TR: Six Flags Magic Mountain - 02-27-2005

To see the photos from today's visit click:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/sfmm0227/sfmm0227.htm

After our somewhat miserable day at Knott's yesterday, we decided to head to SFMM today, especially since Dave hadn't been on X yet. Overall, our day at SFMM was better than our day at Knott's. Marginally better, though. I mean, both parks have plenty of issues, but our day at SFMM was much more 'hassle free' than our visit to Knott's.

We decided we'd get to the park EARLY, mainly because since everyone now gets a season pass when you buy a park ticket, we didn't know how insane the season pass line would be.

We got there around 9:15, and yeah....there were a LOT of people there. So the first shocker of the day was that there was a couple of groupers in the area that were telling people that you did not HAVE to stand in the season pass line anymore, and you could use ANY entrance turnstile. That was really great that actually had someone out there managing the crowds! I mean, Knott's couldn't even bother to staff the season pass office with more than one person with a line out the door, and SFMM had groupers out in the crowd! Good for them!

So then the next shocker....the park actually opened EARLY!!! At 9:40 they opened the main gates, and it wasn't just to open them to let people in the plaza area, they actually had coasters open early too!!! WTF??! I am certainly NOT complaining, that's for sure!

So we ran up to the bridge leading to X, and the line for X wasn't quite open. It did, however open RIGHT at 10am, and we managed to get on and off X by 10:15!!! They were running two trains and seemed to be doing the best job they could dispatching. The ride itself was just 'ok.' Not the worst ride I've taken on it, not the best. I don't know why, but I just don't really like the ride all that much. But oh well....

Next we walked around to the closed Deja Vu so Dave could get his picture in front of it. He now has his photo in front of ALL THREE closed Deja Vu's! Awesome!

We then made the rounds going on Goldrusher, Riddler's, then Batman. Ahh, Batman! At least it was cool to ride a B&M invert with forces this weekend!

We made our way around to Scream! which was fine, I guess. It's Scream....clone of Medusa over a parking lot...fun, but nothing special, but fun.

Colossus was down so we moved over to Goliath. Again, it was more like 'going through the motions' riding SFMM's coasters. They are all just 'ok.' Nothing really bad about most of them, but nothing that makes you really want to ride again.

We noticed that Superman was stuck near the bottom of the tower. Turns out they 'broke it' as it ran yesterday morning, and today the car was just sitting there. You'll see a photo of what I mean if you click on the update.

We noticed that Colossus was back open, but I don't think any of us cared to ride, so we let Josh & Amanda go ride some stuff in Bugs Bunny World, and then we headed out for lunch.

I mean, overall it was a really good visit to SFMM. It sucked that Deja Vu and Ninja were closed, but the fact that they opened up early, had coasters open early, and we rode X by 10:15 was pretty amazing! Everything else we did was totally "hassle free." There were no waits, nothing annoying like running coasters 'one train empty, one full,' Batman, Riddler's, Goliath, Scream, X were all running two trains, and most of the crews seemed to be doing an 'ok' job.

Anyway, that's my weekend report! Pathetic trip to Knott's....somewhat ok trip to SFMM!

--Robb

ps. To see the photos from yesterday's Knott's visit, click:

http://www.themeparkreview.com/kbf0226/kbf0226.shtml

Sounds like fun, and much better then your day at Knott's. Amazing that they opened the park early. I didn't know Superman could stall out in the middle of the course. That looked weird.

Um I believe he was saying that it is broken... IE not running not stalled out on course... If it stalled there they would have had to have really screwed something up.

I wonder if anything will come of the rumors of doing something new with the tower... I mean that ride seems to keep going down and really doesn't seem to thrill many people anymore. I still need to get to Magic Mountain someday...

Awe, I wish I lived near a year round amusement park. I'm having my offseason withdrawls!!

After everyone else had left my cousin and I spent about 2 more hours or so at the park. They got superman runing right before we left the park. We were walking RIGHT under it too going over to Goliath when it fired for the first time and wanted to grace us with its delightful sound. Anyway thanks again for letting us hang out with you guys at the park today! The group photo turned out well

Hey Robb,

nice pictures. I liked them. It looks like you guys had a lot of fun at SFMM.

--Soeren

Awe, I wish I lived near a year round amusement park. I'm having my offseason withdrawls!!

Me too! I can't wait for spring to come!

Ahh...good to hear they got S:TE back up and running. I'd love to know what happened to it! At least it wasn't too serious.

--Robb

It was nice meeting all of you. Our trip today was literally last minute. What was funny was that on our way there, Diana asked if anyone from the site would be there. Of course, I didn't know because no one had said anything. And I"d forgotten that Dave and Mary were going to be out to visit. I hope they enjoyed themselves.

Too bad Diana, Holly, and I missed being in the group photo. Funny thing was that we spent a lot of time in Bugs Bunny World later on, right where the photo was taken! Diana and Holly ran around like children riding all the kiddie rides---oh wait...they are children! I joined them on Canyon Blaster, then we went to get a funnel cake (the girls polished that off; I got a small diabetic portion!).

We took the Orient Express up to ride Ninja and/or Superman, but skipped 'em because Ninja was closed and Superman had a line out the door. But we did ride Gold Rusher one more time, then Diana and Holly had their portrait done by the caricature artist. That came out great! If I can get it scanned, I'll post it here if it's OK to do so.

Like our last visit to SFMM, we went to Bob's Big Boy in Burbank for dinner, then headed home to Camarillo.

Eric

^ Hey Eric! Glad we ran into you guys. It ended up being a really nice group today at the park.

And if you get that image scanned, of course you can post it!

--Robb

Awe, I wish I lived near a year round amusement park. I'm having my offseason withdrawls!!

well if it makes you fell better i havent been to a theme park since 2003

Zane "theres nothing wrong with free stuff" williams

Next we walked around to the closed Deja Vu so Dave could get his picture in front of it.

Is the Deja-vu at SFMM closed most of the time like the one at SFOG?

Yes, most of the time Deja Vu is closed just like at SFOG. This is why I have never gotten the chance to ride it !

Awe, I wish I lived near a year round amusement park. I'm having my offseason withdrawls!

Well, I'm having the same withdrawls

Used to live near the SCBB, and any weekend could go and ride the giant dipper

Anyway, looks like(hopefully) if we make it this year we will have a decent time at SFMM

Is the ninja closed often?, I think my just 42" daughter would really enjoy that ride

^Nah, Ninja is closed very rarely and you have a better chance of riding that than Deja Vu. When are you leaving?

Wow... I think I am glad we don't have year 'round parks... I am blown away at how many rides aren't up and running!

Shari "if that happened here there would be bloodshed" Shoufler

It would be in July, but we may try to put it off untill later in the season, so we don't run into the crowds

Plans are far from finalized

I rode Deja Vu at Paramounts great america, and although I may be lynched for saying this, I enjoyed the ride

Ahh...good to hear they got S:TE back up and running. I'd love to know what happened to it! At least it wasn't too serious.

 

--Robb

It looked to me like it vallyed, and they were too lazy to bring it back into the station.

Procedure: When the car valleys, an electrician has to WALK all the way out to the car with a hook on a rope attached to a winch in the back of the ride (where it goes on a reverse drive trip, behind the station), hook it on to the car, and then walk all the way back to bring the car back into the station. Now, since there was no one in the car, it just looks like they didn't open it, and didn't even bother going to get the car.

I'm sure there is more to that story, but since I don't know anyone that works up there anymore, I have nothing. 8)

Oh yeah...this is my first post on these boards. I didn't even know they existed! :shock:

The last time I was at SFMM, I saw the same thing happen on STE. It was weird, because there was a car (full of guests) sitting at the bottom of the tower, and it kept slowly rolling back and forth between two sets of LIMs. It reopened later in the day too.

See, this follows my philosophy of the chain parks never neglected their flagships but always neglect their small parks. Now if you went to SFEG, as an example it will be a different story.

Rush alert! In screen one. Love Rush man. Excellent band, easily the best from Canada and quite possibly the best from all of north america. I love em'.

Nice update too.

ride6

What are they doing to Deja Vu now? Any guess of when it will reopen?

^ Yearly rehab. By June (usually).

I rode Deja Vu at Paramounts great america, and although I may be lynched for saying this, I enjoyed the ride

You mean Invertigo? That isn't a GIB. That's just an IB. Difference? Deja is taller and has vertical towers.