Six Flags Recommendations for 2012

OK.....I will admit I've not been the biggest fan of SF parks, having grown up a short drive from Cedar Point....but here's my question: I have a pass I was able to acquire at a great price at SF Mexico. I would like to try out some SF Parks I haven't been to. Which should I try out this year? I've been to SF Great America, SF Over Tx, SF OverGA, SF Mexico and SF Discovery Kingdom. Stipulations I should include is that I don't drive. I work for an airline, so location is not a bad thing. I do know that I'd like to see La Ronde in Montreal....and I spose Magic Mountain and Great Adventure are must do's. Any others that are must go to parks for SF? As long as the park is near a big city and has some kind of transport, I'm game. If I can figure out how to take a subway ride and microbus in Mexico City, I can probably figure anything out. :-)

Also, if anyone has taken public transport to SF parks, let me know how it worked out. For Magic Mountain and Great Adventure, it appears that it can be done, but I bet not easily.

You can reach Magic Mountain via Metrolink from Union Station to Newhall and from there either take the bus or a taxi to the park. For exact timetables when you are traveling consult the metro tripplaner @ www.metro.net

You *can* take public transportation to SFAmerica (subway then bus drops you directly across the street)....but then you'd actually have to *go* to SFA (/snark)

You've been to Great America, Texas, and Georgia. I'd say you've seen about the best there is. The only other ones I suggest would be (perhaps) Magic Mountain (but I havent been there in 20+ years) and Great Adventure. But I have no idea how you'd get to Great Adventure w/o a car. Maybe call a cab?

Oh, St. Louis isnt terrible either (just kinda cramped). The woodies are a bit brutal though (at least they were ~10 years ago).

Evel Knievel was really quite good for a relatively compact GCII - and Eagle was running well last year - so a big vote for SFStL from me....

I'd also recommend SFNE, and SFA. SFA I know is easy from public transport, and I believe SFStL is as well, but I don't know about SFNE (although New England in general is pretty public-transport friendly).

2Hostyl said:
You *can* take public transportation to SFAmerica (subway then bus drops you directly across the street)....but then you'd actually have to *go* to SFA (/snark)

I did this twice the summer I lived in DC. I hated SFA, but getting there was easy, and the only way to get a coaster fix with not having a car and all.

rollergator said:
Evel Knievel was really quite good for a relatively compact GCII - and Eagle was running well last year - so a big vote for SFStL from me....

I second that vote. Upon my first visit there last summer, I was very impressed with the park; the rides, the ops, the setting, the landscaping, etc. All three woodies were running great!

There's a bus company that runs shuttles from Boston to SFNE during the peak season. I think it's Peter Pan.

La Ronde is easily accessible by Metro. It's a 5-10 minute walk from the Jean Drapeau Metro stop. La Vampire is easily the best coaster there.
The park also has a Vekoma SLC too, which is pretty strange.

I would also recommend La Ronde, only because I have been there a couple times, and found it really cool. The fact that it sits right across the river from Downtown Montreal made it that much better! The absense of the ghetto trash at most American parks, made the over all experience that much nicer. But, maybe it's because I find that the french language just sounds so much sexier. You'll laugh because some of the people riding the coasters sound like they are having an orgasm!

With that said, La Ronde isn't really a big coaster park. I think Goliath, Vampire, and Le Monster are the only top notch coasters in the park. But, they did have some pretty cool rides, like the Malestrom. I'm not sure if they still have the Ovni ride, but that was a good one. I also found the park easy to navigate, and not overly crowded.

Also when I go to La Ronde my main reason for going is to visit Montreal, which, as far as I am concered kicks every American cities ass that I have visited. It's almost like visiting europe, it's just so different, even from a city like Toronto, which is home to Canada's Wonderland. I have never left there disapointed, and Mount Royal is absolutely beautiful.

You have a couple of different options if you want to go to Six Flags Magic Mountain using public transit.

(assuming you are staying near Union Station)

Option 1.

From Downtown LA Union Station take

Redline Subway to North Hollywood Station

From North Hollywood Station take Santa Clarita Transit bus 757 to McBean Transit Center

From McBean Transit Center take bus 3 or 7 to the park.

Option 2

From Downtown LA Union Station
take Antelope Valley Metrolink Train to Newhall Station.

From NewHall Station transfer to either bus: 1, 2, 4, 14 to McBean Transit Center.

From McBean Transit Center take bus 3 or 7 to the park.

Option 3 (weekdays only)

From Downtown LA Union Station
take Antelope Valley Metrolink Train to Santa Clarita Station.

From Santa Clarita Station take bus 501 directly to the park.

Option 4 (weekdays only)

From LA Union Station take Santa Clarita Transit bus #794 to McBean Transit Center.

From McBean Transit Center take bus 3 or 7 to the park.

Ive done option:1, 2 and 3. I found it to be very easy.

Links

http://www.metrolinktrains.com/

http://santaclaritatransit.com/

http://www.metro.net/

Regarding La Ronde- Goliath is one of the most underrated steel coasters I've come across. Their mirrored Batman clone was also one of the better ones I've tried.
I read a lot of negative comments concerning park operation. It didn't bother me on my visit, but I'm generally less picky when it comes to that in the first place. As long as I can get on the rides I'm happy. I've never really needed to be smiled at and asked how my day was by every employee I run into to make my day.

So Magic Mountain sounds doable.....La Ronde is already on my list to do. As a recommendation, I would NOT do public transport to SFGA here in Chicago. I tried it last year. There is one bus to/from the park at the beginning/end of the day. The bus going was great. But the return, NEVER SHOWED UP! It's probably much more dependable to take METRA to Waukegan and then a cab.

SFNE for sure. My favorite coaster on the planet Superman/Bizarro, plus a nice collection of flats, a beautiful setting along the river, and the much under-rated PTC-built Thunderbolt.

SFNE got a nice makeover in the last 10 years -- very SFFT-like, with themed facades and lots of shade trees.

Not sure on public transport options, but Hartford, if you can swing it, would put you closer with much fewer headaches than Boston.

I wouldn't waste your time with SFMM and L.A., unless a ride there has been beckoning you. I wouldn't drive there from San Diego -- having to pass by the much better parks D/DCA and KBF -- much less think to take public transport from downtown L.A. That alone could be a couple of hours each way. Not to mention, you'd need transportation from LAX to even get to downtown L.A./Union Station first.

If you have flexibility with airports *and* are hellbent on hitting the Mountain, I'd fly into Burbank. This puts you a helluva lot closer to the park.

/m

I don't know about the transportation...and my visit was years ago...

That said...I remember having a real good time at Fiesta Texas. Plus you got Sea World/Alamo/ and the world's greatest waterpark fairly close together.
We spent a week in San Antonio (2002/2003?) and had a blast.

Lets put it this way... At that time if you would have given me the choice between Magic Mountain or Fiesta Texas...I would take Fiesta Texas every time. This is because of superior operations, food, environment, and so many other cool things close to the park.

You can take New Jersey Transit at Port Authority Bus Terminal to get to Great Adventure. The Bus ride and ticket is included in the price. Its a pretty gnarly deal.

I only researched it once, a coupla years ago when I was leasing my car and on a low mileage limit. I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that the last bus back to NYC left GAdv pretty damn early. But yeah, it was a good deal price-wise.