Magic Mountain’s X2 gets flamethrowers + other effects

hoffman -- trebuchets were used more for the flaming objects because they can launch things farther, but I imagine that yes catapults could be used for launching flaming objects as well.

In other news, I like my pancakes with syrup and a little bit of butter

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ApolloAndy said:
Hmm. What about catapults that launch flaming objects?

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You mean like PowderKeg: Blast in the Wilderness? ^_^

Knott's Jaguar! also used to have a flame-thrower effect, called the "Fireball" which blazed right above riders' heads as they coasted through the Aztec pyramid tunnel.

I don't know why so many of you are so worried about something happening. It's not like some in-park maintenance guy was appointed to build a blowtorch to burn us riders. This thing is going to have to go through inspections, regulations, etc. before it can actually be used and is the brainchild of those pyrotechnics that are responsible for the Backdraft shows at the Universal Studios parks. Last I remember, nobody ever got charred from those attractions.

I'm sure if Magic Mountain management found it to be completely unsafe to use this as an effect (given there are precautions and minimum distance requirements), they wouldn't be going through with it.

This'll definitely be a cool little effect for X2, especially at night.

"Hey, Bob? Have you noticed the water dummies coming back with melted heads?"

"Yeah. I think it's just hot out. No problem; let's open the ride."

"Sure, you first."

Every fire effect I have seen on rides is either well out of distance of the ride (not to mention no where near the ride track) or over head (and as we all know, heat and fire go up, not down.) Based on that drawing the flame will be shot off in an area where the coaster train could be if the timing is off.

Why is it that when I hear "roller coaster" and "flame thrower" the very next thing I think is, "Knoebel's High Speed Thrill Coaster"?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Wow...watch the opening to Magic Mountain's home page....

http://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/

EDIT: Wow that's bizarre. Right after I watched it, it wouldn't reload again, as if someone just took the flash off the page right after I saw it.

I'll try my best to describe it...it was pretty cool and very impressive. It looks like it might be the commercial the park might use once the ride opens...

It started off with the industrialistic X2 logo doing a 360 spin, then it began shaking (in front of the volcano backdrop) and all of a sudden these metal claws burst from below feet of the X logo and crunch into the ground. And all of a sudden the metal X starts splitting open and all these wires and metal things burst out from inside and then these red wire-y things start winding around the logo (it looks like some kind of alien vein things) and then it zooms in and it turns out to be the coaster's red track. The camera then pans and follows one of the winding red tracks and it shows a the new X2 train coasting down the track ahead (CGI generated of course, but looks EXACTLY like it does in real life) and other stuff happens and then it all gets sucked back into the X2 logo and then the ad stops.

From what I could tell, it was professionally done, by some ad agency...very cool ad, one of the coolest I've seen for a coaster. Hopefully they'll put it back up on the site.

And that typical TV commercial voice guy was narrating the whole thing...saying stuff like "Try to resist." and "It's almost here." "X Two."

*** Edited 5/2/2008 5:33:49 AM UTC by kRaXLeRidAh***

I'm pretty sure potential scenarios were examined before the final decision was made on adding this. Six Flags scrapped a perfectly fine albeit undercared for drop tower after the lack of said care caused a disaster. Something makes me think they're not fond of negative pub in regards to safety, which makes me certain they've researched this exhaustingly. The fact that they hired Univeral's guys also means something. While I'd rather let the 4-D coaster be a 4-D coaster, I wouldn't be surprised if teens these days like it, even if it may seem redundant to many here.

I don't get why everyone's all up in arms about this... Why does everyone think it's fine when Universal and Disney and hell, even Dollywood for crying out loud, shoot fire in your face, but as soon as you mention the possibility of Six Flags doing it, it's like you're talking about a toddler playing with matches and gasoline.

If they run with it, it'll be safe. End of story.

It just seems so...unnecessary.

How does it "seem so unnecessary"? I actually give kudos to them for actually trying to think out of the box and running with something that none of of us ever thought Six Flags would ever try to do.

Their coasters lack theming and substance, enthusiasses whine. Then they attempt to cook up a theme with cool sensory effects for a coaster and it's considered "unnecessary" or possibly perilous, and they still whine.

*shrugs*

I've never been to MM so it goes without saying that I've never ridden X but I have to wonder this: Was the ride not exciting enough without having to add all the other stimuli? Now before anybody goes on a rant, I'm not on either side of the argument with this. I just have to wonder if the design of the coaster itself isn't enough to thrill the daylights out of you and anything above that is kinda overkill... I will have to admit, those flames shooting out would be pretty cool to watch from the midway at night time! :)

^ The ride in its most basic form is too much to handle for a lot of people.

However, the effects, new paint, fogs, music, lights, and flamethrower are just a few aesthetic and technical changes the park is giving the ride so that they can somehow make a return on the multi-million dollar investment put into new vehicles by marketing X as "transformed" and as a totally "more extreme ride than before" to the consumer.

Are all the new bells and whistles on X unnecessary? Who knows? I say at this point, we all have to wait and see how these changes all come together when the ride reopens May 24th. The ride itself is incredible, so I'm confident whatever Six Flags adds on to the ride experience should not take away from it at all, but only add to it.

*** Edited 5/2/2008 7:19:10 AM UTC by kRaXLeRidAh***

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kRaXLeRidAh said:
The ride itself is incredible...

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Aww, you had me until right there. :)

This really is a dumb idea. Outside of the perceived safety issue from a park that can't even clean gum off a wooden pole, it's already hot as hell in the summer in Valencia. If they wanted to be revolutionary why not just throw ice cubes at the riders as they violently vibrate through the course.

Interesting. No one complained about Volcano and it's blast of fire. With the *theme* (as seen from the concept art) I think its a pretty cool idea.

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kRaXLeRidAh said:
Wow...watch the opening to Magic Mountain's home page....

http://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/

EDIT: Wow that's bizarre. Right after I watched it, it wouldn't reload again, as if someone just took the flash off the page right after I saw it.

I'll try my best to describe it...it was pretty cool and very impressive. It looks like it might be the commercial the park might use once the ride

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When I clicked on it it loaded just fine. That was absolutely the most incredible thing I've ever seen from Six Flags. The quality of that trailer was up there with the Disneys and Anheuser-Buschs. If this is a taste of what they meant when they said they're becoming a content company, it's very tantalizing.

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delan said:Interesting. No one complained about Volcano and it's blast of fire. With the *theme* (as seen from the concept art) I think its a pretty cool idea.

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Me too. my first thought were RotM (fire x2) and V:TBC. Then I remembered closing out the night on Avalanche and how cool that was.

Once the price of gas goes over $5/gal, they'll cut back on the flamethrower idea and start using hand-held Bic lighters. (Bic gets SF another corporate tie-in deal). :)

I'm with kRaX on this. I think this is a great idea---play to your strengths. If the new trains solve the wobble-problem then this has the potential to be a real ROI-saver, and a way to generate excitement all at the saem time.

It is so funny to me how bias this board is. If CP would have annaunced flamethrowers on Maverick, everyone would have been all over it on how great of an effect it will be and how it will enhances the rideexperience

But of course it is Magic Mountain, your safety is at risk. You might want to search a little bit on the web and read some tripreports

Magic Mountain has a new Management team that really cares about the park and the changes they made in the past 7 months alone are nothing short of spectacular.