Friday, April 18, 2014

A-Z Blogging - Adventure Parks - M is for Magic Mountain

If Cedar Point is America's Roller Coast, then Six Flags Magic Mountain is a close, close second.  As a matter of fact, the Six Flags' California edition has been holding the coveted crown of most coasters with 18, a record that surpassed The Point a few years ago.   Though Cedar Point is a sentimental favorite and still the mecca for roller coaster enthusiasts, Magic Mountain is definitely a place for our bucket lists.  In fact, one of my buddies is going there next week and I am soooo jealous!!!!


So, as I said, Six Flags magic Mountain is one popular place.  As far as Six Flags parks goes, it is the second most visited of the company's parks behind Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey (my home park, hoo-rah!), getting over 2.8 million visitors in 2013.  This is no doubt that their roster of roller coasters has something to do with that.  Let's take a look at some of their best...

The Great American Revolution


Opening in May 1976, the Great American Revolution (today it's just Revolution)was indeed a revolution in that it was the very first roller coaster in the world to feature a vertical loop, a big deal in those days.  Take a ride...


Colossus


Colossus is Magic Mountain's giant wooden roller coaster.  It opened just two years after Revolution and at the time was one of the biggest and fastest of its kind in the world, and I'm sure it still packs a punch!


Now that we've done a couple of Magic Mountain oldies, here are a couple of the newer thrillers...

Superman: Escape from Krypton

File:Superman Escape from Krypton tower.jpg

I remember when this one first opened in 1997, it looked terrifying, and although there are now bigger and badder coasters out there, I'd still be nervous going on this one....straight out and up at 100 mph, then you just kind of hang there for a second only to drop back down the 300-plus feet down.  What a ride!  And backwards, no less!


X2 (or X-Squared!)

File:X2-firstdrop.jpg

Ooh, this one looks wicked!  The very last ride manufactured by legendary coaster manufacturer Arrow Dynamics, this one is called a "4th Dimension Coaster," where riders are rotated independently of the track. Sounds scary, huh?  Well it is...


Full Throttle


Full Throttle is the newest and hottest addition to Magic Mountain's stable of great coasters.  Featuring a "top hat" element and speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, this is another hot-looking ride!


Tatsu


Finally, we have Tatsu, the park's signature flying coaster.  Built into the hilly countryside, this one looks mahvelous!  


"M" Coaster(s) of the Day - 
Millennium Force and Magnum XL-200, 
Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH


Well, since we're on great amusement parks with lots of great rides, and there happen to be two (maybe three, with Mean Streak) great "M" coasters at Cedar Point, my all-time favorite park.  First up is Magnum XL-200, one of my favorite hyper-coasters with a lift hill of 205 feet and top speeds of 72 mph.  I've ridden this one a few times and it is nothing but thrilling fun all the way!


And here's Millennium Force, just like Magnum, only bigger and faster.  Hella cool!!!!




Check out my other A-Z blog entries for this month's challenge:










No comments:

Post a Comment