SUMMERTIME : Run For It : For minimum line waits and maximum fun, the secret is to make a plan.

You think it’s just fun to go to a theme park. You must be new to Southern California.

Sure, you can have fun at Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Universal Studios Tour-- the two major theme parks in the Valley area--if that’s what you’re after, but you have to negotiate your way through large crowds, ward off sunstroke and find ways to cut way down on what can be an appallingly lopsided line wait/ride time ratio.

It can be done.

There are experts in the field--people who love these places so much they go several times a year--who have devised ways to get the most out of a day at a theme park, no matter how challenging the conditions. Luckily, they were willing to share some their secrets for successful park-going.

We’ve combined the best of their suggestions and put together for each park a sample day of time/crowd/money-wise frolic. We ran field tests to see how the plans worked. Here are the findings.

Magic Mountain on a Saturday

We started by breaking our own first rule. How bad can a weekend day be at Magic Mountain, after all? We found out.

* 9:19 a.m.: Arrived at the parking lot, boarded the tram to the main gate and got reminded for the first of several times that day to “keep all body parts inside.”

At the ticket gate, daily admission was $25 for anyone over 48 inches tall (less for those under 48 inches or shorter because they can’t go on rides the park classifies as “thrilling”). If you are planning to go to the park more than two times in a calendar year, the individual season pass for $55 or family pass for $160 (for as many as four people) is a bargain.

Even though the gates didn’t open until 10, there were already several hundred park-goers--average age about 15--waiting eagerly. Their good mood was infectious and, at least on this day, the crowd was very well-behaved and polite. There was much talk of Viper.

For the uninitiated, Viper is one of the famous/infamous loop roller coasters at Magic Mountain. It works up so much centrifugal force that it keeps you in your seat even in an upside-down position.

“I’m not sure I want to go on Viper,” one boy quietly confided to his friends.

“Hey, man, you should go to Disneyland,” came the quick put-down.

If you do want to ride some of the eight attractions, like Viper, that are referred to as “thrilling” (as opposed to the 18 “family” rides), you might want to take precautions. At least one couple could be spotted with motion sickness patches behind their ears.

Several kids at the gate were discussing which ride to hit first--an important consideration. “As soon as the gate opens, you head for one of the most popular rides,” said Tom Araujo, one of our consultants. Araujo, a single dad who lives in Claremont, takes 7- and 10-year-old kids to Magic Mountain several times a year.

“The idea is to get to a ride before the line builds up,” he said. “Otherwise, for the most popular rides you can wait well over an hour.”

Araujo traditionally heads first for Revolution, a loop ride that his kids particularly enjoy. We planned to duplicate his route.

* 9:53 a.m.: Gates opened a bit early and many broke into a run, heading for their favorite attractions.

Just down the first stretch on the left side is the Guest Relations office. It’s worthwhile to make a quick stop here to pick up a free park map off the counter. It will come in handy throughout the day.

Most of the crowd headed for Viper, leaving the line to nearby Revolution almost empty. But when we reached Revolution, short of breath, an attendant held up a “Closed” sign.

We ran for the second ride on the Araujo list, Roaring Rapids.

“You want to get to the water rides either before or after the hot hours of the afternoon when everyone wants on them,” he had advised.

It was closed, too. Only later did we find out that these early closures are usually temporary and last only until the ride has gone through its morning test runs.

* 10:10 a.m.: We arrived at Psyclone, a huge, beautiful, wooden roller coaster on one edge of the park. The few people in line frantically waved at us to join them. “They need 48 people on the ride before they’ll start it,” one explained.

* 10:19 a.m.: We began our first “thrilling” ride.

* 10:21 a.m.: The ride ended--it was short, but it lived up to its billing.

* 10:29 a.m.: We were in line for Roaring Rapids, which was finally open nearby. Already, the lines were considerable, taking just over half an hour to get onto this fairly mellow, but wet, ride.

“You might want to bring dry clothes to change after doing the water rides,” suggested Kim Emerson of nearby Saugus, who frequently brings her kids and those of her neighbors to Magic Mountain. In the heat of the summer, clothes will dry quickly, though. If you want to bring extras or other items, it’s wise to stash them in the lockers near the Flashback ride, to the right of the entrance.

Emerson had other hints. “Magic Mountain has two kinds of rides--ones for adults and big kids and the rest for kiddies,” she said. “There is not much in-between. If you want to go on the adult rides, it should be at a time when you don’t have the little kids with you.”

* 11:11 a.m.: We were in line for Ninja, another popular ride. Sun screen became necessary. You’re bound to spend at least some of your line time in unshaded areas.

TV monitors showed cartoons (including some excellent vintage Bugs Bunny ones), comedy routines and Oxy acne medicine commercials for your in-line entertainment.

* 11:36 a.m.: Trouble. We had not moved forward for several minutes. Far up ahead, empty Ninja cars could be seen on the tracks. An announcement was made that the ride was experiencing “minor technical difficulties” and would be inoperable for a time. Everyone stayed in line.

* 12:05 p.m.: Several “minor technical difficulties” announcements later, the ride was still not running. Many people left, shortening the line considerably.

* 12:26 p.m.: Even though we were near the front of the line, we finally gave up and headed to a hot dog stand for lunch.

The plan had fallen apart. Even the woman serving hot dogs, seeing that we are a bit worn, quietly suggested: “Come back on a weekday--then you can get to the rides.”

The Araujos do not stop for lunch. “We eat in line for Freefall to save time,” he said. “You digest while waiting.” (And you need to digest before Freefall.)

But we needed the sit-down break. So did Emerson. She said that when she has lots of neighborhood kids in tow, she saves money by packing lunch in a cooler and leaving it in the car.

“They will stamp your hand when you leave the park to go to the car,” she said. “You can get the cooler, eat at picnic tables they have outside the gate, and then go back in.”

If you do get stuck there on a terrifically busy day, as we did, you can make use of a special promotion called the Twicket. It’s a yellow ticket you get when you enter the park. If you pay $1 to have it stamped at the Twicket booth near the exit gate, you will be readmitted to the park for no additional cost anytime in the next seven days.

We returned on a Monday and hit all eight “thrilling” rides, plus others, before 1 p.m.

(Hint for next year: A weekday right after Memorial Day, when the park first goes to a seven-days-a-week schedule, is a particularly good time to go.)

If the “thrilling” rides seem daunting, but you want to try at least one, go for Goldrusher or even the old favorite, Colossus. But remember, one person’s thrill might be another’s nightmare.

At the end of the non-looping but fast Colossus ride, one woman whose grandchildren were at the park turned to her friend and said: “ That was fun!”

Her friend, staring straight ahead, replied evenly: “ That was torture.”

Universal Studios Tour on a Friday

* 8:30 a.m.: Getting to this park early is important, according to Kim Driscoll, an Anaheim tour consultant who brings international travelers to Universal an average of twice a week. “You want to head right away for the Studio Center area for the tram studio tour ride and E.T., because that is where the long lines are later,” she said.

The crowd buying tickets was light at that hour. A full-price ticket is $26 for adults, $20 for children 3 to 11. The season pass--$49.50 adults, $44.50 children 3 to 11--is a bargain if you plan to visit the park more than two times in a year.

* 8:51 a.m.: The gate opened and everyone who got in at that time received a tram tour pass marked “Board Anytime.” Those coming later got passes that don’t allow them to board until later in the day.

Once inside, most people headed quickly for the back of the park and the long escalator that heads down to the Studio Center.

* 9:01 a.m.: At the bottom of the escalator we headed to the left and get right on the tram. Driscoll’s advice was solid--on summer days the tram wait can be more than an hour.

The tram tour takes about an hour and provides a glimpse of famous movie sets. It also includes some special-effect thrills that are impressively massive and expensive but have little to do with movie-making.

The only real work we saw being done on the lot was construction on the park’s upcoming “Back to the Future” attraction. No stars were seen.

* 10:05 a.m.: After the tram, we walked the short distance to the E.T. ride, where we were greeted with a park-goer’s favorite sign: “0 minutes” wait to get in.

E.T. flies you above a model of a city in a ride reminiscent of the old Peter Pan ride in Disneyland. The updated E.T. attraction is more realistic and, at least to this rider, less charming.

After these two attractions, you can relax and determine which live-performance shows you want to see in the Entertainment Center upstairs. Schedules are available at the gate. The popular “Wild West Stunt Show” (renamed from “The Riot Act” after the post-King verdict disturbances) has a lot of slapstick and a few stunts. “Miami Vice” features more stunts and plenty of pyrotechnics.

“Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue” is clever and features some talented singers and dancers, but smothers them with overamplification and lighting effects (largely compromised in the daytime, anyway).

One of the most charming and informative attractions is the “Animal Actors’ Stage,” which demonstrates what various animals can be trained to do in the movies. The animals don’t seem oppressed and the handlers seem to treat them with true affection. The show even included a pitch for saving beasts endangered by the diminution of the rain forest.

Driscoll and other Universal regulars say that the “Star Trek” show, which is the longest at 30 minutes, is tedious for all but die-hard fans and the “Fievel Goes West” show interests mostly small children.

With the printed schedule, you can make a plan to see the shows you want with a minimum of lag time. On crowded days, however, it’s best to get to the shows at least 15 or 20 minutes early because as soon as they are filled to capacity, the gates close.

Upstairs there is also a variety of stand-up or sit-down places to eat.

After determining which shows you plan to see upstairs in the Entertainment Center, you can linger a bit longer in the Studio Center area, which includes the “Cinemagic” show, a demonstration of some of the special effects from “Back to the Future” and Alfred Hitchcock films.

The walk-through Lucille Ball tribute is sweetly nostalgic. It includes videotaped reminiscences from people who worked on the “I Love Lucy” show and a display of costumes and other artifacts from the show and other parts of Ball’s career.

Driscoll said that with careful scheduling, it’s possible to do a pretty thorough tour of the park in five to six hours.

Tips for Amusement Park Trips

A few suggestions to make visits to amusement parks easier and more fun:

* Avoid the parks on weekends. The crowds are worse and the lines are longer, cutting down on the number of rides you will be able to sample. Leave Saturdays and Sundays to tourists who don’t know better.

* Go early. Park veterans know that the very best time to get on the primo stuff without long waits in line is right after the parks open. The truly prepared get there before opening and line up at the gates.

* Make a plan. Even if it’s only a list of rides or attractions you want to sample, a plan will help. There is nothing worse than standing in the middle of the crowds on a hot day, trying to figure out where to turn next for fun. There is no surer route to that glassy-eyed look you want to avoid.

* Bring extra money. Even though a single admission price gets you access to the park, food and souvenirs inside are not cheap. You might have to buy something you forgot at home, such as sun block.

* Travel light. You will be covering a lot of ground and, on the rides, excess baggage might get squashed, soaked or thrown from a height at high speeds. A fanny pack is perfect for carrying the few items you will need.