Hydraglow

There is no 'probably' when it comes to being smoother than an S&S 4D. Anything is smoother. Even a Vekoma SLC made entirely out of wood with concrete restraints, would 'probably' be a lot smoother than an S&S 4D...

Finally, someone who lives by the same "X2 Rules" as me. Ahhh, gotta love that last sentence there. Let's quote it again, just in case anyone missed it. Yup, sums it up quite nicely.

'The absolute roughest coaster I've been on' easily goes to Ghostrider. Well, until I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain.... X2 will gladly take that award now, as 'the absolute roughest coaster I've been on'. It's medieval torture for the 21st century, Arrow Dynamics Style!

http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=55084 1. Terminator 2. Riddler's Revenge 3. Goliath 4. Tatsu 5. Batman 6. Deja Vu 7. Viper 8. Scream! 9. Superman 10. X2

Wow, I really like those first 2! The first seems like it would come from Intamin and the second from Gerstlauer. Since I'm not skilled in the fine arts of Nolimits, here is a RCT3 version of one of my favorite inversions. Shot0003.bmp More intense version of the Cobra Roll

I felt the exact same things (blurred vision on loops and tingling legs on turns) when I went on Batman: The Ride at SFMM. I was really surprised that Batman topped Goliath in the Positive G department. The first loop made my vision fizzle out, and the helix and turns sorta hurt my legs. It was a lot more intense then I expected it to be. (I'm not too surprised now either, it is an incredibly compact layout especially when seen in person). In fact, I would say that Batman is the most intense (positive G speaking) coaster I have ever been on. Previous being Colossus (Schwarzkopf) at Lagoon.

Nice first photo TR. That is an excellent shot of Oblivion. Too bad Thirteen was closed, maybe another time. You might have to notify Robb for park index. I'm not sure how that works.

Lagoon loses it's luster in about 5 minutes for me. Well actually, I've been to Lagoon quite a bit, and it DOES get really boring. I've also been to Disneyland quite a few times and it just isn't that great anymore. I still WANT to like it, but I just don't. After SFMM, both of those parks especially seem dull. I live about 3 miles from Lagoon, and I have only had a season pass once. Never want one again. Eventually, time kills all parks. Try and take someone the next time you go. It's always fun to take a friend that has never been there, or hasn't been on all the rides. I love taking someone that is terrified of specific rides, because then you almost have a goal to get them to ride with you. Once they get on, it's just so much more fun to ride with them, due to their reactions. Even if I've ridden a ride to death, I still get a kick out of their comments before and after the ride. It just makes it that much better. Visiting other parks works really well too!

Wicked @ Lagoon Yup, those are LSM's.

X2. Period.

A perfect example of a post that should diffuse this whole banter about the park's decision. Everyone who reads this and doesn't understand why the trims have been placed on Intimidator, I kindly invite you to read it again. Still confused? Read it again. Have a question? Read it again. Want to argue? Read it again. There is honestly no point in arguing with each other about a matter that, well, doesn't matter. Park's decision, end of story. (Maybe after reading it multiple times, people will finally realize the bigger picture.)

Exactly. Hmm, let's put something into perspective. Why would they do this? Well first off, they wouldn't just do it, to do it, now would they. There are specific reasons, and it's the park's decision to do whatever they want with their ride. They realize it may detract from the experience on certain aspects of the ride, but who cares? They are doing it for it's own good. So for all the people who are exploding because they want the trims removed, tough. The park sees their own future better than you. Get over it. And besides, the ending did improve, correct? Stop looking at what they should have done and start looking at things that they did not do. They invested in such a great Intamin creation, that will be good no matter how you slice it, and is better than a whole bunch of other rides out there. Be glad they were brave enough to get such an insane roller coaster in the first place. And this is where BeemerBoy's quote comes in up top...

Really? Yeah, I guess that's better than leaving more room to bang around in. Whenever I get down there, I'll have to try that. Hope my shoulders come out intact... That worked better for me. I had my restraint closed tighter on the first ride, yet my shoulders felt it more that way. (The restraint is rounded where it touches your shoulders, and it tends to nearly "dig into" them.) BTW, that restraint is not soft at all, that's why I love the soft head rest, it's the only source of comfort your body will come in contact with... On the second ride, I was being hit a lot more in the chest, sides, and head from restraint. Think of it this way: It was like a golf ball in a paint can being put on a paint mixer... and I was the golf ball. (Yeah, it beats you up good and it does it fast!) *My second addition was recently added. The Ride Tips section. Along with a couple other tweaks. In case anyone is interested*

Thanks again for all the replies and compliments! But all is not said and done. Yet. Originally, I was going to have a larger, more descriptive version of my TR than what I first had, but I wanted to get it posted. Improvements and additions will come later, and my first addition was just recently added. The Extra Remark section. Hope you all enjoy. More to come later.

On my second ride, I left about an inch between my shoulders and the restraint. For some reason, there was a ton of room between my chest and the front of the restraint though. (Which gave me plenty of room to bang around) I tried to close it, but it wouldn't budge. Oh well, not like that would of done anything anyway, because my restraint opened up some during the drop...talk about plenty of room. Yeah, I kind of wish arrow coasters had vertically adjustable OSTRs. Viper (and probably Ninja) would benefit greatly from those. Taller people have to somewhat slouch in order to fit, due to the low hinge on the restraint.

Tatsu's pretzel was pretty intense, but at least riders were in comfy seats and came off without physical harm. With X2, the intensity came from trying to minimize a severe beating in those not so comfy seats... (I'll admit, the headrest was squishy. The actual restraints on the other hand...)

Thanks for all the posts everyone. I sure do feel welcomed here. See, not that X2 was a bad ride, just the sheer amount of roughness took away all the fun. If it was more bearable like Viper and Deja Vu, then it would have been much more fun to actually ride. But even if it was as smooth as a B&M, it still wouldn't rank my #1. I would definitely recommend the ride to someone, mainly because of all the outstanding effects. Even while in the station, it really tries to psych you out! The audio fits the ride perfectly...gives it personality. Gotta love that on-board soundtrack too, especially coming out of the station/beginning of the lift.

Yeah, I kind of wish I would have tried an inside seat, but after two rides, I was clearly done. I was really trying to find a way to fit those restraints comfortably though. My first ride, I had them on relatively tight, and they were really annoying my shoulders. On my second ride, I left a bit of shoulder space, and more chest space. Interesting enough, on the first drop my restraints opened about 4 inches, giving me a scary amount of wiggle room. Now, I had more space to fly around in my seat, creating a much more painful experience than the first. (besides, toward the back seems rougher anyway). So my choice was either uncomfortably tight on the shoulders, or more banging room in the seat. I understand what the ride was trying to do...and it's unique, and pretty insane. But how it was executed, is the very reason it ended up at the bottom of my list.

*New additions and revisions have been added* Hello everyone! I just got back from my Southern California vacation and have a detailed report for Six Flags Magic Mountain. This was my very first time visiting the park, so I was very excited to ride all of the insane rides this park had to offer. The only other parks I have experienced prior to this one were: Disneyland, Lagoon, and Knott's Berry Farm. (Sorry, no pictures) First off, there was absolutely nobody there. Nobody. Well, fine, an employee told us there was about 1800 people, but still. There wasn't any lines for any of the rides, all day long. Many times, the trains would come back to the station, and we were told to stay in our seats if we wanted to ride again. Since it was my first time, I wanted to get around to do everything before the day was through (10:30-6:00), so I didn't take any immediate re-rides. Although, I did skip Revolution, Gold Rusher, and Colossus (Ninja was closed for rehab). It was a fantastic day, and I eventually prioritized a list of my favorite rides. Here they are from Best to Worst: AWARDS: Given to the rollercoaster that best represents that award. EXTRA REMARK: Personal side note on specific aspects of that rollercoaster. RIDE TIPS: Dedicated to viewers who have yet to visit Magic Mountain. #1 - Terminator: Yup, this was easily the best ride of the day. Nonstop fun from start to finish. Very comfortable seats on top of an already smooth ride. The tunnels on the track were placed in the absolute best locations, especially the second one. Very chaotic with the nonstop noise, speed, and airtime. I was laughing through the whole thing. Queue theming was a nice touch too. (Too bad the soundtrack didn't work...) *3 rides - front, second to back, back* AWARDS: Craziest track layout / Most enjoyable / Most likely to re-ride / No bad seat EXTRA REMARK: I would have to say, out of every ride I have ever been on, only two classify as 100% pure fun. Disneyland's Space Mountain and Magic Mountain's Terminator. This ride is just so incredibly fun, it really needs to be classified in a different league. Most coasters like to preserve the momentum, but the really enjoyable rides throw that concept right out the window, by keeping a high average speed. This ride does just that, but it's the ride's brilliantly twisted layout combined with it's non-stop speed, that makes it truly one of a kind. RIDE TIPS: While riding Terminator, you are given two choices. Either you hold on to your large lap bar, or you put your hands up. For those of you who prefer to hold on, there is a little secret I found while riding. Unlike Goliath's restraints, which have a little dip in them to hold on to, Terminator just has it's large lap bar, which may be hard to grip for most. Unlike most lap bar rides where you have your palm facing down while gripping, I found it best to actually ride it with palms facing away from you, pushing the restraint away. This way, it still gives you the secure feeling of gripping a bar in front of you. The reason of this being, if you hold it like an ordinary lap bar, the rider tends to tighten their own restraint while riding, due to all the bumps, dips, and airtime. This method, pretty much guarantees the restraint won't tighten on you while riding. Obviously, that could be a serious problem due to the "once it clicks, it stays" restraints. #2 - Riddler's Revenge: Awesome B&M layout! Stand up trains made it even better. It was really cool to have your legs swing around the inversions if you had them relaxed. It was also surprisingly smooth. Every element on the ride was fun, and I loved every second of it. Gotta have front for this one. By the way, the trains looked awesome, they're just so tall! (I even think I like standing better than sitting...) Epic ride overall. *3 rides - front, back, front* AWARDS: Best inversion track layout / Coolest trains / Most satisfying to ride EXTRA REMARK: One of the factors that makes Riddler's Revenge so great (B&M stand-ups in general) is the amount of flexibility riders are given. Due to the fully adjustable stand-up seats, riders are able to create different ride experiences, depending on what they want. For instance, riders can: completely sit, squat, slightly bend knees, stand straight up, have feet slightly off floor, fold legs while riding, or lift legs while riding. Riders are given a great amount of customization when it comes to choosing how they want to ride, which can make the ride experience completely different and more unique. RIDE TIPS: The best advice I have for Riddler's Revenge, is to just ride without locked knees. When you are in the station adjusting your seat, leave a little amount of knee bend, and use your knees as shock absorbers as you navigate the track. Also, get front if you can, it's noticeably smoother and creates a much better experience. #3 - Goliath: The smoothest ride I have ever been on, and I mean butter smooth. The tunnel was a very effective head-chopper. Awesome sensation of speed throughout the entire ride. Helix was quite bearable, not as bad as I thought. Loved the camel-back, although I didn't feel too much airtime on it in the front seat. Great anticipation at the top, due to chain lift slowing to a crawl. Very good ride overall, even though it's lack of airtime. *1 ride - front* AWARDS: Smoothest rollercoaster / Longest sustained Positive G's EXTRA REMARK: Goliath has got an incredibly smooth riding experience. So smooth in fact, that it is almost hard to believe you are even connected to the rails at all. This features perfect synergy with the great amount of speed on this ride. Riders are able to experience great speeds, without feeling every passing inch of the track, thus making the ride feel faster than it actually is. RIDE TIPS: The only way to hold onto Goliath is to hold the lap bar, which can be awkward for some. For me, I actually like to hold onto a bar in front of me, and Goliath offers this in 10 of it's seats. Try the first front 2 seats in each of the 5 cars. In those, there is a bar you are able to hold onto far in front of you. Although, it is a bit of a stretch. #4 - Tatsu: The whole flying thing really threw me off, but it was incredibly fun. Very, very smooth ride, almost relaxing. The seats were very comfy with the rubbery, flexible restraints. Pretzel loop was a very unique inversion, and quite intense. Awesome feeling to fly on a coaster. (The chain lift and it's crest were the scariest parts of the ride) *3 rides - front, back, second to front* AWARDS: Scariest chain lift / Most unique riding style EXTRA REMARK: The really neat aspect about Tatsu, is obviously the way the rider is situated. Flying on a coaster, is a completely different experience that gives riders a chance to actually feel as if they were flying. The restraints on this ride enhance the experience even more, providing maximum comfort for the riders, utilizing a flexible, rubbery restraint inside the outer one. This combined with the smooth track, enables riders a very unique, and even relaxing experience. I also love the location on top of the park's summit; it gives riders a great view of the park, and gives them a nice sense of height (especially the end of the ride). RIDE TIPS: The default place for humans to look is obviously in front of them, but for Tatsu, that means staring at the ground the entire time. Instead, riders look above them to see where they are flying. I stress this most on the inversions, where as it may get the rider a bit dizzy if looking straight down. Be sure to keep your eyes up when navigating those upside-down maneuvers, to prevent dizziness. #5 - Batman: Very intense ride for it's size. The first loop gave me blurred vision, and the rest of the ride's forces kept on adding to it. My legs were tingling the entire ride due to brilliant positive G's. The corkscrews were very wild, and really ejected riders. Great low-to-the-ground maneuvers as well. Most G-heavy ride of the day. The new paint looked great too! Gotta love inside that station. *1 ride - front* AWARDS: Most Positive G inducing layout / Biggest punch EXTRA REMARK: Batman is just one of those rides that looks feeble, especially when compared to bigger rides in the park. Looking past it's size, the ride itself is one of the most intense I have ever experienced. Coming from a park with two intense Schwarzkopf coasters, I will admit that this ride is like combining a B&M with a Schwarzkopf. This ride is incredibly compact, with very heavy G's throughout the entire ride. The ride also navigates the track very quickly, due to the incredible amount of compactness. RIDE TIPS: If you have a choice, get front. Inverted coasters (like Silver Bullet) aren't much fun when in any other location (although some really like get whipped around in the back). Like all other rides, leave a bit of room on the restraint, keep your head back, and prepare for a relentless barrage of positive G's. Oh, and the corkscrews toss you like crazy, in case you want to prepare. #6 - Deja Vu: Good ride, not as rough as many perceive. Going backwards was quite disorienting and was best while in the front. Back seat + first lift = my favorite drop in the park. Couple rough spots, but very bearable. Solid ride with great elements for being so compact. (BTW, when your in the station, look up at the cable, it looks VERY worn... It just adds to the freaky factor) *2 rides - front middle, back edge* AWARDS: Best drop (back seat, first tower) / Freakiest looking ride / Most unsafe feeling EXTRA REMARK: Deja Vu is a feature packed ride that gives riders a bunch of fun and intense experiences. Both towers give riders what it feels like to travel up a straight up chain lift, forward and backwards; only to be released into free fall. Both inversion (cobra roll and loop) are great on their own, but are even more interesting repeating the ride backwards. The entire ride is a thrill, with the two lifts scarring riders the most. The sensation of the drops are very thrilling, especially when in the proper seat (first tower back seats, second tower front seats). RIDE TIPS: There are two main rules for Deja Vu that I found very helpful, especially the second rule. First rule is to brace yourself for the cobra roll, which is the roughest/most jerky part of the ride. The second rule comes at the end, when you go back up the first tower at high speeds. When you pass through the station backwards, push on your restraint handles to keep your back against the restraint. This is due to the very violent stop the train makes going up the tower. This can be especially painful to the guys if you know what I mean, so watch out. Just make sure you are pushing to the back of the restraint until the train stops on the tower, and starts inching it's way back to the station, then you can let go. #7 - Viper: First loop was one of the best inversions I've been on. The ride was not as rough as I expected, about like Deja Vu. The ride itself was smooth, it just had a couple bumpy spots. Inversions were just fun, and had great hangtime. Restraints problematic for people over 6 feet tall. *1 ride - front* AWARDS: Best inversion (first loop) / Most hangtime EXTRA REMARK: There is something about Arrow's loops (and inversion for that matter) that is just fun. Viper's loops have a good amount of "whip" to them, which makes them very enjoyable. It's other inversions (batwing and corkscrews) are taken at slower speeds, which provides great hangtime. Although a bit jerky at times, Viper is a fun ride, regardless of the mediocre restraints. RIDE TIPS: Mainly, riders just want to keep their neck relatively stiff on this ride, due to unexpected jerks in the track. Since the restraints meet up at the riders neck, that is the area most concerned about while riding. I almost like to push my feet against the bottom front of the car I'm in, to help stabilize my upper half. Watch out for that hang-time! #8 - Scream: Disappointing for a B&M. Severe vibrations through most the ride. The Zero-G roll and Cobra Roll did fling me out of my seat though, and that was fun. Overall, the severe vibrations combined with the relatively heavy G's didn't make it to be all that fun. (Parking lot theming doesn't work in the ride's favor either...) *1 ride - front* AWARDS: Best ejector inversions (Zero-G Roll, Cobra Roll, Corkscrews) / Worst Location EXTRA REMARK: Scream was one of those rides that gave me high expectations, but just didn't deliver. The floorless concept is great, although you only really get effect in the front seat. The ride had a significant amount of rattle, that combined with the heavy G's didn't create a very good ride experience. The location obviously wasn't very good either (both walking there, and the ride scenery itself). Although, the inversions were way cool with the roomy seats. RIDE TIPS: Not that much to know here. The inversions provide plenty of ejector, so if that is what you want, maybe a bit extra room. If you want to stay relatively put, then maybe a bit tighter, but not too tight! #9 - Superman: This ride was very generic. The launch didn't really feel like a launch, and the Zero-G moment, didn't really feel like Zero-G. Relatively boring rollercoaster compared to others in the park. After it left the building, it was hard to tell if it was even accelerating because it was going so fast. Great ride for speed fanatics though. Although it was quite boring, I would still take it over...#10. *5 rides - front, second row edge, second row, third row, front* AWARDS: Longest sustained Zero-G / Only launch EXTRA REMARK: Yes, this ride is 100mph, and yes, it is 415ft, but so what? The height really doesn't do much for the riders because obviously, you can't see how high you are. The speed is great, but I almost was expecting more from 100mph. For those who have been on other launching coasters, this one will be pretty disappointing. I've ridden a bunch of short rides in my life (Lagoon is full of them) but this gives that word a new definition. The Zero-G moment was hard to really feel, since the lap bar fit so nicely. This ride is great for speed, but it's pretty limited to just that. RIDE TIPS: In order to really fell the Zero-G moment, be sure not to staple yourself to the seat. Don't worry, you'll stay put. Also, the front row doesn't feel as fast as one might think due to the high build of the car. Try the second row on the edges, those always seemed to get more air. Edge seats also have the advantage of having an unobstructed view from 415ft up. That's if, you turn your head sideways. #10 - X2: First lets clarify. I absolutely love the transformation to X2. It really added a whole new dimension of psychological terror. The soundtrack was perfect, the paint job was awesome, but the ride itself just sucked. It was by far the roughest ride I have ever been on. (2nd worst being Ghostrider). My first ride was on the front row, outside right seat, and that was bad. But I gave it a second chance and hit the second to last row, outside left seat, and that was absolutely terrible. The restraints seem to dig into your shoulders quite a bit, and I ended up with bruises on both of my shoulders that hurt for days. (Roughest part is after the second raven turn). Overall, I just didn't find this ride THAT thrilling, THAT insane, or even THAT fun. The whole 4D thing really doesn't do it for me. I'm just glad I only rode it twice, and toward the end of the day. (Sorry, I'm just not a fan of getting mercilessly beaten by a rollercoaster) *2 rides - front right outside, second to back left outside* AWARDS: Best psychological terror / Most overrated / Personality EXTRA REMARK: Hmm, I could go on quite a bit about this ride, but I won't. It's almost a love-hate relationship. Let's put it this way: I love X2, I hate X. In other words, I love the transformation to X2 (color, theme, effects, audio, personality) but I hate the ride itself, which is obviously still X. The X2 transformation does give the ride personality, and that I love. I'll have to admit, the whole rotating thing really entertains some people, but not me. Very unique concept indeed; it's like a thrill ride and coaster mixed, but not one that I can say I love. It's a great ride for Magic Mountain; one that many classify as the park's signature attraction. Others, rate it as their favorite ride, but for me, it's only best at being a great psychological experience rather than a great physical one. RIDE TIPS: All I can say is, ride in the most defensive position possible. Keep your head back on the soft headrest, keep your neck stiff so your head movement stays minimal, monitor and keep you legs still, and hold on tight. Try and get inside seat, as most agree those ones are a bit smoother than the outside ones. Brace yourself for the bottom of the second raven! Good luck, and be sure to have some ibuprofen handy, just in case. Did I already say, good luck? (Dang, I should have brought a giant roll of bubble wrap...) NOTE: *Although this is my list from Best to Worst, the rides farther down the list weren't necessarily bad, I just didn't like them as much as the others.* TIP: *I highly recommend the front row, and front row only, for all the B&M rollercoasters (Tatsu, Scream, Riddler's Revenge, Batman)* Well, that pretty much wraps it up. Hope you all enjoyed reading this and the many additions/revisions that were made. Questions and Comments are welcome, just don't eat me alive for hating X2. Cheers!