Cedar Point Coaster Mania 2022

I've been wanting to write here about my coaster mania experience and finally getting the chance. Overall it was an OK time, but not like I remembered it years past. Didn't get as many rides.

Let me elaborate. (read until the end).

We decided to stay at Lighthouse Point in our RV Travel Trailer, which was a super-great way to go. We were very convenient to the Magnum gate.

We actually arrived on Wed. evening, so spend Thursday as a GP and Friday with Coaster Mania.

I have to say that without a Fast Lane, lines on Thursday were not that long on any ride except for Steal Vengeance and Maverick. We got many rides.

Regarding Coaster Mania, one of my criticisms (hope I get this right - it's been a few weeks). I noticed in the schedule was that morning ride time was going to start on Magnum, then move to the front of the park for Blue Streak and Raptor and Gatekeeper (I think) then move all the way to the back for Gemini, Steel Vengeance and Maverick. This seemed like excessive walking so, because we were there on Thursday, we decided to skip the early morning walk to the back and started on Raptor.

So we got 2 rides on Raptor, then 2 rides on the Blue Streak. By then it was time to make our way to the back for the Gemini opening time, which mean we missed everything else in the front.

When we got back to Gemini, it was very late opening, we stood and stood, in a line outside the queue with the GP who had also arrived there. No one in the GP knew the ride was opening for Coaster Mania people only, so I did my duty and started making my way to the back of the line to tell them. Just then, the queue opened and we headed into the station and waited, probably about 10-15 minutes. Finally, it opened. My best time on Gemini I can remember due to high fiving! This probably wouldn't be allowed during regular hours.

Next we wanted to head over to Steel Vengeance for their opening but because of the delays with Gemini, we got there late and the ride was already open. In fact, we were informed ride wait time was 2 hours. Sorry, but no coaster is worth a 2 hour wait. We did ride it yesterday, but I wanted at least one more ride today.

As a side note. We came back later that day and Steel Vengeance was only a 45 minute wait - no Fast Pass needed. Excellent! This is, by far, my new #1 steel!

I think we might have gotten in line for Cedar Creek Mine Ride then, but not sure. I might be confusing Thursday with Friday. So that was morning ride time.

Fast forward to lunch - AWESOME spread at AWESOME location.
Fast forward to boat ride - AWESOME. It's fantastic that they include that in the day.

Fast forward to evening ride time.

Here's where it gets interesting.

We intended on riding Valravyn since we hadn't ridden it yet, then move on to Millenium force and just stay on that for multiple rides (we love MF).

So we get in, what seems like a pretty long line for Valravyn and in about 15 minutes it goes down. We waited for a bit, but without any info, decided to leave the line and head for Windseeker, which was open (this was our mistake). We heard later someone threw up on Valravyn (not sure if that's true).

After Windseeker ,we skipped Valravyn and headed to MF, thinking we'd get back to Valravyn at the end of the night.

Got in line for MF and we were at the bottom of the ramp, so it wouldn't take long, or so we thought.
As we approached the unloading zone, we notice someone throwing up in the last seat. As they exited and pulled the train forward, we moved forward and got into a seat queue near the back. Only two trains ahead of us.

We watched them clean the seat, then send the car out empty, then load the next train and send them out.

Only one more train. Yeh!

They proceeded to load the next train. We were next!

Suddenly the ride ops were running around the station, back and forth and having everyone that had already loaded the train get out and step behind the gates. We were wondering what was going on and after a few minutes, we figured out the train with passengers they sent out after the empty one never came back.

We walked over and looked up and sure enough, it was stuck on the lift hill.

We soon found out that the emergency station exit is directly opposite the lift hill. We weren't sure if we were going to wait so we waited for a bit but then decided we should leave - but as we got to the bottom of the steps, all these maintenance people were there behind the fence were the lift cable and motor are. We decided to stay there and watch and none of these maintenance guys seems to mind. We weren't in the way.

We watched as they talked about the potential issues of getting it going, banter back and forth. They then started the little cart that they use to evacuate the lift hill. For those that don't know, Millenium Force has this small metal box that rides along a track next to the main track, which is, I assume, what they use to evacuate people. Some of the maintenance people got in to cart and the rode up, VERY SLOWLY.

We heard them talking on walkie talkies. Everyone is fine, etc. etc. The guys on the ground figured out how to get the cable going and the guys in the cart rode back down VERY SLOWLY without evacuating anyone.

Shortly, they started the cable back up and released the stuck car over the lift hill and that was that. This easily took about 45 minutes I would guess, give or take.

During all this time, someone in a tie showed up, and they're talking about reopening or not. We heard something about problems with the cable bouncing a little too much, something about a counterweight and maybe that should be addressed before reopening. Plus it was now after 10:30PM and ride time was supposed to end.

So, they closed the ride for the rest of the evening.

Bottom line - evening ride time - one ride on Windseeker.

Please don't take anything I described here about the MF breakdown as 100% fact. We were hearing words at times but couldn't hear everything. That is my honest recollection though.

Even though the evening was kind of a bummer - it was fascinating to be there with an up front (litereally 2-3 feet away) view of maintenance and the little cart riding up the side of the lift hill. We could have gone to Valravyn but did not.

I can now say I went to Cedar Point and didn't get a new coaster credit. Bummer!

I do not fault the park for my own bad timing. Rides go down. You deal with it. I still had a fantastic time and can't wait for my next coaster mania visit.

As a side note, I think I know why ride times were schedule like they were. Friday night was a special ticketed event in Frontier Town so they couldn't do night rides in the back. Plus they also have to take into account early entry people and which rides are open for them.

I remember Coaster Manias from the past with lots of repeated rides. This time, not so much, but the fact is, I haven't been there since Maverick and they has lots of rides open at each session, which means less repeats, more walking.

I think next time though, I'll concentrate on just a few rides only and ride the others during regular park time. Plus, it was a great idea to plan that extra day in the park. I'll never go to Coaster Mania without adding an extra day at the park. Way too much to do and not enough time.

TonyVM:

...we stood and stood, in a line outside the queue with the GP who had also arrived there. No one in the GP knew the ride was opening for Coaster Mania people only, so I did my duty and started making my way to the back of the line to tell them.

Thank you for your service.