SFMW 2004

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/articles/2004/01/29/news/news02.txt

Unlike others, I won't whine about my hometown SF park getting the shaft this year, these are much needed improvements which will hopefully help with declining attendance. A cleaner, better run, higher capacity, friendlier park will do wonders for guest satisfaction, and repeat business. Which in turn will hopefully bring a new coaster next year (especially to compete with whatever PGA is gutting the old Imax building for ;o)

I just hope that's what SFMM is getting this year ;)

mOOSH

Ya gotta love park spokespeople:

"It will be a very splashy, kind of a Vegas-style show with fast-paced acrobatics and music," Jouett said. "It's indescribable."

How can it be indescribable if he just described it? LOL!

mOOSH

I didn't get the impression that this park was in any trouble. We visited for the first time last year. I was quite impressed with the look of the park. The grounds were well groomed and everything looked very well maintained of for the most part. On the ride-side of things.. Medussa and Roar were practically worth the ticket price alone. V2 was, blah. Zonga wasn't operating. The food was okay and not too expensive but I would have liked to sit down in a full service resteraunt. Ride ops were curtious but slow. Medusa was stacking every other cycle. But I can hardly blame them when it was 100 degrees and there's no shade on that platform. We didn't go to any of the shows and for a park named "Marine World" I would have expected to see more animals. But overall I enjoyed the park. But maybe I'm not just a picky enough customer. I would go back just to ride Medussa and Roar. :)

---

Mamoosh said:
I just hope that's what SFMM is getting this year

mOOSH

---

No need to hope when it's true. :)

I totally agree Phyter, I hope I didn't give the wrong impression, SFMW is for the most part one of the better run parks IMO. But with improvements on the above, the customer service and satifaction could be up there with Busch or Universal, which I think would really help with the 9% decline in attendance SFMW experienced this past season.

The park had some serious capacity issues last year with many closed rides due to understaffing, broken down rides and 1 train ops. And on busier days, overall park cleanliness was an issue. Didn't stop me from going over a dozen times last season, I agree that Roar and Dusa alone get me through the gates again and again. But it's hard to convert non enthusiast family and friends to SFMW regulars when there's 1 hour+ long lines due to 1 train op and unkept bathrooms and food areas. I was just stating, with improvements in these areas, they could hopefully win a larger loyal fan base like PGA already has, and a positive word of mouth from those that do enjoy their visit would also help with attendance.

And since you didn't see any of the shows, you missed a major portion of the "Marine" side of Marine World.

---

Mamoosh said:
Ya gotta love park spokespeople:

"It will be a very splashy, kind of a Vegas-style show with fast-paced acrobatics and music," Jouett said. "It's indescribable."

How can it be indescribable if he just described it? LOL!

mOOSH

---

You would think, but try describing a Cirque du Soleil show to someone (especially Varekai)! It ain't easy until you've actually seen one.

---

Phyter said:
We didn't go to any of the shows and for a park named "Marine World" I would have expected to see more animals.

---

I read on Coaster Sims this was your last park in the California trip- too bad because there actually are a lot of animals. They have done a great job of keeping the rides and animals apart, bigtime. The shows have lots of animals too.

My only hope is that the show in Pacific Stadium is better than that horrible Captain Cannonball they dive show they had for a couple of years in there. This last season that huge stadium just sat empty almost all year- WHAT A WASTE! 2004 should be a great season, and March 20th is coming faster than in past years.

I was wrong actually I visited there once before. In fact it was the weekend of the grand opening when it was known as Marine World Africa USA. Back when it was all animals and no rides versus the opposite today. :)

Goliath, yeah it was our seventh park on our ninth day. Man what a trip! If there is any coaster to end a week and a half of non-stop coastering it's Medussa (west). What a smooth ride.

I went to the park last May. I think I probably spent more of my time looking at the animals and watching the shows than riding rides. I basically hit each of the coasters once, minus Zonga; it stopped on the lift, was evacuated about 20 minutes later, and sat there for the rest of the day :(. I avoided the flats as I didn't feel well enough. It's a shame too because I always wanted to try a normal frisbee and they had a nice little collection. I caught the dolphin show, ski stunt show, and the sea lion show. You can never go wrong with a sea lion show, especially when they parody Gilligan's Island, and throw in a walrus. I left the park with the impression that this place was more of a zoo with some coasters in the front. But I definitely remember noticing a need for some trees and benches. I had an awesome time and I would recommend the place to anyone heading up there.