Cedar Point: Roller Coaster Heaven
Posted on July 21, 2008
Filed Under From the road |
Posted by Sierra with additional comments from Daria
Those of you who have been to Cedar Point, Ohio, know what I’m talking about when I say it’s huge. This Sandusky amusement park holds the record for the most roller coasters in the country, as well as being the second-oldest park in the nation.
Although it has a waterpark, a beach, a marina, and more, Cedar Point still manages to fit in many roller coasters. How do the park staff, designers, etc., do it? The secret: They overlap the coasters by bringing them over each other, the water, trees, and so on.
There are 14 non-kiddie roller coasters. I rode on 12 of them. These are the roller coasters we went on, as well as one water ride:
Top Thrill Dragster: 9.25. Top Thrill Dragster is the park’s fastest and tallest ride. You wait in a long line and then climb into a REALLY FAST “train” (that’s what they’re called) and zoom up a very tall arch at more than 120 mph! Then you zoom back down even faster. This whole process takes a little more than 20 seconds. It can cause headaches and makes everyone’s stomach drop. D: I loved this ride. Super scary.
Corkscrew: 7.75. You board the train and pull down your shoulder harness. Then you climb up a hill and zip up and down. There are multiple loop-di-loops and the ride is very fun, despite the fact that it kinda bangs up your head. It was OK.
Magnum XL-200: 9. The train climbs up a mountain then zooms around, upside down, and into a dark tunnel. The tunnel is possibly the coolest part. Hated this. Never thought I’d say the words “too long” about a roller coaster, but this one was. My head and neck got banged around a lot; it needed better harnessing.
Gemini: 9. Two trains (a red and a blue) race around a double wooden track. They wind, spin, and fall, as they pull back and ahead of one another. It is 30 years old, and still never seems to lose its uniqueness. Sierra and Stan’s train won, boooo!
Cedar Creek Mine Ride: 7. This ride starts out in a minelike atmosphere. The train leaps over some hills and goes around bends, leaning way over. However, it is not all that exciting and is better for those seeking a less-aggressive thrill. Boring.
Mean Streak: 8.5. This wooden coaster goes up and over hills, as well as under itself.
It is quite bumpy and a bit painful on the head. Great; one of the scariest wooden roller coasters I’ve been on. Great big drops.
Raptor: 10. One of my favorite rides, Raptor lets the riders’ legs dangle down from their seats. It takes them up and around, down, and and knocks them around while they’re screaming. Definitely a must-ride. Ditto.
Wicked Twister: 9.75. This U-shaped monster leaves everyone screaming and some nauseous. It rushes the train up and twisting at a 90 degree (or so) angle, then back, then up. Repeat. I was among the screaming riders. I’m not gonna name anyone, but at least one of the Hieronymi felt nauseous after getting off. (Hint: It wasn’t me.) Me, neither.
Iron Dragon: 8.5. This unique ride has its train hanging below the track. It leaps and turns, rounding bend after bend after bend. It provides a high thrill but not high enough to be considered aggressive. It was OK.
Mantis: 9.75. The victims (Oops! I mean the riders) stand up in the shoulder harness, and therefore end up standing upside down on the loop-di-loops. It would be more fun if the wind didn’t hurt one’s legs so much. I thought for sure I was going to fall out.
Maverick: 10. This old-style, yodelin’ western ride won a prize for Best New Ride in 2007. It takes you uphill fast, then down a 95 degree drop, which is 5 degrees steeper than Dragster. You blast above water blasting at you, and have a blast, too. There is a dark tunnel and several upside down turns. Awesome. But the wait was about an hour and a half; they even sell food and drinks along the way. Isn’t there a better way to do it?
Snake River Falls: 9.25. This water ride straps you into a seat and up a hill. You make a turn and then you fallllllllllllllllllllllllll into the water and ker-splash to the finish. Note: Water is somewhat cold. Stan was none too pleased about the state of his notebook after this ride.
Millennium Force: 10. Millennium Force takes you fast up a hill and down, over the water and through two dark tunnels. You go around a bend and back to the start. There might be a good view at the top, but it’s not like there’s a lot of time to look. I like this ride because it combines height with depth, as well as light with dark. The best one of all. Having a DJ spinning dance tunes while we waited in line made it the best overall experience of the day, hands down. Seeing a hundred people doing “YMCA” can’t be beat.
These coasters are all fun, all the time (especially my favorites: Raptor, Maverick, and Millennium Force). Although we didn’t get to go to the beach or the waterpark, I had one heck of a good time a Cedar Point. These roller coasters are some of the greatest on Earth and are worth the waits in line.
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Raptor and Maverick are my 2 favorites followed by Millenium Force, then Top Thrill Dragster. Mantis is my fifth favorite. I hate Mean Streak.
I don’t ride roller coasters anymore, but I want to go there after reading about them! We have to take the kids there. It sounds GREAT and they love coasters. Maybe we could drive there. See you soon.