Comments (0) Best L.A. Roller Coaster: Moody Atmospherics - 2008
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
1313 S. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92802
714-781-4000
For mood and atmosphere, night is the ideal time to ride certain coasters. Most roller coasters attempt to put your body through the ringer — screw the theatrics. If you expect animatronic werewolves to pop out at you on Silver Bullet at Magic Mountain, you'll be disappointed. While queuing up for one roller coaster at Magic Mountain and noting the unfinished galvanized-metal walls, the bare chainlink fence, someone remarked, sarcastically, "Well, they spared no expense in the set décor, did they?" Nomenclature at most parks is an afterthought, but Disney is different. From the stalagmites rising up inside the caverns and the rusty-red canyons to the dinosaur bones glowing eerily as you glide beneath the creature's rib cage, Walt's designers understood that you could sculpt and paint with light. None of his rides are the fastest or scariest, but they are without question the most gorgeous.
—Gendy Alimurung
