Coaster reviews

First Drop Inversions Pace Rattle Theming Discomfort

Not the best in the park, but it’s still good. The first drop is good in any row, although the most forceful experience would have to be in the back edge seats. The inversions are all great, but the second is the most noticeable, especially on the edge seats. The pace that you fly through the course is literally breath-taking. You speed into the brakes. There is also NEVER a line because of the row capacity. The biggest downside is the theming. There is NOTHING. The restraints are ok, but be sure that there isn’t a gap between your legs and the restraint or else it will come down HARD! Last con: the rattle. It’s not really noticeable in the front and second row, but it definitely is in third. Other than that, Emperor is very enjoyable, and if you want a great ride that you can get back on quickly, this is it.

Launch Pace Fun Airtimes Dead spots Reliability

It surpassed my expectations. Arctic Rescue is great. This is a coaster that shines because of the “low-to-the-ground-sensation.” Being that low to the ground enhances the feeling of speed. The launches also have some great acceleration and power. The launches may (or may not) be better than Manta’s. The transitions aren’t crazy but just perfect for an enjoyable ride. Unlike Manta, there is not midcourse brake and therefore the pacing is solid. It is also silky smooth and comfortable. Front row is the best. The theming is also better than the dive coaster next door. The downside to Arctic Rescue is that it ALWAYS breaks down. Every time we go to SWSD, it breaks down. Also, I wish that they would run 2 trains all the time. It would keep the queue flowing a lot faster. They usually have an attendant letting people in the station and they’ll assign your row unless you ask. I wish they had a better system for this because the line crawls. Also FYI, fanny packs aren't allowed anymore. Despite this, it’s a fun ride and a great way to start your day at this park.

Location Fun Dead spots

Rode it near the front. It’s fun. But the turns are definitely not smooth. I think they should have just had one lift hill and have it go all the way to the top.The brakes are also oddly bumpy. It would be cool if it’s timed perfectly, you could get a great view of Full Throttle while riding this.

Airtimes Theming Fun

This ride is cool. The theming is great with a beautiful entrance sign, an aquarium with rays in the queue, some nice tropical landscaping, rays painted on the station ceiling, and the pre-launch effects tunnel. Operations are always on point. The trains are also beautiful and super comfortable. The best seat for airtime is Row 9 (least obstructed view in the back) and the best for the launch is the front. The lap bars do come down but are not noticeable until you hit the final brakes. The pre-show tunnel is cool and immersive with upbeat music, and the tunnel effects are cool. The launches also have some punch. There are several ejector moments, notably the first drop after the 1st launch and the two last twists in the second half. The first camelback gives some nice floater. Several of the turns are also very forceful for what it is. The biggest downside is the MCBR. It’s oddly forceful and messes up the pacing. The queue is also very long. Marathoning this when the park is dead can be a workout when there is no shortcut. Other than that, this is a fantastic coaster. Night rides are also awesome! UPDATE JAN 2024: They’ve updated/replaced the projectors in the tunnel so the effects are brighter than ever.

Location Intensity Smoothness

I got to ride it at night, not during the day. I’ll probably improve this review after I eventually ride it in the daytime. But at night, this was crazy. The layout is so high off the ground, and with a slight fear of heights, I was nervous. It’s planted on a hill, so it’s higher than it would be without the hill. Nonetheless at night, it was awesome. After the unnervingly high lift hill and the first drop, it’s not very lit, so you’re flying through the trees in darkness. Each of the in-line twists are fun. The highlight of the ride is the pretzel loop. It’s GIGANTIC and SUPER forceful. I rode towards the front and was FIGHTING a grayout, so I can’t imagine the back. The restraints were also comfortable. Was also pretty smooth considering how intense it is. Definitely felt like flying.

Pace Smoothness Ejectors

Easily my new favorite. I was able to ride it once, in the front. Unfortunately, it wasn’t dueling. Huge bummer, but I knew going in that it probably wouldn’t duel and I was going to focus on the ride itself. It was amazing, even without the dueling. The airtime is so awesome. The first drop and every single airtime hill gave solid ejector. If this is the airtime on Twisted Colossus, I cannot imagine what the airtime on the larger RMC’s is like. The inversions are also very fun. The stall gives this inverted floating sensation, while the zero g roll is a little whippier. This thing also silky smooth. Smoothest coaster I’ve ever been on. Of course the biggest downside is the lack of dueling. What’s the point of a dueling coaster if it doesn’t duel? I think they could easily fix it if they had an automated system to hold the green side until the blue gets to the lift. Either that or run all three trains but I'm not sure if that's possible. Dueling or not, this and West Coast Racers feel really long since you go around twice. It’s still an outstanding experience and was a blast to ride.

Launch Pace Fun Harness Reliability

This was so fun! It’s the perfect mix of dueling, intensity, speed, launches, and inversions. The high five gives decent lateral airtime. Each of the corkscrews are awesome, and the dueling really adds to it. Watching the other train fly around you that close is AWESOME!! It’s the closest you can get to being an FPV drone. The second launch was also surprising. Having only felt the Skyrocket II launches as far as Premier goes, this had so much more kick to it. It’s only a split second but the acceleration is sudden. The theming is also decent. The biggest downside are the comfort collars. They don’t hurt as much as the Skyrocket II collars do (probably because it’s not as intense), but the pain is noticeable once you’re on the brakes. West Coast Racers also broke down right when the park opened. I’m not sure if this is a regular thing, but that can slow operations down when they cycle all three empty trains. Overall though, this is an amazing ride that has the perfect balance of everything.

Intensity Ejectors Hangtime Theming Capacity Harness

Electric Eel is decent. There is airtime on the first swing forward in the front, and ejector on the drop into the loop in the back. The hangtime on the roll is crazy and sustained. The 180 transition going up after the third launch is very sudden and quick. However, the Comfort Collars don’t do anything good. You’ll likely bang your head throughout the ride. They’re also very inconvenient trying to take on and off and slows operations. The trains are also very tight. However, the ride operations are typically very fast. There isn’t much theming other than a little bit of rockwork that isn’t very obvious.

Theming Pace Rattle Airtimes

The speed is awesome along with the handchoppers. Unfortunately, I only got one ride towards the back. The first thing I noticed was that the seats are low and cushioned a lot. I’m not sure if this hinders the airtime, but I didn’t feel much of it. Apocalypse seems to be a twister GCI. There is little airtime in the back. There is also a noticeable rattle but does not ruin the ride. There is also some really immersive and ominous theming in the queue, such as a bunch of evacuation alarms and some destroyed trucks. Overall a good ride. I would like to ride it in the front in the future; perhaps it’s better there.

Pace Ejectors Duration

This was my first RMC and I was super excited. Even though it’s often ranked lower as a raptor, to me, it was amazing. I tried to sit as far back as I could (10th row). The ejector is crazy, and so is the pacing. It throws you around nonstop. It also carries its speed very well which probably enhances the pacing. The inversions are fun as well, giving this inverted weightlessness. There are also a couple great near misses. The restraints were also a lot more comfortable than I was expecting. The over-the-shoulder straps can retract, so it will fit to your size. The moving loading platform also keeps operations consistent and keeps the crew from standing around. This was also a lot smoother than I was expecting. I only got one ride, however. Overall, this was a big highlight of my trip to Magic Mountain.