Coney Island Cyclone - CoasterBuzz

Were planning this year to make a trip to Astroland to ride the Cyclone. I was wondering if is it the most famous coaster just because it was great at it's time and it still runs strong, like is it because it nostalgic...or is it really a good coaster? Thanks

CH2K2, it really IS that good. Apparently it had fallen on some hard times, and I've only been once, SpringCon2K, but the ride kicked serious butt. If you go, DO the Wonder Wheel...scariest flat I've been on, really appreciated the sign that said they'd never had a fatality....

Astroland Park is pretty cool, even if a bit "run-down". But the history in the area is almost thick in the air, almost palpable. Get a spin or two on the neighboring Schwarzkopf, and be sure to eat some Coney Island tradition...Nathan's ORIGINAL dogs!

rollergator said: and be sure to eat some Coney Island tradition...Nathan's ORIGINAL dogs!

After last years Coney eating contest where the skinny little 130 lb. Japanese guy ate 50 dog and buns in 5 minutes, I don't think I'll ever be able to eat Nathan's without thinking of that! (It's the same guy that won that "glutton Bowl" on Fox)

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- Peabody

Yeah, Jeff....that was amazing. The Cyclone is a whopper. An amazing coaster in the truest sense of the word, and all the more so when you realize that this was built without the modern day advantages of computers, etc. It is a wonder.
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www.tripowered.com

I'm going to go against the popular vote here and say that, while the Cyclone is good, it is not great. It is a powerful coaster with incredibly fierce drops, but the trains are so heavily padded that only the smallest riders will have room between themselves and the lap bar to feel any of the ride's airtime.

Coney Island is a nice place to visit for a few hours, but as an all-day affair, it doesn't make sense. Rides on the Cyclone are now $5.00 with re-rides being $4.00, and the Astroland POP now only buys you 3 rides on the Cyclone instead of 5 (at least that was the deal in 2002). There is the Wonder Wheel and the wonderful Jumbo Jet, but not much else.

I love the Cyclone and look forward to my annual night in Coney, the place isn't nearly as bad as some people may lead you to believe. Just don't go with the impression that the Cyclone is the most incredible wooden coaster out there, otherwise you may feel a little let-down. I love my coasters rough, but there are other woodies out there that offer more than the Cyclone, IMO.

No wooden coaster that I have been on has a first drop like cyclone. It was that good.

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eee-yip

Cyclone has NOT fallen on difficult times. I've ridden it on a number of different occasions since fall of 2000 and its been running great each time. In the off-season the owner gives the track and the trains a lot of TLC. But Cyclone is *not* to be taken lightly. Its an aggressive ride, but a ton of fun and firmly entrenched in my Top 5.

The Cyclone is a great ride. All the seats in the trains are different. One seat you may have tons on leg room and the next seat your crammed in. The ride is even very different between front and back. The front flies around the turns but the back crawls up then flies around the rest of the way. Also the drops don't seem to get smaller thruought the ride. If you ride in the very back seat get ready for the bottoms of the hills anyone who rode in the back will know what I mean.

Coney Island also has several Dark Rides with some grusome scenes. I liked them. There is also an old style Sideshow there. They have the basics swordswallower, Snake Charmer, Tattoed Guy,Clown, and a few other acts.
In all theres lot to do at CI but an entire day there could get pretty expensive. In all it's a fun time.

Just go ride it. It's a great ride - especially with all the nostalga.

Although I think the scariest ride out there is the subway station. Yuk!

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Without the chaindog, you'd never get up the lifthill...

If your goal is to ride every rollercoaster, Cyclone is a must but don't expect it to be all that great. Yes it is a classic, Yes it has its great moments, but it is not by any means up to the hype that the tv shows have given it. When I rode it I took the 1 hour train ride out to Coney Island and saw the coaster as soon as I got off. There was a large man in a soiled t-shirt running the thing. I was the only one on the ride. I rode the coaster several times because I knew I would never travel out there again. After the rides I went back to my hotel and rated the coaster a 7 out of 10. The Beast is the only 10 on my list.

Again if you are a coaster fan you have to ride it so have fun, maybe this will become your favorite coaster as it has to others.

All I can say is to RIDE IT! It is wonderful in every sense of the word. And as coasterpunk said... if you sit in the back get ready for the bottoms of the hills. The park itself is really great as well. You get off the subway and suddenly you're back in the 1940's. Its absoluetly amazing. Just the atmosphere is worth the trip. And yes the Cyclone has become pricy but it is worth every penny IMHO. So GO RIDE IT. It is a coaster that just CANNOT be missed.

coasterpunk said:
If you ride in the very back seat get ready for the bottoms of the hills anyone who rode in the back will know what I mean.

I do know what you mean, don't ride the far back unless you have a good back!

Rob Ascough said:
It is a powerful coaster with incredibly fierce drops, but the trains are so heavily padded that only the smallest riders will have room between themselves and the lap bar to feel any of the ride's airtime.

Well, anyone who's met me knows that I fit in that "small rider" category.

I ADORE the CI Cyclone. Yes, part of that is nostalgia. The subway ride out from Manhattan, the Nathan's, the beach. The Cyclone itself IS one fine wooden coaster, though -- when I make myself sit down and rank coasters (such as when I'm filling out Mitch Hawker's polls, the Cyclone consistently lands somewhere in my first 10.

Dangit, now I need to get myself back there.

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--Greg
"The collective women in your life have more baggage than a Samsonite factory..."
My page

we live 5 minutes from Cyclone and Astroland (aka Coney Island) and I have riden Cyclone well over 1K times in my life, I am born and raised Brooklynite, spent MANY MANY hours hangin out there just to ride Cyclone. I have riden over 120 coasters and it always comes back to Cyclone. No shes not the fastest, biggest, tallest, newest but she ROCKS! Be prepared to get slammed into your riding partner BAD the first couple runs until you get the feel of her then you will love it! Dont forget down the boardwalk a ways the Jumbo Jet-another oldie but goodie, I remember riding it when I was a kid and still do ride it.
The important things to remember about Astroland-the POP does NOT cover Cyclone, your POP admission is only good for 3 rides on Cyclone then you have the option of paying $4.00 for any additional rides you'd want (Unless you know someone who works there - and can get the hook up like me!!!) Astroland is NOT an "amusement park" by any sense of the word, paying for the POP isnt really worth it to me since Cyclone, Jumbo Jet and the Giant Wheel are the only things my g/f I mess with when we go and they are separate prices anyway. If you've never been to Brooklyn (or NYC for that matter) you're in for a surprise. The only bad thing I have to say about Nathans is they ditched the best knishes and now serve the round mushy ones-barf.
There is just something too cool about a roller coaster that sits in the middle of a city street with a chain link fence around it. The smell of the freshly oiled tracks and the screams of the people remind me why I love that place.
I am looking out our apartment patio and can see Astroland, the beach, the defunct parachute ride
and Cyclone
life is good
If you have any questions-email me-I'll be more than happy to help you or even meet up with you there
Mike
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I didnt ask you to dance I said you looked fat in those pants

'moosh, I think yopu may have mistaken my HAD for a HAS...certainly a beautiful RIDE when I was there, and I believe it still is. But it's my *understanding* that the Cyclone had hit some pretty rough times before the "major refurbishment" a few years back....

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Florida needs an Intamin and/or CCI soon...PLEASE!
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

rollergator said:
"and be sure to eat some Coney Island tradition...Nathan's ORIGINAL dogs!"

You know, my dad went up to NYC last year (a week b4 9/11 at that) and he said those Nathans dogs were really lame. Granted, we are from Chicago and have a much *heartier* expectation of food, but it seems like NY-style anything is "wimpy" (see NY v Chi-town pizza).
jeremy
--not looking forward to NYC food.

Nathan's hot dogs are different... they seem to have a really thick "skin" on them, which makes them tougher to bite into than regular hot dogs. They're good, really good, but I don't know if I would call them the best hot dogs ever.

As much as I like Nathan's, I'll take Sabrett's (with kraut and chili) over them any day...

--Greg, who's getting really hungry for NYC right now, and NOT for the fine dining. ;)

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--Greg
"The collective women in your life have more baggage than a Samsonite factory..."
My page

*** This post was edited by GregLeg on 2/25/2002. ***

Rob,

I am going to go against the popular vote also. While I did enjoy my rides I have gotten on the Cyclone, I just didn't really understand the hype. I believe the nostalgic factor about that ride has a lot to do with it. Who knows? I just found the ride to be way overhyped for what it provides.

One person seemed personally offended when I mentioned that I thought the Cyclone reminded me of the SCBB Giant Dipper (thrill wise), thus, one of the reasons I don't like to compare anymore.

-Sean

Both (Sabrett's and Nathan's) are good dogs, I grew up on Sabrett's...and as for the "thick skin"....that's something you just gotta have in "The Big Apple"...LOL. And jeremy, what's SO great about a pizza with double the crust...I'll take double CHEESE any day...

Ci Cyclone is great, IMO, and ranks in my top-5 woodies, but then again, I am one of those "nostalgia-buffs", so my vote may be as skewed as a French skating judge...