X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain has closed

[Matt N]

This does make me sad.

I was always sceptical I’d even like X2 that much, but I am sad I didn’t get to ride it and it does feel like the chapter is closing for that proper maximalist era of coasters that I’m sad I never got to experience.

As much as coasters have come a long way and we make some brilliant layout designs now, rides like X2 were a mark of an era where parks weren’t afraid to be bold and there was a real sense of mechanical maximalism in coaster building that I feel is missing today to an extent. It is great that we’ve learned how to be efficient and get the most out of what we build and the modern layout designs are brilliant, but on a gut instinct level, there’s something about these properly envelope-pushing designs of the early to mid 2000s that I quite miss in modern design. I yearn for that sort of mechanical ambition to return!

 

[dixhuit]

I see them remplacing it by tallest and first hyper B&M wing coaster. It look quite similar for the GP without being as intense and thrilling. It’s also very reliable.

 

[Efteldingus]

I see them remplacing it by tallest and first hyper B&M wing coaster. It look quite similar for the GP without being as intense and thrilling. It’s also very reliable.

It's a cool idea tbh. I doubt the current model could go up to such sizes though? I feel like it might need more beefy track and such, like the dives

 

[roomraider]

It's a cool idea tbh. I doubt the current model could go up to such sizes though? I feel like it might need more beefy track and such, like the dives

The current tallest is only just under 200ft. So can't see why they couldn't break that barrier. It's not a terrible fit.

 

[Rob Coasters]

The new one at Energylandia opening next year is also rumoured to hit around 203ft.

But I wouldn't rule out there being no replacement at all. X2's spot is on an absolutely ridiculous dead end and is incredibly far out of the way of anything. There's probably something they could do with the space, but if you want people to commit towards walking that far for one singular ride, I imagine you'd probably want it to be something a little more impressive than a wing coaster that might struggle to be even the fourth best ride in the park.


I imagine for now they'll just cut their losses and leave the land empty, waiting for further development.

I'm imagining a timeline. Right now X2 might sit collecting dust as lawsuit evidence for the next couple years, then when everything's settled, I imagine deconstruction starts in early 2028 at the absolute earliest. Then you still need the money to demolish Escape From Krypton as well. Then Viper or Ninja or Scream might bite the dust at some point too. Then by 2030 you might be considering what goes in X2's spot, and who knows how rides might've developed by then. Maybe wing coasters are out of fashion, maybe a wing coaster is too close and too inferior to what X2 was, maybe a wing coaster is actually a perfect fit for the park. Maybe people have moved on from X2 by then and people won't be as fussed about what might be a "worthy" replacement, then you can do whatever.

To me, "X2 replacement" feels like a more 'if' than 'what' or 'when'. But I won't deny people's rights to speculate, as it's fun to do that.

 

[Rob Coasters]

Nothing to see here.

 

[CaliAngel]

This is just me spit-balling and looking on the optimistic side of things...

Yes, "X2" is permanently closed. Didn't they say the same about "X" before they closed it and got the new trains?

I know the company is in a completely different place than they were 20 years ago, but I can't help but wonder if there is a possibility that S&S comes in, retracks the 4-D rail, updates the trains so this thing rides like Eejanaika or Dinoconda, and Six Flags re-brands and re-opens the ride as "X3".

It is also not unheard of to re-develop and re-fabricate a portion of an existing ride. Basically from the valley before the final raven turn to the brake run could be done, as that really is the most problematic area of the ride.

I know that is far far fetched...but with the popularity of this ride and its status as the pinnacle of the not only the parks attractions, being the only one on this half of the planet, you have to wonder if it's something the park has even considered.

 

[Peet]

This is just me spit-balling and looking on the optimistic side of things...

Yes, "X2" is permanently closed. Didn't they say the same about "X" before they closed it and got the new trains?

I know the company is in a completely different place than they were 20 years ago, but I can't help but wonder if there is a possibility that S&S comes in, retracks the 4-D rail, updates the trains so this thing rides like Eejanaika or Dinoconda, and Six Flags re-brands and re-opens the ride as "X3".

It is also not unheard of to re-develop and re-fabricate a portion of an existing ride. Basically from the valley before the final raven turn to the brake run could be done, as that really is the most problematic area of the ride.

I know that is far far fetched...but with the popularity of this ride and its status as the pinnacle of the not only the parks attractions, being the only one on this half of the planet, you have to wonder if it's something the park has even considered.

Yeah I am wishfully thinking along similar lines - the announcement was specifically that "X2 is closing after nearly 20 years" - no acknowledgement of the original X. I thought this kind of leaves the door open for a second major refurb to X3.

On my one and only ride I was quite shocked at how jerky the seat rotation was, I'd imagine this could all be smoothed out with a modern re-track, which would fix the head bashing issue and make it a much better ride overall, it could be one of the best in the World again.

Yep I'll continue to clutch at straws until I see it getting torn down.

 

[Hyde]

The new one at Energylandia opening next year is also rumoured to hit around 203ft.

But I wouldn't rule out there being no replacement at all. X2's spot is on an absolutely ridiculous dead end and is incredibly far out of the way of anything. There's probably something they could do with the space, but if you want people to commit towards walking that far for one singular ride, I imagine you'd probably want it to be something a little more impressive than a wing coaster that might struggle to be even the fourth best ride in the park.
View attachment 43429

I imagine for now they'll just cut their losses and leave the land empty, waiting for further development.

I'm imagining a timeline. Right now X2 might sit collecting dust as lawsuit evidence for the next couple years, then when everything's settled, I imagine deconstruction starts in early 2028 at the absolute earliest. Then you still need the money to demolish Escape From Krypton as well. Then Viper or Ninja or Scream might bite the dust at some point too. Then by 2030 you might be considering what goes in X2's spot, and who knows how rides might've developed by then. Maybe wing coasters are out of fashion, maybe a wing coaster is too close and too inferior to what X2 was, maybe a wing coaster is actually a perfect fit for the park. Maybe people have moved on from X2 by then and people won't be as fussed about what might be a "worthy" replacement, then you can do whatever.

To me, "X2 replacement" feels like a more 'if' than 'what' or 'when'. But I won't deny people's rights to speculate, as it's fun to do that.

Financial considerations drive X2 deconstruction more than the lawsuit; since the lawsuits are civil and not criminal, there's no court-ordered requirement to maintain evidence. Even basic demolition can rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Superman is still a functional drop tower with Lex Luthor, and will stick around for as long as that ride exists. The expense for deconstruction on that is, honestly, time. The cheapest, most feasible way to remove that tower is letting it fall over. Cedar Point retired the Space Spiral while it was still functional during the removal of Disaster Transport for the same reason - cheaper to let it fall with the open real estate created by Disaster Transport removal (and before Gatekeeper's construction).

As for next coaster name? X2: 2.