Superman: EFK Preview Ride
Anyway, today I got to ride Superman: Escape From Krypton exactly one month before opening. The park is hosting preview rides for thrill pass holders only this weekend only, and I was able to get there on the LAST car/ride of the day due to the rain that began just beforehand. The event was supposed to last through 5pm, but my ride (the last) was at 1pm even. The queue is NO different, except for maybe some revamped neon lighting, and the station is the same. The trains however were very different. The Shoulder restraints were a change from the normal, allowing your right arm a lot of space to move around, while the left side had a small opening enough for your hand to go through which seemed odd.. The belts were also extremely odd. The plug in piece was SKINNY, as a pen, and the connector that holds it was almost like a grasp/hook. Hard to describe. The ride itself was incredible. The launch was amazing, way better backwards, and the air time really was felt more this time around. At the top it really feels like your hanging there, and provides a very high view of the park. Your stomach really hangs there, and I have to admit it feels like yor up there for a long time. On the way down however, rain drops turned into bullets on the face at the high speeds that hurt more than anything. Neal Thurman, one of the managers at the park was also there.
The Rest Of The Day
After Superman, it was a given free for all as EVERY SINGLE ride was a walk-on. Even X2, Tatsu, Goliath, and the rest. Viper and Ninja were the only ones that closed due to the weather. While in line for Goliath, the ride operators actually removed a train to switch over to one train operation. Basically, a piece of track along with the emergency walkway, is moved sideways along a chain powered track underneath. The train is driven off, and the track goes back in place on the brake run. The rain didn't seize to stop any coasters, and allowed for no lines, no people on the walkways, and multiple rides without getting off on X2 and Tatsu as an example. Due to weather, the park closed at 6 rather than 8. Yes, it was freezing, and the rain pretty much soaked us, but it was worth it. Word of advice: Magic Mountain is so much better to expreience in the rain. Just be prepared for drenching, freezing temps, pelting rain in the face at some points on the rides, and possible closures. Oh, and the Job Fair was today in the Picnic Pavilion.