The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[JJ728]

As someone who isn't a local and doesn't go with regularity, I can appreciate that for you guys, Magic Mountain is a greatly improved park in terms of aesthetics. What I would say from an outsider point of view from someone who's been to the park twice in the last 10 years (most recently in August) is this: However improved you may deem the park, and certainly it has a very good collection of roller coasters right now, there is a lot of work left to go. My wife liked many parts of the park, but aside from the parking lot under Scream, she was more bothered by the decrepit and seemingly abandoned buildings atop Samurai Summit, the rotting monorail track, and the waterfront "wharf" area in the back of the park. To whatever extent things have changed at Magic Mountain that have been for the best - addition of rides, subtraction of things that never worked, updated paint/themes for various attractions, the reopening of the Sky Tower, et al - there is a lot of work yet to go.

 

As for suggestions about Scream and how to make the aesthetics better...why not take lead from Great Adventure on this one? Green Lantern is basically a parking lot coaster. They hide that with gravel. Use some of the ideas from the Bizarro overlay on Medusa while you're at it, rename it, and re-market it. They've already done that with X and Superman to some effect. Might as well do it again.

I agree with you there. As someone who visits 10-15 times a year, the park sure is clean. Operations are improving. Rides getting updated, removed and built. But the rest of the park (IMHO) just looks terrible and dilapidated. I just take the ratio of areas of the park that are "acceptable" and areas of the park that look shabby; that will tell you a lot. The only areas I think are "acceptable" are the Rapids Camp, Six Flags Plaza, DC Universe, Sierra Territory, and Baja Ridge. That leaves about 50-75% that still needs aesthetic improvement.

 

I have to disagree with you there. Gravel under a roller coaster looks simple and clean with no landscaping (ie grass) required. You also don't need to waste resources trimming and watering it. Also, no cardboard cutouts as ride theming at SFMM please!

[rcdude]

^It could also mean when Log Jammer is going to be closed for the winter months, not nessesary forever. I think or hope they would give us a good month or two notice that it is closing forever.

 

Log Jammer typically stays open year-round. Jet Stream gets reduced hours and Roaring Rapids closes during off-peak.

 

When I went last January, Log Jammer was closed and there was a sign saying, "Log Jammer is closed for the season. It will reopen in the Spring." I believe that was the first year they closed it for the winter, however, as I've ridden it in December and January before (it isn't very popular then; we had to wait nearly twenty minutes for someone to come by so we could use the water guns we had already paid for).

 

I may be wrong, but I doubt Log Jammer will be closing permanently this year. I do think it will be leaving in the near future, but not quite yet. Unless there is a problem with the ride, it would be a dumb move for the park to remove two major attractions at once with no immediate replacement, and I am nearly certain they won't be adding two major replacement coasters in 2013. Of course, I've been surprised by the park before (especially the 2011 announcement), but to add a Diving Machine/Giga Coaster and a Launch Coaster (the two most heavily rumored additions) in one year seems way out there ($50 million on new rides in one park for one year...not something Six Flags would likely do). Of course, there is always the highly likely possibility that some of the rumors hold little weight, but until I see an official announcement I refuse to believe Log Jammer is leaving just yet.

[MrSum1_55]

Honestly, I don't really care about theming, landscaping, or any of that stuff. For me, it is good operations that outline a good park. Since the Post-Tatsu era, operations have been passable, but never great (excluding the openings of X2 and Tatsu). Back when Tatsu was installing its new fluffy, fluffy bunnies filled with medicine and goo, X2 had the only "great" operations (3 trains running, no stacking), while the only "good" operations were on Goliath (no stacking). Tatsu had 5 minute dispatches with an hour wait. Later on, dispatches on X2 became closer to 2 minutes with 2 trains running, Goliath being the only ride that doesn't stack its trains. However, operations have gradually gotten better as time goes on. Tatsu is now down to 3-4 minute dispatches (that is not exactly great, but it is much better than 4-5 minutes), while X2 is back to no stacking (on most days). Goliath still, as always, has quick dispatches. I ope this pace of gradual improvement continues, and SFMM can one day be a park of which rides are run at full capacity, at least with two trains.

 

Although, the moral of the story is that all SF parks still have quite a bit of recovering to do from Premier Parks, SFMM was just hit the worst.

[AnonymousReed]

If they get rid of Log Jammer, we're all screwed. LJ and RR are the only rides that get me drenched. Jet Stream rarely ever gets me wet and Tidal Wave....they should just rename it "The Bridge". They should have the boats constantly moving and install some seats on the bridge. Cause if you think about it, nobody every goes on it; They stand on the bridge waiting for the boat to drop and that's how you get drenched.

 

And the superhero conversation...the theming can be a bit tacky. Great rides though. I guess before Magic Mountain had the rights to DC, they were originally going to call Superman "Velocetron". The theme was an abandoned excavation site and it looked awesome. But then again it wouldn't have fit in with Samurai Summit (Well neither does Superman but Six Flags doesn't care). I think they did a "good" job on Green Lantern. At least it wasn't a crappy pre-show.

 

And DeJa Vu, I know a little something, but usually when I say something everyone thinks it's bogus or a rumor, but I know the ride manufacture for the future ride in it's place. I was a little dissapointed and kinda happy at the same time. And yes, you can disagree and blah,blah,blah. Premier. I just saved everyone a year figuring out who the ride manufacture will be. You should thank me

[Tmcdllr]

^If something cannot be confirmed then is it not simply just a rumor?

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^^Full circuit launcher finally? I'd be fine with that!

[willthethrill]

Sky Rocket of the West? Or perhaps a ride rotation donation...

[susie zueck]

Yep Screamscape announced that Log Jammer will probably not operate after halloween. Hopefully its not true.

[XYZ]

This is going to horrible if they take out Log Jammer, the ride is one of the best non-thrill rides in the park and is a classic attraction. Why couldn't they take out the amphitheater and use that side of the mountain for their new ride. Plus, why can't they build over the Log Jammer like Ninja & Jet Stream?

[MrSum1_55]

It looks like the following years will be awesome ones for SFMM expansion. With Deja Vu and Log Jammer gone, that leaves room for more rides. Also, let's not forget they are already adding a new ride, that takes up almost no space. A large ride removal like Log Jammer could make room for a very large coaster!

[DBJ]

And yet, the ghost of the monorail still stands. Instead of removing existing rides, how about the SBNO one? At least remove the station by Bugs, and there is some good working space there for a decent family attraction.

[Gigalyte]

Well since SFMM seams to be going with out with the old in with the new maybe they can add this to the Sky Tower http://www.usthrillrides.com/products/skyspire

 

Also isn't that a green Batman inverted coaster in that background?

 

Imo they should replace Log Jammer with another water ride instead of a coaster, maybe something like Shoot the Rapids or a high speed terrain splash battle lol

[coasterbill]

And yet, the ghost of the monorail still stands. Instead of removing existing rides, how about the SBNO one? At least remove the station by Bugs, and there is some good working space there for a decent family attraction.

 

Is there any chance of them ever re-opening it? I wouldn't even care if they did something like Hershey did and whore it out to an insurance company or something. A wrapped monorail train is a moving billboard that goes all over the park at a speed where people can actually read it AND they could throw some commercials in over the speaker system. If they played their cards right and signed over the ad rights to it could probably cost the park next to nothing to refurbish it (meaning the advertiser picks up the tab). Then again they have probably already thought of this.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ No chance of the Monorail EVER reopening. EVER!!!

 

Thought about going to the park today to get some pics of Deja Vu (or lack thereof) then decided I didn't want to.

 

Maybe I'll go up Monday since they are open.

[coasterbill]

^ No chance of the Monorail EVER reopening. EVER!!!

 

Thought about going to the park today to get some pics of Deja Vu (or lack thereof) then decided I didn't want to.

 

Maybe I'll go up Monday since they are open.

 

Okay. I know it's been sitting for awhile but didn't know much about it's condition.

[cfc]

^This was what the park said at West Coast Bash a few years ago. It would just take too much work (and cost far too much money) to ever get the monorail working again.

[willthethrill]

Don't know if this has been noticed and mentioned yet but I was cruising thru some old posts and came accross something pretty interesting. Check out Rob's comment on page 277 of this thread... is it possible this has been in the works for 4 years or is it just an amazing coincidence? And if not, Rob, can you give us some hints as to what we can expect in 2015?

[KickTheSky]

I never really understood if bailing on the monorail had more to do with the condition of the actual trains or the actual rail system? I know they got a few bucks for the remaining trains from Hershey, but I wasn't sure if them deciding to never revisit the monorail was a combo of factors or primarily due to A) Train Upkeep or B) System/track maintenance (supports, bridges, etc)? I get that they're never revisiting it, just not sure which financial factor was the deciding factor.

 

It's too bad, and the topic has been discussed to death here, that transportation-type rides are going the way of the dodo. Trains, monorails, skyways etc all going bye-bye.

 

I've been hoping that someone would post a photo-cropped shot of the Log Jammer's course so we could get an idea of exactly how much real estate would be freed up (hint hint)!!! LOL

[Wes]

I've been hoping that someone would post a photo-cropped shot of the Log Jammer's course so we could get an idea of exactly how much real estate would be freed up (hint hint)!!! LOL

 

Here basically. The lake areas take up a bunch of space.

[bostonlva]

I've been hoping that someone would post a photo-cropped shot of the Log Jammer's course so we could get an idea of exactly how much real estate would be freed up (hint hint)!!! LOL

 

Here basically. The lake areas take up a bunch of space.

 

 

so pretty much a pretty large coaster can go in that spot?

[Wes]

Dependent on if they want to keep the lakes or not I guess.

[Gigalyte]

Why would they have to remove the lakes to install a huge coaster in that spot? couldn't they just build over and put supports in the lake and re-fill? Maybe the lakes will be used for the rumored Dive Machine splash down

 

I just hope what ever is going in Log Jammer spot that SFMM tries to weave it into the tree and save as many trees as they can like Dolly did with WE. I can just hear it now year 2025 ...there is still p-lot under Scream and the trees haven't fully grown back in yet SFMM sucks oh yeah what are they getting in 2026

[daveydo5172]

I still say the park needs to snatch up Speed! The Ride....would be a cheap, great, easy addition to the park! And Premier coasters rock!

[SoCalCoasters]

^Space is the problem, and Speed had quite a unique layout. They'd have to modify it quite a bit.

[daveydo5172]

I respectfully disagree, theres plenty of room in that park, and it wouldnt need modifying at all really...build an elevated Station and an undeground tunnel is all they would need to do....perhaps knock down a few small structures as well....