Filex Velasco
14 October, 2026
On October 9th, 2026, Mr. and Mrs. Fritz took students from their music classes to Six Flags Magic Mountain for a mid-semester break trip. Leaving at 7:00 am and returning at 11 pm, these students had much fun, going on various rides such as American Revolution, West Coast Racers, Tatsu, and even the legendary Goliath. But of course, not everyone could go because of the limited space on the bus, so brought before you, the reader, the experience of going to Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The day started early, with many students arriving as early as 6:30 am, as recommended by Mr. Fritz, and instantly being loaded onto the bus the second it arrived. A couple of minutes past 7:00 am, the bus departed, beginning the journey to our main destination, Magic Mountain. But of course, the three-hour journey would leave many of us hungry, so around 8:20 am, the bus stopped at Wheeler Ridge, giving us roughly 40 minutes to grab breakfast and explore the area. Many went to McDonald's, others to Starbucks, and a handful to the nearby gas stations. At 9:00 am, we departed from Wheeler Ridge and continued our journey through the Grapevine to arrive at Magic Mountain. It was all a simple hour-long drive, arriving at Magic Mountain’s parking lot at 10:00 am, 30 minutes earlier than the official opening time at Magic Mountain.
As we waited for the park to officially open, many of us checked in with our entry passes, got our backpacks scanned, and wandered around the main entry. At exactly 10:30 am, everyone heard the PA system welcome the crowd, and the park had officially opened. To everyone who attended the trip, this meant: find the ride you want to get on and let the fun begin. Many walked to rides such as the Ninja, Wonder Woman, etc. But a tiny problem emerged: the park had barely opened, and many of the rides still needed to be opened for business, meaning the fun had to wait a few more minutes. Of course, this was quickly resolved, and within a few minutes the park was full of screams of excitement and adrenaline.
For nearly eight hours, every student rode on countless roller coasters, at least once, twice, or even multiple times back to back. Some students were interviewed, giving us some unique but entertaining answers. One of the questions asked was: What do you think is the worst part of any ride at Magic Mountain? Dominic is quoted saying, “I don't like steep drops... I just don't like extremely steep drops.” Another question that was asked was: What was your top moment while at Magic Mountain today? Benicio said, “Probably being able to go on rides with my friends, as well as getting to the park early enough where there are no people or lines.” One last question was asked: What was your favorite ride at Magic Mountain? Angel was excited to say, “I love Tatsu because of the way I was like Superman flying through the air.” Many of these accounts were recorded when we stopped on our way back home.
But at last, it was nearing time to go home. At 6:30 pm, Mr. Fritz informed everyone on the trip to meet back at the entry water fountain for a headcount before leaving the park and getting onto the bus. Within the next half hour, students began to emerge slowly from different directions, checking in with Mr. Fritz and stationing themselves within a small perimeter. Around the same time, the scare actors at Magic Mountain were preparing for their Frightfest, the one we sadly had to miss. After a headcount that confirmed everyone was present and a group photo to remember the trip, we began to walk out of the park to the bus some minutes after 7:00 pm.
Upon loading everyone on the bus, we slowly began our last three-hour journey home. It was dark, everyone was exhausted, and adrenaline began to crash, making students slightly emotional. As everyone rested and calmed down, the driver left the parking lot at 7:15 pm and drove through the packed late-night traffic of Interstate 5 northbound. The ride was smooth for an hour, having no trouble and even leading many students on the bus to fall asleep. Everyone started waking up the second we started nearing Wheeler Ridge once we went down the Grapevine.
At around 8:30 pm, we stopped outside a parking lot at Wheeler’s ridge, given an hour to buy dinner. Again, many went to Panda Express, McDonald's, In-N-Out, or just went to the gas stations for a quick bathroom and snack break. Close to 10 minutes before 9:30 pm, students began to walk back to the bus, ready for the remainder of the trip to get home. A little after 9:30 pm, the bus departed, leading to the last portion of the field trip. The rest of the ride home was smooth, with many resting again. When we were entering the outskirts of Tulare on State Route 99, Mr. Fritz woke everyone, informing them to call/text their parents that we were getting near the school so everyone could get picked up. Near 11:15 pm, the bus parked in the circle drive in front of Porter Field House gym, with many parents already waiting for their children, concluding the exciting and fun trip.
