Six Flags Magic Mountain Plans Demolition of Beloved Rides

Six Flags Magic Mountain in California is reportedly planning to remove two long-standing children's rides, as revealed by recent permits submitted to Los Angeles County. The documents detail the demolition of a "steel kids roller coaster" and a "steel swing ride," which are believed to be the park’s Magic Flyer and Tweety’s Escape attractions.

A spokesperson for Six Flags Magic Mountain shared the following statement:
"Six Flags Magic Mountain has been creating family memories for more than five decades. We understand that saying goodbye to beloved rides can be difficult, but this change is part of a much larger plan to enhance the guest experience for families. We look forward to sharing the exciting details soon."

According to local news outlet KTLA, the Magic Flyer has a rich history dating back 70 years. Originally located at Beverly Park, an L.A. amusement park that operated from 1943 to 1974, the ride was later relocated to Magic Mountain in 1970 under its current name. The park’s website describes it as a "beginner thrill ride for kids," featuring gentle hills and pint-sized thrills on a junior-sized open-air roller coaster. Located within Magic Mountain’s Whistlestop Park, the ride takes guests who are at least 54 inches tall up a 10-foot hill before dipping into a loop that returns riders to the station.

Meanwhile, Tweety’s Escape, themed after the iconic Looney Tunes character, first opened in 1985. The ride allows children to enter a kid-sized birdcage and swing away, mimicking the playful escape from Sylvester the cat. According to the park’s website:
"Just like Tweety, you can jump into a kid-sized birdcage and swing away, just in case that clever cat Sylvester chases you. On this swinging, circling fun ride for kids, every rider gets their very own giant birdcage to climb inside. Each cage lifts off the ground and sways in a circle around a centerpiece with murals of Granny, Tweety and Sylvester. Safe in their own personal bird cages, your little birdies will keep spinning until the coast is clear."

Six Flags has not yet made an official announcement regarding the permits or the potential closure of these rides. However, the news comes amid broader changes within the company. A month ago, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation confirmed plans to close or sell some of its properties in the future.

This follows the controversial closure of Six Flags America, a popular park just outside Washington, D.C., last month. In response, officials announced that the chain is currently evaluating "underperforming" parks to determine whether they should be sold or closed.

Brian Witherow, executive VP and CFO of the chain, stated during a third-quarter results conference call:
"As we roll into '26 and see how parks perform, there may be a need to pivot and a park that we consider core right now — if we're not seeing the returns on that — we need to remain nimble and shift our thinking that a core park today could become a non-core park going forward."

He added:
"I think we have a really good idea of which parks fit into which bucket, where we stand today, and we'll continue to refine our thinking as we see the business evolve."

In addition to the closure of Six Flags America in Maryland, the company's California's Great America park in Santa Clara, Calif., is also set to shut down by 2028.