We might have written more on Theme Park Insider over the years about X2 - and its initial version, X - than any other roller coaster. X opened to great expectations in 2002, only to suffer repeated downtimes that eventually closed the ride and helped sink its manufacturer. In 2008, Magic Mountain tried again, installing new, lighter trains with on-ride music and renaming the ride X2.
Perhaps the most popular coaster at Magic Mountain (and still with often-nasty wait-times, as a result), X2 plays like a "best of" reel from a variety of coasters. You start with a dive coaster's 200-foot, face-down drop, then your seat rotates, heels over head, through turns, twists and inversions, creating far more effects than one would think possible on X2's 3,600-foot track. At one moment, you're riding forward, then - boom - you're riding backward.
Take a ride with me:
The seat rotation is coordinated with track elements, so it's not like you're spinning in a blender here. But the variety of elements here can be too much for some riders... and roller coaster heaven for others.
Which side are you on? Tell us your thoughts about X2, in the comments. Voting begins for the Best Theme Park Attraction Tournament in March.
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