Cedar Point Opening Day
Associated parks:
None
Had the opportunity to attend Cedar Point's official opening day on May 6th. The crowd was pretty decent, most of the rides ranged from a walk-on to about an hour wait. I got to ride most of the rides except Mantis and Millennium Force (Yes there is a reason why). So here's the lowdown on a few coasters and attractions.
The Raptor looks just like it did during its inaugural season. The brilliant neon green track dominated the Cedar Point skyline. The ride is aging quite well too. I rode the back to feel the G-forces rip my face off. Great ride!! Nice and smooth.
The Bluestreak opened up for it's 37th season with a little bit of retracking done on the first drop and fourth drop. Lots of airtime with a bumpy ride. I love this classic still.
One of my biggest disappointments of the park however was the Mean Streak. Or the "Not-so-Mean" Streak. For its tenth birthday we definitely got a brake... literally. The first drop was braked more than ever, hindering the effect of the airtime this ride once had. However, the ride wasn't as bumpy as I remembered. It seemed a little more tame and merciful.
Gemini was running four trains and NO BRAKES.. yeee haaaahh!! Great ride, I felt more airtime on the final two hills than ever before. Fun ride and we won!! :)
the greatest thing I was looking forward to was the Magnum. After hearing that the trains were getting overhauled and such I knew I was in for a different ride. The padding was a nice touch, softer than I remembered from last year. The ride still has the woodie bumpiness, but there was one big thing missing. The pretzel turn seemed smoother and faster because not only were the trains redone, but the trim brakes before the turn were gone!!!! YAAAY!! It really brought back the memories of the major airtime I experienced when I first rode it in '92. Great ride, awesome air!! I left the lap bar about 2 clicks loose and was out of my seat for the whole ride. Great job on reconditioning the ride.
Another ride to report on is the Disaster Transport. They certainly put the Disaster in it. It is basically a dark warehouse with a ride a strobe lights. Very few effects are left, and the black lights in the first room have been replaced with boring white florescent lights. :( Okay ride, I have a feeling CP is going to let this ride go soon.
I really wanted to ride Millennium Force and Mantis. Millennium Force seemed to have been broken down every time I went to get into line. So I'll have to ride that when I go again next week :). The Mantis to me isn't worth waiting an hour for which is what it was most of the day. But like I said before I will hit that next week, that's one of the goods of having a season pass ;).
Overall, the park looks cleaner, it got a new entrance gate, some new landscaping here and there, and Johnny Rockets will be opening on May 20th. I had a fun time. Way to go CP on your 130 somethinth season!!
Later!!
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***Why can't all parks have a Millennium Force?***
The Raptor looks just like it did during its inaugural season. The brilliant neon green track dominated the Cedar Point skyline. The ride is aging quite well too. I rode the back to feel the G-forces rip my face off. Great ride!! Nice and smooth.
The Bluestreak opened up for it's 37th season with a little bit of retracking done on the first drop and fourth drop. Lots of airtime with a bumpy ride. I love this classic still.
One of my biggest disappointments of the park however was the Mean Streak. Or the "Not-so-Mean" Streak. For its tenth birthday we definitely got a brake... literally. The first drop was braked more than ever, hindering the effect of the airtime this ride once had. However, the ride wasn't as bumpy as I remembered. It seemed a little more tame and merciful.
Gemini was running four trains and NO BRAKES.. yeee haaaahh!! Great ride, I felt more airtime on the final two hills than ever before. Fun ride and we won!! :)
the greatest thing I was looking forward to was the Magnum. After hearing that the trains were getting overhauled and such I knew I was in for a different ride. The padding was a nice touch, softer than I remembered from last year. The ride still has the woodie bumpiness, but there was one big thing missing. The pretzel turn seemed smoother and faster because not only were the trains redone, but the trim brakes before the turn were gone!!!! YAAAY!! It really brought back the memories of the major airtime I experienced when I first rode it in '92. Great ride, awesome air!! I left the lap bar about 2 clicks loose and was out of my seat for the whole ride. Great job on reconditioning the ride.
Another ride to report on is the Disaster Transport. They certainly put the Disaster in it. It is basically a dark warehouse with a ride a strobe lights. Very few effects are left, and the black lights in the first room have been replaced with boring white florescent lights. :( Okay ride, I have a feeling CP is going to let this ride go soon.
I really wanted to ride Millennium Force and Mantis. Millennium Force seemed to have been broken down every time I went to get into line. So I'll have to ride that when I go again next week :). The Mantis to me isn't worth waiting an hour for which is what it was most of the day. But like I said before I will hit that next week, that's one of the goods of having a season pass ;).
Overall, the park looks cleaner, it got a new entrance gate, some new landscaping here and there, and Johnny Rockets will be opening on May 20th. I had a fun time. Way to go CP on your 130 somethinth season!!
Later!!
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***Why can't all parks have a Millennium Force?***
You saw MF open off and on throughout the day though right? It wasn't closed the whole time? Excellent TR. I'm dying to go Saturday, so hopefully everything will be worked out by then. I'm still punching myself for taking last years night ride on Blue Streak(although it was a beautiful sight). Should I take MF or Magnum for the night ride? Glad to see everything was good. I agree about Mantis. MAYBE 30 minutes and that's stressing it. People were waiting up to 1 hr 1/2 for KC at PKI today. It was only running one train. Shows a lot of first-timers. What were the Magnum and Raptor waits? They were both about 1 hr. last year so hopefully it won't be much more Sat. Have fun next week too.
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PKI-Wooden, Helix, and Kiddie Coaster Capital of the World!
And I LOVE CP, so Get Up Out of My Azz About It! :)
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PKI-Wooden, Helix, and Kiddie Coaster Capital of the World!
And I LOVE CP, so Get Up Out of My Azz About It! :)
Wait wait wait!!!! The trims before the pretzel are GONE??? (I can only hope) Or were they just not on today?
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- Peabody
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- Peabody
Actually, the trim brakes on the Magnum were gone! Take a close look the second time you ride it, enjoy the first ride!!
The wait for magnum was about 15-20 minutes, Raptor was about 45 minutes. Mantis had two trains running which is probably why the wait was so long.
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***Why can't all parks have a Millennium Force?***
The wait for magnum was about 15-20 minutes, Raptor was about 45 minutes. Mantis had two trains running which is probably why the wait was so long.
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***Why can't all parks have a Millennium Force?***
"The greatest thing I was looking forward to was the Magnum. After hearing that the trains were getting overhauled and such I knew I was in for a different ride. The padding was a nice touch, softer than I remembered from last year."
That's good to hear that they've added some
padding to that HORRIBLE train. I actually
suffered a bruised pelvis from that ride,
so it's good to see that some proactive
measures are being taken to change it.
Even though my face to face and written
letters to Cedar Point got no personal
response, I am happy to see that they
listen to their customers.
-rob
That's good to hear that they've added some
padding to that HORRIBLE train. I actually
suffered a bruised pelvis from that ride,
so it's good to see that some proactive
measures are being taken to change it.
Even though my face to face and written
letters to Cedar Point got no personal
response, I am happy to see that they
listen to their customers.
-rob
Robodud said:
"Actually, the trim brakes on the Magnum were gone! Take a close look the second time you ride it, enjoy the first ride!!"
Now I dont know if this is *really* true or not, but whilst riding Maggie yesterday, I *LOOKED* for the trim and I did not see it. I wasnt sure if I just wasnt looking in the right place or what, but they were not visible from someone (me) watching the track (from row 1.2...GregLeg was in 1.3 ;)).
In either case, it was redily apparent that no trim grabbed the train...I assumed it was just because it was so windy yesterday.
jeremy
--who will post his own TR in mere mirco mini moments...
I saw them, but they were off. Because of the strong headwind I don't think it would have made it back if they were on!
Are you sure you guys were looking in the right place? Right after the 3rd hill before the pretzel loop (More like the entrance). I was sitting in 6-3L comming over the 3rd hill.
In any case I look again tommorow. Maybe I have rode Magnum too much and the brakes were etched into my mind.
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Joe
Lifetime Force Count-11
2001 Gemini Count-5
Are you sure you guys were looking in the right place? Right after the 3rd hill before the pretzel loop (More like the entrance). I was sitting in 6-3L comming over the 3rd hill.
In any case I look again tommorow. Maybe I have rode Magnum too much and the brakes were etched into my mind.
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Joe
Lifetime Force Count-11
2001 Gemini Count-5
I waited about 20 min for the magnum at 2 and would have been 20 min for front car on Raptor, 10 in line for station 10 in line for front, then they closed it for technical reasons, probably wind. real technical. :/
After they reopened it only 45 min for front, and after I got off, as the first ride of the season.... only one word can describe that ride, Amazing.
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Ryan
Raptor Rules The Sky!
After they reopened it only 45 min for front, and after I got off, as the first ride of the season.... only one word can describe that ride, Amazing.
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Ryan
Raptor Rules The Sky!
The Trims are still in place. I have two theories why they didn't seem to be turned on: 1st the wind was slowing the trains down quite a bit and the brakes are controlled by speed sensors; 2nd the backup compressor was being used and it might not have the capacity to work all of the pneumatics.
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