The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[boywholaughed]

I would like to see how the minor theming changes look like on Termy. My guess is a lot of things were removed.

[ebl]

^ That reminds me...did Termpocalator reopen today under its new name and theme? January 8 was the announced date...

 

Eric

[cooksta77]

^Yeah I believe Coasternut said it did.

[boywholaughed]

I too believe Coasternut said he rode Apocalypse.

[ebl]

^ and ^^ You guys are right...reading is fundamental---especially the "mental" part in my case.

 

I'll have to go check it out sometime when I get a chance.

 

Eric

[coasternut]

^ That reminds me...did Termpocalator reopen today under its new name and theme? January 8 was the announced date...

 

Eric

 

Yes, I did ride Apocalypse 7 times today. The ride is the same including the fire component. All the signs have been changed and the 3 pre-stage shows are totally different. The 3 terminator's are gone in room 3. The mounts are still there, but nothing else. All the employees are different too. Previous visits I saw many of the same rideops, but not today. Just may be coincidence, but I don't think so. I already miss Termie!

[boywholaughed]

Sorry guys, I know this is random. But wouldn't it be good for the park

To put one of these

In THAT spot?

 

Yeah, I know its just a map (the most accurate map I'VE ever seen) but I just used it due to a lack of a real satellite photo.

 

Edit** Hey, Coasternut, does the new park map show GL, S:EFK, or LF?

[SFMM fanboy]

^The map says it would be a decent location, but in real life, you can see alot of stoarage buildings & sother stuff in that area.

[ebl]

^^ Here's a satellite view of SFMM from Google Maps. I turned it 90 degrees clockwise to put it into the same orientation as the park map (north is to the right):

 

In the upper right corner of the map (near Scream!) is where all of the park's administrative offices and maintenance shops are. Perhaps they could move some of that to a different location, but I wouldn't count on that.

 

Eric

[XII]

The best restaurant in the park in my opinion is gone - Texas Barbecue outside of Riddler. Even employees didn't know it was gone even the ones in guest relations. Now I don't have a place to eat lunch while at the park.

Really? They seriously got rid of Longhorns? Great, they got rid of the only decent food in the park. Everything else that Six Flags Magic Mountain is doing, I can see the reason for it, but I just can not find a reason that SFMM would decide to get rid of Longhorns.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Yes, Apocalypse began today. I am in the new pre-show.

[boywholaughed]

I didn't really like Longhorns. It left me with a strange feeling in my stomach, but it was GREAT for riding rides! I can't imagine anyone feeling queasy after eating there haha.

 

 

And as for that real map, yeah I knew there was stuff there. I didnt really think that they were actual offices and such. Guess that ruins that heartbeat of hope.

[ebl]

"I am in the new pre-show." (PeoplemoverMatt)

 

Now I have to see that...

 

Longhorn's is gone, huh? I never got to eat there. It'll be interesting to see what they end up putting there in its place.

 

Eric

[PAL]

For me, the parking policy change just means I'll stick with the basic pass. The extra cost only made sense when it worked on the road. Besides, Magic Mt has done a miserable job communicating the Xtreme Play Pass food discounts to their employees AND customers. It should be printed right on the pass or on a pamphlet - trivial stuff. They never honored it for me without a hassle, so forget it.

[coasternut]

Yes, Apocalypse began today. I am in the new pre-show.

 

Who are you Damian???

[TheCoasterGuy]

Yeah, I know its just a map (the most accurate map I'VE ever seen) but I just used it due to a lack of a real satellite photo.

 

As others have already pointed out, that area is occupied by all of their offices, wardrobe department, and maintenance facilities. I pulled the plot map for the park last week because I'm working on a story for my SFMM blog about the parking situation at the park. Other than a small parcel of land they use for over flow parking, as well as the existing paved parking lot, there is no real area that isn't already being used for something. They are fully built out to all corners of the property. Now, that isn't to say there isn't anything within the park they couldn't get rid of to make way for more coasters/rides, but that takes serious money. I'm hoping that the new management team is successful in making the company profitable again were they have the kind of money to make those changes.

[TheCoasterGuy]

Longhorn's is gone, huh? I never got to eat there. It'll be interesting to see what they end up putting there in its place.

 

Eric

 

As far as I know, their main restaurant is still over on Hasley Canyon Rd, so you can still try it out if you're interested. I've personally never eaten there, but I've heard it's quite good if you like BBQ.

[TheCoasterGuy]

I'm sure the company knows which prices will maximize the number of people in the park while still making substantial revenue off the sale of passes, and as we've learned, the park makes the most money off people that spend in the park, not the one time sale of a season ticket.

 

I'm guessing you're basing that comment off of the outstanding financial performance the company has delivered over the last couple of years, right?

 

Never assume that just because a company is big, or that it's been in the business for a very long time, that it always knows what it's doing. Executive management teams change and the new folks are sometimes afraid to move away from "the way it's always been done", despite the changing economy, people's interests, or new technology. Sometimes, they're just too inept to do anything right.

[boywholaughed]

The thing that has been plaguing SFMM is it has lost a lot of public appeal. What I mean by that is that say, for example, people tend to always talk about Silver Bullet because guess what: it hangs under the track. People like to talk about Excelerator because: it launches straight up and goes back down. People like to talk about Space Mountain because: it has cool scenery.

 

The only thing I ever hear about AT MOST when regarding SFMM is that X2 has seats that flip. And when it is mentioned, no-one really appreciates the fact that the ride is taller than Excelerator, goes over and under the track, has music and flame-throwers.

 

What I'm trying to get out at here is that management needs to find a way to make the public appeal to individual rides more..... loveable. Make people all over the west coast fall in love with each individual ride. That's how you bounce back as an Amusement Park.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Not trying to criticize you in any way, trust me. But I don't think the park's problem is "their coaster's aren't cute & cuddley enough" I think their problems run much deeper than just ride appeal and raising ticket prices. From an entry-level perception, I don't think what the park as a whole offers anything to justify raised admission, and the expectation for 30,000 people daily. Even with prices the way they are now it gets crowded sometimes. Inefficient operations, poor food quality, lackluster in-park communication, and an apparent lack of commitment by both management and field employees to the best bang for your buck play bigger factors than just "no one talks about our rides enough. Save Xcelerator, EVERY SINGLE COASTER at Magic Mountain, EVERY SINGLE ONE, runs circles around Knott's lineup.But it takes more than just building the product. You have to market the whole package.

 

Other than a small parcel of land they use for over flow parking, as well as the existing paved parking lot, there is no real area that isn't already being used for something. They are fully built out to all corners of the property.

If my memory serves me correctly, the park owns the land east of Feedmill road a good ways. (about 50-75 ft) Based on the money you mentioned would be needed to remove things/land clearing out of the park, they could push the lot back and even build a structure. I figure they'd be in for the same amount of cash either way.

[daveydo5172]

If my memory serves me correctly, the park doesnt own ANY of the land, but rents/leases it from the Newhall Land company.....this could have changed though

[TheCoasterGuy]

If my memory serves me correctly, the park owns the land east of Feedmill road a good ways. (about 50-75 ft) Based on the money you mentioned would be needed to remove things/land clearing out of the park, they could push the lot back and even build a structure. I figure they'd be in for the same amount of cash either way.

 

That's part of the small parcel I was referring to. It's an irregular skinny piece that flows along side Feedmill Rd and then wraps around the far side of the parking lot opening up to a decent sized chunk they use for overflow parking. First of all, you wouldn't want to build part of the park completely separated from the rest of the park. Second, I don't think they can spare the parking right now. They could build some new operations buildings in that space, and get rid of some of the old ones to make room for park expansion, but again that would be very costly and you still lose the parking space.

[TheCoasterGuy]

If my memory serves me correctly, the park doesnt own ANY of the land, but rents/leases it from the Newhall Land company.....this could have changed though

 

Nope, they own the land under this park. That's why they were trying to sell it back in 2007, to raise a bunch of money. If they were still leasing it, they couldn't have sold the property because it wouldn't have been theirs to sell.

[SharkTums]

Oh Magic, you never cease to amaze me.

 

Had a SFMM Virgin with us this morning. At opening X2, Tatsu, and Viper were all down and had not even begun testing.

 

KT was bored with the kids rides before noon. I was annoyed at having to be segregated into a little kids area far away from my friends. If any of you have read my last two KidTums' Korner articles in the Club TPR Newsletter today was a perfect example of just how terrible it is for 'families' when there is one kids area in a giant park.

 

Upon leaving around 1pm Tatsu was running one train with a reported 2+ hour wait. That is just unacceptable.

[John Knotts]

^ Yikes, incredible "deja vu". It's like 2003 all over again. So sorry to hear this Elissa, but I feared this would happen as soon as they pulled Jay Thomas and started with the budget cuts without any regard for how the park's would operate. If this is what we're going to get this year, I'll make one visit (WCB), and then no more, nor will I invest in a season pass.

 

Just two weeks ago I was hopefull that the so-cal parks would have a great year. Now I have very little desire to visit any of them.