New rides to include Thomas the Tank Engine Theme and State-of-the-Art Updates for X.

Santa Clarita residents can now breathe a sigh of relief… after all the uproar about the possible sale of Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, the park intends to upgrade and expand instead of being sold off to be turned into high-density condos and tract homes.

Just announced was a new Thomas the Tank Engine^TM (Thomas and Friends^TM) themed area as well as a significant upgrade to the ride "X", which will be renamed "X2".

New Thomas the Tank Engine Themed Area

Thomas Town will center around a train ride on a Thomas the Tank Engine^TM replica that transports guests on a journey through Thomas’ home on the Island of Sodor. Visitors will be greeted by Sir Topham Hatt^SM, the Controller of the Railway, who is also available to pose for photos with Thomas fans. There will also be a new Thomas & Friends store as well as other attractions.

According to Jay Thomas, Six Flags Magic Mountain Park President, "This beloved character has engaged and inspired preschoolers’ imaginations for more than six decades and will certainly offer a rich, exciting world for children and their parents to enjoy, as families look for more ways to spend quality time together."

Upon completion of Thomas Town, Thomas Town, Six Flags Magic Mountain will include over 30 rides and attractions for children and their families to enjoy together.

X to Be Launched into a New Galaxy, Becoming X2

An additional $10 million investment in X will provide completely redesigned, sleeker trains and introduce all-new, innovative state-of-the-art visual, audio and sensory effects. This is supposed to make X move "from the 4th dimension to the 5th and become X2!"

According to Jay Thomas, "Since it opened in 2002, X, with its 360-degree rotating seats and head-first, face down drops, has been one of the most popular thrill rides on the planet. With the redesign, X2 will take even the most daring riders on a journey to a unique and unchartered dimension of extreme only Six Flags Magic Mountain can deliver."

X2 will add a unique new tunnel and light experience that changes with every ride to the existing roller coaster, which features a 3,600-foot maze of steel track with massive wing-shaped trains where the seats extend off the track to the sides of the vehicle allowing them to independently rotate guests head over heels, forward and backward creating a one-of-a-kind "don’t know what to expect next" sensation. X2 will reach speeds up to 76mph with its newly redesigned, sleeker trains.

Seems they should add a caution not to ride X2 on a full stomach? X is expected to close in late 2007 to perform the "transformation" from X to X2, and X2 will launch in spring 2008. Six Flags Magic Mountain is considered to be a "thrill ride" park, with a total of 14 roller coasters.

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