Magic Springs is largest amusement park in Arkansas by far. This property is
operated by Premier Parks. The park is in a beautiful setting and it sure looks nice,
but how’s the ride lineup? To be honest, it’s sort of limited, but there are some
intriguing rides. So in this video, I will rank my favorite 10 rides and attractions at this park.
Before starting the countdown, I need to note two things.
First, the Log Flume was not operational the day I visited the park.
With its wooded setting, it had a high chance of placing in the top 5 had I experienced it.
Second, I was not able to try the Crystal Falls water park. There looked to be a big
and diverse slide tower, but I lost a chunk of my day due to a thunderstorm, so I prioritized
the dry rides. From what I can tell, the water park appeared to be the bigger draw.
10) Diamond Mine Run- This Miler kiddie coaster is quite good for its size. It’s
very well landscaped, smooth enough, and you get some laterals going into the helix.
And in case you’re wondering, yes adults are allowed without a kid if you want the credit.
9) Razorback Roundup Bumper Cars- These aren’t the strongest dodgems due to the tiny arena.
There are just 5 cars and this is one of the ones with a center divider, so there
are limited opportunities for collisions. The cars have ok speed and power though.
8) Gauntlet- If you know me, you may be surprised I have a Vekoma SLC this
high. This was the first one with a redesigned wheel assembly, resulting in a smoother ride.
You still need to ride this defensively since the bulky over-the-shoulder harnesses can cause
some headbanging on the transitions. The inversions are fast and forceful as always.
If this ever gets vest restraints, it would be a top 3 ride at the park.
7) Looney Ballooney- This Zamperla balloon ride is technically in the kiddie area,
but it’s genuinely awesome if you love spinning rides. Adults are allowed and the
tubs are exceptionally easy to spin. I could barely walk straight coming off this thing.
6) Plummet Summit- This is a standard Hopkins shoot the chute. You have a lift, turn, drop,
and splash. That 5 story plunge is zippy at least and the ginormous
splash is both a soaker and a spectacle. Twist & Shout- This Zamperla wild mouse
ran at the park from 2000 to 2012. While I never rode it during its time at the Razorback State,
I have ridden this exact installation at its current home at Family Kingdom in Myrtle Beach.
This particular one has solid laterals in the first half. The drops in the second half are
shallower than comparable mice out there, so it’s lacking the airtime pops of the others.
5) Arkansas Twister- This William Cobb designed wood coaster was relocated from
Florida’s Boardwalk and Baseball. This is why the ride is awkwardly placed in the back corner
behind the water park; it’s the only spot the park could fit this long out-and-back layout.
While you see a ton of hills that look like they should give airtime, Arkansas Twister only has
a few weak spots of it. The hills are simply too drawn out and there’s one of the return run
where you darn near valley every time. The coaster isn’t too rough and it has good views at least.
4) Hawk- This Zamperla inverting pendulum ride is great if you like hangtime. The revolutions
are slow, so you’ll hang out of your seat on each pass. This one is pretty weak on the
positive Gs though relative to other models. 3) Big Bad John- This mine train was relocated
from Six Flags St. Louis and Dollywood, although you’d never be able to tell! This ride seems like
it was meant for Magic Springs as it weaves its way through woods. Almost none of this coaster can
be seen off-ride. It’s a mostly tame and smooth experience, but that final drop is fantastic
in the back row. It offers some frightening ejector airtime as you plunge into a tunnel.
2) X Coaster- The only Maurer SkyLoop in the western hemisphere is a bizarre ride.
This ride starts with a vertical lift that bends backwards, fully inverting riders.
This transition and subsequent barrel roll have several seconds of glorious hangtime.
Then you have another roll that leads into a forceful dive loop.
You then rock back-and-forth getting some extra hangtime and weightlessness. My issue with this
model is the stop. I love everything until that point. A brake grabs you while you’re vertical.
Because the restraints rest against your tummy, it can knock the wind out of you. I previously said
Big Bad John was this park’s best coaster, but after riding a few more of these Maurer Sky Loops
and figuring out how to better brace for the final brake, I think I’d prefer this in a return trip.
Although, the park used to have one other coaster that I likely would have preferred
in Roaring Tornado. This was an Arrow launched shuttle loop. This particular
one was relocated to Elitch Gardens, but I really like the clone in Diamond Back at Frontier City.
Both drops have excellent ejector airtime, especially on the backwards segment. Then the
vertical loop piles on the positive Gs as well. 1) Brain Drain- This Larson drop tower is one of
the best out there. This 14 story tall ride offers great views of the park,
woods, and mountains. Then you drop like a rock. Few towers have a more forceful drop.
You leave your stomach at the top and levitate the whole way down. It’s one heck of a thrill!
So those are my top 10 rides and attractions on the dry side at Magic Springs. What are your
favorite rides at Arkansas’s largest theme park? Let me know down in the
comments. If you enjoyed this countdown, I’d appreciate it if you gave this video
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coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!