Tag: Looping Coaster

Getting Scared at Knott’s Berry Farm

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Knott’s Berry / Scary Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm describes itself as America’s first theme park. Over the years, the park has been home to numerous attractions that have left their mark on American theme parks – including the world’s first rollover rollercoaster, the Corkscrew.

Camp Snoopy

As in every Cedar Fair amusement park, Knott’s Berry Farm also has a Snoopy Kinderland. However, it is relatively small here and currently only has a handful of attractions, as the Timberline Twister children’s rollercoaster has had to make way for Snoopy’s Tenderpaw Twister Coaster, which is due to open next year.

Sierra Sidewinder

The biggest attraction in this area is the Sierra Sidewinder spinning coaster from Mack Rides. As the second ride of its kind, it is interestingly different from its predecessor at Europa Park. The track here consists of many bends and helices, which cause the cars to whirl around wonderfully. You won’t find any major descents on the track, but this works in its favour, as it leads steadily downhill via smaller descents and beautiful bends and finishes by racing across the ground in quite intense helices. A great ride!

The Chilling Chambers

While Camp Snoopy is a busy themed area during the day, it is deserted in the evening. Although the area is used as a large scare zone, when the rides are not in operation, it’s hard to know what to do in this part of the park.

The Best Of Maze The Chilling Chambers is located at the entrance to the area and gives an insight into the history of Knott’s Scary Farm. In principle, it’s quite cool, but the many themes from the last 50 years make it seem a bit jumbled together. It is also difficult to act in, which means that the scary element is somewhat neglected. 

Fiesta Village

In front of the Jaguar rollercoaster is a large square that is strongly reminiscent of the Spanish colonial era. Here you will find the two swings La Revolución and Dragon Swing as well as the round rides Carousel de California, Hat Dance, Los Voladores and Sol Spin.

Montezuma’s Revenge

The Fiesta Village is also home to the Shuttle Loop roller coaster Montezuma’s Revenge. Similar to Psyké Underground in Walibi Belgium, this Schwarzkopf roller coaster is also being extensively renovated to make it fit for the future.

Jaguar!

The Jaguar! children’s rollercoaster has quite an interesting layout. The ride covers a large part of the Fiesta Village themed area and consists mainly of large helices and flat descents and ascents. Nevertheless, the ride is great fun.

Boardwalk

The Boardwalk theme area transports us to a 1950s seaside resort, with parts of the area reminiscent of the Roaring 20s. The park’s most striking attractions are located here, as well as the theme park’s large theatre.

Xcelerator

Passing the S&S Combo Tower Supreme Scream, we continue to the Xcelerator rollercoaster, which has unfortunately not been in operation since an incident on the Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster. Rumours of an imminent reopening were not to come true until a month after my visit. In any case, the Intamin Accelerator Coaster with its top hat and subsequent curves is very appealing, which is why I will definitely be back to ride it again.

Mesmer: Sideshow Of The Mind

The queue for Mesmer: Sideshow Of The Mind went once around the Xcelerator, so you had a pretty cool view of the coaster. The maze itself was also very strong. At first it was reminiscent of a funfair sideshow, then story-wise it dived deeper and deeper into the human soul and became more and more psychedelic. A drug trip come true, so to speak.

Cinema Slasher

The slasher maze Horror Slasher was the weakest maze of the event. Although the material offered a lot of potential, it ultimately failed in its realisation, making Maze look like a heavily edited version of an R-rated film, as all genre-typical depictions of violence were cut out.

Coast Rider

You can’t really go wrong with a Wild Mouse. The ride with its tight hairpin bends and steep descents is actually always fun. At least that’s what I thought. But Knott’s Berry Farm has turned the fun into a real ordeal. Thanks to the retrofitted shin bars, the ride only hurts. Passengers’ freedom of movement does not have to be so restricted that adults 1.78 metres tall can no longer ride without pain. In any case, the installed solution seems to be more of a quick fix for an unlikely problem than a well thought-out solution. In any case, I won’t be boarding this rollercoaster again voluntarily.

HangTime

The Infinity Coaster HangTime stands on the site of the infamous Shoot the Chute Perilous Plunge, which plunged almost vertically into the water basin. So it’s no wonder that Hangtime is even steeper.

After the vertical lift, we are initially stuck in the holding brake for a little while before we take the plunge into the abyss. With plenty of pressure, we then head through the first valley and straight back up the steep ascent. Once at the top, we head straight into the negative G stall loop, which we exit to the side. We immediately continue into an oversized corkscrew. This is immediately followed by a cutback-like curve. Immediately afterwards, we are lifted out of our seats in a double down before entering a cobra roll. Interestingly, this is the last element of the ride. A short ascent later, we are already in the final brake of the rollercoaster.

HangTime is a good Infinity Coaster with a very unusual layout. The fast sequence of elements and the very compact layout speak for themselves, but the ride comfort is not the best.

Surfside Gliders und Pacific Scrambler

Opposite the HangTime rollercoaster is a small pier on which the two classic American flat rides Surfside Gliders and Pacific Scrambler are located.

Knott’s Bear-y Tales 4D

The interactive dark ride Knott’s Beary Tales: Return to the Fair takes us on a fun adventure to try and recapture as many cakes as possible from the notorious cake thief Crafty Coyote. The cute ride is based on the original Knott’s Bear-y Tales dark ride that operated in the park from 1975 to 1986 and replaces the rather short-lived attraction Journey to the Iron Reef.

Room 13

The entrance to Maze Room 13 is located right next to the Wheeler Dealer Bumper Cars, but first we head to the Blind Tiger Bar before moving through the Argive Hotel to uncover the secret of the Devil’s Elixir. The theme of the maze is set in the Prohibition era, which has been brilliantly realised here. Overall, Room 13 is a very coherent and well-staged maze.

Ghost Town

Pony Express

The Pony Express is a small roller coaster that is characterised by its flywheel launch.  In addition to the surprising start, the ride has some tight curves and hills. Unfortunately, the waiting time here is always very long, so that multiple rides are hardly possible.

Origins – The Curse of Calico

Origins: The Curse of Calico tells the story of the fog that hangs over the streets of the ghost town every year during Knott’s Scary Farm. It all began with the execution of Sarah Marshall from Calico, who was found guilty of witchcraft. But those who had convicted Sarah were also guilty and incurred the witch’s wrath. The witch cursed the inhabitants of Calico, who now roam the ghost town as the undead. The maze is still very atmospheric at the beginning, but becomes less and less so towards the end.

Calico River Rapids

The Calico River Rapids is one of the most beautiful rapids rides that Intamin has to offer. The fast-paced ride through the rapids is accompanied by numerous animatronics, and the degree of wetness is very moderate by American standards.

The Grimoire

In The Grimoire, we experience what can go wrong when you read aloud from a cursed book. As visitors to a holiday camp, we are led through numerous loosely connected scenes that illustrate the horror of the book. By mixing different styles, the Maze is unfortunately one of the weaker ones of the event.

Calico Mine Ride

The old Calico Mine Train is a must-see, even if you have to queue for a long time.  The ride through the mine offers some great scenes and surprises.

Timber Mountain Log Ride

The Timber Mountain Log Ride is one of the most beautiful log flumes in the world. The ride through the artificial mountain has a few surprises in store. While modern log flumes can only boast gimmicks, the attraction, which opened in 1969, is particularly impressive with its variety (especially in the current), detailed scenes and numerous animatronics. For me, it’s the best log flume in the world.

Wax Works

The Maze Wax Works tells the story of an abandoned wax museum from which strange noises emanate. Dr August Scratch, a former plastic surgeon, has broken into the abandoned museum to present his new, eerie figures made of burning wax and bloody flesh. As you walk through the museum, you hear screams. Then you are confronted by red-hot cauldrons into which victims are immersed and transformed into Dr Scratch’s latest wax figures. Now all that remains is to escape through this very well-made maze.

The Depths

In The Depths, we follow in the footsteps of a mining crew condemned to death, who are left to their own devices in the catacombs of a gloomy coastal town.  The deeper we go, the greater the horror becomes and by the time we explore a sunken ship, the horror takes over. All in all, The Depth is a beautifully staged maze.

Bloodline: 1842

In Bloodline: 1842, we head to the battlefields of the war-torn streets of Valdonia. There we set off in search of the other Daybreakers with whom we want to overthrow the king of the Valhymphri vampires. All in all, Bloodline: 1842 is one of the most atmospheric mazes of the event and therefore highly recommended.

Dark Entities

In Dark Entities, we beam down to a destroyed space station. Sinister forces have taken over the station and turned the crew into multidimensional mutants. We have to escape quickly, because the dark entities are planning to wipe out all life on board the station forever. All in all, a rather mediocre maze.

Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider is the big wooden roller coaster in the park. The ride runs through the back of the ghost town of Calico and through an area on the other side of Grand Avenue.

The ride on the Ghost Rider begins with a sloping left-hand bend out of the station. After a wide right-hand bend, you reach the ride’s lift hill. Once at the top, it’s straight into the first drop. With plenty of shake, rattle and roll, you ride through a left-hand bend close to the bottom and immediately afterwards into a large camelback. With plenty of lateral forces, you go straight through the first turn of the layout. After a short right-hand bend, it’s downhill again. From now on, we make our way through the wooden construction of the roller coaster, following the L-shaped layout of the roller coaster. After another uphill section, we turn left a little before entering another turning curve. After a short straight section, we descend back into the wooden structure. Numerous small hills and many bends follow, in which we are pressed firmly into the side wall of the train. Still travelling at quite a high speed, we then enter a long helix. After a short hill, we reach the rollercoaster’s braking section.

Ghost Rider is a really solid wooden roller coaster, but by CCI standards it is rather unimpressive. Although the ride offers a very interesting and above all long layout, as well as the lateral forces that are so characteristic of the manufacturer’s style, it does not offer the very abrupt and pronounced airtime that can be found on Megafobia at Oakwood Theme Park, for example.

Silver Bullet

The last roller coaster in this report is also the roller coaster that dominates the entrance area with its large Cobra Roll. We are of course talking about Silver Bullet, the theme park’s large inverted coaster.

After a short right-hand bend, the ride on Silver Bullet begins directly with the roller coaster’s lift hill. Once at the top, the ride takes a right-hand bend that gets steeper and steeper. In the valley, you are immediately pulled into the rollercoaster’s large loop. This is followed by a hill that bends slightly to the left and leads into the big Cobra Roll. You then enter the large Zero-G Roll, which merges into a left-turning helix. This is followed by the first corkscrew to the left and, after a short bend, the second corkscrew to the right. With a lot of pressure, you then enter a tight helix, after which you find yourself in the braking section of the ride.

Silver Bullet is a breathtaking inverted coaster with a really beautiful layout. I particularly like the dynamic part with the two corkscrews. The rest of the ride is also very thrilling for an inverted coaster of this size, which is why I always enjoy getting back on.

Pictures Knott’s Berry Farm

Conclusion Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm is a great theme park with a really nice line-up and lots of very special attractions, my favourite of which was the Timber Mountain Log Ride. A visit in conjunction with the Knott’s Scary Farm evening event is particularly recommended.

Conclusion Knott’s Scary Farm

Knott’s Scary Farm is considered the Halloween event on the west coast. As I visited the event on a Sunday evening, the waiting times at the mazes were very limited, so I had no problems doing all the mazes, many of them without waiting. Particularly noteworthy were the Bloodline: 1842, Mesmer: Sideshow Of The Mind and Wax Works mazes.

I found it a bit of a shame that you’re always travelling in a large group in the Mazes, which means that the Mazes themselves aren’t as scary. Even if you’re lucky enough to be alone for a while, you’ll soon bump into the group in front of you again. In this respect, I have to praise the Halloween Horror Event at Movie Park Germany, as not only do they offer mazes of a similar standard to those here at Knott’s Scary Farm, but you usually only walk through the maze with very few people for a few minutes.

All in all, I had a lot of fun at Knott’s Scary Farm. Not only was I able to visit all the mazes, but I was also able to ride many of the rollercoasters at night without having to queue for a long time. A great event!

 

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Click here for the next report of the California Adventure Tour

California Adventure Day 15 and 17 / Knott's Berry Farm

Going on an California Adventure

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Disney California Adventure

Hollywood Land

After passing through the Buena Vista Street, which is modelled after Los Angeles of the 1920s, we soon enter Hollywood Land. This area of the park is home to the large Hyperion theatre famous for various musical performances. Unfortunately, the new production of Roger the Musical was only shown for a small period in summer, leaving this area quite empty.

Mickey’s PhilharMagic

One of the few attractions at the Disneyland Resort to feature the world-famous Mouse and his friends is Mickey’s PhilharMagic. The attraction takes you on a magical voyage through the famous movie scenes and their tunes, but Mickey is nowhere to be found. The star of the attraction is actually Donald Duck, who curiously took over Mickey’s role of conducting the orchestra and experiences the famous animated scenes himself, which leads to all kind of clumsy situations. The movie itself is well animated and a lot of fun.

Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue!

Albeit being a smaller attraction at Disney California Adventure, a ride on the Monsters, Inc. dark ride is a great experience. The ride strictly follows the events of the film, with Mike & Sully to rescue the little kid Boo before Randall Boggs gets her. Especially, the scene with the doors is quite noteworthy.

Avengers Campus

After more than a decade of Marvel films, it does make sense to include the IP to a Disney theme park. Avengers Campus is a very modern and clean area, yet does have some interesting architecture. The area is home to various Marvel characters, a flying spiderman animatronic show and two very good dark rides.  

Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure

The Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure interactive dark ride is of a different calibre. The Spider-Bots developed by Peter Parker get a little out of control during Open House Day on the W.E.B. campus and duplicate themselves like crazy. Contact with other substances in turn causes them to partially mutate. Now you have to stop the robots before they devastate the entire campus. To do this, you swing webs like Spider Man and free one location after the other from the little crawlers.

Unlike other interactive themed rides, everything here works contact-free, you just use your hands and shoot your nets through space with amazing precision.  No wild flailing to score points – it’s more about purposeful movements, which can be quite a challenge. The team concept is just as motivating: you play together, which in turn positively enriches the ride.

Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure is definitely a blast of a ride. Everything has been done right here. The video quality is outstanding, the interactivity during the ride works really well and last but not least, the ride is incredibly fun. 

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout!

The Tower of Terror drop ride has always been one of the most interesting rides Disney has ever built. It is the second installation of the iconic ride and for years, it shared quite a lot in common with the version at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris. Nowadays, both rides are located at the outskirts of the Marvel Avenger Campus area. While the Paris version offers a slightly darker take on the original, the ride in California Adventure is very positively bonkers. The tried-and-tested and still outstanding free-fall spectacle now features an awesome soundtrack and very funny screen-based action, based on the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, inbetween the drops, leaving all rider’s to cheer and scream at the same time. Its an awesome ride which fits in perfectly into the very modern area.

Cars Land

Probably the most stunning area of the park is Cars Land. It is a come to reality version of the small roadside town of Radiator Springs featuring all of the iconic buildings and three great attractions.

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree

Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is a fun ride, where you are constantly transported through several discs in a circle while the gondolas also swing sideways due to the constant changes in direction and lateral acceleration. It’s a great attraction for inbetween and a quite charming one due to Mater narrating the ride.

Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters

Similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, a ride on Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters is great fun. Here, the cars all dance together. The ride has some weird motion going on while on ride, yet it looks great when all cars move in synchronization with the music.

Radiator Springs Racers

Radiator Springs Racers is the highlight of Cars Land. After a joyride through the beautiful landscape, we soon enter the dark ride show scene. Here we experience all kind of dangers before reaching Radiator Springs and get prepared for our race. What follows is a high-speed experience, which even features a bit of airtime when passing the hills. If you love the Cars movies, you will automatically love this ride. There is soo much to see and even more to experience. Simply said, Radiator Springs Racer is one of the best rides ever created.  

Grizzly Peak

The Grizzly Peak area is located around the man-made mountain on which the Grizzly River Run rapids are located. This area is a rather quiet area that stretches along the Grand Californian Hotel.

Soarin’ Around the World

The Flying Theatre Soarin’ Around the World was long considered one of the best dark rides in the world. In the meantime, however, there are similar attractions all over the world and the technically impressive theatre is losing more and more of its significance thanks to its mediocre film. As in Epcot, the flight over the world’s landmarks is quite nice, but basically you just fly from one fade to the next. That’s a shame, especially since other theme parks usually focus on the nearby surrounding area and offer a much more rounded overall experience. Here, I would actually wish if they change the film back to the original one focussing on California.

Grizzly River Run

The Grizzly River Run is a giant rapids ride created by Intamin. The fast and fun ride down the current of Grizzly Peak is full of surprises. Especially the two drops can get you really wet. The ride does not lack in rapids either, so you might end up soaked.

Paradise Gardens Park

The area Paradise Gardens Park complements the Pixar Pier area and shares the same atmosphere. Together with Pixar Pier, it is home to a rather interesting collection of rebuilds of classic turn of the century attractions. In this area you can find the Golden Zephyr flying machines and the Jumpin’ Jellyfish parachute jump towers, as well as the classic wave swinger Silly Symphony Swing.

The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

The little Mermaid dark ride gives us the opportunity to voyage under the sea. The ride is home to some of the best animatronics to be found anywhere in the world, especially the one of Ursula is seriously impressive. The ride itself is entertaining and great if you just need some minutes of rest, as the wait times are normally pretty low due to the high capacity of the ride.

Goofy’s Sky School

Goofy’s Sky School is the classic Wild Mouse roller coaster from Disney California Adventure. The Mack Rides ride offers almost the same layout as most Wild Mouse steel roller coasters, although the double drop finale has been made a little more family-friendly by replacing the small hill in the centre (and therefore the second drop) with a simple ramp. At least the ride offers a little bit of theming.

Pixar Pier

The Pixar Pier is dominated by the large Incredicoaster, which resembles an old seaside wooden coaster. The area is home to the second Coaster Wheel ever built, as well as two carousels and the dark ride Toy Story Midway Mania!

Pixar Pal-A-Round

The Pixar Pal-A-Round is the first rebuild of Coney Island’s classic Coaster Wheel. The ride offers two types of sensation – either you take a ride on the swinging gondolas or you enjoy a ride in a stationary gondola, which offers the classic Ferris Wheel sensation. Of course, I had to take a ride on the swinging gondolas which proved itself to be incredibly funny. The high extend of the rocking and the two laps in total took me by surprise.

Toy Story Midway Mania!

The Toy Story Midway Mania! interactive dark ride is one of the most popular Disney attractions in the world. The ride is like a visit to the funfair, where you play one game of skill after another at the individual stands in order to achieve the highest possible high score.

Incredicoaster

The Incredicoaster is the largest roller coaster at any Disney theme park. Opened as California Screamin’ in 2001, the ride was especially known for its great soundtrack. As part of Pixar Pier, the ride now tells the story of runaway Jack-Jack and his incredible family members which try to catch the toddler.  

After leaving the station, the track guides us below the pier and soon into the ride’s launch section. After a brief stop, we are accelerated to a maximum speed of 55 mp/h (88 km/h). We then climb a large hill covered by a tunnel. Soon after we race through a very long valley, before entering a brake section. The ride then continues in a very wide righthand bend which with time gets steeper and steeper. After a change in direction, we then enter a large hill, which uses LIM to further push us upwards. Here too, the hill is partially closed by a tunnel. We then enter the largest drop of the ride, which then gets us into a very wide righthand turn. Now being parallel to the large LIM lift hill, we enter a small dip and soon after invert ourselves in a large vertical loop. After an incline, we then enter another brake section. The ride now continues with a large drop followed by another very wide turn and another brake section, before going into a series of smaller airtime hills. Finally, we enter a large helix and soon after the brakes.

The Incredicoaster is a very fine roller coaster for what it is. However, apart of the ride’s classic vibe, the launch and the looping, there is not so much going on in this roller coaster and due to the very wide turns it even feels a bit lengthy. The “Incredible” version of the ride is fine, but I think the original concept of the ride fits the overall experience a little better.  

World of Color

The nighttime show World of Color is a great way to end your day at Disney California Adventure. The water show is one of the best nighttime spectaculars, I’ve yet experienced at any Disney theme park and therefore highly recommended.

Pictures Disney California Adventure

Conclusion Disney California Adventure

Disney California Adventure is a great park with some very cool attractions. I especially enjoyed my time in the Cars Land themed area and in Grizzly Peak as these are the most immersive areas. When visiting the park, I highly recommend opting for the park hopping option, as Disneyland park is just a short walk away and both park’s in combination are a great way to spend a day while a visit to California Adventure might take a half-day only.

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Click here for the next report of the California Adventure Tour

California Adventure Day 11 and 12 / Disney California Adventure Park

The Thrill Capital of the World

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Six Flags Magic Mountain

Full Throttle

On the second day of my visit, I wanted to make sure I started my day on Full Throttle as it is one of the most popular rides during the day due to its location. The ride starts with a powerful launch out of the station and into the world’s biggest loop. This gives a nice sense of hangtime before we hit the ground again and make our way to the top of the mountain. Here we swing straight into a nice dive loop before entering a tunnel and coming to a stop. Seconds pass before we are launched again, but this time backwards. After almost reaching the top of the second inversion, we change direction again. This time we accelerate to top speed before turning and heading over the top of the loop. Enjoying the views, we soon hit the brakes on the descent and come to a halt shortly afterwards.

Full Throttle is a very fun coaster. I did not expect anything from this ride and was pleasantly surprised. The launch is powerful, the inversions are great and even the middle section where you go backwards is awesome. Unfortunately it is a short ride.

Canyon Blaster, Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers and Magic Flyer

Interestingly, all the children’s roller coasters are located in the same corner of the park. Unfortunately, the largest of the three roller coasters, Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers, was not in operation during my visit and the two smaller roller coasters, Canyon Blaster and Magic Flyer, were not allowed to be ridden unless accompanied by a child.

Buccaneer and Swashbuckler

Directly opposite the large entrance plaza of Goliath is the entrance to the two flat rides Buccaneer and Swashbuckler. While Buccaneer is a beautiful swing boat from Intamin, Swashbuckler is a classic American swing ride.

Goliath

Leaving the station, the train makes a right turn and then we hit the lift hill of the ride. Having reached a height of 235ft, the train begins its long and amazing descent into a tunnel that leads to a total height difference of 255ft. At a speed of 85mph the train heads upwards into an impressive looking overbank turn. After the turn the train heads down another drop followed by a fantastic airtime hill. A long climb then leads into the mid-course brake run and we were slowed down to almost a standstill.

The train continues at a slow pace before finally picking up speed in a hard left turn. In one fluid motion, the train changes direction and we plummet towards the ground. This is followed by a powerful and crazy 585° helix. Then the track turns upwards and banks to the left. After another powerful descent, the train makes an upward right turn that leads us into the final brake run of the ride.

What a ride! Goliath is a beast of a coaster. It is powerful, fast and perfectly paced. I cannot even describe how much I adore this coaster as it has jumped straight into my top 20 favourite coasters. It’s one of the best hyper coasters I’ve ever ridden. Man, I love this ride.

Lex Luthor Drop of Doom

The supporting structure of the Superman: Escape from Krypton rollercoaster houses the two tracks of the Lex Luthor Drop of Doom: one of the world’s tallest freefall towers.  

Having left the heavily themed queue behind us, we soon take our seats in the gondola. After checking our safety harnesses, we are soon on our way to the top of the tower. At a height of 400 ft we have a wonderful view over the park and the surrounding area before the drop begins. The hook releases the gondola and we plummet to the ground at a top speed of 85 mph before we reach the brakes and the breathtaking ride comes to an end.

Twisted Colossus

Colossus was the park’s big wooden roller coaster and made it one of the most famous theme parks in the world. In the 2010s, more and more wooden roller coasters were converted into hybrid roller coasters, including Colossus. Instead of two tracks, Twisted Colossus now consists of just one, meaning you can experience the layout twice in a row. The highlight: with the right timing, you can experience a merciless racing coaster.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luck and so our train travelled alone over the lift hill after a hilly section. After a slightly twisty first drop, it goes through a long valley and over a speed bump close to the ground before going up a hill and into a turning curve with a high-five element.  After another drop, the blue track goes over another speed bump and into a camelback, while the green track races over a double-down and a zero-G roll directly over the blue track. Now the blue track also goes into a roll, while the green track races over a hill. After a double-up, the two tracks separate and while the blue track now becomes the green track, the green track approaches the final braking section and then the station.

Twisted Colossus is a pretty cool coaster, but without the racing feature, it’s a very linear coaster with no big surprises. And that’s just not what you’re used to from an RMC. It’s a shame, because of all the RMCs I’ve ridden, Twisted Colossus is the weakest ride in my opinion.

Scream!

The Scream! roller coaster is probably the least appreciated investment in the theme park due to its location above a car park.

But the rollercoaster has it all. Once you have climbed the lift hill of the rollercoaster, you immediately plunge into the depths. With a lot of pressure, it goes through the valley and immediately afterwards into the large loop of the roller coaster. A climb to the left turns out to be a dive loop and immediately pulls us into the depths. With plenty of momentum, we then go through a zero-G roll and immediately afterwards into the rollercoaster’s cobra roll. A climb then leads us into a block brake, where we can only catch our breath briefly. We immediately descend in a steep curve. We then enter an intense helix just above the ground. After a change of direction, we enter the Interlocking Corkscrews. A short left-hand bend then leads us into the final incline of the ride, after which we reach the roller coaster’s braking section.

What a ride! The Scream! floorless coaster is an absolute fun machine with a breathtaking layout and a total of seven inversions. I loved getting on here again and again.

Batman The Ride

Just two years after the opening of the first Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, the Dark Knight found his place at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1994.

After climbing the lift hill, passengers can expect a pre-drop before the train finally plunges down the first drop in a steep curve. On the descent, passengers can experience high G-forces before entering the first loop. The second inversion, a zero-G roll, follows in no time at all. Then another loop is taken. The blood pressure in your feet rises abruptly as you go through a steep curve and a straight section of the track. It then heads mercilessly towards the bottom, where the first corkscrew awaits the rider. This element is pure madness if you are travelling at the back of the train, as the acceleration changes abruptly. The second corkscrew follows after a short right-hand bend. After that, a left-hand bend takes you straight into the braking section.

Batman: The Ride is still one of the best inverted coasters out there. The ride offers an intense ride layout with lots of positive G-forces on a relatively small footprint. Apart from the theming, the ride experience does not differ between the different rides, which is a good sign.

Wonder Woman Flight of Courage

The Wonder Woman Flight of Courage is the latest rollercoaster. The ride on the RMC Raptor Track begins immediately after a right-hand bend with the lift hill of the ride. After reaching the starting height of 130 ft in no time at all, we plummet down a very steep descent. After a quick ascent, it’s straight back down in a dive loop. With brutal airtime, we then go over a huge camelback and immediately afterwards into a zero-G stall. A steep ascent then leads us into a very tight turn. Now we descend again quite abruptly and immediately enter a zero-G roll. Another ascent then leads us into a block brake. Without much hesitation, we enter the next descent, after which another turn awaits us. Still very fast, we now race over a series of airtime hills. After a sharp left-hand bend, we reach the final brake.

Wonder Woman Flight of Courage is the better of the two RMC roller coasters in the park. The layout of the single rail coaster has a really nice flow. The inversions all ride very well and the airtime is also very nice. I at least really enjoyed the ride, even if I think it’s a bit of a shame that the DC Universe was literally torn in two by this coaster.

Teen Titans Turbo Spin, Crazanity and Scrambler

The path to the park’s next rollercoaster is lined with several flat rides. Here we encounter the Round-Up Teen Titans Turbo Spin, a classic Scrambler, as well as the Zamperla Giant Discovery Crazanity, which was unfortunately not in operation on the days I visited.

Riddler’s Revenge

The Riddler’s Revenge rollercoaster is one of the largest stand-up coasters in the world. After leaving the very long queue behind and wondering about the purpose of the rather strange station layout, the ride can soon begin.

After the lift has taken us to a height of 160 ft, we immediately take a steep turn towards the ground. This is followed by the ride’s large loop and, as with Scream!, we immediately enter a dive loop. Riddler’s Revenge goes one better and takes us straight into another dive loop. We then experience the world slightly upside down in an Inclined Loop. A wonderful turn then takes us into an ascending bend and immediately afterwards into the mid-course brake. With barely any reduction in speed, we descend once more and are immediately faced with a corkscrew. A left-hand bend close to the ground leads us into a camelback. After a helix and a left-hand bend, we plummet to the ground again and are thrown around in another corkscrew. After another right-hand bend, we reach the ride’s braking section.

Riddler’s Revenge is a really great rollercoaster. The ride is a very intense experience, which is further intensified by the standing riding position.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis

Developed by the Sally Corporation, the Justice League: Battle for Metropolis dark ride combines large plastic scenes with 3D screens where you have to fend off all sorts of Lex Luthor’s gadgets before he manages to capture the entire Justice League with the help of the Joker. It’s great fun, as you’d expect from Sally, and a surprisingly well-made dark ride that can be found in many Six Flags theme parks.

Gold Rusher

The first roller coaster at Magic Mountain is the Mine Train Gold Rusher. The ride along the slope has a rather unusual layout with many, rather small drops and a serpentine route. After a block brake, the train turns into a very fast helix at the end, followed by a short uphill section before reaching the final brake of the ride and our strange but fun ride comes to an end.

West Coast Racers

Passing the Jet Stream log flume, which was unfortunately closed for the season, we are now drawn to the West Coaster Racers.

In principle, the roller coaster here follows the same principle as Twisted Colossus. However, here the second train waits in a separate area before entering the track in parallel. We are immediately accelerated by LSM and enter a high-five element. While the white track enters a roller, the yellow track races over a hill directly below. After a right-hand bend, both tracks race into the second LSM area. In a wonderful manoeuvre, both lanes then drive parallel overhead and immediately afterwards through two parallel helices. For the grand finale, the white track then drives over a hill, while the yellow track performs a roll directly over the hill. After a bend, the white track continues into the separated area and thus becomes the yellow track, while the yellow track now approaches the station.

Somehow I wish I could have experienced this racing feeling on Twisted Colossus too, because the ride on the West Coast Racers lives almost exclusively from the numerous near-miss encounters during the ride. In any case, the track has it all and the layout has some pretty cool elements despite the more or less very linear ride dynamics.

Apocalypse

The wooden roller coaster Apocalypse was originally opened as Terminator Salvation: The Ride. It replaced the Psyclone roller coaster, which was located at this spot in the park for many years. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to ride this roller coaster from the manufacturer GCI on the two days I visited.

Tatsu

Luckily, thanks to my Legacy membership, I still have a one-off Flash Pass to use for free. Otherwise I would have missed out on a ride on the Tatsu rollercoaster, as the waiting times for just one train were beyond belief.

The ride on Tatsu begins as soon as we enter the lift hill. Once at the top, we immediately plunge into a steep turn with the best view of the Intamin Rapids Ride Roaring Rapids. Immediately afterwards we fly very close to the Sky Tower in a corkscrew. After a left turn, we turn once on our own axis and then enter a steep turn. Another left turn leads to the highlight of the ride: the Pretzel Loop. With the best view of the loop of the New Revolution rollercoaster far below us, we plunge into the depths. With a lot of pressure, we ride through the valley lying on our backs. Shortly afterwards, we repeat the experience in reverse order. Back in the air, we immediately enter the next roll. After a right turn and a small climb we reach the final brake of the coaster.

Tatsu is a very good flying coaster. Its location high up on the mountain enhances the feeling of flying during the ride. The ride itself has some nice elements and, thanks to the pretzel loop at the end of the ride, a very varied and intense layout.

Sky Tower

Behind Tatsu is one of the entrances to Samurai Summit, where Intamin’s Sky Tower dominates the park. Unfortunately, the tower has not been accessible since 2014.

Ninja

The second attraction at the Samurai Summit is the suspended coaster Ninja from Arrow Dynamics.

The ride begins with the first of the two lift hills. Once at the top, we immediately take a steep right-hand bend. After a helix, we swing along the slope parallel to the Jet Stream log flume. A left-hand bend then takes us to the lowest point of the ride, where we immediately turn into a right-hand helix. After a short straight under the log flume’s lift, we whizz back along the surface of the water. A short incline and several dynamic curve changes later, we slowly but surely approach the braking section at the bottom of the slope. Shortly afterwards, we enter the second lift, which takes us back to the station level, marking the end of our great ride on the family-friendly roller coaster.

Superman: Escape from Krypton

When Superman The Escape opened in 1997, it was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world alongside Dreamworld’s Tower of Terror (later Tower of Terror II). Together, the coasters held the speed record until the opening of Dodonpa at Fuji-Q Highland in 2001 and the height record until the opening of Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in 2003. In 2010, the coaster was overhauled and equipped with new trains. On Superman: Escape from Krypton, you could now mainly experience the ride travelling backwards until one of the cars was turned around again in 2021.

As I was able to experience Tower of Terror II on the last day of operation, I was really looking forward to a ride on Superman: Escape from Krypton. Unfortunately, the coaster was not in operation on any of the days I visited.

Roaring Rapids

One of the most interesting rapids rides I have ever seen is Roaring Rapids. You can’t see anything of the ride from the outside as it was built on a plateau high above the park paths. Only the stairs leading up to the attraction are visible. The ride in the large boats is quite simple, but a lot of fun. The level of wetness was pleasantly limited.

New Revolution

Probably the most classic roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain is the Revolution. As the first looping roller coaster of modern times, the Schwarzkopf roller coaster attracted everyone’s attention in 1976 and became world-famous thanks to the film Roller Coaster.

The ride on the Revolution begins as soon as you enter the lift hill, which takes you up to a height of 110 ft. Once at the top, the ride heads towards the ground in an increasingly steep curve. Afterwards, we take a fairly leisurely ride over a hill and then immediately enter the second, even steeper descent. After narrowly missing the station, we ride over another hill. We then take a left-hand bend that runs very close to the ground. After a climb, we approach what is probably the most important descent. On a long straight, we get faster and faster and then race through the first modern loop in the history of the world. A long uphill left-hand bend leads into an equally long right-hand bend, in which we adapt to the terrain. A tunnel is followed by a long straight that leads through the loop. A short dip to the right then takes us into the fast-paced finale of the helix. Shortly afterwards, we reach the final brake and our solid ride draws to a close.

Viper

The large Arrow looping coaster Viper was the main reason for me to finally visit Six Flags Magic Mountain.  The coaster, which opened in 1990, is unfortunately nearing the end of its life and after the closure of the fantastic Vortex looping coaster at Kings Islands, Viper was at the top of my to-do list.

As soon as we get to the top of the lift, we quickly descend in a terrifyingly steep turn. After a very intense descent, we enter a seemingly endless ramp, at the end of which the first loop mercilessly presses us into our seats. After a wide left-hander, we enter two more loops that are also very intense. After an uphill section, we are pulled through a block brake, which slows us down slightly. After a left-hander and a short right-hander, we enter the Batwing, which turns us upside down twice. The grand finale is a bend that takes us straight into the double corkscrew of the track. After a long straight we pass under the lift and immediately enter the braking section of the ride.

The ride on the Viper is even better than I expected. The coaster is mercilessly intense, has a very good pacing and runs absolutely smoothly. An absolute top coaster and the one I rode the most during my visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain.

X2

Right at the entrance to the park’s car park is the X2 roller coaster, the first 4th Dimension Coaster to be delivered and a crazy ride with a layout that is really untypical for a roller coaster. In the park itself, you first have to cross a bridge to get to the coaster. Unlike Fuji-Q’s Eejanaika coaster, the queues here are pleasantly short, so you can get on the ride quite quickly.

The ride starts with a 180° turn. You enter the lift in a supine position before being propelled 250 ft into the air on your back. Although this happens very quickly, you still have enough time to take a good look at the amusement park in front of you – a fantastic sight.

A short pre-drop gets the coaster going again and we are back in our original riding position before we are flipped upside down to the ground or to the row in front of us on the next hill. This riding position is then maintained for most of the steep drop, with one roll over in the lower third to ride through the following valley looking slightly upwards. In the inside raven turn, the direction of travel of the track changes once, but the element is still experienced horizontally. The train itself, now suspended underneath the track, goes down an incline and then through a camelback, while we race forward through the dense forest of columns, rolling beautifully in a 360° rotation. We continue forward again into a steep and banked turn. Continuing forward, we cross a forceful valley above the station. On the following hill the track changes direction in a fly-to-lie element and we make a lively 180° turn. We then ride backwards through a valley and immediately up another hill, at the end of which is the entrance to the outside raven turn. In this version of the Raven Turn we are also held horizontally while the train happily changes its position and continues under the track. At a much higher speed we race towards another Fly-to-Lie element which, combined with the rotation of the gondola, allows us to gently glide into the braking section.

X2 is one of the most intense roller coasters I have ever ridden. The ride is extremely powerful, completely disorientating and surprisingly smooth. You just don’t feel overwhelmed, even though you’re sitting like a pasha with your legs spread wide. The minimalist but rather complicated safety bar adds to the fun and respect for the ride, even if you have been on it many times before. As after a ride on the Eejanaika, the conclusion is the same: the ride is awesome!

Pictures Six Flags Magic Mountain

Conclusion Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain is a beautiful amusement park. Opened in the 1970s, the theme park utilises the available space very well, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Due to the large crowds on the first day of my visit (caused by the long event opening hours) and the reduced capacity on almost all roller coasters, I didn’t get the best impression of Six Flags Magic Mountain. However, this changed the very next day, when I was able to do everything without any major waiting times and was through with almost everything by lunchtime. It was just a shame that some of the roller coasters were unfortunately closed during my visit.

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California Adventure Day 7 and 8 / Six Flags Magic Mountain