normal that you wait like anybody else. If you have a mental disorder, it's a different thing. But where do you draw the line?

 

-

One ride op explained to me that it was unfair for us to board before others, who had to wait in line. I was so tempted to ask him what the crap was fair about not being able to walk.

The public apology was indeed not necessary and actually rude, but in one way or another, the ride OP explaining that it's not really fair to board before others, has a point in my opinion. If someone is not able to physically wait in line (due to steps, or a disorder or whatever) I'd love to give up my seat, but when that's not the fact I don't think one should board sooner than the other (unless he pays for a fastpass).

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Thanks for the feedback. I agree for the most part that if a queue system is accessible, its not a big deal to be asked to wait in line for the full time. However, even Terminator, which has one of the most accessible queues, is nearly impossible to exit once a wheelchair has been wheeled in. If there is some kind of emergency, the person is out of luck, because the queue has no convenient exit points. Whereas most people can just sneak by the people in the queue or even hop the rails, a wheelchair is stuck in the queue for the long haul.

 

 

in one way or another, the ride OP explaining that it's not really fair to board before others, has a point in my opinion. If someone is not able to physically wait in line (due to steps, or a disorder or whatever) I'd love to give up my seat, but when that's not the fact I don't think one should board sooner than the other (unless he pays for a fastpass).

 

I agree, if the park were more accessible, waiting in line would be fine. It's really not, though.

 

The thing is, no matter how long you make a group wait on the side to board the ride, they will always be boarding before someone who waited in line. Personally, I've been in line on countless occasions and had to wait for a disabled person and their group. I see it as part of the way a park should be run. Since they will invariably be "cutting in" somewhere along the line, it might as well be as soon as possible, to keep the loading area clear, and to keep everyone happy. There will always be someone who thinks its unfair that a group gets on the train before them, but in my opinion, they should try to keep things in perspective. At least they can easily access all of these rides, and one train later they will be boarding.

 

At Tatsu, we would just have everyone wait in the "cage" between stations and load them all either:after about a two train wait (on slower days) or when the "cage" was full with groups, which in either case was about every 10 minutes.

 

I must say Tatsu was much better. The Lead at the top of the elevator told us the line was so long, we would have to wait about 30 minutes. We were fine with that, and were just glad the elevator wasn't a dinosaur like Viper's (OMG slowest thing ever). A couple minutes later, however, one really nice ride op invited us on anyway. Sure, the teenage girl next in line yelled out "LOSER" as we boarded, but otherwise, it was cool.

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We were surprised by this. My friend has been to DLR several times, and says that he and up to eight guests are seated with minimal wait time.

At Disneyland Park disabled guests with wheelchairs can bypass the line because they arent accomidating. At DCA every line is accomidating to wheelchairs and they only give out exit access to those with mental disabilities that prevent them from waiting in line (such as autism). For both parks its max 6 per group though, not 8, including the disabled rider.

 

We were surprised by this. My friend has been to DLR several times, and says that he and up to eight guests are seated with minimal wait time. We imagined that SFMM might have a similar policy, but instead, we often ended up on the ride later than if we had just waited in the line, and were apparently required to divide our party. Thankfully, many of the ride ops ignored this latter policy and allowed us to wait together.

Six Flags has 3 different policies depending on what your needs are.

The way corporate wanted it is the disabled rider and 1 other waits in the exit while the rest of the group waits in line and they meetup when the group gets to the front of the line and ride together. If there is a family with small kids they will allow 3 people to wait in the exit with the disabled rider so the family is not split up.

The other pass they offer is for people with autism, good for the disabled rider + 3 additional people.

 

Corporate technically wanted them to wait there in the exit, but our GM realized the obvious flaws with this plan and the exits would get way too crowded. So the way we worked this at SFGAm was GR explained to the group to have 1 person go up the exit and get their pass signed for a half hour later then the group comes back at that time (2 or 4 depending on which pass it is, if their pass is only for 2 people the rest of their group has to wait in line regardless unless they complained to GR so much theyd just give them 2 passes).

 

One ride op explained to me that it was unfair for us to board before others, who had to wait in line. I was so tempted to ask him what the crap was fair about not being able to walk.

The fact is Six Flags had such huge problems with people getting the pass to skip the lines they had to do something about it, and thats the way they could deal with it without spending signficant money. Disney rides which are designed to be more accomidating and higher capacity its not as big of a deal to have groups bypassing (although it is funny at DCA seeing people rent wheelchairs thinking its going to get them past the lines then they have to wheel it through the lines all day )

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^But then again the next coaster could be much smaller and of different materials so the construction process wouldn't relate

 

Especially if it's something small, steel, themed to a certain professional skateboarder, and spins, and is built next to a new extreme sports stunt show which happens to have a empty spot from a removed ride next to another ride rumored to be removed as well.

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I keep on laughing at people here who don't want a Tony Hawk coaster because other Six Flags parks already have them.

 

You forget...PARKS DON'T EXIST TO PLEASE US!

 

Most people who visit SFMM haven't a clue as to what else is out there, so a Tony Hawk spinning coaster or even a Dark Knight coaster would be something new. I wouldn't mind a smallish type coaster. They're good for families, take up relatively little space, and they can be fun.

 

As to how long the next ride will take to build, if it is some sort of small coaster, the bulk of the construction time will be prep and foundation. The ride itself is prefabbed and will go up fast.

 

Eric

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After just visiting the Texas Six Flags Parks two of them just a few hours away from each other both had Tony Hawk coasters.

 

Both rides had moderate to full queues with guests (families) that came off the ride happy.

 

IMO, this is what SFMM needs. Another coaster with a 42" height restriction that families can ride together.

 

--Robb

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My issue with spinning coasters is that I'm not sure they deliver the bang for the buck kind of appeal. Wasn't Knott's Sierra Sidewinder close to $10 million? Tony Hawk, at SFDK, supposedly was $6.5. I am not impressed by Sierra S., so if SFMM could deliver a longer and better experience with a Tony Hawk clone, then that would be good for the park. If the cost goes north of $10 million, then I think there are most likely better choices.

 

In the meantime, the co. as a whole isn't doing well, so in the short term I think they could implement and advertise new lower food prices. The concept of a staycation is good, but once people step into the gate on a discounted admission, the food sticker shock pretty much seals the deal on the casual visitor not returning. Or eating elsewhere which also doesn't help the park.

 

Saw a local report from SFMM during the recent heatwave, and a man they interviewed complained about the high cost of water and food. Imo, with the per cap spending sinking, part of that is due to SF pricing themselves out of the value seeking market. If a visitor and his family knew they could get into the park for 1/2 price (per all the coke ads), have some decent food at a comparable price or even discounted price, that might lure the staycationer market a bit more. Staycationers are looking for the best deal for the money after all.

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