Bye bye Astroworld! - CoasterBuzz

I want to do that as well. Perhaps the second-to-last week in October.

What exactly is the parking arrangement for Astroworld on Saturdays?

That's exactly the weekend we're looking at going, I believe (Oct 21-23). If anyone else is planning on being there, feel free to PM me.

-Nate

Even me, Nate?;)

Meh, I am just hoping the coasters will be shipped to other SF parks. My October weekends are booked. ;-)

I heard the park sucked, so I guess I won't be missing anything. Has SFFT or SFOT showed any interest in *adopting* the coasters?

-Tina

The airport is on the north side of town and the park is a little south of downtown, but it's certainly do-able.

You could take the 102 Metro bus from the airport to downtown ($1.50), and then take the Metrorail ($1) from downtown to the park vicninity. I'm not sure if the $2 24-hr Metro pass is valid on the airport run.

http://ridemetro.org/

coasterdude318 said:
A couple of us are planning a last-minute trip to SFAW to experience the park before it's gone forever. In order to do the trip as cheaply as possible, we're looking at the possibility of flying into Houston and visiting the park without renting a car.
Would any of the locals (or those familiar with the area) be able to tell me how easy it is to get from the airport (Bush) to SFAW and back?
I know there's a public transportation/light rail system in Houston. How easy is it to use (specifically to get from Bush to downtown to SFAW)?
I appreciate any and all feedback.
-Nate

Keep in mind it's no mystery why they are staying open through Halloween. Fright Fest is VERY VERY popular in Houston. It's a lot of fun, just expect very large crowds, on top of the last season visitors, and I would get ready for possible even capasity levels reached. The sooner you can visit the better.

AS Cake pointed out, you can take the local buses to downtown, and then catch the train to the park. I would strongly suggest Hobby if at all possible. It's just smaller and easier/faster to get downtown.

My email is Frightman@hotmail.com

If you have any question I can probably help! I know the park and the city very well. Guess I should after 43 years....

Mark *** Edited 9/15/2005 1:06:11 PM UTC by Markieb***

coasterqueenTRN said:

I heard the park sucked, so I guess I won't be missing anything. Has SFFT or SFOT showed any interest in *adopting* the coasters?
-Tina

You heard wrong. To bad you can't find out for yourself. I don't think it sucked, my son doesn't either.

I love all these comments from people who have written off SFAW as sucking who have never been there.

Sure, it wasn't perfect but I liked it. i have been to plenty of parks I like less. *** Edited 9/15/2005 3:01:10 PM UTC by Coaster Cynic***

Corporate had been nice to the park the last few years allowing money for painting jobs, clean up, and service training! It was amazing what the park was able to do in the last two years when they actually had funding!

Coaster Cynic said:
You heard wrong. To bad you can't find out for yourself. I don't think it sucked, my son doesn't either.

The general consensus is that the park sucked, and I agree to an extent. Sure, the locals may like it, but they don't have much of a choice, do they? I've been there, and it sucked.

i have been to plenty of parks I like less.

I don't know if I can say that though, it's down there with Visionland but I can't think of too many parks I've visited that I hated more.

It's a hate-it-or-love it type of place I do believe, and a lot of folks hate it.

*** Edited 9/15/2005 4:14:29 PM UTC by Jophish***

There's a lot of talk about how SF neglected to add new attractions (at least in part due to parking) to keep attedance up, and how *that* was responsible for the eventual demise.

Personally, I think they had the rides they needed *already in place*, and had they treated their guests as, well, guests, then the attenadance wouldn't have dwindled thusly...

I didn't hate the park....but I did *despise* the way it was operated...

rollergator said:
There's a lot of talk about how SF neglected to add new attractions (at least in part due to parking) to keep attedance up, and how *that* was responsible for the eventual demise.
Personally, I think they had the rides they needed *already in place*, and had they treated their guests as, well, guests, then the attenadance wouldn't have dwindled thusly...
I didn't hate the park....but I did *despise* the way it was operated...

Poor attendance is not the real reason for the park's demise. Astroworld's performance was consistant with other Six Flags properties in similiar sized markets. Also, when Six Flags finally added something new to the park after three years of REMOVING attractions the attendance drop stabilized. You've got to bring something new to the table just to maintain attendance in parks let alone grow it.

And what exactly do you mean by "treating the guests as guests"? What did you consider different at Astroworld vs other Six Flags parks?

And what exactly do you mean by "treating the guests as guests"? What did you consider different at Astroworld vs other Six Flags parks?

Probably nothing - that's the problem. :)

coasterimage - lordgonchar

I know this sounds bad, but when can we begin the "free agent draft" on the SFAW rides?

According to all the news stories:

"The sale is subject to the approval of Six Flags’ bank lenders."

Unless the lenders have given their approval any talk of where the rides go is putting the cart before the horse. There is a possibility the park will return next year if they do not agree to this plan.

Do you really think that they'll say no?

"Life's What You Make It, So Let's Make It Rock!"

There is always that possibility, however slim that might be.

Fierce Pancake said:
And what exactly do you mean by "treating the guests as guests"? What did you consider different at Astroworld vs other Six Flags parks?

Honestly, I've still got four SF parks to get to, so I can't say "as opposed to ALL the other SF parks". But, as a quick example, we'll take Viper. Required two riders PER ROW. Fair enough, not necesary or reasonable (Frontier City has the SAME ride, no such rule). But hey, we'll go with it. First thing the ops do is yell out that they need *A* single rider to fill a seat. Takes a few minutes...no big deal. Then they proceed to the NEXT row, and the process beings again. During the third time at this, the guests on board are getting annoyed and start swapping seats with their riding partners. On the FOURTH iteration of having people walk around/over/thru the people waiting in the station, they finally get everyone IN the train. Coulda just paired up the singles in the station, filled two more rows, and dispatched in....about two minute tops.

A twenty minute dispatch isn't really that bad...well, OK, it's horrendous! But all the while this INSANITY is going on, the ops are getting QUITE rude with the guests..."Didn't you read the signs", etc.

I call 'em EXACTLY like I see 'em....SFAW was FAR and away the least hospitable park in the chain. Even my personal whipping-boy park, MiA, showed no such *outright hostility*. PGA did come closer....but at AstroWorld, not only the employees, but the park management as well, *hated* the people who came thru the gates....and it showed.

I don't enjoy saying that, it makes me quite sad actually....but better that I tell it like it was in the hopes that other parks can read this and learn how NOT to run a park...

For what its worth, the two rider per row rule on Viper was due to this being a looping rollercoaster with no OTSR or seat divider. For 2005 they added a non-obtrusive seat divider to fix just this sort of problem and allow single riders.

rollergator said:
Fierce Pancake said:
And what exactly do you mean by "treating the guests as guests"? What did you consider different at Astroworld vs other Six Flags parks?
But, as a quick example, we'll take Viper. Required two riders PER ROW. Fair enough, not necesary or reasonable (Frontier City has the SAME ride, no such rule). But hey, we'll go with it...

Actually not so! That problem was a common complaint and addressed. Seat dividers were installed on Viper and Greezed Lighting to avoid having to look for a single rider. Hum, those people at AW just might have been listening and resolving cutomers issues after all.

Its no use. people have their opinions based on one or 2 visits years ago and they will not believe anything else.

FWIW, I have had far worse experiences at SFMM and SFGAv but that is just my opinion based on a few visits years ago so it might not be valid anymore. (Never had a bad time at SFGAM)

Anyone who visits SFAW regularly, knows thw truth. They saw things slip and pick up again.

So there is no point in arguing with the SFAW sucks crowd. They have their opinion.