Six Flags Magic Mountain
| Six Flags Magic Mountain | |
|---|---|
 Magic Mountain as seen from Interstate 5 Highway |
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| Location | Santa Clarita |
| Website | www.sixflags.com /parks/magicmountain/ |
| Owner | Six Flags |
| Opened | May 29, 1971 |
| Previous names | Magic Mountain - 1971 to 1979 |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Area | 260 acres (1.0 km²) |
| Rides | 51 total
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 Amusement Parks Portal |
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Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park located just west of the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. It opened on Memorial Day weekend on May 29, 1971 as Magic Mountain, by the Newhall Land and Farming Company,[1] the development company behind the district of Valencia. It wasn't until 1979, when the park was purchased by Six Flags, that the name was lengthened to include Six Flags. It is probably the most well-known park in the Six Flags amusement park chain, and is the only park in the chain to be open year-round.
History
Back in 1969, Newhall Land and Farm company felt that southern California needed a more thrilling theme park and an alternative to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. So plans to build a park began in the community of Valencia, California. Construction began in that year, 2 years before the park would open to the public. At the time, no one had any idea what it would become. The park was a combined effort of Sea World and Newhall Land and Farm and cost approximately 20 million dollars. When the park opened on May 29th, 1971, there were 500 employees and 33 attractions. Today, in the height of the summer season, Magic Mountain employs over 3000 people.
At its 1971 opening, the rides included The Gold Rusher runaway mine rollercoaster, a log flume called Log Jammer, The Sky Tower, a bumper boats ride called El Bumpo, The Skyride with three stations (One near what is now Colossus, one near what is now Freefall, and a dual station at the top of the hill), a Carousel, some kiddie rides, and some flat rides.
The price to get in in 1971 was a mere $5 for adults, and $3.50 for kids between the ages of 3 and 12. One other popular thing that opened with the park was the Showcase theatre, now the Golden Bear Theatre. Over the years, many, many concerts have been held there, from Oingo Boingo to Paula Abdul to REM to Missing Persons to the New Kids on the Block. Although the concerts have been largely scaled down in recent years, the park still has a long history of hosting many great events. For the 1971 season, Magic Mountain had gotten permission from Warner Bros. to use the Looney Tunes characters. Over a decade later, these characters would be brought back.
The next year, 1972, Magic Mountain began using their then-famous trolls as their mascots. The three trolls and the Wizard became a recognizable symbol of Magic Mountain. Bleep, Bloop, King Troll and The Wizard made their home at the park until 1985. Also, due to the Log Flume's popularity, another flume adventure, called Jet Stream was added. Until 1988, it featured a side-by-side ending drop, with boats alternating on either side. Now it is just one side, and Jet now shares its hillside with Ninja.
1973 saw the park get its second roller coaster, the Mountain Express, a compact steel coaster kind of like a "wild mouse" style coaster like those found at many older, traditional parks. It was similar in the way it had small trains and had a lot of turns. It was not, however, a true "Wild Mouse" coaster. The Mountain Express closed in 1981 and stood on land that is now Hurricane Harbor, In 1974 the park also installed a new complex of spinning puke rides in what would become (10 years later) Back Street. The new additions were the Himalaya, Electric Rainbow, and Tumble Drum. Also in that same area, but a year later, the Grand Centennial Railway opened. It took riders on a train journey to Spillikin Corners and back. It was a popular attraction among train enthusiasts who pine for its existence to this day.
Magic Mountain became one of the first parks with a looping rollercoaster in 1976 with the opening of the Great American
In 1978, Colossus, at the time the fastest, largest dual-tracked wooden coaster, had opened. After its first season, it was closed and extensively redone. When it reopened, it was a much smoother ride. In 1991, the camel hump before the last, or 3rd, turn was replaced by a block brake. Though it decreased the speed of the ride after this particular brake, it did allow 3 trains to run per side at a time, greatly increasing capacity. One of the trains sometimes ran backwards for a few years in the mid-80s. However, until the late 1990s this kind of ride was no longer possible due to the newer ride system in place, as well as different trains.
In 1979, the park was sold to Six Flags and became known as Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1980. A few flat rides were added. In 1981, Six Flags Magic Mountain introduced a ride that was on the West coast for the first time called Roaring Rapids. It was developed by Intamin A.G. in conjunction with Six Flags AstroWorld. AstroWorld's version opened in 1979. Along with Rapids came the completion of the midway near Spillikin Corners to link with the Revolution area. Finally a complete circuit could be made around the park. As for Rapids, it still stands as a very impressive ride. It was originally designed as a dual-sided station, but only one was fully developed. All that exists of the possible second side is a few supports and some imagination. Rapids uses some huge pumps to circulate water. Each pump (there are 2) can circulate 88,500 gallons per minute. The Rapids reservoir can hold 1.5 million gallons of water. One of the least impressive things about Roaring Rapids was the introduction of guide boards to help eliminate jam ups.
In 1982, Freefall was added. At the time, it was certainly cutting edge, if not strictly a "roller coaster." The ride simply ascents up the tower and then drops fast at about 45 degrees. Others were built for other parks (some of which are Six Flags). Today, most of these rides are obsolete and have been removed. Some flat rides were added and others removed the next year. Also National Lampoon's Vacation was filmed at the park. The park was known as "Wally World" on the movie. Coasters like Revolution, Colossus, and Gold Rusher were ridden.
In 1984, the Sarajevo Bobsleds were erected. The coaster was basically a bobsled without ice and snow. The coaster was built in honor of the 1984 Olympics. Six Flags Great Adventure had a similar ride that same year. In 1988, the bobsled was removed and now operates at Six Flags over Texas. That same year the other bobsled was moved to Six Flags Great America and later to Great Escape in Lake George, New York, where it still operates.
In 1985, Children's World was re-themed as Bugs Bunny World, because Magic Mountain ditched the Trolls for Warner Brothers characters. In 1986, the park added a steel standup looping rollercoaster called Shockwave designed by Intamin AG. This coaster was located in the back of the park at the bottom of the hills. The coaster suffered moderate amounts of downtime but was still very popular. At the end of 1988, the coaster was removed as part of a ride rotation program and went to Six Flags Great Adventure in 1990. It was removed from there in 1992 and was repainted white and rethemed upon its removal to Six Flag's Astroworld. There it was known as Batman The Escape. When Astroworld closed in 2005, the ride was put in storage at Darien Lake, now no longer a Six Flags park.
Six Flags Magic Mountain installed the Z-Force in 1987. It was removed in 1994 for Batman The Ride. Along with Z-Force came Back Street, a re-theming of the area surrounding Z-Force. Spinning flat rides were renamed Turbo (Electric Rainbow), Subway (Himalaya), and Reactor (Enterprise). The dance club was re-themed as well, and located near Reactor. After Hours, as it was now called (formerly Decibels), for one summer even stayed open later than the rest of the park during the summer. It, along with Back Street, would stay open an additional 2 hours as a place for locals to hang out. It didn't last long.
In 1988, Ninja, The Black Belt of Roller Coasters, opened. It was the first suspended coaster on the West coast but had no loops. Ninja also has the distinction of being pretty much the same ride as it was when it opened in 1988. Only the wheels have really changed. It still runs fast and loose in the hot summer months, and provides an excellent ride. No brakes until you hit the end of the ride. It is at the top of the hill by Skytower.
Tidal Wave opened in 1989 to rather large crowds. On that ride, people go up in a large boat, turn around, and splash down, displacing large amounts of water on the spectators on the exit bridge and its riders.
In 1990, Viper, a multiple looping coaster designed by Arrow opened. It features a 188 foot drop, speed up to 70 MPH , 3 "teardrop loops", a boomerang turn that puts riders upside down twice, and a double corkscrew.
Magic Mountain decided to add another roller coaster to complement the recent Viper in 1991. It was a wood twister coaster, or more specifically a Coney Island Cyclone replica called Psyclone. Also added with Psyclone was the re-theming of Spillikin Corners to Cyclone Bay, though for the most part it was only a cosmetic makeover. Much earlier, some of the shops that made Spillikin Corners Spillikin Corners had already been removed. The Glass Blower had been replaced by the Shooting Gallery, and the Candy Kitchen viewing area was no longer home to displays of candy making. Actually it was still made for people in the viewing area, but it wasn't structured like before. Anyway, Cyclone Bay was born, and that corner of the park had some life again. In between the removal of Shockwave and the addition of Psyclone this corner of the park could have been called Ghost Town. With Psyclone, back came the crowds. After adding Ninja, Viper, and Psyclone in 4 years, the park was getting a seriously good collection of rides. Still, the ride itself was very rough. The coaster would be removed in 2007.
The next year, a coaster built by Intamin looping coaster called Flashback was added. This ride had already been at Six Flags Great America and then Six Flags Over Georgia prior to its arrival. Very steep, short drops are designed to make riders feel like they are "diving" down in a plane, and it ends in a 540 upward spiral. But because of the shoulder harnesses, riders are subjected to a lot of head banging. This coaster rarely ran by 1996 and is about to be removed.
In 1993, Six Magic Mountain enters the Time Warner era. The new ride for the year was Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls. It is a water park water ride that has 2 twisting tubes that you slide down in using a raft. Also that year there was re-theming and High Sierra Territory was born. The Showcase Theatre became Golden Bear Theater, the Animal Star Theatre was created in Bugs Bunny World, and of course the B.F.T. was born (Big Fake Tree).
Magic Mountain added what two other Six Flags parks already had, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted looping rollercoaster called Batman The Ride (which other Six Flags parks also added in the coming years. Batman the Ride (BTR) is an inverted coaster, meaning the usual coaster protocol is reversed. The track is overhead, and the cars are below it. The trains travel on the outside of the loops, and people have their legs sticking out. Perhaps the best, and most overused, way to describe an inverted coaster is like a ski lift. Riders' legs dangle, but they sit in a seat, not on a bench. The shoulder harness comes down over riders and attaches to a seat belt buckle located between the legs on the horn of the seat (much like the "horn" on a saddle). The coaster itself is a fine piece of B&M work, surpassed nowadays by Talon, Raptor, Montu, and Alpengeist, but still a fast and furious ride.
In 1995, no new rides were opened. Instead, a separately gated waterpark called Hurricane Harbor opened in June of '95. That park included a bunch of typical body slides, tube slides, a kiddie water play area, lazy river, and a wavepool.
In 1996, Superman was built, but the fickle new technology they were using didn't cooperate fully, and continued tweaking has led to numerous delays. It opened on March 15th, 1997. Its a 30 second ride going from 0 to 100 miles an hour on a track up a 41 story tower. It was designed by Intamin. Also opening in 1996 was Dive Devil. It is a skycoaster by SkyFun1. It is an extra charge to ride it.
In 1998, a new B&M Stand-Up coaster called The Riddler's Revenge would be added. It was multiple looping and far smoother than Shockwave. That year, Six Flags was sold to Premiere Parks. The next year saw no dramatic changes. In 2000, a steel hypercoaster of over 200 feet was added. It was built by Giavonna and known as Goliath. It features no loops but featured many steep drops. The overall ride is smooth.
2001 was to be the year of three new rollercoasters. But only one ended up opening called Goliath Junior, a steel kiddie coaster. the other two, Déjà Vu and X, had mechanical problems. Deja Vu opened late in 2001 and X opened early in 2002. Deja Vu is designed by Vekoma. Its an Inverted floorless coaster with coaches suspended beneath an overhead track traverse an open-circuit track forward and in reverse and features two completely vertical drops and three inversions. It opened late in 2001, but suffers alot of downtime. "X" was designed by Arrow Dynamics Its the worlds first (and today one of only three in the world) Four Dimensional roller coaster. The the only one in North America where riders pitch forwards and backwards in seats that lie on a separate axis from the track. This coaster managed to open briefly in early 2002 only to close due to more technical problems. It reopened late in August of that year. The ride itself is rough, but new trains were added in 2007.
In 2003, Scream!, designed by B & M was added. At this point, Six Flags Magic Mountain tied with Cedar Point for the park with the most rollercoasters in the United States. Scream is similar in concept with Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure and at Six Flags Marine World. Its a floorless coaster with trains riding above the rails traverse seven inversions on 3,985-feet of track. Six Flags Magic Mountain made few changes in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, a B &M Flying Coaster was added. It was much larger that the three B & M fliers at the other Six Flags parks. Its called Tatsu. The coaster has a suspended-track orientation featuring vehicles that recline passengers with their backs against the track and facing the ground. This brought the park up to 17 rollercoasters and Six Flags Magic Mountain continued to tie Cedar Point for the largest amount of rollercoasters.
Up For Sale but Then Withdrawn
On June 22, 2006 Six Flags, Inc. announced that it was exploring options for six of its parks, including Magic Mountain and its neighboring water park, Hurricane Harbor. Rumors began that the park could be sold to real estate developers, with an intent to close the park and build housing developments in the area.[2] Park officials cited dwindling attendance and rowdy behavior among some of the park-goers (notably teenagers and young adults, who account for a large percentage of the park's attendance).
Recent statistics say the park's attendance has declined by 12 percent from a year ago[citation needed], despite the recent opening of Tatsu, a high-speed roller coaster at the park. The decrease in attendance may be due in part to the fact that the park raised its ticket prices by $10 to $60 for the 2006 season, as well as increasing the price of parking to $15. [1] The increase in ticket prices alone suggest that even with diminished attendance, the park's revenues should have risen. Throughout the Six Flags chain, attendance in the second quarter of 2006 was 14 percent lower than it was in the second quarter of 2005. [2]
There were reports that all items that say "Six Flags Magic Mountain" were 50% off, while all "Six Flags" items were still full price.[citation needed]
By the Fall of 2006, Six Flags announced that Magic Mountain was still up for sale. But they also stated that it would be sold to a company that would continue to run it as a park and that closing of Magic Mountain is not a possibility. Cedar Fair, Hershey, and several others considered buying the park but none of the offers came close to the asking price.
When Six Flags announced which parks it was selling in January 2007, Magic Mountain was no longer one of them. The company decided not to sell Magic Mountain and its adjacent water park. Spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said that upon further evaluation, the company decided that the Los Angeles parks remained too valuable to let go as season passes and sales were up. Other parks were sold as a single unit and remained open.
Six Flags Magic Mountain Today
In 2007, Psyclone was removed and demolished. Nothing has yet replaced the coaster. Flashback is also being removed, but its not been determined if the ride will be torn down or taken apart. Its also not been announced as to whether the coaster would be sold or moved to another park. As a result, Six Flags Magic Mountain no longer has the record for the largest amount of rollercoasters in an American park. Cedar Point now holds the record. The park itself has begun to focus more on the family crowd as a new childrens theme area was added. Freefall is also being removed. In 2008, Thomas Town is being added as another area for children.
Present roller coasters
| Ride | Year Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldrusher | 1971 | Arrow Dynamics | A steel "mine train" roller coaster that utilizes the park's unique terrain to its design advantage. |
| Goliath Jr. (Formerly known as the Clown Coaster. Renamed Wile E. Coyote Coaster in 1986 and Goliath Jr in 2001) | 1971 | Bradley & Kaye | Small steel coaster designed specifically for young children. |
| Revolution | 1976 | Intamin AG | First roller coaster of modern day to feature a 360-degree loop. |
| Colossus | 1978 | International Amusement Devices | Massive dual-tracked wooden roller coaster was the tallest in the world upon debut. |
| Ninja | 1988 | Arrow Dynamics | Swinging coaches suspended from an overhead track whip around steeply banked turns and curves in and out of the treetops. |
| Viper | 1990 | Arrow Dynamics | Giant seven-inversion steel roller coaster featuring the world's tallest 360-degree loop. |
| Batman: The Ride | 1994 | B&M | Floorless coaches suspended beneath an overhead track whip around steeply banked turns and five inversions. |
| Superman: The Escape | 1997 | Intamin AG | First amusement park attraction to attain speeds of 100 mph. |
| The Riddler's Revenge | 1998 | B&M | World's tallest, fastest and longest stand-up roller coaster takes riders upside-down six times on 4,370-feet of steel track. |
| Canyon Blaster | 1999 | Miler Coaster Company | Small junior roller coaster for children and pre-teens. |
| Goliath | 2000 | Giovanola | Steel hypercoaster featuring an opening drop of 255-feet into a subterranean tunnel. |
| Déjà Vu | 2001 | Vekoma | Inverted floorless coaches suspended beneath an overhead track traverse an open-circuit track forward and in reverse -- featuring two completely vertical drops and three inversions. |
| X | 2002 | Arrow Dynamics | The worlds first and the only Four Dimensional roller coaster in North America where riders pitch forwards and backwards in seats that lie on a separate axis from the track. |
| Scream! | 2003 | B&M | Floorless coaches riding above the rails traverse seven inversions on 3,985-feet of track. |
| Tatsu | 2006 | B&M | Flying roller coaster with a suspended-track orientation featuring vehicles that recline passengers with their backs against the track. |
Past roller coasters
Shockwave (IN STORAGE)
- 1986-1989 -Intamin
- Steel Standup looping roller coaster. Removed in 1989 and relocated at Six Flags Great Adventure. Moved from there at the end of 1992 and reloccated at the former Six Flags Astroworld where it was painted white and known as Batman The Escape. Put in storage at (formerly "Six Flags") Darien Lake when Astroworld closed in 2005 and no longer owned by Six Flags
Psyclone (DEMOLISHED)
- 1991 - 2006 Dinn Corporation
- Wood tracked roller coaster patterned after the Cyclone at Astroland park in Brooklyn, New York. Removed for the 2007 season. It's unclear if the coaster was neatly disassembled or torn down.
Flashback (TO BE DISMANTLED AND POSSIBLY REBUILT)
- 1992 - 2003 - Intamin AG
- One-of-a-kind roller coaster featuring a stacked design and numerous steep rolling track dives. SBNO since 2003, but will be removed in the 2007 season. Coaster may return in 2008 with new trains and a smoother ride elsewhere in the park with new theming, however details are unknown and unconfirmed.
Ride/attraction timeline
- 2008: Thomas Town; Flashback is removed; Freefall is removed.
- 2007: X reopens; Psyclone is removed; Coldstone Limited; Johnny Rockets Express; Justice League Feast; Wii Experience; Cyclone 500 Go-Karts are rehabbed and converted to a new control system designed by the parks maintenance crew.; Ninja repainted.
- 2006: Tatsu ; Arrowhead Splashdown renamed back to Jet Stream; Chinese Acrobats of Hebei show; Paintball Alley shooting gallery; Revolution reopens; Sky Tower reopens; Orient Express reopens; Circus Wheel reopens; Freefall reopens, X becomes SBNO; Psyclone closes; Papa John's Pizza.
- 2005: Batman Begins stunt show; Circus Wheel closes; Freefall closes; Orient Express and Revolution close for Tatsu construction.
- 2004: Tornado (Hurricane Harbor);
- 2003: Scream!. Flashback closes.
- 2002: X
- 2001: Speedy Gonzales Mouse Racers removed; Goliath Jr. formerly Wile E. Coyote Coaster; Déjà Vu; Thrill Shot; Jet Stream renamed Arrowhead Splashdown; The Metro closes; Sky Tower closes; Panda Express.
- 2000: Goliath.
- 1999: Canyon Blaster; Bugs Bunny World expansion; Sierra Falls renamed Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls; Wile E, Coyote Coaster storage; Circus Wheel (Trabant) removed; Jolly Roger moved to midway and renamed Circus Wheel.
- 1998: The Movie District themed area (retheme of Monterey Landing); The Riddler's Revenge; Gordon Gearworks renamed Grinder Gearworks.
- 1997: Superman: The Escape; Hurricane Harbor expansion.
- 1996: Dive Devil.
- 1995: Hurricane Harbor water park.
- 1994: Gotham City Backlot themed area (retheme of Backstreet); Batman: The Ride; Himalaya renamed ACME Atom Smasher; Turbo renamed Gordon Gearworks; Eagles Flight-Galaxy Side removed.
- 1993: Sierra Falls; High Sierra Territory themed area; Swiss Twist renamed Sierra Twist; Z-Force removed; Reactor removed; Time Warner purchases Six Flags theme parks.
- 1992: Flashback (formerly Z-Force at Six Flags Over Georgia); Cyclone 500.
- 1991: Psyclone; Cyclone Bay themed area (retheme of Spillikin Corners).
- 1990: Baja Ridge themed area; Viper.
- 1989: Tidal Wave; Condor removed; Crazy Barrels removed.
- 1988: Ninja; Condor; Funicular renamed Orient Express; Baile de las Flores moved to Pirate's Cove and renamed Jolly Roger; La Revolucion renamed Revolution; Shockwave removed.
- 1987: Z-Force; Electric Rainbow renamed Turbo; Himalaya renamed Subway; Enterprise renamed Reactor.
- 1986: Shockwave; Grand Prix changes from gas to electric and renamed Granny Grand Prix; Sarajevo Bobsleds removed.
- 1985: Children's World renamed to be Bugs Bunny World and re-themed; Clown Coaster renamed Wile E. Coyote Coaster; Grand Centennial Excursion Railroad is removed.
- 1984: Sarajevo Bobsleds; Colossus changes the 2nd track to ride in reverse.
- 1983: Swashbuckler.
- 1982: Freefall.
- 1981: Roaring Rapids; Baile de las Flores; The Great American Revolution renamed La Revolucion; midway added; Dragon removed; Mountain Express removed; Jolly Monster removed; 99 Steam Train removed.
- 1980: Buccaneer; Tumble Drum removed; Eagles Flight-El Dorado Side removed.
- 1979: Revamp of Colossus; El Bumpo removed; Galaxy removed.
- 1978: Colossus.
- 1977: Enterprise.
- 1976: The Great American Revolution.
- 1975: Grand Centennial Excursion Railroad.
- 1974: Electric Rainbow; Himalaya; Dragon; Tumble Drum (Chance Skydiver).
- 1973: Mountain Express; Swiss Twist; Jolly Monster; Scrambler; Billy the Squid removed.
- 1972: Jet Stream; Bottoms Up renamed Spin Out.
- 1971: Park opens. Gold Rusher; Billy the Squid; Grand Carousel; Log Jammer; 99 Steam Train; Sky Tower; Eagles Flight-Galaxy Side; Eagles Flight-El Dorado Side; Bottoms Up; Metro; Sandblasters; Circus wheel; Crazy Barrels; Clown Coaster; Funicular; El Bumpo; Galaxy; Grand Prix; Showcase Theatre (Later became The Golden Bear Theatre).
References
- ^ "The Newhall Land and Farming Company". Encyclopedia of Company Histories. The Gale Group. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
- ^ Business Wire (2006-06-22). Six Flags to Explore Strategic Options for Six Properties - Buffalo, Concord, Denver, Seattle, Houston and Los Angeles; Company Provides Mid-Quarter Update on Operations. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-06-27.
See also
External links
- Official website
- Six Flags Magic Mountain Visitor Guide
- Six Flags Magic Mountain Photos and Information
- Maps and aerial photos for Coordinates:
| Roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain |
|---|
| Batman: The Ride · Canyon Blaster · Colossus · Déjà Vu · Goldrusher · Goliath · Goliath Jr. · Ninja · Revolution · The Riddler's Revenge · Scream! · Superman: The Escape · Tatsu · Viper · X |
| Defunct: Flashback · Psyclone |
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