The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[WallyWorldOrBust]

Someone a little more knowledgeable about this please settle this.

 

Does it look like you get to ride both sides at the same time, or go through the ride twice on the same ride? Or is this two separate rides? (Where you have to get off the blue side if you want to ride the green side?) And is this two tracks or one?

[WallyWorldOrBust]

People no dual loading stations, pay attention to the video. One track painted 2 colors for the different experiences.

I thought some people were talking about a dual loading station like Kingda Ka or Manta?

 

And that could be the trick question. Yes it might have a station like Tatsu or KK! It would make loading and dispatching for this beast better. Most people here are talking about waiting in line for 2 different rides like the old Colossus. For now the speculation will continue, till we see the station and track work.

 

Exactly. All we've seen so far is video of the coaster itself. We haven't seen anything about the loading station, so quit jumping to conclusions that you're going to be able to ride both tracks in one ride until we see how the loading station is set up.

[OrlandoGuy]

LOL!!!!

 

Watch the video again. You can CLEARLY see that the blue side becomes the green side. You DO get to ride both sides in one ride without having to go back to the station. Its a continuous 2-lift track that seems to be confusing the hell out of everyone just because the two lifts are side by side. Setiously people, it doesnt take a genius. This should have been apparent within seconds of the opening of the announcement video, and its seriously baffling how so many people just dont understand a non-issue.

[Garet]

LOL!!!!

 

Watch the video again. You can CLEARLY see that the blue side becomes the green side. You DO get to ride both sides in one ride without having to go back to the station. Its a continuous 2-lift track that seems to be confusing the hell out of everyone just because the two lifts are side by side. Setiously people, it doesnt take a genius. This should have been apparent within seconds of the opening of the announcement video, and its seriously baffling how so many people just dont understand a non-issue.

 

I asked the same question just after the announcement since the length described confused me that two sides just over 4000ft each would become one ride of 5000ft even with bits cut out of the ride and I think it's understandable that people are confused. I mean i'm probably going to have to eat my words on this since so many people have already poked fun at the people who were unsure but i'd just assumed that the video was just for illustration purposes and had combined them for whatever reason and wasn't 100% accurate. I got it after some-one else explained it but I think its understandable people are confused, not something that is easily apparent within seconds of the video starting.

[AllenA07]

I'm impressed that they have a target opening date of Spring 2015. Even if the project is delayed, I think a lot of us here thought that 2016 was a real possibility for opening the ride.

[OrlandoGuy]

LOL!!!!

 

Watch the video again. You can CLEARLY see that the blue side becomes the green side. You DO get to ride both sides in one ride without having to go back to the station. Its a continuous 2-lift track that seems to be confusing the hell out of everyone just because the two lifts are side by side. Setiously people, it doesnt take a genius. This should have been apparent within seconds of the opening of the announcement video, and its seriously baffling how so many people just dont understand a non-issue.

 

I asked the same question just after the announcement since the length described confused me that two sides just over 4000ft each would become one ride of 5000ft even with bits cut out of the ride and I think it's understandable that people are confused. I mean i'm probably going to have to eat my words on this since so many people have already poked fun at the people who were unsure but i'd just assumed that the video was just for illustration purposes and had combined them for whatever reason and wasn't 100% accurate. I got it after some-one else explained it but I think its understandable people are confused, not something that is easily apparent within seconds of the video starting.

 

Fair enough, but wouldnt you think that two separate tracks and two separate roller coasters would be marketed as such, rather than as having "2 lift hills"? That would be such an odd way to market two separate racing roller coasters. Not to mention that at this point the topic has been discussed ad nauseam.

[coasterfreak101]

I'm impressed that they have a target opening date of Spring 2015. Even if the project is delayed, I think a lot of us here thought that 2016 was a real possibility for opening the ride.

 

To be fair, they are demolishing half the ride.

[Jodon]

I think there are two reasons that the ride went from 1 side having 4300 ft of track to both sides having 5000 ft.

 

1. Economics. The ride would be crazy expensive to track and rebuild 8600 ft of track.

 

2. The way that RMC/Ride Centerline altered the first turn around to include the high 5 element would have made it difficult to get the clearance under the track to fit another turnaround under the top set of tracks. Hence the singular lap around the course.

[Superbatboy]

I think there are two reasons that the ride went from 1 side having 4300 ft of track to both sides having 5000 ft.

 

Yes

 

1.$$$

 

2.$$$

[boweryboy]

Someone a little more knowledgeable about this please settle this.

 

Does it look like you get to ride both sides at the same time, or go through the ride twice on the same ride? Or is this two separate rides? (Where you have to get off the blue side if you want to ride the green side?) And is this two tracks or one?

 

I'm mostly a lurker here, but this is what I gather from reading the release and watching the video: It's one coaster with two lift hills. After the ride completes a full circuit it hits the second lift hill and completes a second full circuit with slight variations.

 

I could be wrong, but I think it's only 5,000 feet (versus the combined 8,000 feet of the original Colossus) because the second half of the original Colossus will be removed. With the original Colossus there was the first drop, the turn, the second drop, an airtime hill through the structure, and then a double up. Everything after the double up will be no more which accounts for the missing 3,000 feet of track.

 

So, it's one ride that you go through once. The two racing coaster tracks have been combined into a single coaster track with two lift hills.

[Sidra]

I don't think I expected them to double the original length, but I think this is a much shorter ride than it looks in the mockup, consider two lift hill times and the ride is under 4 minutes.

 

Also, I don't think their spring target will be hit (June 2014).

 

I may eat these words after winter, but we are gearing up for a real el nino winter the strength of which we haven't seen since 1998. There will be many weather delays and I project a July opening. I hope I'm wrong though, I hate going to six flags in July.

[BlahBlahson]

I think the ride looks roughly like SFGAM's Goliath in length and some elements, except you go around twice, and it might DUEL on you. Holy balls.

[Wes]

I may eat these words after winter, but we are gearing up for a real el nino winter the strength of which we haven't seen since 1998.

 

There's been some doubt the El Niño wather patterns was materialize recently:

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/13/5994771/scientists-were-expecting-a-monster-el-nino-this-year-so-where-did-it

[RandallDuell]

I guess I just don't know why people can't read through the thread? I know a lot of pages have popped up since the announcement, but it seems incredibly lazy to not spend the time to read through - I'd guess if you were truly interested in the answer, you could spend 5-10 minutes burning through the posts.

 

I'm far from an expert, so I can watch the video/read the release and come to my own conclusion - it's then nice to be able to read through the posts here, where guys like Robb and others, also had some questions and together people made heads/tails out of it. I don't know if it's just entitlement or what, but people not only DON'T read through previous posts (and ask the same question(s)), they actually will post "srry, not reading all that lol, answer this pls"!

 

What gets me is the continued debate (now on it's fifth or sixth start) about the track(s). Even if you skim through the posts, people were excitedly using the term "Möbius" to describe what's happening...and I'd guess that that would at least stick out?

 

I do wonder, sadly, about the interaction of the trains - as has been mentioned. I'm not too familiar with what happened with Dueling Dragons, but I wonder if SFMM will eventually (or even initially) try to install any sort of netting inbetween the tracks at the hi-five or the other interactive moments of the ride? People are dumb, and that's too bad.

 

ALSO: I did find the quick mention of a season pass entrance, that is located away from the main gate, interesting. I've never been to Cedar Point, but that have multiple entrances right? I know the mass of people at the main gate ends up being the crappy way most guests start their day at the park, it would be interesting to hear if they ever considered putting in another entrance (even if it were just in operation from park opening, for just a couple of hours?

[Wes]

^ Unless I'm mistaken, the season pass entrance is just a designated turnstile at the main entrance.

[RandallDuell]

Yes, I know - and that's part of the problem. It's such a mess. I know a good amount of people have passes, but every time I've gone it's just a mass of humanity.

 

What I'm saying is, as someone mentioned, what if there were a dedicated, new, entrance - say over by Colossus - that served only season pass holders? Those people don't have any need for a ticket booth, so that would cut down on the people clogging those up. I suppose you could even locate a Discover Cardholder entrance over there (although if they needed to buy a ticket, they'd still need to head to the front).

 

I guess the mention of it just made me wonder why there is only one entrance when the dynamic of how people pay to get in has changed so much? I've read many a trip report where people were bummed that the start to their day was met by a jam at the parking booths, only to be met with a hot walk (or long wait) to get to this PACKED entry plaza.

[Wes]

^ Oh gotcha that makes some sense. Would be ideal, although I could imagine it being busy and potentially troublesome considering a large portion of the park guests are pass holders.

[scottiemon]

Maybe just for gold pass holders?

[MrSum1_55]

After my last several visits, I would give Magic Mountain the award for worst opening procedure. They have very few turnstiles, and they wait until the second of opening to start letting people through. Yet another issue I have had with this park was when I was visiting with a friend from New Jersey who had an SF pass, but we knew that their scanners could not take parks from the opposite coast. We got there a half hour before opening, but it took the person at will call a half hour to figure out what to do with the problem, and then it took us another hvlf hour to enter the park. By contrast, I had this same issue when I visited Great Adventure with my California season pass, but I was still able to get in the park within 10 minutes. Basically, a process that took ten minutes at one SF park took an hour at another.

[rollercoasterbuff]

I'm a little late here, but holy sh*t! This looks amazing. After getting to ride Iron Rattler and New Texas Giant, these RMC creations have snuck up as a favorite. I think what they've collaborated on here is a perfect execution!

Now it seems that the layout is shortened a little bit? I don't see as much wood as I remember in the video.

Can't wait to check this out next year!

[RandallDuell]

Yes, I've been to several Six Flags and Magic Mountain seems to be the worst when it comes to opening/churning through letting guests into the park.

 

An entrance (clearly labelled) as SEASON PASSHOLDERS ONLY would help quite a bit of the mess up front --- there's just too much going on (people coming in the park with/without tickets already purchases/Discover/out of state season passes etc. Plus I think it would be cool and even help to spread out the initial crowds each morning.

 

I don't know how common this is at this point (I'm guessing not very), but with how much things have changed (in terms of how revenue is gained from park entry) it's strange that the parks have not addressed this yet....especially in a place like Valencia, where the main gate is a decent haul from the lot - and whether you wait for the bus in the hot sun or hoof it, you're pretty hot and bothered by the time you actually make it into the park!

[apatos99]

Yes, I've been to several Six Flags and Magic Mountain seems to be the worst when it comes to opening/churning through letting guests into the park.

 

An entrance (clearly labelled) as SEASON PASSHOLDERS ONLY would help quite a bit of the mess up front --- there's just too much going on (people coming in the park with/without tickets already purchases/Discover/out of state season passes etc. Plus I think it would be cool and even help to spread out the initial crowds each morning.

 

I don't know how common this is at this point (I'm guessing not very), but with how much things have changed (in terms of how revenue is gained from park entry) it's strange that the parks have not addressed this yet....especially in a place like Valencia, where the main gate is a decent haul from the lot - and whether you wait for the bus in the hot sun or hoof it, you're pretty hot and bothered by the time you actually make it into the park!

 

What is up with the mess at the gates? I visited my first Six Flags parks this year (Six Flags GA and Gav). I bought season passes and it still took forever to get through the gates.

[coasterlvr]

I bet RMC and Magic Mountain are saying, dang, we couldn't make the video any clearer showing how the ride uses the two lift hills, maybe we should send out another press release. LOL

[coasterlvr]

 

Meanwhile... the Labor Day Sale is awesome. I was able to get Gold passes for $57 this season from a 'special' invite (that I'm sure most subscribers got).

 

where did this come from? subscriber? i'm cheap like that and wouldn't mind saving a little more.

[iloveblueberries]

I bet RMC and Magic Mountain are saying, dang, we couldn't make the video any clearer showing how the ride uses the two lift hills, maybe we should send out another press release. LOL

 

I have a feeling that, even 2 years after the ride opens, there will still be people (mostly GP) claiming it is two sperate rides. Even after they ride it.