The Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) Discussion Thread

[Arthur_Seaton]

I figured the park would be quiet today (it was), so it seemed like a good moment to drive up and check out the new ride. It was maybe a 10-minute wait to get on, which was nice, and I ended up riding it about 10 times overall. Theming is minimal (some video screens in the station of random mechanics), and some loud rumbles in the midway holding room. A few scattered tools laying around, and another video screen with random tween idols and cars and stuff. Operations are excellent; you feel like you’re only stopped for a short time in the noisy room before you race again. The trains are as cramped as Füll Thröttle’s which makes the overhead restraints hilariously hard to slip into and some particularly-gnarly shin restrains ensure you’re sufficiently uncomfortable. The overhead restraints barely touch you, but they do slap you in the face a few times throughout the course.

 

My first ride was in the very back seat and I found it a bit disappointing. I've kept my expectations fairly low since the design was revealed, and the ride turned out to be what I was expecting overall: a good looking family-style coaster that gestures toward the kind of thrills other rides in the park can offer but doesn’t really thrill that much itself. It’s kind of fun overall, but I didn’t really find the racing to be that compelling because the trains are mainly doing the same thing in the same spots; there’s not a lot of back and forth between them. I warmed to it more with subsequent rides, finding the front seat to offer the best ride by far. Night rides were even better as the ride seemed to warm up a bit then. It’s a ride that looks great in the space, which I think is a major selling point for the GP, but it’s not a ride I’d prioritize when visiting, probably only jumping on if the line’s super short. One of the ride ops described it as “family-ride plus,” and I think that’s pretty accurate. It wouldn’t crack my top-10 at Magic Mountain, but I don’t think that cracking my top-10 list was their priority.

 

In terms of the track and the elements, it’s a mixed bag. The first hi-five element is really great on the white side — a bizarre twisting ejector moment that’s super snappy and throws you around. It’s a great way to start the ride, but the launches leading into that moment are disappointingly tame. Of course, the scale of the ride wouldn’t really allow for anything more, but it’s a bit of a bummer how gradual the acceleration is. There’s quite a bit of hang time on the ride, most notably in the white track’s top-gun stall while the yellow train kind of putters along beneath. The second launches are weird; they’re oddly brief and a bit rough. They feel less like a smooth boost and more like getting kicked from behind. If you’re not braced for it, you’ll hit your head against the head rest. The corkscrews are slow and hangy, and the subsequent helixes are surprisingly forceful. There are several little bunny hop / airtime hill moments throughout that I was looking forward to experiencing, but they don’t seem to produce much of an effect. The first part of the white track is busy and fast-paced; the yellow is more about simple undulations. The helixes are basically the same on both sides — a tight figure-8 for the most part.

 

I also took a couple of rides on Apocalypse having not ridden it for a long time. The ride was running fairly rough IMO, with the final helix’s jackhammering now spread throughout much of the ride. The drop seemed to lack the back seat’s ejector moment, and the area before the first tunnel was rough as hell. It’s such a shame as it really is a great coaster when it runs well. I thought this thing was getting re-tracked?

 

The park was dead, so pretty much everything was a walk-on with multiple re-rides later at night. Furthermore, the park looked fantastic. I’ve seen the Holidays in the Park business before, but it seemed like they stepped it up quite a lot this year in terms of lighting and themed areas. It really did look impressive. Anyhow, I’m looking forward to reading other people’s takes on the new ride. I think it’ll be a hit with the GP, especially in the summer months as that area can hold a good amount of people.

 

A few pics of the new ride:

 

Edited December 25, 2019 by Arthur_Seaton

[joelwee]

My plans to visit relatives fell through this evening after they all got sick with the flu, so I headed down to the park for a few hours. Like Arthur said, the place was a ghost town.

I got 6 rides on West Coast Racers in a little over an hour - and the only reason it wasn’t more was because it broke down for about 15 minutes at one point.

My thoughts on WCR:

It’s definitely a family coaster, but it’s a really good family coaster. It stays low to the ground the whole time. The launches are pretty tame, but the launches out of the station pick up speed about halfway through. The mid-course launches felt like a sudden burst of speed and smacked my head against the headrest on my first ride.

You get some good ejector airtime on the high five - especially on the white side. There are a couple of other light floater moments on that side, as well.

The inversions offer some great hangtime, and the helixes / turnarounds deliver some great positive g’s.

While you are guaranteed a race every lap, you don’t interact with the other train as much as on Twisted Colossus. Other than a couple of dueling moments, the trains typically travel side by side and go through the same elements at the same time.

The trains are similar to Full Throttle’s, but with comfort collars instead of seatbelts. This is the first time I’ve ridden a Premier coaster with comfort collars, and I didn’t really care for them. I’m 6’-2” with long legs and already have a hard time getting in and out of Premier trains. The comfort collars tend to get in the way, and I have a hard time maneuvering around them. I didn’t have any issues with them during the ride, though.

There were a few things that seemed unfinished. The most obvious item was the on-ride cameras. They weren’t running, and I didn’t even see a photo booth anywhere. Maybe I just missed it...? The other thing is the video halfway through the ride. It shows the owner of West Coast Customs talking about going to see what his guys are up to, but there is no follow-up footage. Side note: I wish they would play some car revving sound effects while the trains are waiting on the launch track - similar to Top Thrill Dragster.

The theming looked great, and this is arguably one of the best themed rides in the park.

One thing I haven’t seen anyone else mention is that you have to dump out your drink before heading up the stairs in the station. It kind of sucks, but it makes sense when you see their loose article storage - which is one of the ride ops putting everyone’s loose articles into several plastic storage bins. Since the bins get moved around a lot, there would definitely be spillage if full drink cups were in there.

WCR’s ride ops had almost a Cedar Point level of enthusiasm tonight. It was great to see them having a good time - and it’s something rarely seen at this park.

Overall, I really liked this coaster. It’s not a giga, but it provides a badly-needed refresh to that corner of the park - and is a pretty decent ride.

 

On a side note, Twisted Colossus’s crew was dispatching trains so quickly, the blue-side train typically reached the top of the lift hill before the green side. That’s the first time I’ve seen that happen.

Total ride count:

West Coast Racers X 6

Batman X 2

Twisted Colossus X 3

Scream X 1

Goliath X 1

 

 

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[rachelmadcow]

Reminds me of Backlot Stunt Coaster. Is that an apt comparison? A modernized version?

 

They need to clone this for Illinois and NJ.

[coasterlvr]

The mid-course launches felt like a sudden burst of speed and smacked my head against the headrest on my first ride.

 

While you are guaranteed a race every lap, you don’t interact with the other train as much as on Twisted Colossus. Other than a couple of dueling moments, the trains typically travel side by side and go through the same elements at the same time.

 

There were a few things that seemed unfinished. The most obvious item was the on-ride cameras. They weren’t running, and I didn’t even see a photo booth anywhere. Maybe I just missed it...?

 

One thing I haven’t seen anyone else mention is that you have to dump out your drink before heading up the stairs in the station. It kind of sucks, but it makes sense when you see their loose article storage - which is one of the ride ops putting everyone’s loose articles into several plastic storage bins. Since the bins get moved around a lot, there would definitely be spillage if full drink cups were in there.

 

 

i also noticed the lack of interaction between the trains. it's weird because you are often side by side, but your focus isn't aimed at the other train. i think some fly by elements would have been really cool.

 

i assume the on ride camera booth will be inside the gift shop which when i was there saturday, was empty besides one counter.

 

i don't mind dumping out my sports bottle, i just wish there was a freestyle machine nearby like there is by justice league. when i was there early saturday, no one had a bottle, but i did see the sink and just thought it was theming. LOL what i do recommend is making sure your bottle has some clear identification. i saw in someone's video showing a bin with about 5-6 of the same bottles in a tub. i have no idea how you can make sure you have the correct bottle. i'd expect some taste testing when you may not even know. gross.

[thrillseeker4552]

I rode West Coast Racers for the first time yesterday. What a nice ride! The best way to describe it is an exact cross between Full Throttle and Twisted Colossus (as others have before). That is exactly what it feels like, however it is less intense than either of those coasters. This coaster definitely falls into the “family” category for me (despite its absurd 54” height requirement).

 

I actually thought the interaction between the trains was great. The fact that they shuffle throughout the course (like TC) is exciting. This is one of the rides where racing/dueling makes the ride fun. Twisted Colossus is still awesome even when it doesn’t duel, but I don’t think I could say the same for this coaster. My favorite moments were the high five, the top gun stall (which is nice without a net, might I add), and the final corkscrew crossover near the brake run. None of the launches are particularly intense, but I think this is the perfect coaster to introduce launches to someone who has never experienced one.

 

Overall love the coaster and think it fills a nice gap in the lineup, despite its similarities to two other coasters in the park. I wish the height requirement weren’t 54” (isn’t Ice Breaker 48”, and it has the same trains?). In terms of thrill level, I place it alongside higher-thrill family coasters like Ninja, Revolution, or Apocalypse. I will also add that the area around the ride is excellent and is a VAST improvement to what the area used to be since Deja Vu’s removal.

 

I won’t make it back to the park until March, but now that this coaster is essentially open, I may actually make an effort to visit that corner of the park now. It will help distribute crowds and balance out coaster placement in the park.

[Canobie Coaster]

I wish the height requirement weren’t 54” (isn’t Ice Breaker 48”, and it has the same trains?).

 

Tempesto, Tigris, and Electric Eel all have height requirements of 54". Looking at the lap bar only Sky Rockets, it looks like Kennywood's Sky Rocket, Phobia, and Superman are 52".

[FireandBlood91]

Just a friendly heads up, if anyone is thinking of heading to the park this upcoming Sunday, you miiight want to reconsider. I was speaking to an employee yesterday and she informed me that they are anticipating a repeat of last year. She said they are expecting to have to shut the park down by 2 because of reaching capacity. I plan on arriving early to try to get a couple rides in and get some pictures of the chaos!

[JJLehto]

Well...it opened for 2019 lol

Hope the wait was worth it for a moderate version of 2 rides they already have

This is the most 6 flags ride ever. To think Texas Stringray is already starting to test!

But hey maybe WCB 2020 now that this actually opened?

 

And I do like the physical look of it. Cool looking ride. Glad to hear there are at least 1 or 2 whippy moments. Is there any air at all? POVs can be so tough to judge but it looks like a few are taken at good speed.

[Nrthwnd]

...But hey maybe WCB 2020 now that this actually opened?

 

This, and although not actually part of the WCB weekend, there will be the new stuff in Disneyland Resort, too.

Rise of The Resistance will be open, followed by the Avengers Campus opening in DCA in the summer.

 

And Knott's. (Should be part of WCB, too.)

[JJLehto]

...But hey maybe WCB 2020 now that this actually opened?

 

This, and although not actually part of the WCB weekend, there will be the new stuff in Disneyland Resort, too.

Rise of The Resistance will be open, followed by the Avengers Campus opening in DCA in the summer.

 

And Knott's.

 

Not a big Disney guy myself but deff!

Yeah I regret not going to Knotts in 2013. Wasnt able to get back to CA till this year and due to time constraints (gotta see tons of other stuff besides parks!) I cut Knotts from my plans. Shame heard such good things.

 

I will likely go to CA next year regardless. So many good RMCs! I have heard TC generally ranked lower (some say bottom) of the RMC list but IDK why. I thought it was wild! Tons of air, throwing you around, cool elements and great pace. Some gripe about the 2nd lift killing the ride but I dont get that...to me it was basically a re-ride (which you'd want to do anyway) without the need to get off and back on!

[ytterbiumanalyst]

RMC has never made a bad ride. The lowest ranked RMC is still among the best rides in the world.

 

I imagine most of the people who rank TC lowest do so because it doesn't duel very often. It's an excellent ride, and when it does manage to duel, it's spectacular.

[Arthur_Seaton]

Is there any air at all? POVs can be so tough to judge but it looks like a few are taken at good speed.

The high-five has a weird, almost-jarring ejector air moment but it’s taken sideways, so it feels more like a snappy twist than a literal airtime moment. That’s about it. There are a few bunny hills that really don’t do anything, and the floater air moments (prior to the 2nd / 4th launch; in the middle of the helix) are kind of like the gentle floater you get on non-hyper B&Ms. The hang time and positive forces are much more apparent. I mean, it’s a family coaster, so it’s about as aggressive as any other smaller-scale / family coaster out there. I don’t think it really aligns with anything else at the park in terms of intensity (I’d place it between Goldrusher and Revolution in this regard); it’s probably closer to bridging Knotts’ Pony Express and Hang Time.

[Manic Monte]

I got few rides on WCR yesterday and I liked it. It's not going to rock anyone's top 30 list, but it's one of those fun additions that once the hype/popularity/memes die down, it will be a solid addition to the park's line up. The ride is surprisingly quirky, the kind of ride parks don't really add anymore. It's light on airtime (there is some if you're really looking for it), but has some pretty snappy transitions and a really disorienting set of elements. Think Windjammer if Windjammer were launched and actually smooth.

 

I rolled my eyes when other people called the ride "fun", but that's exactly what it is.

[MayTheGForceBeWithYou]

Think Windjammer if Windjammer were launched and actually smooth.

That was actually my first thought when I saw the original announcement; it looked like what Windjammer could have been like if it wasn't a total piece of crap. Nice to hear that's a pretty accurate descriptor.

[Canobie Coaster]

I will likely go to CA next year regardless. So many good RMCs! I have heard TC generally ranked lower (some say bottom) of the RMC list but IDK why. I thought it was wild! Tons of air, throwing you around, cool elements and great pace. Some gripe about the 2nd lift killing the ride but I dont get that...to me it was basically a re-ride (which you'd want to do anyway) without the need to get off and back on!

 

I agree Twisted Colossus is amazing. It's in the upper-echelon of RMCs for me thanks to the elements and length. And that's even if it doesn't duel. The dueling is just icing on the cake when it happens.

[skyrocket010]

Can someone please advise me of how operations are during the winter months? Me and a friend are thinking about traveling from the east coast specifically to visit the park for a weekend in February. I don’t expect operations to be anywhere near what they would be in the busy summer months. However, I’d still like to make sure all the coasters and major attractions will be open and the park won’t close early due to something like low attendance.

[joelwee]

If rain is expected on a day they anticipate low attendance, the park might not open “due to inclement weather”, but if they are already open when the rain hits, they will probably stay open. I’ve never known this park to close early due to low attendance. It’ll probably be a ghost town in February, but expect one-train ops on all the coasters - except Twisted Colossus, which will be running 2 trains instead of 3.

As for what will be open, the park doesn’t publish its maintenance schedule. Right now, all the coasters are operational, but that could change by February.

 

 

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[Canobie Coaster]

Can someone please advise me of how operations are during the winter months? Me and a friend are thinking about traveling from the east coast specifically to visit the park for a weekend in February. I don’t expect operations to be anywhere near what they would be in the busy summer months. However, I’d still like to make sure all the coasters and major attractions will be open and the park won’t close early due to something like low attendance.

 

Six Flags never posts it's maintenance schedule in advance.

 

I have found that Superman tends to be closed if you visit on a lighter day. But I sort of view it as a good sign if Superman is closed since that usually means the park is empty.

 

X2 closed early for me on my most recent visit due to inclement weather. There was no rain, hardly any wind, and temperatures were in the high 50s. If you see similar temperatures during your visit, I'd make that ride a priority when you see it running.

[skyrocket010]

Thanks for the info!

[coasterlvr]

I don't think I posted these pictures before. I tried looking through my posts, but if i have, sorry.

 

here's some random scans i have from when Superman was being built. plus a few other random shots from the sky tower.

 

[southpuddle]

Man Superman was revolutionary when it was new. I was about 11 years old when it opened and it it was truly awe-inspiring. When the queue was new and fresh it was such an experience - that sudden whoosh sound from the other side of the doors was so friggen cool and mysterious. Now, it’s at the top of the list of coasters at the park I couldn’t care less if it were removed, right alongside Scream. It’s just so loud and ugly... and really does nothing for me as far as a thrill goes. It would be sad to lose Lex Luthor though. Thanks for sharing the pics! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Superman construction photos before.

[coasternut]

^^ Hey J.T., thanks for those pictures. That was way before my trips to the Mountain. That construction had to be a major job!

I'll ride it occasionally, only early, since I won't wait for it. I only ride it in the now last row with 2 seats. I like the reverse launch better now.

[Arthur_Seaton]

Those pics are great; thanks for posting them!

 

I still dig Superman, even though I've always found it to be a fairly time ride. I remember when it opened and the lines it pulled, but I much prefer the backward launch, too. I also miss Freefall and (believe it or not) Flashback. Freefall was such an intimidating ride as the drop always felt so much more forceful than contemporary drop towers. The clunky mechanism added to the exhilaration. Flashback was just odd, and its oddness always superseded its discomfort for me. I've always enjoyed uniquely compact rides, and this one was kind of a standout in terms of how many maneuvers were packed into a relatively tiny frame.

[ryder]

Chalk me up as someone else’s who enjoyed Flashback and Freefall. I rode the Freefall at Dorney park this past summer, and found it was more intimidating that other drop towers.

[RollerManic]

I am thinking about visiting the park in a few weeks. Are there any upcoming BAFF days in January that I should be worried about?