Six Flags Magic Mountain Roller Coaster Report
Two days, sixteen roller coasters, 28 rides (including repeats)
Coaster Summaries (listed in the order they were ridden)
BATMAN The Ride: Installed in 1994, this is the third of twelve “Batman” model inverted coasters from the Swiss duo Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). A fairly smooth fun ride with five inversions. Make sure your shoes are on tight or go barefoot as riders’ feet dangle below the seats. Rode it once.
THE RIDDLER’S Revenge: This is one of the best stand-up roller coasters. It’s a 1998 installation from B&M with a long (4370 ft) and well-paced layout. It has six inversions including an inclined loop (a vertical loop tilted sideways). The only drawback is that it’s an ear-banger. Your head will be bouncing from side to side off of the restraints. Rode it once (and only once due to sore ears).
GREEN LANTERN First Flight: To ride this type of coaster; you need to go to Finland, Spain, Sweden or California. Built by Intamin, the track lies in a single plane (it’s two dimensional - you’re either going up, down, forwards or backwards) and the cars spin forward or backward naturally so you may be sitting up, upside down or somewhere in between at any time. This is the first coaster I have ever ridden where I was thankful for midcourse brakes. Green Lantern can be painfully cruel with its hairpin drop curves. Rode it three times (once forward, once backward and once more because I am a masochist).
Gold Rusher: Magic Mountain’s first roller that was built for the park’s opening in 1971. It’s an Arrow Dynamics mine train that follows the natural terrain of the mountain and has a downward helix ending. Rode it once.
Apocalypse: This wooden coaster replaced the ill-fated Psyclone in 2009. It’s an action-packed twister from Great Coasters International with a double-down turning first drop. Tunnels, a station fly-through and some special effects add to the excitement. Rode it four times.
Ninja: This is an Arrow suspended coaster where cars freely swing below the tracks. Only ten were built (and five remain). It takes riders on a fun twisting course down the back side of the mountain. Rode it once.
SUPERMAN - Escape from Krypton: Originally opened in 1997, I was never too impressed with this free-fall coaster from Intamin. Cars were launched forward, climbed part-way up a tower with riders facing the sky and then fell backwards returning to the station. In 2011, new (lighter) cars were introduced. Riders are now launched backwards and travel to the tower top looking straight down at the ground. Though short, the new version with 100 mph speeds and a 328 ft drop is hard to beat for thrills. The park was only running one of the two tracks so the line was long. Rode it twice.
Tatsu: One of the best of eight flying coasters from B&M. Harnesses (upper body and leg) hold riders as they fly beneath the track. The highlight is an insane and disorienting 124 ft pretzel loop entered (and exited) from the top. Hang on to your cell phone - I lost mine on this flying beast. Rode it three times (once in the front and twice in the back).
Viper: This is the last of three Arrow 7-inversion acrobatic coasters (built from 1988 to 1990). It’s a rough head-banging ride (even with three midcourse brake runs to tame the snake). Rode it once.
X2: “X” first opened in 2002. This prototype ride where cars are positioned on both sides of the track and have secondary track controlled rotation proved to be so technically challenging and expensive that it sent the developer (Arrow Dynamics - an industry mainstay since the 1940s) into bankruptcy. In 2008, X became X2 with new trains (lighter and easier to maintain) plus special effects (music, fire, fog and lights). I’m not big on special effects - which is good because the music and fire were only working intermittently and there was no fog or noticeable lighting. A roller coaster should stand on its own based on the ride experience. So... X2 is one intense, disorienting and borderline brutal ride! Human bodies become rag dolls on this machine. The rotational transitions are not smooth so front-to-back head banging and leg flailing prevail. [Note to guys: wear a jockstrap on this one.] X2 managed to pull my camera out of a double-snapped cargo pocket and claim it for its own (even the ride crew could find no trace of it after sweeping the grounds post-closing). If you ride this; bring a neck brace, leg brace and a stash of pain relievers (preferably narcotic). Rode it three times. I’m a tough guy and would have ridden more but I was ticked about losing my Sony Cyber-shot.
Goliath: This year 2000 mega coaster offering from Giovanola has a 255 ft drop into a tunnel for starters and an intense brain blood sucking helix near the end. The midcourse brake brings trains to a complete stop (to prevent people from passing out on the helix ahead). Loose the brake I say and bring on the positive g’s. Rode it twice.
Scream: A B&M sit-down floor-less (feet dangling) coaster from B&M with seven inversions. Six Flags built this one in the parking lot (you can see the old parking spot paint on the ground). This was a special ride for me because it marked my 300th coaster (not that there’s anything magical about the base 10 numbering system, but it’s as good as an arbitrary number as any). Rode it twice (back and then front for the special occasion).
Colossus: One of only six coasters remaining by International/National Amusement Devices. It’s a twin track woodie with a 115 ft first drop. Unfortunately, the park removed a dip about halfway through the course and replaced it with a flat brake run. Now trains are slowed to the point of boredom for the second part of the ride. This could be a great coaster if Six Flags would race trains (side by side), restore the dip and remove the brake. Rode it once.
Road Runner Express: This is a stock Vekoma junior coaster rescued from New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. It’s a short but well themed and fun ride for young coaster enthusiasts in training. Rode it once.
Canyon Blaster: Here’s another one for the younger riders. It’s a 1999 family ride from Miler tucked away in Bugs Bunny Land. Rode it once.
Revolution: This landmark ride (the world’s first modern vertical looping roller coaster with tubular steel track) was designed by Anton Schwarzkopf and opened in 1976. It has a long ground-hugging layout along the front side of the mountain and includes a tunnel. Sadly, this coaster is a classic case of how a park can manage to kill a great ride. The original trains were modified to accommodate over-the-shoulder restraints which are uncomfortable and interfere with visibility. Also, there are two midcourse brakes which slow trains to speeds less than the track was designed for. Dear Six Flags; Schwarzkopf knew what he was doing. Please restore this coaster to its original operation and make it great once again. Rode it twice (back and front).
Al's Magic Mountain Coaster Ranking (Favorite to Least Favorite)
Tatsu
Apocalypse
Goliath
X2
Riddler
Superman
Ninja
Scream
Batman
Colossus
Revolution
Viper
Gold Rusher
Green Lantern
Road Runner
Canyon Blaster
Other Rides of Note
LEX LUTHER - Drop of Doom: The park cleverly added a free fall drop ride to the existing Superman tower. You can feel the tower shake when Superman cars are launched. At ~400 ft, it’s the tallest drop ride anywhere. Not for those with fear of heights.
Log Jammer: The log flume ride that opened with the park in 1971 is gone. It was removed to make room for a new roller coaster opening in 2013 - Full Throttle. I’ll miss Log Jammer (a mountainside flume ride with a double drop) but Full Throttle looks like fun.
Commentary
Feel like spending an affordable day at an amusement park free from price gouging and commercialism? Then Six Flags may not be for you. Six Flags Magic Mountain is no Holiday World. Entry prices are reasonable (we bought season passes for less than the price of two visits). But hold onto your wallet from the time you park the car until the shops close. Parking was $17, sodas were $4 and food was pricey ($9 for a slice of pizza). In addition there were ads everywhere. Walking into the park was like walking into a giant commercial. All kinds of products (snacks, credit cards, hair gel, etc.) were being hawked on signs, video monitors, in lines and even on roller coaster trains. That’s right, both Viper and Colossus had trains that were fully painted as advertisements. I’m not a fan of this dual revenue model - charging people to get in and then bombarding them with paid ads. Here’s the way I think it should work. Parks should charge whatever they want for tickets. Then people can assess whether or not its worth it for them to visit. But once guests are in, prices for things like parking and food/beverages should match the local market. And no blatant ads - people are already bombarded on a daily basis and need an occasional respite. Oh well, we’ll see how far this goes. For now, I’ll be giving preference to the smaller independent parks.
