Six Flags?

@dave Yeah, Disney was fun once. Ok, kinda fun. The scheduling of everything was a fucking nightmare. There was no possible time to relax. And what it cost me to stay for a week in the park was crazy. Personally, for me, it was meh. But the kids loved it.

I will put up with the surly teens for a cheaper, and closer option.

@mfladd @dave Dave is pretty spot-on. In some regards (if you are into roller-coasters and thrill-rides in general), Six-Flags is “better” than Disney, in addition to being a fraction of a cost . But as much flak as Disney gets for being an “evil empire”, they do a fantastic jobs of getting their employees to give great customer service. By contrast, the employees at Six Flags (usually angst-y teens) are so disinterested they are often on par with your average McDonald’s.

And in recent years, most Six Flags have really let their “theme ambient decor” (making a particular area look like Gotham City or the 1880’s west) really deteriorate and in some cases is non-existent.

Not sure exactly where you are coming from, but as others have mentioned, if you love coasters, try to make it Cedar Point in Ohio. And the last time I was in Hershey Park (Pennsylvania) it was on-par with Six Flags in terms of rides, but the employees were a tick above.

@moondrake
What HS, If you are willing to say?

@f00l We had a horse ranch outside a little town called Aubrey. Our fence bordered Doc Sevrinson’s (from Johnny Carson). I went my freshman year to a HS in Lewisville, sophomore year to a school they purpose built out in the middle of nowhere for this stupid new education idea that was such a flop they shut it down for remodeling after only one year. Then we moved again and I spent my junior year and 1/3rd of my senior year at Coronado HS here and graduated early. That 1.3 years I went to Coronado was the longest I ever went to one school.

@moondrake
I know where Aubrey is.
What kind of horses? Breeding, training, competing, boarding?

@f00l Fifteen Appaloosas +/-, one Paint and one Thoroughbred of our own, 3-5 horses boarded at any given time. Our Appy stallion was of extremely good bloodlines (King Plaudit and Prince Plaudit, which were the top Appys in the world in show and racing at the time), we raced, showed and bred him some. The Thoroughbred also had a great pedigree, Man o War by way of Secretariat. She looked just like them but was so small the breeder decided she probably couldn’t ever be ridden by anyone bigger than a kid and so wacko you’d be crazy to let kids around her, so he gave Summer to us as a pet. The other mares wouldn’t tolerate her so we had to build her a private paddock and she would gambol about like a crazy thing chasing butterflies and jumping over sunbeams. The neighbors about a quarter mile away used to sit on their front porch with binoculars and watch her play, when we moved we gave her to them. The rest of the horses were for pleasure riding and Playday (rodeo without roping or bucking). I was a real natural, had boxes of trophies, long gone now. I used to gentle lead, bridle and saddle train horses for folks from the neighboring ranches. I did it the slow way, so the horses had only good experiences and were ready for inexperienced or physically unsound riders right away. I stiil deeply miss getting to spend my days with horses.

@moondrake @f00l I wish I’d grown up on a horse farm. Like any sensible girl, I was horse crazy. Apropos of horses- sorry, this one is too good to pass up. $.99 for The Grey Horse by R. A. MacAvoy. It involves horses, pookas, and Ireland. It’s one of my all-time favorites, and my paperback copies are falling to pieces.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J48FFVS/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_89J7yb7J23VNY

-ranch, not farm-

@OldCatLady Bought it. sigh Audible is an additional $1.99.

@sammydog01 I wasn’t going to mention that, but I did too. I hope it’s new to you, and that you enjoy it as much as I do.

@OldCatLady i wish I’d gotten to grow up there, I was born horse crazy. Like everything else in my life it was ephemeral. We only had the ranch for 18 months before moving again. Still, before I bought this house it was the longest I’d ever lived anywhere. Less than six months in a place was common for us.

Sometimes I scheme on getting one, but in the desert keeping horses really is only for the rich.

@moondrake
@sammydog01
@OldCatLady

Purchased the book, thx.

I got to meet and talk to Walter Farley for a few hours one afternoon at a library thing. I think he lived in Venice, Florida during his retirement? I think it was while living there that he got some of the inspiration for the Island Stallion series, and wasn’t there a Black Stallion book set in the Everglades?

Of course, by rights, according to me, I should have grown up on a horse farm. I’m sure the universe just made some sort of cosmic error with that. I tried to rectify that. I repeatedly attempted to explain this problem to my parents, who were never quite convinced.

I spent all the time I course on horseback or around horses, but I never had a full 24/7 horse-life experience, and @moondrake, that sounds like it must have been an ideal time in your life. I’m sorry it was such a short interval for you.

@f00l You’ve met some wonderful writers during your life. I’m just finishing Crombie’s latest; for the last week I’ve been inhabiting her London settings. If you’d like a look inside MacAvoy’s world: http://ramacavoy.com/

@OldCatLady
Deb Crombie is a close friend of a close friend; I watched the 1999 Superbowl at her house.

That’s where I was, watching one of her family’s TV’s, when I first saw this ad:

@OldCatLady

If you’d like a look inside MacAvoy’s world: http://ramacavoy.com/

MacAvoy looks pretty interesting. Now I’m grumpy that more of the books aren’t on sale, so I can’t justify an impulse purchase to myself.

Edit: Whispersync For Voice!!!
Cool! Easier to think about justifying these now.

Thanks.

@f00l @moondrake @sammydog01
from MacAvoy’s AMZN bio: ‘…once ran a small stable, called Shanachie Stables, raising a few good Connemara Ponies…’

@f00l Yes, I actually tried to find some way I could stay, but I was only 16. A year and a half later I moved out but we were already here and what support network I had was here as well. At 25 I bought the house, which has anchored me here since. My family had long since moved away by then but I had a lot of strong friendships.

@thismyusername Oh Lord

@mfladd well, to be fair, they are yelp reviews.

@f00l Disney also hasn’t done pay by the ride since 1982. Before then Disney “rated” its rides as requiring anything from an A-ticket (kind of lame) to an E-ticket (the latest and greatest). These days most people either don’t know what is meant by the expression, “That’s an E-Ticket ride!” or have a vague notion that it means “good”, but are unaware of the etymology.

And the even number of people isn’t really an issue at Six Flags any more. The teenagers working there are usually so disinterested in their jobs that they don’t exert the effort to make sure each trip is at full capacity.

@DrWorm
I went to DisneyWorld once, a few months after opening. That’s my Disney experience. It was an eye-opener.

I guess if I were in Orlando, I’d go take a look at all that out of cultural curiosity, to see these techo-social entertainment moneymaking monstrosities in action. What did they build, and how do people interact with it?

No particular desire to go for the “attractions” tho.

@mfladd While I live closer to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, I have been to Six Flags America. It has it’s moments but I wouldn’t venture back for a second visit. It’s significantly smaller than Great Adventure and the rides aren’t nearly as thrilling. Not the worst way to spend a day with your kids, depending upon what level of exciting rides you’re seeking. If you’re a true coaster lover, make the trip to Great Adventure or plan a few days and venture out to Cedar Point. Like Dave said, expect surly teens, not so much running the rides as wandering the park.

@f00l I had no idea there was actually a theme behind the six flags in Six Flags. If the MD one was ever like that, it’s certainly not now. Mostly just Batmans and such.

@brhfl
The first park, in Arlington Texas, was built by hotelier and investor Angus Wynne after he first saw Disneyland in Anaheim. At the time he had no thoughts of a chain; he wanted to do something Texas-themed. So he settled on the idea of 'Six Flags" from the history of Texas since the conquistadors and explorers.

In the beginning, the park was in 6 sections, and each of them were heavily themed in decor as a sort of decoration “cosplay” to the appropriate time period, including some employees in costume. The rides were a bit themed also.

Some of the sections had theme events during the day, like 19th century marching bands, barbershop quartets, carriage and stagecoach rides, and in the Republic of Texas section, Whitehat/Blackhat shootouts every hour. The Republic of Texas section got all the Wild West stuff, and was the most fun that way. But the US section had all the best rides and attractions, because that’s where all the high-tech went.

The best times at 6 Flags were when you were old enough to go with your friends without any slow-walking adults around.

At the end of each school year, the park would open all night for high schoolers. You could only purchase a ticket through the school, you had arrive not only with a ticket, but with a special school voucher picked up a few days before at school (to control people who wanted to crash) and you got thoroughly searched for contraband on entry, I think around 10-11pm? The park stayed open till perhaps 8am?

That was a lot of fun.

@f00l I remember that. Loads of fun, and no ruthless Texas sun.

@f00l Six Flags over Georgia was the second in the chain to open, in '66 or '67 or some time around there. It was divided into distinct “flag” sections:

Georgia
England
Spain
France
United States
Confederate States

They fairly quickly added a “gold rush” section (the first gold rush was in Georgia) and then a “Cotton States Exhibition” section, which included a huge carousel they got from some old park that closed and a wooden roller coaster that, at the time, was the tallest and fastest in the world.

I haven’t been in a long time, but by the late '70s the themed sections were blurring into each other, and the themed rides were giving way to generic 'coasters and things like that.

Six Flags Great America north of Chicago, in contrast, was already there when Six Flags bought it, and I saw no themed sections there when I went in the '90s. Maybe only the first two or so parks had “flag” sections.

@SpocKirk
Around here (DFW) there are places where you can purchase those passes discounted. Also a lot of businesses have a partnership with the park, to offer heavily discounted passes to their employees. I think most of the larger businesses do this routinely - employees expect a med or large company to offer this.

For the past two years I have purchased season tickets for my family and friends for Christmas, so I always have people to go with. The passes also come with some e-coupons which have bring-a-friend days for free or $20 and shopping discounts.

@SpocKirk
Anyone who lives near a park and works for a decent company should check with HR to see if the company will setup a deal w Six Flags for pre-season discounted Season Pass tickets. I don’t think this costs the outside employer anything beyond some notices and flyers. Six Flags bears the cost of the discounts, I think? Because the arrangement is profitable overall, in increased enthusiasm (people bring their friends, who buy day tickets), local goodwill, and concession sales.
So win-win.

Also, at least locally, some grocery stores and other locations sell pre-sale discounted Season Passes to the general public.

@jml326 We have Kings Dominion season passes. Last year we did Busch Gardens Williamsburg too (came with Water Country USA) but we like KD better. We may go on Friday.

@brhfl El Toro at Great Adventure is an incredible wooden coaster. It’s at the top of many lists as the best wooden coaster in the world. It’s the second tallest (losing by 2 feet to one in South Korea) and the second fastest (losing by 2 mph to Goliath at Six Flags in Illinois). One of the must ride coasters for enthusiasts worldwide.

@cinoclav Neat. I would by no means call myself an enthusiast, but if I’m ever in the area I’ll have to keep that in mind.

@brhfl Wooden roller coasters are “fun” in that they rattle your brain around in your skull as they jerkily rattle around the track.

@brhfl @medzStupid trivia: Kings Dominion has a wooden roller coaster called the Rebel Yell that has two tracks- one with the cars going forward and one with the cars going backwards. It was featured in the movie “Rollercoaster” starring George Segal.

And Busch Gardens just opened a new wooden roller coaster. Weird.

@medz That’s my assessment of them and I love roller coasters. Not such a big fan of whiplash, though. They make a nice sound, though. My favorite coaster for sound is one I’ve seen at several parks, usually called Poltergiest or something supernatural. It’s probably the same coaster, parks used to trade mid sized rides to change up stuff at the parks. The rails are set on big tubes which moan and howl as the cars run over them.

There’s a coaster at Six Flags in San Antonio by that name but it’s not the same one. The last time I saw it, it was in the Great America theme park in San Jose near the Winchester Mystery House 20+ years ago.

@moondrake I wonder if it was designed to howl, or if they just made the thing and were like ‘shit why is it so noisy? eh, just give it a spooky ghost theme, it’ll be fine.’

@moondrake @medz It makes some sense to me that folks who like steel coasters wouldn’t like wooden ones, they’re very different beasts. I find the super-fast-and-loopy steel ones to be boring and physically taxing. But if I’m dragged to an amusement park, the one thing that will interest me is the wooden coaster if they have one.

@brhfl It was clearly designed that way, the big tubes the rails were attached to didn’t seem to serve any other purpose. Being migraine prone and cursed with chronic headaches, I gave up on wooden coasters after my second one. I do inspect the head restraints on steel ones after one of the kind that cups your head to protect your neck actually nailed my earring post into my neck. But I love me a twisty, upside-downey, high speed coaster with zero g and high g moments. I’d rather be a proper martini, stirred, not shaken.

@moondrake @medz A lot of the new wooden coasters are technically hybrids with steel supports and wooden runners. They tend to be smoother. El Toro is the first wooden coaster to be prefabricated with laser cut pieces. For this reason it’s incredibly smooth, more akin to a steel coaster.

@sammydog01 Great Adventure had Rolling Thunder. It was also a dual track racing coaster and they used to run one of the cars backwards. Amazing old time woodie that lived up to the reputation and threw you around like a rag doll in between great air time. Opened in 1979, they finally closed and removed it in 2013.

@sammydog01 I’m pretty sure the Rebel Yell is the first one I ever went on, when I was too young to appreciate it.

@brhfl
@the rest of you

Ever been on the Coney Island wooden coaster? Tiny thing, but it’s a hoot to ride, much better than it looks like it will be. Really fun.

I love both kinds of coasters, but I haven’t been on one in forever. The crowds and the lines put me off from wanting to go to these parks, unless special occasions w kids. If no parking way far away and walking forever, and no standing in line forever, I’d prob do coasters frequently.

@Cerridwyn
I think a New York minute is quicker.

With a California one, the minute doesn’t even start until the yoga people are ready, and the tokers finish their joint and come join everyone else.

@Cerridwyn I live about 40 minutes from SFMM, and I was always under the impression that only teenagers that are looking for trouble hang out there.

It has been at least 15 years since I have been there.

@ConAndLibrarian 20 years for me probably, so can’t say. Might be true now. Wasn’t then.

@jml326 My kids got stuck 2/3 way up the lift of the Grizzly at Kings Dominion. They had to walk off. They still ride it.

@PlacidPenguin should I bring a slip of paper when I go to Islands of Adventure next time?

@RiotDemon

@PlacidPenguin

@RiotDemon
Is that the one in Arlington TX?

I guess Nope.

@f00l that was The Hulk ride at Islands of Adventure (Universal Studios’ other half)

@PlacidPenguin I throw it off the top when I am stuck

@mfladd

If it’s a weight concern, I’m pretty sure other people would come first.

Huh, I thought Facebook links embedded. @Shawn any reason to not embed Facebook posts but do embed Instagram?

@jqubed Yup, it’s all over the news.
Nevermind, Six Flags

@jqubed Someone just needs to add it to Mehdown: https://github.com/mediocre/mehdown

I looked at it briefly years ago and I think the big difference is that Instagram posts are mostly public where Facebook posts are mostly private to your group of friends.

@jqubed The Jinx is the same ride on which two dozen people were trapped in August 2014.

@mfladd

/giphy sad penguin

@mfladd Rides strand people all the time. As long as they make it off with all their body parts it’s part of the experience.

@sammydog01

Nope. Nope. Nope.

@jqubed you beat me too it, saw it on the news, said… is that six flags america? lol that IS six flag america… ok maybe yelp was spot on in this case.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/13/us/maryland-six-flags-roller-coaster-riders-stuck/

@thismyusername And it is my Six Flags!!!

@mfladd I know! hahaha that’s what made me giggle so… (The official name for the MD one is Six Flags America) on the bright side, I bet all the rides get tuned up and maintenance up to date pretty quick now… so it might be a great time to get a season pass.

@sammydog01 Just hope no one had to pee but decided to wait until after the ride!

@mfladd It’s weird that this one’s done it twice, when none of the other near clones seem to have had this problem. I don’t know if that says something about Six Flags America’s maintenance or maybe the power supply for the launch motors isn’t quite as good as it needs to be or maybe this one just wasn’t built quite right.

@Teripie Go to the bug zoo at tarantula feeding time.

@Teripie Where have you been, bitch!!! I miss you.
And you are right, but that trip is something that’s already going to happen. My dtr is super excited about D.C.
I was just looking for some other things to do too. As @sammydog01 pointed out there is also Kings Dominion, Busch Gradens, and Hershey Park to look at. t’s just they are further away and are not really offering any great deals. Kids have already done the aquarium and d.c. zoo recently (thru school).
I am still trying to find some different things to do.

@mfladd
have they been to chincoteague and assateague? cape may? valley forge? philly? arlington national cemetary? civil war battlefields? blue ridge? outer banks? biltmore house? asheville? great smokies? mount vernon? monticello? poplar forest? appamatox? homes of the other presidents? holocaust museum? spy museum? nat hist museum? both air and space museums (mall and dulles)? winterthur? fort mchenry? the inner harbor? old baltimore? so much history around washington you should never run out? langley and the pentagon? D-Day memorial near Lynchburg? WWII memorial? Vietnam memorial? all the big monuments in washington? embassy row? rock creek park? asbury park? camping? lighthouses?
hagley? nemours? all the various local museums? stuff that’s historically significant to Delaware and Maryland? To Virginia?

Where you are, there’s just so much in driving range. If I were a parent in that part of the world, I’d try to do a lot of fun history and civics.