Why does anyone like to go to Magic Mountain?

[PiratesMansion]

Even if you’re parked past Scream? On a warmer day I recall it feeling like walking on the surface of the sun.

I don't know how it is for the person in the furthest possible spot, but for the average person Discovery Kingdom is definitely a further walk.

I remember going to Discovery Kingdom on the way home from my sister's wedding. The front half of the park was rollercoasters packed together in the former parking lot. It was a little windy that day and they closed down all the coasters. The rest of it had animal exhibits which were okay. We watched the animal shows and had a good time. It was a strange park. I wonder what it is like now?

Probably about the same, but with even worse operations and the animal exhibits looking even more dated than before.

Not the first to say it, but truly, the wrong Bay Area park is closing.

 

[MK-fan]

I don't know how it is for the person in the furthest possible spot, but for the average person Discovery Kingdom is definitely a further walk.

Probably about the same, but with even worse operations and the animal exhibits looking even more dated than before.

Not the first to say it, but truly, the wrong Bay Area park is closing.

Yea that’s really sad to hear about California’s Great America, only 8 more years or so until it closes for good. I’ve never been but I plan to try and go before the deed is done.

Fun fact about the park, it opened as Marriott’s Great America (Yes the hotel chain). They also opened up one at the same time in Illinois which was very similar to the California park. The California version got bought out in 1984 by an independent company and by Paramount in the 90’s and Cedar Fair later on.

When the parks opened in 1976, they were the first parks to use the Looney Tunes as mascots. When Six Flags bought the park down in Illinois in 1984, this gave them the rights to use the Looney Tunes characters in their parks. It’s also pretty funny how one park is owned by Cedar Fair and one is owned by Six Flags and now that both companies have merged, they are once again in the same family 40 years later.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Yea that’s really sad to hear about California’s Great America, only 8 more years or so until it closes for good. I’ve never been but I plan to try and go before the deed is done.

Fun fact about the park, it opened as Marriott’s Great America (Yes the hotel chain). They also opened up one at the same time in Illinois which was very similar to the California park. The California version got bought out in 1984 by an independent company and by Paramount in the 90’s and Cedar Fair later on.

When the parks opened in 1976, they were the first parks to use the Looney Tunes as mascots. When Six Flags bought the park down in Illinois in 1984, this gave them the rights to use the Looney Tunes characters in their parks. It’s also pretty funny how one park is owned by Cedar Fair and one is owned by Six Flags and now that both companies have merged, they are once again in the same family 40 years later.

Yep, I grew up going to the park in Chicago. If you really, really know either Great America park (there were several years where I went weekly to the Illinois park), getting to the other one is genuinely fascinating. Ironically, my aunt is about fifteen minutes from CGA, and I was able to get back there for my second visit a year or two ago, which may end up being my last before the closure.

It's nice to have them under one ownership again, but it's bittersweet knowing that it's temporary.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

What a snobby question. Sometimes you want to just ride a hardcore rollercoaster.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

Eh, I get that, and mostly agree. But Magic Mountain is truly awful, for all the reasons stated above.

That Adriana's Insurance ad (a SoCal campy icon) plastered over a walkway cracks me up, and sums it all up perfectly!

I haven't been to Magic Mountain in 20-ish years, since I had to shepherd my young teen nephews there a few times as part of my campaign to be the Cool Uncle. It was miserable. Nothing was clean, not a single surface you touched felt clean. Everything was sticky. I remember distinctly seeing rotting chicken bones covered in ants in one coaster queue, clearly that had been there for days. The employees were truly dreadful, matched only by some of the most unpleasant clientele you could imagine; the F Word and its various derivations had replaced nearly every adjective and pronoun they knew.

Nothing there looked nice, nothing there was nice.

But, I will grant you, the coasters were fun and provided plenty of thrills and G forces. Back when my skeleton could take it.

I disagree sir. Sometimes I just want a coaster o be a coaster. Just make me an impressive machine and let me ride it.

 

[MK-fan]

What a snobby question. Sometimes you want to just ride a hardcore rollercoaster.

Snobby how? I stated where Magic Mountain is failing. The coasters are good and quite impressive but that wasn’t the point.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

Snobby how? I stated where Magic Mountain is failing. The coasters are good and quite impressive but that wasn’t the point.

Your question was vert snobby just by the way you phrased it.

 

[Disney Irish]

What a snobby question. Sometimes you want to just ride a hardcore rollercoaster.

I think its a perfectly fine question given the state of Magic Mountain, and many Six Flags parks. If you're a stan for Magic Mountain that is fine. But for someone that wants to know why someone would like to go to the park there is nothing wrong with how it was phrased and presented.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Your question was vert snobby just by the way you phrased it.

It wasn't.

I'm very much into rollercoasters, but Six Flags parks do not have a very good reputation. The park in Maryland is overrun by teenagers and does not feel safe, which is why even though I live is Maryland, I go up to Hersheypark for my rollercoaster fix. It's very sad and would be nice if they pick up the quality from acquiring Cedar Parks (hopefully not the other way around).

 

[Touchdown]

Six Flags did not acquire Cedar Fair.

Cedar Fair acquired Six Flags and then inexplicably chose to change their name to Six Flags.

 

[Disney Irish]

Six Flags did not acquire Cedar Fair.

Cedar Fair acquired Six Flags and then inexplicably chose to change their name to Six Flags.

For all its faults Six Flags is the stronger more recognized name, it makes sense to use it over Cedar Fair.

I mean I guess they could have found a combined name, but Six Fairs or Cedar Flags just doesn't resonate with me. And certainly not the play on old Six Flags names, Cedar Fair over Six Flags or Six Flags over Cedar Fair.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Six Flags did not acquire Cedar Fair.

Cedar Fair acquired Six Flags and then inexplicably chose to change their name to Six Flags.

I googled, because this was confusing and when it happened, there were conflicting news stories.

Technically, the two companies were in a "merger of equals". So they merged and formed a new legal entity. Neither the original Six Flags company nor the original Cedar Fair company exists anymore. If either company had been acquired, existing shareholders for the company would have received cash for the stock that they owned. Instead, they received stock in the new company. And then also, the company acquired would cease to exist while the acquiring company would remain, but both of the original companies no longer exist.

The real inexplicable question is why they chose to keep the Six Flags name when Cedar Fair management still seems to have control, the stakeholders of the former Cedar Fair company have 51% control (so slightly more control than former Six Flags), and Six Flags had a poor reputation while Cedar Fair had a great one. Should have kept the Cedar Fair name or come up with a new one (ex. Sea World Entertainment is now United Parks and Resorts; they own both the Sea World and Busch Gardens brands).

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I think there was some talk about Sea World on this thread...I just went to the San Diego location today.

Granted, it was like a ghost town, but operations for rides seemed fine. They loaded everything quickly. Parking was fine; I parked stupidly close to the gate because no one was there. I did the Sea Lion Experience and Orca Encounter show and enjoyed both very much. I got the loaded fries, which were very good. I also got Rita's, which I know is good because I live in Maryland and we have them all over the place. That location was slower than I'm used to, but people had lots of questions about the menu (back home, we know what we want).

There were two rides down: Journey to Atlantis and Manta. Journey to Atlantis looks like it needs some work; it had walls up. Manta was just down for the day. I was disappointed, but I enjoyed the other rides.

I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't come back since I live back east. There's not enough to do in that park. I know they're a bit limited in space, but I've seen other parks (namely Disneyland and Hersheypark) with limited space make better use of it for rides. The staff were friendly and generally knowledgeable for a newbie, but I do get the feeling that Busch Gardens Williamsburg is overall much better run. They would not let a major rollercoaster just not operate all day. I think of Sea World Orlando is having similar operational issues, they need to take lessons from BG Williamsburg; that location is run highly effectively.

Except take the stupid surcharge off pricing and just increase the prices...

 

[Mickey's Pal]

It wasn't.

I'm very much into rollercoasters, but Six Flags parks do not have a very good reputation. The park in Maryland is overrun by teenagers and does not feel safe, which is why even though I live is Maryland, I go up to Hersheypark for my rollercoaster fix. It's very sad and would be nice if they pick up the quality from acquiring Cedar Parks (hopefully not the other way around).

I disagree. It was snobby

 

[Touchdown]

I disagree. It was snobby

SFMM represents a lot of what’s wrong with the legacy Six Flags parks and the former chain, it’s well known amongst coaster enthusiasts. It’s not just Disney fan thing. SFMM is not a well run diversified park.

 

[MK-fan]

I disagree. It was snobby

How would you word it differently?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I hear Dollywood is pretty amazing and well run.

Dollywood is my home park! I live about 40 minutes away. It is exceptionally well run and taken care of, but they are in general an exception and not a rule in non-Disney/non-Universal parks unfortunately. Dollywood is also much more of a theme park than places like SeaWorld or Busch Gardens or Six Flags in my opinion. More thematic and experience oriented than pure focus on thrills, and that probably helps.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I think there was some talk about Sea World on this thread...I just went to the San Diego location today.

Granted, it was like a ghost town, but operations for rides seemed fine. They loaded everything quickly. Parking was fine; I parked stupidly close to the gate because no one was there. I did the Sea Lion Experience and Orca Encounter show and enjoyed both very much. I got the loaded fries, which were very good. I also got Rita's, which I know is good because I live in Maryland and we have them all over the place. That location was slower than I'm used to, but people had lots of questions about the menu (back home, we know what we want).

There were two rides down: Journey to Atlantis and Manta. Journey to Atlantis looks like it needs some work; it had walls up. Manta was just down for the day. I was disappointed, but I enjoyed the other rides.

I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't come back since I live back east. There's not enough to do in that park. I know they're a bit limited in space, but I've seen other parks (namely Disneyland and Hersheypark) with limited space make better use of it for rides. The staff were friendly and generally knowledgeable for a newbie, but I do get the feeling that Busch Gardens Williamsburg is overall much better run. They would not let a major rollercoaster just not operate all day. I think of Sea World Orlando is having similar operational issues, they need to take lessons from BG Williamsburg; that location is run highly effectively.

Except take the stupid surcharge off pricing and just increase the prices...

I’ve heard a lot recently than San Diego’s SW is in much better shape than Orlando and San Antonio so I think you lucked out! SD seems to be the one they take better care of.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

SFMM represents a lot of what’s wrong with the legacy Six Flags parks and the former chain, it’s well known amongst coaster enthusiasts. It’s not just Disney fan thing. SFMM is not a well run diversified park.

I Disagree. I have NEVER had a bad time at Magic Mountain.

 

[Mickey's Pal]

How would you word it differently?

'Can someone explain to me the top reasons to visit Magic Mountain?' There. Done. Took 2 seconds.