Wait times at Magic Mountain are long enough to make the most ardent fans think twice about standing in line, but it's just about the only way to get your adrenaline rush. If you can visit the park on a summer weekday or during the off-season when kids are in school, waits may be shorter. That is, unless they cut back on the number of cars running.
The only reliable way to save time in line is to get a Magic Mountain's Flash Pass, which you can buy online. It works more or less like Disneyland's FastPass, except at Magic Mountain you have to pay for it. With it, you can reserve a time to go on the most popular rides (over a dozen of them) and go do something else until then.
With a Gold Level Fast Pass (and on top of that paying an extra fee at the park), you can reserve a ride time on the over-popular X2. At the Platinum level, you can wait once and ride twice. The per-pass price goes down the more passes you buy, so try to get them for everyone in your group at the same time.
On a slow day, the Flash Pass won't be necessary, but if the park is busy and you don't have one, you probably won't have time to do all the popular rides and will need to prioritize. We've gathered some information and tips that may help you save time in line.
- Six Flags' "parent swap" option can save you from standing in line twice. If you have children with you who are under 54 inches tall. Get in lien together, then when one person rides while the other waits. When the first person returns, they swap places and the other person rides.
- Younger kids are very anxious to ride when they first enter the park. Try to find something with a short line to ride first to take the edge off the excitement.
- Some people suggest getting to Magic Mountain early enough to be inside as soon as it opens and go on the newest ride right away (which is currently Full Throttle). If you run to the ride, the wait may be about 20 minutes, but if you walk, it may be 45 minutes and from after that, the wait quickly builds up to 3 hours. Others think you should ride the new rides last because nothing else will measure up.
- After running to Full Throttle, go to X2, Tatsu, Terminator Salvation, then the rest.
- In general, the wait for roller coasters is longer in the morning and the wait for water rides is longer in the afternoon.
- Try the more popular rides during meal times, noon to 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
- When the park first opens, everyone rushes to the newest rides or the ones nearest the gate. Head straight to the back of the park first and you may get on some of the rides there with less wait.
- Bring something to amuse yourself (and the kids) while you stand in line.
