Six Flags Thomas Town

Michael C · #1 04-14-2009, 10:23 PM

I have seen photos of Thomas town at SFNE and SFOG. Both overly small areas. I reticently listened to a news report on a mothers experience with teh one at SFDK.
http://odeo.com/episodes/17215923-Shame-on...out-Thomas-Town

If you have been to any of them what is your opinions? Do you think that Future installments will fair better?

**Leo C** · #2 04-14-2009, 10:33 PM

It's a small section that I discovered at SFNE. Having babysit my youngest sister during the 90's I Iiked the US television show that featured the Thomas clips. I liked that in the big park I had a quiet area to relax. I hardly get on ferris wheels in many of the big parks but I wanted to get on the Thomas train. It was a calm, quiet trip down through a small Thomas land. The station looks great. I loved the detail there on the loading area. The turntable garage with the different train faces looked alright. I look forward to a Thomas land for the Six Flags parks that lack a good train like SFGADV.

The SFDK one, looking at construction pics, I think is an oddball one with the train track going around an arena. Michael, why did you have to torture me to listen to mom jean wearing moms complaining? haha. I'm surprised maybe they're a more observant GP season pass holder. I don't have kids so the fact that it has about 3 maybe 4 rides doesn't bother me. Though the moms don't like their kids getting whiny in the store I think it's golden they have to walk through the store when exiting.

Michael C · #3 04-14-2009, 11:02 PM

I have 3 young nieces So their participation and interest in a park is important to the park planing process. i posted the link because surprisingly they as normal GP notices things that I have been told over and over again that a normally guest woudl never notice. like the fact that all the rides in Thomas town are copies of rides already at the park. it's the same at SFNE. I found the area well themed and very well landscaped but a bit thrown together.

Just dig around to look at SFMMs their are while bigger land wise has only 2 rides the Persey coaster and Thomas train ride. SFOG's is the smallest with a Thomas Train, a pop water fountain, and 2 small soft plays.

I think their complain is that the area was very hyped. unlike SFNE which was a last minute though SFDK was advertised for like a year and advertised like crazy. Most kiddie land at parks are 5-10 rides not 3. So I can see their disappointment after the long wait.

**Leo C** · #4 04-14-2009, 11:11 PM

Thomas the Tank Engine = GOLD so I could see their approach. Just like the Wiggles World, these new lands are revamps of previous sections, taking some portions and transforming them. They're new micro lands. For the closed, removed flats at SFGADV like the Musik Express and the Flying Wave swings there are smaller ones still in operation at Looney Tunes Seaport and Looney Tunes National Park in the park. There are limits to the kinds of flats you can introduce to kids, recycling flats by just changing the plastic character at the top. For strapped Six Flags it's a juggling act to use marketing, impact existing operations and maintenance in their financial situation. I bet Cedar Fair did that when they moved the Geauga Lake kids rides to Cedar Point. That was a new Snoopy park when they had one on the other side by Gemini right?

I think the SFNE and SFDK Thomas lands were the first experimental two for the chain.

GAmFanboy · #5 04-15-2009, 12:23 AM

Drayton Manor is probably the best with 7 rides.

**Leo C** · #6 04-15-2009, 12:25 AM

Drayton is the original as well. Watching a video I see the Troublesome Trucks rollercoaster, Terrance the bulldozer sitting on some landscaping, a Cranky Crane tower, and airplane ride besides the Thomas Train ride and the garage building with the trains' faces. I don't see what the SFDK moms are complaining about if the other attractions are not themed to the train characters but the supporting vehicles of the series even at the original non Six Flags location.

ElBarto · #7 04-15-2009, 03:20 AM

First: Who on earth could possibly listen to these boring/uninformed women for more than 2 minutes? I almost put a bullet through my head.

Second: Thomas Town at SFMM is PATHETIC.

I don't care what excuses park management has, I don't care about the opinions of adult enthusiasts, I look at the area and it SUCKS. No kid could possibly be entertained in the area for more than 20 minutes, which is proven by the fact that every time I'm at the park and I pass Thomas Town, the entire area is DEAD.

All aboard the fail whale!

**Leo C** · #8 04-15-2009, 07:36 AM

Sounds like "One Flag."

Andrew W · #9 04-15-2009, 10:09 AM

The current RUMOR is that the Thomas Town coming to SFA in 2010 will be the largest of any of the SF Thomas Towns, though whether that means it will have four attractions as compared with the typical three at other SF parks or if it will be more along the lines of what Drayton has is still unknown... if nothing else, SFA, unlike the other SF parks to put in a Thomas Town, has ample room for a decent sized expansion for a new kids area. Hopefully, they will use that extra space to their advantage.

**Wes** · #10 04-15-2009, 10:49 AM

So they removed SFOG's Deja Vu for a tiny little play area?

Lame.

Michael C · #11 04-15-2009, 12:26 PM

Leo C- There is actually a fair number of kiddie rides out there. SFNE has 17 rides 11 of them a copies of other rides. There really is no excuse for that outside of lake of effort. I agree it's a very popular character and much more likely to stand the test of time then Wiggles.

Draton manner Did it right. good ride selection well themed. large area. It's much more thought out then the version SFI has installed.

As for the moms complaints I think it's do to the Characters being so secondary to the train engines. though I think trying to use only the engines woudl have been a bit dull. I think their bigger complaint led on the fact the rides in general were already at the park.

ElBarto - I wouldn't call them uninformed. SFI didn't say much about the style of rides in the areas. they didn't advertise that the ride exited into a gift shop. They seemed discouraged over some of the moves. though they did mistake the SFI buy out as a full purchase and didn't realize that SFI ran the park before hand.

i did look at SFMM's and it is pathetic. second worst so far behind SFOG's.

Andrew - I have heard the same rumors. But like you pointed out it's not hard. 3 acres of land and 4 rides would make it the biggest in the chain.

Racer · #12 04-21-2009, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wes

So they removed SFOG's Deja Vu for a tiny little play area?

Lame.

I agree 1000%. Deja Vu was the second best coaster in the park. Why replace it with TT? Ask Mark Shapiro and he might tell you that he hates roller coasters.

**Leo C** · #13 04-21-2009, 10:06 PM

I thought he clued in he didn't like loopers and preferred non looping coasters.

I expect the children's range of rides to be smaller versions of bigger rides like a mini ferris wheel. How many flat genres can little kids take? There's motorcycle, airplane, truck rides that just turn clockwise/counter clockwise at carnivals, parks like Dorney. They're just different ride carriages for the same basic style of ride. Do I expect kids to have a wide range of flats like a rotor, a kiddie Top Spin? They're lucky to get swings, a frog hopper. I think a Scrambler is pushing it. A Thomas Mini Tug would be retarded. I don't expect Gordon to be on a Frog Hopper ride.

Michael C · #14 04-21-2009, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racer

I agree 1000%. Deja Vu was the second best coaster in the park. Why replace it with TT? Ask Mark Shapiro and he might tell you that he hates roller coasters.

what's worse is they didn't expand into the parking lot at all and they didn't take over the go cart track. In all the area uses pretty much the same square footage as the Skull Island Auquaplay.

Leo - while many rides are generally spinning rides there are a few different styles. You mentioned a rockn' tug. there is a Tug boat in some of the stories. there are a number of cars a work equipment that could work for a track guided ride. I would have to look closer at Thomas characters to think of other ride possibilities.

**Leo C** · #15 04-21-2009, 11:39 PM

SFOG probably did good with keeping the go carts since they're upcharge.

Racer · #16 04-22-2009, 08:31 AM

Thomas Town is a joke.

Even if they felt like they absolutely HAD to have it, they could have put it somewhere else.

Michael C · #17 04-22-2009, 09:50 AM

Leo your likely write about teh go cart track. I was using it as an example. But there is a lot of back parking lot there that is the absolute last place you would want to park. they could have used a little bit of it to install a respectable area

Racer - were would you have put it? I was looking and outside of back lot behind the amphitheater I didn't really see an area it could go.

Racer · #18 04-24-2009, 10:44 PM

^Maybe where FreeFall used to be. Or just forget it all together.

**Leo C** · #19 04-24-2009, 11:27 PM

I've never been to the park but that used to work I guess as the 2nd entrance before Deja Vu came in.

Michael C · #20 04-24-2009, 11:39 PM

Ya there used it be a second entrance. I used it on my first trip top teh park.

The free fall tower spot is smaller then Deja Vu's spot. you'd have even less space available. not to mention you'd be competing with the Solid 50's themeing the area has.

**Leo C** · #21 07-23-2009, 12:00 AM

I think I'm going to beat BatwingSFA to being Mayor of SFA's upcoming Thomas Town.

**Wes** · #22 07-23-2009, 06:05 AM

And why would you want that honor?

TT at SFOG was a joke (like Racer said).

They have all that parking lot over there that they never use (that I've ever seen), they could have torn up some of the asphalt and made it a proper place for kids.

**Leo C** · #23 07-23-2009, 06:40 AM

I've been to the SFNE one. I trust this one at SFA will be different. I guess to add to the SFOG impression, Sir Topham Hat or whatever his name is looked like one of the freakiest costumed characters I've ever seen walking out of the Thomas Land when Racer, B-rad, and I were walking into the SFOG land. He's up there with the King of Burger King.

CFObsessed · #24 07-23-2009, 11:50 AM

I personally like Drayton Manor's Thomas Land better. Especially now that they have the original sets from the TV Series becuase of the fact that Thomas has gone CGI.

For those of you who don't know, I m a Thomas fan myself. I run a website about it here.

**Leo C** · #25 07-23-2009, 01:22 PM

I would hope the new one will be a bit closer to the Drayton Manor version.

Michael C · #26 08-02-2009, 03:59 PM

They should also take a Draton manor's book and use a live person for the Sr Toppem Hat Meet and great.

**Leo C** · #27 08-02-2009, 04:05 PM

As long as the park has an older man that works in the Entertainment that would sound cool because this current costume doesn't look that far off from being a Lego person one.

Michael C · #28 08-07-2009, 04:50 PM

Ya it dose look more lego then Thomas. Hopefully the SFAM Thomas town can do things right. Luckily they don't have many kiddie rides and can add just about anything without it being a repeat.

Racer · #29 08-07-2009, 07:58 PM

I still think that SFOG could have planned theirs a little better. Deja Vu for TT was the WORST sacrifice I have ever seen. And that's saying something, since they still haven't replaced FreeFall, which has been gone for almost 3 years.

**Leo C** · #30 08-07-2009, 10:58 PM

Don't worry our Freefall spot is not replaced by anything either at SFGADV. I have a feeling that one of Racer's nightmares may be realizing he's been promoted to being Sir Topham Hat at ThomasTown.

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