Apocalypse: The Ride

Terminator Salvation: The Ride was originally announced as Terminator: The Coaster, but the name was later changed to coincide with the then-upcoming Terminator Salvation movie.[1] Six Flags spent approximately $1 million on the ride's theme surrounding the film, most of which was placed in the line queue area.[1] Guests waiting in line would also enter a preshow theater complete with video footage that featured actors from the film.[2] The theme's storyline focused on trainees in a post-apocalyptic setting getting trapped by attacking machines at the amusement park, and the coaster serves as transportation to a safe house location.[2] During the ride, the train would pass by pyrotechnic fireball effects and through three tunnels filled with a fog-like cooling mist.[1][2] Each train also featured onboard audio, considered a first for a wooden roller coaster.[1]

Terminator Salvation: The Ride debuted to the media on May 21, 2009, and opened to the public two days later.[3] The onboard audio stopped working in early 2010 and was not repaired or replaced, although the rest of the ride's special effects remained intact.[1][4]

Updated entrance to Apocalypse

In late 2010 following a post-bankruptcy restructuring, Six Flags announced that it would be moving away from intellectual property licensing agreements, aside from those involving DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes. The initiative involved rebranding Terminator Salvation: The Ride to a more generic theme as a cost-saving measure.[1] On January 8, 2011, the roller coaster began operating as Apocalypse the Ride.[1] Terminator animatronics and themes were removed from the queue, the ride received new signage, and new video was created for the preshow room. The updated storyline centers around survivors of a global war taking refuge in a bunker, with the coaster offering a way to get there.[1][4] Apocalypse retained the existing pyrotechnic and fog effects featured under the previous theme.[1]

In early 2017, Apocalypse temporarily closed for a major re-tracking and refurbishment.[5] The ride reopened in May 2017.[6] Following an announcement in 2018 revealing a new roller coaster, West Coast Racers, Magic Mountain closed Apocalypse and the area it resides in.[7][8] It reopened in September 2019 prior to the planned debut of West Coast Racers.[9][10]