Arkansas amusement park Magic Springs recently announced that they’ll be removing one of their roller coasters. Here’s a snippet from their press release mentioning the removal:
HOT SPRINGS, AR (October 5, 2012) – Magic Springs Water and Theme Park announced today that X-Coaster will be retiring at the end of the 2012 season and that plans are underway for a major new water park addition in 2013. By visiting the park’s annual Halloween event, Magic Screams, guests can take their last flight on X-Coaster and enjoy all the spooktacular fun with family and friends.
X-Coaster is a compact roller coaster designed by Maurer Sohne (the people that brought us Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit). It’s basically just a 
huge, 150-foot tall loop with an in-line twist at the top.
ScreamScape reported this news and coupled it with a rumor about Elitch Gardens receiving a new coaster that sounds like this ride. So, one could deduce that this ride is headed from Hot Springs, Arkansas to Denver, Colorado; especially since both parks are a part of the CNL Properties family of parks that are now being managed by Herschend.
I’ve never been to Elitch Gardens or Magic Springs. I was in Denver for work once, but unfortunately it was during the winter. Both parks are further down on my list of parks to visit because neither have a decent-sized park nearby that I could group them with. On my longer distance trips I like to hit multiple parks to make the cost of the plane tickets worthwhile.
Have you been to Magic Springs or Elitch Gardens? Have you ridden X-Coaster? What’d you think? Leave a comment below. Image via CC – Flickr user Roller Coaster Philosophy
October 13, 2012 at 19:46
Ugh another small low capacity ride elitch has 2 full circuits and 3 shuttles one temperamental yet solid woodie a very polarizing SLC the general public love it but every enthusiast says it’s one of the worst (shows you that ignorance is bliss once you really appreciate rollercoasters you notice flaws and start complaining about roughness on non wooden coasters). sidewinder is great with little headbangin and a great kick into the air on the drops good forces through and through shows you how lazy and apathetic we are that the biggest problem with the ride is it’s ataircase walk up to it. Vekoma boomerang with new trains solid ride few jolts on backwards run as always but not bad. Half pipe is the most unique of the shuttles to me at least fun spins lots of spinning and back and forth action. I think the thing the park is packing is more space not lOoking like an option at least on my visit all areas around it are roads and train lines, or a good capacity coaster maybe a ride that’s laughed or 90 degree lift that’s not the crappy x cars!
October 19, 2012 at 10:13
I've ridden the X coaster. It was more fun that I thought it would be. It's a short, wild ride. I was at Magic Springs this summer and the water park was much busier than the amusement park side. Arkansas summers are so hot, it's probably smart for them to focus more on the water park which provides some relief from the heat.
March 21, 2013 at 16:40
I just checked their 2013 website…it is still listed and RCDB.COM still shows it there…anyone know the official news?