Green Lantern opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain

L.A. staff writer Brady MacDonald sez:

"Eventually, the rocking and spinning Green Lantern cars will be allowed to rotate more freely after the initial test-and-adjust phase, adding an extra layer of intimidation to an already exciting ride in the coming weeks."

Really? That seems odd to me, that they would intentionally provide a different experience to later riders than they would to opening day riders, or maybe odder still that they would say so. We know that rides can be and frequently are adjusted after opening, of course, but it's as if the park went ahead and promised the reporter that the ride will get "better". Who would do that? And actually this ride already seems to operate about the same as it's identical twin, Grona Lund's Insane, anyway.

I am willing to buy the idea that, as is, the coaster is more intense than it looks and I would look forward to trying it. I'll just hope and pray for one of those slow days...

Nothing to do with this thread, but as someone who's not familiar with MM and will not get there anytime soon, if ever...what's that black and blue coaster in the background of a few shots in this video?

You mean Batman:The ride?

RCMAC said:
L.A. staff writer Brady MacDonald sez:

"Eventually, the rocking and spinning Green Lantern cars will be allowed to rotate more freely after the initial test-and-adjust phase, adding an extra layer of intimidation to an already exciting ride in the coming weeks."

Maybe they just mean that it's going to break in?

I don't understand the concern with the capacity of this coaster at this park. If people want to stand in line for hours on end then good for them. If they don't want to stand in line for hours then good for them. Either way the individual is making their own choice as to what to do.

While I understand that idea, Shades, I look at it a bit differently. I think that the park should be responsible for keeping lines short, as to create a good value for the customer. They have a few ways that they can do so, but installing a high-profile low-capacity ride is not one of them.

The longer the wait times, the lower the value one gets from their admission.

LostKause said:
While I understand that idea, Shades, I look at it a bit differently. I think that the park should be responsible for keeping lines short, as to create a good value for the customer. They have a few ways that they can do so, but installing a high-profile low-capacity ride is not one of them.

So they can't install certain types of rides because of capacity issues?

The longer the wait times, the lower the value one gets from their admission.

Wouldn't not offering certain kinds of rides lower the value in a different way?

Seems like a catch-22 to me.

It is about the rides, right? Eschewing certain rides because of lines/capacity seems to be missing the point entirely.

^^I see your perspective and I agree with it to a point, but for a park like Magic Mountain with all of their coasters I feel it is OK for them to put in something with low capacity. They have so many choices that a slow line doesn't hurt them.

The more rides you have, the higher your total capacity. If attendance doesn't change, that means lines get shorter.

^ Best point in the thread

How many points can I award Gonch for proper use of "eschewing". Almost felt like I'd left America for a second there... ;)

That is a good point, Jeff.

And to totally go against my ideas on the subject yet again, I have never waited in line for the Mad Mouse at Hersheypark any longer than any other coaster at the park, and that's as good as an example as I can think of. :)

Irks me that the whole "this ride doesn't belong in this park because of low capacity" mentality is still going about.

There are certain rides that are low capacity by nature of their design. I'm sure if Intamin could pull of a stacked-track coaster design with a train of 30 riders that replicates the experience just the same, they would do it. But it doesn't work. Individual cars provide the kind of thrills and sensations that characterize these coasters. And just because a park the size of Magic Mountain puts in something like a ZacSpin doesn't make it a poor decision on management's behalf.

It's up to the park guest to decide whether or not their time is worth waiting for the experience they will have on said attraction.

There are so many "large" parks that have relatively low-capacity roller coaster. It's a bit funny that Green Lantern is getting a ton of heat about it all of a sudden.

One forgets.. long lines means more profit (high priced drink/candy sales at the conveniently placed vending machines and booths along the queue)

Actually, if people are waiting in long slow lines it means they have less opportunity to spend money.

Never thought of it that way, but it definetely makes sense..

I'm with LK on this one. To me the issue is that with a new ride, prices go up and park attendance goes up. If capacity doesn't also go up proportionally (resulting in the inability to ride the new ride without waiting half a day), the overall value goes down.

^ with regional parks, attendance isn't going to go up much (not like say, a Universal park would). Besides, by that way of thinking, parks should never add flat rides or non-coaster rides, because nine times out of ten, those are going to be lower capacity.

Besides, I think it's unrealistic to expect parks to shell out for large B&M or Intamin rides ever time out, especially in this economy, where most parks are just trying to maintain.

ApolloAndy said:
I'm with LK on this one. To me the issue is that with a new ride, prices go up and park attendance goes up. If capacity doesn't also go up proportionally (resulting in the inability to ride the new ride without waiting half a day), the overall value goes down.

Or at least, perceived value; strictly from a costume standpoint. Maybe that's why they're pushing for so many new rides in succession to balance it out a bit?

Wow, thanks for agreeing with me Andy. It's rare for anyone to admit that they agree with something I say here at CB. :p

John Knotts, respectfully, most new flat rides aren't going to have the exposure or get people as excited as a new coaster. There are a few exceptions. I think it probably depends on how much a park is willing to market whatever new flat they are installing, and that decision probably comes from how popular they think the ride will be.

While I do believe that a lot of parks might have this whole issue down to a science, it's probably way beyond the scope of understanding without notebooks full of documentation.