The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[XYZ]

Well, Terminator's audio did create a quote Robb uses a lot on his fantastic trip reports: "TAKE THE TUNNEL!"

 

Really, unless it is something horrible, usually on-board audio makes a coaster better and enhances the experience.

 

Turning off the music and extinguishing the fire effects is the textbook definition of addition by subtraction. I'm very glad to hear about this. Onboard audio is as stupid of an idea as anyone could come up with.

 

How do I get that "Nina Kleppe Likes this" photo! I need that!

(It's on the 2nd page of "View More Smilies")

[robbalvey]

Onboard audio is as stupid of an idea as anyone could come up with- especially on X.

 

Just because X2 and Apocalypse have/had issues with onboard audio doesn't make it a bad idea-those two rides aren't designed for it.

 

Any number of Disney's and Universal's attractions stand to prove you wrong

Well said.

[LaMapa]

Lately the audio has been back up and running. But something strange that I saw on Monday was what looked like grafiti on the inside arm guard of row 6 of train 3.

[Ed Farmer]

Onboard audio is as stupid of an idea as anyone could come up with- especially on X.

 

Just because X2 and Apocalypse have/had issues with onboard audio doesn't make it a bad idea-those two rides aren't designed for it.

 

Any number of Disney's and Universal's attractions stand to prove you wrong

 

Perhaps I should have specified- Onboard audio on coasters like X and Bizarro is what I was referencing with my post. Citing Disney and Universal doesn't really prove anything- the whole idea behind those two parks is to provide an immersive, well themed experience. Of course it would work well for them. Six Flags doesn't really do Disney stuff and vice versa. If there was one park I could see this being implemented at, it's IOA. Apart from that, how many 4D and floorless coasters can one ride at Disney and Universal properties?

[SoCalCoasters]

I actually like the audio on X2, it makes the lift a lot more enjoyable, especially since they play Enter Sandman. I was actually looking forward to it during WCB.

 

The fire/flamethrower may seem like a "meh"element during the day, but at night it really does create a big flash & WOW moment since most of X2 is shrouded in darkness.

 

Overall I think most people prefer X2's audio to Bizarro's anyway, so why complain about it? I don't remember too many people complaining when they first re-opened it.

[coasterfreak101]

^Yeah, they could easily get rid of the audio and just throw some speakers on the lift. That's really the only time you can hear the music anyway, and if they kept the radio-station-changing stuff and threw out the "X-X-X-2-2-2" and "Is everybody in?" in the station I'd be more than happy.

[Tmcdllr]

"is everybody In?...Is everybody In?......Is everybody In?"......

[JJ728]

"The ceremony is about to begin...."

 

"X.......X.......2...2........X2.....2"

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

^I actually really like that. The first time I rode X2 I thought the whispering was sooo cool. And it totally pumped me up. But I could see why it would get annoying after hearing it many times.

[rollercoasterbuff]

I am just going to say really quick and it will be the last time I will stick up for the park.

 

To say that SFMM is cheap, you are DEAD wrong. Sorry bout it! Correct way to say it is... Six Flags Corporate is Cheap. Moving coasters around the US and marketing them as new coasters is smart financially from a business perspective, but, to say that one particular park is cheap, you are just wrong. It isn't the park by itself making these decisions. Get some bigger perspective on the HUGE chain that is Six Flags, INC and realize that the corporate end is who makes the decisions. Who said drive six hours? Pick up your phone, or since you spend enough time in front of your computer screen, obviously, write an email. lol. At least a couple people seemed to have a few positive things to say and I agree with the few that did speak up. Green lantern was a cheap coaster at the guests' expense.

[JJ728]

Hiring staff is done on a park by park basis. + Example: SFMM doesn't hire enough janitors to clean the bathrooms. = SFMM is responsible for their own crappy park and appearance.

 

 

Corporate is by no means cheap. Three new or remodeled attractions at SFMM in 2011? Another significant ride for 2012? A predicted massive 2013 project? CEO's promise for new attractions at all parks across the board every year?

[LaMapa]

So is Hurricane Harbor still going to get Flash Pass this year?

And also, New for 2012! Looks like a bar?

 

Ahoy Matey! Take a load off at Pirate’s Paradise. This tropical retreat is serving up tasty food and cold beverages as well as steel-drum entertainment. Alcoholic beverages are served. 21 and over only unless accompanied by an adult. Pirate’s Paradise is located near Red Eye’s and is open weekends beginning May 26.

[MrSum1_55]

^^I do believe that this whole "new attraction every year" thing will ultimately have a negative effect on the chain, due to parks having to fork up more cash to go to new rides as opposed to keeping the parks clean. That sounds like Premier Parks logic. In addition, you will always have the cheap parks like SFMM who will install low-capacity rides just to meet the requirements, or SFDK, who will build a launch coaster that could and should have a dual load platform, but doesn't. It is no secret that SFMM has been on the downward spiral, but how has the rest of the chain been doing? Can the rest of the chain cope just fine, or is SFMM just the only one going downhill? So far, SFMM is the only SF park I have visited this year, so I am not sure how SFDK is doing right now.

[Manic Monte]

I have heard nothing but positive reports out of the other parks in the chain, so this problem seems central to SFMM right now. Honestly, part of the problem seems to be all of the construction going on at the expense of other things. Full Throttle should really be a 2014 or 2015 project, giving the park some breathing room to focus on some of it's weaknesses.

 

But from what I have heard, the current park president really idolized Del Holland and seems to reverting back his way of running that park.

[DBru]

Will Superman: Escape from Krypton reopen with Drop of Doom, or will it reopen when construction is complete?

[Ed Farmer]

^^I do believe that this whole "new attraction every year" thing will ultimately have a negative effect on the chain, due to parks having to fork up more cash to go to new rides as opposed to keeping the parks clean.

 

There is a cheap way to do this without breaking the bank. I wonder how many of these new attractions will be an elevated Merry Go Round on a stick like Great Adventure and Fiesta Texas (among others) just got. The way SFGAdv had a season pass only preview for theirs, I get the impression that this would probably be considered a significant addition by those in charge, even though it isn't. The other part of that is relocated rides. This past season or two saw a few of these, and it's cheaper than going to the roller coaster store and picking up shiny (but expensive) new rides. That's the way I interpreted the new attraction at "every Six Flags park every year."

 

So cheap flat rides and relocated coasters (with one or two brand new ones every so often) seem like they would make good on Jim Reid-Anderson's quote.

 

Oh, almost forgot. Freeze at SFOT and SFStl are being marketed as if they're brand new. A new paint job and sound effects on a ride (oh and fire, the most important detail of all) is also marketed like this. That fits the "every park every year" claim as well. So, painting a ride and renaming it is reason enough to trumpet them as brand new.

Edited May 22, 2012 by Ed Farmer

[LaMapa]

Will Superman: Escape from Krypton reopen with Drop of Doom, or will it reopen when construction is complete?

 

It will reopen with Drop of Doom.

Edited May 22, 2012 by LaMapa

[coasterbill]

Will Superman: Escape from Krypton reopen with Drop of Doom, or will it reopen when construction is complete?

 

Yes.

 

... well thanks for clearing that up

[cal1br3tto]

I enjoy all of the added elements, especially the audio. It really adds on to the whole psychological effect; makes it more intense and thrilling.

I absolutely agree. X2 is one ride where audio is done right (when working).

 

From other posts, I take it the current problem is that the music plays inconsistently, rather than not at all?

[JJ728]

Will Superman: Escape from Krypton reopen with Drop of Doom, or will it reopen when construction is complete?

 

Yes.

 

... well thanks for clearing that up

It's supposed to open when Drop of Doom opens. Construction is already complete on the tower. As a matter of fact, I think the worker cages that move up and down the track are gone. They have a lot of work to do on the station, queue, and surrounding area before it opens.

[LaMapa]

Fixed! Oops. Sorry about that.

[susie zueck]

SFMM is cheap and hires inexperienced workers. I have compared over the years Disneylands employees and SFMM employees and have found that SFMM does a HORRIBLE job at hiring the right employees. Disneylands employees are helpful and they know what they are doing and they give the park a good reputation as where SFMM has horrible employees that don't do their job properly and aren't very helpful.

[bottom_feeder_13]

^ Personally I think that on average Disney employees are better but the extremes are less apparent at SFMM, I've never met an SFMM employee who goes around talking about how it's their ride entrance, their fastpass machine, their coaster, and then is a total @$$hole about something that you simply don't understand and refuses to explain it to you because they think you can somehow just magically read their mind and figure it out, but I have at Disney. Of course I think that this is partly due to the fact that most SFMM employees are in their early twenties while Disney employees are older, which means that they're more likely to be bitter about some mistreatment that they had experienced earlier in life and would want to get back at people for.

[cfc]

Of course I think that this is partly due to the fact that most SFMM employees are in their early twenties while Disney employees are older, which means that they're more likely to be bitter about some mistreatment that they had experienced earlier in life and would want to get back at people for.

 

Huh? Your statement seems to be a bit, shall we say, "broad in scope." I rather doubt that the vast majority of older DL employees see their jobs as an opportunity "to get back at people" for past slights.

 

That being said, yes, I have seen examples of "bitter" employees at Disney parks. And at Cedar Fair parks. And st Six Flags parks.

Edited May 22, 2012 by cfc

[gisco]

There probably are a number of reasons why employees at one park might be better then at another. My take is that at MM the employee tends to be there because they need a job, at Disney a lot of the people are there because they want the job. I'm sure this will tend to skew the age older at Disney. Enthusiasm goes a long ways on how they will treat the public. I don't buy for a minute that because a person is older they are bitter. You will find good and bad employees no matter what park they work for.