Overdue Six Flags Magic Mountain Trip Report

[TacAlert]

And of course im not pathitic enough to notice if there were too leaves on the floor, come on. It takes more than a year to change a park for the better (*cough* California *cough* Adventure) but both parks can be enjoyable with the positive attidue...

Blackout, please be careful with the pathetic remark. AGAIN, we are not complaining about the leaves. That was in reference to a remark that the MM president made about challenging the employees to pick up the leaves in the park. IT IS MEANT AS A JOKE ONLY by us. LEaves are going to be on the ground. Everyone knows that. It was just a crazy statement for him to make considering the park has hundreds, if not thousands of trees and there are going to be leaves on the ground.

And did we have to put a DCA remark in here?

[BlAcKoUt510]

AGAIN, we are not complaining about the leaves. That was in reference to a remark that the MM president made about challenging the employees to pick up the leaves in the park.

And did we have to put a DCA remark in here?

Ha of corse thats why when people are taking it seriously I'm like come on.

And i needed something to compare sorry hahaha.

[JerrodDRagon]

MM is just for fun, its not like DL or Universal. Its fun just to go there ride some rides and go home.

[perlster]

Not that I needed to see those photos, but I haven't felt a great need to visit SFMM since I was there for Tatsu media day. When the real estate market turns around, maybe there will be nice new condos there.

[Alexinla]

Magic Mountain is going nowere, they had a stellar year. Plus new coasters for 2009 and another one in 2010, plus Wiggles World for the families. No condos, that's for sure!

[perlster]

I'm not particular - if not condos, then an institution for the criminally insane ..

[PeoplemoverMatt]

Not that I needed to see those photos, but I haven't felt a great need to visit SFMM since I was there for Tatsu media day. When the real estate market turns around, maybe there will be nice new condos there.

I'm not particular - if not condos, then an institution for the criminally insane ..

I'm sure the park management isn't really losing any sleep over your not being there. The new management, which has been there for almost 2 full years now, so I'm not quite sure I can still call them "new" IS trying to turn the park around, but they can't waive the Fairy Godmother's wand over the park and fix EVERYTHING in that time. Six Flags' corporate management being out of touch, the stock price being dangerously low, the debt being dangerously high and the economy not helping anyone are just a few of the things in their way from doing what they'd like to do to improve things.

Remember when Matt Ouitmet came to Disneyland and turned that park in a new direction? He had the luxury of having access to Disney's coffers to institute what I call "The Year of the Refurb" when just about everything went down in order to make Disneyland its best for its 50th Anniversary. Jay Thomas, Park President of Magic Mountain, unfortunately doesn't have access to those coffers, or ones anywhere close to their size. But what he does have is the right vision. I know that because I've met & talked with the man more than once. The park is headed in the right direction, and hopefully what's seen in those pictures will be gone someday, never to return.

[perlster]

I'm sure the park management isn't really losing any sleep over your not being there.

I'm sure no one on this board is losing any sleep because you have blinders on about SFMM.


(pointless to continue - so used ignore list to end this)

[JesterMn]

Perlster, I don't know what blinders you're wearing, but PeopleMoverMatt is absolutely correct. The current SFMM management does have the vision and desire (I sat in with a Q & A with them), but only has the funding to fix things practically one at a time. They are well aware of the problems, and are tackling things as best they can. Give them a break.

[sediment]

Sounds like SFMM has to increase its revenue per guest quotient, in order to pay enough employees to stay long enough to learn and do their jobs.
One quick way to do that is to align revenues with expenses. Guests create expenses, so they should generate revenue in a relative fashion, instead of paying once and crewating expenses all season long.

Roller Coaster operation failure is one of two things: employees not being trained well enough to handle the work, or poor maintenance causing automatic safety features to delay cycling frequency.
(No, I don't work at an amusement park. Just common sense.)

Also, the operations management doesn't seem to concern itself with customer service metrics such as wait times and cycling frequency. Then again, customers who paid very little for their day of enjoyment probably don't feel the need to complain. Other customers who paid far too much to enter a poorly maintained park might complain, but will likely never return with their hard-earned dollars for a few years.
(Yes, this rant is very similar to the one I always rant.)

Leaves belong on the ground, and can be swept up after hours efficently with a machine. And since it is Fall, one should not expect a leaf-clean park. Even the President of the park. With a statement like that, he seems to have no idea what he is doing. And the OP trip report, though anecdotal in nature, provides further evidence of that opinion.

Last summer, I drove 50 miles to SFMM to drop my kid off (he had a free pass), drove home, then drove back to pick him up. That is how much I would rather not pay to go there.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

I'm sure no one on this board is losing any sleep because you have blinders on about SFMM. (pointless to continue - so used ignore list to end this)

Let me see if I understand you here. You're the one who's going to use the ignore list so you can't see any replies, but I'm the one putting blinders on. Gotcha.

Last summer, I drove 50 miles to SFMM to drop my kid off (he had a free pass), drove home, then drove back to pick him up. That is how much I would rather not pay to go there.

Well I think the choice potential SFMM guests face now is they can either go to SFMM now and experience it in its current state of trying to climb out of its hole that it admittedly fell into, or wait a few years for the improvement plans to really take shape. It's going to cost basically the same either way.

So I feel like anyone who chooses the former, knowing that the park's trying to climb out of its doldrums but those doldrums are still readily apparent, accepts whatever state of ugly that they find the park in. If you know what you'll likely see and go anyway, please don't complain about it to me.

Anyone who knows what they'll likely see and chooses not to go, more power to you. I feel like that's the smarter financial choice right now. But keep your eyes & ears out for that "all clear" to be given, because there will come a day when Magic Mountain is a great park to visit again. It just can't happen overnight.

[JesterMn]

Roller Coaster operation failure is one of two things: employees not being trained well enough to handle the work, or poor maintenance causing automatic safety features to delay cycling frequency.
(No, I don't work at an amusement park. Just common sense.)

I'm confused... was anyone talking about roller coaster operation failure? If you're talking about having only one train running, I don't think that's generally operation failure. It may be a slow day and/or economics. Or that 2nd/3rd train is unavailable due to maintenance. But I really don't know what you mean with operation failure.

BTW, the last few times I've been to SFMM (at least twice in the last six months), the vast majority of the coasters were having multiple train operation. Maybe everyone else is just going on a bad day, but my experiences have been very positive.

[sediment]

I'm confused... was anyone talking about roller coaster operation failure? If you're talking about having only one train running, I don't think that's generally operation failure. It may be a slow day and/or economics. Or that 2nd/3rd train is unavailable due to maintenance. But I really don't know what you mean with operation failure.

BTW, the last few times I've been to SFMM (at least twice in the last six months), the vast majority of the coasters were having multiple train operation. Maybe everyone else is just going on a bad day, but my experiences have been very positive.

I meant "failure" in not operating anywhere near capacity. One train running, 20 minutes between trains. Sounds like failure to me.
Not having properly maintained trains to go on very busy days. Sounds like "failure" in the maintenance area to me.
Perhaps it is the complicated nature of these new-fangled roller costers, with their extreme safety features that slow things down.
OP went in late July. On a Sunday. Maybe it was a perfect storm of some sort, with the second or third teams running the coasters. Maybe some members from different teams not getting into a groove. These things don't have to happen. Not on a Sunday in mid-summer.
Again, a lot of these problems are solved with additional revenue. Prepaid unlimited entrances is not helping anyone but the fanatic.

[Alexinla]

Where did you experience one train running with 20 minutes between trains?
Also, Jay Thomas has been there for about 18 months(not 3 years) and he sure did one heck of an amazing job during that time.

[sediment]

Where did you experience one train running with 20 minutes between trains?

I thought I saw a reference here about a 20-minute cycle time.