All things Magic Mountain

[Phroobar]

The Dragon Cable Railway. This was a transportation system going from Samurai Sumit down the backside of Magic Mountain. It was removed when Ninja was build. Ninja uses the original upper building for it's queue.

There was a turn table in the center to turn the cable car around. It worked similar to the cable cars in San Francisco. As you can see, they just built over the original infrasture.

What is left of the cars rusting away where Daja Vu use to be.

The lower building is still there and falling apart. Magic Mountain has artifacts of its past just rotting away in full view of park guests. Clearing out these ruins would give Magic Mountain a lot more space to install new rides.

 

[Phroobar]

 

[Rich T]

The Dragon Cable Railway. This was a transportation system going from Samurai Sumit down the backside of Magic Mountain. It was removed when Ninja was build. Ninja uses the original upper building for it's queue.

There was a turn table in the center to turn the cable car around. It worked similar to the cable cars in San Francisco. As you can see, they just built over the original infrasture.

What is left of the cars rusting away where Daja Vu use to be.

The lower building is still there and falling apart. Magic Mountain has artifacts of its past just rotting away in full view of park guests. Clearing out these ruins would give Magic Mountain a lot more space to install new rides.

Yay, that top photo is one I took myself soon after Dragon opened! Memories! It was a cute ride, but it was SOOOOO SLOWWWWWW. We're talking ducks could waddle faster than that thing. Magic Mountain made a few puzzling purchasing decisions in those days, but I guess so did every other non-Disney theme park. The coaster wars were just beginning.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I have to say, this thread is fast becoming one of my favorites. Great stuff. Thanks @Phrubruh !

 

[Phroobar]

I have to say, this thread is fast becoming one of my favorites. Great stuff. Thanks @Phrubruh !

Thanks! I'm looking for pictures of the Magic Pagoda. All I remember of that thing was the talking Buddha and rubber chickens flying over head as we crossed bridges.

 

[Rich T]

Thanks! I'm looking for pictures of the Magic Pagoda. All I remember of that thing was the talking Buddha and rubber chickens flying over head as we crossed bridges.

My memories of Magic Pagoda:

Entry room with Buddha with projected face. Projection didn't match the surface quite enough. His last line was "hold onto your hair."

Then the "mirror maze" which was very short and simple and had a dragon statue behind a one-way mirror appearing and disappearing.

Strobe light room that made you look like you were in an old-time silent movie. A paper dragon circled the room on an overhead rail.

Disappearing chamber room. A CM picked a guest to stand in a transporter-like booth to "disappear." I got picked.

The village-and-bridges room with the river flowing down the middle and the flying chickens and boxing glove-on-a-spring overhead.

The Exit and guests saying "that was it?"

 

[Phroobar]

I think Curly Howard of the Three Stooges did the face for the Buddha.

 

[Phroobar]

Here is where the Magic Pagoda is now at the top of Samurai Summit.

Magic Mountain uses it for one of their Fright Fest haunted houses. It's completely gutted except for the haunt maze.

 

[Phroobar]

 

[Phroobar]

Promotional video for Magic Mountain in the late 80's. I think teenagers dressed better back then.

 

[socalifornian]

The Dragon Cable Railway. This was a transportation system going from Samurai Sumit down the backside of Magic Mountain. It was removed when Ninja was build. Ninja uses the original upper building for it's queue.

There was a turn table in the center to turn the cable car around. It worked similar to the cable cars in San Francisco. As you can see, they just built over the original infrasture.

What is left of the cars rusting away where Daja Vu use to be.

The lower building is still there and falling apart. Magic Mountain has artifacts of its past just rotting away in full view of park guests. Clearing out these ruins would give Magic Mountain a lot more space to install new rides.

Always wondered if that actually moved and what it was for, that’s cool

 

[Rich T]

Y;know... if that final scene with the houses and bridges and slaptick puppet Punch-and-Judy humor was supposed to be "Inspired by the mysterious sights and sounds of the Hong Kong Waterfront".... Um.... Yeah, that wouldn't have aged very well....

I've never been to the Hong Kong waterfront, but is it really that mysterious??? I'm going to take a wild guess that strobe lights and disappearing cabinets aren't prominent features there....

 

[Stevek]

A little construction update on Magic Mountain's West Coast Racers coaster. This is the world's first racing launch coaster. This is going next to Apocalypse. They completely cleared the area after the go karts to Apocalypse for this ride. It's a dueling coaster where the car changes sides on the second loop though with a pitstop in the middle. I don't think it will be open this summer. Maybe for Fright Fest.

https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/attractions/newfor2019

Is Apocalypse closed because of this construction? I think it's been closed for quite a while hasn't it?

Nevermind, just found this video

 

[Stevek]

I know the building queue for Flashback is used for a Fright Fest maze. They usually have Toys of Terror in there. It's weird being in that abandoned area where they do the mazes with all it's 80's architecture.

Wonder why this closed...thought it was enjoyable but really only rode it a couple of times right when it opened. Probably became pretty dated given everything else that's opened up since then.

 

[BubbaQuest]

The Dragon Cable Railway. This was a transportation system going from Samurai Sumit down the backside of Magic Mountain. It was removed when Ninja was build. Ninja uses the original upper building for it's queue.

There was a turn table in the center to turn the cable car around. It worked similar to the cable cars in San Francisco. As you can see, they just built over the original infrasture.

What is left of the cars rusting away where Daja Vu use to be.

The lower building is still there and falling apart. Magic Mountain has artifacts of its past just rotting away in full view of park guests. Clearing out these ruins would give Magic Mountain a lot more space to install new rides.

I loved this ride. Sure there wasn't much to it, but after running around the park all day it was a nice place to relax and enjoy the scenery. Plus if remember correctly, the lower half was tree covered, so it was also a cooler place to sit!

 

[BubbaQuest]

Wonder why this closed...thought it was enjoyable but really only rode it a couple of times right when it opened. Probably became pretty dated given everything else that's opened up since then.

I'm assuming because of lawsuits. I loved it, but it was a notorious head-banger. If I remember correctly, it you didn't sit in the front outside seats, you couldn't see anything and were guaranteed a headache.

 

[Phroobar]

I loved this ride. Sure there wasn't much to it, but after running around the park all day it was a nice place to relax and enjoy the scenery. Plus if remember correctly, the lower half was tree covered, so it was also a cooler place to sit!

Too bad they took away the dragon ride. MM needs a mechanical way to get back up to Samuri Summit from that side of the park. At least the Helpful Honda train still runs on the other side. I hate that hill climb.

 

[Phroobar]

The Helpful Honda Express
aka Orient Express
aka Funicular

 

[Phroobar]

 

[Phroobar]

The trolls Bleep, Bloop, and King Troll, and the Wizard became a recognizable symbol of Magic Mountain. These characters were used until 1985. The trolls (and wizard) were the mascots of change. Disneyland at the time was using the ticket system. You received a ticket book upon entering Disneyland and had to surrender a ticket every time you wanted to go on a ride. The tickets were graded A-E. "E" being the most popular and also the fewest in the book of tickets. You were forced to buy more tickets if you wanted to ride all the good rides. The troll-filled park offered up a new option. One admission price-NO TICKETS. Once you paid to enter the park you could ride all day for free. The trolls represented freedom. Freedom to do whatever you wanted and not be taxed by the mouse. Magic Mountain's admission policy was one of the reasons Disneyland no longer works on the ticket system. The Magic Kingdom had to drop that policy in order to remain competitive. Bless you Trolls (and Wizard.)