Six Flags Magic Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is an amusement park near Los Angeles in the U.S. state of California. It is located about 55 kilometers northwest of Downtown Los Angeles in Valencia, a district of Santa Clarita. Magic Mountain has a total of 17 roller coasters (as of 2012), the most roller coasters in a single amusement park world, the largest park of amusement park chain Six Flags and is open is the only park in the chain throughout the year ( in the winter months on the weekends ). Right on the park's located also owned by the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor water park chain, but which is managed separately borders. The two parks are together also marketed as Six Flags California.
History
Construction and first years
Due to the large number of immigrants to Southern California in the 1950s, land prices rose rapidly, so that the Newhall Land and Farming Company decided their previously used only for agricultural and oil production areas in the San Fernando Valley and neighboring areas such as the Santa Clarita Valley, in the the park is to use as building land. Rather than sell the land at one of the many interested parties, she opted for a planned city the plant, today Valencia. With planning, they commissioned the Austrian city planner Victor Gruen. In addition to the construction of golf courses and other attractions it was hoped that an amusement park to increase the level of awareness, similar to the settlement of Disneyland, it had the effect of Anaheim. In cooperation with the SeaWorld park was built in 1969 and opened on 29 May 1971, the name Magic Mountain. The construction costs were approximately $ 20 million. Of the original 33 attractions today only a few remain. These include the observation tower Sky Tower, the Showcase Theatre (now the Golden Bear Theatre), Percy the Small Engine, a ride especially for children, as well as Goldrusher, at the opening of the park is the only roller coaster.
After the first season Newhall invested more than five million dollars in renovation and extension work. As a mascot of the park, the trolls Bleep, Bloop and Boop and a Wizard were (German: "Wizard " ) introduced and expanded the children's section to the Wizard's Village. In the following years, Six Flags expanded the park by several smaller rides such as a wild mouse.
Extension to Revolution and Colossus
To the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution was followed in 1976 the construction of the first "big" roller coaster, Great American Revolution. Revolutionary in the roller coaster often only briefly as a "revolution" designated roller coaster and later officially named also as was the use of the first loops in the modern age. Early experiments with loops late 19th and early 20th century had led because of the lack of mastery of the G- forces again to injury, so since the establishment of the last motion business with looping in the United States had passed ( in Coney Iceland ) 75 years. In addition, designed by Anton Schwarzkopf and Werner Stengel roller coaster at this time was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. Apart from two small rides from the founding year of the park Revolution is now the oldest operating roller coaster at Magic Mountain and has achieved the status of a landmark. The following year, Universal turned here the movie Rollercoaster (German title: Roller Coaster ), in which the roller coaster Revolution played a central role.
A year later, in 1978, another today which is operating, driving business was opened with the wooden roller coaster Colossus. Also Colossus presented at the time of opening a new record in terms of height and speed of wooden roller coasters. West of the Rocky Mountains Colossus is still the tallest wooden roller coaster.
Owned by Six Flags
1979 sold the Newhall Land and Farming Company the park for $ 51 million at Six Flags in order to concentrate on their core business, building the city of Valencia. Since then called Six Flags Magic Mountain. The construction of the flume Roaring Rapids ( " Thundering rapids " ) in 1981, the first major investment by Six Flags, two areas of the park were connected so that from now on a round trip through the park was possible. In 1982, the ride Freefall was built, in which a brief moment falls freely, so feel weightlessness before the track slowly merges with the horizontal.
In 1984, the Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles. As a tribute to the meetings held in the same year Winter Games in Sarajevo, the Sarajevo Bobsleds were built, a ride that simulated a bobsleigh ride. They are among the variety of rides that have been back and hertransferiert over the years between the various parks of Six Flags ( ride rotation program). The Bobsleds transferred to Six Flags in 1986 and his eldest eponymous for the chain park to Six Flags Over Texas.
As a mascot of the park Six Flags used until 1985, the trolls. This year, they were replaced by the characters of the Looney Tunes, whose rights Magic Mountain had been acquired in 1971. This made including a redesign of the Children 's Village Wizard range necessary, named from now on Bugs Bunny World. Similarly, the Clown Coaster was renamed Wile E. Coyote Coaster.
1988 Ninja was built a roller coaster type Suspended Coaster ( " Suspended roller coaster" ). Ninja is still in operation today and holds together with Vortex in Canada's Wonderland 88.5 km / h speed record for roller coasters of this type.
In the following years, Six Flags expanded the park each year to an amusement ride. In 1989, the Water Ride Tidal Wave was built in 1990 followed by the steel roller coaster Viper, for construction point the roller coaster with the tallest and fastest looping vertical world. The record for the fastest inversion holds today Storm Runner Hersheypark in, but Viper is still the roller coaster with the highest loop. The next year, 1991, was followed by the wooden roller coaster Psyclone, which was not very popular but as a rough ride. So landed Psyclone 2006 a survey of roller coaster fans on the last place of 179 standing for election wooden roller coasters 2007, the roller coaster was demolished to create space for the Apocalypse wooden coaster, opened in 2009. The following year, 1992, built roller coaster Flashback was demolished in 2007.
After the water Ride Yosemite San Sierra Falls ( 1993) and the inverted coaster Batman The Ride (1994 ) followed in 1996, the next extension of the Park: Top 20 million dollar roller coaster Superman: Escape from Krypton broke the first roller coaster world the prestigious mark of 100 miles / hour (160 km / h). Also the height of the roller coaster of 126 meters meant a new record. In Superman: Escape from Krypton the train out of the station is accelerated by means of LSM within 7 seconds from 0 to 160.9 km / h. Then the train goes straight up a 126.5 m high tower. During the assembly and departure in the normal passengers feel 6.5 seconds long the feeling of weightlessness, the so-called Airtime.
Opened in 1998 with The Riddler 's Revenge, the longest to date, fastest and highest stand-up coaster world.
Premier parks
Expansion of the park
In the largest acquisition in the history of the theme park industry took over the same year the fast growing chain Premier Parks for $ 1.86 billion from the Six Flags company Time Warner. The aggressively expanding chain began the tradition -rich brand name Six Flags even in their own parks and apply acquired several parks in Europe, they also presented under this name. Premier Parks invested in its parks heavily in new roller coasters. Magic Mountain came with his now eleven roller coasters have a particular role to play, because the park was with Cedar Point in Ohio, the second oldest amusement park in America to compete for the prestigious title of the amusement park with the most roller coasters.
First, the park in 2000, was extended by the steel roller coaster Goliath, which held a few months the record for the highest first drop. For 2001, the 40 - year anniversary of Six Flags, the company announced the opening of three new roller coasters to surpass Cedar Point so. Due to technical problems, only Goliath Jr. opened on schedule. Déjà Vu could be taken the end of 2001, but the start-up of X delayed until early 2002, and continued to suffer from long downtime. X was the first roller coaster type of 4th Dimension. Thereby able to rotate 360 degrees around its own axis, in contrast to "normal" coasters, the individual rows of seats. Due to recurrent problems and downtime lighter cars were purchased in 2008, the railway was a redesign and is now called X ².
Cedar Point also established in 2002 a 15 roller coaster so that both theme parks are listed on a par with 15 roller coasters as a world record holder in the Guinness Book in 2003. The next year was at Magic Mountain with the floorless coaster Scream! built another roller coaster, but also Cedar Point opened a new roller coaster.
Meanwhile, the parent company Premier Parks was advised by several factors into financial difficulties, among other things, the worse consumer sentiment as a result of the bursting of the dotcom bubble and the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and an unfavorable exchange rate of the euro against the U.S. dollar. Faced with a debt mountain of more than two billion dollars cut down Premier Parks, the budget for Erweiterungsinvestititionen and began to separate from each park. Thus, the Group sold its 2004 parks in Europe. As a result of financial difficulties Six Flags built with Tatsu until 2006 the next roller coaster at Magic Mountain. With the 17th roller coaster Magic Mountain was now the sole record holder. The entrance fee was raised for the 2006 season to 60 dollars for adults and 30 for children.
Sales plans 2006
Presence
In 2007, the wooden coaster Psyclone was demolished. In their place Apocalypse was also a wooden roller coaster that opened in 2009.
The wildfires in Southern California in October 2007 also threatened Magic Mountain, the theme park but not ultimately damaged. On October 22, the park had to be evacuated in the afternoon, when a short distance fires had broken out.
2008 was torn down, so the only record for the most roller coasters in a park on went back to Cedar Point with Flashback another roller coaster. Approximately $ 10 million invested Six Flags in the new car and the redesign of X, also another children's area was created with Thomastown. Attracting families should therefore be increased, the park is expected to develop from a pure adventure park for teenagers to a more family- friendly park.
Role in film and television
Due to the proximity of the park to Hollywood scenes for television or cinema films but also documentaries about roller coasters are rotated in Magic Mountain frequently. Besides the aforementioned film Rollercoaster, in which the park itself plays a central role, such as the opening credits of the series was filmed A strong family at Magic Mountain. In it, the park was, however, postponed by computer effect to a beach.
Further series are Wonder Woman and Entourage, more movies Kiss - Pursued by Phantoms, The Lampoon, Encino Man, my life for you, Space Cowboys, This is Spinal Tap and True Romance.
Attractions of the park
In the total of 106 acres of the park is situated next to the roller coasters and five water rides and the two children areas Bugs Bunny World and Thomas Town with a number of rides for children. On the stage in the children's areas multiple short shows are performed daily. In addition, find throughout the year distributed a variety of concerts and other events. Tradition has it that around Halloween Fright Fest, at which the park remains open longer and the coasters can be run in the dark. In addition, the wooden roller coaster Colossus backwards traveled.
The observation tower Sky Tower in 2008, a museum was set up on the history of the park. Among the exhibits include components now demolished roller coasters, old survey maps, design drawings for the design of the individual subject areas of the park and the costumes of the detached by the Looney Tunes mascot Bleep Bloop and.
Many older roller coasters especially from the 1970s, but also from the 1980s have now been demolished and replaced by more modern. Some roller coasters were also part of a " ring exchange program " ( ride rotation program) between the various parks in the Six Flags chain back and hergetauscht. For example, Shockwave, however, in 1992 Flashback was transferred in 1989 to Six Flags Great Adventure, installed, who had already been in Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Over Georgia.
Below is a list of currently available on the park roller coasters: