TR: MM 1/23/05
Associated parks:
None
GENERAL
Trip Length 4 hours 11AM - 3PM
Attendance: Light
Crowd demo: Diverse, mostly young couples, high school kids, families
Weather: 70, Sunny
Crowd Temperament: Pleasant, calm, well-mannered.
WAIT TIMES
Batman 1 cycle
Revolution: None
Ninja 3 cycles, 9 minutes
Goliath None, Closed at 11:30 a.m.
Riddler's Revenge None/1 cycle for front/back
Collossus
Log Ride None
X Unknown, closed intermittently
Superman Unknown
Viper None/2 cycles for front seat
Psyclone Closed
Deja Vu Closed
Line for Annual Pass 20 minutes
DETAIL
My friend Jennifer and I made a 25-minute trip from Burbank to MM to pick up our annual passes and to ride a few things. :)
Annual Passes
There's no sign guiding annual passholders to proceed inside, past security. Unsuspecting annual passholder buyers would wait in a long line for tickets, and then be told after waiting that they should have proceeded inside. How about a sign or placard? Business process, people. Crowd management.
The big debacle at the park yesterday was the line of 60 people for annual passes. Those that didn't order passes online were forced to fill in SAT-style honeycomb forms with a number 2 pencil. Scores of patrons were filling out little tiny circles using pencils and holding the paper up against the queue hand rails or against each other's backs to get writing support, while those with internet-printed forms skipped that step and hopped over them to get inside to the photo ID printers. Once patrons filled out their form, passes and photos were processed within 1 minute with fast-printing ID card printers. Oddly, an MM employee manning the ID card building was holding about twenty-odd number 2 pencils in her hand, repeatedly dropping them on the floor and creating a general malaise. Isn't anyone teaching "Business Process" anymore? Like, a strategically placed pencil recepticle? Maybe clip boards, or better yet, a seating area with tables for people to fill out their forms? Crowd management is a science, somewhat unrecognized at this spot. After getting inside, the crowds disappeared.
Collossus
Let's get right to the coasters. Unbelievably, there was a handful of pops of air time on this coaster's back seat with the back half of the train empty. Especially as the trains whipped over the first drop. There were even pops of air over those last few bunny hills before that dreadful 7-mile ramp as you near the station! Curious air. Smoother than previous rides. Unexpected and fun.
Unexpected Air 6/10.
Lemon Slushy Stand
"We take cash only." "We don't accept the annual pass coupons." "We're not part of the mountain. We're separate. We're not owned by Six Flags." Wow, if this guy is so forthcoming about about Corporate outsourcing, maybe he can focus on implementing some change in his customer service skills. How about "hello"? How about a clean and neat appearance? How about telling upper management that most of the patrons carry ATM cards. Apparently the Lemon slushy stand management isn't aware that their business screams "tax scam." The only businesses that are cash only now are Moroccan butchers and adult theatres. They're not fooling anyone. Get with the program.
Ninja
Maybe it was because we rode mostly tame coasters today, but Ninja actually pulls some G-forces as it sails through the last series of tight corners before the deadly 7-minute final lift hill. Smooth, perky, with a half a G or so! Rock on, Ninja. The question I wanted to ask the designers is "Was there any way to avoid the dreaded lift hill into the station at the end of this ride? Was it too expensive or unfeasible to change the boarding station location? Like, maybe change it to where the last lift hill starts? In other words, build a pedestrian path to where the final lift hill starts and put the station there? This would allow the pacing of the ride to follow the normal dramatic pattern: Lift, elements, increase in speed, final element, brake.
Family Fun Nonetheless. 6/10.
Log Jammer
I'd been to MM a million times, and I'd never ridden the main log ride, located on the left, on the path to Goliath. This thing is a riot with endless wending routes, and two large drops. A real terrain flume (how many of these are there?). It lasts forever, with a quick clip. The only drawback was the log itself which had plenty of water sloshing around in it. Enough to wash all the way up my pant leg as we ascended the first lift hill. Good thing I brought my cholera pills.
I have to do some research on this flume, but it would appear that this was one of the original rides at this park. It uses such valuable terrain, and it's such an old ride. Sincere kudos to the ride designers for the way there are rocky waterfalls on the side of the mountain, giving the illusion that the logs may very well follow the treacherous waterfall path down a rocky crag. (Patrons would die, of course, if this really happened. But the illusion works, nonetheless.)
Needs refurbishment. 6/10.
Gold Rusher
Seriously, I don't remember this Arrow clunker picking up this much speed. Honestly, it was really peppy. And the final semi-helix actually elicited some screams from adult passengers. "Here here!" on the axel grease. The end pacing has made a return appearance on this ride, although the design of this coaster is generally without a "set piece" element to make its dramatic action distinct, and with no "story" to the ride. Fun.
4/10.
Note on Revolution
This sprawling terrain coaster, although butchered with rust, OTSRs and brakes, is viewable at several spots around the Mountain. On the path up toward the Orient Express, you can see the Revolution's track at a different angle as it takes some of its many swoops through the woods. I love peering into a swath of woods, seeing coaster tracks fairly camouflaged by trees, and behind the coaster, more woods. The second place to see parts of this coaster buried in the woods is past the Revolution station, following the path toward the rapids section of the park. Any coaster that is designed to use the natural terrain has an inherent aesthetic value -- it creates synthetic entertainment using the constraints of the given terrain.
Note on Undeveloped Land
Who owns the land across from the restaurants across the street? Who owns the land in back of MM? How far back? Who owns the access road to MM? It's pretty hilly on one side. I'm thinking Gravity group woodie? :)
BILL *** Edited 1/24/2005 10:12:21 PM UTC by Bill*** *** Edited 1/25/2005 12:09:41 AM UTC by Bill***
I'm suprised the passes took so long, as I was done with mine at KK last year in 30 seconds. I guess the difference is that no one goes to KK because it is headlined by a stand-up and those suck. . .(my take on KK).
Even with all the bad publicity, I think I would have a very hard time going to MM and not having a good time.
Bill said:
Note on Undeveloped Land
Who owns the land across from the restaurants across the street? Who owns the land in back of MM? How far back? Who owns the access road to MM? It's pretty hilly on one side. I'm thinking Gravity group woodie?
Newhall Land Development owns the land surrounding the park. They won't sell or lease the land to Six Flags and ironically, it was Newhall (paired up with SeaWorld San Diego) that funded, oversaw the design and construction of Magic Mountain back in the late 60's before the park was sold to Time Warner Inc.'s theme park division "Six Flags" in 1979.
-'Playa
*** Edited 1/25/2005 5:02:35 PM UTC by CoastaPlaya***
NOTE: Severe fecal impaction may render the above words highly debatable.
SFMM gets NO NEW WOOD....not until they learn SOMETHING about how to care for what they've already got...and ruined...:(
Crowd management? Also NOT their strong suit, LOL...;)
That being said...Log Jammer is one of the best log flumes ever, and features the best RIDE of any I've been on, and by a considerable margin...beware the skunks though...:)
IMO, Ninja IS that good, and ranks among the cream of the crop of suspendeds...the lift-at-the-end is just something to live with, since suspendeds do NOT maintain their momentum (they spend it on swinging the cars side-to-side, and on that Ninja excels).
Revolution, could/should be at least the equal of Hershey's SDL...alas, CA is in the *liability lawsuit* jungle...
Goliath remains one of my favs, LOVE those high-g forces...:)
P.S....The Galapagos Tortoises at BGT are the *trainers* for their staff...;)
P.P.S. Lemon Chill guys are really only good for telling you what the park is getting next...:)
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