The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

When we went to Magic Mountain last February Scream was running one train and that absolutely blew our minds.

I understand that rides need to be rehabbed, but what I don't understand is why this ride would ever be running one train unless there was a mechanical issue. If they have 3 trains, why not rehab one at a time so you're always running 2 in the offseason? Sure they could have 2 trains running and they may need to pull one off during the day but it sounds like they're deliberately running 1 train for weeks at a time. Can someone please explain to me why that would be? Even though this park has historically bad operations this Scream thing still seems inexcusable to me.

I know Great Adventure is a regional park and they rehab their trains in the offseason but since it's opened in 1999 I've probably been to the park 50 times and I've never seen it running less than all 3 trains. They stack the crap out of them sometimes but they still run them.

Scream is a pretty decent ride, it needs to go to a park that will take care of it and run it properly. Running one train when you have 3 on a B&M floorless is ridiculous. It's the only time I've ever seen a B&M floorless run one train and that includes SFNE and Dorney where they only have 2 trains (and Dorney could probably run 1 train on Hydra and still have it be a walk on).

Marked trees by Buccaneer.... Wonder what this is about?

 

SFMM is not hot enough in the summertime and has too much shade.

 

There's too much free clean oxygen at the park, they are cutting down trees and they will be charging for extra O2.

Marked trees by Buccaneer.... Wonder what this is about?

 

SFMM is not hot enough in the summertime and has too much shade.

 

There's too much free clean oxygen at the park, they are cutting down trees and they will be charging for extra O2.

Don't give them ideas!

When we went to Magic Mountain last February Scream was running one train and that absolutely blew our minds.

 

I understand that rides need to be rehabbed, but what I don't understand is why this ride would ever be running one train unless there was a mechanical issue. If they have 3 trains, why not rehab one at a time so you're always running 2 in the offseason? Sure they could have 2 trains running and they may need to pull one off during the day but it sounds like they're deliberately running 1 train for weeks at a time. Can someone please explain to me why that would be? Even though this park has historically bad operations this Scream thing still seems inexcusable to me.

 

I know Great Adventure is a regional park and they rehab their trains in the offseason but since it's opened in 1999 I've probably been to the park 50 times and I've never seen it running less than all 3 trains. They stack the crap out of them sometimes but they still run them.

 

Scream is a pretty decent ride, it needs to go to a park that will take care of it and run it properly. Running one train when you have 3 on a B&M floorless is ridiculous. It's the only time I've ever seen a B&M floorless run one train and that includes SFNE and Dorney where they only have 2 trains (and Dorney could probably run 1 train on Hydra and still have it be a walk on).

Dude, it's Magic Mountain. Besides Scream is not one of the most popular rides at the park, it's probably not even in the top 10 most popular at Magic Mountain. It's off in a corner of at the park that some people can't navigate to, and even when it's running one train it rarely has a line longer than 30 minutes (at least in my experience).

I understand that rides need to be rehabbed, but what I don't understand is why this ride would ever be running one train unless there was a mechanical issue. If they have 3 trains, why not rehab one at a time so you're always running 2 in the offseason? Sure they could have 2 trains running and they may need to pull one off during the day but it sounds like they're deliberately running 1 train for weeks at a time.

Can't really answer why the park runs one train but I can speculate.

-Don't care about the ride

-mechanical issue / restraint issue

-Park pulls two trains for maintenance and forgets about the trains all summer

-Park falls behind on maintenance for other rides and Scream not being that popular is stuck with 1 train operation.

-Another park borrowed a train similar to Great Adventure borrowing one of Riddlers trains for a few years (this is unlikely but possible)

-Oh and did I mention the park doesn't care about Scream

Scream is a pretty decent ride, it needs to go to a park that will take care of it and run it properly. Running one train when you have 3 on a B&M floorless is ridiculous.

Unfortunately that wont happen and Scream is average at best it wasn't even supposed to go to Magic Mountain.

^Think of the logistics they has being open all year. They don't have the luxury of being closed all winter like most parks to refurb all their rolling stock. Couple that with budgets and trying to save $$$ and it is not surprising that they run one train. Why cut the waiting time from 1/2 hour to 15 minutes or 15 minutes to walk on and ware out a second train when most people don't mind waiting 30 minutes for a ride. This is Magic Mountain after all so waiting is expected!

^The way they should do it is pull one train every four months or so that way you at least have two trains ready each morning prior to testing.

That makes too much sense.

It's not even maintenance most of the time. It's just only wanting to get out one train on most days. But they probably got behind from when only one trains as running for 8 months straight... Since 4 of those months the other one was just sitting on the storage track for the first 4 of those 8 before they finally took it off for maintenance. But they have been catching up ever since X2 has been closed... Like Viper, Ninja, Scream, Green Lantern, and Tatsu have all had at least 1 train refurbed since X2 closed in August.

Didn't realize Buccaneer and Swashbuckler are down. Are there ANY operating flat rides at the park right now? lol....

And I might as well ask, does anybody have any idea what crowds will be like on Saturday February 1st and what the rehab schedule is at that time? Thanks in advance...

Didn't realize Buccaneer and Swashbuckler are down. Are there ANY operating flat rides at the park right now? lol....

 

And I might as well ask, does anybody have any idea what crowds will be like on Saturday February 1st and what the rehab schedule is at that time? Thanks in advance...

I would think if you called SFMM, they could tell you what rides will be down LT no? Given its scheduled rehab amd not "unplanned"

Thanks for answering my question, buddy!

^^^Yes

Bumper Cars, Flash, Wonder women, and the Carousel are still open. As for crowds, I think my estimates from an earlier post still hold true for that day

- X2, Tatsu, YOLOcoaster, Superman (one side), Riddlers Revenge and Goliath 30 minutes to an hour

- Lex Luthor, Green Lantern, Apocalypse, Batman, and Superman (two sides) 20 45 minute wait

- Viper, Revolution, Goldrusher, Colossus, and Scream walk on - 20 minute wait

Note X2 could still be closed on February 1rst

Thanks for answering my question, buddy!

I cant tell if this is sarcasm?

^Possibly both?

Didn't realize Buccaneer and Swashbuckler are down. Are there ANY operating flat rides at the park right now? lol....

 

And I might as well ask, does anybody have any idea what crowds will be like on Saturday February 1st and what the rehab schedule is at that time? Thanks in advance...

As far as rides currently closed for refurbishment

-Buccaneer

-Swashbuckler

-Scrambler

-All water rides (Tidal Wave, Jet Stream, Roaring Rapids)

-Sky Tower

-A few rides in the kids area

-X2 may or may not be open in February as well

Thanks, guys!

Those wait time estimates, I think were posted for mid-week during spring break...they seem a bit high for SFMM in Jan/Feb. But anyway, if they do get that high, I'll just get some FP's.

I'm showing a friend from out of the Country around, and we chose SFMM over KBF so I just want to correctly anticipate SFMM being...well you know, SFMM.

Thanks, guys!

 

Those wait time estimates, I think were posted for mid-week during spring break...they seem a bit high for SFMM in Jan/Feb. But anyway, if they do get that high, I'll just get some FP's.

 

I'm showing a friend from out of the Country around, and we chose SFMM over KBF so I just want to correctly anticipate SFMM being...well you know, SFMM.

Yes they are estimates from spring break and I wouldn't be surprised to see them like that on a Saturday in February especially with one train operations on some coasters and again those times are simply estimates and are in no way indicative of actual wait times.

^^If there's nothing going on that weekend then it will be MUCH less than that on that day. Longest waits will be Full Throttle and Tatsu (and X2 if open) probably both maxing out at 30 minute waits in the morning with everything having a 10 minute wait or less by mid day if it is running two trains. No way will you be seeing hour waits in the beginning of February.

In Jan. and Feb., it usually doesn't matter if it is Saturday or Sunday. It is all dead. You'll be just fine.

Yeah some estimates may be a little high although you never know the park could be dead.

EDIT - I adjusted the wait times slightly to better reflect that particular day

I wonder if SFMM would ever relocate Scream to another Park in the Chain. I'm just curious because of its location, lack of major popularity, and lack of upkeep (paint). I know they are shooting for that number 20, but still curious about it.

I wonder if SFMM would ever relocate Scream to another Park in the Chain. I'm just curious because of its location, lack of major popularity, and lack of upkeep (paint). I know they are shooting for that number 20, but still curious about it.

They'd do it if it was financially beneficial to the chain to do so. It takes a lot of money to move a coaster from one park to another. It would need to be a situation where a park needs a new coaster, but the chain won't pay to build one from scratch, and SF gets an amazing deal from whoever the freighter is.

Then you have to consider that Scream isn't too terribly innovative. Many of these other parks have recently built big new innovative coasters themselves, or have seen a neighbor park do so. Would Scream be that big a draw on its own, especially when the public learns its used, old, and already rough? Maybe Six Flags Mexico would benefit but after Medusa opens, I'm not sure it would help even there.

If none of this points favorably to moving the ride, it won't be moved. It's much easier & cost effective for the park to leave it just where it is where it can be operated how it's being operated.

^I'm just curious as to why you think SFM would benefit from Scream? They have a pretty well rounded out collection of coasters, although it is true that there are no Beemers (or Intamins) south of the border.

They DO have a huge parking lot next to S:EUE to plop Scream on, though

^I'm just curious as to why you think SFM would benefit from Scream? They have a pretty well rounded out collection of coasters, although it is true that there are no Beemers (or Intamins) south of the border.

That, and SFM has inherited SFMM hand-me-down's before.

^They have had a few re-locations, but none from SFMM.

Joker came from SFDK

Dark Knight came from SFNE

Boomerang came from some other park in Mexico.

I think that's it, the rest were original to the park.

That deadzone of a corner at SFMM has always been a little weird. I personally thought they should have started the queue for LL:DOD down by Colossus to attract more people to the area. Or add a flat or SOMETHING down there!