The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[ryder]

Could've done the Tunnel of Terror car wash in OC.

[mts]

On 11/2/2020 at 3:23 PM, CACoasterCruze said:

Looks like they are setting up for Holiday in the Park according to this video show by Santa Clarita Drone. 

0:00 - Holiday in the Parking coming? Decorations say possibly. 

1:42 - Raptor area, no visible construction

3:03 - Construction in front of ticket booths. Temperature check area?

3:35 - Random park shots

 

Yep, bless them, they are trying so hard to generate anything at all. Now we're being told internally to plan for August 2021 but at this point who the hell knows. 90% of the staff is gone. It's very sad. Holiday in the Car Park I guess is cool if you have a pass or membership that gets you in for free. And like sitting in their lovely parking lot listening to Christmas music. But it's better than nothing. They should at least give out free Turkey. This is going to be the longest ride anyone of us has ever taken. Hang in there fellas

[coasterbill]

This is the most hilariously expensive drive through light event I've ever heard of. $20 per person (not per car) with a two person minimum per car. So for a family of four it's $80 to drive through the park and look at lights? I know it's Southern California but LOL.

I feel like the main motivating factor here is just that they want people to un-freeze memberships and they can go back to billing them monthly.

[SharkTums]

^I also think they're banking on the idea that people really want to drive their car through a theme park. I mean, to be honest, it is kind of fun and cool the first couple of times you can drive around. Then it very much becomes just part of your normal work day when you do it there as an employee. 

[KBrylczyk]

5 hours ago, coasterbill said:

This is the most hilariously expensive drive through light event I've ever heard of. $20 per person (not per car) with a two person minimum per car. So for a family of four it's $80 to drive through the park and look at lights? I know it's Southern California but LOL.

I feel like the main motivating factor here is just that they want people to un-freeze memberships and they can go back to billing them monthly.

Wait, wait wait wait, I misread the announcement.  It's $20 per person!?  Yeah screw that, I'm not bothering.  $20 for both of us would be fun.  $40 is stupid.

[ryder]

Have you priced any of the other Drive thru events in SoCal?   WonderLAnd SoCal, a similar event, is charging $70-100 per car, regardless of how many are in the car (which really screws you over if you're by yourself).  Dodgers Stadium just today announced a holiday drive through event at $55 per car.  Most of the drive thru haunts in SoCal charged $80-140 per car (again, even if you were the only one in the car).  The only one to charge less was Tunnel of Terror, and that's because it was literally just an automated car wash.

Still thinking $20 a person is too much?

[SharkTums]

^I think sometimes people forget just how inflated pricing is in SoCal...one of the reasons we moved!

[coasternut]

11 hours ago, mts said:

Yep, bless them, they are trying so hard to generate anything at all. Now we're being told internally to plan for August 2021 but at this point who the hell knows. 90% of the staff is gone. It's very sad. Holiday in the Car Park I guess is cool if you have a pass or membership that gets you in for free. And like sitting in their lovely parking lot listening to Christmas music. But it's better than nothing. They should at least give out free Turkey. This is going to be the longest ride anyone of us has ever taken. Hang in there fellas

Boy I hope you're way off with your August comment, but you've been quite accurate in the past. I really hope and pray you're wrong...

[joelwee]

The governor just moved most of the state back into the most restrictive reopening tier. SFMM isn't reopening the coasters anytime soon.

[Garet]

6 hours ago, SharkTums said:

^I also think they're banking on the idea that people really want to drive their car through a theme park. I mean, to be honest, it is kind of fun and cool the first couple of times you can drive around. Then it very much becomes just part of your normal work day when you do it there as an employee. 

I mean if they made a racing obstacle course, I'd definitely pay to drive around.

 

 

[CenturyFlyer]

They're running CraZanity and the carousel empty, and you get to drive through Scream at the end. Looks fun! 

 

[michaellynn4]

That actually looks pretty cool, and definitely a unique experience - not every day can someone say they got to drive through an amusement park. It's still priced outside of what I'd spend, but I'm sure it'll still draw decent attendance. I applaud the park for making lemonade out of lemons.

[coasternut]

4 hours ago, CenturyFlyer said:

They're running CraZanity and the carousel empty, and you get to drive through Scream at the end. Looks fun! 

 

Thanks for sharing this video. It made me sad watching it. I really miss that place. The holidays won't be the same for me.

[thrillseeker4552]

Not gonna lie, that video made me a little sad too!

Holiday in the Park is such a magical time (cheesy, but true). I love visiting SFMM in December. I even prefer it to Knott's Merry Farm. Holidays just won't be the same this year.

[DBru]

While that pricing does sound ridiculous, the Stranger Things drive-thru experience happening 30 miles south is charging $79 for 2 people and it’s sold out through mid FEBRUARY! Angelenos are desperate for fun things to do.

[ryder]

As far as I can see, it's literally the cheapest Drive Thru holiday experience in SoCal.  The next lowest price I know of is the one at Raging Waters at $30 a car (which still screws you if you're alone, but admittedly is a better deal if you do have a group--however, it definitely doesn't look as good as what SFMM is offering, it seems to be literally a switchback queue in a parking lot). 

After that, prices jump up to $55-$100+.  This is actually a bargain price, comparatively.  As I said before, WonderLAnd So Cal is charging $70 per car.  It seems the average SoCal price for Drive Through events is about $60 per car, and many charge more if extra people are in the car.  And I also did the Stranger Things drive through, and at the low end, it was $79 a car,  If you had five people or more n a car for their VIP experience, it's $329.

Heck, even Drive in movie theaters In LA typically are charging $20 a person, and if it's in a special location, it's often $60 or more.

Like, I just can't comprehend those of you who are saying $20 a person is expensive.  Read the room in SoCal.

[AmyUD06]

Yes, $20 a person is too much for a drive-through holiday lights show, regardless of how similarly or more stupid expensive other options in the region are.  The rest of country is not Southern California.

[wrs28330]

Quote

 

On Saturday 11/21, Theme Park Review was invited to see the Six Flags Magic Mountain Holiday in the Park Drive-thru Experience. It’s rare for park patrons to get to drive through a theme park, so this was such a treat!

We arrived at 5:30pm, before the normal first reservation time of 6:00pm, and were directed through the Toll Plaza, through the Guest Parking Lot, and we queued in the Employee Lot. Along the way, we encountered many employees who were waiving, and joyfully greeting each car. Clearly, the SFMM team is thrilled to have patrons back at their park in any fashion. Our journey began with a short drive through a back-of-house area, and were then welcomed by a Holiday in the Park marquee as we drove into DC Universe, and passing Batman: The Ride. As you can imagine, lights of all sizes are placed through the entire park. Several uniquely themed areas throughout the park were featured, and the variety was greatly welcomed. There were an unexpected number of performers of all kinds throughout the park, contributing towards more personalized interactions to which theme park customers are accustomed.

Fortunately SFMM, had a robust amount of Holiday in the Park infrastructure from past years, and from what we could tell, additional equipment and holiday décor featured this year will serve this seasonal event well into the future. Congratulations to the Six Flags Magic Mountain team on such a wonderful event, and thank you for inviting us!

Event information can be found here:

https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/events/holiday-in-the-park

 

Enjoy the photos, noting that any of the photos below of excellent quality were taken by TPR member John Tanaka; thank you John! 

 

As the sun sets on quiet coasters, winter magic is ready to come to life!

First heading back-of-house, here sits a remind of a time where "We like to party."

We were a featured car in the longest vehicle parade ever!

 

 

 

 

The Underground area featured our favorite soundtrack at the event with a more grunge take on in the holidays!

 

Heading into the Rapids Camp area.

 

 

 

It wouldn't be a "Six Flags day!" without these two critters! 

 

 

Mrs. Claus nicely lit across from Bugs Bunny World.

We would have loved to see these Toy Soldiers doing some of their great routines from previous years.

Holidays of the Future!

 

 

 

The event ends with cars passing by Scream, as the reindeer seemingly pull Santa up the lift hill.

 

Thank you again to the SFMM team, and congratulations on a great event!

 

 

[bert425]

Worth every penny and would totally do it if we were in California.

see, I'm not gonna bitch about cost - if it's something I think is worth, it?  I pay for the experience, and enjoy it.

you get what you pay for, you don't wanna pay?  you don't get it.

 

end of story.

 

 

thanks for the report, and pix guys.

Do they have music piped in?  or broadcasting on a channel you can listen to while driving?  or is it a "set your own soundtrack" (ie: listen to whatever you want on your radio/cd player situation?)

[DJeXeL]

Thanks for the report - Looks promising. Just purchased tickets for 12/5. 11/28 sold out before I could enter my credit card details to checkout so seems like this event is popular. 

[Manic Monte]

5 hours ago, Mike240SX said:

Yes, $20 a person is too much for a drive-through holiday lights show, regardless of how similarly or more stupid expensive other options in the region are.  The rest of country is not Southern California.

It's really not.  2 hamburgers at Carl's Jr cost me $20. There is not too many things I can think of to do in 2020 that cost less.

[AmyUD06]

And based on your location, you're in the same "everything is over-priced" area as the others not complaining about the price.  Two burgers from Hardee's (our version of Carl's Jr) would be $10-12 based on options around here.  Again, I see that the pricing is "par for the course" for Southern California, but those of us in the rest of the country are more than in our right to scoff at the price.

Looking around my area, I see a holiday lights drive through in Lancaster PA for $20 a car up to 8 people.  That same trip through SFMM's would be $160.  The most expensive one I could find in the Philadelphia region is $25, again per vehicle up to 8 people.

At the end of the day,  I highly doubt that anyone from not-in-the-region will be making a trip for the sole purpose of this event, so I guess it is priced just right and is a moot point.

[bert425]

Dude.

I'm in Texas, and here's our local:

http://do512family.com/trail-of-lights/

 

cheapest general admission is $25 per car (that almost no one will do, as it's after 9:30pm), so anyone that chooses this option will go for the 7-9:30 pm slot, that will cost $35 per car.

but really, most are going to choose the "dash pass" which lets cars in from 5:45 pm - and costs?  $60 per car.

and the "Premiere Night" event - at $95 per car is sold out.

$20 per person is NOT overpriced.

Sure, you have a "right" to bitch about the price, but why even waste your energy.    
you think it's overpriced?  fine, don't go. . but why complain to ruin it for those that DON'T think it's overpriced, and are willing to pay for the enjoyment.

and I say this as someone with no option of doing the drive thru, tho I'd love to and would if were in CA in a second.

[coasterbill]

I really don’t get the hostility here... pay it or don’t pay it, there’s no need for everyone to get pissy with eachother over that. Who cares? Whether or not it’s worth it to someone is totally subjective.

Anyway, thanks for sharing that update with us. Great photos. Sorry that this bickering seems to be overshadowing it. 

[Garet]

Maybe because my only real exposure to SFMM is this thread and people tend to crap on the park a bit, I had very low expectations on how much effort would go into this, but it looks a lot nicer, and done with a lot more effort, than I was expecting. My son would love this and I'd pay for him to see this just to get out the house a bit more.