USA Today and 10 Best Readers Choice poll

[thedevariouseffect]

That 4D coaster though

[gad198]

^ X2 can be one of the best AND worst coasters in the US - all in the same lap! Sit in the right seat (front row - inside seat) and it's heaven. Sit in the wrong seat and it's a bottom 10 coaster. Green Lantern...hehe, the last time I was out there I took one look at the riders faces as they came into the final brakes and said to myself "no thanks!". Some things in life just aren't worth the pain!

Six Flags Magic Mountain is really the best and worst of what theme parks in the US have to offer. Their ride collection is quite good. I think they have the third best ride collection in the US behind Cedar Point and Great Adventure. Tatsu alone is worth the trip. The views from tops of the coasters are just absolutely spectacular, some of the best that can be found anywhere in the US. It's one of the few parks where I can spend the whole day and not get bored.

On the other hand, their ride operations have consistently been subpar, particularly when accounting for the volume of crowds they get. They'll often times run one train on a coaster with the capacity to run two or more trains at incredibly inopportune (i.e., very busy!) times. The dispatch times on their larger coasters (excluding Goliath - the crew there is usually good) are less than optimal almost all the time. The park has a lot to offer, but it surprisingly doesn't have a lot to do other than coasters. A non-coaster rider has a tough time keeping busy there with shows, flats, etc.

For the record, I like Magic Mountain, but I don't love Magic Mountain. There's a lot of potential there - if the park was in competent hands. They've hitched their wagon to the thrill-seeking crowd, but at some point they're going to have to take a hard look at that strategy and assess whether they've been too narrow in their focus. Cedar Fair parks are catering to both the thrill-seeking AND non-rider crowd. The Cedar Fair entertainment offerings are vastly superior now than where they were several years ago. They're putting in things for everyone, whether it's flats, new shows and waterpark upgrades.

The question I'll leave is this...has Six Flags really learned anything since emerging from bankruptcy?

[thedevariouseffect]

At least it's not as bad as DB last night, two rides in, witnessed constant stacking. Then saw an operational (safety for you folks) for a ride op in controls..didn't put hands up during a cross and wasn't even watching the train..sad day Possibly some of the worst spiels too. So difficult to fight the urge to take the mic and do it right.

I say Diamond you say Stack.

[bkroz]

Sigh.

I just don't get all the hatred for that park. In the Eighties and Nineties, it was fashionable to despise Great Adventure. These days, it appears that the substitute is Magic Mountain.

Tell you what. You shudder. I'll go and have a great time, as I always do in that park.

Hatred? Where do you read that from?

I couldn't care less what's fashionable. I've been to Six Flags Magic Mountain. I enjoyed my day. I enjoyed the rides. I also found it dirty, understaffed, full of rude employees, and with large dead end expanses of concrete where rides used to be, practically no flat rides, limited entertainment... All things that the park can control. I don't hate it or even dislike it. I'd go again. I will go again, no doubt.

I've often brought up on here the absolute nonsense that is Cedar Point winning Amusement Today's "Best Park in the World" award while mysteriously being unable to win Best Food, Best Entertainment, Friendliest Employees, Best Landscaping, Best Kids Area, Best Dark Ride, Best Water Ride, etc. It seems to me that the "Best Park in the World" should SWEEP those awards, or at least win one or two! Cedar Point is a very long way from winning any. Not one of those categories could be fairly given to Cedar Point, so what exactly makes it the altogether Best? I don't dislike Cedar Point in any way. It's a fair question to ask how it can be the "best" though.

Same question would go to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Do I enjoy its rides? Yeah! Do I visit when I'm in the area? Sure. I have no personal vendetta against the park nor do I dislike it period, much less because it's "fashionable" to do so. But the idea of it being named the Best Theme Park in the U.S. does elicit a pretty big eye roll. C'mon. And no, the word "theme" in the award title is not where I'm bothered.

[Imperial79]

Alright just voted! Get out the vote!

[kingsislandfan1972]

Voting has been closed and on Wednesday the winners will be announced, lets hope that Kings Island wins at number #1.

[Existential]

I voted for Santa Claus land in Vermont...because I passed it once on the way to a Phish concert. Looked rundown...but darnit...it looked sincere.

That's about how important these polls are to most of us.

I think we are all going to be preferential to where our memories lay.

As is probably everyone on the polls.

I wouldn't even know if Santa Claus Land is anymore...well...anymore. This was back in 97.

Or was it New Hampshire? Who the hell knows back then...

[Gplez90]

Well it appears that Six Flags Magic Mountain won. Quite honestly, i dont even think its the best park in the Six Flags chain, let alone better than Cedar Point or Kings Island.

[PhantomTheater]

http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-theme-park/

Indeed it has, Kings Island came in 7th.

[JTW]

How was Busch Gardens Tampa not on that list? Am I that biased toward it?

[Gplez90]

Imo, it has a lot to do with demographics, and people in that demographic being biased. With nearly 17 million people in the LA metro area, thats more than the state of Ohio all together and almost all of Florida.

[Imperial79]

Yeah that probably does have a lot to do with it. If they were closer, we could get more votes. Or maybe they should just do a best amusement/theme park for the different parts of the country? Like just one for the Midwest.