Magic Mountain Myths

As a season pass holder I want to dispell a few rumors regarding Magic Mountain as well as provide a few tips. Keep in mind I am no expert of the park but I have been going quite regularly so these are just my observations.

My first experience at Magic Mountain was about 5 1/2 years ago. At that time X was just about to be unveiled. I found the park somewhat run down and the Police Sub-Station gave me some red flags. Five years later and I think Magic Mountain is doing pretty well. Since returning in March of this year, there is always one coaster or another closed but if you were to see these extreme coasters - the height, the speed, the loops and twists, you would want to make damn sure that they are being maintained so I am okay with a coaster here and there being closed for servicing. Better that than seeing my body splattered on the tracks below.

The beginning of the year, Magic Mountain has a promotion where if you buy one day you get a season pass that also includes a free childs season pass and a coupon book with friends passes, coupons and discounts. $59.95 sounds like a great deal to me for a years worth of thrills. I do, however, reccommend getting the Extreme Play Pass for an additional $60.00 because it includes parking. With the regular pass, parking is $15.00 each time. Go to the park four times in one year and you have spend $60.00.

Last Friday was the first visit where I have had to stand in line for any length of time (2 1/2 hours for Tatsu) but granted it was Spring Break. I have been told the best days to go are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and if you can go when school is in session all the better.

There is still a trash problem as guests are very inconsiderate and throw things anywhere. It is easy to blame the park for poor maintenance but if we all did our part, there wouldn't be a problem to begin with.

As for the rides, here are my favorites:

The Riddler's Revenge: It is the only stand-up roller coaster that I know of. It reaches a speed of 65 mph, goes head-over-heals six times with over a mile of track.

Deja Vu: This is the scariest coaster that I have been on. First, you dangle from a ski-lift style chair as you ascend a 20 story tower. Then you take your first 20 story free-fall into a vertical loop, then a 100 foot butterfly. You then go up the second 20 story tower and do it all over again except backwards.

Goliath: I think Goliath is one of the longer rides. It is 255 feet tall and hits speeds of 85 mph. The ride also includes a 120 foot-long underground tunnel, "butterflies in your stomach" plunges and zero-gravity drops.

Tatsu: Tatsu is awesome because you get the sensation that you are flying with the position of the seats. I reccommend you get an end seat for the full effect. You "fly" at speeds of 62 mph through the park. There are deep plunges, huge spirals and sharp dives simulating a bird (or dragon) in flight.

Viper: Viper holds the record for the world's tallest vertical loop at 140 feet, plus two other loops. Add to that a 40 foot tall corkscrew and a double barrel boomerang turn.

Honorable Mention:

X: I love amusement park rides but I don't like anything that spins or rotates in a circle. If I want the sensation spinning in circles gives me I will go throw down a few cocktails. X lets you ride in prototype seats that spin 360 degrees forwards or backwards. You spin head-over-heals forwards and backwards all the while racing around a coaster track at 76 mph.

As for the Police sub-station I mentioned, I have not seen anything alarming in the park although I did hear a problem once existed. Obviously, the park is doing all it can to combat what problems once persisted.