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The Magic Springs & Crystal Falls Discussion Thread


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I have no problem with MS focusing on their waterpark more if that is what is successful for them, but I'd hate to see them lose all their rides. These two flats seem like they are a pretty good chunk of their ride offerings...

 

I feel like they may just want to cannibalize the park because then they can add to FC and other CNL parks without having to buy anything new. CNL is insanely cheap.

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Based on how this park's ride lines compare to their slide lines, I wouldn't be shocked if they tried to move away from the dry park all together or made it just a family park (I don't mean soon, but years down the road). I hope Arkansas Twister remains at the very least if that happened one day. It just seems weird that they are removing what are basically their only 2 thrilling flat rides (Well.. they still have The Hawk).

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It wouldn't be a bad move, from a business stance. But I agree, I do hope that if it becomes just a Water park, that Arkansas Twister is kept. It would make sense due to its location, and costs to operate a single coaster I'm sure would be significantly less than operating an entire theme park.

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I have no problem with MS focusing on their waterpark more if that is what is successful for them, but I'd hate to see them lose all their rides. These two flats seem like they are a pretty good chunk of their ride offerings...

 

I feel like they may just want to cannibalize the park because then they can add to FC and other CNL parks without having to buy anything new. CNL is insanely cheap.

 

 

The single biggest attendance driver for them is their summer concert series on Sat nites., They also recently added a sky coaster. They like their Halloween Season and that seems to call for a dry side as well. They also have a seemingly motivated newer owner in the Wild River Country up the road in Little Rock adding stuff. Looking at Google Earth, There's some room for expansion for the dry side opposite the waterpark but the water side is locked in by the parking lot and the Twister and unless you nibble from the existing parts of the dry side where those two rides are there's not much there. If you look at this from the air the old mine train twice removed from SGStL looks very likely to go as well. Whatever they are doing it's going to be for the 2017 season.

 

There's lots of addition by subtraction that could happen at that park, The old mine train gets axed for a slide complex with a water coaster.

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It wouldn't be a bad move, from a business stance. But I agree, I do hope that if it becomes just a Water park, that Arkansas Twister is kept. It would make sense due to its location, and costs to operate a single coaster I'm sure would be significantly less than operating an entire theme park.

I agree. There are a handful of parks that are all water park with one wooden coaster and it seems to work for them.

 

I still hope the park keeps the dry side and is just in the process of reorganizing it.

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It wouldn't be a bad move, from a business stance. But I agree, I do hope that if it becomes just a Water park, that Arkansas Twister is kept. It would make sense due to its location, and costs to operate a single coaster I'm sure would be significantly less than operating an entire theme park.

I agree. There are a handful of parks that are all water park with one wooden coaster and it seems to work for them.

 

I still hope the park keeps the dry side and is just in the process of reorganizing it.

 

The REIT that owns it isn't going to put huge investments into it. At least I think they wouldn't. Water park expansions are much cheaper than a major coaster. More bang for the buck. It seems like they are trying to sell most of what they have held for while yet taking on new properties it the same time. They sold Elitch last year yet picked up a former Knott's water park.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
CNL will likely keep the Space Shot in the chain. They did the same thing a few years ago when they moved one to Darien Lake. It's still a very popular attraction, but capacity is a big issue. Waits are rarely lower than 45 minutes, making it the longest or one of the longest in the park.

Screamscape has just reported that Wild Waves in Washington has just posted a teaser saying that something big is coming soon. The graphics look like some sort of a drop tower. Do you think this could be the space shot from Magic Springs?

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^ The park really isn't worth a visit, not even just for the credits. Crowds are high on Saturdays.

 

1.) There really isn't that many credits there. What 4, if you don't count the children's coaster. The credits aren't even that great.

 

2.) Operations are awful. Everything from attractions, to food.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't waste my time with the park. The last visit we had there was the LAST visit we will ever make to the park. Worst park experience we have ever had. Anywhere.

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I would always rather visit a crappy park and make my own judgement. With that said set your expectations low. The only redeeming thing about the park is x-Coaster. Some compare the Mauuer Sohne Sky Loop to Premier's Sky Rocket model, but I much prefer the Sky Loop.

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I would always rather visit a crappy park and make my own judgement. With that said set your expectations low. The only redeeming thing about the park is x-Coaster. Some compare the Mauuer Sohne Sky Loop to Premier's Sky Rocket model, but I much prefer the Sky Loop.

 

 

Solid advice. Like Larry said, if you plan on visiting the park, set your expectations low. Then if it's a good experience you'll be surpirsed!! X-Coaster is by far the best ride in the park.

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Well, there's really two considerations here. On the one hand, Magic Springs without Crystal Falls is unredeemably terrible. We went in the summer and had a good time, but that was only because of the waterpark.

 

On the other hand, this is also a park that seems to be removing rides every year, so it's a matter of getting there before it's completely gone. X-Coaster is unique in the US, and it is actually fun. Capacity is awful, and operations are awful, but once you actually get to ride it, it is good. It also cannot be moved, so it's going to be scrapped when they finally decide to get rid of all the rides--and that day is coming.

 

So weighing that, I'd say go. You want to ride X-Coaster for the uniqueness of the experience. You do not want to ride anything else there. Screw getting credits. You really do not want to ride anything that is not X-Coaster. Trust me on this. Just spend all day riding X-Coaster, leave happy, and never go here ever again.

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You want to ride X-Coaster for the uniqueness of the experience. You do not want to ride anything else there. Screw getting credits. You really do not want to ride anything that is not X-Coaster. Trust me on this. Just spend all day riding X-Coaster, leave happy, and never go here ever again.

 

 

Yes. This. So much. This.

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Well, there's really two considerations here. On the one hand, Magic Springs without Crystal Falls is unredeemably terrible. We went in the summer and had a good time, but that was only because of the waterpark.

 

On the other hand, this is also a park that seems to be removing rides every year, so it's a matter of getting there before it's completely gone. X-Coaster is unique in the US, and it is actually fun. Capacity is awful, and operations are awful, but once you actually get to ride it, it is good. It also cannot be moved, so it's going to be scrapped when they finally decide to get rid of all the rides--and that day is coming.

 

So weighing that, I'd say go. You want to ride X-Coaster for the uniqueness of the experience. You do not want to ride anything else there. Screw getting credits. You really do not want to ride anything that is not X-Coaster. Trust me on this. Just spend all day riding X-Coaster, leave happy, and never go here ever again.

 

My thought on Magic Springs is that it's the Poor Man's Dollywood. Also the park like Wild Adventures is on the surface of the sun.

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^ I'd say that opinion is very unfair to Dollywood. When I think of Dollywood, I think of great food, great shows, efficient operations, and friendly staff. At Magic Springs, there are no shows, the staff will get around to starting a ride someday, and just approaching a food service location and proposing an exchange of currency for some food is unsafe for those with high blood pressure.

 

Crystal Falls is legitimately a great waterpark, and that's how I set the expectation with my kids: That we were going to a waterpark that also has some rides. I have nothing but good things to say about Crystal Falls. I just would never consider visiting Magic Springs when Crystal Falls isn't open.

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^ I'd say that opinion is very unfair to Dollywood. When I think of Dollywood, I think of great food, great shows, efficient operations, and friendly staff. At Magic Springs, there are no shows, the staff will get around to starting a ride someday, and just approaching a food service location and proposing an exchange of currency for some food is unsafe for those with high blood pressure.

 

Very true statement. Dollywood and Magic Springs are no where near comparable. . . The are seriously polar opposites.

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^ I'd say that opinion is very unfair to Dollywood. When I think of Dollywood, I think of great food, great shows, efficient operations, and friendly staff. At Magic Springs, there are no shows, the staff will get around to starting a ride someday, and just approaching a food service location and proposing an exchange of currency for some food is unsafe for those with high blood pressure.

 

Very true statement. Dollywood and Magic Springs are no where near comparable. . . The are seriously polar opposites.

 

 

They're both on hilly terrain. I haven't been to many hilly parks.

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^ I'd say that opinion is very unfair to Dollywood. When I think of Dollywood, I think of great food, great shows, efficient operations, and friendly staff. At Magic Springs, there are no shows, the staff will get around to starting a ride someday, and just approaching a food service location and proposing an exchange of currency for some food is unsafe for those with high blood pressure.

 

Very true statement. Dollywood and Magic Springs are no where near comparable. . . The are seriously polar opposites.

 

 

They're both on hilly terrain. I haven't been to many hilly parks.

Okay, well in that way they are the same. They're also both in the South.... And yeah, that's it.

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My thought on Magic Springs is that it's the Poor Man's Dollywood. Also the park like Wild Adventures is on the surface of the sun.

 

I'm sorry, what? How on earth is Magic Springs anything at all like Dollywood? I guess they are both technically parks with roller coasters, but that's about where the similarities end...

 

Like others have said, set your expectations low and be prepared to make your own fun out of the experience. I actually really enjoyed my visit to Hot Springs/MS awhile back. The coasters feel like they don't actually have a maintenance staff at the park, and the ride operators are scant and barely seem to care about actually putting people through the ride. It took several minutes to dispatch on Big Bad John, for example. BUT, X-Coaster is a pretty crazy experience, and if you are a wooden coaster masochistic like myself then Arkansas Twister is a unique thrill.

 

I still hope they don't gut the rides section anymore. It is what it is for now, but with a little work it could be OK. They just need a LOT more misters, more focus on water park and water attractions, and focus on quality for the rides they keep/add.

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  • 4 weeks later...
I plan on taking a quick trip to Hot Springs, AR on Oct. 22. I was wondering do anyone know how crowd levels are on Saturdays. I'm not a big fan of the haunts, and really just visiting for the credits and leave. Any tips?

 

 

Please post a trip report. I'm curious as to how your visit was.

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I plan on taking a quick trip to Hot Springs, AR on Oct. 22. I was wondering do anyone know how crowd levels are on Saturdays. I'm not a big fan of the haunts, and really just visiting for the credits and leave. Any tips?

 

 

Please post a trip report. I'm curious as to how your visit was.

 

Sadly, things didn't work out as planned. Work and other life obligations got in the way. I guess it all comes with being an adult. LOL. But I still do have plans of visiting one day in the near future. My 2017 theme park list is already done, and Magic Springs isn't on it. But who knows, LIFE FINDS A WAY.

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Chaos theory is a great way to describe Magic Springs.

 

But don't worry. Just plan to go when the waterpark is open, and you'll have a good time. It's a very good waterpark. All descriptions of crappiness at this park are appropriate to the ride side only. And make sure you ride Diamond Mine Run, their children's coaster. It's the second best ride in the park.

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