TPR WCB

USfriends · TPR WCB

Last Sunday was the West Coast Bash at Magic Mountain in California.
The event was sponsored by Theme Park Review, and Rideworld, a
group we had heard about from people in RCCGB. We were able to arrange a cheap flight and lodging, and park entry was only 30$.
That included breakfast (donuts) and lunch (chicken and beans), t-shirts
and two ERT.
First off, we discovered the difference between ERT and ERS.
Exclusive Ride Time has multiple rides open just for the group.
(Before and after regular park hours) Exclusive Ride Session means
everybody on one ride. A ride session would not have worked with this group as there were over 700 people. The biggest coaster gathering we have ever attended.
The morning started with a downpour which soon cleared off, and made a wonderful day.( I sunburned the hell out of my head) We started with Viper
which was smoother than I have ever felt it, and then Tatsu ,the newest flying coaster. Tatsu is the best of this type we have tried. Seating was comfortable, and ride was intense. A huge loop bottoms out with you on your back pulling about 4 Gs. Blackout time!
What we really wanted was X2. We had not ridden it since 2005, and it has new trains and a sound system. It is much less jerky now and
ops crew have loading times down. Soundtrack is rockin, with "Enter Sandman" and the Chili Peppers, with movie quotes " You can't handle the truth!" Unfortunately,we only got one go, high winds shut it down for the rest of the day.
After lunch a scavenger hunt was planned. Lisa and I checked it out,
but it was way detailed, and there were rides to ride. Hunt had been created by park staff and we were the first public group to try it.
Way too much information! The funniest part was a plaque in a flower bed had to be located, and after one team found it they put a garbage can on top of it. You wouldn't believe the uproar! They were disqualified and
have been shredded on the TPR forum. All for a freakin' used wheel
from some ride!
There was a Q&A session with several of the park management. Pretty funny and entertaining . They seemed very upbeat about Six Flags outlook on the future. MM is there most profitable park, and they have made somechanges for the better. Park staff is helpful and friendly, wheras a few years ago they were scary and useless.
We got a backlot tour of the new GCI woodie Terminator :Salvation.
I don't understand a woodie themed for Terminator, except from a marketing standpoint. They were building a new ride, and heres a new movie coming out....Lets get on that bandwagon. Hopefully it will be better than thode dumb wild mouse/Dark Knight things they tried to do.
I'll post some pictures on my facebook page if anyone is interested.
The night ERT was crazy...They held 13 rides open for us, all the biggies but X2. They also turned off all the lights except in the stations.
One of the best was Ninja , a swing coaster through the woods. We were the only people on it. Which brings me to my final point.
ERT may have lots of rides, but ERS has ahigher level of excitement
and good feelings. We totally missed the "Ogy, Ogy" and Coaster Crazy
chants, and high fiving! It was a good trip, but it didn't hold a candle to
the greatest club in the world!

Pete