Six Flags Magic Mountain · Samurai Summit
Ninja
The 1988 suspended coaster that swings through the summit's trees — the mountain's family coaster and its most beautiful ride.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 42in (107cm)42-inch minimum. Separate physical and medical restrictions require review in the official Magic Mountain accessibility guide (version 25-1.0.0): https://media.qrtiger.com/files/2025/07/gag_sfmm-hhla.pdf. No maximum or lower accompanied-rider exception for this ride is stated in that guide.
- Intensity
- Gentle
- Motion sickness
- Low motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Available
Last verified October 2026
What it is
Ninja is an Arrow suspended coaster, one of the last running: trains hang from the track and swing outward on every curve, and the layout threads through actual trees on the mountainside below the summit. Opened in 1988, it is the gentlest way to see why this park's terrain matters.
The swings are the ride — no inversions, no launches, just pendulum turns through pine canopy with the valley appearing between branches. At 42 inches it is the summit's entry coaster and the single best ride at the park for the height bracket between Ninja's minimum and the 48-inch big tier.
For coaster historians it is a working museum piece; for eight-year-olds it is the best ride on the mountain. Both are correct.
What riding it is actually like
The trains hang from the rail and swing outward on every curve, so the whole ride is a pendulum conversation between the track and gravity. No inversions, no launches — the lift takes you up through the trees and the layout spends that elevation gliding.
It threads actual pines on the mountainside below the summit, and the valley appears between branches on the outer swings. Of everything at this park, Ninja is the gentlest demonstration of why a mountain is better than flatland to build on.
Ninja is a surviving Arrow suspended coaster with a 42-inch minimum and separate physical requirements. Its historical interest and gentler profile do not predict a short queue or permission to ride.
Is Ninja scary?
A suspended swinging coaster through real trees — the motion is gliding, not violent. The summit location adds height exposure in a couple of spots. This is the mountain's best coaster for the 42-to-48 crowd and nervous adults building tolerance.
Scores are editorial, on a 1–5 scale, judged against what frightens a typical four- to seven-year-old rather than an adult.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair
- Must transfer to the ride vehicle
- Audio description
- Check with Guest Relations
- Handheld captioning
- Check with Guest Relations
- Assistive listening
- Check with Guest Relations
- Sign language
- Check with Guest Relations
- Service animals
- Must use a kennel or wait with a companion
Transfer into suspended swing trains.
Tips that actually help
- The queue is one of the shadiest at the park — a good midday escape.
- Plan Ninja in Samurai Summit and Tatsu in Rapids Camp Crossing using the current park map.
- Sit mid-train: the swing amplitude is pleasant there and aggressive at the ends.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- Choose the stop using the current Samurai Summit queue and operations.
- Typical wait
- No current numerical wait forecast verified. Check the official app and attraction queue on your visit date.
- line-skip passes
- Listed for line-skip access; check current participation and availability
Ninja: common questions
Is Ninja scary?
No. The motion is gliding, not violent — trains hang from the track and swing outward on every curve through real trees. A couple of spots add height exposure from the summit location, but this is the mountain’s best coaster for nervous riders building tolerance.
What is the height requirement for Ninja?
42 inches. It is the lowest minimum among the current coasters this guide tracks at Magic Mountain. Gold Rusher requires 48 inches and is not an alternative for a rider below 42 inches.
Does Ninja go upside down?
No inversions and no launches. The suspended trains swing outward on the curves, which delivers the sensation without flipping anyone — the interest is motion and terrain, not elements.