Smith v. Magic Mountain LLC

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

I. Facts

A. The Twisted Colossus ride Magic Mountain, LLC (Magic Mountain) operates the Six Flags amusement park in Valencia, California. Patrons who buy a ticket to the park can ride its thrill rides and rollercoasters. The Twisted Colossus is one of the most popular rollercoasters at the Six Flags park, featuring many fast drops and quick turns. Magic Mountain regulates the admission of patrons onto this coaster as follows: – Patrons wishing to ride must line up in a “queue line,” which is typically quite long. (Patrons with special passes, such as a disability access pass, can bypass part of the queue line by entering at a separate entrance.) A “rider policy sign” is posted at the entrance to the queue line; that sign describes the ride, specifies the requirements to ride (including a minimum height requirement), and advises patrons not to ride if they have certain listed symptoms or conditions. A “queue line attendant” employee stands at the entrance to verify that prospective riders meet the ride’s requirements. – As patrons wend their way forward through the serpentine twists of the queue line, a “load operator” employee scans…