My final coaster trip of 2023 brought me to Southern California to check out the next park on my must-visit list after Cedar Point and Hersheypark: Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's home to 20 roller coasters, more than any park in the world, including X2, Twisted Colossus, Tatsu, and Full Throttle. Join me for two full days at one of the world's greatest amusement parks during Holiday in the Park for my first-time experiences on their record-breaking coasters.
If you enjoyed this episode, please help me out by rating, sharing, and subscribing. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @coasterredux.
My final coaster trip of 2023 brought me to Southern California to check out the next park on my must-visit list after Cedar Point and Hersheypark: Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's home to 20 roller coasters, more than any park in the world, including X2, Twisted Colossus, Tatsu, and Full Throttle. Join me for two full days at one of the world's greatest amusement parks during Holiday in the Park for my first-time experiences on their record-breaking coasters.
If you enjoyed this episode, please help me out by rating, sharing, and subscribing. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @coasterredux.
Welcome to Episode 19 of Coaster Redux. My name is Erik and I am a life-long roller coaster enthusiast, but up until lately, I’ve been kind of a lazy one. For years, I’d all but forgotten my roller coaster obsession from high school and college. Then during the pandemic, I started following the coaster world again, and for the last two years, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can.
This is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom, and after completing my second roller coaster road trip back in September, I wanted to sneak in one more adventure before year’s end. The week after Thanksgiving is usually one of the best times to visit year round theme parks, and I set my sights on southern California. After my two days at Hersheypark this summer, the next park on my bucket list was Six Flags Magic Mountain. It’s home to a whopping 20 roller coasters, more than any single park in the world.
I’d considered coming here last January for a weekend getaway, but opted to visit San Antonio instead. Magic Mountain was plagued by ride closures last winter, and I wasn’t about to fly halfway across the country to miss out on half the coasters in the park. I kept a close eye on their website and app before booking the trip, and it looked like most rides were running reliably.
Then, while I was in the region, I really wanted to get back to Knott’s Berry Farm. I’d been in town for a wedding back in 2006 and made a quick visit to the park, but I wanted to get a better feeling for it. I booked my flight, hotel, and rental car in mid-November looking forward to my first time at the coaster capital of the world, and a return to a one-of-a-kind gem.
I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off of a ride they’ve never ridden before. That’s what I want to share with you.
And with that, join me for my first time reactions to Tatsu, Twisted Colossus, X2, and so much more. Six Flags Magic Mountain is my next stop on Coaster Redux.
It was 7:30 am, and I climbed into an Uber bound for the airport. My flight was scheduled to leave at 9. I know better than to book those super early flights since I overslept and missed one years ago. I had plenty of time. It was Friday morning, and I had all day to get from South Florida to Valencia, California. I didn’t want to be rushed on this trip. I didn’t want any stress. I’d have all day Saturday and Sunday to take my time at Six Flags Magic Mountain, where my hotel was about five minutes from the park. Monday, I would drive an hour back to Knott’s Berry Farm, then stay overnight next to LAX and get up for a late morning departure back to Florida. Five easy days.
I arrived at the airport to find my flight was on time, and the line for security was light. I was through in minutes, and had time for a coffee and breakfast sandwich in the terminal. I walked to my gate and confirmed that my aircraft was there, an Airbus A321 from JetBlue Airways. They’re my favorite airline. They offer low fares without surprise fees, excellent legroom, free Wi-Fi, satellite radio and TV at every seat, and unlimited snacks and soft drinks onboard. When you fly JetBlue, you know exactly what you’re going to get. It’s not route dependent.
Boarding commenced, and as my group was called, so too was I to the counter. When I reported, the agent asked if I would mind switching my seat to accommodate another group of people wishing to sit together. I would still be in a window seat, but a few rows further forward, so I agreed.
I settled in, and this flight was completely full. Then the captain came over the intercom. Turned out there was a problem with the first officer’s safety belt. Shouldn’t be long. Maintenance was on its way. The in-flight team ran through their safety briefing, and prepared to get underway. Then, the captain’s voice re-entered the cabin. Sounding embarrassed, he confessed that the seatbelt could not be repaired in place, and the first officer’s entire seat would need to be replaced. They had one in a warehouse that was an hour away, and it would take time to install. In the meantime, we were asked to deplane, bringing out luggage with us.
We exited the aircraft and found a completely full concourse. There were no available seats as passengers for the next flight out were already crowding the area. It would be just over an hour before we reboarded the plane, and this delay cost us about two hours overall. I get why we had to get off. Sitting in that pressure cooker waiting for status updates would undoubtedly have brought out the worst in a few of my fellow travelers, but not having a place in the terminal to sit down wasn’t much better.
Anyway, we finally took off for LAX and the flight was uneventful. We were supposed to arrive just before noon Pacific time, but it ended up being more like 2. By this point I was famished, but I didn’t want to waste time getting food in the airport. I still had to take a shuttle bus to my rental car provider, and wait in another line there. I wanted to be on the road before grabbing a bite to eat.
The sun hung low in the sky as I climbed into my nearly brand new Jeep Compass SUV and paired my phone to the car for navigation. By this point, I was entering the witching hour for LA traffic, and I resigned myself to the inevitability that this drive would take longer than expected. At least I was on my way.
With the Marriott Courtyard in Santa Clarita entered as my destination, I resolved to hit the first drive through I could find. I was hoping to stumble upon the California staple that is In-N-Out Burger, but ended up at Wendy’s just before getting on the freeway. That’s what they call highways out here as many west coast friends are happy to remind me. Then there’s the way they refer to these freeways. Maybe it’s because there are so many of them, but my route would take me northbound on the 405 to the 5. Back east, we skip the “the” and sometimes add the I before the route number.
Anyway, I noticed signs everywhere for EV charging stations, and Teslas were more prevalent than Hondas. It’s a stark contrast to Florida. As I made my way northbound the landscape became more mountainous, and the lush vegetation of the valley gave way to the barren brown of the highlands. I liked that the landscape looked nothing like I was used to in Florida or the northeast. I was now firmly outside the Los Angeles sprawl and relished in endless mountain vistas.
As Google ticked down the minutes until I would arrive at my destination, I came over a hill and WOAH. Six Flags Magic Mountain’s skyline left me breathless as I merged to exit the 5. It was all right there. Goliath, the Giovanola hyper, Twisted Colossus, the dueling RMC hybrid, Scream, the B&M floorless, and Superman: Escape from Krypton, Intamin’s first foray into 400’ territory. Tomorrow is gonna be epic! During the Coaster Wars of the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Magic Mountain and Cedar Point were locked in a head-to-head battle to outdo the other by building the next world’s bestest coaster. I’d grown up hearing so much about this park, and I was psyched to finally experience it.
My hotel was just a minute from the exit ramp, and I stepped into my home base for the next three nights. I checked in, and ordered a pasta dinner from Door Dash before retiring for the evening. After a long day of travel, I went to bed knowing I could now slow down and enjoy two full days at one of the world’s greatest amusement parks which sat only a ten minute drive from where I lay my head.
I rose the next morning greeted by mostly clear skies with temperatures in the mid 60’s. In Florida, that means cold as the humid air cuts through layers of clothes. I packed joggers and sweatpants because of this, and was prepared with a jacket as well. I stepped out of the hotel lobby and into direct sunlight, and it was quite pleasant. California’s lack of humidity makes all the difference, and it turned out to be near perfect theme park weather.
I made my way south to Magic Mountain Parkway and hung a right into the park. X2’s demented red and gray structure bid me welcome, and I followed the line of cars into the parking lot. I had previously said that Six Flags Great Adventure’s parking lot view is second only to Cedar Point for building anticipation. Well, Magic Mountain has now captured that number two spot. You’re up close and personal with Twisted Colossus, Goliath, Scream, and Superman, and the rest of the park towers behind it.
Next came the walk. And it was long. Uphill. Passing the entire Hurricane Harbor Waterpark before arriving at that iconic white latticework front entry sign. I breezed through security this Saturday morning and scanned my pass to be allowed in.
I mentioned earlier that I didn’t visit this park last year because of multiple ride closures. I’d been monitoring the website and knew that Superman: Escape from Krypton and Ninja, the Arrow suspended coaster were closed for planned maintenance. While I was bummed to miss those, there were plenty of other coasters to make this trip worthwhile.
If I’m being honest, there was no single roller coaster at Magic Mountain that I was really amped up to ride. The line-up is full of rides that look good, but there wasn’t that one E-ticket I had to ride first. I hoped this park would be more of a sum of its parts experience, like my visit to Kings Island last year. As far as unique coasters, X2 certainly checks that box, but reviews on it are mixed. The world’s first 4th dimension coaster is praised for its outta control ride experience like nothing in the United States, but it’s also got a reputation for being rough. Of course I wanted to experience it, but I’m not one to rush for a rough ride. Full Throttle looks interesting. It’s a Premier multi-launch coaster with a forward and backwards section in the middle of the ride. That might have been my first ride of the day, but it wasn’t open yet.
I meandered into the park and hung a left. I passed New Revolution, the Schwartzkopf looper, and continued uphill. It was pretty empty and the pathway continued winding upward past the entrance to X2 and Viper, the famous Arrow megalooper. Again, I wasn’t looking to start out with a rough ride, but this area had a cool Mexicali look to it with pastel colors, archways, and columns.
Nearing the top of the mountain, I came upon the entrance to Tatsu. Opened in 2006, it’s the tallest B&M flyer in the world and many consider it to be one of the best. While flying coasters aren’t exactly my cup of tea, I really enjoy the pretzel loop element, and Tatsu’s got the world’s tallest at 124 feet towering above the entrance path. Plus it really uses the terrain on the mountain with its orange track and green supports visible from just about anywhere in the park. Tatsu is located in the Samurai Summit section of the park, and its name meant “Flying Beast” in Japanese. As expected at Six Flags, theming is minimal here, but the ride looks great in the park.
I ascended the long stairway towards the station and found about a 10 minute wait. It would have been much shorter, except they only had one train in operation. I will give props to the ride crews who apologized for the long cycle times owing to single train ops. After a few more minutes in line, it was my turn to climb into the back row.
This ride crew was AWESOME! They were having so much fun with the riders and it showed! With that musical number complete, we engaged the lift hill, climbing steeply upward. Views of the valley ahead were stunning, and the lift height is 170 feet. Being in the prone position really accentuates that statistic. The train reaches the top of the lift, banks right and begins its initial descent of 111 feet in a swooping right hand drop.
You’re close to the mountain as you level out, then you head skyward into a right-hand corkscrew. On the pull-out- the ride’s masterful use of terrain becomes clear again as it seems like you’re soaring high above the tree line. But there’s no time to take in the view before Tatsu snaps through the only zero-G roll on a flying coaster. It really didn’t feel as unique as it is, but you’re still way up there on top of the mountain.
On the climb-out, you navigate an overbank turn to the right then bank left into that sublime pretzel loop. It’s everything you could want in this element. You fly up with a commanding view of the park entrance before inverting on your back with bone-crushing positives. Ascending the exiting half loop, the forces relent, and you gracefully perform an in-line twist before a right hand banked turn into the brakes.
Again, I’m not a big flying coaster fan, but of the four I’ve ridden, Tatsu is definitely the best. Its sheer size, use of terrain, and monster height puts it above the rest, and the extra effort by the ride ops kicked the experience up a notch.
I left Tatsu and continued along the path winding downhill until I entered The Underground. This area was transformed in 2020 with the introduction of West Coast Racers, a Premier dueling launched coaster themed to Discovery Channel’s Inside West Coast Customs.
Rap music is piped in as the racers rocket overhead. It’s got a Fast and Furious feel even though the two brands aren’t related. The Apocalypse wood coaster stands off to the left, while the intertwining white and yellow tracks of the Racers surround the main midway.
I made my way down to the station for West Coast Racers, passing three hot rods parked out front before entering the garage. There was nobody in line and I quickly passed through the well themed queue and climbed up to the load platform.
Six Flags Magic Mountain has two unusual pairs going on here. West Coast Racers is one of two full-sized Premier launched coasters in the park, the other being Full Throttle. It’s also the second of two quasi-mobius dueling coasters, the other being Twisted Colossus. These three rides were built in a row with Full Throttle being first in 2013, Twisted Colossus opening in 2015, and West Coaster Racers debuting in 2020. This is a really interesting point, so let’s break it down.
A mobius roller coaster is a racing coaster with two tracks forming a continuous loop. On this style ride, you depart from one side of the station, ride through the entire course, and return to the other side of the station where you disembark. The next group of guests boards and rides through the second half of the racing course and disembarks on the other side of the platform. The best known of this style coaster in the US is the Racer at Kennywood.
Magic Mountain’s two quasi-Mobius coasters are different in that in both cases, guests are treated to two full trips around the ride layout and load and disembark on the same platform. How weird is it that the only two roller coasters in the world operating with this style layout reside at the same park? Stay with me, because there’s another conundrum between these two rides that continues to blow my mind to this day.
I entered the station and had the chance for a front row ride on West Coast Racers, and happily jumped at the opportunity. You start out on the white track which is on the right when leaving the station. The train has some big beefy tires up front to remind you that you’re riding a hot rod. Unfortunately, the boarding experience is hindered by the presence of Premier’s cumbersome comfort collars; strange vest restraints that connect to the lap bar for no discernable reason, and delay the loading process while impeding riders’ freedom of movement.
With the visual scan complete, the train rolls out of the station in tandem with another on the left and you stage to begin the race. The LSM system provides enough speed to get you going, but it isn’t anything special. The first element at the end of the launch track is the high-five, in which both train pitch up and bank towards each other providing some strong airtime and laterals before banking off to the right.
You stall above the other track for a second before twisting out in the same direction, and then enter a booster launch leading into a dueling corkscrew. On the white track, ours is larger but that other train is right there.
The race is close as both trains navigate a figure-8 helix which could give either side an advantage. Then the yellow track rolls above us in a corkscrew before both trains re-enter the West Coast Garage. Showmaker, Ryan Friedlinghaus appears on a monitor and preps us for our second run.
Then it’s time to shut up and drive while you experience the yellow track to round out this quasi mobius marvel.
West Coast Racers is an absolute joy. It’s got phenomenal airtime in the high-five, excellent theming, some hangtime in the inversions, and the dueling element makes it all the better. Three trains are required to make the dueling work, and Magic Mountain makes it happen all the time. This is a phenomenal family thrill coaster, and I applaud the park and Premier Rides for making this experience a reality.
I left West Coast Racers and headed for the Underground’s other major roller coaster, Apocalypse: The Ride. It’s a GCI wood coaster that opened in 2009 as Terminator Salvation. Its queue is well themed to a virus outbreak and includes cool touches like an abandoned Jeep, and tunnels passing under the structure.
I entered the queue and was pleased to find absolutely no line. Even better, this coaster includes a station fly-by like Thunderhead at Dollywood, and GCI’s stalwart Millennium Flyer trains. Now Six Flags isn't known for maintaining their wood coasters as well as other parks, but I was ready to climb aboard and check it out.
I’ve found on most GCI coasters that the front is the place to be, so I waited an extra cycle to experience Apocalypse in the front row. Overall, the layout is similar to many GCI twisters, and it’s a fun ride. It didn’t have any stand-out moments for me, and there wasn’t much airtime. I won’t say this ride is rough or uncomfortable, but I don’t think it was running up to its full potential either. There was no evidence of recent trackwork. It’s a decent wood coaster, but not something I felt a need to ride again.
I exited back into the Underground and continued my clockwise journey around the park. I turned a corner and the yellow trackwork of Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage came into view with the lime green Riddler’s Revenge standing tall behind it. Funny, at that moment I’d actually forgotten that Wonder Woman was in this park. The RMC Raptor single rail is a near clone of the Jersey Devil Coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure, a ride I really liked. Maybe it’s the fact that it isn’t particularly unique that led to me forgetting about it. I hung a left passing Wonder Woman’s dive loop and approached Riddler’s Revenge, the tallest, fastest, and longest B&M stand-up coaster. A team member informed me that it was currently down for maintenance, so I reversed course and continued my way around toward Wonder Woman.
I poked my head into the queue and the enclosed part was full. I decided to head next door to Batman: The Ride first, hoping to cross off another credit before having to wait in a long line. Turns out Batman was closed as well, so I kept going.
As I descended the stairs into the Screampunk District, the area was completely overrun by cheerleaders and their families. Turns out there was a major competition here this day making the rides in this immediate area pretty busy. Twisted Colossus had an hour wait, so again, I decided to postpone waiting in a long line for the RMC IBOX.
I decided to grab lunch, and backtracked to Ace O’ Clubs Barbeque and grabbed a turkey leg and mashed potatoes. It was decent, but not the best I’ve ever had. With a full stomach, I returned to the DC Universe and hopped on the re-opened Batman: The Ride. Being the fourth of these clones I’d ridden all year, I just took a quick front row ride to get the credit. These are good coasters with strong positive G’s and a whippy layout. I enjoyed this one for its smooth ride, and above average theming in the queue.
Next, I decided to wait in the 25 minute line for Wonder Woman. Opened in 2022, this RMC Raptor track single rail coaster is one foot taller than the similar Jersey Devil Coaster. It’s also 300 feet longer because it turns out of the main layout at the end and the brake run extends off to the side. Presumably this was done due to space considerations. Its paint scheme and trains are the same as Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, except the trains are 12 cars long instead of 8. I’m a big fan of those two rides, so I was ready to try out the newest and longest of the type.
Six Flags did a good job with the enclosed switchbacks on this ride. It’s not quite as nice as Fiesta Texas’ version, but it is a well themed Roman building with artwork on the walls showcasing the Roman gods. With two train ops, the line moved pretty well, and we exited the main queue into a bland white hallway where a ride attendant required loose items to be placed in lockers before we climbed the stairs to the station. I had zipper pockets and had no trouble bringing my belongings onboard.
We were sent upstairs in a group. The station is plain white with absolutely no theming at all. Bummer there. As I approached the front of the line, the ride ops asked if there was a single rider. Just like when I rode Jersey Devil, they needed to fill the back car. I bolted for it, though I made sure to take my time sitting down to avoid the leg cramp I got in the same situation at Great Adventure. Again, the ride ops on this coaster were excellent!
I couldn’t agree more! We left the station and made the right hand turn unique to this coaster before engaging the lift. Because of the vest restraints on these rides, I go hands out instead of hands up. It wasn’t long before the train crested the lift and I was right there on the edge of glory, ready to soar with Wonder Woman.
The back row hurdles down that vertical drop and the elastic vest restraint is stretched to its limit trying to keep me onboard. The drop is only about 125 feet but it feels so much taller. You then climb upward and twist into the dive loop with great whip before heading up into a large camelback providing phenomenal sustained ejector airtime. Next comes the zero-G stall which is profiled absolutely perfectly to give you that weightless feeling with your feet to the sky. You snap out quickly, and rise up again entering the turnaround before dropping into the zero-G roll.
This element is also gloriously executed providing simultaneous airtime and whip. My smile must have been just about as wide as my outstretched arms. Your Flight of Courage pauses for a second in the mid-course brake run before rocketing into a left hand overbanked turn. Then come three airtime hills providing strong pops of ejector before a right hand wave turn, and a diving left overbank into the brakes.
As much as I liked Jersey Devil, Wonder Woman definitely has the leg up. It feels longer, and like its sibling, it’s got a perfect combination of intensity and re-ridability. It’s forceful yet graceful. I love this ride, and it’s a roller coaster I’m sorry I almost forgot.
I decided to head back to Riddler’s Revenge next. Opened in 1998, this stand-up roller coaster epitomized the Coaster War between Magic Mountain and Cedar Point. Mantis opened in 1996 with 4 inversions and 3900 feet of track. Riddler would smash those statistics with a total of six inversions and 4,370 feet of track. It was prominently featured in all the coaster specials from the Discovery Channel that came out at the time, and was one I was looking forward to checking out.
The bright green track with desert sand supports were freshly painted and it pops against the crystal blue skies next to Wonder Woman. There was no line as I walked through the switchbacks which provide great views of the coaster. Riddler’s Revenge also has a deafening B&M roar that can be heard throughout the DC Universe area when it’s in operation. Upon entering the station, there’s a great 90’s techno soundtrack. It’s not nearly as memorable as Millennium Force’s, but it’s still fun.
I opted for the back row and patiently waited through the long boarding process that is par for the course on these rides. When boarding, be sure to bend your knees slightly until the lower portion of the restraint is locked. This prevents that bicycle seat from being too high. The ride ops will check the train once at this point to make sure everyone’s seat is properly positioned. Then you’ll lower the shoulder harness and be checked again before the train exits the station.
You roll out and begin climbing the 156 foot lift hill which threads the first inversion, a vertical loop. A handful of other B&M’s do this. Kumba and Banshee come to mind. Now that vertical loop was the tallest in the world when it opened, but that record was taken by Superman: Krypton Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in 2000. However, that record returned to Magic Mountain in 2013 when they opened Full Throttle.
Anway, you ascend to the ride’s pinnacle and drop downward to the left. The ride snakes through that vertical loop, two dive loops, and an inclined loop before the midcourse brakes. The second half consists of two corkscrews. It’s got very strong positive G’s, pushing down on your legs as you stand up throughout the course, and to be honest, it’s rougher than I would like. By about halfway through, I was ready to get off. This is a long coaster, and if you’re into this kind of thing, there’s a lot there. It just didn’t do it for me, and I staggered off Riddler completing my only ride of the trip.
I then braved the walk through the cheerleaders back downhill to the Screampunk area to find Twisted Colossus was down, so I headed over to Scream!, the B&M floorless coaster. Built in 2003, this seven-inversion ride is a mirror image of Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure. Unfortunately, the park literally fenced off a portion of the parking lot to build this coaster and hasn’t done anything to improve the aesthetic since then. The coaster also stands unnaturally high above the parking lot because Medusa was designed to fit the terrain at Great Adventure.
There was only a station wait for this blue coaster with bright orange supports. Again, the ride sported fresh paint, so it looked as good as a parking lot coaster can. I climbed into the back row and settled into the standard B&M seat. Before rolling out of the station, a kind of fog horn sounds. That’s kinda cool.
As for the rest of the ride, it was rougher than the average floorless of this vintage, and just didn’t do anything for me. It’s got the Kumba copy sequence of elements: vertical loop, dive loop, zero-G roll, midcourse brakes, and interlocking corkscrews. It was fine. It was pretty rough. One and done.
With Twisted Colossus still down, I decided to ride Goliath next. I walked back through the throngs of cheerleaders and glanced up at the 415’ tall Superman: Escape from Krypton. I really wish this icon was running today. It was the one trick pony that started the craze when it opened in 1997, a year late, typical of Intamin, but this was a moonshot prototype. The debate as to whether or not it was a roller coaster caused internet forum threads to be closed by moderators back in the day. Its LSM’s launch a car to 100 mph in 7 seconds before climbing that massive spike. It’s supposed to provide 6.5 seconds of weightlessness as the car slows, stops, and falls downward. I’m sure it’s no great shakes today, but in the years before the giga coaster became a thing, this was the first strata, simple as it was. The Coaster Wars put this park on the map, and my next ride represented another salvo in that epic battle for Y2K roller coaster supremacy, Goliath.
This was the first of several times Six Flags would use this name in the coming years, but this roller coaster was meant to be something special. It opened in February of 2000 as the world’s tallest and fastest full circuit roller coaster with a height of 235 feet and a 255 foot drop into a tunnel. Its max speed was 85 mph. Goliath held the record for three months before Cedar Point opened Millennium Force ushering in the age of the giga coaster. Despite that, there was still massive hype surrounding this ride when it opened. It’s not an airtime focused coaster, but its massive helixes are said to provide incredible positive G’s. Goliath represented another of those monumental coasters that I was excited to ride for myself, mostly because it’s different. It’s one of only two hyper coasters built by Giovanola, the other being a near clone at Six Flags Over Texas.
The front entrance is beautiful. The Goliath name is built from 30’ tall rockwork, with the “I” slid forward to create the entry. The lift hill towers overhead. Well done Six Flags. The queue winds amid lush tropical greenery before a lengthy climb upstairs into the station. Big surprise, I opted for the back row, buckled the seatbelt and lowered the lap bar. The trains are unusual in that they have five three row cars. Other than the classic PTC trains with three benches, I can’t think of another ride type with more than two row cars.
You leave the station and turn around to the right before engaging the bright orange lift hill. Most of Magic Mountain’s rides look great with fresh paint, but this one looks pretty faded. You slowly clack upwards and eventually crest the top of that massive hill where the chain lift slows to a crawl before you release. The top has a large radius and the max angle of descent is only 61 degrees. It’s a big drop, but there’s no airtime, even in the back. You rocket through the tunnel and climb up for a banked turnaround before dropping down into what looks like a speed hill for airtime. If there’s any airtime at all, it’s a tiny little float, but it’s barely noticeable. You then exit the hill and twist up to the left and into the mid-course brake.
At the end of the brake run, the train is brought to almost a full stop. You exit the brakes slowly and curve downward, reverse course, and enter a 540-degree helix. I’ve heard people talk about greying out here, but I didn’t. You finally zig zag back around and enter the final brakes.
So Goliath is a massive swing and a miss. This is a gargantuan roller coaster that literally does nothing. The first drop even fails to impress with its 61 degree descent. There is no memorable moment on this coaster. The only redeeming quality is that it’s smooth, like beyond butter smooth. That’s a plus,but I’ve never ridden something so big that is so utterly underwhelming.
With Twisted Colossus still closed, I completed my first lap around the park electing to ride Full Throttle next. This 2013 addition from Premier Rides piqued my interest because it’s big, and it’s different. Perhaps not as big and different as X2, but it promised a smooth ride. The really cool thing they did was to use the same track spine for the world’s largest vertical loop, and a massive camelback hill, so you ride on the inside and outside of the same structure at different points during the ride experience.
The wait was posted at 45 minutes, but the line didn’t look that long. There were no switchbacks, just a single file queue stretching from below the launch track towards the station. And that queue is positioned beautifully. You watch as the ride launches from the load platform and into that super loop. Then the train disappears as the majority of the ride course is located on the mountain.
After a few seconds, the train rockets over the top of the loop before slamming into the brakes running parallel to the launch track. They certainly nailed it with the name. This is a speed machine.
After only 25 minutes, I stepped into the station where a grouper assigns rows, which is typical on lower capacity rides like this. Full Throttle operated two 18 passenger trains with three six-person cars each. The ride op controls exactly when the train is launched and had several clever ways of interacting with us over the PA. He would ask if we wanted a countdown or a surprise, and then launch the train right then. So far, I have to give the Six Flags ride ops 10 out of 10 for friendliness and enthusiasm.
As I sat down, I was pleased to find that there was no comfort collar here, just a seatbelt and a lap bar allowing a full hands up ride experience. On my turn to ride, we just had a dramatic pause after the visual scan, and with a quick “enjoy your ride” we took off down that launch track and accelerated to full throttle. We pulled up into that 164 foot vertical loop which is a lot more circular than most, and the train stalled at the top. You hang high above the mountainside with only that lap bar keeping you onboard, and it’s a glorious moment.
Gravity pulls the train back to the ground, and you then pull up and bank hard right, then left. Next you snap into a dive drop, an in-line twist to the right where the track pulls out beneath itself. You’re in a tunnel now and the train comes to a stop. 3-2-1 Enjoy the ride.
You launch in reverse, and the back of the train makes it part of the way into the inline twist providing a wild partially inverted airtime moment as the train slows, stops, and then goes forward. I absolutely loved this moment. Then you fly back into the tunnel and get a booster launch that sends the train barreling into daylight and skyward over the outside of the loop, but just as you start to get airtime, the brakes engage and you come to an aggressive stop. Full Throttle is a rush, but it ended too abruptly. The top speed is 70 mph, and I’m pretty sure you reach that milestone on that boost launch leaving the tunnel. To waste all that kinetic energy with brakes halfway down the back side of the loop is a real tragedy. If there could have been a swooping helix around the plaza before the brakes, we could have experienced the full insanity Premier cooked up on that hybrid loop structure. It could have been a world class element. It’s still cool, but it left something to be desired.
I love how the whole backwards section is completely hidden from guests’ view. That’s gotta be an awesome surprise if you didn’t know it was coming. Bummer I’d watched the POV. I really liked Full Throttle. It’s got several strong moments. The launches are punchy, the hangtime on the loop seems endless, and the backward section is stellar in back. It’s fast and smooth, but I wish they’d made a second half after the swing launch instead of cutting it off so quickly. It would have made for a more complete ride.
OK, so I’m back where I started at the end of Main Street. I’d been putting it off, but I guess I think now it’s time. It’s time to go ride X2. I hiked back up that hill. The same way I did first thing this morning. I passed under the pedestrian bridge and saw the sign with the arrow. I turned right, climbed the stairs up to said bridge, and walked across. There’s a stunning vista of the front of the park, Tatsu’s pretzel loop, and the surrounding area. I paused to take it all in, then kept walking. Man, they put this thing so far away from everything else in the park. It’s in its own separate land.
I walked up to said land. There’s a mile worth of switchbacks at the start of the queue beneath the shade of a covering and trees. This groundbreaking attraction must have filled these back in 2002 when the world was introduced to the 4th dimension roller coaster. When and if it ran. Signage beside the path showed different personality types. What type are you? A type X? Well, I think I am. I flew halfway across the country to come to this park, but then again, this coaster’s got me a little nervous. Not I’m afraid I might die nervous, but more like fear of the unknown.
There aren’t many roller coaster types I haven’t experienced before, and of those, none are more maniacally twisted than this one. It’s the only one of its kind outside Asia, and it was the problematic prototype. It opened a year late. It put one of the most prolific roller coaster designers in the world into bankruptcy. New trains were added after opening because the ride was tearing itself apart. Am I a type X?
I eventually encountered the line under a covered pavilion on the other side of the lift hill from the station. I saw no movement. No trains were being dispatched, nor climbing the 175 foot lift hill. By the station, the line was full heading up a twisting ramp to a small door. Viper somersaulted through its Batwing behind me. Then finally a train left the station. As it navigated the turnaround and engaged the lift, the seats were wiggling forward and back. I watched this monstrous contraption climb to the summit and fall face first to the ground. Seconds later, it rose back into view and entered the brakes.
It would be 5 or more minutes until it came back around. X2 was on single train ops. The line hadn’t moved an inch. This could be hours. It’s not worth it. I guess I’ll come back. Yup, I’m not wasting any more time. I’ll just come back.
And so back I went, down the entry ramp, feeling very un-X. I didn’t chicken out, I just didn’t want to wait in a line that looked like it would be 2 hours. I walked back across the bridge, and decided to take a ride on the other Arrow in this part of the park.
Viper opened in 1990 as the final “mega looper” seven inversion coaster the company produced. Standing at 188 feet tall and featuring seven inversions, this was the first ride featured in the America’s Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills documentary. The VHS video that showcased roller coasters across the country that contributed to me becoming an enthusiast.
I knew full well going in that it’s an Arrow, and it’s gonna have some jank to it, but as one of those iconic coasters I’d grown up seeing, knowing about, it was going to be cool to actually ride it.
Viper was on one train, and I picked the row with the shortest wait somewhere in the middle. I still waited about 15 minutes, which was more than I expected for this type of ride. I boarded the fiberglass car, and lowered that classic ratcheting horsecollar, and set out for a single ride on this living legend.
It was exactly as I expected. The loops had some of that forward and backwards buffeting I felt on Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds. There were jerks and jolts all over the place. It was designed without computers, and it was groundbreaking for its day. My biggest surprise was that the dual corkscrews were perfectly smooth after the awkward transition leading into them. After those final inversions, I thought Viper was over, but it wasn’t. There was a weird and rough S-bending dive below the lift hill before entering the final brakes. Viper was another one and done for me. It’s got a place in roller coaster history along with Arrow’s other loopers, and I’m glad I rode it once.
Darkness was beginning to fall over Six Flags Magic Mountain, and the temperature was starting to drop as well. I’d left my sweatshirt in the car, but I wasn’t done yet. I decided to head backwards towards the front of the park and ride New Revolution, the world’s first modern coaster to feature a vertical loop. It opened in 1976 as the Great American Revolution to celebrate our nation’s bicentennial. What a cool name.
Over the years, this Schwartzkopf terrain coaster would undergo numerous changes to its name and trains, but it remains today as a true classic. The lone loop sits front and center at the end of the park’s Main Street, and is now dwarfed by Tatsu’s infamous pretzel.
My experience began after 20 minutes in line, and I climbed aboard the latest version of the train featuring a lap bar only. The lift follows the hillside upward with pines flanking from each side. At the top, you twist downward and to the right before a couple hills and turns to get warmed up. Then you are brought to a crawl while looking down a long straight section of track with a delicate pitch leading straight into the vertical loop. Back in ‘76, this must have been a wicked moment as it gave riders several seconds to contemplate that impending inversion, back when just one was something special. Well played Anton.
The ride meanders though a few more turns before returning to the station, and I gotta say…..Schwartzkopf and Arrow coasters were both designed without computers and were groundbreaking for their time. Schwarzkopf played it safer by not going as big, and as such, I believe their coasters will live on well beyond their Arrow counterparts. Rides like this and the similar Super Dooper Looper at Hersheypark still ride well, and can take their places among roller coaster classics, while the big Arrows are being removed across the industry due to roughness.
I left New Revolution with the sun past set, and returned to the Underground where Holiday in the Park was starting to take full effect. Christmas trees were illuminated, but nothing compared to the colors in the sky when I took a sunset video of West Coast Racers. It’s on my Instagram @Coasterredux. It was also starting to get seriously cold, and I knew my warm Florida blood wouldn't last much longer. My plan was to get the Gold Rusher credit, then hopefully finish the night on Twisted Colossus. I would return to the park with my mission to ride X2 first thing tomorrow morning, for better or worse.
The Gold Rusher Arrow Mine Train was enhanced by my night ride, though I shivered through the layout as even the 35 mph top speed created wind that cut through me. I then returned, for my final time this day, to the Screampunk District.
After visiting Six Flags Fiesta Texas and enjoying their masterful mash-up of steampunk and western theming in Crackaxle Canyon, this area really is a dud aesthetically. There’s a sign heading down the hill which the cheerleaders had mostly deserted, and that’s about it. The station for Twisted Colossus plays this vibe up as a cross between wood and steel, and there are some pipes and valves above the queue line, but it falls short of selling the experience.
The wait time for the IBOX was posted at 45 minutes, but the queue didn’t look that long. Inflationary wait times seem to be the norm here in order to boost Flash Pass sales, and I’m not a fan.
So I resolved to ride Twisted Colossus to end my night and stepped into the queue structure which was clearly repurposed from the original coaster with little more than a coat of paint and some additional signage.
Colossus opened in 1978 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, and the massive white wooden structure consisted of two racing tracks. The ride saw initial popularity, but was later eclipsed by proliferating steel coasters towering above it during the Coaster Wars. Enter Rocky Mountain Construction who made a name for themselves by converting old beat up wooden roller coasters into world class thrill machines, reusing parts from the original rides to reduce costs.
Six Flags was the first to gamble on this concept, and the New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas was a resounding success in 2011. This led to RMC being a go-to for the chain during the 2010’s with Colossus receiving the treatment in 2015. The re-imagined roller coaster would feature a dueling quasi-mobius loop, which I already talked about on West Coast Racers, essentially meaning each cycle sends riders through the course twice before returning to the station. The ride would feature unique dueling elements like a pair of opposing wave turns creating a high-five moment and the Top Gun stall with one train experiencing an airtime hill with the other one inverted above. The concept looks incredible, and being able to experience RMC’s airtime-packed layouts with the added excitement of dueling put this ride high on the top ten lists of many enthusiasts. Unfortunately, nowadays, Twisted Colossus rarely duels because its programming does not require the second lift hill to stop and wait for the train leaving the station. So unless the crew is really on their game getting the trains checked, and guests don’t fail to follow instructions or lallygag putting their loose articles in the platform bins, a duel won’t happen.
Additionally, dueling happens more frequently when the ride runs three trains, as having a third train waiting on the holding brake when the train ahead dispatches gives the greatest chance for a quick turnaround. Only a half duel is possible with two trains with three being required for a full duel. I hoped maybe I would get lucky.
So I was in line for about 25 minutes, which wasn’t too bad. During my time, I observed the process and timing of trains leaving the station versus the second ones on the lift. I never saw a duel. Soon enough, it was my turn to board, and naturally, I selected the back row. It’s completely dark now, and while Twisted Colossus is another parking lot coaster, it is set far from the lights of the midways.
You exit the station and turn around entering 5 RMC pre-lift humps before engaging the lift. You ride the blue track first, and as I looked upward, there was no second train waiting for us. The lift accelerates to full speed, and you’re 125 feet up looking at Goliath straight ahead. The first drop has a killer kink as you plummet 128 feet at 80 degrees. RMC’s first drops don’t miss.
You level out and crest a quick speed hill providing a floater pop, then climb upward getting brief ejector at the apex before you drop down slightly and bank left and head up into the high-five wave turn, but there’s nobody there to five us back. It’s also the smallest of these elements I’ve done, but there’s some snappy airtime before you roll out.
Next, you drop back to ground level, take another speed hump, and then cruise over a larger camelback with some nice sustained ejector. The green track stalls above, but Maverick wasn’t there to give us the inverted finger. We then rocket through a zero-G roll, and RMC has this element perfected so you can lift your feet off the floor, feel the weightlessness, and enjoy the lateral whip through the element. It’s awesome!
Next you do a double up with two more airtime pops, and do a right handed outerbanked left turn to nod to your imaginary friends who would be dropping back to the final brakes. If they were real.
Fortunately, we’re only halfway done. We jog slowly up the lift, now on the green track, just waiting. Hoping. Like when you walk into a crowded bar and look around to see if your friends beat you there. Oh well, guess they’re running late. Time for the first drink.
Diving down the second first drop, it’s better than the one that came before because its crest is sharper. Next comes speed hill number two, before climbing up and into the high-five again. This time is snappier because you turn left, wave turn right, then twist back to the left before dropping into a sidestep double down to set up the Top Gun stall. You then pop up into a bunny hop that shifts us back to the outside while the blue track zero-G’s above us. Then we do the same double up as before, and level out and enter the final brakes.
Twisted Colossus is exactly as expected. It’s early RMC with a bunch of those choppy airtime moments that are fun, but not my favorite. It’s a long ride, and it’s a good ride, but without the dueling element it was designed for, it’s nothing special. For an RMC that is.
And with my night ride on Twisted Colossus complete, it was time to close the book on my first day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The place was absolutely packed. It was busier now than earlier in the day as guests flooded in to experience the nighttime lights of Holiday in the Park. Having all the credits I wanted except for one, tomorrow could be a relaxed day to re-ride my favorite attractions, and focus on getting photos and videos. But I still had to address the elephant in the room. I needed to ride X2. I did feel a little chip falling off my coaster cred for not riding it my first day.
I returned to my hotel and logged onto Door Dash to find something interesting for dinner. I found it in Chicken Tikka Masala pizza from the Curry Pizza Company. California is known for putting unusual toppings on pizza, and this definitely fit the bill. I headed to bed after watching a bunch of videos of X2 to get myself amped up for tomorrow. I think I’m ready.
The next morning brought a carbon copy of yesterday’s weather. Clear skies and cool temps that were perfect for being outside all day without breaking a sweat. I made my way back to the park, and made the long trek uphill to the gate, passed through, and continued to climb all the way to X2’s secluded perch right by the entry road.
I think this coaster’s placement in its own little fortress of solitude adds to its odd vibe. It’s not near a busy midway, so there’s no adrenaline exchange between riders and other guests spectating. Other than the view from the road, there’s no way to see the majority of the layout from within the park. It’s just there, way off by itself.
The line was almost as long as it was yesterday, even though I went to it first thing. I arrived only a few minutes after rope drop, so I guess a lot of people used my same strategy. Again, only one train was running, and the line seemed to barely move. It turned out this was because there was an attendant where the queue splits between the two sides of the station, and he waited until there was ample room on the ramps, then let large numbers of guests move forward.
All told, my wait was a little over an hour before I finally reached the door to the station. While I could ride X2 with my items in my zipper pockets, I opted to put everything in a locker, just for that increased comfort factor. I didn’t really know what the restraints were like, the same way I just don’t really know what to expect from this thing. I was assigned row 6 on the outside on the left side. I have no idea if that’s good or bad. Well, I know outside is bad, but whatever.
I completely emptied my pockets into a locker and looked around the station. It’s pretty bare bones. There are left Twix and right Twix ad posters on the wall. Nothing else. There’s no epic music, no announcements, absolutely nothing to set a vibe. I keep going back to that word. Why is there zero vibe for this ride. I think the lack of a vibe almost creates an eerie vibe. It’s weird.
Then there’s that wacky contraption in the station. It’s got 7 cars with two seats on each side. Four sets of wheels hug four independent rails. One set of rails bears the load of the train while the second set controls the rotation of the seats. You can see the teeth on the vertical spikes where gears engage them to position the seat at the desired angle. It’s a lot.
I stood in the corral for row 6, and there was a party of two ahead of me and my assigned seat buddy. The lone train entered the station and the gates opened, and the people ahead of us didn’t move. They just stood there. My seat mate excused himself and made his way past them while the gates were open, then the gates closed. A ride op saw what happened, and they reopened the gates to let me through. So now I’m rushing to get onboard. I climb up and sit down, and there’s this wacky little vest thing that ratchets up and down. It’s got two hard plastic half vests that fold together and lock with a seatbelt connecting them as a back-up. Wait, that’s it? No leg guards? No lap bar? Just this to keep me from flipping out of this thing? There are some big bolsters on the sides of the seats, but for all the crazy this ride is going to throw at me, I feel pretty exposed. My feet dangle freely. I’m checked, and this is it.
We roll onto our backs and the train leaves the station. On the turnaround before the lift, the seats wiggle back and forth. Then we start climbing, and the view is unbelievable. The whole park and surrounding valley are visible as we keep going up. Way up.
Because you face backwards, you can’t see the top approaching. Any second now. The train’s movement finally starts to change, and you leave the lift, and make the little pre-drop dip. Then it happens. You head straight down and the seats rotate so you’re staring at terra firma. At the last second, you flip forward and pull out on your back. It’s extreme!
I’m not going to pretend to be able to describe what happened from there in any cohesive or understandable manner. The elements are a raven turn, a camelback hill, a banked turnaround, a zero-G roll, and a second smaller raven turn before a half twist into the brakes. There’s a lot of head over heels flipping, a lot of disorientation, and in that outside seat, a lot of bouncing. It’s super intense; complete sensory overload. And it’s violent. Not painful, just really shaky to the point where I couldn’t focus on anything else. I wouldn’t have noticed if I was facing up or down, and while this isn’t a 4-D freespin, I couldn’t tell the difference. X2 is an extraordinaily extreme experience that’s exhilerating, existential, exasperating, and exhausting. I’ll need to ride it again to get a better feel, just hopefully not in an outside seat.
Very much in need of a break after the car crash I just endured, I returned to the midway in search of my next ride. I would have ridden Tatsu again, but its line was to the bottom on the stairs meaning with single train ops it would be well over an hour. I got second rides in on Full Throttle and Wonder Woman, really loving each of those, which are thankfully smooth and intense.
I returned to ride Twisted Colossus again, seriously hoping to get that elusive half duel. I have to mention that this is an absolutely beautiful roller coaster to look at. The classic white wood supports with electric blue and green track cannot be missed. I was in line for the back row and the second train parked on the holding brake before the train in the station dispatched. This was it! My best possible chance of getting the full Twisted Colossus experience!
I hustled to climb aboard and it seemed like we were out the door pretty quickly. We had a shot. We bounced through the pre-lift sequence and there it was. The other train was about ⅔ of the way up the lift hill. We engaged the chain, and we were gaining on them, but we just weren’t fast enough. The consolation prize wasn’t bad. Almost 5000 feet of RMC goodness is fun any day, but of the ten IBOX’s I’ve ridden, without the dueling element, this one sits at #10.
That doens’t mean I don’t like it. It’s still a phenomenal roller coaster. But consider Dueling Dragons at Islands of Adventure. When they dueled, they combined to create one of the best B&M inverted coaster experiences out there. Were they better than say, Montu? No. Montu’s elements and size make for a better standalone roller coaster. But Dueling Dragons had that little extra element to make it special. When the ride no longer dueled, they were two perfectly fine yet unremarkable inverted roller coasters. If you placed Fire or Ice in a field by itself, that’s what it would be. Good. Not great.
Creating the dueling function on a roller coaster requires sacrifices to make the trains sync up where they’re supposed to, leading to the elements being designed to make those dueling moments happen, versus trying to make the best use of the available space. With Twisted Colossus not regularly dueling, I can’t point to a single memorable element on the ride. Again, they’re all good, just nothing spectacular.
Because of this, I’d take any of the lower tier RMC’s I’ve ridden over Twisted Colossus because they have memorable moments. Twisted Cyclone at Six Flags Over Georgia has great whip through the first cobra roll sequence, and I absolutely loved that wave turn against the lift hill. Wicked Cyclone at Six Flags New England takes its middle part so fast it feels completely out of control, especially the first zero-G roll. I could go on, but you get my point. I’m a fan of quality over quantity. That’s why I like Iron Gwazi better than Steel Vengeance. Give me guaranteed duels on Twisted Colossus, and I’m pretty sure I’d be able to point out some stand-out moments on this coaster.
That said, I’m flummoxed that Six Flags added a second quasi-mobius loop roller coaster to this park, and they’re able to make it duel all the time. West Coast Racers reliably runs three trains, so why couldn’t they do the same on Twisted Colossus? There were certainly enough people in the park when I visited to warrant three train ops. It’s a shame that Six Flags doesn’t prioritize making this ride operate up to its full potential. I’m sure guests don’t really complain because it’s still a great ride. I can only hope that this type of overly cost conscious operational behavior changes once the Six Flags/Cedar Fair merger is complete.
With X2’s posted wait still over an hour, I purchased a Flash Pass to take a second ride. I ended up on the same side of the train in an outside seat, just one row forward of where I rode it the first time. No surprise, my opinion didn’t change, and I guess that opinion is a complicated one that isn’t fully resolved.
X2 represents a phenomenal effort by a failing Arrow Dynamics to become relevant again during a time when innovation was king in the coaster industry. Engineer Alan Schilke swung for the fences with this ride, but it turned out to be too complex for its time. The idea is phenomenal, but the execution just isn’t there. By all reports, all the outside seats are as bouncy as the two I rode in, and if half your seats are that uncomfortable, I can’t give the ride a favorable review.
But then, this thing is just so dang innovative, and I didn’t get the chance to ride an inside seat. I didn’t get to try multiple rows because the lines were so long and this coaster isn’t exactly re-rideable. And if I can’t control which seat I ride in and have to wait an hour or buy Flash Passes, I can’t get the full experience. I guess I have to say I’m suspending judgment on X2. Long lines, single train ops, and no seat selection meant my two rides would be all I had time for this trip. My second rough ride on X2’s outer seats were my last at Six Flags Magic Mountain. As for my overall impressions of the park, I’d call them mixed.
First off, you absolutely cannot argue with a park with the sheer volume of roller coasters that Magic Mountain has. No doubt, they have something for everybody. That said, there was no one single stand-out ride. The park may be called Magic Mountain, but its roller coaster collection is more like a plateau. They have a lot of rides that are good. Pretty much everything I rode was good. None were great.
The park is nice, but having visited six parks within the chain this year, this one felt like more of the same. Lackluster theming, uninspired appearance, and again, just not much of a vibe. Walk down the midway of Cedar Point, Kings Island, Hersheypark, or even Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and you’ll see what this park is lacking.
My favorite coaster in the park was Wonder Woman, if you can believe that. It’s got a little bit of everything I enjoy, from great airtime to strong pacing and a variety of elements. Second goes to the thrilling yet short Full Throttle, third to the non-dueling Twisted Colossus, and 4th to the unique but rough X2. Magic Mountain was locked in battle with Cedar Point through the Coaster Wars and its product shows that. They’ve got a lot of big rides that broke records. But again, I prefer quality over quantity.
Rumors are circulating that 2025 will be the year Magic Mountain receives its next big attraction, with all eyes looking at the area occupied by the Golden Bear Theater, right next to Full Throttle. That year will also bring the opening of the new Fast and Furious coaster to Universal Studios Hollywood. If that’s the case, I’m sure I’ll come back. I’d love to give X2 another chance, and hopefully ride Superman and Ninja, as well as some new creations in the region.
I returned to my hotel, and set about getting ready for the next day. I had a battle with LA traffic for 57 miles between Santa Clarita and Buena Park to look forward to. Join me for the next episode when I return to a park I visited briefly back in 2006, but didn't get to fully appreciate. The Xcelerator Intamin launched coaster is back open, HangTime’s since been added, and I couldn’t wait to see what GCI had done to improve Ghostrider since my last visit. I’m going back to Ghost Town at Knott’s Berry Farm, that’s next time on Coaster Redux.