Six Flags Magic Mountain · Rapids Camp Crossing
Tatsu
The terrain-hugging flying coaster in Rapids Camp Crossing, with a pretzel loop and views over the hillside.
Ride facts
- Type
- Roller coaster
- Height
- 54in (137cm)
- Intensity
- Intense
- Motion sickness
- Moderate motion risk
- Getting wet
- Stay dry
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Air conditioned
- No
- Rider Switch
- Available
- Inversions
- Yes
Last verified October 2026
What it is
Tatsu is a B&M flying coaster officially located in Rapids Camp Crossing. Its flying position, hillside layout and pretzel loop use the mountain’s terrain as part of the experience.
Its signature is the 124-foot pretzel loop, the largest on a flying coaster when it opened: you crest a rise lying flat, the track folds you over backwards, and you pull through the loop lying on your back looking straight up at what you just fell out of. It is the single most forceful moment at this park.
Tatsu carries a 54-inch minimum. Prioritize it if it suits your party, then plan Ninja as a separate Samurai Summit stop.
What riding it is actually like
Boarding is standard seats, and then the floor drops and the seats rotate you forward to face the ground before the train even leaves the station. The lift hill gives you the valley in prone position — genuinely beautiful, and the calmest thirty seconds of the ride.
The drop off the summit is terrain-hugging: the track follows the hillside down, banking around the trees at speed. Then the pretzel loop — the fold-over moment every rider remembers — and a zero-g roll and inline twists on the way back toward the station.
It ends too fast for a ride this good, which is the strongest argument for re-riding. The second lap is better than the first because you know where to look: the valley on the lift, the ground rush after the loop.
Is Tatsu scary?
Flying coasters provoke a fear of falling more than a fear of loops: the pretzel loop flips you onto your back and pulls you through the world's largest loop of its type, and the restraint is a full harness you hang in. The fear is front-loaded — the flight sections are calm enough to enjoy the view.
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 a prone-position flying seat with overhead harness. Loading takes longer than standard coasters because of the rotation from boarding to flight position. Review the official accessibility page and linked guide for current physical, transfer and restraint criteria; staff determine eligibility.
Tips that actually help
- Consider Tatsu early if it is a party priority and operating; check the current queue before committing to the route.
- Look ahead, not down, through the flight sections; the track-line perspective is the whole point of flying coasters.
- The restraint clamps your calves and shoulders — glasses wearers should use a strap.
- Use the official park map to plan the separate Tatsu stop in Rapids Camp Crossing and Ninja stop in Samurai Summit.
Timing
- Best time to ride
- An early stop can fit a priority plan; current queues and operations decide the timing.
- 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
Tatsu: common questions
Can I compare Tatsu and X2 on a current visit?
Tatsu remains a current riding option, subject to daily operations and restrictions. X2 is permanently retired; its preserved page is historical, so it cannot be part of a current ride comparison itinerary.
What is the height requirement for Tatsu?
54 inches, the standard minimum for the park's biggest B&M coasters. There is no 48-inch tier on this one.
Does the pretzel loop make people sick?
It is the highest-force moment at the park, and motion-sensitive riders do struggle with it. The flight sections before and after are gentle by comparison. If you are prone to motion sickness, ride it before lunch, not after.