Terminator themed GCI to open at Magic Mountain on Memorial Day weekend 2009

If you'd read the entire thread, you'd understand the context of my short post, Knotts. No offense intended, I just don't want to repeat myself.

No way I'm reading this entire thread lol.

Either way, it's probably just the same old complaining about a wooden coaster being themed to Terminator. As if the wooden structure itself represents a steel Terminaor, which it does not.

Yep.

From the description, I guess that the coaster may represent some way to join the resistance and fight the robots. Six Flags is not well known for being fantastically creative.

"Quick! Get into this futuristic robot-fighting train and ride it around a wood track, all the while fighting the robots."

Seriously though, the coaster will probably be incredible.

Well I agree that Six Flags doesn't do great theming generally, and they certainly don't have the financial resources to change that view now. However I think the knock on this particular wood/Terminator theme is somewhat knee-jerk and premature. If you think somewhat outside of the box there is a way to pull this off.

The rumors I heard over the weekend is that while the movie is set in the future, the ride is not. In other words, all of the characters you would encounter while in the queue are all from the future, warning us of what we need to do now to change the future. The Terminators that will inhabit the ride are also from the future. So in a sense, we (the guests) are just about to ride a simple wooden coaster when suddenly it is taken over by steel robots, making for an interesting contrast.

So it doesn't really matter what type of ride this is, because it has nothing to do with the actual terminators themselves, nor any sort of futuristic material (meaning steel), other than the battle *against* the steel robots.

At the end of the day, it really isn't that deep. And it shouldn't be. It's meant to be a fun theme park ride. And you're right, it's a ride that should be fun.

LostKause said:
"Quick! Get into this futuristic robot-fighting train and ride it around a wood track, all the while fighting the robots."

Still not sure what the problem is there.

You're willing to suspend disbelief when it comes to being in a post-apocolyptic world, robots from the future attacking, joining an organized resistance to fight said robots from the future, but doing it on a wooden coaster track is where you draw the line.

Nuclear attack? Check.

Apocolyptic world? Ok.

Robotos from the future attack? Sure.

Resistance formed to fight oppressive robot overlords from the future? Right on.

Wooden coaster? Nope. No sir. That wooden track is just too unbelievable. I'm out.

That's really funny to me, but if you keep saying it, it must certainly be an issue.

Enthusiasts in general are the most left-brained group of people I've ever encountered...annoyingly so. And that's coming from me of all people. ;)

It is kind of funny. I don't know exactly why I feel the way I do about it. At least I'm not the only one. I do know that in my creative mind, I would have never paired the two...robots and wood coaster. It was silly to me before this ride was even announced. It seems very forced so far.

I'll wait and see. It's funny how we are conditioned to accept something. The more I see the Terminator logo across a wood coaster track, the more I am becoming accepting of it, which I dislike a lot.

When I first heard about the coaster I thought that a wooden coaster and Terminator didn't go together. The article which was posted in the news discussion section has given me some encouragement that this theme could work. They are spending $1 million on theming. That alone kinds of makes me want to give them the benefit of the doubt until I see how it turns out.

The idea of the "safe house" seems like a good idea to me. It reminds me of the scenes from "The Terminator" when the humans of the future have advanced laser like machine guns but still must use old looking beat up cars and low-tech explosives to fight the much more advanced and organized Terminators. It kind of gives me the idea that they are using a low-tech safe house because they must use every resource they can find in order to survive. Sort of like when they are living in underground tunnels in the scenes from the future in the first movie and when they use old tv's as fireplaces since there is no other place or way to keep warm.

I'm also in the camp of "Wood + Terminator = ???" However, I'm willing to let it all go for the sake of riding a nice GCI. Opinions seem to have fallen in line with "hey, the coaster WILL be good," so I'm happy to see that fact come to light. SF themeing notwithstanding.

I just hope that on the few days where there this ride is a walk-on, that I'm not forced to watch some lame 10 minute pre-show just to ride it.

Tim Burkhardt talks Terminator Salvation: The Ride.

Should clear up some questions some have about the ride and its tie-in with the Terminator movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b10xqbmUuJw

Here are most of the highlights for anyone who doesn't want to watch the videos. Also here is a link to both videos on Screamscape. Most of the info I am posting came from the 2nd video. The stuff in the 1st video is mostly already known if you have followed the other Terminator threads on this board.

Should have on-board audio, but would not confirm or deny. Probably just being careful with his comments.

Arnold Schwarzenegger will not be at the opening. They have decided against this because he has no role in the new movie.

Media day is May 21st.

There might be a sleepover like they had when X2 reopened.

Restraints will be seat belt and lap bar. Says that if you fit on Colossus you will fit on Terminator.

Will have Q-bot. Single rider line possible but unlikely, due to theming, and difficulty of merging 3 lines (normal, single rider and Q-bot) into the queue.

16 riders per train. 8 rows with 2 seats each.

First drop estimated (by Burkhardt) at 40 degrees.

Top speed, 55 mph.

Ride exit will lead into a shop.

Coaster will have approx. 2 G's and negative 1 G.

Sounds like they really want you to be subjected to the pre-show every time. I suppose the times where this ride will be a walk-on will be few and far between, but the pre-show certainly limits the re-rides when you could.

16 riders per train? That's a great idea! Make another capacity nightmare.

Did he use the word "fit" when describing that larger riders may not be able to ride?

Capacity nightmare? The ride is 2,800ft long. I think not.

GCIs really move people when both trains are running.

Soggy, that is the same impression I got about being subjected to the pre-show. Tim Burkhardt even said something about how the pre-show is a major part of the experience and they don't want people to miss it. I suspect that Terminator won't have very many walk-ons until Spring 2010, which will be the first time that it runs on school days on a regular basis.

RCDB says that the coaster seats 24 riders per train, not 16. 16 riders per hour would be a capacity nightmare. 24 is the same as other new GCIs.

Edit - changed a word that didn't make sense.

24 is what most GCI's run.

Track length is irrelevant to capacity if there's always a train waiting in the brakes when the previous one departs. (And it's MM so you know it will :-P).

Track length is irrelevant to capacity period.

Larger riders shouldn't have any problem, unless Six Flags has specific plans for the Millenium Flyers restraints. I have wider than normal hips, and thighs,(Ain't gonna deny the truth, it is what it is.), and I fit on all the GCI MF trains, with comfort. Guess this is why they are my coasters of preference.

LostKause, you're right, RCDB does say 24 riders. I was just quoting what Burkhardt said in the video. I am interested to see which one is correct.

Me too. I hope that it's not 16. SFMM doesn't need a brand new very popular roller coaster themed to a mega-budget blockbuster movie franchise with two trains if it only takes 16 riders at a time.