After concluding our three day vacation at Disneyland in Anaheim, we decided to up the thrill factor a bit by heading north to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia. I was very much looking forward to this park visit, as my last time here in 2018 was derailed by a violent stomach ache. I was only able to get through 6 out of a possible 14 credits that day, so I was psyched to get a chance to return.
After a quick hour car ride up from Disney, we found ourselves in a nearly empty parking lot at MM. This was somewhat expected as we were visiting on a Thursday in January, but I always wonder how operations are going to be on slow days. Minus one big whiff (Twisted Colossus being down), this was not an issue for us. The park was just that dead. The only wait we encountered all day was a station wait for Superman.
Our tour around the park started with a ride on Full Throttle, one of the coasters I hit on my previous visit. This ride is one of my favorites; the launches are great, the hangtime in the loop is nutty with the lap bar restraints, and I don’t seem to mind the short ride duration. IMO it packs enough action in its short layout; especially as a walk-on with no wait.
We then made the short walk over to New Revolution. This one surprised me–I really enjoyed it. The loop was forceful and the rest of the ride was a smooth journey around the hillside of the park. Good fun and a classic that should stick around for some time to come.
Speaking of classics, the next ride we took on was Viper, one of the sleeper hits from my last visit. Granted I am a sucker for Arrow loopers, I thought this one was incredible, especially in the front. I can imagine the transitions in the back of the train are pretty janky, but my two front row rides have been awesome. Here’s to hoping they preserve this incredible ride for years to come.
X2 was up next. This unique ride is quite possibly the scariest roller coaster experience I have ever encountered. It is absolutely ridiculous, even after a second ride. Face down on the drop is something I’ll never forget. It has a reputation for jerkiness but the two rides I’ve had have both been relatively smooth. Another one of my all time favorites, mostly for the shock factor alone.
We began the slow climb up the “magic mountain”/big-ass hill with a stop at the B&M flyer Tatsu. Another beast in it’s own right, this thing is incredibly forceful. The pretzel loop is one of the most intense moments you can experience on a coaster. With a downright gorgeous setting, this one also manages to crack my list of top coasters. It could benefit from a repaint, however.
Further up the mountain we conquered Ninja, an extremely fun Arrow suspended coaster (and one of the last remaining). Another solid ride that I hope stays put for awhile. We then made the quick walk over to Superman. Perhaps the one I was most disappointed about missing on my previous visit, this ride did not let me down. I thought the launch was forceful, especially facing backwards. The station theming was pretty sweet and it was definitely a unique experience. After a quick lap on the park’s mine train Gold Rusher, it was time for a quick break to enjoy our favorite park snack (a blue raspberry ICEE).
We headed toward the back of the park to attempt to get on MM’s latest addition, West Coast Racers. Unfortunately, this ride was down for our entire stay. It looked like a fun ride and I was bummed we missed it, but there were so many other great attractions it was hard to be too upset. We instead opted for a ride on the park’s woodie, Apocalypse. This one was another hidden gem that provided a smooth ride with some good airtime and lats. Another sleeper hit of the day.
After a quick ride on the park’s new giant discovery Crazanity (also sketchy as hell), we queued up for Riddler’s Revenge. This one was a bit of a dissapointment for me. I generally enjoy stand-up coasters, but this one was a bit much for me. Wish I could’ve gotten one more lap on it, but I thought it was a little rattly even in the front row. Layout was awesome and the airtime hill was super unique for a stand-up, but I was left a bit underwhelmed. I typically have a high tolerance for rides such as these, as I enjoyed a similar experience in Green Lantern at SFGAdv back in the fall. Like I said, I wish I could’ve gotten one more ride on Riddler.
Our next stop was Batman. I freaking love these invert models, and this one was no less intense than the three others I’ve experienced. Olivia enjoyed her first Batman, and we were able to do it in the front row no less. I still prefer the OG at Great America, but this one was great as well. After a quick drop on Lex Luthor’s (also extremely terrifying), we were on to our last ride of the day…
…on Goliath! This was another that I missed on my last visit, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The helixes were as intense as advertised, and I thought the one good airtime hill was solid. It was definitely a fun ride, and a good one to end on as rain clouds began to gather in the area.
All in all it was an awesome day at Magic Mountain. I was upset about missing Twisted Colussus as I thought Olivia would’ve loved it. RMC’s are her personal favorites so this would’ve been another good one for her to try. But it definitely gives us a reason to return. In terms of the crowds, we couldn’t have asked for a better day as we literally did not stand in a single line. That definitely made up for the ride closures.
After a slow ride in LA traffic back to the airport, we were on our way to Raleigh the next morning. It was an incredible week long trip, but we were certainly glad to be back home with Eleanor! Until next time…
– Walker
Texas-Ranger Travels 