Photo TR: Southern California

[AndrewA86]

As a teacher in MI I had a week off and decided it would be a good time to visit two bucket list parks in Southern California, Magic Mountain and Knott’s Berry Farm.

 

Goodbye Michigan!

 

Hello Southern California!!

 

Yes, In N out Burger was my very first stop after landing... very overrated BTW...

 

PART 1:SFMM

 

My first park was Magic Mountain where I spent 3 days, Feb 16- Feb 18. The 16th and 17th were extremely busy and the 18th was dead. If I had known this I would have flew in on Mon and just spent 2 days. But oh well..

 

Magic Mountain was a huge bucket list park for obvious reasons. With. Cedar Point being my home park obviously I wanted to see how they both stack up against each other. Based on my expectations I would have to say my experience was a little odd. A lot of the coasters I had high expectations for didn’t quite live up to it, and a lot of the coasters I had lower expectations for exceeded my expectations.

 

The park appearance I thought was pretty nice. I think Six Flags as a whole gets a lot of unwarranted negativity.

 

Magic Mountain isn’t a beautiful park but it’s a nice looking park in my opinion.

 

I love front with the mountain and the waterfalls.

 

The pathways are also very nice. Most had adequate shade, and nice landscaping.

 

 

 

 

The first ride I tried to get on was Superman Escape from Krypton, but while I was in line it went down, thanks again Intamin...

 

So the first ride I actually got on was Goldrusher, the parks mine ride. And it was a mine ride, nothing much to say. 4/10

 

I was then able to make my way to Viper and I really enjoyed this Arrow looper. It was pretty smooth and somewhat intense. Probably my second favorite Arrow looper after Tennessee Tornado. This one definitely exceeded expectations! 6/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I made my way over to Apocalypse and I liked this GCI. I’m not the biggest fan of woodies because most are rough in my opinion, but this one was pretty smooth. But while being smooth it didn’t really do anything that was all that intense. There were a lot of twists and turns but nothing spectacular. Overall a fun coaster though that exceeded expectations. 7/10

 

 

 

 

 

My last ride of the day ended up being Superman Escape from Krypton. I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from this coaster but man was it a fun ride! I thought the launch wouldn’t be that intense, but it was! If a ride is going to be that short it had better pack a punch, and it definitely did! Being launched backwards at that pace was definitely something different and exciting! This ride completely shattered my expectations! 8/10

 

 

 

Day 2 was Presidents’ Day and it was super busy. Goldrusher had an hour wait at one point. But before the park became swamped I was able to get on some of the star attractions. At rope drop I headed straight for YOLO coaster and waited only 5 minutes for a front row ride. Like I said about Superman, if the coaster is going to be short it had better pack a punch, and this also did that! The launch is good.That first loop is amazing, the hang time is unreal. I knew it was going to take a while to get through it but I still thought that maybe it would roll back and we would not get around. Overall this also exceeded my expectations. 8/10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to go on the coaster that was at the very top of my bucket list, X2... For my first ride I rode in the back row on the inside seat. When I first got in the seat it completely destroyed my junk. And then when they rotated the seat back I thought for sure my junk was in more trouble… As I went up the lift hill all I could think about was how I didn’t have any children (that I knew about), and that maybe this is a sign from the heavens telling me that I shouldn’t have any... Then the train started to go over the lift hill and the ride begins... The flips are awesome, exactly what I expected… But when you weren’t flipping the ride was kind of… I don’t know… Boring? I really liked the ride but it didn’t live up to expectations intensity wise. If it wasn’t rough (which it wasn’t) I was expecting a top 10 ride. And it isn’t. But I don’t want people to think that I don’t like it because I do. Just not as much as I thought I would. 8/10.

 

 

 

 

 

Then I made my way over to Goliath, this was probably the biggest surprise of the trip. I absolutely love this ride. I like it better than most B&M hypers. The first drop is amazing and it is very forceful. I can see why others aren’t that find of it because it does lack airtime. I thought the MCBR would destroy the pacing but it doesn’t. Favorite part is the helix. That thing is freaking insane! Absolutely blew away my expectations! 8/10

 

 

 

 

 

By this time the park was packed. I wanted to hit Twisted Colossus next but that had a 2 hour wait and they were only running one train. Scream had an hour wait so no thanks...

 

Batman “only” had a half hour wait so I hit that next. And it’s a Batman clone. They’re always fun! 8/10

 

 

Next was Riddlers Revenge. I despise stand up coasters. But I heard this is the “best” one, so what the hell... It may be the best stand up, but it definitely reminded me why I hate them... I will never ride another one... 5/10

 

 

 

 

Then I waited a good hour for West Coast Racers and this totally exceeded expectations!! I heard some refer to this as a family coaster, and it most definitely is not! The launches on this are really good and it is pretty forceful! The pit stop in the middle of the ride doesn’t kill it either. I also liked learning about West Coast Customs while waiting in the queue. 7/10

 

 

 

 

 

Ninja had been down most of the day but luckily at the end of the day it opened back up right as I was walking by. This is another ride that shattered expectations! I was expecting it to be the best Arrow suspended coaster, and it was, but I was not expecting it to be THAT damn good! I was expecting just a great “suspended” coaster. But I think this is one of the best rides in the park! It’s a long ride, it’s fast or feels fast, and it’s forceful! I was able to get three rides in a row without waiting before the rest of the park figured out it was open and made the wait over half an hour... 7/10

 

 

 

 

At the start of day 3 I still needed 4 credits, but the park was absolutely dead so I was able to get them and much much more!

 

It started with a ride on Revolution, which had been on one train my entire visit. I thought it was a good ride. It was smooth and the loop was fun. Other than that it just kind of meandered around. But for an old ride it was really fun 6/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next was Tatsu, and I hate flying coasters. The restraints are really uncomfortable and this coaster was no different. I knew I would hate it and I did. But for those that like flying coasters I can see how this would rate really high... 4/10

 

 

Apparently I am not allowed to post any more images this month so I’ll continue this review when I am...

 

 

 

 

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[thrillseeker4552]

Nice report so far! I like seeing reports from first-timers at one of my home parks. Can't wait to read about your visit to Knott's too.

[bert425]

am I reading this correctly, that you haven't even been back a week, and you've already got your TR going?

 

how in the world are you able to do that. . LOL. . .

 

 

anyways, quite fun thus far. I've never been to MM, it's on my bucket-list too. . . did you ride any flats? were there any worth riding?

[AndrewA86]

Nice report so far! I like seeing reports from first-timers at one of my home parks. Can't wait to read about your visit to Knott's too.

 

Spoiler: I freaking LOVED Knott’s!!!

 

 

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[AndrewA86]

am I reading this correctly, that you haven't even been back a week, and you've already got your TR going?

 

how in the world are you able to do that. . LOL. . .

 

 

anyways, quite fun thus far. I've never been to MM, it's on my bucket-list too. . . did you ride any flats? were there any worth riding?

 

I like to do the TR when everything is fresh in my mind. I rode 2 flats, the Lex Luthor drop tower, which was pretty good, and Crazanity the pendulum ride. I didn’t like Crazanity because of how the restraints almost broke my clavicle. Usually on pendulum rides the restraints kill my shoulders but this one decided to target my clavicle. Aside from that it didn’t seem any different from the other pendulum rides out there.

 

 

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[grsupercity]

As a Michagander my self I will also say SFMM is my top bucket list park. I will be hitting Discovery Kingdom this year but still no MM

 

Loving the report so far and cant wait till the rest!

[Arthur_Seaton]

I didn’t like Crazanity because of how the restraints almost broke my clavicle. Usually on pendulum rides the restraints kill my shoulders but this one decided to target my clavicle. Aside from that it didn’t seem any different from the other pendulum rides out there.

I have to lean into that restraint when it comes down and then readjust once it locks, otherwise, it does the same to me. In terms of the ride experience, I do find it significantly more intense than other pendulum rides I've been on, and that's not necessarily good. I like the ride and always ride it when there's no line, but I think I still prefer Knotts' tiny little La Revolucion in terms of fun.

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! I'm terrified to think how slow a line for Twisted Colossus would move with that ride running one train. I thought it moved slow with just two.

[AndrewA86]

Ok so continuing my TR...

 

After Tatsu I needed 2 more credits and Twisted Colossus was up next. Now before I said that the park surprised me a lot with some rides not living up to expectations and some exceeding expectations. This certainly did not apply for Twisted Colossus. I expected this to be a great ride and it definitely was. It was exactly what you would expect from an RMC. What I also liked is that the staff didn’t push down on the restraints. The passenger pulls it down and the staff pulls on it. So I had some very loose restraints which allowed me to get a ton of air time. The zero G stall on the green side was my favorite element. What kind of sucked is that of all the rides I got (10+) only once did my train duel the other. And that makes an already great ride even greater. Twisted Colossus cracks my top 10 at #8. 10/10!!

 

 

 

The last credit I needed was Scream, and you know the saying “saving the best for last”? Yeah, well, quite the opposite. This ride is trash, and really the only bad ride at Magic Mountain. It was pretty much rough all the way through and I didn’t enjoy it at all. 3/10.

 

 

I did 2 flat rides, the pendulum ride Crazanity. Above I said I wasn’t a fan because of the restraints. They nearly broke my clavicle. I also rode the lex Luthor drop tower. It gives you some amazing views but the drop itself isn’t anything special. It feels kind of controlled.

 

The water rides were not operating or else I would have given them a go.

 

One thing I didn’t like was the selection of merchandise. It was very slim picking. I couldn’t even find a twisted colossus shirt. Heck I couldn’t even find a decent shirt that just said magic mountain. The majority of the shirts they had were of superhero’s. No posters or mugs that I could find either. Here I am ready to empty my wallet into their cash register and they had nothing worth buying. Very disappointing. I ended up getting a west coast customs shirt...

 

Overall I give the park an 8/10. I had an awesome time! Obviously the number of coasters this park has is big reason why it’s so good. But it does kind of lack top tier coasters for me with Twisted Colossus being the only one IMO. So what they have in quantity they kind of lack in quality when compared with a park like CP.

 

Another thing I liked was the food. Someone on here recommended I try the resturant by Goliath, that was really good. The pizza was good. And the tacos by west coast racers were good. Probably the best food I’ve eaten at a park besides Dollywood and Busch Gardens.

 

Ok, on to Knott’s and I hope to get to that later today!

 

 

 

 

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[AndrewA86]

Ok so on to the Knott’s report...

 

All I have to say is: WOW!!!!!

 

I didn’t know a ton about this park, but it’s my second favorite park behind Cedar Point. Some people said it was a 1 day park, and if all you do is ride the coasters and other thrill rides then yeah I can see that. But I spent 2 and a half days here and I could have easily spent another full day without being bored.

 

First off I loved the park’s appearance. I love all the fountains, I especially loved the models of all the missions of the various towns/ settlements in California.

 

 

 

 

 

I also especially loved the Ghost town section of the park. It reminded me of Greenfield Village ( which is a historical place to visit where I live) but with a Wild West spin. There’s a ton of history to see and learn about from walking into the various shops.

 

 

 

As a teacher I especially liked visiting the one room school building and loved the rules for teachers back then...

 

 

That one room school house didn’t have a gym though so I guess I’d have to pick a different profession if I was alive back then...

 

Moving on to the coasters, the park had more of a family feel, but I really enjoyed just about all of the coasters. Xcelerator was not operational, so I missed that credit.

 

First coaster I hit was Sierra Sidewinder. It was a lot more fun than what I was expecting. Maybe I really like spinning coasters because I haven’t been on a lot and the ones I have been on I loved. One of the best family coasters I’ve ever been on, if not the best. 6/10

 

 

Up next was Jaguar. Another fun family coaster. I like how it kind of takes you on a tour of the park. 6/10

 

 

Next was Montazooma’s Revenge and what a freakin coaster this is!!! The feeling of going through that loop backwards is unlike anything I have ever felt on a coaster. I can’t think of a good enough word to describe it. I rode it 7 times in a row without getting off at one point. Maybe the most underrated coaster ever!! 8/10

 

 

 

Up next was coast rider and it’s an average mouse, but I enjoyed it. 6/10

 

 

 

Hangtime was next and I really enjoyed my first ever Gerstlauer Infinty coaster. I wouldn’t say it was intense but it was inversion after inversion with a little airtime mixed in and one hell of a first drop! Just a very enjoyable coaster that I could ride all day. Much better than any of the B&M dive coasters! 8/10

 

 

 

 

Pony Express was the weakest of the coasters but still a fun family ride. 5/10

 

 

Next was Ghostrider and expectations were high. But the ride completely shattered those high expectations. It’s basically a perfect wooden roller coaster. It’s smooth, forceful and full of airtime. Towards the end of my first ride I actually hit my hand on one of the beams! Talk about a hand chopper... it’s my #1 woodie. Loved every second of it. And since the park was dead I got over 20 rides on it. Amazing ride! I 10/10

 

 

 

The last credit available (thanks xcelerator...) was silver bullet and it’s a fun invert. A little rough in the back but overall a solid ride. Love the setting and especially love the Raptor- like helix at the end. Also the quietest invert I’ve ever seen. 7/10

 

 

 

The calico mine ride was very impressive. Definitely the best dark ride I’ve ever been on. Unfortunately none of my pictures came out good.

 

The two water rides, the river raft and log flume were really fun. It was easily the best long flume I’ve ever been on. And then last but not least is the train ride. Easily the best train ride I’ve ever been on. I love how there was a small show inside the car with a man chasing a woman and the woman holding up the train. I thought it was a nice touch and very well acted. During the act she pointed someone out and had to make a goat sound but they were caught off guard and couldn’t think of what sound a goat made so They made sheep sounds lol...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have to mention the food because it was outstanding! Probably as good as Dollywood and BGW.

 

Overall like I said before, it is an amazing park, and that’s without Xcelerator running. With it the park has a very solid top 3 with Hangtime and Ghostrider, along with a solid invert and a very underrated Montazooma’s Revenge. Add some good family coasters and there’s something for everyone at Knott’s. Great park that I will definitely be going back to soon!!

 

Just sit there looking pretty Xcelerator... I’ll get on you some day...

 

 

 

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[grsupercity]

Very nice report. Sorry you missed out on Xcelerator

[AndrewA86]

Thanks. Yeah I was disappointed but it was still a great time!

 

 

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[thrillseeker4552]

Sorry you missed out on Xcelerator. I guess that’s the risk that comes with visiting in February.

 

I’m glad to see you enjoyed GhostRider and Montezooma. Those are the two “gems” of the park, in my opinion. But HangTime and Silver Bullet are fun too.

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! GhostRider's queue is usually long and miserable, so I'm definitely envious of you getting 20 rides on that awesome wooden coaster.

 

And I knew Montezooma's Revenge pulled some strong Gs in that loop, but 5.8 is still shocking.

[AndrewA86]

Even on Friday when it was kind of busy the single rider line was open. So I was able to get on right away when the wait was at least 20 minutes.

 

 

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[AndrewA86]

Sorry you missed out on Xcelerator. I guess that’s the risk that comes with visiting in February.

.

 

So do they usually just shut it down in the winter?

 

 

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[thrillseeker4552]

Sorry you missed out on Xcelerator. I guess that’s the risk that comes with visiting in February.

.

 

So do they usually just shut it down in the winter?

 

 

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Yes, but only for 7-10 days. They have to close some of their coasters for maintenance between January and March since they operate year round and don’t have an off-season, so it’s understandable. They list all of their ride closures and dates ahead of time on their website.

 

Xcelerator usually closes for some time in February, GhostRider in September, Silver Bullet in November, and a few other “usual” schedules they stick by. I just always suggest checking the website ahead of time!

[AndrewA86]

I did check the website before I left and Xcelerator was not listed. They have Ghostrider listed as closing in March BTW.. But obviously I understand that rides close. Knott’s is my second favorite park on the planet without it so I still had a great time.

 

 

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[grsupercity]

I am hoping now that Gerald R Ford airport out of Grand Rapids has direct flights to LAX that I can finally make a big west coast trip. Mother in law is forcing us to go to the red woods this summer and I am able to slip in SFDK into that trip. I really wanna do a SFMM, Knotts, Universal trip. Maybe Disney as well. I am hoping next spring

[AndrewA86]

I don’t think there are direct flights from GR to LA. But from my experiences getting a connection isn’t that bad. And you could fly into the less busy airports. For this trip I flew into Burbank and out of John Wayne and loved it. I’ll probably never use LAX again if my end destination is So Cal.

 

 

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[coasterbill]

Knott's posts a refurb schedule but with very little advance warning. It's really only useful for locals spontaneously planning a trip (which to be fair, is probably the majority of their clientele).

[thrillseeker4552]

^That is a good point. I guess I never noticed that they post it with little advanced notice because, as you said, I am one of those “spontaneous local” people.

 

Good news is, if you go between May and September, you can pretty much be guaranteed that every ride is open and running at expected/maximum capacity. The fact that most of their major coasters (GhostRider, Silver Bullet, HangTime, Montezooma) all have an extra train that cycles through maintenance throughout the year helps.