Getting Ready for Magic Mountain
- Food is expensive and you'll have to drive to get to an outside restaurant. Bring a picnic lunch to eat in the picnic area outside.
- Two-thirds of the rides have minimum height restrictions which range from 48 to 54 inches tall. Measure your children before you go and explain which rides they can go on. At the park, get a one-time height check wristband at Guest Relations, security information booths and the major rides.
- Be sure electronic gadgets' batteries are charged, especially your smart phone which you'll be using for picture-taking, texting and using the Magic Mountain app.
- In case you split up or someone gets misplaced, plan where to meet or be sure everyone has all the phone numbers they need.
- If you buy your tickets online, be sure they print out clearly. If you can't print the ticket, go to Guest Relations Booth with your email receipt or order confirmation number, photo ID and the credit card you used to buy it.
- Magic Mountain is the only Los Angeles-area theme park that has metal detectors outside the entrance. You can speed up the process by dressing simply and being prepared. In the picture above, my friend's bags are being thoroughly searched and they confiscated her small pair of folding scissors. They'll also take your food, so don't even try it.
Getting Around Magic Mountain
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Magic Mountain is fairly small, but it can still wear you out. You can save time (and aching feet) by using the Orient Express.
- Magic Mountain is easy to get around, with big signs everywhere. You can also get a paper map at the gate, or get their iPhone app.
Stay Comfortable
- It can be as much as 20 degrees hotter at Magic Mountain than at the beach and even the mid-70s can feel like a scorcher in this park with few trees and lots of asphalt to soak up and radiate the heat. Waterproof sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water can help. Keep cool: freeze a wet wash cloth and put it in a plastic bag or bring along a bottle of frozen water. In summer when they're open late, arrive in mid-afternoon.
- Don't carry too much. You have to drag every ounce of it around with you all day.
- Don't try to stow things in shirt pockets or they'll join the sunglasses I lost on Colossus. If it happens to you, lost items go to lost and found where they're kept for a week.
- You won't be allowed to carry fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags and the like onto X2, Viper, Tatsu, APOCALYPSE, The Riddler’s Revenge, Batman The Ride, Scream or Goliath. Lockers are available, but they cost $1 per rental, so your best option is to travel light and wear clothing with pockets that close securely with buttons, zippers or Velcro instead. A wallet-sized purse with a long strap may be just big enough to hold the necessities and you can secure it in the pocket of cargo pants or inside your shirt while riding.
- If anyone is susceptible to motion sickness, bring remedies.
- Go shopping and play arcade games late in the day so you don't have to carry purchases and prizes around.
- Wear comfortable shoes that cover your feet. Leave dangling jewelry at home and avoid wearing anything that park management might find "inappropriate."
- Bring warmer clothing for evening, even in summer.
