By Robert Niles: The best park of Christmas at Six Flags? For me, it's a taste of Halloween.

Six Flags Magic Mountain invited me and bunch of other media people out tonight for its Holiday in the Park celebration. This might be the best time of the year to visit Magic Mountain, with temperatures ranging from daytime comfortable to nighttime crisp. And wait times under 30 minutes for all major coasters certainly help the appeal, too.

But I was here tonight for the special holiday festivities. And those start at sundown with the Magic of the Holidays tree lightning show.

It's a cute production, borrowing blending traditional Christmas legends with mythology to allow plenty of characters to participate without committing to (or paying for) any specific IP. But that's how Christmas should be.

But my favorite show of the evening takes place in the same DC Universe plaza, in front of the park's Christmas tree. It's Reindeer Dash - a fun production that shows that slider shows aren't just for haunt season.

Here, we have Santa's nine reindeer practicing for delivery season with non-stop slides, stunts and dances.

Yeah, I am giving this show extra credit for being unique. As much as I love a good sing-along and a flashy parade, I love when parks successfully try something that not everyone else is doing, too.

The holidays are the season that remind me just how urban Southern California's other theme parks have become. By that I mean, where are the trees? Magic Mountain feels like it has more trees along its pathways than any other park in the region - something that it takes advantage of this time of year with plenty of holiday lights.

Holiday lights at Six Flags Magic Mountain's Holiday in the Park

Magic Mountain adds to the coziness with fire pits where you can roast marshmallows for s'mores. [It's $5.99 for a single, fat, marshmallow kit. Buy three and get a fourth free.)

Fire pit for roasting s'mores at Six Flags

Magic Mountain also sells a variety of holiday food at booths throughout the park, from $18 bread bowl soups to $13 refillable hot chocolate mugs. [Refills are $1.99, with flavor and whipped cream glow-ups for $3 per fill.] That's too much dairy for me - give me a warm cinnamon churro and that's all the evening park vibes I need. But plenty of other visitors were enjoying the hot chocolate.

Holiday in the Park is included with regular admission and passes. For more on what you can find at the park, please see our Visitors Guide to Six Flags Magic Mountain

Theme Park Insider

Message History

Add new keyword

Delivery option(s)