Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Thrill Glider combines flying and motorbike coaster technology

The Southern California park announced the original, science-fiction-themed attraction Sept. 10. Thrill Glider will combine elements of flying, motorbike and suspended coasters while reaching 50 mph across 3,380 feet of track.

Riders will board individual “hovercycles” and initially sit upright. The seats will then rotate into a prone, face-forward position, leaving riders suspended beneath the track as though flying through the course. This coaster will open in 2027.

Thrill Glider will reach 50 mph and include multiple launches, five inversions, 12 airtime moments and a station flyby during its approximately 80-second ride. The 3,380-foot track will rise as high as 107 feet and cover nearly 3.5 acres.

The coaster is already under construction at the former Golden Bear Theatre site, located between Full Throttle and Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom. It will also sit beside the recently reimagined Looney Tunes Land.

Is Thrill Glider like TRON Lightcycle / Run?

The hovercycle vehicles and futuristic blue-and-orange design are certainly similar to Walt Disney World’s TRON Lightcycle / Run, which is also manufactured by Vekoma.

The riding experiences, however, will be substantially different. TRON riders straddle motorcycle-style seats positioned above the track, lean forward and hold handlebars. Although the posture creates a motorbike sensation, riders remain seated throughout the coaster and never turn upside down.

Thrill Glider will place its track above the riders. Once the seats rotate, riders will face downward in a flying position while navigating five inversions. At 50 mph, it will be slower than TRON’s nearly 60 mph launch but considerably more inversion-focused.

Universal Orlando’s Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure provides another familiar comparison. Hagrid’s also reaches 50 mph and uses repeated launches, but its riders remain upright on a motorcycle or in an attached sidecar. It does not include any inversions.

A new version of the flying coaster

Thrill Glider may have more in common with F.L.Y., another Vekoma coaster located at Phantasialand in Germany. F.L.Y. uses rotating seats to position riders face-down beneath the track and became the first launched flying coaster when it opened in 2020.

Magic Mountain already has a prominent flying coaster of its own. Tatsu also rotates riders into a face-down position below the track, but it uses a traditional lift hill and a different generation of flying-coaster trains.

Thrill Glider adds multiple launches, individual hovercycle-style seats and an original science-fiction story.

Six Flags and Vekoma describe the combination as a new “Thrillglider” coaster category. Its announced world records — including the fastest, tallest and longest Thrillglider — are based on that newly established ride classification.

The more revealing figures are its five inversions and 12 airtime moments. Flying coasters typically emphasize sweeping turns and the sustained sensation of flight, while motorbike coasters use their seating position to heighten acceleration. Thrill Glider appears designed to merge both experiences into a more aggressive, maneuver-heavy ride.

WATCH: Six Flags provided a POV of what Thrill Glider will be like once it is complete.

Thrill Glider quick facts

• Opens in 2027
• Manufacturer: Vekoma
• Top speed: 50 mph
• Height: 107 feet
• Track length: 3,380 feet
• Ride time: Approximately 80 seconds
• Five inversions
• 12 airtime moments
• Multiple launches
• Minimum height: 48 inches
• Onboard audio and immersive lighting effects

An original science-fiction story

Thrill Glider will not use an established movie or comic-book property. Its original story centers on QuantumPulse Propulsion Systems, a fictional technology company led by inventor Rebecca Silva.

Guests will enter the Futurist Pavilion, where displays, holographic presentations and scientific exhibits explain the discovery of an energy source called PSR B417. Hexagonal collectors throughout the hillside will appear to capture energy from distant pulsars, powering the hovercycles.

Onboard audio, lighting and illuminated blue energy effects will continue the story during the ride.

The minimum height requirement will be 48 inches, matching TRON Lightcycle / Run and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. It also places the new coaster next to a children’s land specifically designed around rides for guests 48 inches tall or shorter, creating a natural progression for families visiting Magic Mountain.