Driving through a theme park

Normally when you visit a theme park, you park your car in the parking lot, then walk or take a tram to the front gate where you buy your ticket and enter the park. You'll be on your feet all day walking miles going from one ride to the next. One thing you won't encounter while walking along the midway is vehicle traffic. The occasional park maintenance or security vehicle may go by, but they are gone in no time. Guests aren't allowed to bring their vehicles into the park and drive them while inside. The idea of doing so is pure fantasy and folly.

But that changed at one park—and a local one at that. This year, in light of COVID-19, Six Flags Magic Mountain (SFMM) in Valencia CA came up with an idea even noveler than the coronavirus. Instead of holding their annual Holiday in the Park event packed with people wandering around looking at the displays and lights—and possibly infecting others with the virus—SFMM devised a drive-through-the-park event where guests could drive their own cars through the park along the walkways normally packed with guests. The trip around the park is about a mile-and-a-half and takes 40 minutes to an hour depending on the crowd. Guests drive under six different coasters and one water ride during the trip. CraZanity and the Grand Carousel are in motion with no riders aboard, but lit up and decorated. There are food and snack packages available, but must be purchased in advance when reservations are made. You can do that here. Six Flags members and season passholders are free. 

If you'd like a preview of this event, you can watch a complete ride-through video from ParkJourney (aka my friend Gregg Condon) by clicking here. I went out to SFMM last Sunday evening to see this for myself and was amazed. If there are any more spots open, I may go and see it again.