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Doug_Barnes · Last edited by Doug_Barnes on Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Episode 89 is all about Six Flags Magic Mountain! Jay Thomas (President of Six Flags Magic Mountain & Hurricane Harbor) and Tim Burkhart (General Manager & Director of Maintenance and Engineering) join Doug Barnes (Owner/Producer of the Season Pass Podcast) and Brent Young (Co-Founder/Creative Director of Super 78) for a discussion on their stories and careers within the Six Flags chain, the Past-Present-Future of SFMM, the team within the park, the creative process behind new attractions (including an extensive look at 2009’s Terminator Salvation: The Ride), and of course the great coasters and current attractions that rule the park’s skyline. We also dive into the recent Six Flags Bankruptcy filing and why it affects SFMM.

Great Interview – Please Enjoy!

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© 2009 Season Pass Podcast

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screaminman11 · Joined: 04 Apr 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Lakewood, CA

Great episode Doug. I am really excited to listen to this episode because I'm gonna be there next week and finally get the chance to ride Terminator: Salvation. I am super stoked, more than going to ride X2. In fact, I'm even gonna skip X2 altogether to go ride Terminator: Salvation.

It has been a LONG time before I have ridden a decent wooden coaster (with the exception of the Giant Dipper last week) but somewhere close to home. The only other wooden ride I have close to here is Ghostrider, and I'm not always at Knott's Berry Farm

So excited!!!
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ZipperRules · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 31

You say playground. In this show, they had I guess what you call a "playground" - "ballpit". Are you talking about Step by Step?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv1WfG3bFO0

The park doesn't have enough flats!!! They took 5 out of the park recently (Spin Out - Rotor, Baveryn Kurve, Tilt-A-Whirl, Antique Cars, Intamin Generation Drop). SFOT has more flats than this park, and definitely does Great America.

You can compare it to SFKK, and that's basically a dump!! SFDK has a lot of flats even though I haven't been to that park. Rumor is that they are going to take out the Shoot-the-Chute ride for probably another roller coaster for next year.

They say they don't want to to be known as the coaster capital. Huh, that's funny. Listen to what Shapiro said. He wants that title back.

Doug_Barnes · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 9:01 am Post subject:

ZipperRules · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 31

I think his point was that he was comparing other Six Flags parks, and than saying that we have just as much stuff as them like SFKK. He was than saying that stuff at SFMM is hidden, and people think they are just coasters. Well, SFKK is a dump in my opinion, and it doesn't have much. He should be looking at better Six Flags parks in my opinion in as which what family friendly rides they have.

SFDK has tons more family friendly rides than SFMM does. What about SFGAm? This park probably has the most flats in the whole chain that are family friendly.

That's great they added 1000 more employees, but they are also added I would think more flash pass people (because they probably added more rides that could have it. At SFGAm, they added 2 rides for the flash pass within recent years). Out of that 1000 employees, don't forget about the locker Nazis, and you probably have to have more security when the locker people get mad. Than, the park says it's all for the better, but yet rides they have bins for shoes, if someone puts something in the bin, they waste time and give the object back to the person that put it in the bin. When the workers are fast, the ride gets off faster, but when they are slower, you are still going to have problems.

I waited in previously a 25 minute line for a ride during the day, and for a different crew, that same line length took 45 minutes to get on. They were stacking like anything.

Coincidentally, the 1000 more employees happened they year of the locker policy.

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I think I listened to that show about 3 times now because the Itunes thing keeps on downloading it, and you discuss why you didn't like what they did at a rapids ride at Fiesta Texas, or maybe Discovery Kingdom. Your rant was about customer service.

I think that it should be a big deal like you think. For Hurricane Harbor, they purposely don't have enough tubes for rides so when the line gets a little too long (maybe a 10 minute wait), they want you to buy a tube. They charge $15 for a locker also. At SFGAm, it's supposedly free to get in to the waterpark, but than they try to get you with this other stuff. I'm the person that doesn't really care if the workers are grumpy, or not because it can be such a fake hello. On the train ride at SFGAm, they also have the Rapids ride people waving at the train, and it just seems so fake like they don't really care to wave at us.

Anyway, charging so much for the waterpark, and not having enough tubes is a customer service thing in my opinion. In the area I live, they have another waterpark that has similar type of attractions (a little different), and they have enough tubes for slides, they have cheaper priced food, and they have lockers that cost $7, but they give you $2 back if you give the key back. You can go in and out of the lockers as many times as you choose.

Back to customer service, at night for a roller coaster at SFGAm, they have 6 blocked off rows for flash pass people. Well, there are no flash pass people hardly at night, but yet regular people can't sit in them because they blocked them off. This ride has a 24 capacity with 2 trains. It's subtracting 6 people per train when their are no flash pass people. It's now got a 18 person capacity, and 36 people for 2 trains.

Running all trains possible should always be the case. Why? Maybe, people want to reride if they choose. People shouldn't have to wait in line if their is NO line!!!! Your job at a park is to make the customers happy, and so they return. Right now, the park is playing the game in which the line gets to 40 minutes, than we will put another train on. Otherwise, let them wait so we can sell more flash passes.

My problem is that maybe they think it's about money costs, and oh they can't run 3 trains because of money. Well, why are you letting people in the park for $24.99 at SFGAdv?? A park with that much millions, and millions of dollars just in equipment, and it's only $25.00. Carnivals by me for only 4 hours are $20, and what they barely have maybe 2 million, or 3 million in rides.

It's a constant rant, but season pass prices are just way too low. I got mine for like $54.99 I think, and that's really ridiculous if you think about it. If season pass prices went up, than I expect parking passes to go down however as those are ridiculous. Parking you get nothing for, but for a season pass you get a whole season of the park.

Wylder · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Posts: 169 Location: Riverview, Fl

Great Show.

I went to Magic Mountain back in the late 90s. I liked the coasters, but I was really not impressed with the park as a whole. After hearing your interview I am looking forward to going back. Many of the problems I had with the park seem to have been addressed. At the time, I felt the park was dirty, and the employees didn't seem to care if you were there or not.
I am excited to hear what they do for their 50th anniversary. 2011 will probably the next time I go to California.
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dougscoastergirl · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 133

Stingray · Joined: 20 Apr 2009 Posts: 193 Location: North Carolina

I wanted to go to this park ever since the movies "Rollercoaster" and Chevy Chase "Vacation" movie where they called it Wallyworld. I want to make revolution my first coaster to go on then Tatsu. Do you think they have plans to remove the over the head restraints from revolution. That coaster is historic on many levels.
As for the TV show Brent was recalling it might be "Wild and Crazy Kids" from Nickelodeon. This show was a sister show to "Double Dare" when they go to places like water parks and theme parks and do crazy challenges. When I was trying to find what other shows based around theme parks had been done after watching that new pos "Brain Rush" show I remember that other show back in the day. Now that was fun watching.
Here's some video on that show on Colossus challenge

Link

Link

Another show was "What would you do"

Link

Pal · Joined: 01 Feb 2009 Posts: 43

Another great show. Thanks a bunch Season Pass crew.

As someone who grew up with Magic Mt, I'm thrilled to see the park's recent improvements. I think it comes from the top - the company culture has obviously changed for the better. In recent visits, I've seen pride of performance. Recognition of the park's history and tradition helps (I'm grateful to Tim and his long service at the park). Magic Mt's is a glorious history, this is a living museum of coaster development. It should be celebrated.

I make regular trips to all the SoCal parks. All of them experience their ups and downs. Disney was rotting in the 1990s too, and didn't clean up until the 50th was bearing down on them. Employee quality varies widely. Now that the economy is tough, customer service seems to be better at all of the parks (except Knotts in my experience, my most recent visits haven't been encouraging).

I still find the occasional rude, slow, sloppy staffers at Disneyland, just as I sometimes come across that special quality known as Disney magic. Well guess what? As hard as it may be to believe, my most recent visits to SFMM and SFDK were highlighted by spirited, engaging, and friendly employees who went out of their way to make the customer experience better. This ranges from high fives at the coasters, to extra help at food service locations, and a certain exceptional SFMM staffer who hopped on Terminator with us to share our first-ever ride on this incredibly fun woodie.

In conclusion, Knotts seems on the way down in staffing / operations / ride quality and customer service. Disney is a mixed bag; DCA is an active construction zone (it'll be great when done). Sea World and Legoland are usually near the top. Yet right now, SFMM is the best bet. Now if they could only bring in a few more flats and rip those awful restraints off Revolution. Jay and Tim, keep up the great work!

dougscoastergirl · Joined: 20 Apr 2008 Posts: 133