Six Flags Magic Mountain's Holiday in the Park: 2021 Review

Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, CA

‘Tis the season of lights, and this holiday season, nowhere across the Southern California theme landscape is more representative of this than… Six Flags Magic Mountain? Yes, the park that we all love to tease for not being quite as premium as Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, or Universal Studios Hollywood might have arguably the best Christmas showing of them all with their luminous winter time event, Holiday in the Park—a brilliantly spectacular light show celebration of the season. This event has been around for over half a decade—since 2014 at Magic Mountain. But we’ve never been able to make it up to Valencia until last year, when Six Flags put on a very successful drive-thru version that provided a fantastic and safe way to enjoy the Christmas time ambiance.

A stilt walking toy soldier poses in Holiday Square.

This year, Holiday in the Park is back to its regular, full-fledged pedestrian format. With the whole park back to normal operation, it’s a great holiday deal included in regular park admission, and similar to Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest, guests who come by day to enjoy the thrill rides can stick around at night to enjoy the holiday ambiance across eight themed areas starting at 5pm until park closing on participating evenings.

The colorful, illuminated magic starts in Holiday Square, the HitP iteration of Six Flags Plaza and the first sight that guests entering the park see. This area—the oldest of the event—features trees wrapped with colorful string lights, stilt walker and oversized presents photo ops, and a beautiful and moodily light fountain area at the head of the plaza, welcoming guests into a radiant winter wonderland. Although there’s nothing particularly unique, the multitude of colorful lights creates an evocative and wondrous atmosphere, and the sheer saturated brightness of this area makes it an excellent place for capturing photographic memories. Plus, every twenty minutes or so, guests can enjoy a snowfall (or snoapfall) moment to take in the season.

Six Flags Plaza transforms into Holiday Square during Holiday in the Park.

Guests can still ride the roller coasters (in the brisk nighttime air) during Holiday in the Park when the lights come on at night.

Just adjacent to Holiday Square, at Full Throttle Plaza, is the Snowy Nights area. The footprint here is much smaller, with theming limited to some fun Christmas tree display elements, and Snowy Nights mainly exists to support the Full Throttle stage area, where the cover band Analog Jukebox plays a mix of pop and alternative covers and holiday tunes and alternates with performances by the Tinsel Toy Dancers as well as a DJ percussionist. Similar to Voodoo Nights during Fright Fest, Snowy Nights acts as the vibrant energy hub for the holiday event, allowing guests to enjoy the music, dance, and take in the entertainment.

Snowy Nights features these minimalist Christmas tree displays.

The Analog Jukebox covers pop songs and Christmas carols.

The Tinsel Toy Dancers alternate performances with the band.

Just a little ways beyond is Santa’s Village, situated at the Golden Bear Theater and near the old Log Jammer station. This is another cozy area as far as the extent of decorations go, but it is home to the main Christmas tree of the event, a lavishly decorated towering evergreen. While an elaborately photogenic holiday display is set up against the theater, opposite is a little cabin where guests can visit and take photos with Santa Claus for an additional fee. Outside Santa’s Cottage, little ones can joint Mrs. Claus in engaging coloring and art activities during the day time. Also available as an uncharge is a festive fire pit—one of four scattered throughout the park—where guests can roast marshmallows if they purchase a separately sold S’mores Kit.

Santa’s Village is more a stage set than a village.

This is one of four S’mores roasting pits available throughout the park.

There’s a bit of a break as guests move past Goliath and under Superman: Escape from Krypton. Though there is a photo op diorama and a small extent of lights set up across planters along the walkway, the area is largely normal until guests come upon the plaza to the DC Universe. This year, this area is under construction for the new Wonder Woman: Lasso of Truth roller coaster coming next year. A tall Christmas tree with changing programmed lights and a couple more photo op backdrops form the holiday decor here, and perhaps there will be more next year.

Tell me you’re at Six Flags without telling me you’re at Six Flags.

Our friend, Joey, would appreciate this. It’s not just Christmas love.

With DC Universe undergoing renovations, this coney Christmas tree is all that’s in front of that area.

But to the right, towards Twisted Colossus and SCREAM! is the Gleampunk District, the winter holiday version of the Steampunk District (and evolution from Fright Fest’s Screampunk District—see what they’re doing here?). Here is another stunning highlight of Holiday in the Park, with a multitude of lights strung across trees, fronting building facades, and stretching overhead to provide plenty of brilliance to the general environment.

This display was the finale of last year’s drive-thru Holiday in the Park.

Steampunk sets of theming, decor, and sculptural characters line the planters, and while some are a little disturbing, there’s no denying the creativity through the Gleampunk District, which certainly befits its name. Add to this the presence of friendly stilt-walking elves eager to pose for photos and impart Christmas joy, and this is easily one of the winners of the park.

You’d never guess this friendly candy cane stilt walker is a fearsome clown in City Under Siege during Fright Fest…

The street characters at Holiday in the Park are full of exuberance!

The Gleampunk District is pretty spectacularly lit.

Coming back from the Gleampunk District, guests can head toward the Metropolis section of the park. But before they reach Merry Lane, they can stop by the Wishing Oak near CraZanity and make a wish on this majestic tree adorned with a mesmerizing grid of lights that wrap around its trunk and branches. The slow, color-changing dynamic of this grand oak is elegant and provides a really pleasant, serene oasis in between the bustling and busier holiday attractions. And not too far away is another marshmallow roasting fire pit.

The Wishing Oak is a beautiful highlight to one of the majestic trees in the park.

Merry Lane itself is filled with giant, glowing, colorful orbs made to look like very oversized Christmas ornaments. The impact is striking, inspiring plenty of guests to stroll through and use the ambient light for selfies. A stilt-walking snow princess also greets guests here for additional photo ops. The scale of this area provides a visually ravishing atmosphere.

From stilt-walking witches in the fall to stilt-walking snow royalty in the winter.

As guests move on toward the new Underground section of the park—home to last year’s newly-opened West Coast Racers, they enter the new HollyRock! area of Holiday in the Park. Taking guests back to the 1950s, this area makes use of the automotive theme to bring nostalgia, classic cars, and colorful mid-century pop Christmas decorations to the event. I’ll be honest—I think this would have made for a more timeless and enriching atmosphere for West Coast Racers in general rather than the attempt at a cool, urban aesthetic.

The new HollyRock! area has a great 50s vibe.

A couple of rockabilly-inspired characters (one of who seems to have a bit of a Mr. Freeze tinge) stroll around for more photo ops, and the old school Six Flags school bus (old school means two decades ago, during the height of the Mr. Six / Venga Bus marketing craze) provides another backdrop. If that’s not enough, HollyRock! has its own Christmas tree too—a groovy, stylistically modern interpretation. The park’s third marshmallow fire pit can be found here, and as guests start making their climb up the hill toward Rapids Camp Crossing, they can also find a line of colorful smaller Christmas tree displays that add pizzazz to the walkway. Truth

The Christmas tree here has some unique draping, and plenty of smaller, wild colored tinsel trees are scattered about.

Multi-colored Christmas tree displays make for nice bokeh.

Rapids Camp Crossing and the area underneath the shadow of Tatsu form the setting for Peppermint Path, an extensive red and white lit wilderness area that drapes lighting all over and around the longstanding pines or firs that inhabit this part of the park. Hanging lit icicles enhance the wintertime feel. Cute stick bundled reindeer and assorted wildlife sculpture characters provide little photo ops, as does another snow princess character further beyond, on the way starting downhill toward Baja Ridge. The last of the four roasting pits can be found here too, near the carnival games area.

Peppermint Lane is radiant and beautiful—and features a strange bit of wildlife sculptures.

Another character photo op can be found in Peppermint Lane too.

As guests make their way downhill and cross through Baja Ridge, they encounter the last of the eight holiday themed sections of the park, Polar Point. This has got to be an intentionally ironic play, setting a tundra of polar bears and penguins in the part of the park that is normally desert themed. One one side of the path, a line of giant polar bear figures in the trees gaze down upon guests passing by, while across from them, more photo op backdrops offer “Instagrammable” moments. Near the bottom of the hill, a family of penguins gathers to observe the quandary of being near wildlife from the opposite polar region. But that’s just the magic of Christmas for you!

Polar Point is cool and blue and populated by polar bears (and penguins).

This season, Holiday in the Park also features assorted seasonal gourmet food offerings at restaurants throughout the park. The park is calling it A Taste of the Holidays, and it follows the pattern set by the likes of Knott’s Merry Farm and Disney California Adventure’s Festival of the Holidays in providing limited time gourmet options. And while Six Flags Magic Mountain has never been known for its culinary strength, the food options here area actually not bad! By Magic Mountain standards, they’re actually very good, and it actually isn’t a bad idea to pick out a couple items of interest and try them.

Overall, Holiday in the Park is a dazzling Christmas presentation that is (in my opinion) Magic Mountain’s strongest seasonal event. And it’s a strong offering even compared to its SoCal theme park neighbors. The whimsical and wonderful scenes spread throughout the entire park offer a feast for the senses and encourage a marvelous sentiment of holiday happiness. And this event is definitely one of the top Christmas attraction in all of Southern California. If you’ve never been before, definitely plan out some time to visit.

And if you have extra energy, check out some local Christmas displays in Santa Clarita too! The famous Wakefield Winter Wonderland is here, and another neighborhood around Clearidge Drive, where our friends at Club Fear used to haunt, provides a similarly immersive holiday village atmosphere!

Holiday in the Park is a stunning and incredible output of Christmas time decoration and lighting installation!

Holiday in the Park resumes this Friday, December 17th and operates daily the rest of its run through Sunday, January 2nd. The park is open until 8:00 on December 17th and until 9:00 the rest of the winter break period. Please note that pursuant to State of California health guidelines, select days have been designated as high attendance mega events exceeding 10,000 guests, and all guests will need to provide proof of vaccination or negative COVID PCR test taken within the past 2 days or negative COVID rapid antigen test taken within 1 day. Check the operating calendar to see which days Magic Mountain anticipates for these requirements. Masks will also be required to be worn indoors or outdoors for all guests 2 years or older. But don’t let the inconvenience stop you from enjoying what is truly a grand and magnificent Christmas time production!