I dug out some 70's Magic Mountain photos. While looking at them I was really struck at how boring the park looked early on. Other then the Wizard and the Trolls, the park was pretty standard amusement park fare. But I loved it as a kid, going on the Gold Rusher , Swiss Twist and the Jolly Monster. But I could never get the courage to do Spin Out or the Mountain Express.
The Olympic rings on the octopus ride is a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteThose are two different rides. I think the top photo is the Jolly octopus before it got the cool green paint job, the one below is the swiss twist, as I remember it each car had a different countries flag on it.
ReplyDeleteI did the Spin Out once and for 15 minutes after I got off that ride I had to sit down and almost threw up. I never would ride it again thinking next time I would either on the ride or directly after. Swiss Twist was my favorite back then.
ReplyDeleteooooo the Octopus!
ReplyDeletei think i must have been there the same summer. i remember watching the olympic skaters training. and i have a pic of me and my mom in those bumper cars. thanks for the bit of nostalgia!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I admit to having a certain fondness for those Trolls, Bloop and Bleep by name ... even like to think about them from time to time, wonder what they must now be up to in their ur-retirement, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteBodysurfing on some remote beach in Ventura County, perhaps?
As a kid, we used to go everyday!Hooray for season's passes. I tried the spin out too...never again. I loved Spilikin Corners, the Oasis Cafeteria and the thing that got the biggest rush out of me was the eagle's flight (those hanging gondola cars that fell a couple of times). Good memories! thanks for creating the blog and posting photos.
ReplyDeleteDan I worked all those rides!! Actually met my wife while working on the Jolly Monster Octopus ride. I should have kept a daily log of the things we did there back them.Don't pick on the Wiz & trolls, Those trolls sure knew how to throw a party over in Sylmar after hours... even the one named Debra Winger!!Eagles flight wasn't a good memory for me as I was the first employee on scene when that just married couple rocked the gondola off the cable and dropped 100 feet. Swiss Twist was good to me too, as I was the ride op in a postcard. I'm also one of the FBI agents in the movie Rollercoaster as 1 actor had to team up with an employee to walk the track at the Revolution for the bomb. Gotta go, way to many stories I can tell!
ReplyDeleteJoe
Last time i went there it was sad. Gang bangers everywhere. Graffitti on every ride, written on every wall; in every line. The days past were the best when the 8th grade trip with the school went there. But that was 1979. I did like some of the new rides; but the type of people that go there now look and act like jerks. Attitude should be happy, not homeboy. I'll never go back. It ruined it for me to see so many thugs. MM needs to change its standards. The whole place is rundown and gone way downhill. Sorry... just MHO
ReplyDeleteThe last i went was in the late 80's. the gang bangers started after spilikin corners(and family values) went out the window! I loved those trolls and lets not forget in '76(the Bicentennial) the Revolution was unveiled and a"loop" coaster,then unprecedented, was born ! Remember your first time going upside down?! what a trip. Now it seems like a Hamill-Camel to the more popular triple axle triple toe lop combination! ha ha. simpler seemed okay for us then. what happened? I loved the Jet Stream and the Log Jammer and ,of course, the Enterprise! What ride now could scare the crap ouut you like The rickety old Mountain Express?! I always thought i was gonna die every time i got on that ride! Talk about scary.Why also did The Spin-Out ALWAYS seem to be first up after lunch :/ Good Times! I miss em
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