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Six Flags Magic Mountain
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Six Flags Magic Mountain
Slogan

Thrill Capital of the World
The Xtreme Park
Go Big! Go Six Flags Magic Mountain!
Location
Valencia, Santa Clarita, California
Coordinates
34°25′37″N 118°35′49″W / 34.427°N 118.597°W / 34.427; -118.597Coordinates: 34°25′37″N 118°35′49″W / 34.427°N 118.597°W / 34.427; -118.597
Owner
Six Flags
Opened
May 29, 1971
Previous names
Magic Mountain - 1971 to 1979
Operating season
Year round
Visitors per annum
3,332,000 in 2016[1]
Area
262 acres (106 ha)
Rides
Total
43
Roller coasters
19
Water rides
3
Website
sixflags.com/magicMountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain is a 262-acre (106 ha) theme park located in the Santa Clarita, California neighborhood of Valencia, north of Los Angeles. It opened on May 30, 1971, as Magic Mountain, a development of the Newhall Land and Farming Company.[2] In 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name "Six Flags" to the park's title.
With 19 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain holds the world record for most roller coasters in an amusement park.[3] In 2015, the park had an estimated 3.3 million visitors ranking it seventeenth in attendance in North America.[1]
Contents
[hide]
1 History
1.1 Roller coaster revolution
1.2 Six Flags era
1.3 Time Warner era
1.4 Premier Parks era
1.5 2006 attempted sale
1.6 2007–present
2 Themed areas
3 Cinema and television
4 Attractions
4.1 Roller coasters
4.2 Other attractions
5 Former rides & attractions
6 Rankings
6.1 Record breaking rides
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
History[edit]
Six Flags Magic Mountain from Interstate 5
Grand Carousel is a family friendly ride located in the Six Flags Plaza area.
Jet Stream is a family friendly flume ride located near the entrance to Gold Rusher. The ride opened in 1972.
When the park opened, there were 500 employees and 33 attractions, many of which were designed and built by Arrow Development Co. which designed and built many of the original attractions at Disneyland. The admission price in 1971 was $5 for adults, and $3.50 for children between the ages of 3 and 12. Because the park was in a relatively remote part of Los Angeles County, the Greyhound bus line provided bus service to and from the park and Los Angeles, as well as from Northern California, and optionally allowed purchase of park admission at the time the bus ticket is purchased.[4]
At its 1971 opening, the rides and attractions included Gold Rusher, a steel coaster; the Log Jammer, a log flume; the Sky Tower, an observation tower; Grand Prix, similar to Disneyland's Autopia ride; El Bumpo, bumper boats; a Carousel; and other smaller rides. There were four transportation rides to the peak: Funicular, a cable railway or funicular, later renamed Orient Express; the Metro, which consist three monorail stations around the park: Whitewater Lake, Country Fair, and Mountain stations; and "Eagles Flight", a skyride that combined two stations at the peak: the long one north to Galaxy Station, and the short one west to El Dorado Station. The Showcase Theater (renamed Golden Bear Theater), was part of the original park and featured Barbra Streisand as the first of many headline performers who would appear at Magic Mountain over the years.
In the 1971 season, Magic Mountain obtained permission from Warner Bros. to use the Looney Tunes characters. However, they did not continue using the characters after their first year. In 1972, they began using trolls as the park mascots. The trolls King Blop, also known as King Troll, Bleep, Bloop, and the Wizard became recognizable symbols of Magic Mountain. All King Productions, a contractor, provided the entertainers wearing the costumes until December 31, 1972, when Magic Mountain took on that role. The characters were used until 1985. Also in 1972, a second flume ride named Jet Stream was added.
In 1973 the park added its second roller coaster, the Mountain Express, a compact Schwarzkopf Wildcat model steel coaster. In 1974 the park also installed a new complex of spinning rides in what would later be known as Back Street. The new additions consisted of the Himalaya, Electric Rainbow, and Tumble Drum. In 1975, the Grand Centennial Railway opened in the Back Street. It took riders on a train journey to Spillikin Corners and back.
Roller coaster revolution[edit]
Roaring Rapids is a river rafting water ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
With the opening of Great American Revolution in 1976, Magic Mountain became the first park in the world to have a modern, 360-degree steel looping coaster (though previous roller coasters with loops had been built and dismantled elsewhere due to safety issues). When it was built, there was very little in the way of surrounding brush. Now, the tracks are surrounded by trees and bushes, which prevents the riders from knowing the track layout beforehand. Universal then filmed a major movie at Magic Mountain with the Revolution as its centerpiece called Rollercoaster in 1977.
Colossus was a wooden roller coaster which opened in 1978.
In 1978, Colossus, at the time the fastest, largest dual-tracked wooden coaster, opened. Following 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 third, turn was replaced by a block brake. Though it decreased the speed of the ride after this particular brake, it did allow three 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. During Fright Fest, the park runs one side backwards using a set of trains acquired from the now demolished Psyclone which was located on the other side of the park. In 2015, the coaster was re-tracked with steel tracking and several inversions were added to the coaster. It was subsequently rebranded "Twisted Colossus". This renovation was completed by Rocky Mountain Construction.
Six Flags era[edit]
The opening drop on Goliath. Goliath featured the longest drop on a closed circuit roller coaster when it opened in February 2000
In 1979 the park was sold to Six Flags and became known as Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1980. 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 in conjunction with the now defunct Six Flags Astroworld, which had opened a similar ride in 1979. Along with Rapids came the completion of the midway near Spillikin Corners to link with Revolution's area. Finally, a complete circuit could be made around the park. It was originally designed as a dual-sided station, but only one was fully developed, and all that exists of the possible second side is a few supports. It uses large pumps to circulate water, and each of the two pumps can circulate 88,500 gallons per minute. The reservoir can hold 1.5 million gallons of water, and one of the innovations used on it was the introduction of guide boards to help eliminate jam ups.
Sign to nearby rides and other attractions.
In 1982 the attraction Freefall was added. Also built by Intamin, it was considered a cutting edge drop tower ride, if not strictly a "roller coaster." It simply ascends the tower and then drops down, with the track curving to horizontal, leaving riders on their backs. 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.
In 1984 Sarajevo Bobsleds was erected. Yet another ride built by Intamin, the coaster was basically a bobsled without ice and snow. The coaster was built in honor of the 1984 Olympics. Six Flags Great Adventure added a similar ride that same year. In 1986 Sarajevo Bobsleds was removed and now operates at Six Flags Over Texas as La Vibora. The other bobsled was moved to Six Flags Great America and later to The Great Escape in Queensbury, New York, where it operates as Alpine Bobsled.
In 1985 Children's World was rethemed as Bugs Bunny World, as Magic Mountain had abandoned the Trolls in favor of the Warner Brothers' characters. That year, Michael Jackson visited the park, riding rides such as Colossus, Revolution and Roaring Rapids. In 1986, the park added a steel stand-up looping roller coaster called Shockwave designed by Intamin. This coaster was located in the back of the park replacing Sarajevo Bobsleds. 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 Flags 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.
In 1987 the park re-themed the Back Street. Spinning flat rides were renamed Turbo (Electric Rainbow), Subway (Himalaya), and Reactor (Enterprise). The dance club was rethemed as well, and located near Reactor. After Hours, as it was now called (formerly Decibels), for one summer stayed open later than the rest of the park. It, along with Back Street, would stay open an additional two hours as a place for locals to hang out. This format lasted one season.
In 1988 Ninja, "The Black Belt of Roller Coasters", opened. Built by Arrow Dynamics, it was the first suspended swing roller coaster on the West coast. Ninja has gone through very few changes since it was opened in 1988; evidently only the wheels and paint have been changed.
Tidal Wave is a Shoot the Chute water ride, featuring a 50-foot (15 m) splashdown into a large body of water.
Tidal Wave opened in 1989. It is a short, wet ride featuring a large boat that travels up a low-angled incline to a level water trough. The trough, in the shape of a semicircle, ends in a steep drop into a large splashpool. The impact displaces large amounts of water on its riders. The ride's exit ramp crosses over the splashpool, allowing willing patrons leaving the ride to get soaked from the splash.
Viper, seen in the foreground, was constructed in the park in 1990
In 1990, Viper, a multiple looping coaster designed by Arrow Dynamics opened. It features a 188-foot (57 m) drop, speeds up to 70 mph (110 km/h), 3 vertical loops, a batwing turn that inverts riders twice, and a double corkscrew.
In 1991 Magic Mountain added Psyclone, modeled after the Coney Island Cyclone. The Spillikin Corners area of the park was re-themed as Cyclone Bay to suit the new coaster, drawing guests into this area. The change was largely cosmetic, as the earlier theme relied on retail establishments that had been removed previously. The Glass Blower had been replaced by the Shooting Gallery, and the Candy Kitchen viewing area was redesigned. With Psyclone, the crowds returned. Due to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Psyclone's structure was damaged causing a very bumpy ride and the coaster was never the same. (Psyclone was later removed in 2007.) After adding Ninja, Viper, and Psyclone within 4 years, the park was getting a large repertoire of big roller coasters.
The next year, 1992, a coaster built by Intamin called Flashback was added. This one-of-a-kind ride, originally planned to be enclosed in a building, had already operated at Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Over Georgia prior to its arrival. Very steep, short drops were designed to make riders feel like they were "diving" down in a plane, and it ended in a 540 degree upward spiral. But, because of the shoulder harnesses, riders were subjected to a lot of head banging. This coaster rarely ran by 1996 (it created too much noise for the nearby water park) and on January 23, 2007, the park announced that Flashback would be removed along with Psyclone. The park also stated that Flashback might be re-built elsewhere within the park for 2008 but the ride was finally scrapped at the end of 2008.
Time Warner era[edit]
In 1993 Six Flags Magic Mountain entered the Time Warner era.[5] The new ride for the year was Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls. It was a water ride that has two twisting tubes that riders could slide down in using a raft. (Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls was demolished in 2011 to make room for Road Runner Express.) Also that year, there was re-theming and High Sierra Territory was opened. The Showcase Theatre became Golden Bear Theater, the Animal Star Theatre was created in Bugs Bunny World, and a large, fake, wooden tree was built. This year also saw the end of live non-Christian themed concerts in the park due to the riot that broke out as a result of a "TLC" concert that was oversold. Magic Mountain was quickly overwhelmed by large crowds that vandalized and destroyed property. Park shops had their windows broken and looting quickly followed. Police were called to the scene in full riot gear. The Park was evacuated and closed down for the night.[6]
In 1994, Magic Mountain added what two other Six Flags parks already had, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted looping roller coaster 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 rider's legs hang freely, as on a ski lift.
Sign to nearby rides and other attractions.
In 1995, a separately gated waterpark called Six Flags Hurricane Harbor opened in June. The park included body slides, tube slides, a kiddie water play area, lazy river, and a wave pool. The following year, a SkyCoaster called Dive Devil opened at Magic Mountain.
A dual launch coaster called Superman: The Escape debuted at the park on March 15, 1997. Designed by Intamin, the 30-second ride launches riders from 0 to 100 mph (160 km/h) in seven seconds on a track that scales up a 41-story tower. It was the first roller coaster in the world to reach speeds of 100 mph. In 2011, it received a new color scheme and was renamed "Superman: Escape From Krypton". In addition, the trains were reversed to provide a backward-facing launch.
The Riddler's Revenge is a stand-up roller coaster which features 6 inversions.
In 1998, a new Bolliger & Mabillard Stand-up roller coaster called Riddler's Revenge opened as the tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster in the world.
Premier Parks era[edit]
Also in 1998 Six Flags was sold to Premier Parks. The next year saw no dramatic changes. In 2000, a steel hypercoaster, Goliath, was added. It was built by Giovanola.
2001 was to be the year of three new roller coasters, but only one actually opened on time: Goliath Jr., a steel kiddie coaster. The other two, Déjà Vu and X (now X²), had mechanical problems. Déjà Vu opened late in 2001 and X opened early in 2002. Déjà Vu was designed by Vekoma and is a Giant Inverted Boomerang coaster (GIB), a variant of their popular Boomerang design. It is an inverted coaster with coaches suspended beneath an overhead track that traverses an open-circuit track forward and in reverse and features two completely vertical drops and three inversions. It opened late in 2001, but suffered a lot of downtime. X was designed by Arrow Dynamics, as the world's first "fourth-dimensional" roller coaster. It is the only one in North America where riders experience going 360 degrees in their seats. Each seat lies on a separate axis from the track. This coaster managed to open briefly on January 7, 2002, only to close due to more technical problems. It reopened late in August of that year. The ride closed for a major refurbishment and re-theme in 2008 where X transformed into X2.
In 2003 Scream!, designed by Bolliger & Mabillard was added. At this point, Six Flags Magic Mountain tied with Cedar Point for the park with the most roller coasters in the United States. Scream is similar in concept with Medusa at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and is a mirror image of Bizarro at Six Flags Great Adventure. It is a floorless roller coaster with trains riding above the rails traversing seven inversions on 3,985 feet (1,215 m) of track on floorless coaches. Six Flags Magic Mountain made few changes in 2004 and 2005. In 2006, Tatsu, a Bolliger & Mabillard flying roller coaster was added, causing a temporary closure of Revolution to allow construction to take place. It was much larger than the other three Bolliger & Mabillard Flying Coasters at other Six Flags parks, all named Superman: Ultimate Flight. Tatsu 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 roller coasters, to tie with Cedar Point for the greatest number of roller coasters in a park (albeit Flashback had been standing but not operating for an extended period of time and thus it is debatable whether the park could claim 17 as its number of roller coasters).
2006 attempted sale[edit]
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. Though management said closing the park was unlikely, rumors still 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.[7] Park officials cited dwindling attendance due to rowdy behavior among some of the park-goers (notably gang members and other teenagers and young adults, who account for a large percentage of the park's attendance[citation needed]) as reasons for wanting to sell the park while management was wanting to move Six Flags into more of a family park direction.[8] 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.[9]
By the fall of 2006, Six Flags announced that Magic Mountain was still up for sale. They also stated, however, that it would be sold to a company that would continue to operate it as a park, and that closing Magic Mountain was not a possibility. Cedar Fair, Anheuser-Busch, 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 relinquish, as sales were increasing, and that the park would not be sold. Other parks were sold as a package and remained open.
2007–present[edit]
Magic flyer roller coaster
Scream roller coaster
Tatsu, one of the roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Twisted Colossus, one of Magic Mountain's most signature and iconic roller coaster. Colossus was shut down in 2014 to become reborn as Twisted Colossus.
Psyclone was removed in 2007, and Flashback was demolished in early 2008. As a result, Six Flags Magic Mountain no longer tied the record for the most roller coasters in a single park, relinquishing the record to Cedar Point – the park's total had never surpassed Cedar Point but had tied numerous times. The park began focusing more attention on marketing with family-oriented values, and a new children's theme area, Thomas Town, was added in 2008. The park renovated one its thrill rides, however. "X" was closed in late 2007 for its transformation into X2 which featured new fourth-generation trains, a new paint job, and special effects that included flame throwers and audio. It reopened in 2008. In the same year, the park began work on the "Magic of the Mountain" museum at the top of its Sky Tower attraction that contained memorabilia throughout the park's history including old television commercials, park maps, models, and equipment saved from defunct rides.[10]
Terminator Salvation: The Ride, a wooden roller coaster, opened on May 23, 2009. It was built in the former location of Psyclone and featured tunnels, spraying mist, and special effects. On January 9, 2011, the ride was renamed to Apocalypse and given an appropriate theme that reflects an "end of the world" scenario.[11] Later that year, Six Flags President and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a Los Angeles Times published interview that Magic Mountain had plans to install a new roller coaster for its 2010 season, and would add a new themed area for children in 2011 called Wiggles World. Shapiro also stated that the adjacent Hurricane Harbor would receive an expansion.[12]
On May 29, 2010, Mr. Six's Dance Coaster was scheduled to open but it was delayed until 2011 when it would open under a new theme.[13][14] On the same day, Mr. Six’s Splash Island opened at the adjacent Hurricane Harbor water park.[15]
On August 3, 2010, it was announced that Superman: The Escape would undergo a major redevelopment before the 2011 season.[14]
On October 20, 2010, Six Flags Magic Mountain officially announced their full plans for 2011 after a video was leaked six days earlier.[16][17] In addition to opening Mr. Six's Dance Coaster under a new name and theme, Six Flags announced two other attractions. In time for the 2011 season, Superman: The Escape was refurbished to Superman: Escape from Krypton and featured new backwards launching cars and a new color scheme.[18][19] The third and final announcement regards an entirely new thrill roller coaster. The Green Lantern: First Flight opened in July 2011 as Magic Mountain's eighteenth roller coaster. It is a Intamin ZacSpin. This roller coaster reclaimed the world record for the highest number of roller coasters at a single theme park.[20] It was later announced, on November 4, 2010, that the children's roller coaster will be called "Road Runner Express" and has been located in Bugs Bunny World.[21][22]
In late 2010, Six Flags began the process of removing licensed theming from attractions. They terminated several licenses including their licenses with Terminator and Thomas the Tank Engine. Terminator Salvation: The Ride was renamed and rethemed into Apocalypse beginning January 8, 2011.[23] Thomas Town was renamed and rethemed to Whistlestop Park in time for the 2011 season.[24]
On January 18, 2011, the LA Times reported after considering a new theme based on DC Comics superhero sidekicks, the park opted for simplicity and renamed the Little Flash coaster to Road Runner Express.[25] Due to Green Lantern being placed in Gotham City Backlot, Gotham City was re-themed into DC Universe. In addition, Grinder Gearworks became "Wonder Woman: Lasso Of Truth" and Atom Smasher was renamed "The Flash: Speed Force".
In August 2011, several media sources reported that Six Flags New England would install Six Flags Magic Mountain's Déjà Vu for the park's 2012 season.[26][27][28]
On September 1, 2011, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced that they would be opening a new attraction for the 2012 season named Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom. The free-fall drop attraction was integrated into both sides of the park's 415 feet (126 m) tall Superman: Escape from Krypton tower structure and ranks as the world’s tallest drop tower, featuring a plummet from 400 feet (120 m) above ground level. The following day, Six Flags Magic Mountain confirmed on Facebook that Déjà Vu will be removed from the park soon.[29] Then on September 13, 2011, the park announced that Déjà Vu will be removed after October 16, 2011, "Déjà Vu fans, we have created some exclusive after hours ride time for you to ride it again before October 16."[30]
In preparation for the annual Halloween Fright Night celebrations on October 31, 2011, Log Jammer was closed down and was subsequently removed following the yearly Halloween themed events. Log Jammer was partly removed to open up a future 2013 attraction and the ride itself was becoming too old to operate even though the Log Jammer was very popular and was a favorite to many. The closure of the Log Jammer downgraded the amount of Six Flag's Magic Mountain's water rides from 4 to 3. The space from the Log Jammer was then used for Full Throttle.
In August 2012, Six Flags Magic Mountain confirmed rumors that a new roller coaster, Full Throttle, would open the following season. Full Throttle opened as the park's 18th roller coaster, allowing Six Flags Magic Mountain to boast having the most roller coasters in the world once again. The ride was built to feature the world's tallest vertical loop on a roller coaster at 160 feet (49 m). In addition, Full Throttle set a record for being the first roller coaster to feature a track section with rails on both sides of the spine. This occurs at the top of the ride's massive inversion.[31]
On August 29, 2013, Six Flags Magic Mountain officially announced that they would run both Batman: The Ride and Colossus backwards for a limited time of the 2014 season. They will also expand Bugs Bunny World with the addition of a new roller coaster.[32] On April 8, 2014, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced that the park will host its first ever Holiday in the Park Christmas event in late 2014 and for future years after.[33]
In the summer of 2014, the park has placed banners across the property advertising the new now-open Bonzai Pipelines in the adjacent property, Hurricane Harbor, along with the closing of Colossus which took place on August 16, 2014.[34] On August 28, 2014, Six Flags announced the Rocky Mountain Construction conversion of Colossus into Twisted Colossus. Twisted Colossus opened on May 23, 2015.[35]
On September 3, 2015, Six Flags announced the renovation of Revolution with a new paint scheme, upgraded lighting, and new train eliminating the controversial over-the-shoulder restraints that had been the source of the ride's spotty reputation for much of its life. Named "The New Revolution," it reopened on April 21, 2016.
On September 1, 2016, the park announced Justice League: Battle for Metropolis to open in 2017. The 4D shooting dark ride is nearly identical to the six other installations located at Six Flags parks around North America. The ride opened on July 12, 2017 and is located near The Riddler's Revenge.[36]
On August 29, 2017, Six Flags announced the addition of a Zamperla Giant Discovery flat ride to be built in a newly renovated Boardwalk Beach area near DC Universe.[37] Marketed as "the world's tallest pendulum ride", CraZanity will take riders to a height of 172 feet (52.4 m) and speeds up to 75 mph (120.7 kmh).[38]
Themed areas[edit]
There are presently eleven separately themed areas within the park – each zone featuring its own distinct rides, attractions, and food service venues.
Area
Picture
Description
Six Flags Plaza The main entry and exit of the park. Features gift shops, food service venues, photo services, and guest relations.
Baja Ridge South of the border themed desert landscape & includes three roller coasters.
Rapids Camp Crossing This area simulates a campsite set deep in the American wilderness. The main attraction of this area is the Roaring Rapids. Although not camping themed, the entrance to Tatsu is included in this area.
Cyclone Bay Features several rides and attractions such as Apocalypse, Dive Devil, Jet Stream, Cyclone 500, and midway games.
Metropolis The rides and attractions in this area are inspired by the Justice League of the DC comics universe. The main attractions are Justice League: Battle for Metropolis & The Riddler's Revenge. [39]
Samurai Summit Japanese folklore and mythology themed area, with two roller coasters atop its rugged hillside. Superman: Escape from Krypton, though not Japanese themed, is included in this area.
DC Universe The rides and attractions in this area are inspired by the DC comics universe.
Screampunk District Carnival-style games, and three of the park's largest roller coasters. Also features Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom.
Bugs Bunny World
Magic flyer
Feature rides and attractions inspired by Looney Tune characters. This area also contains Whistlestop Park. There are four Junior roller coasters.
Full Throttle Plaza Extreme lifestyle inspired, this area features an outdoor barbecue, sit-down sports bar, gift shop, splash pad, and concerts. Full Throttle is the main attraction of this area.
Boardwalk Beach A newly renovated area for 2018 that features CraZanity and upgraded bumper cars
Cinema and television[edit]
Magic Mountain's proximity to downtown Los Angeles, the hub of the American film and television industry, has resulted in its appearance in several productions, usually representing a park other than itself. The debut of Revolution was the focal point of the 1977 release Rollercoaster. In 1982, Magic Mountain became the fictional "Walley World" for National Lampoon's Vacation, with scenes featuring Revolution and Colossus (each using fictional names). On television, Magic Mountain doubled as the theme park in the opening credits of the television series Step by Step. Other TV productions featuring Magic Mountain have included: NCIS, Entourage, The Bionic Woman, The A-Team, CHiPs, Wonder Woman, Way Out Games, Knight Rider, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, The King of Queens, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The band Kiss also filmed their acting debut in 1978's made-for-TV Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park that featured the band members in the park and near Colossus. In the 2000 movie Space Cowboys Donald Sutherland is shown riding Viper and is portrayed as the designer when Clint Eastwood recruits him.
Magic Mountain was also the filming site for the Real Wheels video, "Here Comes A Roller Coaster", as well as for the Kidsongs 1990 video, "Ride the Roller Coaster".
In the Nickelodeon show Drake & Josh, Drake, Josh, and Megan take a trip to Mystic Mountain (parody of Magic Mountain) in the episode "The Demonator", and they ride the "Demonator". Also, in another Nickelodeon show Zoey 101 Zoey and Lisa take Michael to Mystic Mountain (both Drake & Josh and Zoey 101 were created by Dan Schneider), and they help Michael overcome his roller coaster fear in the episode "Rollercoaster". He rides the "Spine Twister", which was actually the Goliath from Magic Mountain. In 1990, Nickelodeon's Wild and Crazy Kids, the wooden roller coaster,Colossus, was featured as a game called "Wacky RollerCoaster Spill". In the movie This Is Spinal Tap, the band performs as second billing to a puppet show at the fictional "Themeland Amusement Park" in Stockton, California, located 300 miles (480 km) north of Santa Clarita. The actual filming location is Magic Mountain's amphitheater. The Kidsongs video Ride the Roller Coaster is set at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Nick Cannon group The School Gyrls movie premiere was at Magic Mountain. In the new movie Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, they go to a theme park and ride a roller coaster for the first time. The coaster was Goliath. Goliath was also featured as the "Aquaman" roller coaster in the third season of the HBO series Entourage.
In 2011, the park was chosen as the setting for the Travel Channel's version of the quiz show Scream! If You Know the Answer. The Glee cast visited the park in 2012 for their senior skip day in the "Big Brother" episode, where they ride Viper.[40]
In 2013, a large section of the parking lot was blocked off for a Toyota Camry commercial. Both pictures and the background footage reveal Goliath and Colossus, indicating that it is Magic Mountain where the commercial was shot. The ride that was built for the commercial bears a resemblance to the park's new coaster at the time, Full Throttle: a big hill, a barrier-test loop, a backwards propulsion section, and a forwards propulsion section that runs through a tunnel placed next to the hill.[41]
In 2017, the park was used in Katy Perry's music video "Chained to the Rhythm".
Attractions[edit]
Roller coasters[edit]
Six Flags Magic Mountain holds the record for most roller coasters in an amusement park at 19.
Current Name
Picture
Year opened
Manufacturer
Park area
Thrill/intensity rating
Description
Apocalypse: The Ride 2009 Great Coasters International Cyclone Bay Moderate Wooden roller coaster featuring steeply banked turns and twisting drops.
Known in the past as "Terminator Salvation: The Ride" (2009–2010)
Batman: The Ride 1994 Bolliger & Mabillard DC Universe Maximum An inverted coaster that whips around steeply banked turns and five inversions.
Canyon Blaster 1999 E&F Miler Industries Bugs Bunny World Mild Junior roller coaster.
Full Throttle 2013 Premier Rides Full Throttle Plaza Maximum A launch roller coaster with 2 forward launches and one backwards launch. Full Throttle has one of the world's tallest vertical loops at 160 feet (49 m) and the first ever "top hat" constructed on an inversion.
Gold Rusher 1971 Arrow Development Metropolis Moderate Riders dip, turn, and dive up and around the park's mountainous terrain. Gold Rusher is Six Flags Magic Mountain's first roller coaster.
Goliath 2000 Giovanola Screampunk District Maximum Riders brave an opening drop of 255 feet (78 m) into a subterranean tunnel and multiple steep banking turns.
Green Lantern: First Flight 2011 Intamin DC Universe Maximum Riders navigate a stacked track path while strapped to seats that freely pitch forward and backward on a separate axis from the track.
Magic Flyer 1971 Bradley and Kaye Bugs Bunny World Mild Train themed Junior roller coaster in Whistlestop Park.
Known in the past as "Goliath Jr." (2001–2007) and "Percy's Railway" (2008–2010)
Ninja 1988 Arrow Dynamics Samurai Summit Moderate Swinging coaches suspended from an overhead steel track whip around steeply banked turns and curves in and out of the treetops.
The New Revolution 1976 Anton Schwarzkopf Baja Ridge Moderate (Maximum with VR Goggles.) Riders careen through steep banking turns and spirals in and out of the treetops. Revolution has a full 360 degree loop the first modern vertical loop in the world. In 2016 the coaster received a major renovation which included: new trains, lapbars, new paint job, new lighting, reduced foliage and VR Goggles were added to intensify the ride.
The Riddler's Revenge 1998 Bolliger & Mabillard Metropolis Maximum Upon opening, it was the tallest, fastest, longest stand-up coaster in the world. Riders traverse six inverted turns over the course of its 4,370-foot-long (1,330 m) track.
Road Runner Express 2011 Vekoma Bugs Bunny World Moderate Junior roller coaster.
Scream! 2003 Bolliger & Mabillard Screampunk District Maximum Floorless coaches riding above the rails traverse seven inversions on 3,985 feet (1,215 m) of steel track.
Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers 2014 Zamperla Bugs Bunny World Mild Race-car themed Zamperla family gravity coaster with helix.[42]
Superman: Escape from Krypton 1997 Intamin Samurai Summit Maximum First coaster to reach 100 mph. Riders accelerate in reverse from 0 to 104 mph (167 km/h) in seven seconds and climb nearly 41 stories into the air. Entrance to Superman Escape from Krypton, a launch roller coaster. Known in the past as "Superman: The Escape" (1997–2010).
Tatsu 2006 Bolliger & Mabillard Rapids Camp Crossing Maximum Upon opening, Tatsu was the tallest, fastest, and longest flying roller coaster in the world. Suspended beneath a steel track, riders experience a total of 263 feet (80 m) in elevation changes while harnessed in a prone position. It also features the worlds largest pretzel loop.
Twisted Colossus 2015 Rocky Mountain Construction Screampunk District Maximum Riders experience steep drops, banking curves, and two inversions on nearly 5,000 of track - designed to pit two simultaneously operating vehicles in a race against each other. It is also the worlds longest racing coaster.
Viper 1990 Arrow Dynamics Baja Ridge Maximum Riders are turned upside-down seven times in three different ways and reach speeds of 70 mph (110 km/h)
X² 2002 Arrow Dynamics Baja Ridge Maximum Riders experience predetermined forward and reverse somersaulting maneuvers while harnessed in seats that pitch on a separate axis from the track. Known in the past as "X" (2002–2007).
Other attractions[edit]
Ride
Picture
Year Introduced
Manufacturer
Location in Park
Thrill/Intensity Rating
Description
Buccaneer 1980 Intamin Screampunk District Moderate Swinging pirate ship ride.
Cyclone 500 1992 J & J Amusements Cyclone Bay Mild Go-Kart attraction. Requires nominal fee for participation.
Dive Devil 1996 SkyCoaster Inc. Cyclone Bay Maximum Large swing attraction simulating the experience of sky diving. Requires nominal fee for participation.
Flash: Speed Force 1974 Mack Rides DC Universe Moderate Mack Musik Express ride known in the past as Himalaya from 1974–1986; Subway from 1987–1993, ACME Atom Smasher from 1994–2004, and Atom Smasher from 2005–2010.
Grand Carousel 1971 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters Six Flags Plaza Mild Merry-go-round with origins beginning in 1912. It was removed in the 1960s from the Savin Rock Amusement area in West Haven, Connecticut and sold to Magic Mountain. Grand Carousel is a family friendly ride located in the Six Flags Plaza area.
Jet Stream 1972 Arrow Development Cyclone Bay Moderate Flume ride. First Arrow flume to use a turntable loading system. Known from 2001–2006 as Arrowhead Splashdown. Jet Stream is a family friendly flume ride located near the entrance to Gold Rusher. The ride opened in 1972.
Justice League: Battle for Metropolis 2017 Sally Corporation Metropolis Moderate A 4D shooting dark ride.
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom 2012 Intamin DC Universe Maximum Free fall drop thrill ride from a height of 400 ft (120 m), attaining a terminal velocity of 85 mph (137 km/h).
Orient Express 1971 Korneuberg Shipbuilding Company (Austria) Six Flags Plaza / Samurai Summit Mild 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge[43] funicular railway ride, which transports guests to Samurai Summit next to Ninja. Previously known from 1971–1988 as Funicular.[44]
Roaring Rapids 1981 Intamin Rapids Camp Crossing Moderate Rapids water attraction simulating a wilderness raft expedition. Roaring Rapids at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Many guests claim it is the best water ride at the park.
Sandblasters 1971 Reverchon Metropolis Moderate Bumper cars.
Scrambler 2003 Eli Bridge Metropolis Moderate The park's former old Scrambler was damaged from an uprooted tree. This Scrambler was relocated from Six Flags Over Texas.
Sling Shot 2012 Funtime Cyclone Bay Maximum Sling Shot extra charge attraction.
Swashbuckler 1983 Chance Rides Screampunk District Moderate Chance Yo-Yo attraction.
Tidal Wave 1989 Intamin Metropolis Moderate Shoot-the-Chute flume. Goes under a bridge on which people get soaked. Tidal Wave is a Shoot the Chute water ride which features a 50-foot drop. The ride is labeled by Six Flags Magic Mountain as a family friendly ride.
Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth 1974 Hrubetz DC Universe Moderate Round Up ride; known in the past as: Electric Rainbow from 1974–1986, Turbo from 1987–1993, Gordon Gearworks from 1994–1998, and Grinder Gearworks from 1999–2010.
Former rides & attractions[edit]
Ride
Year Opened
Year Closed
Manufacturer
Description
99 Steam Train 1971 1981 Crown Metal Products The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge train ride to Trollywood, the troll country.[45]
Billy the Squid 1971 1973 Anton Schwarzkopf Polyp Ride. In 1973 this Polyp ride had a maintenance problem and was removed. The Jolly Monster was built on its site.
Circus Wheel 1971 1999 Chance Rides Chance Trabant with Roman theming. It spun in a clockwise direction and tilted at the same time. The Trabant was removed and replaced with a Tilt-A-Whirl, retaining the Circus Wheel name.
Circus Wheel 1981 2008 Sellner Manufacturing This Sellner Tilt-A-Whirl was known in the past under the names Fiesta Dance 1981-1981; Baile de las Flores 1982–1988 and Jolly Roger 1988–1999. The Tilt-A-Whirl was removed to make room for 3-Point Challenge basketball game, which was replaced by Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom. Tilt-A-Whirl has been in storage in a boneyard.
Colossus 1978 2014 International Amusement Devices The iconic wooden coaster, which had two tracks, was redesigned in August 2014 as Twisted Colossus, a converted hybrid coaster.
Condor 1988 1989 Huss Rides This Huss Condor was open for two years before being removed. It was removed to make room for Viper.
Crazy Barrels 1971 1989 Intamin This Intamin Drunken Barrels was formerly located at a county fair. The Barrels were removed, but abandoned platforms are still there behind the basketball game near the Metro station.
Déjà Vu 2001 2011 Vekoma Located in "Cyclone Bay". A Floorless coaches suspended beneath an overhead track traverse the track forward and in reverse. Removed and the coaster was sent to Six Flags New England as Goliath.
Dragon 1974 1981 Arrow Development This transportation cable railway transported riders from the upper level of the back of the mountain down to the lower level, and vice versa. The ride ceased operation in 1981 but was not removed until Ninja was built in 1988. Parts of the upper station were reused for Ninja, The Dragon's concrete track, wall, and lower station are visible to the left of Ninja's final lift hill.
Eagle's Flight – El Dorado 1971 1981 Intamin This Intamin aerial sky-way ride took passengers from the upper part of the mountain to the lower land on the north of the mountain. The station was next to El Bumpo's area.
Eagle's Flight – Galaxy 1971 1994 Intamin A second aerial sky-way ride from the top of the mountain to the lower land in the County Fair area.
El-Bumpo 1971 1979 Arrow Development Gas-powered bumper boats located on the pond.
Flashback 1992 2008 Intamin Steel roller coaster featuring a stacked design and numerous steep rolling track dives. The Flashback was standing but not operating starting in 2003 and demolished and scrapped in 2008.
Freefall 1982 2008 Intamin An Intamin 1st-generation Freefall. The ride was standing but not operating from 2005 to 2006; however, it was scrapped for the 2008 season.
Galaxy[46] 1971 1979 Astron International Corporation A Robinson double Ferris wheel with cable pulley that looked like a V-shaped beam. The ride was removed and was located where Buccaneer and Swashbuckler are now sitting.
Grand Centennial Excursion Railroad 1975 1985 A 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge[47] steam train that took passengers around. Located north of the main mountain.
Granny Gran Prix 1971 2007 D. H. Morgan This track-guided car ride was known as Chevron Gran Prix (Gas Powered) from 1971–1986. A new turnpike (electric-powered) was opened for three years before being moved in 1988 to Bugs Bunny World. The old guided track was demolished to make room for Tidal Wave. In December 2007 it was demolished to make room for Thomas Town's opening in 2008.
Jolly Monster 1973 1981 Eyerly A standard Eyerly Monster ride which replaced Billy the Squid. This thrill ride was at the Pirate's Cove near Colossus, Buccaneer, and Swashbuckler. The ride was removed and its site sat empty for 7 years before the Tilt-A-Whirl was moved there.
Little Sailor Ride 1971 1985 Yankee Doodle Dandy (1971–1972) Sailboat Ride (1973–1980) Little Sailor Ride (1981–1985)
Log Jammer 1971 2011 Arrow Development Log flume featuring two large drops. Removed to make way for Full Throttle.
Magic Pagoda 1974 1984 A walk-thru attraction located on Samurai Summit. It featured a talking Buddha, a mirror maze, a strobe light room (with a dragon flying overhead), a walk through a miniature version of Chinatown and various other small scale items of interest with a Chinese Theme. Now used as part of a walk-through maze for the Halloween season.
Metro 1971 2011 Universal Mobility This monorail ride ran three stations; one at the High Sierra Territory (Demolished, now serves as Reds Revenge Haunted Maze during Frightfest), one at the Colossus County Fair (To be demolished in 2018 to make room for the CraZanity Pendulum ride) and one at Samurai Summit (this station is currently used as the launch tunnel for Full Throttle). The monorail had been standing but not operating since 2001. As of 2017, the park does not have plans to re-open the attraction. The trains were located near the former location of Flashback where they sat for 10 years. In 2011 the monorail trains are relocated to Hersheypark. The abandoned track has been taken down in all areas readily visible to parkgoers but sections of track still exist and may be glimpsed in heavily overgrown sections of the park such as the area behind Buccaneer and Swashbuckler.
Mountain Express 1973 1982 Anton Schwarzkopf Wildcat coaster located near where Flashback stood. Relocated to Magic Landing as Wildcat and then to Bosque Magico as Montana Rusa.
Psyclone 1991 2006 Dinn Corporation A wood tracked roller coaster patterned after the Cyclone at Astroland park in Brooklyn, New York. It was torn down for the 2007 season, and piles of wood remained at the site for many days after the destruction. The site is now home to another wooden coaster, Apocalypse.
Reactor 1977 1993 Anton Schwarzkopf A Schwarzkopf Enterprise, known from 1977–1987 as Enterprise, was renamed Reactor in 1987. This thrill ride was removed at the end of the 1993 season.
Sarajevo Bobsleds 1984 1986 Intamin Bobsled coaster named after the 1984 Olympics. Removed due to the Six Flags ride rotation program and replaced with Shockwave. It was moved to Six Flags Over Texas and opened as Avalanche, but was later renamed and rethemed as La Vibora to better match the Spain section of the park.
Scrambler 1973 2003 Eli Bridge This scrambler had a lot of damage from an uprooted tree and was scrapped; however, Six Flags Magic Mountain received another scrambler from Six Flags Over Texas.
Shockwave 1986 1988 Intamin A Steel Standup looping roller coaster. it was removed in 1989 and relocated to Six Flags Great Adventure due to the ride rotation program.
Sierra Twist 1973 2008 Anton Schwarzkopf A Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve ride, originally known as Swiss Twist. It was a high-speed bobsled ride with a circular track. The ride was removed due to aging parts and high maintenance costs.
Spin Out 1971 2008 Chance Rides A Chance Rotor known from 1971–1972 as Bottoms Up. Featured in the video for Belinda Carlisle's No. 1 hit song, "Heaven is a Place on Earth" The video was directed by Diane Keaton.
Thrill Shot 2001 2012 S&S Worldwide Rapidly ascending slingshot attraction. The ride requires a nominal fee from guests to participate. Thrill Shot closed in 2009 and never reopened due to high maintenance costs. In early 2012, Thrill Shot was removed.
Tumble Drum 1974 1980 This walk-through barrel roll was located near the Electric Rainbow (Round up ride).
Yosemite Sam Sierra Falls 1993 2010 WhiteWater West Industries Double tube waterslides with dingy raft on location at the Bugs Bunny World. Demolished to make room for Road Runner Express.
Z-Force 1987 1993 Intamin An Intamin Looping Starship/Space Shuttle themed as an Air Force fighter plane. The ride was removed at the end of the season in 1993 to make room for Batman: The Ride.
Rankings[edit]
The Riddler's Revenge, the world's tallest and fastest stand-up roller coaster featuring six inversions.
Full Throttle is a launch roller coaster which features the world's highest vertical loop at 160 ft.
Six Flags Magic Mountain's coasters are commonly ranked high in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards. With the opening of Full Throttle on June 22, 2013, Six Flags Magic Mountain obtained the world record for the largest number of roller coasters in an amusement park.
Below is a table with roller coasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain and their highest ranking in the Golden Ticket Awards.[48]
Roller Coaster
Highest Rank
X² 13
Tatsu 28
Goliath 14
Twisted Colossus 16
Full Throttle 39
The Riddler's Revenge 39
Batman: The Ride 22
Apocalypse: The Ride 27
Scream 52
Record breaking rides[edit]
Six Flags Magic Mountain has several attractions that set world records in various categories.
Ride
Type of ride
Opening Date
Record(s)
Height
The New Revolution Steel roller coaster May 8, 1976 First vertical looping roller coaster built since 1901.[49] World's tallest roller coaster when it opened to the public.[50] 113 ft
The Riddler's Revenge Stand-up roller coaster April 4, 1998 World's tallest, longest & fastest stand-up roller coaster. 156 ft
Full Throttle Launched roller coaster June 22, 2013 First launched roller coaster featuring "top hat" constructed on a vertical loop. World's highest vertical loop when built. 160 ft
Tatsu Flying roller coaster May 13, 2006 World's tallest, fastest & longest flying coaster. Features world's biggest pretzel loop. 170 ft
X² 4th Dimension roller coaster X: January 12, 2002 ; X²: May 24, 2008 World's first 4th dimension roller coaster.
Features flipping seats, chainlift music, fog and fire.
175 ft
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom Drop tower July 7, 2012 World's tallest tower drop ride when it opened in 2012. Its record was broken by Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom in 2014. 400 ft
See also[edit]
Amusement parks portal
Greater Los Angeles portal
Incidents at Six Flags parks
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b "TEA/AECOM 2016 Global Attractions Attendance Report Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
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Jump up ^ Remembering RTD and the "good old days" of cheap LA area public transit, paul-robinson.us, January 9, 2012 (retrieved February 4, 2013)
Jump up ^ "Time Warner Completes Six Flags Purchase – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times.
Jump up ^ "Magic Mountain Reopens After Melees – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times.
Jump up ^ "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). Business Wire. June 22, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2006.
Jump up ^ Hart, Lance (May 4, 2007). "Six Flags Magic Mountain". Screamscape.com.
Jump up ^ http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=31912&format=html Archived February 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ "Teen creating some magic with his Six Flags museum – LA Daily News". Daily News. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04.
Jump up ^ "Six Flags Announces Terminator Coaster For Magic Mountain". Ultimate Rollercoaster. October 22, 2008.
Jump up ^ "Magic Mountain ‘highly profitable' despite bankruptcy cloud looming over Six Flags". LA Times. March 16, 2009.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (May 27, 2010). "Six Flags Magic Mountain delays launch of 17th coaster until 2011". LA Times. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b MacDonald, Brady (August 3, 2010). "Superman coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain to get major makeover in 2011". LA Times. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Mr. Six's Splash Island to Debut Memorial Day Weekend". Six Flags. March 24, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
Jump up ^ Hart, Lance (October 14, 2010). "Six Flags Magic Mountain". Screamscape. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
Jump up ^ Scollins, Mike (October 20, 2010). "Magic Mountain: More Coasters Than Any Other Theme Park ON THE PLANET!". Six Flags Blog. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Magic Mountain reveals new Green Lantern ride". ABC. October 20, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (October 19, 2010). "Six Flags Magic Mountain to run Superman coaster backward". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (October 19, 2010). "Six Flags Magic Mountain aims to reclaim coaster crown with Green Lantern in 2011". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
Jump up ^ "Six Flags Entertainment Corporation Investor Meeting". WebCast. Six Flags. November 4, 2010.
Jump up ^ Six Flags Magic Mountain. "Family Rides". Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (December 3, 2010). "Six Flags Magic Mountain renaming Terminator wooden coaster". LA Times. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (November 25, 2010). "Six Flags amusement parks prepare for thematic makeovers". LA Times. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (January 18, 2011). "Five 'new' coasters coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain? Not so fast". LA Times.
Jump up ^ Constantine, Sandra (August 16, 2011). "Six Flags New England working to add new roller coaster ride to its Agawam amusement park". News Article. MassLive.com.
Jump up ^ Hagist, Jenna (August 18, 2011). "Six Flags Adds New Coaster". News Article. Wggb.com.
Jump up ^ MacDonald, Brady (August 19, 2011). "Six Flags Magic Mountain to remove Deja Vu coaster". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
Jump up ^ Six Flags Magic Mountain (September 2, 2011). "Hey Déjà Vu fans!...". Facebook. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
Jump up ^ Six Flags Magic Mountain (September 13, 2011). "Déjà Vu fans...". Facebook. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
Jump up ^ Screamscape (June 24, 2013). "Screamscape.com". Screamscape. Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
Jump up ^ "New for 2014". August 29, 2013. Archived from the original on September 1, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
Jump up ^ Six Flags Magic Mountain (April 8, 2014). "Six Flags Magic Mountain Lights Up the Season by Introducing Holiday in the Park® Event". Six Flags. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
Jump up ^ https://twitter.com/Park_Journey/status/473515920690642944/photo/1
Jump up ^ http://www.latimes.com/travel/themeparks/la-trb-twisted-colossus-six-flags-magic-mountain-20140828-story.html
Jump up ^ MM, Six Flags (2017-06-28). "Just Announced! JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle for Metropolis opens to the public on July 12! Who's ready to Join the League!? #JusticeLeaguepic.twitter.com/aEbm9uAPsA". @SFMagicMountain. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
Jump up ^ "New for 2018 | National". National. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
Jump up ^ MM, Six Flags (2017-08-31). "World’s Tallest Pendulum Ride, CraZanity, at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 2018 - Now 365 Days of... | Business Wirehttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170831005368/en/World%E2%80%99s-Tallest-Pendulum-Ride-CraZanity-Flags-Magic#.WafHIhOk55o.twitter …". @SFMagicMountain. Retrieved 2017-09-16. External link in |title= (help)
Jump up ^ https://twitter.com/SFMagicMountain/status/880244450626199552
Jump up ^ Six Flags Magic Mountain (April 10, 2012). "Six Flags Magic Mountain has a cameo appearance ...". Facebook. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
Jump up ^ Dahlin, Kurt (1 October 2013). "Toyota Camry Thrill Ride At Six Flags Magic Mountain". thecoasterguy.com. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
Jump up ^ "Six Flags Magic Mountain Announces New Ride Speedy Gonzales Hot Rod Racers". KHTS AM 1220.
Jump up ^ "Trams of the World 2017" (PDF). Blickpunkt Straßenbahn. January 24, 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
Jump up ^ Kurt Dahlin. "Ride Profile: Orient Express". Retrieved February 8, 2014.
Jump up ^ Surviving Steam Locomotive Search - Calgrove Kennels
Jump up ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20140223114829/http://www.vintagedisneylandtickets.com/images/MM1971a.jpg
Jump up ^ Pacific Coast Railroad Company - A History of No. 1
Jump up ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2012" (PDF). Amusement Today. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
Jump up ^ Sandy, Adam. "Coney Island History". Roller Coaster History. Ultimate Roller Coaster. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
Jump up ^ William-Ross, Lindsay (8 May 2010). "You Say You Want a Revolution? Magic Mountain's Turns 34 Today". LAist. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Magic Mountain.
Official website
SFMM: Park Review
Six Flags Magic Mountain Photos
Six Flags Magic Mountain at the Roller Coaster DataBase
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Banana republic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the clothing store, see Banana Republic. For other uses, see Banana republic (disambiguation).
The phrase banana republic was coined in 1901 by the American writer O. Henry (William Sydney Porter, 1862–1910).
In political science, the term banana republic describes a politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the exportation of a limited-resource product, e.g. bananas, minerals, etc. In 1901, the American author O. Henry coined the term to describe Honduras and neighbouring countries under economic exploitation by U.S. corporations, such as the United Fruit Company. Typically, a banana republic has a society of extremely stratified social classes, usually a large impoverished working class and a ruling-class plutocracy, composed of the business, political and military elites of that society.[1] Such a ruling-class oligarchy control the primary sector of the economy by way of the exploitation of labour;[2] thus, the term banana republic is a pejorative descriptor for a servile dictatorship that abets and supports, for kickbacks, the exploitation of large-scale plantation agriculture, especially banana cultivation.[2]
In economics, a banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, by which economic model the country is operated as a private commercial enterprise for the exclusive profit of the ruling class. Such exploitation is enabled by collusion between the State and favoured economic monopolies, in which the profit, derived from the private exploitation of public lands, is private property, while the debts incurred thereby are the financial responsibility of the public treasury. Such an imbalanced economy remains limited by the uneven economic development of town and country, and usually reduces the national currency into devalued banknotes (paper money), thus rendering the country ineligible for international-development credit.[3]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 Origin
2.1 Honduras
2.2 Guatemala
3 In art
3.1 Poetry
3.2 Literature
3.3 Movies
4 Modern interpretations
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Etymology[edit]
Cover of Cabbages and Kings (1904 edition).
In the 19th century, the American writer O. Henry (William Sydney Porter, 1862–1910) coined the term banana republic to describe the fictional Republic of Anchuria in the book Cabbages and Kings (1904),[4] a collection of thematically related short stories inspired by his experiences in Honduras, where he lived for six months until January 1897, hiding in a hotel in Trujillo, Colón, when he was wanted in the U.S. for embezzlement from a bank.[5]
In the early 20th century, the United Fruit company, a multinational American corporation, was instrumental to the creation of the banana republic phenomenon.[6][7] Together with other American corporations, such as the Cuyamel Fruit Company, and with occasional support from the United States government, the corporations created the political, economic, and social circumstances that established a banana republic in Central American countries such as Honduras and Guatemala.[8]
Origin[edit]
The history of the banana republic began with the introduction of the banana fruit to the U.S. in 1870, by Lorenzo Dow Baker, captain of the schooner Telegraph, who bought bananas in Jamaica and sold them in Boston at a 1,000 percent profit.[9] The banana proved popular with Americans, as a nutritious tropical fruit that was less expensive than locally-grown fruit in the U.S., such as apples; in 1913, 25 cents (equivalent to $6.19 in 2017) bought a dozen bananas, but only two apples.[10] In 1873, to produce food for their railroad workers, the American railroad tycoons Henry Meiggs and his nephew, Minor C. Keith, established banana plantations along the railroads they built in Costa Rica; recognizing the profitability of exporting bananas, they began exporting the fruit to the Southeastern U.S.[10]
The banana planter: Minor C. Keith, American businessman.
In the mid-1870s, to manage the new industrial-agriculture business enterprise in the countries of Central America, Keith founded the Tropical Trading and Transport Company: one-half of what would later become the United Fruit Company (UFC); later Chiquita Brands International, created in 1899 by merger with the Boston Fruit Company, and owned by Andrew Preston. By the 1930s, the international political and economic tensions created by the United Fruit Company enabled the corporation to control 80–90 per cent of the banana business in the U.S.[11]
By the late 19th century, three American multinational corporations (the United Fruit Company, the Standard Fruit Company, and the Cuyamel Fruit Company) dominated the cultivation, harvesting, and exportation of bananas, and controlled the road, rail, and port infrastructure of Honduras. In the northern coastal areas near the Caribbean Sea, the Honduran government ceded to the banana companies 500 hectares per kilometre (2,000 acre/mi) of laid railroad, despite there being neither passenger nor freight railroad service to Tegucigalpa, the capital city. Among the Honduran people, the United Fruit Company was known as El pulpo (The Octopus), because its influence pervaded Honduran society, controlled their country's transport infrastructure, and sometimes manipulated Honduran national politics with anti-labour violence.[12]
In 1924, despite the UFC monopoly, the Vaccaro Brothers established the Standard Fruit Company (later the Dole Food Company) to export Honduran bananas to the U.S. port of New Orleans. The fruit-exporting corporations kept U.S. prices low by legalistic manipulation of Latin American national land use laws to cheaply buy large tracts of prime agricultural land for corporate banana plantations in the republics of the Caribbean Basin, the Central American isthmus, and tropical South America; the American fruit companies then employed the dispossessed Latin American natives as low-wage employees.[10]
By the 1930s the United Fruit Company owned 3.5 million acres of land in Central America and the Caribbean and was the single largest land owner in Guatemala. Such holdings gave it great power over the governments of small countries. That was one of the factors confirming the suitability of the phrase Banana Republics.[13]
Honduras[edit]
In 1912, for the Cuyamel Fruit Company, the American mercenary "General" Lee Christmas overthrew the civil government of Honduras to install a military government friendly to foreign business.
In the early 20th century, the American businessman Sam Zemurray (founder of the Cuyamel Fruit Company) was instrumental to establishing the "banana republic" stereotype, when he entered the banana-export business by buying overripe bananas from the United Fruit Company to sell in New Orleans. In 1910, Zemurray bought 6,070 hectares (15,000 acres) in the Caribbean coast of Honduras for exploitation by the Cuyamel Fruit Company. In 1911, Zemurray conspired with Manuel Bonilla, an ex-president of Honduras (1904–07), and the American mercenary Gen. Lee Christmas, to overthrow the civil government of Honduras and install a military government friendly to foreign businessmen.
To that end, the mercenary army of the Cuyamel Fruit Company, led by Gen. Christmas, effected a coup d'état against President Miguel R. Dávila (1907–11) and installed General Manuel Bonilla (1912–13). The U.S. ignored the deposition of the elected government of Honduras by a private army, justified by the U.S. State Department's misrepresenting President Dávila as too politically liberal and a poor businessman whose management had indebted Honduras to Great Britain, a geopolitically unacceptable circumstance in light of the Monroe Doctrine. The coup d'état was consequence of the Dávila government's having slighted the Cuyamel Fruit Company by colluding with the rival United Fruit Company to award them a monopoly contract for the Honduran banana, in exchange for the UFC's brokering of U.S.government loans to Honduras.[11][14]
Honduras, the quintessential banana republic.
The political instability consequent to the coup d'état stalled the Honduran economy, and the unpayable external debt (ca. US$4 billion) of the Republic of Honduras was excluded from access to international investment capital. That financial deficit perpetuated Honduran economic stagnation and perpetuated the image of Honduras as a banana republic.[15] Such a historical, inherited foreign debt functionally undermined the Honduran government, which allowed foreign corporations to manage the country and become sole employers of the Honduran people, because the American fruit companies controlled the economic infrastructure (road, rail, and port, telegraph and telephone) they had built in Honduras.
In the event, the U.S. dollar became the legal-tender currency of Honduras; the mercenary Gen. Lee Christmas became commander of the Honduran army, and later was appointed U.S. Consul to the Republic of Honduras.[16] Nonetheless, 23 years later, after much corporate intrigue among the American businessmen, by means of a hostile takeover of agricultural business interests, Sam Zemurray assumed control of the rival United Fruit Company, in 1933.[12]
Guatemala[edit]
Guatemala suffered the regional socio-economic legacy of the banana republic: inequitably distributed agricultural land and natural wealth, uneven economic development, and an economy dependent upon a few export crops—usually bananas, coffee and sugar cane. The inequitable land distribution was an important cause of national poverty, and the concomitant sociopolitical discontent and insurrection. Almost 90 per cent of the country's farms are too small to yield adequate subsistence harvests to the farmers, while two per cent of the country's farms occupy 65 per cent of the arable land, property of the local oligarchy.[citation needed]
During the 1950s, the United Fruit Company sought to convince the governments of U.S. Presidents Harry Truman (1945–53) and Dwight Eisenhower (1953–61) that the popular, elected government of President Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán of Guatemala was secretly pro-Soviet for having expropriated unused "fruit company lands" to landless peasants. In the Cold War (1945–91) context of the pro-active anti-communist politics exemplified by U. S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in the years 1947–57, geo-political concerns about the security of the Western Hemisphere facilitated President Eisenhower's ordering and authorizing Operation Success, the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état by means of which the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency deposed the democratically elected government (1950–54) of President Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán and installed the pro-business government of Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas (1954–57), which lasted for three years until his assassination by a presidential guard.[2][17]
A mixed history of elected presidents and puppet-master military juntas were the governments of Guatemala in the course of the 36-year Guatemalan Civil War (1960–96). However, in 1986, at the 26-year mark, the Guatemalan people promulgated a new political constitution, and elected Vinicio Cerezo (1986–91) president; then Jorge Serrano Elías (1991–93).[18]
In art[edit]
Poetry[edit]
With the poem "La United Fruit Co.", Pablo Neruda denounced the corporate subjugation of Latin America.
In the book Canto General (General Song, 1950), the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904–73) denounced foreign multinational corporate political dominance of Latin American countries with the four-stanza poem "La United Fruit Co."; the second-stanza excerpts read:[19]
... The Fruit Company, Inc.
Reserved for itself the most succulent,
The central coast of my own land,
The delicate waist of the Americas.
It rechristened its territories
As the "Banana Republics",
And over the sleeping dead,
Over the restless heroes
Who brought about the greatness,
The liberty and the flags,
It established a comic opera ...
Literature[edit]
The novel One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967), by Gabriel García Márquez, depicts the imperialist capitalism of foreign fruit companies as voracious socio-economic exploitation of natural resources of Macondo and of the people. Domestically, the corrupt national government of Macondo abets the business policies and labour practices of the foreign corporations, which brutally oppress the workers.
The protagonist, José Arcadio Segundo, has been organizing the workers of the banana plantations to jointly effect a work strike to protest the inhumane working conditions. Martial law is imposed upon Macondo, and the workers respond by sabotaging the banana plantations. In unexpected response, the national government diplomatically invites more than 3,000 workers to meet with provincial leaders to resolve their labour-and-management differences. The meeting is a deceit; the army surround the workers and methodically kill them with machine guns. Afterwards, the three thousand corpses are collected onto a train and later dumped into the sea, to be forgotten.
Meanwhile, the apparently dead José Arcadio Segundo, also was loaded onto the coast-bound train of corpses, yet later escapes and walks back to Macondo. To his horror, José Arcadio learns that all memory of the massacre has been eliminated, no-one in Macondo remembers the killing of three thousand workers. The townsfolk refuse to believe José Arcadio when he tells them of the massacre, which he survived. Moreover, nature contributes to the oblivion with heavy, unrelenting rain that destroys the physical traces of the massacred workers.
Movies[edit]
Woody Allen's 1971 film Bananas depicted a fictional banana republic called San Marcos; the film is also named for this term.

Modern interpretations[edit]
Graffiti implying banana republic in Slovenia.
Countries that obtained independence from colonial powers in the 20th and 21st centuries have at times thereafter tended to share traits of banana republics due to influence of large private corporations in their politics,[20] for example; Maldives (resort companies),[21] the Philippines (tobacco industry, American government and corporations).[22][23]
On 14 May 1986, then Australian Treasurer Paul Keating stated that Australia might become a banana republic.[24] This has received a lot of commentary and criticism[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][excessive citations] and is seen as part of a turning point in Australia's political and economic history.[34]
See also[edit]
Absurdistan
American Empire
Client state
Crony capitalism
Crop diversity
Dependency theory
Dictator novel
Dutch disease
Failed state
Hydraulic empire
Latin America–United States relations
McOndo
Neo-colonialism
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard (1904)
Postcolonialism
Puppet state
Rentier state
Resource curse
Ruritania
Union of Banana Exporting Countries
William Walker
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Richard Alan White (1984). The Morass. United States Intervention in Central America. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 978-0-06091145-4. ISBN 0-06091145-X.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Big-business Greed Killing the Banana (p. A19)". The Independent, via The New Zealand Herald. 24 May 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
Jump up ^ Christopher Hitchens (9 October 2008). "America the Banana Republic". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
Jump up ^ O. Henry (1904). Cabbages and Kings. New York City: Doubleday, Page & Company. pp. 132, 296.
Jump up ^ Malcolm D. MacLean (Summer 1968). "O. Henry in Honduras". American Literary Realism, 1870–1910. 1 (3): 36–46. JSTOR 27747601.
Jump up ^ Chapman, Peter (2009). Jungle capitalists : a story of globalisation, greed and revolution. Edinburgh New York: Canongate. p. 6. ISBN 1847676863.
Jump up ^ Big Fruit, NY Times
Jump up ^ Where did banana republics get their name?, The Economist
Jump up ^ Alison Acker (1988). Honduras. The Making of a Banana Republic. Toronto: Between the Lines. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-919946-89-7. ISBN 0-919946-89-5.
^ Jump up to: a b c Dan Koeppel (2008). Banana. The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World. London: Hudson Street Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-59463-038-5. ISBN 1-59463-038-0.
^ Jump up to: a b Alison Acker (1988), p. 63.
^ Jump up to: a b Peter Chapman (2007). Bananas. How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World. Edinburgh: Canongate. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-84195-881-1. ISBN 1-84195881-6.
Jump up ^ Livingstone, Grace (4 April 2013). "America's Backyard: The United States and Latin America from the Monroe Doctrine to the War on Terror". Zed Books Ltd. Retrieved 22 March 2018 – via Google Books.
Jump up ^ Darío A. Euraque (1996). Reinterpreting the Banana Republic. Region and State in Honduras, 1870–1972. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-8078-4604-9. ISBN 0-80784604-X.
Jump up ^ W.S. Valentine (November 1916). "Need for Capital in Latin America: Honduras". Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications. 68: 185–87. JSTOR 1013083.
Jump up ^ George Black (1988). The Good Neighbor: How the United States Wrote the History of Central America and the Caribbean. New York City: Pantheon Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-394-75965-4. ISBN 0-39475965-6.
Jump up ^ Koeppel, Dan (8 June 2008). "Yes, We Will Have No Bananas". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
Jump up ^ Carol A. Smith (August 1978). "Beyond Dependency Theory: National and Regional Patterns of Underdevelopment in Guatemala". American Ethnologist. American Ethnological Society. 5 (3): 574–617. doi:10.1525/ae.1978.5.3.02a00090. JSTOR 643758.
Jump up ^ George Black (1988), p. 33.
Jump up ^ Corr, Anders S.; Tacujan, Priscilla A. (July 2013). "Chinese Political and Economic Influence in the Philippines: Implications for Alliances and the South China Sea Dispute". The Journal of Political Risk (pub by Corr Analytics Inc.). 1 (3). Retrieved 7 January 2015.
Jump up ^ "Maldives election chaos fuels 'banana republic' fears". Asia One News. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
Jump up ^ Aquino, Tricia (3 February 2014). "Which public health policy in ASEAN is most susceptible to tobacco industry influence". Interaksyon. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
Jump up ^ Philippines - Period of American influence. Encyclopædia Britannica. UK. 2014. ISBN 978-1-59339-292-5.
Jump up ^ Wikiquote:Paul Keating
Jump up ^ Barton, Russell; Short, Michael (15 May 1986). "Keating gloom: $ falls". The Age. Fairfax Media. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Cleary, Paul (17 May 1996). "What will we do when it's all been sold?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Cleary, Paul (13 June 1998). "If the economy's so good, how come the dollar's so bad?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Byrne, Patrick J. (18 December 2004). "ECONOMICS: Australia's $403 billion foreign debt: hail the banana republic!". News Weekly (2697). National Civic Council. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
Jump up ^ Garnaut, John (2 March 2005). "Worst deficit in 50 years spells banana drama". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
Jump up ^ Colebatch, Tim (15 May 2006). "20 years from Keating, what price a banana now?". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
Jump up ^ "Banana republic? No, worse: like NZ". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. 13 September 2007. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ van Onselen, Leith. "Revisiting the banana republic". www.macrobusiness.com.au. Macro Associates Pty Ltd. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
Jump up ^ Jericho, Greg (1 January 2014). "Cabinet papers show Paul Keating had a 'budget emergency' of his own". The Guardian (Australia Edition). Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
Jump up ^ Crotty, Martin; Andrew Roberts, David (2009). Turning Points in Australian History (1st ed.). Sydney Australia: UNSW Press. pp. 224–238. ISBN 978-1-921410-56-7.
External links[edit]
From Arbenz to Zelaya: Chiquita in Latin America – video report by Democracy Now!
Cabbages and Kings – The O. Henry book of short stories wherein he coined the banana republic term
The Banana Republic: The Myth of the United Fruit Company
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Banana_republic&oldid=853358573"
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