Magic Mountain

[mistyisjafo]

I love the rollercoasters at Magic Mountain but last Saturday made me really appreciate how well Disney runs things.

Magic Mountain was extremely busy on Saturday before Halloween. To be expected because of the Halloween goings on. I didn't mind the long lines but my issue with the whole place was crowd control. We waited in line for Goliath for 3 hours because Goliath had ONE train running and every other train was used for "handicapped" (I say it in quotes because 90 percent of the people I saw that were handicapped were NOT) and for fast pass. So if they only loaded the train half way with both groups no one else in line could get on. Some of the handicapped groups even rode more than once!!! This was like this on every ride we went on - all 3 of them!!!

To make things worse, at around 7pm we wanted to get some food. 3 of the places we went to were either running out of food, only had specific items left or only had certain sodas or water left for serving!!!!! My friends & I settled on a turkey leg (cold and dry), mashed potatoes (old), and corn (watery). Soda wasnt available so we had water.

I noticed how apathetic the employees were, how dirty the park was, how terrible the food was and said to myself - "We should've gone to Disneyland". My friend went to Knotts Scary Farm the night before and said it was very well organized and under control in comparison to MM which was just a guest control nightmare!

I'm not planning another trip to Magic in a long time. It makes me a little sad.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Yup, we had the same experience our last time there, which was about a year ago. And I can imagine it's deteriorated since then. They've really allowed the place to go to hell. Unfriendly, apathetic employees, distressingly poor cosmetic maintanance, and downright thievery when it comes to food and drinks. Nothing more blatantly disgusting than seeing a $3/bottle soda and water vending machine next to the exposed, capped pipes of what used to be a drinking fountain. That's just low. As much as I love the coasters, I don't see myself spending the money to go back there any time soon. And this from someone who had a season pass for 4 years.

[mistyisjafo]

It's just sad. That park has such great potential. I remember 15 years ago that it wasn't this bad. I mean it wasn't great but it wasn't as horrible as it was last Saturday. It was just plain disappointing.

[cstephens]

We used to go to Magic Mountain once a year around Halloween time so we could ride Colossus backwards. There's actually not much at Magic Mountain that I can ride, but others in our party like the roller coasters and stuff. The lines were indeed extremely long, and often, you couldn't really even tell why that was. The employees are definitely not of Disney caliber, and upkeep of the park is questionable at best. Lots of closed storefronts. Even with discount tickets that cost about $25, it still became not worth it to me. We haven't been back in a couple of years.

[mistyisjafo]

The only thing worth the cheap ticket price was being able to ride Colossus backwards, at night, with no lights and in the very back. That was a truly incredible ride! Otherwise, YUCK

[Olympicnut]

Ive said this before to so many people. I will not go back to SFMM until management changes and the park gets cleaned up and I feel safe riding the rides.

I was there in April with a friend of mine and we used to go all the time back in the 1979-1981 era with our season passes, so this was a trip down memory lane for us. Talk about getting hit with a bomb! We saw so much degradation there it made us ill.

Ride stations were falling apart with wood rot and probably termites. Some rides had cars with papers on them from the State saying that this car was unfit to be ridden/used, or somthing like that (in particular on Goldrusher they had one train operating with the other on the side track with these "do not operate" papers on it). So many rides had broken down throughout the course of the day. It smelled everywhere, like trash/vomit/you name it. Employees were just there to work, no more (and seeing some 15 year old kid running Colossus made me a bit nervous).

Anyway, I was just sickened by how that place has turned out.

[TigerLily]

I uaully only go for a couple of hours. I buy the fast lanes...hit those 4 rides and leave. That being said I have only been to the park 3 times in my life. I had a seaon pass one year, but never used it. The clientel there is a bit scary/sleazy for me. The last time I was there I thought the park was pretty clean and I loved seeing the baby geese. This was about two years ago though.

[CoasterMatt]

Disneyland has lost certification on more than a few coaster vehicles in the short time that CalDOSH has done certification, they just hide them a lil better (or run them till they fail and kill somebody, whoops)

[Where's Barbie?]

Don't forget the gang-bangers!! Everytime we have gone over the last few years there have always be big fights. We have many friends who complain about that too, ever other teenagers. It's not worth the cheap price, I always say you get what you pay for!!! So disneyland is priceless...

[DisneyDaniel]

We waited in line for Goliath for 3 hours because Goliath had ONE train running and every other train was used for "handicapped" (I say it in quotes because 90 percent of the people I saw that were handicapped were NOT) and for fast pass. So if they only loaded the train half way with both groups no one else in line could get on. Some of the handicapped groups even rode more than once!!! This was like this on every ride we went on - all 3 of them!!!
The fact that only only one set of trains are being used on most of the rides--even during peak seasons or busy weekends--is a clear indication that Six Flags Magic Mountain park management does not care about its customer satisfaction. Three hour wait times for a less-than-3 minute ride is not worth it.

What other amusement park out there has its entire entrance filled with a huge WALL of walk-through metal detectors? I bet SFMM has more metal detectors than some airports or government buildings!

X, Riddler's Revenge, Scream!, Batman, Goliath and Deja Vu are thrilling coasters, but add me to the list of SFMM season passholders who will not be renewing at the end of the year.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I'll tell you one thing going to MM was good for...even at the WORST point of Pressler-level maintanance, going to MM made you really appreciate the Disney way.

[CoasterMatt]

I'll be there once next year - for the press opening of Tatsu, but I probably won't visit the park during any normal operating days.

[DisneyFan25863]

I think its really sad that the min. age to work at the Chuck-E-Cheese down the street from me is 18, yet the min. age to operate a ride at SFMM is 16. Someone I know who is 16 works there as a ride operator on Ninja. I asked him what to do if there was an emergency (like a fire) on the ride. His answer? "Get the hell outta there". He, honestly, could care less about the safety of the guests riding.

However, I know someone else who is 16 and is basically incharge of all the admission booths. Shes probably one of the sweetest people I know, and always works there with a smile on her face.


But yeah, I generally don't really like the park (which is weird since I see it everyday). I do think its funny, though, that the Physics classes at two of the local schools take field trips there for lessons :D

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Oddly enough I was there a couple weeks ago. I got a free pass from work, so I thought I'd go, seeing I hadn't been since 95.

I was floored on how awful it was as discribed by everyone above.

It started with the "tram ride" in, which was on bald tires that made the tram shake (It was like driving on rock tires, like the Flintstones) and a "pat down" at the gate. It ended with a ride on "The Jet Streamer" which was renamed something else, that escapes me. But, the line was short. I got to the "CM" who didn't even acknowledge anyone, so I saw a boat, got in and found myself in at least a foot of water. I spent the ride with my feet up and laughing like a fool at the fact that I was ass deep in water, in a "boat" that is loudly skiming the bottom of the "track." AND, when I went up the first "lift hill" all the water waved to the back of the boat. THen on the way "Down" it all rushed to the front. I got more wet from the water in the boat than in the ride. To top that off, I was approached by a family who said they saw me on the ride laughing and said, that was why the rode it. Weird-0!!

I took my pictures of the place and I won't be back!

[innerSpaceman]

I'm glad I haven't been in over 10 years, and will NEVER go back.

[mistyisjafo]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about MM. I was supposed to go again next week for friend's birthday but I just couldn't bring myself to pay the additional $25 to upgrade for the pass.

I'll be at D-land on Sunday to (hopefully) erase the bad memories!

[CoasterMatt]

You people actually pay to get into amusement parks?!? How odd...