robbalvey Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Hey everyone! I was with the In The Loop guys at SFMM yesterday kicking off their new "Guide To The Midway" podcast. We discuss SFMM, talk to Sue the PR manager, and generally just joke around about random stuff. It's an informative podcast, yet entertaining. I recommend everyone to go check it out: http://www.thrillnetwork.com/in_the_loop/?action=castview&cast_id=106 Enjoy! --Robb
Fatality Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Awesome...!! The " Man " Robb Alvey!! Yeah, You are the Man! Good Job.
BarryH Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 I thought Robb was banned from In the Loop as well as SFMM!
robbalvey Posted February 26, 2006 Author Posted February 26, 2006 I had to pay a premium to get back into both! --Robb
DerekRx Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Pretty entertaining stuff, glad to have it back, with its STAR! Its nice to see the park PR allowed it, and even came out to support. I loved the subtle Knotts bashing. And hooray for Sky Tower reopening!
Fatality Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Haha. No. Actually everyone in this website is claimed to be a TPR Fan.
Shockwave Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Thoroughly enjoyed that podcast! Glad to see Six Flags Magic Mountain's PR department being really cool and helpful about it as well.
Nrthwnd Posted February 26, 2006 Posted February 26, 2006 Haha. No. Actually everyone in this website is claimed to be a TPR Fan. It also seems like everybody in this website, has claimed to be banned from either a park, or a website (or a radio show) at one time or 'nother. Even from this site, OMG.... You may continue your ride. Mmmm'k?
Nrthwnd Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Double post - grrrrrr.... Just listened. Wow! Excellent podcast, Robb! (shamelessPLUGhere) Um, did it ever occur, to maybe suggest, a possible live feed podcast, from the first-ever TPR UK Tour? Just a suggestion. Great podcast, again. That SFMM PR woman was awesome. She was as much enthused about the general thing about theme parks and rides, as much as you guys were, which was great! And she fit in excellently with you three, as to giving good information and offering nice fresh comentary on particular focus. Do it again, Do it again, Robb! (Run down to DLR, heh heh heh.)
robbalvey Posted February 27, 2006 Author Posted February 27, 2006 ^ I have to be honest, while the podcast is something we like being part of, we just don't have the bandwidth to take on yet another "full time" project. So while someone else is doing most of the work, I'm more than happy to be involved. But don't expect a podcast or anything like it to come out of TPR anytime soon. --Robb "I don't even own an iPod!" Alvey
Nrthwnd Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Noted, heh heh. ~Bill "I don't own one, either" Nrthwnd ~ ~ ~
waterviper Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 That sure was a long podcast. Well longer then the other ones you have been on Robb!! But wow what a load of information came out of that!! I am very glad to hear that finally SFMM is getting a touch of class!! New paint, more characters, more trains on the tracks, efficient ride ops, friendlier PR, and just a better atmosphere!! Should be more enjoyable now to go visit with a great experience!! Oh ya lol, Guy had his first broadcasting debut on In The Loop!! Congrats on that Guy!!
shepp Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Nice podcast, and the PR person seemed cool. But...I still, as a non-childraising adult, have these nagging concerns. I mean, "Family Fright Fest?" Sure, I'm not expecting HHN-caliber events at SFMW, but Vallejo's Hallowe'en event is pathetic enough without being Mickeyized. And is a retheming of the kiddie rides - SFMW's Big Deal this coming season - really what most of us on this board lust after? I'm feeling like HBO is replacing The Sopranos with Touched By An Angel. Sure, dirty parks with inefficient ops suck. (Though, to be honest, on my sole 2-day visit to SFMM a few years ago, I wasn't struck by the prevalence of either.) But "a touch of class?" To paraphrase the old tuna commercial: I don't want parks with good taste; I want parks that taste good.
Shockwave Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 You have a good point Shepp, but as we all know Red Zone aren't in this business to just make the parks look good, they're in it to make money, and attracting more families appears to be the way to go. I certainly think the parks will taste good because they will try and appeal to more audiences. And the more people like the taste of something, the more it will sell. It's the way of the world. Six Flags have thrill rides coming out of their ears, but that alone isn't enough to run a profitable amusment park. They need the family appeal.
shepp Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 ^ Of course I understand that. And I'd be thrilled if 6F parks transformed themselves to be more like the Busch Gardens parks - a blend of well-themed, state-of-the-art E-ticket rides, all-the-family lower-key attractions, good shows, and excellent darks a la DarKastle. But, given the magnitude of the task and the problems with financing, I'm thinkin' that for the immediate future, we're more likely to see the addtion of cutprice parades, rather than anything innovative or truly exciting. Oh, and SFMW- my home park - doesn't have thrill rides coming out of its ears. It has dolphins.
Shockwave Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 ^ Of course I understand that. And I'd be thrilled if 6F parks transformed themselves to be more like the Busch Gardens parks - a blend of well-themed, state-of-the-art E-ticket rides, all-the-family lower-key attractions, good shows, and excellent darks a la DarKastle. But, given the magnitude of the task and the problems with financing, I'm thinkin' that for the immediate future, we're more likely to see the addtion of cutprice parades, rather than anything innovative or truly exciting. Oh, and SFMW- my home park - doesn't have thrill rides coming out of its ears. It has dolphins. That last quote is very true! Well I guess they've gotta start somewhere. From some reports, it seems like some of the parks can only get better at the moment, but some of the parks look really good even now. I'd like to get to Six Flags Marine World before the board decide whether to keep it or not. Do you reckon it's a safe bet for it to stay a Six Flags property?
shepp Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 ^ God, I don't know. The park has had such a checkered history, and rumors keep flying. But if not 6F, who? Not Paramount, for obvious PGA reasons, and not CF, seeing as they already (and unwisely) shipped all the SFWOA livestock to Vallejo. Y'know, a sudden thought: We're all acting like "Well, of course shifting to "family parks" is the way to higher revenues. But...is that true? It would mean not only that 6F's previous strategy was wrong, but that, say, BGT was foolish for adding SheiKra or that Holiday World should've forgotten about a third woody. Sure, no doubt families at Disney spend more than teens do at 6Fs. But it's not like toddlers at SFMM spend a lot on park food, or that repeat local visitors necessarily stock up on souvenirs for little Tiffany. And teeners are more likely to spend for upcharge attractions like skycoasters. In fact, families with young kids are, by my observation, liable to actually spend less time at a park, since small kids get tired and cranky quicker. So I wonder if the new 6F policy is based on sound research, or just the fact that a Marvin the Martian suit is a whole lot cheaper than a B&M.
Blazen_AZN Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 ^ i think people are forgetting something. SFMM already has the stuff to attract the teens. its like if disneyland decided to install an intamin hyper, the famalies would still go, but the threill seekers would now have a reason to go also. their audience could only get bigger. anyhoo, great podcast! although i did get the feeling robb was trying not to put down sfmm infront of the PR Manager. Im happy to hear some new details also, like the fact that skytower WILL reopen, and when they plan tatsu to be open. (Nice update too).
Mr.Six Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 Hey Robb! Great video and overall update! I'm glad to hear that she isn't aware of any plans for flashback's removel. I'm sure that if SFMM wanted to move/demolish the ride this would be the time that they would do so. _six
BarryH Posted February 27, 2006 Posted February 27, 2006 I listened to the whole show and it was great! Why didn't Mr. Knoepp join in the show? When I visited SFMM in May, I thought it was one of the worst Six Flags parks I've ever visited. Now it seems like things are turning around.
iZak Posted March 1, 2006 Posted March 1, 2006 ^^ She said that Flashback would not be dismantled in 2006...=/
Clint Novak Posted March 2, 2006 Posted March 2, 2006 Just want to thank the Alveys for hanging with us well at the Mt. It was a great time. I think we scared every girl server with in a few miles of the park. No one will ever serve a man with a beanie again. The Disneyland podcast is up. Robb is not on that one but we do talk about hanging out with them and how crazy they are in person.
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