Six Flags Magic Mountain 3/8 and 3/9
Associated parks:
None
Six Flags Magic Mountain1.) What was your first impression of the park as a whole?
Rob: My first impression of the park was far different from what I had heard from other enthusiasts that had visited SFMM. When I heard SFMM had 15 coasters I was imagining that I’d be seeing the immense skyline that Cedar Point has. Of course you can never judge a book by its cover. The employees at the parking booth set the tone for the rest of the employees throughout the park, which was absolute politeness. Walking throughout the park made me realize how beautiful and well-themed this park was as well.
Kristin: It was nothing like what I had pictured. A lot of people had talked trash about the park and made it sound like a huge disappointment. I've been to several disappointing Six Flags parks, but this was definitely not one of them. The themeing was great, the landscaping was beautiful, and aside from a few small things, the park was very clean and well-maintained. Even from a distance the park was attractive, and the backdrop of mountains and palm trees was just breathtaking to a flat-lander Ohioan like myself.
John: "Oooh… Pretty fountain!" This park rocks. The landscape is nice, the coasters kick, and the staff is friendly. Aside from a few issues on Riddler’s Revenge and X (but that’s due to totally illogical loading procedures) this park really pumps people through their rides. SFMM was a pleasant surprise.
Chris: Aside from the “OH MY GOD, X IS RUNNING!” first reaction that almost made me run a red light in our rental car, I was extremely impressed with this park’s layout, cleanliness, and especially beauty. Props to whoever maintains the theming and landscaping here, especially noticeable in the Goliath and Superman queues as well as the Samurai Summit and Baja Ridge areas. And, *gasp*, a well-themed Gotham City (unlike some other SF parks, *cough*SFA*cough*)! I’ve also never seen coasters worked into terrain as well as at Magic Mountain (Revolution, Goldrusher, and Ninja, for example). SFMM is one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever visited, and I would not mind calling it my homepark at all! It really deserves all the comparisons to CP.
2.) What was your favorite attraction and why?
Rob: One letter, X. I think the rest of the group will agree on this one. There is honestly nothing like X. Riding it was an incredible rush. We started off in the backseat for the first ride. I couldn’t believe how smooth it was running, there was just a little bumpiness on the outside seats. The ride itself never gave up its intensity, the pacing was perfect. Even though I had seen POV of this ride tons of times, I still didn’t know what the heck happened to me. I will never forget my Xperience on X.
Kristin: That's a no-brainer for sure: X. I don't care if people claim it's overhyped or rough, it was simply amazing. When I saw X was running I wanted to cry, laugh, and shout for joy all at the same time. While on the lift, I remember thinking “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m finally here!” I had drooled over pictures of the coaster being built and downloaded video after video, but nothing even compared to the moment I was first strapped into that seat. Words can’t even come close to describing the sensations you feel during the ride, everything from pure terror to absolute bliss. It all comes in one package, and it’s called X. We got a second ride that night, front row, and then two more rides the following day. We NEED a 4D in the east. I'll cry with joy if an Ohio park ever decides to get one.
John: Need you ask? X, of course. By far it's the most intense coaster I've ever ridden. It regained what Arrow lost when Mr. Toomer retired. Seriously, X is the most extreme thing I’ve ever seen or ridden. There needs to be a better word for “amazing.” Every ride on X there was somebody on the train that screamed “What was that!?” and I still feel that way now. I seriously think that “eh?” is the only way to describe what a ride on X feels like. Going up the lift for my first ride was, well, scary. Coasters don’t scare me anymore like they did when I was little. X was the first ride since I was about 12 that made me say “Oh my God, I don’t want to do this!” at the top of the lift… of course… that changed the moment we flipped over.
Chris: Definitely X, WOW! This is my new favorite coaster, steel, wooden, plastic, or whatever else! Words simply can’t describe how Xhilirating it is! Our first ride was in the back, which blew us away, but our second (and third, and fourth) ride was in the front seat and was absolutely otherworldly. The hangtime on the first drop is insane, as are the several moments where you are being pulled in about 18 directions at once. Words really can’t describe X. I’ve come to the conclusion that S:TE is indeed a coaster, but I’ve also come to the conclusion that X is not really coaster, but more like God…well, at least I think I saw him on X, anyway…
Besides X, I was really impressed with Goliath. All the things I’ve heard about it indicated that it was too short, overbraked, and lacking in airtime. I seriously wonder what people are on when they ride this thing if they think that. From start to finish, Goliath is sustained intensity. The first drop in the back is full of yank (even though they slow the chain lift to a crawl), and the third hill reminds me so much of Maggie’s third hill, which I love so much. And then there’s the helix…wow…I think I’ll let John elaborate on this part of the ride, but I’ll say that now I understand why they call it the “centrifuge.” Honorable mention to Viper, Riddler, and Goldrusher (one of the best Arrow mine trains I’ve ridden) for being excellent coasters.
3.) What was the biggest suprise at the park?
Rob: Riddler's Revenge. Nobody ever talks about this standup much and frankly I thought the layout was perfect. I've ridden Chang and Mantis and compared to those standups, I found RR to be much more intense.
Kristin: There were so many..wow. Riddler, Viper, Goldrusher, Goliath, Superman. Everything amazed me. I was surprised by the intensity of SFMM's coasters compared to CP.
John: Viper. I never thought I'd actually love an Arrow megalooper. Oddly enough, back is smoother than front.
Chris: Superman. I thought 100 mph in 7 seconds would be nothing, but the launch is actually quite intense (which makes me wonder just how intense Dragster will be). And you can’t beat 6 seconds of sustained float! And yes, it IS a coaster just as much as Wicked Twister is! I must also mention that I didn’t expect Flashback to be one of the most genuinely frightening rides I’ve ridden (I was screaming in pure terror, especially in the back seat). Oh, and we got to ride Déjà Vu (my first), which was supposed to be closed the whole weekend.
4.) What was the biggest disappointment at the park?
Rob: My biggest disappointment was Revolution. The layout is awesome on the ride, but those darn OTSR's killed the ride and made it less enjoyable. The force in the loop should not require OTSR's.
Kristin: Psyclone and Revolution. Both are braked wayyy too much and the trains/restraints are completely wrong for the coasters.Revolution would be amazing if it weren't for those stupid restraints. Psyclone..well..I'm not sure what they could do with that.
John: Revolution. It's been bastardized with those nipple-grabbing OTSRs.
Chris: Revolution. This could easily be the best coaster ruined by a park in existence. The ride itself is beautifully designed to fit the terrain, and, if run properly, I bet it would have tons of airtime and laterals as well as one classically intense Schwarzkopf loop. Problem is the stupid OTSR’s SFMM added in addition to the lapbars. These aren’t just OTSR’s, but the hardest, most uncomfortable OTSR’s I’ve ever experienced (unfortunately, Flashback has them too). And, since Anton originally designed the ride not to have them, he put lots of horsecollar-unfriendly transitions in the ride. SFMM’s reaction to the pain these restraints cause is to break the Michigan out of the ride to reduce the force of riders’ snapping necks. Very sad, considering that this could have been one of my favorite coasters on the trip if it were run the way Anton intended.
5.) Would you go back to the park in the future?Rob: Oh heck yeah! If we can experience the park again as we did for our spring break, I'd definately go for it. However, I'd be iffy if it was in the middle of summer.
Kristin: I agree with Rob. I think if we did go during peak season we wouldn't have nearly as much fun. The crowds were light, the weather was perfect, and we were fortunate enough to catch almost every ride while it was open. I'd say definitely if I could go back in the spring or winter. I normally won't go to CP during the peak summer months either.
John: Absolutely!
Chris: Let’s just say that if I moved in the Los Angeles area, I don’t think I would miss Cedar Point too much…
6.) What's your fondest memory (memories) from the park?
Rob: My night ride on X. Front seat, it felt like I was falling in a bad dream plummetting down from that first Raven turn.
Kristin: Every ride on X was my fondest memory. I remember getting off the ride each time thinking "It can't get any better than this.." but each time it did get progressively better.
John: Riding X in the front seat at night. Oh my God that was insane. Also, watching Kristin beat up on Rob every few minutes.
Chris: Our 1st ride on X, the Xcitement leading up to it, and the joy/shock and Xhileration we all felt when the ride was over. Immediately, I knew the money I spent for the whole trip was worth it! What will stick in my mind about SFMM is leaving Sunday night, after our last (front seat) ride on X. The park was closed, but none of us wanted to leave, so we took twenty minutes slowly walking out of the park, soaking in the views, snapping some pics, and just hanging out and enjoying the park’s awesome atmosphere for as long as we possibly could.
7.) List some superlatives for the park.
Rob: Most Intense Collection of Coasters
Best Place to Exercise
Worst Coaster Train (Psyclone)
Kristin: Worst park-opening sprint to a coaster (X)
Best station music (Riddler and X)
Best shading from the sun in queues
Worst coaster trains (Revolution, Flashback, Psyclone)
John: Most hilly
Worst Capacity (X)
Most Surprising
Best Landscaped
Most Intense
Chris: Best Ride (X)
Best Rides (all around)
Best Park in SoCal (due to combination of awesome rides, theming, and overall atmosphere).
8.) Funniest thing that happened at the park:
Rob: I have to agree with what John said!
Kristin: When Rob and I arrived back in Ninja's station after I had just shot POV from the front seat, there was an angry looking security guard waiting on the platform. I thought for sure he was waiting for me, but it turns out there was a conflict between some people in the station. I just about had a heart attack, but it was funny later. Also, Chris standing under the Log Jammer sign asking in a if Kara (ST Chick) wanted to ride it with him.
John:The guy who said (regarding X): "That was better than sex in the butt... and trust me I've had sex in the butt...and my sister walked in on me! This is my sister" {sister waves}
Also, when my camera strap broke in my pocket, but not while taking POV photos on X.
Chris: Well, I really love B:TR clones, and I guess I loved SFMM’s so much I started giggling like a little schoolgirl…you can bet I got made fun of that for the rest of the trip! Also, John and Kristin’s “almost-conversation” across the Ninja platform where they could “almost” read each other’s lips and “almost” understand each other’s hand motions; I guess you had to be there, but it was hilarious. And the random guy who compared riding X to having sex in the butt was interesting, too. Oh, and Psyclone is now called “Psycluck” (my confused attempt to say “Psuckclone”).
jayrider16 -
It's not because they're nice (they could be, but I dont know them personally lol), it's because they aren't biased 12-year olds.
-Danny
Speaking for the group, we also, for the most part, try to go to parks with an open mind. You obviously can't completely tune out other peoples' opinions of places, but whether or not you let those opinions influence your visit makes all the difference. :)
It's nice to see people complementing a Six Flags park for once.
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"Life is like a roller coaster; there are ups and downs and it's over all too fast."
Fight Back at: www.realizethis.com
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
One may do something a little too friendly to your leg if you don't watch it.
You must be talking about Kristin. Let me tell you, if you have your back turned for even one second...
Thanks for the comments on the TR and the format. We usually try to do something different, that's easy to read, and really gives an overview of the park in general.
You know, we really didn't stick around long enough to find out, although at the rate he was going, I'm sure he would have been more than happy to fill us in with all the details! We do know that he did indeed engage in the activitiy, and that his poor sister is now traumatized for life. We'll just leave the rest to the imagination. ;)
CoastaPlaya said:
Was the boasting guy the pitcher or the catcher in this situation? Inquiring minds want to know!
That's a very good question. He didn't say...
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- John
Dag, yo
Support Rob in the Great DDR Challenge!
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If you have a problem with clones, the solution is real simple—Stop traveling.
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Baghdad Boogie! - click here to listen in on the enemy.
Hey!, stop picking on "my" Gotham City (SFA).
If it makes you feel any better, I was quite impressed by the theming at SFA except for in Gotham City...well, Two-Face in Southwest Territory was kind of strange, I guess...
Thanks for the compliments, everyone. I should also point out that this style of TR is also much easier and more fun to write than the Homeric-epic style!
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- Chris
I put the "D" in DDR.
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