The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[Shut It Down]

Page 5000!

[thesman]

Headed to the park next week from the east coast. Any suggestions? Also Which week day is usually the least crowded?

[JT325]

^I'll be there the 16th (late), 17th and 18th. My main concern is getting the most amount of non-VR rides on Revolution. Haven't been in years.

 

Every man, woman and mutant for themselves.

[SoCalJasonland]

Headed to the park next week from the east coast. Any suggestions? Also Which week day is usually the least crowded?

 

I would probably pick tue or wed based upon the weather but the entire week is busy and hot. Saturdays are the worst. I don't know of a better weekday.

[chammonds96]

This place will be PACKED, and doubly so on a Saturday. Being from Chicago, I assume you're used to Six Flags Great America. Now add about 5,000 people and slow down operations substantially, and you've got Magic Mountain. Expect waits over 2 hours. So...If you have the money, I'd go with Platinum. If this is a budget trip for you, Gold should be fine, as long as you use it well. As soon as you check in, you can make another reservation. Do so, and your Flash Pass will be waiting in line for you while you're on the previous ride.

 

6. It's L.A.! How long do you want to spend there? As far as theme parks, there's Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and Disneyland, with Legoland and Sea World San Diego not too far. There's the Getty Museum if you're into art, and freaking Hollywood if you're into movies. Go to Pink's Hot Dogs in Hollywood, it's amazing. There's also a bunch of beaches. Santa Monica Pier is fun, especially at night. Trust me, you won't run out of things to do in L.A., no matter what you're into.

 

Good advice here about SFMM & LA in general. Last time I went was a dreaded Saturday (it was Saturday or nothing) in early fall, and even with the Gold Flash Pass & staying until close, I simply ran out of time & missed Revolution, Viper, Lex Luthor, etc. I got off the highway exit around 10:30 a.m. and no-joke didn't get into the park until after 1 p.m. I had to park well beyond Scream in the nosebleeds, and once inside, the whole place continued to be a traffic jam.

 

To the traveler from Chicago: Please choose a weekday for your own good, & check out other stuff in L.A.! SFMM is iconic for coaster fans, but I enjoyed checking out Hollywood, the Getty Museum, Disneyland, & just relaxing in Santa Monica for a few days even more.

 

I did a LA and theme park trip end of May, 1st week of June.

 

Tuesday arrival 830am - got baggage/rental pickup headed to Knotts got there just after 10am, stayed til 8pm(close) - park was good till about noon, big midday rush, then cleared around 530 to close. Ghost Rider best ride in the park IMO, didn't get a full night ride, but just about and it was great.

 

Wed- Warner Bros Studio Tour -really liked it. Hollywood Blvd stuff - behind the scenes walking tour, Dolby Theatre, Chinese Theatre, Maddam Toussands, and ended with early evening open top van tour

 

Thurs- Sony Studio Tour, La Brea Tar Pits, Grammy Musuem

 

Fri - SFMM - 25 rides total(21 coasters) X2-7x, TC- 5x

 

Sat - Full day day the Getty Center- this is a must see if you like art. Great art, grounds, architecture, etc.. take full advantage of the many free guided tours

 

Su- Disney Concert Hall - nice 1 hr free tour, OUE Skyspace, LA Colisuem Guided Tour-, evening Griffith Observatory

 

Mon- Natural History Museum, CA Science Centre

 

Tu - SFMM - 30 rides total(27 coasters) X2-8x, TC-7x

 

Wed- SFMM - 27 rides total(24 coasters) X2-8x, TC-6x

 

Thurs - SFMM - 41 rides total(38 coasters) X2- 11x, TC-12x

 

Fri - Universal Studios Hollywood - got to do everything except the animal show, which wasn't really interested in. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the best thing in the park, rode it 4 times, Mummy 5x, Transformers 4X. If you ride Jurassic park front row edge seat you will take a bath, just a warning.

 

Sa - Long Beach - did the Aquarium, Queen Mary guided tour w/ Imax, and then whale watching tour, followed by dinner on the pier

 

Su - Santa Monica- The Pier, hint there is a free tour that nobody really takes that gives some great info. Malibu coast tour, walked Venice Beach- great, very interesting people. Then ended the day with a couple rides at Pacific Park on the pier

 

M- SFMM - 32 rides total(28 coasters) - TC-9x, X2-6x

 

Tu - Knotts- opening till 4pm - unlucky as a bunch of schools there so not the greatest day, caught 7pm flight.

 

My entire trip I seemed to get pretty lucky missing crowds at SFMM. Universal, and Knott's with the weekday strategy. I went last week of May thru 1st week of June. I got the Go LA card 7 day for $290 and didn't pay out of pocket for any of the stuff mentioned. Pretty cheap trip with having already having SF Gold and CF Platinum passes. Also, despite what many will say the LA public trans is okay and is convenient to many tourist tops. $25 for a week pass LA metro included buses. LA is very spread out so plan a day around sites in the same area. I followed that plan it allowed me to get a lot done every day.

Edited July 8, 2017 by chammonds96

[Arthur_Seaton]

Headed to the park next week from the east coast. Any suggestions? Also Which week day is usually the least crowded?

SFMM is a bit unpredictable these days in terms of crowds (it's been much busier the last two years due to the huge pass discounts), so you never can tell. But as a local who has a general sense of when to visit and when not to, I'd say that the place will be consistently packed from now until mid-late August. The temperatures get intense up there at this time, so that might keep a few people away, but otherwise I'd say your best bet is a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If this is a rare visit for you, it'd probably be wise to invest in whatever flash pass-like deals they have going.

[coasterlvr]

SFMM just started opening during the week in Septemeber. This is new this year. I would pick a weekday after Labor Day excluding Sept 21st to visit. The park is open fewer hours but you should get on more rides during that time. I have been to SFMM and Knott's on school days and most lines in the few minutes range.

 

back in the day when they stayed open during September, the first parking lot would get about 3/4 full, maybe. i can't see it being too much different. maybe a full lot, and some cars in front of the picnic area.

[Freestyle23]

You rode X2 11 times? I'm a local and I think the most I've ridden that in one day is 3x? lol Usually because of lines, sometimes being roughed up.

[singemfrc]

Can Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom & Superman: Escape from Krypton run at the same time?

They can, and it's AWESOME when they do. That is what in my opinion what makes LL better than it's sister out in New Jersey even though that one is a bit taller. Nothing better than when you get about 3/4 the way up the tower on LL and a Superman car screams up the track and causes the whole tower to sway back and forth. Unfortunately they don't do it very much anymore in my experience. I don't know if it's intentional or not, but sometimes it sure seems like they intentionally wait for LL gondolas to clear the tower before dispatching SEFK. Still, often you will be climbing the tower in LL shortly after a SEFK car has cleared and you will get some swaying.

 

Does the maintenance for X2 usually take place at the same time every year? If so, when is it and how long does it typically last? Thanks.

The more popular a ride (and X2 is always at the top of that list) the more they wait for offseason to do maintenance. Barring unforseen technical problems, it should run 2 trains through the end of daily operations in the fall.

 

I am visiting six flags magic mountain or the first time from Chicago in September . I have some questions regarding flash pass and generally about the park / attractions. Platinum costs $130 and the gold is $80. I AM GOING ALONE.

 

3.Need some tips on what days to visit - weekdays or weekends, which ride to start with, and what the average wait times are for all the rides with flash pass especially X2, SUPERMAN, TATSU. I want to ride X2 as many times as I can. I was planning on a Saturday since the park is open 10:30 am to 1 am.

 

4. Is the front row the best for all the rides?

 

5. What would be the best place to stay on a budget? Any cheap motels nearby?

 

6. What are the other things to do apart from six flags ? Any nearby attractions? How long will you recommend staying? Mainly looking for thrill seeking activities

3: General rule of thumb is that the later the park is open, the busier they will be. Sure, they're open until 1am on Saturday, but that's because they'll be busy as hell that day. I usually do Sundays myself, but I am not usually able to do Fridays which I think are the best balance between crowds and operating hours. Just stay away from holidays and special event/group days. The best days of the entire year are the last couple Fridays right before the park goes back to weekend only operation. Long hours and totally empty park.

 

4: Another rule of thumb regarding what row - front row is the best for view, back row is the best for thrill/speed (on most coasters, not all). I agree with Canobie Coaster that X2 front row is an absolute don't miss. That first drop when you are face down with nothing in front of you is one of the best coaster experiences in the world. (Note that the front row is actually the "back row" in the station - you climb the hill backwards and then turn over at the top!)

 

5: If you're just looking for El Cheapo, look at some of the desolate suburbs nearby like Sylmar. The further away from civilization, the cheaper it gets. (Also, try airbnb - you can find great deals to stay in other people's places!)

 

6: Magic Mountain is the best around for thrills, but Knott's Berry Farm has a few good ones too. If you're a coaster enthusiast (And well, you're here) I highly recommend Ghost Rider. After it was recently refurbished it's become one of the best traditional wooden coasters (meaning non RMC) in the country. They also have Xcelerator, one of the best Intamin launched coasters of it's type in the country (It's smaller than Top Thrill and Kingda Ka but does more than just go up and down), and Montezooma's Revenge, the last remaining Schwarzkopf flywheel launch coaster in the US, and Silver Bullet is a very underrated B&M Invert. And if you do go to KBF, try the Fried Chicken..it's pretty amazing.

 

You rode X2 11 times? I'm a local and I think the most I've ridden that in one day is 3x? lol Usually because of lines, sometimes being roughed up.

Yeah same here. I usually don't do more than 2 because my legs are unbearably sore after that second raven turn. I think I did 3x last time because it was so dead that on our second lap they just sent us around without stopping.

[chammonds96]

You rode X2 11 times? I'm a local and I think the most I've ridden that in one day is 3x? lol Usually because of lines, sometimes being roughed up.

 

The knocking around is 1/2 the fun, that's why I love back row left. 11x nothing..lol. I rode I-305 31x in one day this April.

[jonskinny12]

Can Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom & Superman: Escape from Krypton run at the same time?

They can, and it's AWESOME when they do. That is what in my opinion what makes LL better than it's sister out in New Jersey even though that one is a bit taller. Nothing better than when you get about 3/4 the way up the tower on LL and a Superman car screams up the track and causes the whole tower to sway back and forth.

 

I finally got this the last time I rode LL, and man it was terrifying. SEFK zoomed by when I was about halfway up the tower and I was not prepared at all. It was loud and then watching the shadow sway a few hundred feet below and actually moving side to side in my feet made it so much scarier and so much better overall.

 

To the person who rode X2 11 times in one day... that's incredible. I would love to ride it that many times in one day because it's so awesome but I doubt I could physically do more than 6 or 7 in a single day.

[SFMMFan76]

Some pics from this evening's employee ride event for Justice League. We were told to take pictures and promote the ride all over social media. We were only allowed to take pictures in the two pre-show rooms. Once in boarding area, phones were collected and given back at the end of the ride. I rode the ride twice and have to say it's awesome and there are additions to this ride that are not at the other JL clones...

[SFMMFan76]

We were also told to share this short teaser of the ride... rmd.me/SduDbhvcEW4

[Superbatboy]

The queue and pre show areas really look top notch. I didn't get that same vibe from the one in Texas.

[edgeboy]

So.... will it have a single rider line?

[MagicMountainMan]

So.... will it have a single rider line?

Yes, but only after the second show holding room. You still have to wait in the regular line up until that point, then there is a single rider split after you wave hi to Cyborg.

 

And there are two preshow rooms, the Hall of Justice entry room and the Cyborg room. Both are holding pens so they funnel people into the first room and you watch the video playing and take selfies with the Justice League statues. Then the doors open and you're greeted by Cyborg and watch the second pre show. Once that's finished the second set of doors open and you head into the main station. Unlike the pre show rooms there are actually switchbacks in the station area.

 

Basically it's like how the Terminator Salvation queue was supposed to work, but actually thought out. So hopefully it actually functions correctly as everything is supposed to be automatically timed with the ride. So we'll see...

[SFMMFan76]

So.... will it have a single rider line?

Yes, but only after the second show holding room. You still have to wait in the regular line up until that point, then there is a single rider split after you wave hi to Cyborg.

 

And there are two preshow rooms, the Hall of Justice entry room and the Cyborg room. Both are holding pens so they funnel people into the first room and you watch the video playing and take selfies with the Justice League statues. Then the doors open and you're greeted by Cyborg and watch the second pre show. Once that's finished the second set of doors open and you head into the main station. Unlike the pre show rooms there are actually switchbacks in the station area.

 

Basically it's like how the Terminator Salvation queue was supposed to work, but actually thought out. So hopefully it actually functions correctly as everything is supposed to be automatically timed with the ride. So we'll see...

 

Thanks for the help responding. Just got home from the park. Were you there tonight to ride? I rode it twice, and didn't get top score either time. I did finally get to meet Bonnie though.

[Lotologist492]

The queue and pre show areas really look top notch. I didn't get that same vibe from the one in Texas.

 

Having been on both the Texas and Georgia versions, I agree with the Texas version not seeming to be as good. That may be due to the fact the Texas version (along with St Louis) were first generation versions, using existing structures to house the attraction. (The Texas building used to be "The Right Stuff" 4D motion simulator and St Louis was previously Scooby Doo Ghost Blasters.) The design team had to do lots of improvising to shoehorn the JL ride into those buildings. All JL clones built after that used brand new purpose-built structures. I see a huge difference between TX and the new GA version that opened earlier this year, especially in the queue / pre-show. I can only imagine how much better the SFMM edition will be, with the extra scenes and all. I was at SFMM two weeks ago and had a blast! Lines were short for most rides but I was bummed the JL was not completed.

[Caliboy718]

I was there today as well. I didn't get to ride, but I did get to snap a pic of the line outside during the employee/media preview. Some of my cousin's friends who work at SFMM give the ride two thumbs up!

Most of the dirt and scaffolding are gone. This area is going to look great when it's finished! (Hopefully)

[Freestyle23]

After the power outage that happened in the San Fernando Valley/West La Saturday evening I was just thinking what happens if power goes out at amusement parks? I'm sure they have some generators right but what happens to a coaster during the ride, automatic stop at the next break run? Has anything like that happen before?

[boldikus]

but what happens to a coaster during the ride, automatic stop at the next break run? Has anything like that happen before?

Yes and yes.

[fatdaddy]

Theme Park Review was invited to preview and take some of the first rides on Justice League: Battle for Metropolis and I have to say I was impressed. The thinking is always that Six Flags doesn't do dark rides and I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was far better than I could have imagined. Now, I've only ridden this version of the ride (as opposed to those at other Six Flags parks), but from those who have ridden other versions this is said to be much better.

 

There is still work to be done in the Metropolis area, but it has undergone a tremendous amount of work over the past week and looks like it should be done by opening on the 12th. This was "technical rehearsal" and there were some glitches and a ride breakdown or two, but that should be sorted out by opening. There is a lot going on during the ride and some of the things that apparently didn't work weren't even noticeable. The interior is done, some work left on the facade, landscaping, few details, and the Metropolis area along with JL:BFM will be a great addition to the park.

 

My thoughts on the ride? The queue was very well themed and the preshow was short and sweet, including an animatronic Cyborg. The ride is not just a cruise through some targets, the cars spins and moves, there's a feeling of speed during some of the 3D portions, and several animatronics. The guns give feedback in the form of vibration, and your beam is colored, so no guessing where you are shooting. The 3D was good, graphics were a little cartoony, but it aided in the comic book feel of the ride. The ride car itself was comfortable, and I fit easily (I ain't small). The overall ride experience was very good, you come out wishing it was a little longer, and then the bonus Harley Quinn animatronic give you that little extra kick you needed. In any case, check it out opening day July 12th, you won't be disappointed!

 

And pictures...

 

 

 

 

There will be a more complete report from the press event to come, but this preview should get you excited to ride. Thanks to

Six Flags Magic Mountain for inviting us and giving us the opportunity to experience JL:BFM during it's first run. Great addition to the park, check it out July 12th!

[t-forty]

Acemachine, here's a few more tips

 

It will probably be hot. Expect 90 degrees. They allow you to bring in water bottles, but no other drinks. Vendors inside will fill up with cold water. Or just ask for cups of water.

 

3.Need some tips on what days to visit -

Avoid the weekends and try to go weekdays. Do not pre purchase the Flash Pass. See what the crowds are like first, then decide. Most kids are back to school by then so it shouldn't be too crowded. If you must go on a Sat, you'll probably have to buy the Flash pass. Hard to say which ones to ride first because they don't tend to open most rides the first hour when the gates open. Go figure! I try to see what rides are running as I'm walking from the parking lot and game plan around that. Tatsu and Full Throttle are usually running at opening. SFMM's layout is basically a huge loop. If Full Throttle is running at opening, get on that. If not, go to Tatsu by taking the Honda Express (Orient Express) to the top of the hill. This will get you near the Tatsu entrance. Must ride the front row for the view. You can probably get another ride in the last row before the line builds up. You definitely want to experience the force of the pretzel loop in the back row. In this area, you can hit Ninja,Superman Apocalypse. Continue to get to Riddler, Green Lantern, and Batman. Then Colossus, Scream, Drop of Doom, Goliath. By now you should be in the early afternoon and the lines for Full Throttle and X2 should be shorter. Might as well get Revolution and Viper since you're nearby. Then go for re-rides on your favorites.

 

4. Is the front row the best for all the rides?

Tatsu, X2, Batman are musts for the front. The inside seats of X2 is A LOT less rough than the outside seats. Ride the back for Colossus, Full Throttle (you'll see why at the end), and Goliath. Tatsu and X2 are good in the back if you don't mind the forces and some roughness. Everything else is preference.

 

5. What would be the best place to stay on a budget? Any cheap motels nearby?

Can't help you on cheap. I usually stay at the Embassy. About $125-150/night. They have an excellent free breakfast and the free bus that takes you directly to the park has a stop in front.

[Canobie Coaster]

I enjoyed the version at Great America so I'm glad to hear people think this one is even better. It's still hard for me to believe Six Flags is finally building good dark rides.

[Arthur_Seaton]

Looks great so far! This thing should be a huge hit with the GP. I'll probably sit out until the crowds die down as it's not my cup of blood (even though I love dark rides), but it'll be good to see that area buzzing with people again.