Travel Guides Family Friendly Amusement Parks
Amanda Ray Byerly
Love rollercoasters? A 2021 poll of 1,006 U.S. adults conducted by CBS News found that rollercoasters take the crown as “America’s favorite ride,” with 35% saying that rollercoasters are their favorite theme park attraction. “Can it go higher? Can it go faster? Can it propel you into the air more dramatically?” Travel + Leisure features director Nilou Motamed rattled off to Today about all the ways in which Uncle Sam’s amusement parks try to transcend one another in the best roller coaster department.
So it should really come as no surprise that the best amusement park in the world for roller coaster thrills is located in — you guessed it — the United States. Yep, that’s right. If you’re looking for a place to get your rollercoaster thrill on, look no further than Six Flags Magic Mountain, located in Valencia, California. But what exactly sets the self-professed “Thrill Capital of the World” above the rest? Here’s what we know about the famous theme park’s extensive menu of thrill-seeking roller coaster fun!
Six Flags Magic Mountain has the most rollercoasters on the planet
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It’s a numbers game, baby! In the summer of 2022, Six Flags Magic Mountain debuted its 20th rollercoaster, WONDER WOMAN Flight of Courage, and swiftly marked its territory and claim to fame as the theme park with the most rollercoasters in the world.
“We are extremely proud to be the first theme park to accomplish this unprecedented and amazing feat as we add yet another world-class coaster to our iconic lineup,” said Don McCoy, Six Flags Magic Mountain president, in July 2022 (via Six Flags). Six Flags Magic Mountain even earned an honorable shout-out from Guinness World Records for its chart-topping amount of rollercoasters!
It should be noted, however, that Energylandia in Zator, Poland, is hot on Magic Mountain’s tail with a noteworthy 19 rollercoasters on the property. Meanwhile, Canada’s Wonderland is trailing behind in third place with a grand total of 18 rollercoasters. So, perhaps the powers that be at Magic Mountain should start development on a new coaster ASAP if they want to continue their rollercoaster reign … or sleep with one eye open.
Magic Mountain has quantity and quality
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As we all know, however, quantity is not everything. Fortunately, the quality of the rollercoasters at Six Flags Magic Mountain is also up to par at the family-friendly theme park. “I think there are a lot of great rides at Six Flags Magic Mountain,” professor and rollercoaster aficionado Martin Lewison told CNN Travel. He also noted that Magic Mountain “has definitely tried to be a cutting-edge leader and pushing the envelope in terms of what kinds of coasters it builds. And it has a really good eclectic mix of rides … I would say that it ticks both boxes, doing well in quantity and quality.”
Aside from Magic Mountain’s WONDER WOMAN Flight of Courage, the park also boasts many other popular rollercoasters — including Twisted Colossus, the world’s longest wooden and steel rollercoaster ride. There’s also Tatsu, a powerful rollercoaster complete with a pretzel loop. Last but certainly not least (especially as there are 17 others in Magic Mountain’s lineup waiting to be explored) is Full Throttle, a coaster known for its 160-foot loops. The thrill is calling, and we must go.
