The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[Mechanic]

^Honestly, when it comes to load times, the guests are usually the LAST ones slowing things down. Its not like a majority of the rides in the park are hitting record dispatch times or anything...

 

Why not just sell a soda card for $13, instead of a big cumbersome plastic cup you have to carry around? Just show your card and get a large soda in a paper cup for a buck. Better yet, just include $1 sodas with a season pass purchase. There are plenty of mugs in the shops if someone truly wants a souvenir.

 

Nah, think about it from a business perspective: they make bank off those cups. I'm guessing it costs them no more than a buck a cup (if that) to have them made and sent to the park, and a $12 profit is something they won't let go of anytime soon.

 

I don't have a problem paying $1 for a lock er, but I do have a problem making someone throw out their $13 cup after they just purchased it. On rides like Tatsu or X, unless you have cargo pockets with zippers or buttons, you can basically consider your phone gone no matter what pocket you put it in. That $1 investment to keep your things safe really isn't that bad.

 

With all due respect, I feel that I addressed the profit issue with the first sentence of my post. The $1 soda with a season pass was just wishful thinking. Here's another idea though: How about if TPR were to negotiate a deal with Six Flags to sell $1 sodas to anyone showing their Club TPR card? Again, just wishful thinking, but it's worth throwing ideas for solutions out there for consideration.

[kf2010]

^Ah yes, I was referring to your $1 drinks by showing your pass comment mostly. Sorry about the misunderstanding.

 

^Honestly, when it comes to load times, the guests are usually the LAST ones slowing things down. Its not like a majority of the rides in the park are hitting record dispatch times or anything...

 

Speaking from a ride hosts point of view, when I was working normally it was the guests that slowed EVERYTHING down. Loading, checking seats, clearing trains, people pulling out cameras, etc.

 

Hey I used to ride op at a couple different parks, and the loading system was much different and efficient, so I can side with what you're talking about. Most of the time at those parks, we were waiting on guests mostly because we were quick and were adamant on making sure all their goods went into the station cubbies. However, I don't know if you've seen but at Magic Mountain its typically a different story, and that's mostly what I was referring to. Everyones already sitting in their seats with their lapbars down and then they're waiting...waiting...waiting...WAITING for the ops to stop talking and come around and check restraints for a dispatch. Its not uncommon.

 

So in that instance at MM, it usually is the ops taking a long time and not the guests putting their loose items on the side of the station. Typically they want to get on the ride and go!

[printersdevil78]

Why not just sell a soda card for $13, instead of a big cumbersome plastic cup you have to carry around? Just show your card and get a large soda in a paper cup for a buck. Better yet, just include $1 sodas with a season pass purchase. There are plenty of mugs in the shops if someone truly wants a souvenir.

 

I would be 100 percent on board with this idea. Regarding the profit thing, It can't cost more to print a little plastic card than it does to make an entire plastic cup, so the initial $12 profit would stay the same, and Six Flags could even personalize it like they do with season passes so multiple people can't use the same card, forcing more people to buy cards (I know we've loaned our cup out to family and friends more than once).

 

The only extra thing they would have to account for is the cost of paper cups, and I personally would happily pay an extra 25 cents per drink ($1.25 refills) if it meant not having to worry about the inconvenience of carrying that cup around all day and worrying about putting it in a locker (or behind the lockers and hoping for the best) every time we get to a ride.

 

Of course, I wonder if that would automatically decrease locker profits. Hmmm....

[ebl]

Refillable cups are more environmentally responsible. In our city, we can recycle anything with the recycle symbol on it, from #1 to #7. Fortunately, SFMM doesn't use lids, which does help to cut down on waste and trash.

 

Discounted drink refills for season passholders would be a nice perk. My season pass coupon booklet goes all but unused each year because most of the discounts are for things that I don't use (game and merchandise discounts, mostly). SFMM does offer a wristband for discounted or free drink refills on the same day, don't they? I don't know how much those are, but as one who does drink a lot of (too much perhaps? ) soda, but I should look into that.

 

Eric

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

I think the drink discount for season pass holders is a good idea. I always get drink cups when I'm at parks, and most of the time we buy a season pass for the parks we visit more than twice during a vacation. Along with this, we drink a lot of soda while at parks, so we get our use out of cups. I think a discount would make things easier and less expensive for people like us.

[Lady Gaga]

Anyone have an idea on how busy the park is on September weekends?

[snoflake15]

I find the whole refill thing cumbersome and as has been said already I prefer to travel light.

 

At Alton Towers last week my brother got a refill cup, stuck it in his bag (stupid I know ) and it leaked over his 2 souvenir photos. He found it out just before we got on Oblivion and I quickly had to put it to the side of the ride only to see it leaking all over the floor under the area for the bags.

 

Stuff the environment, the souvenir and the added cost. Individual drinks for me always.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Of course, I wonder if that would automatically decrease fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo profits. Hmmm....

 

I'm always amused when people think the park is making tons & tons of cash off the lockers.

 

Yes the park does make some cash off them, but they are likely the least significant cost of any guest's day. Also, as has been mentioned, they are a convenient way to ensure your valuables, such as expensive cell phones, survive your ride, in addition to drastically decreasing wait times. I think some people have forgotten what wait times were like before the locker policy was first implemented.

 

//It'd be great if they were actually called lockers in the park.

[DBJ]

My personal hope for Project 18, and all future Six Flags coasters being built, are the following things.

 

1.) Please, SF, build a dedicated line for the Flash Pass. Walking up an exit, against the crowds, sucks. Being dumped into the general pop. with a sea of angry faces, sucks. Being merged into the general line, prior to even reaching the station, sucks.

 

2.) People love to wait for specific rows, especially the front, so please design the station to handle that from a crowd control perspective.

 

3.) The sun does shine, so don't put build unshaded lines.

 

4.) Please dump the prison camp style of q lines. Waiting in lines surrounded by a chain link fence is not appealing.

 

5.) Two words: Air conditioning. Two more words: Ceiling Fans. It's about guest comfort.

 

6.) Fluffy bunny policy. Don't charge people to store merchandise they have bought in the park. Defeats the purpose of buying a souvenir cup or any other merch. if you are paying repeated Fluffy Bunny charges throughout the day. Maybe exempt in-park purchases from the fee?

[fatdaddy]

Why not just sell a soda card for $13, instead of a big cumbersome plastic cup you have to carry around? Just show your card and get a large soda in a paper cup for a buck. Better yet, just include $1 sodas with a season pass purchase. There are plenty of mugs in the shops if someone truly wants a souvenir.

 

I would be 100 percent on board with this idea. Regarding the profit thing, It can't cost more to print a little plastic card than it does to make an entire plastic cup, so the initial $12 profit would stay the same, and Six Flags could even personalize it like they do with season passes so multiple people can't use the same card, forcing more people to buy cards (I know we've loaned our cup out to family and friends more than once).

 

The only extra thing they would have to account for is the cost of paper cups, and I personally would happily pay an extra 25 cents per drink ($1.25 refills) if it meant not having to worry about the inconvenience of carrying that cup around all day and worrying about putting it in a fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo (or behind the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo and hoping for the best) every time we get to a ride.

 

Of course, I wonder if that would automatically decrease fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo profits. Hmmm....

 

Problem with a card type system for refills is that people would buy multiple drinks with one pass. I mean, there would be no limit to the drinks you could buy with a card, so people would buy one card and then get cheap drinks for all their friends. Yes, my wife and kids usually drink my soda, but still that just means I gotta buy a lot more refills. Also, cups for non-season pass holders are a one time sale, where they probably make close to 12 bucks off of one cup. Figure, they sell similar cups at the the 99 cent store, so they gotta cost less than a dollar, and soda cost almost nothing. Plus they come out with a new cup every season and won't refill last seasons cup. Bottom line is that people get thirsty a lot more often then they get hungry, and considering the taste of tap water, most people opt for a soda.

 

Again, I actually love souvenir cups. I buy then and use them every time and would love to have the cup holder. I know a lot of you don't like the idea of the holders, but you don't buy the cups anyway. So, stop raining on my parade and crapping on the cup holders you will never use, because your not spending the money on the cups. I hate it when i have to hide my cup, so it won't get thrown away while I'm in line.

[Sir Coaster]

Just going to ask this question right now...

 

 

Was anyone as pissed off as I was when 'Mr. Six's Dance Coaster' was announced as Magic Mountain's new coaster?

[Calicoasters]

^I wasn't pissed at all.

 

Went to the park yesterday and thought it was odd that X2 and Tatsu had shorter wait times than Terminator and Batman.

[trcg721]

Well it's almost time for Fright Fest. Is anyone going to Fright Fest this year?

[DisneyPro]

^Heck yea! I'm looking forward to Fright Fest!

 

Are the mazes the same each year, or does Six Flags change them up? I've only been going to Knotts and Universal each year, and this time I'm heading to Six Flags as well.

[SFMM fanboy]

Me too. I love Fright Fest!

 

^I think there were a couple of new mazes last year. but I don't know about this year.

[coaster1000]

I may be going to Six Flags Magic Mountain on October 23rd (Saturday.) Is this during the Fright Fest? Is it usually crowded this day? (Saturday+fall).

 

Also, I will probably be coming alone, is Magic Mountain "single rider friendly"?

 

Thanks in advance!

[SharkTums]

^A Saturday towards the end of Fright Fest is usually quite crowded. Get a Flashpass if you're worried...you're coming a long way, why not!

 

SFMM is not very single rider friendly, they used to have some rides with a dedicated single rider line, not so much anymore.

 

Again, I would get a Flash Pass so you don't have to worry or deal with any waits.

[coaster1000]

Thanks a lot, Elissa! I will check out the crowds when I go there. Flash pass sounds like a pretty good idea.

[Lady Gaga]

What about weekends in Sept?

[gforce532]

The only rides that I know of that have single rider right now are Revolution, Riddler, and Viper. But there mabey more. Because they have been adding them back in this year.

 

^Should be around moderate mabey less, so you don't need a Flashpass if you know what your doing.

[ebl]

If I recall, Single Rider lines can vary from day to day. The signs appear to be removable, and the signage usually says something along the lines of "Available Today." I've always thought it was a good idea as it helps to fill trains and I'm glad to see it back, even in limited form.

 

Eric

[Gmaster562]

I think the lockers should be like The Rapids at Cali. Adventure where there free for a half hour- an hour for every ride.

[djbrcace1234]

I think the fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo should be like The Rapids at Cali. Adventure where there free for a half hour- an hour for every ride.

 

I highly doubt they will change to such a system because why take away something that is producing revenue for the park?If you're just smart about it, don't bring bulky items with you to begin with.

 

Stingy? Maybe. But there's no need to fuss about it to begin with.

[Fire2box]

The only rides that I know of that have single rider right now are Revolution, Riddler, and Viper. But there mabey more. Because they have been adding them back in this year.

 

^Should be around moderate mabey less, so you don't need a Flashpass if you know what your doing.

 

What the hell.. I was a single rider on Riddler back in late june and I had to wait in line with the group riders. I missed the first half or so of the BMX,skateboard,dirtbike show due to the wait.

[Skycoastin Steve]

^Honestly, when it comes to load times, the guests are usually the LAST ones slowing things down. Its not like a majority of the rides in the park are hitting record dispatch times or anything...

 

Speaking from a ride hosts point of view, when I was working normally it was the guests that slowed EVERYTHING down. Loading, checking seats, clearing trains, people pulling out cameras, etc.

 

Not to quote a two-day old post or anything, but this is absolutely, 100% true. I've seen plenty of crews that were slower than molasses, but more often than not it's a guest(s) holding the dispatch up. And it's not like an employee can tell someone to hurry up, because then you're crossing over into being rude, which results in guest complaints. I've playfully kidded with a slow guest before, but it's really impossible to truly reprimand them for being slow. Does it suck? Yes. Can we really do anything about it? Nope.