Tag Archives: magic mountain

It Begins – and lots of other pics too

First, the stress of yesterday’s PwC event at Magic Mountain proved to be mostly needless.  Of course I’m glad that felt compelled to be prepared, so that’s good, but it was such a welcome relief when it was time to do it and then sure enough, I was done.  Even got decent feedback after the fact.   The reward for making it through was then we got to go enjoy Six Flags!   The weather was pretty much perfect for a visit to the park, and better yet, there were like NO lines.  It’s likely the slowest time for them as most schools have started back up and it’s not really a hot time for tourism, I guess.

Friday, Jan 12 – PwC at Magic Mountain

The rundown of rides this day was basically all extreme.  And a day later, I’m still kinda feeling sore.  But we went on X-2 TWICE, which holy hell.  Riding in the last row of that ride is one of the most insane things you can do.  Then we went to Viper, then on to Tatsu.   Tatsu…is ridiculous.  It’s almost more intense than X-2 as it really feels like if your harness were to snap, you’d just get flung out to your death.  And it would be quick as you’d be a splat on the ground before you know it.  But what a ride!   We then followed that up with Gold Rusher which is great, as always, and ended the visit at Twisted Colossus.  So Twisted Colossus ended up still being my favorite of the coasters and there was an insane thing that happened:  One of my coworkers was in the seat in front of us, and as the train went inverted, the carabiner he had his keys on disengaged!  He immediately realized this but we were also on a rollercoaster that was currently barrel-rolling.  The keys managed to get lodged into the area by his feet, which was a miracle, as it was still a small gap, but the thickness of one of the keychains saved him.  The carabiner was long gone, but his keys weren’t.   He said that as they were flying away from him, they had been floating in front of them for a moment like they were in space  Lucky lucky man.

Other Things!

Today, Larry & I took my mom over to see the model homes at the Glen LA so she could get to see for herself what the general layout of the house will look like.  It was the formal grand opening this weekend, so we of course saw most of the sales team, but we also saw plenty of potential homebuyers and actual homebuyers.  We ended up meeting a member of the family that will be living directly next door to us, and then we met a couple who will be living across the driveway from us.  All seemed very nice and it’s exciting to get the sense that this will be a fun neighborhood.  Fingers crossed.

Saturday, Jan 13 – At The Glen LA with Mom

Those are the most recent pics and I think it could be fun to try to capture periodic shots from the construction site in order to eventually capture a time-lapse of the progress.  Easier said than done, I’m imagining.

Anyway, the rest of the weekend should be nice and relaxing, hopefully.   I figure while I’ve got energy and the time, here are some picture sets from December, mostly from around Christmas stuff:

Mon, Dec 25, 2017 – Christmas at Mom’s House

It was a fun time to spend Christmas at Mom’s with Stacie and Trent.  The food was great (and happily, our overbuying for Thanksgiving helped as we just froze this ham and then used it a month later).  And wine is always a winner.

Making Cookies

I love making chocolate chip cookies as they turn out so damned good.  It’s just a lot of work.  I ended up making cookies throughout the entirety of watching Die Hard, which is a long time.  But so worth the effort.  The recipe for these cookies I’ve shared on this site previously and is slightly weird in how it does things, but the results can’t be argued with.

I think the last thing I’ll post about as I’m getting antsy and want to do something else besides type on my blog is the pictures from the Sperske Christmas Even that my cousin Erin held down in Carlsbad.   Happily, it was held in the early afternoon, so we didn’t have to stay down there overnight.  It also meant a LOT of driving for one day.  But it was worth it to see family again.  Erin & Eric’s house is perfect for these kinds of get-togethers and their recent renovations inside are fantastic.

Sat, Dec 23, 2017 – Christmas Eve in Carlsbad

And that’s that.  Time to play some video games and shoot some Nazis.

Off to Magic Mountain, for Work

PwC certainly does know how to hold ‘all hands’ events!   Our Promotion Days are almost always spectacular, with the three I’ve been to so far having been held at either Disneyland or Universal Studios.  The All Hands meetings for the local market usually isn’t so crazy, but that’s not to say we’re just meeting in the break room.   When I first started, we had a meeting at the freakin’ Jonathan Club in Santa Monica, nestled right on the beach.   Anyway, we’re off to Six Flags Magic Mountain today – and I’ll be presenting a small portion of it.  I’m unnecessarily and needlessly nervous.  I loathe having to speak in front of large groups.  I know I’ll be fine, but until it’s done, I’m going to be miserable.  I keep trying to make myself take deep breaths….and when I remember to do so, it helps.    Wish me luck.

Roasting Fun in the June Heat

Yesterday was a return trip to Magic Mountain – it’s kind of turning into a yearly thing.  I think that’s pretty much all I can take with the rides there as the older I get, the more they seem to impact how I feel after riding them.  This weekend’s trip was especially notable as it was fucking HOT.  Regularly around 100 degrees all day, so we drank a ton of water, had lots of sunscreen on, and I had my hat on as I am no fool.

It was a good time but happily I’m good with not having to stay all day at theme parks anymore, so after getting in a few good rides, especially Twisted Colossus, which was my primary goal for the visit, both Larry & I were ready to get the hell out of dodge.  Leaving early means you also get to avoid the mad rush to get out from the parking lot.  Eff that noise.

I captured most of the journey around the park we had with Nicki, Brian, Kevin, Jamal, Michael and Marissa in the pictures below, but here’s the rundown of what Larry & I did:

  • Twisted Colossus – this area is where we met up with the group as we ended up getting there a little late.  The line was really short and we got right up to the front of it when the ride broke down. We waited another 15 minutes or so and then it was clear the ride wasn’t going to reopen for a little while longer.
  • Scream! – I hadn’t been on this ride for quite a while, as it is a fun ride and well-engineered, but something about it just feels kind of meh?  Maybe there’s no real theme to it and it’s a rollercoaster just next to the parking lot.  But it was a good one to start off our day with.
  • Batman the Ride – Twisted Colossus was still broken so we headed over to the DC land area and walked basically right on this ride.  Still a great inverted coaster even 18 years after it opened.  The theming is definitely on point for that Tim Burton Gotham feel.
  • Twisted Colossus – We went back and it was open, so we get immediately in line after meeting up with Michael & Marissa. All I can say, this new ride is simply spectacular.  One of the first things to notice is you no longer get to choose a side like you did in the original Colossus.  That gives a hint as to what is going to happen as there are two colored tracks out there.  Once you’re sitting down, you get secured by a brace that secures your waist and legs, but there’s no handle or bar around for you to grab onto like you normally have in a rollercoaster.  Nope, you’re basically going to have to trust you’re not gonna fly out of the car and have a damn awesome thrilling experience.  It’s unlike any train car in a coaster I’ve ever been on.  Next, the ride’s initial drop is (checks internet…) an 80-degree drop which is basically straight down when you’re in it.  Then you’re flying FAST through the coaster and doing all sorts of crazy acrobatics, including barrel rolls, which are simply spectacular and intense while in a coaster like this.  Best part?  Your first circuit isn’t the end – you start off on the blue track but circle back to do it all again on the green track.  it’s amazing.   Intense as fuck, so one ride was enough.  🙂

Colossus Isn’t Going Away Completely…

  • We then had a deathmarch around the park looking at various rides and seeing the lines were really long.  No Apocalypse or Jet Stream for us, but we did get on….
  • Gold Rusher, as you always have to go on this classic. Seriously.  It’s a great mine-train coaster, and one of the originals of the park.  1971!
  • After this, we walked up and down the actual mountain in the park and that’s when it was like, I’m dying here.  It was so fucking hot and even drinking as much water as I was, I was just fading fast.  Everyone was too, and we started looking for food. The main fast-food options in the park were mobbed and also outside and hot, so we kept walking.  Finally, Larry looked on the map and found that there was a burger place in the Sports Bar near Full Throttle, and sure enough, we found heaven.  Air-conditioned, indoors, and plenty of space upstairs to wait while a table in the dining room opened up?  Yes, please.  That respite was all we needed to keep going.  About 90 minutes later, recharged with food and water, it was time to keep going!
  • Full Throttle – that insane coaster was right there, and while some of us were wondering if that recent lunch was going to make a reappearance, the 20-30 minute wait seemed to be enough, as nobody got sick.   Still, that ride is just insane.  Biggest loop in the country, launched out of the station, a psych-out section, then launched back out OVER that giant loop?  It’s intense as hell.  But what a rush.

After that, we all walked to The New Revolution, which is the old Revolution but now you wear VR goggles.  The line was 90 minutes, at a minimum.  It was 4 or 5 at this point, and I looked at Larry and asked if he was ready to go, as I certainly was.  He was ready too, so we said our happy goodbyes and did the death march back to the car.  What’s nuts is that I’m sure the heat kept a lot of people home, but there was still a TON of cars parked there.  We were in the third lot out, and that’s pretty far.  It is a summer Saturday though, and probably a lot of people were at Hurricane Harbor too.  But man, it was a lot of people also suffering in that sun!

Today was just a nice way to recuperate by not going outside, let me tell you.

June 4, 2016 – Magic Mountain in the Heat

Great Day For a Return to Magic Mountain

It’s been around 5 years, I think!?  Seriously, the last time I went was with Larry and we were visiting from New York.  I’ve just looked it up in my Picasa and yeah, we were at Magic Mountain last in July 2009.  So there’s been some changes and additions!  The purpose for the visit today was to go with Brian as he was there to celebrate his birthday. We’d missed the last few years doing this with him and the gang, but not this time!  Unfortunately, the newest coaster that was going to open this year, Twisted Colossus, opens this upcoming Saturday for Memorial Day weekend.  That fact provided the impetus to upgrade our daily ticket to a season pass, as I HAVE to go on that this year sometime!

Larry & I ended up getting to the park when it opened but slightly ahead of when everyone else arrived.  I didn’t really want to wait on them as the lines were fucking empty, so we knocked out some of the rides that can get some intense lines later on.  Although, for a Sunday, I was pretty surprised how not crowded it was at the park today.  I’m guessing it’s more of a lull before the official start of the summer season, and once Twisted Colossus opens, I bet the crowds will be back.  Anyway, we took advantage of it!

First up for us was going on a new coaster (for us), Full Throttle, which opened in 2013.  HOLEEE SHIT.  This coaster is absolutely fantastic and utterly surprising.  It’s also holding the world record for the tallest rollercoaster loop, and man, you feel it.  Full Throttle starts off by launching you into the loop immediately, and the launch must be calculated based on the weight in the car to make sure that when you hit the top of the loop, you just hang there for a sec.  It at least feels that way as it’s INSANE.  You can actually get a great glimpse of the park, inverted, while up there.  So not only is the loop an adventure in itself, you then head back and into a hillside tunnel only to be slammed to a stop.  You can see the track continues, but then the train launches backwards!  You don’t go all the way back, but just enough up from where you came from to be rocked.  Then gravity takes you back into the tunnel and then you’re massively accelerated AGAIN and on to the top of the world’s tallest loop, which after you crest, you plummet straight down.  You’re quickly and painlessly slowed down and you realize holy shit that was amazing.  It really is a fantastic coaster, and likely my and Larry’s favorite.  WOW.

May 17, 2015 – Entry into the Park / Full Throttle

The Magic Mountain vista - now including Twisted Colossus
The Magic Mountain vista - now including Twisted Colossus17-May-2015 10:21, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 7.325mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
17-May-2015 10:21, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
The approach to Full Throttle
The approach to Full Throttle17-May-2015 10:40, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
 
17-May-2015 10:40, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 100
The world's biggest loop is here
The world's biggest loop is here17-May-2015 10:40, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
It's fucking massive
It's fucking massive17-May-2015 10:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
 
17-May-2015 10:44, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 10:44, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 13.0, 8.794mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 10:49, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
 
View of X2 from the Full Throttle line
View of X2 from the Full Throttle line17-May-2015 10:49, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 5.6, 31.883mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 125
17-May-2015 10:49, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 5.6, 31.883mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
You're launched immediately into the loop
You're launched immediately into the loop17-May-2015 10:54, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
 
Very comfortable cars
Very comfortable cars17-May-2015 10:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 10:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 10:56, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
 

After that, it was time to try another of the new coasters that had popped up since 2009.  We walked over to the Batman area and that’s where Six Flags has built Green Lantern: First Flight, a very compact and small coaster that packs a huge punch.  As the pictures below show, you’re in a car that holds people on a car that straddles the track, with 2×2 – 2×2 seating, but the people have their backs to each other.  Then you just tumble over these hills and make it feel like you’re getting thrown forward into the air or ground.  It’s quite a ride.

Green Lantern: First Flight

Superman, still really tall
Superman, still really tall17-May-2015 11:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
17-May-2015 11:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 5.0, 15.441mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
17-May-2015 11:11, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.0, 5.803mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
 
Lex Luthor is on the side - don't think I'll ever go on that
Lex Luthor is on the side - don't think I'll ever go on that17-May-2015 11:13, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 5.6, 21.929mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
Green Lantern- small but intense!
Green Lantern- small but intense!17-May-2015 11:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 11:16, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200
 
Interesting cars, as you're back-to-back
Interesting cars, as you're back-to-back17-May-2015 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 800
17-May-2015 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 200
 
17-May-2015 11:19, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 200
It's a very disorienting ride
It's a very disorienting ride17-May-2015 11:23, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 11:24, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
 

The lines were still pretty great and we completed the tour of the Gotham backlot by jumping on both Batman The Ride and Riddler’s Revenge.  Those are still classics and are both massively enjoyable, with Batman’s dangling feet experience a freaking blast and the stand-up mayhem of Riddler very exhilarating.   It was after that when most of the group had finally arrived. We wandered over to where they were in line for Tatsu and while they were waiting, we ended up recovering and eating lunch.  I was very happy to do that, as those 4 rides in a row hit hard.  It’s kind of humbling to realize I can’t do Magic Mountain non-stop anymore.  My ass got kind of kicked and spoiler alert, we ended up leaving around 5:15 today while they’re all still out there even now, probably until closing at 8pm.  We were both just done!  But we did persevere after lunch, so don’t think we pussed out that early!

Anyway, we caught up with them once we snuck in a ride on Revolution.  The original rollercoaster is still quite a great ride.  Once we met up, a quick jump on the Jet Stream was nice for everyone.  They were set on going to Batman the Ride after that so Larry & I stopped for churros.  They all came back shortly though as the line there had gotten really long in the meantime.  So it was lunch for everyone at that point!

Batman, Riddler’s, Revolution & Jet Stream / Lunch!

Batman The Ride is still a classic
Batman The Ride is still a classic17-May-2015 11:24, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.699mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
17-May-2015 11:25, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 6.699mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 125
A very long and exciting coaster
A very long and exciting coaster17-May-2015 11:35, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 250
 
Riddler's Revenge is awesome still
Riddler's Revenge is awesome still17-May-2015 11:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 160
17-May-2015 11:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.5, 9.952mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 100
17-May-2015 11:41, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
 
This is the surprise section of Full Throttle
This is the surprise section of Full Throttle17-May-2015 12:01, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 12:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 250
17-May-2015 12:02, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
 
17-May-2015 12:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 12:03, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
Tatsu is a blast, but we didn't go on it this time
Tatsu is a blast, but we didn't go on it this time17-May-2015 12:08, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
 
I do love Magic Mountain
I do love Magic Mountain17-May-2015 13:14, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
Viva la Larry Revolucion!
Viva la Larry Revolucion!17-May-2015 13:17, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 400
17-May-2015 13:17, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
 

Once lunch was settled in our stomachs, a warm-up ended up being on Gold Rusher, still a classic in my books.  It goods some good damn speed and while not as flashy as it’s many counterparts in the park, provides good thrills.  After that, the group had been consulting wait times online and Full Throttle was reporting only 30-minute wait times!  So it was off to go on that, and honestly, while I was kind of nervous about doing it again, I’m soooo glad we did.  Such an amazing ride.

Back on Full Throttle with the Gang

Back at Full Throttle
Back at Full Throttle17-May-2015 14:57, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 15:10, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
Group shot before going on Full Throttle
Group shot before going on Full Throttle17-May-2015 18:42
 
We got separated, so here's a long-distance shot
We got separated, so here's a long-distance shot17-May-2015 15:22, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 6.3, 63.966mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 15:22, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 6.3, 63.966mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 400
17-May-2015 15:28, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
 

The wait time for X2 was also showing as 15 minutes, so off we were to that part of the park.  Man, X2 is another one of those rides that can really knock you off your ass as it is definitely the most intense ride in the park.  I wouldn’t say it’s a violent kind of intense – just overwhelming in that way where you can’t really be sure what’s going to happen and it’s just so fast and furious.  The fire effects weren’t on today though.   Boo!

X2

Over at X2 now
Over at X2 now17-May-2015 15:51, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 4.0, 5.083mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 125
17-May-2015 15:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 6.14mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
This ride is ridiculously intense
This ride is ridiculously intense17-May-2015 15:52, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 125
 
17-May-2015 15:53, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 15:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 160
17-May-2015 15:55, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 100
 
17-May-2015 16:15, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 3.8, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
 

It was after X2 when I think Larry & I had hit our threshold.  The group was going to go back to Batman to see if the line had gotten better, so our plan was to go with them until Ninja and say goodbye.  We did get to Ninja and saw that the line was way longer than we’d want to deal with, so we said our goodbyes there.  On the way out we picked up our season pass upgrades and enjoyed the absolute lack of crowds while leaving.  That’s one part of the Magic Mountain experience I’m certainly not sad about as it’s always such a pain when the mass exodus occurs!

So, Magic Mountain is still incredible, and we’ll be going back sometime this year to partake in the awesomeness of Twisted Colossus.  It’s too bad about the whole getting old business, but what can you do???  Anyway, we wanted to get back in time to enjoy the series finale of Mad Men and the latest episode of Game of Thrones.  Priorities, people!

17-May-2015 16:58, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 6.14mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
Farewell, Six Flags
Farewell, Six Flags17-May-2015 17:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 17:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 250
 
17-May-2015 17:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 11.0, 4.5mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
17-May-2015 17:00, Canon Canon PowerShot SX600 HS, 13.0, 8.022mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200
 

Colossus Isn’t Going Away Completely…

I saw this video shared on Facebook and nearly lost my mind – the Colossus rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain may have closed this month, but that’s only because it’s getting a redesign as i had hoped when I first heard the news.  This ride looks to be amazing.  Will definitely be heading back to Magic Mountain in 2015!!!!

P.S.  I am really really wanting to get back into Rollercoaster Tycoon now.  I was obsessed with that game way back in the day (circa 2000).  RCT3 is okay but RCT1 and RCT2 were the shit.  I’ve heard the new version coming out this winter is going to be analogous to those…here’s hoping!