The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[Tmcdllr]

I don't understand. How can they stack with only one train? Do you mean they were leaving it in the brake run because they weren't paying attention or slow on dispatches or something? I thought stacking only happens with 2 or more trains because you stack one behind the other. If there is only one train, there is nothing to stack behind it, unless it means something else. Please elaborate and correct me if I'm wrong.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

Do you mean they were leaving it in the brake run because they weren't paying attention or slow on dispatches or something?

 

Thats what I meant.

[ajinaz]

 

X2 crew, WOW...WOW. By FAR the best crew in the park, they were dispatching trains just as another train entered the former unload area. It seemed like they have the operation of this ride down to a science. SFMM management needs to give this crew a raise or bonus.

 

 

Did you happen to time the dispatches? How long did you wait to ride?

[cooksta77]

I heard somewhere in this thread like in the 400s page that there was a time that a train was coming out of the first raven loop and another train was dispatching! If they can keep that up we'll see the day that they are gonna run 3 trains! I hope that day comes soon because that will cut down the lines!

[vedved82491]

I went to Magic Mountain last Wednesday, the 16th. I originally wrote a long review about it, but my login session timed out and it wasn't saved, so I'll just mention the day somewhat briefly.

 

There were a LOT of cars in the parking lot. We got there around 1:45 and we had to park by Scream!'s corkscrews.

 

I only noticed one overflowing garbage can in the parking lot. Didn't really pay attention in the actual park.

 

Tackled Tatsu sometime around 6:30. Surprisingly, we didn't wait long. Only about 5 minutes in the queue and another 10 in the station. Was running two trains with two stations, so not bad. Could be faster, but getting better.

 

X2 was amazing. It was probably an hour wait, but didn't feel like it. It was the last coaster we tackled. Everybody really enjoyed the "Scarred-esque" show and footage being played in the queue TV. It's smart that they have staffers holding guests back from simply entering the station. It totally eliminated the clutter. I'm not sure if the lady assigned us seats or not, but I just walked to the front, because I didn't hear her say anything specific. Waited for a train or two then, and was on. Amazing ride, amazing experience, both audio and fire were working, and it was definitely smoother. This was definitely a positive change!

 

Viper was also noticeably smoother. The G's I felt going into and coming out of the 2nd and 3rd loops was crazy! It was definitely a ride like no other before!

 

Revolution had no line, and was running both of it's "new" trains. I unfortunately didn't get to ride the new "patriotic" train, but still got to try the refurbed/new regular train. It was definitely much smoother. Probably the most comfortable ride I've ever had on it. I just keep my head in frnt of the OTSR's and it's no problem!

 

Deja had an hour wait, but we stuck through it. That also didn't feel like an hour wait. It was hot, but the misters helped. Gave another fun and disorienting ride.

 

Jet Stream was stacking a bit, but nothing too crazy. Didn't get us wet much either, but whatever.

 

Scream had almost no line either. A train wait, at most. We waited two trains for the front. Great ride as well. Two trains without stacking most of the time. Only the bottom of the first drop had some noticable shaking, but the ride experience itself was amazing. Nothing compared to the miserable one I had last summer.

 

Goliath also had almost no wait, with 2 trains running and no stacking. Only the station had some line. Pretty good ride, always enjoyable.

 

Goldrusher had no line either. We took the back of the train...mistake! Whiplash!!! I'm sticking with the front from now on.

 

Didn't get on Batman, Riddler, Ninja, Superman, Colossus, or Canyon Blaster. Even with 2.5 hours of sleep, I'd say I still had fun.

 

The atmosphere seemed pretty friendly, and the park itself is beginning to look a lot nicer, just get some flats...seriously!

 

And the cell phone charging stations. Get the LG one working again. My phone died, and I noticed every charging station had one of the LG cords ripped/frayed. It's probably out of the park's control, but I'd much rather see a wider variety of cell phone chargers, rather than mp3, I mean seriously, why would you bring an mp3 player to a park? Just my opinon.

 

So that was just a "brief" runthrough, in no particular order, of rides that day.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

First Tatsu stacks with one train, then...

 

Jet Stream was stacking a bit, but nothing too crazy. Didn't get us wet much either, but whatever.

 

How does Jet Scream stack? Did someone stop the rotating platform?

[nagro5]

I mean seriously, why would you bring an mp3 player to a park?

To listen to music while you're waiting in line.

[ajinaz]

To listen to music while you're waiting in line.

 

And miss out on hearing all of the really loud and obnoxious cell phone conversations of perfect strangers?

[Rct3man777]

And all the screaming little son of a you just wanna strangle---I mean...And all the screaming little kids?

[cooksta77]

Ha Ha Good one! But the screaming on rides that aren't scary just annoys me! So MP3 Please!

[mrfatwrecker]

I'd much rather see a wider variety of cell phone chargers, rather than mp3, I mean seriously, why would you bring an mp3 player to a park? Just my opinon.

 

Are you referring to ipod style chargers? iphones are quite popular these days so those plugs are multi-functional.

[sixflagsjunkie88]

If you are at the park alone, like I tend to do a large amount of the time, I take my Zune with me, and it really makes the time pass well. I also don't have to listen to the whiny kids or the "witches" who make fun of everyone in line, acting like no one can hear them, its perfect.

[haiderodes]

I was at the park Wednesday and Thursday (7/23 & 7/24)...

 

Overall, the ride crews were doing a good job. Everything was running two trains that could. It was busy, but none of the waits were outrageous as it seemed a good amount of people went to the water park. Lots of school/day camps at the park. I usually like to hit the back of the park first before the crowds get back there, but even later in the day most of the rides in the back had short waits. I managed to do all 13 adult coasters on Wednesday (missed Superman Thursday...the line was out of the building).

 

There were a few problem employees. Speficially I saw two seperate employees smoking onstage. One was walking to the break area between Food Etc and Goliath...man, they couldnt walk a few more feet before lighting up? Second was at the gate near the Colossus Cookery, she was walking FROM backstage smoking! Another thing that irks me are people not wearing uniforms properly...untucked shirts especially! There was a really big guy working Colossus Wednesday night who had the back of his shirt all hanging out with his pants sagging. If he knew what he looked like he would have fixed himself. I also saw one of the VIP tour guides sagging and just generally looking rough as well.

 

The crews seemed to do a little better avoiding stacking on Wednesday, but I have to say most of the stacking I noticed was due to guest issues. Specifically, people not following instructions about loose articles and shoes...especially on Riddler. Why must people automatically take their shoes off? Even if its a ride where you have no way of losing shoes! Also on Deja there's always the issue of people not listening and pulling down the harnesses before they can check the seatbelts which slows everything down.

 

Tatsu was frustrating, not because the crew was bad, but because they had to recheck at least 3 seats each and everytime I rode. They ran two trains with one station for most of Wednesday, moving to two station op later on in the day and night and back to two trains one station on Thursday.

 

Got my first ride on X2 on Wednesday night. Got in line at 940p and was walking out at 1115p. I didnt mind waiting since it wasnt like I was missing any other rides. On Thursday I ran from the gate to X2 and had a nice short 15 minute wait. Once I got off the queue was already completely full and down the bridge! Oh and fire on Wednesday, none on Thursday.

 

I had a really fun time at the park. It was kinda hot, but not unbearable. Boy, there are a lot of internationals this year. Of my visits this year, this one was perhaps the most "interesting" as a few times I asked an international a question to which they couldnt reply because they didnt understand. That language barrier concerns me a bit, but they were working hard. Except for the grouper at Deja Vu, who would sit down between cycles, and the regular employees would keep yelling at him to stand back up.

 

Oh, and speaking of Deja Vu...

 

What gives with the single rider line being closed off? I just opened the chain and walked up and they let me on. I even asked one of the ops if they were doing single rider, they said yes, but then why was it blocked off?

[Rct3man777]

Ha Ha Good one! But the screaming on rides that aren't scary just annoys me! So MP3 Please!

 

I'm talking about the spoiled brats that are standing in line, screaming because they don't get a bonbon at that moment...

 

Lemme tell ya, that's not how I was rasied!

[cooksta77]

I don't know if i should bring this into the thread but I just read online that the new 2009 coaster for SFMM is gonna be a wooden coaster with a terminator:Salvation theme! The page said that the details of track layout and where it will be located will be released in September! Thats what i've heard!

[SharkTums]

^Um, we have a thread for that...and there's absolutely no new information that you've provided!

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Didn't you guys hear? It's totally going to be a stand-up inverted floorless wooden rapids ride! ...with a launch!!!

[vedved82491]

^Those jokes are no more fun. Kind of old, no offense.

 

We'll find out when the time is right. Otherwise, sit tight kids!

[ebl]

^ Thank you for your wise advice. That's exactly what I'm doing, even though I do occasionally think about it and have a few ideas as to what and where.

 

Eric

[robbalvey]

^Those jokes are no more fun. Kind of old, no offense.

Geez! Who crapped in your Cheerios today?

 

--Robb "vedved82491 AKA the comedy police!" Alvey

[socalMAN123]

Ewww, crappy Cheerios. Wait, Cheerios are always crappy.

---Brent

[ebl]

^ But if you eat enough of 'em, at least it'll lower your cholesterol.

 

Eric

[Tmcdllr]

..."if you don't have a sense of humor then turn back now."

[socalMAN123]

^^ That's why I only eat Honey Nut Cheerios. Because the regular ones are poopy (literally).

---Brent

[TheStig]

Okay so I know Jahan asked that we talk about things that are going on at Magic currently and all that jazz, and thats pretty much what I'm going to do. As someone who isn't local, doesn't really care to "defend" the park, and who has been there for the DVD thing and WCB, I think that my opinion is really unbiased.

 

I did a lap with Joey last night and thought that Magic, for less than two hours until closing, was fantastic. There was a little trash and stuff in the que of Goliath as Joey pointed out, but for 10:45 pm, why wouldn't there be? The whole park, from what I could tell, was running the max amount of trains possible at the end of the night. Granted they were stacking, but they were atleast running three! Some of the employees were kinda dicking around on the mic in the Goliath station, but they were having fun atleast which is a hell of a lot better than being emo and "joining the black parade at work".

 

I finally got on X and my overall reaction was "It was good, nothing amazing, but definitely interesting". I really set the bar low for the ride after all the horrible things I had heard about it, which I think really helped. It was a much better ride than I thought, and I would ride it again but not if I had to wait more than 30 minutes. But like I told Robb, it's definitely a "Raging Bull" and "SUF" type ride where it does a lot, and what it does is really really really fun, but nothing about it is "Orgasmic". And yes I did pull an Elissa and hit my head in the last raven turn thing, but besides that I thought it was really smooth and fluid compaired to what I had been expecting.

 

We did stack for maybe 6-8 minutes, which I think could EASILY have been prevented with an unload and load station like it origionally had. If they could set it up where you could run the station the way it was now (one station, load and unload) with TWO trains, then it would be super effective. However, with three it would be cool to run both stations with load and unload seperately, and be able to advance without rotating the seats. Hopefully they can do that eventually, as it would speed things up bigtime with three trains.

 

So really, on what was a peak day for the park, I had an awesome time in a little less than two hours. Thanks Jahan for meeting up with us for a little! You still owe me money, but you're a good guy. After hearing everything that Jay and Tim had said at both events, it seems like they are really trying hard to keep their word as best they can. And thats good, because I can honestly say I've never had anything but good or stellar visits to the park.

 

Good work SFMM.