I was wondering what everyone thinks about SFMM

I'd rather ride Ghostrider and Montezooma's Revenge 8 times each than go on all of the coasters at SFMM once. Just as I'd rather spend a day at Indiana Beach, Knoebels, Holiday World or Lake Compounce before spending a day at any SF, CF or Paramount park.

GIGAFORCE said:

"You notice that most local people who went their often before, generally hate the park more(Mamoosh). Thats b/c they have been on most if not all rides. So if one of the coasters that is shut down is the one they want to ride their more upset."

Sorry but you're wrong. As I said earlier if every single coaster at SFMM was open on the same day that every single coaster at Knotts was closed, I'd still pick Knotts. Yes, I am a coaster enthusiast but if you take coasters out of the equation I find I have more to do at Knotts than SFMM.

Nice try, tho ;)

Silly Brett, being tied for most is still "most" to SF and can include lawn ornaments, "loop-shaped turns", reverse freefalls while conveniently forgetting about kiddie coasters (Beastie), giant vibrators (TTD), and *gasp* giant kiddie coasters (MF) at other parks. Not that they've ever done that. :)

+Danny

I think it comes down to age for many enthusiasts. Many younger enthusiasts tend to like quantity over quality. Older enthusiasts, like myself, tend to fall into the category of park enthusiasts, rather than coaster enthusiasts. I tend to agree with Moosh. I would sooner spend a day at Knott's with all the coasters down than I would if all the coasters at the Mountain are open, and that's with 6 of the 16 coasters at the Mountain not on my track record.

Liar! You know as well that I do Bob that coasters are the only thing that matter at parks. Who cares about silly things like Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Acrophobia, Cedar Downs, Flying Eagles, Men In Black, Power Tower, Spiderman, Delirium, Shrek 4D, Drop Zone, Mission: Space, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomb Raider, Journey to Atlantis, etc.? Parks need to stop trying to be cute and adding this variety to make them more well-rounded and get back to adding the "giga, giga, giga"s!

+Danny, or not :)

It's not coasters that matter... it's RECORD BREAKING coasters! Who needs Blue Streak when you have TTD?

Danny, the correct term is "giggity giggity giggity" ;)

I don't care about Power Tower at all, guess that means I'm a-ok with a coasters-only park ;)

Sorry, I forgot about all those extra categories - also don't forget that if you can even look upside down, there's potential for it to be called a loop, yet another opportunity for world-record breaking ...

Actually, Danny, it's the number of coasters and a good gravy buffet that matters!

Ohh, I can see it all so clearly now. They're retheming the Flying Eagles to a Gravy Buffet family spinning coaster where they make the tubs into giant biscuits or mashed potatoes and the wings are giant pork chops that you can steer to make the cars spin. The final splashdown is into a huge bowl of gravy and if that isn't enough, an ACEr will jump out of a gravy boat and squirt you in the eye like the elephant on Wild Thornberries. What a way to make everyone happy, enthusiasts and all! You knew it all along, Bob. Absolutely brilliant! ;)

+Danny

I just want to say I was there one day when all 16 coasters were open. Rode Flashback, Deja Vu, and Superman's left side all in one day. I don't see what the problem with Flashback being closed so much is though...

I agree, GoliathKilla. Who cares if every coaster is open? You won't have time to ride them anyway (and who wants to ride Flashback, it sounds awful).

I went to Magic Mountain with high expectations, and didn't have too many problems at all! But that was only one day, I'd still trust the people who have been going for thirty years. ;) *** Edited 10/19/2004 9:54:23 PM UTC by PT300***

I just got back from a trip to LA to visit the Disneyland resort, Knott's and MAgic Mountain. I was so excited to go to the mountain, i had been looking at pictures and watching videos of the place before i left because this was going to be my first visit ever. This was my first and last visit unless something huge comes there and they get their act together. This was the biggest dissapointment in my amusement park life. I was expecting this place to be awesome, no not at all, I will say the rides i rode in the 10 hours i was there (Riddler's Revnege, Goliath, Viper, and X twice) were all awesome, but that is five rides in 10 hours, and its not like me and my sister were wasteing time or anything, we were waiting in line for about 9 out of the 10 hours we were there. The other hour is for the time we were on the rides, the walks to get to the rides, and then lunch. First thing we did in the morning was get in line for X, it was 10 in the morning when we got in line, when the whole park opens, but oh no X wasnt open yet, they had just started there test runs....with ONE train, let me remind you this was just last saturday the 16th, so they had not opened the bridge yet and the line was a 2 hour wait but we waited and we were the next people to get on the ride and its about 11:45 now and they announce, X is currently in the process of loading a second train onto the track...i couldnt beleive how stupid they can be. so i rode it and it was awesome and i bought to on-ride pic. next we went to ride Goliath and that was about an hour and a half with 2 trains running, ya know they give you 3 trains for a reason, that was pretty sweet too. Next was lunch, the worst experience of the day, the most over priced food i have ever bought. I know all parks are high on food but this was horrible, they make you buy a soda with your meal and i got a buger and fries and the fries were cold as well as the burger, before this my sister and i were just a little annyoed with the park, now we were pissed, $20.55 for a burger meal and chicken fingers meal how stupid. next up was the Riddler's Revenge. The line didnt look too long so since they were running 2 trains maybe we were going to catch a break for once, no not this time. about halfway though the queue they take one of the trains off, one train operation...it took F....O....R....E....V....E....R and when we got in the loading platform it was like a big mob of people and we didnt understand what line everyoe was in and there was a ride op right there directing people when to come in the platform, but he looked to be about 10 and had no idea on what was going on. now that more than half the day is over we go to check out to see how long superman is, way too long, and it just broke down. Then we walk back to Viper and ride that front row and it only took about 45 minutes, the only "break" we caught all day. Now it was about 5:15 and we go back to see if we either want to ride X again or just leave this hell hole. Since i'm from Missouri and never go to the west coast we decided to wait in the 2 and a half hour wait with 2 trains still running, that got to be the slowest moving line in the world, the weird thing is, the actual number of people in line most likely wasnt that many, they just take forever to load. So we rode it was once again awesome, especially at night, then at about 8 we left and are not planning on going back anytime soon. If you love Cedar Point, and go there often, like I do, you most likely are going to hat MM. Its dirty, nothing is run how its supposed to, the staff is very unfriendly, they have potential to become one hell of a park if they just get their act together. X is deffinetly deserving of another home, somewhere where it can be run how it should be. The next day I went to Knott's and DCA and Disneyland, i thought i was in heaven, irode Xcelerator 7 times and 3 times without getting off...in the first row. and i rode probably about 17 rides in 3 housr at Knott's. Go to Knott's go to Disney, or maybe Universal, or evne go down to Sea World. But do not go to the mountain, it will only piss you off.

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Mamoosh said:
GIGAFORCE said:

"You notice that most local people who went their often before, generally hate the park more(Mamoosh). Thats b/c they have been on most if not all rides. So if one of the coasters that is shut down is the one they want to ride their more upset."

Sorry but you're wrong. As I said earlier if every single coaster at SFMM was open on the same day that every single coaster at Knotts was closed, I'd still pick Knotts. Yes, I am a coaster enthusiast but if you take coasters out of the equation I find I have more to do at Knotts than SFMM.

Nice try, tho ;)

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If that was the case I'd just go to Disneyland and experience some dark ride goodness :P

Oh, I pick Disneyland and DCA over Magic Mountain, too ;) In fact the only major LA park that loses to SFMM in a head-to-head for my time and money is Universal, and yes I've been on Mummy [zzzzzzzzzzzz....].

Kickthesky said,

"I think it comes down to age for many enthusiasts"

Your probably right KickTheSky I am only 16 and have been on only 39 coasters so far. So going to a park with more coasters is a bigger deal than it is to many of you. I am not saying I don't like park atmosphere ECT. it just does not mean as much to me as it does to others. Hay I can't stand it when I pay 3 bucks for a bottle of water at SFNE when I here at Holiday world soft drinks are free. Or when there is one train operation on Superman.

So I guess it comes down to what your looking for.

I have never been to Magic Mountain.Can it really be that bad!

I don't know what else I can add to this topic other than this...and I love Magic Mountain.

The park is most definitly not what it used to be, and I think it all started with Batman. Its honestly depressing and sad for me, just like the "Flying Eagles" ride that was closing. I remember going to Magic Mountain with such high hopes for having a great day, with the smells of the park's funnel cakes, and the ride's oils. Those days aren't completely obsolete yet, but they sure as hell are getting there. I just had so many great days at this place, and when I hear that people have nothing but a crappy time, It seriously hits me in the gut. I mean, I'm an easy going guy and there are just things that infuriate me sometimes when I go to the park.

Like last Friday, I didn't want to run all the way over to Scream!, so I asked a park manager (because he was walking around the park) "Did Scream! open for operation today?" He was very nice, and definitly looked interested in helping me, and he answered "Yes, it did." Sweet! I said to myself, and proceeded to run towards the ride. So I get there, and its closed. I ask a worker "Has it been open at all today?" and he says "Nope." Now, I can accept it, It still pissed me off a MANAGER of the park blatently lied to me cause he didn't know, but what about a little kid? A kid who's looking so forward to the ride all day, and its closed? I mean, I can understand how it would break that kids heart, cause It would break mine if I was 9.

I mean, I always give this park the benefit of the doubt, because I want it all to be okay, but its harder each visit to think it is. The Potential at this park KILLS me each time I go there. So much freaking potential, so few things that could make this park the best. Get the rides going, 2 trains each. Not a difficult task, its an amusement park for gods sake. Open up those resturants, Laughing Dragon Pizza Co, All the stores, get stuff flowing. Keep the park clean! I mean, these are basic things vital to a parks success. BASIC. And if MM just did the basic things, this park would be so unbelievable, its not even funny. It used to be unbelievable, I remember those days. And these are basic things, imagine if they went above and beyond...the park would be unstoppable.

I'm not saying don't make a trip to the Mountain, cause I still love my trips each time I go. Its a beautiful park, with great coasters. But if you go in with the attitude that nothings going to dissapoint you...if you go in with the attitude its going to be like Disneyland...its going to be a rough day.

Can it really be that bad? My answer is definitly not. This stuff just compacts and compacts and gets worse and worse. Yes some of these things happen, but they happen to single individuals on seperate day to day occasions. My point...it looks so much worse cause your reading it all at once. My guess is, you'll encounter 1 of these problems during your day.

I love this park and will not part with it until its really gone. Some people have the same opinion, some people don't. I'd rather go to Magic Mountain any day of the week than visit Knotts with all of its rides. Theres really no other place like the Mountain. On my recent trip to Cedar Point, coasters there are Sub-Par to the coasters at Magic Mountain. I hope you decide to visit Magic Mountain and decide for yourself if you like it, I think you'll be surprised, its definitly not as bad as people make it out to be.

20 bucks for 2 meals...and some of you are complaining? An Ice Cream bar at Disneyland is 4.75!! A bag of popcorn is 5 bucks! C'mon people! lol.

James *** Edited 10/20/2004 9:30:31 AM UTC by ziggyziggmuff***

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Mamoosh said:
Oh, I pick Disneyland and DCA over Magic Mountain, too ;) In fact the only major LA park that loses to SFMM in a head-to-head for my time and money is Universal, and yes I've been on Mummy [zzzzzzzzzzzz....].

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I haven't been to Universal since.... Jaws was the main attraction :P Somewhere in the early 80's. I might make an appearance at some point to get in another credit.

Just realized... 17th passed and I forgot to reply that I wasn't going to be able to make it to KBF. Ugh. Gotta get better at replying to my emails ;) Hope you guys had fun at least!

I like SFMM, and I want to love it like I used to. Its a very pretty park...in the hills with nice (sometimes steep) hills throughout the park itself.

What keeps me from loving it, is the increased lack of capacity, closed attractions and stores, and over reliance on roller coasters. Its been said many times that the amusement park experience is built on more than just roller coasters...that is sooo true.

Take my local park The Adventuredome. It has a single "adult" roller coaster, but packs em, because of the assortment of other attractions.

It seems to me the biggest problem is staffing. I remember back when each ride or ride area had a specific costume, that was cool. Now everyone is so lax there...theres no hustle among ride ops.