Hello, all! I'm an 18 year old girl and I love amusement parks! Every year for my birthday, my mom and I go to Great America in Santa Clara, CA. This year, however, we want to switch things up. We've never been to SFMM and I was wondering if you guys have any tips pertaining to which rides to try to hit first and in what order, etc. (I'm not talking about tips like bring water, wear sunscreen, pace yourself, etc). Also, do you guys think one day is enough to enjoy SFMM? Thanks, I really appreciate it!
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Also use these previous threads
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/discussion/thread.cfm?page=997
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/discussion/thread.cfm?page=927
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Hi there, and welcome to the site.
SFMM is one of those parks where what you should do can very dramatically based on when you are visiting, whether you are visiting for one, two, or three days, and whether or not you will be purchasing a Flash Pass. In general, if you are visiting outside of peak season (which runs from early June to mid August) and avoid weekends (especially Saturdays) and holiday periods, one day will probably be sufficient and you won't need a Flash Pass unless you want to do a lot of re-rides. If you visit during peak season or must visit on a weekend, I would plan on either one day with a Flash Pass or two days without one. Lines during the summer are generally 60-90 minutes for major attractions, so you will likely not get to every coaster and will have no time for re-rides without one. A third day would really only be necessary if you were forced to visit on a holiday weekend or if it is unlikely you'll have a chance to return for many years and want to get as many re-rides as possible.
For a one day visit without a Flash Pass, I would recommend the following touring plan:
1. Arrive at the park early. People will generally start lining up at the gates about 45 minutes before opening, so make sure you are parked and en route to the entrance at least 30 minutes early. Make sure you purchase your ticket in advance, and if you'll be visiting for a second day or will be visiting any other Six Flags park this year I'd recommend a Season Pass.
2. When the park opens, head immediately to Full Throttle and ride. Full Throttle is located right at the entrance to the park and has poor capacity, so it gets a line fast and won't get shorter.
3. After Full Throttle, head counter-clockwise around the park. Ride Goliath when you reach it, then bypass Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom to ride Twisted Colossus and Scream.
4. At this point, the current time will dictate your remaining actions:
A. If it is before 11:30 A.M., check to see if Superman: Escape from Krypton is operating (it should be easy to tell as you can hear it from almost anywhere). If it is operating, head up to Samurai Summit and ride Superman, then Ninja, then Tatsu, then proceed clockwise around the park and hit rides of interest as you pass.
B. If it is between 11:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M., continue around the park counter-clockwise and stop at rides as you reach them. Save Samurai Summit for last.
C. If it is after 1:30 P.M. (highly unlikely unless it is a holiday), head to Baja Ridge and ride X2 and New Revolution, then proceed clockwise around the park and do each recommended attraction as you reach it (see list below).
Depending on crowds, you should be able to do most (if not all) of the coasters, but you will likely not have much time for re-rides or non-coaster rides unless you purchase a Flash Pass or visit on a lighter day. For a first time visitor, I would try to do all of the following attractions:
-Apocalypse the Ride
-Batman The Ride
-Goliath
-Full Throttle
-Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom
-New Revolution
-Riddler's Revenge
-Roaring Rapids (only if you're okay with getting very wet)
-Scream
-Superman: Escape from Krypton
-Tatsu
-Twisted Colossus
-X2
The park's other coasters and water rides are worth riding as time permits, but I'd suggest skipping any of the flat rides (other than Lex Luthor) as most are fairly common models.
If you will be visiting for more than one day, I would suggest following the plan above for your first day and then use your second day to do anything you missed followed by whatever re-rides you want to do. If you decide to purchase a Flash Pass (I'd recommend Gold...Platinum is just too expensive and will make everyone hate you), ignore the above plan and do Full Throttle, Superman, and Twisted Colossus in that order (as they are not included on the Flash Pass), then just work your way around the park in a logical order and save X2 for the 2-5 P.M. window (it is an upcharge on Flash Pass).
Lastly, make sure you are prepared for the park. Six Flags Magic Mountain is a very large park (at least twice the size of California's Great America), very hilly, and regularly sees summer temperatures of over 100 degrees. Make sure you stay hydrated, and don't be afraid to take a break if you start to feel off. I know more people who have needed to cut their day short at SFMM due to illness than at the rest of the So Cal parks combined. Also, keep in mind that SFMM is a coaster park with little to do other than coasters, so if anyone in your party is not a roller coaster person they may be better off not joining the trip.
SFMM is not the perfect park, but for a coaster enthusiast it is hard to think of anywhere with a better coaster collection. I hope you have a great time at the park.