Six Flags Magic Mountain will close a historic roller coaster that has a connection to one of the classic amusement parks that inspired Walt Disney’s creation of Disneyland in 1955.
Magic Mountain will permanently close the 1947 Magic Flyer coaster on Monday, Jan. 5 as work begins to transform Bugs Bunny World into Looney Tunes Land in celebration of the Valencia amusement park’s 55th anniversary.
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The Magic Flyer’s original home was at the former Beverly Park in Beverly Hills where the coaster was known as the Little Dipper.
The 10-foot-tall kiddie coaster reaches a top speed of 10 mph over 350 feet of track, according to Roller Coaster Database. The single train carries up to 12 riders in three cars.
The oval-circuit steel coaster has gone by many names at Magic Mountain — including the Wile E. Coyote Coaster, Goliath Jr. and Percy’s Railway. It was known as the Clown Coaster in 1971 — the year Magic Mountain opened.
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Walt Disney was a frequent visitor of Beverly Park with his daughters in the 1940s.
Disney showed Beverly Park owner David Bradley his plans for Disneyland in 1950 and soon after hired him as a consultant for the fledgling park, according to KCET.
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Bradley’s wife, Bernice, a story researcher at Disney Studios, worked double duty as Beverly Park’s treasurer and box office manager.
“Our park was very tiny. There was a carousel, a little train ride and another little boat ride for children,” said Bernice Bradley, according to MousePlanet. “Walt was out there almost every day, sitting on the end of the bench watching how children enjoyed the rides.”
In 1953, Walt dispatched his Imagineers to Beverly Park “for inspiration and general reconnaissance,” according to the DisneylandForward environmental impact report.
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Bradley worked with Disney artist Bruce Bushman to design the attractions and overall layout for Disneyland.
The two worked together on early concepts for Disneyland — with Bushman quickly sketching Bradley’s ride ideas and Walt offering periodic feedback.
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Bradley used Beverly Park to showcase his Bradley & Kaye amusement rides until the park closed in 1974, according to Roller Coaster Database. The park was located at the corner of Beverly and La Cienega boulevards where the Beverly Center is today.
Bradley & Kaye coasters operated at small amusement parks in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Bakersfield and San Francisco, according to RCDB. The Timberline Twister coaster that operated at Knott’s Berry Farm from 1983 to 2023 was made by Bradley & Kaye.
Magic Mountain has not yet announced whether the Magic Flyer coaster will be relocated to another Six Flags park, sold or retired.
“I certainly hope that Magic Flyer/Little Dipper isn’t going to be gone forever,” according to Dirk Libbey of Cinema Blend. “Hopefully somebody with a small amusement park can pick it up and put it to use.”