Six Flags Magic Mountain LA Review: Top Coasters & Guide
Planning a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in LA? Discover the top 5 roller coasters, best park routes, and essential tips to conquer this thrill-seeker paradise.
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Planning a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain in LA? Discover the top 5 roller coasters, best park routes, and essential tips to conquer this thrill-seeker paradise.
Hey everyone! I'm Ongsang.
Are you struggling to choose between Universal Studios and Six Flags
for your LA trip?
To give you the bottom line first: if you're a roller coaster lover,
you are absolutely going to love it here!!
If you're curious about ticket types and Flash Pass pricing,
check out this post first:
Six Flags Ticket Price Comparison: Do You Really Need a Flash Pass?
Table of Contents |
1. Location & Parking |
2. Recommended Route |
3. Why You Absolutely Need the App |
4. Top 5 Most Popular Rides |
5. Should You Ride Roaring Rapids? |
6. Essential Packing Checklist |
7. Honest Pros & Cons |
FAQ: Things I Was Curious About |
1. Location & Parking
Six Flags Magic Mountain is located
in the Valencia area of LA.
It's about 50 km (approx. 31 miles) north of downtown LA and Hollywood,
where most travelers stay, so
renting a car is pretty much essential.
An Uber will set you back about $100 one-way.
If you take the highway, it takes around 40 to 50 minutes to get there.
Since Valencia is in a semi-desert area,
the perceived temperature in the summer is completely different
from downtown LA.
Keep this in mind before you head out!
Parking is cheaper if you buy it online in advance rather than paying at the gate.
Standard parking starts at $40.
You can easily add it to your cart when purchasing your tickets.
Six Flags Magic Mountain - Parking
2. Recommended Route
Arrive for rope drop (opening) → Twisted Colossus → Full Throttle →
Wonder Woman → West Coast Racers → Roaring Rapids → X2
This is what the layout looks like on the map.
It is seriously... incredibly huge. Almost unnecessarily huge!
That's why planning your route in advance is a massive lifesaver!
You'll find a lot of advice telling you to head straight for X2 first thing in the morning,
but I actually recommend
riding it last.
X2 is easily the most thrilling ride in the entire park.
If you ride it first, everything else
might feel a bit underwhelming!
It felt so much more satisfying to knock out the rides with shorter lines in the morning,
and then finish the day on a high note with X2 in the late afternoon
when its line usually starts to shrink.
Or, you know, ride it once in the middle of the day
and then hit it one more time right before you leave!
3. Why You Absolutely Need the App
Make sure to download the official Six Flags App before you go.
It lets you check wait times in real-time, allowing you
to easily adjust your route on the fly
and target the shortest lines.
You can also instantly find your way on the map and locate restrooms and restaurants.
Just search "Six Flags" on the App Store or Google Play.
Or click the links below to download it directly!
4. Top 5 Most Popular Rides
No. 1: X2
The seats spin 360 degrees as you fly along the track,
complete with actual fire effects!
The initial drop is so intense, it was hard to even keep my eyes open.
This is hands down my favorite ride at Six Flags.
And by my standards, easily the most terrifying...
If you're familiar with the famous Korean variety show "Infinite Challenge,"
do you remember the legendary "Yogurt Roller Coaster" challenge?
Yes, this is THAT roller coaster! Hahaha 🤣🤣
2nd Place: Wonder Woman
This is a single-rail coaster where you ride in a bicycle-like seating position,
and the thrill is absolutely insane.
Seriously, there's absolutely nothing holding you in
except for a lap bar over your thighs. It is the absolute best! lol
I ended up riding this one twice, too.
3rd Place: West Coast Racers
It's structured as a side-by-side race between two cars.
To be honest, it didn't look that exciting at first, so I had zero expectations.
But oh my gosh, it was SO MUCH FUN!!!
You absolutely have to try it—it's a total plot-twist coaster.
4th Place: Twisted Colossus
The legendary moment on this ride is when the two tracks cross paths.
With a near-vertical 90-degree drop, you feel like you're
almost touching the other coaster. The thrill is on another level!
5th Place: Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom
This is the tallest drop tower in the world.
You drop from a height of 126 meters (around 413 feet) at a speed of 137 km/h (85 mph)!
Since I have a fear of heights,
I sent my friend on it alone and watched from below—
and my friend’s face on the way down said it all! Hahaha ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
If you can handle roller coasters but
struggle with drop-tower style rides, keep this in mind!
Tatsu is a flying coaster (similar to suspended coasters like Everland's old Eagle's Fortress),
and I had high expectations of feeling like I was flying through the sky, but...
Personally, it was a bit of a letdown for me.
Honestly, other than X2, they were all similarly super fun.
X2 is just legendary!
I heard a rumor that NASA actually designed this ride,
but turns out it's just a myth haha.
But honestly, once you ride it, you completely understand why that rumor started.
5. Roaring Rapids
Should you ride it or skip it?
You will get absolutely soaked from head to toe.
We're talking drenched down to your underwear and socks,
so after getting off, I finally understood
why everyone else was wearing ponchos! Hahaha.
But since it was summer, walking around
and waiting in line for other rides helped me dry off.
If you want to ride it, go for it!
Just be fully prepared to get absolutely drenched.
I had no idea and ended up soaked right down to my underwear lol.
Hahaha.
6. What to Pack: Checklist
Bags must be roughly 30 x 30 x 15 cm (12 x 12 x 6 inches) or smaller to enter,
and they do a thorough security check with X-rays and bag inspections at the entrance.
The park is strictly card-only, so you won't need any cash.
Item | Reason |
Sneakers | The park is huge, so you'll be walking a ton. |
Small Bag | Bag size limits apply + easier to manage on rides. |
Tumbler | Allowed inside the park. |
Portable Fan | Desert climate; a lifesaver for outdoor lines. |
Sunscreen | The direct sunlight is incredibly strong. |
Card | Cashless park (no cash accepted). |
Here are some highly recommended products!
For a portable fan, Fromb is the way to go!
Fromb Silent Storm Mini Portable Fan Foldable Noiseless Desk Fan FA135 Airy Blue
Wiping off with cooling sheets whenever you sweat
keeps your discomfort index at zero!
7. Honest Pros and Cons
What I Loved (Pros)
· The quality of the roller coasters is truly legendary.
· Thrills you simply can't experience back in Korea
Cons
· Hard to reach without a rental car
· Valencia's summer heat is absolutely brutal
· Food is pretty expensive inside
FAQ We Had Too
Q. Is one day enough for Six Flags LA?
If you have a Flash Pass, you can easily hit most of the popular rides in one day.
Without it, it might be a bit of a stretch.
Q. Can you get there without a rental car?
Due to its location in Valencia, public transit is pretty tricky,
so a rental car or an Uber is pretty much a must.
Uber fares vary daily, but expect to pay around $100 one-way.
Q. What is the absolute scariest ride?
Without a doubt, X2.
The seats rotate 360 degrees and there are literal fire blasts,
making the thrill level absolutely unmatched.
Q. What is the best month to visit Six Flags LA?
Spring and autumn are definitely the most comfortable seasons.
In summer, you might remember
the scorching heat more than the rides themselves.
Are we exhausted? Yes and no (mostly yes).
We were so wiped out by the heat that we swallowed our pride
and hid in a corner behind the candy shop just to escape the sun...
Wrapping It Up
Plan your route well, download the app, and leave X2 for the very end.
Just keep these tips in mind, and you'll have
the perfect, action-packed day at Six Flags LA.
If you're wondering how to buy tickets,
check out my guide below!
Six Flags Ticket Price Comparison: Do You Really Need a Flash Pass?
It takes about 40 to 50 minutes using the highway. A one-way Uber ride costs about $100, so we recommend renting a car instead.
Only bags measuring approximately 30 x 30 x 15 cm or smaller are allowed, and all bags go through an X-ray scan upon entry. The park is cashless and only accepts card payments, so you don't need to bring any cash.
We recommend riding other attractions with shorter lines in the morning, and saving X2 for last when its line gets shorter in the mid-to-late afternoon. Since it's the most thrilling ride, riding it first might make the other attractions feel underwhelming.
It's a ride that splashes a lot of water, enough to soak you right down to your underwear and socks. If you are uncomfortable getting wet, it's highly recommended to bring a raincoat before getting on.
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