We grabbed the one set of free Halloween Maze fast passes, so we could go through 2 mazes without waiting in line. Of course the lines were outrageous, so we only did two mazes and didn't wait for any of the other ones.
I must say that the design of the two mazes, Willoughby's Mansion and Carnege E. Hall were great. These were better than anything we experienced on the Queen Mary Haunt a few weeks ago. Characters hiding in every nook and cranny. Keeping security guards back in corners and not easily spotted. Constant scares. Characters dropping from high above on bungee cords and retracting back up to their hiding spaces.
Now, I know that Magic Mountain has problems with their fast pass system (to be discussed in detail later) and I am not a big fan of it, but I must say that for the mazes, it worked out well. We would bypass the main line and step up to the entrance. Then we waited for a group of people to enter the maze and then were placed in front of the line for the next group of people to enter.
But before the mazes, we needed to hit up a coaster. We rode Viper first, which as always is great. Headed up the hill to Willoughby's Mansion. After that we rode Ninja, which I love and even more so in the dark. Headed down the hill and went across the park to Collosus - Backwards!
First, let me point out the obvious for those who have been there and explain something for those who have not. Collosus is a your standard twin racing, figure 8, wooden rollercoaster. So, feasibly, two trains can the leave station on their respective tracks and whirl around and come back to the station at approximately the same time. However the problem with this is that you have two versions of the same ride. And when you don't race trains, the second track doesn't make any sense. At PKD in Doswell, VA (just north of Richmond), they have the Rebel Yell, a twin racer, out and back, wooden coaster. About ten years ago, they turned one set of the trains to run so that the passengers would be facing backwards. During FrightFest, Magic Mountain does the same for Collosus. Here's a recommendation. DO IT ALL YEAR ROUND!! It's a great experience! There is nothing better than going around a turn and then suddenly being yanked down a hill.
And now to my Magic Mountain fast pass speech. Unlike Disneyland, they do not give you an hour time slot to return to enjoy the ride. Magic Mountain sells you a pass and you get to go into the fast line whenever you want. I understand that since these customers are paying for this service, they get priority, but there needs to be some changes.
1) REGULATE SEATING CHOICES. Do not allow the fast passers to constantly take the prime seats on the coaster. (i.e. front or back). Collosus Backwards had a large line for the rear of the train, and the Ride Op kept letting fast passers sit in that seat train after train.
2) REGULATE AMOUNT OF FAST PASSERS PER TRAIN. Do not allow an entire train to be filled with fast passers. (This really pissed me off on Collosus Backwards. After waiting for my seat and finally stepping up to the gate, I watched 20 Fast Passers enter and take all the seats on the train)
3) USE GOLIATH AS AN EXAMPLE. Here the fast passers bypass the main line and join up with the regular riders in the loading station. At that point, the fast passers will have to decide what seat they want to sit in. This will not cause any upsets from riders when the gate opens and they watch a fastpasser climb in from the exit side of the station.
4) RESEARCH. Disney's system seems to be working very well. I know from being a fast lane user at Disneyland, that it's great to get a free ride reservation and report back at the allotted time. USH has a Front-of-Line Pass and V.I.P Pass. They also have a better loading system, allowing them to fill in empty seats or having the Front-of-Line wait for the next train.
5) TRAINING OF RIDE OPS. The ride ops should be instructed to understand that things are going to flucuate throughout the day. What could be working in the first few hours of the day, may not be working later in the day.
6) OPEN AND CLOSE THE FAST PASS LANE. Let's face it people. Sometimes, fast pass is just not worth it. The regular line could be just outside the loading station. The ride supervisor should recognize this and advise the fast pass lane be shut temporarily. If the wait time increases to a designated point, then the line should be opened. Guests at SFMM are paying for this service and it should not be wasted.
Okay.....done. What will my plans be for next year? Purchases fast passes so I can go in all the fast pass mazes. Get there earlier. Do the mazes and Collosus Backwards and that's it. I can still do the other rides for the rest of the year.
Recap:
Rides completed: Viper, Ninja, Collosus Backwards, Sierra Twist
Mazes Completed: Willoughby's Mansion, Carnege E. Hall
Bathroom Visits: Main Gate (2), County Fair
Other: Stepped in One (1) Funnel Cake, Contemplated Dive Devil...decided to save my money
i would say i had a great time except for my Collosus experience. and generally i always have a good time, but I also know that I can return and ride something again since I have a seasons pass.
to those who only have one day to attend Magic Mountain. do some research. read Robert's and others' reports on MM and how to navigate the park and its rides.