I would like to start off by applauding CP on an excellent job done with every aspect of their park operations. I have never seen every ride so perfectly with just amazing intervals. CP, I tip my hat off to you.
So I arrived with our three bus army grup trip around 9:30, and waited around the gates until they opened them up at 10 ish. I went over to the season pass line armed with my brand new MA season pass. The op working that line had a sheet with boxes for a nmae, pass #, and all of the CF parks. I got nervous, because MA wasn't there, but she wrote it in on the side. I'm in!
My group of six rushed off to the Magnum to find, NO LINE! We got three walk on rides in. Middle of the train, and the front and middle row of the back car. Damn, those trims are biting hard, but it still runs darn fast. The middle tossed my friend and I around because we were sitting over a wheel assembly. While leaving the station, a ride op asked me about my SOB shirt.
"Did you like it?"
"Yeah, but Shivering Timbers is better"
He nods in agreement as I dispatch. On our third ride, a ride op says , *he* wants to see you in the booth. He asked me if I was an enthusiast and if I wanted to ride later. I said sure and he told me to meet him at 1:30 at the Magnum exit.
So we ran off to the Mantis, high on that three ride Magnum buzz. There was about a half hour wait, which would have been greatly reduced if they ran three trains. *he*told me later in the day that the stacking was just too much. The Mantis was running pretty good, but the harnesses are just disgusting.
We went to Millennium Force after this to see a 1-1.5 hr. wait, well it is MF. We waited only about an hour to get a great ride in 5-2. I wanted 5-1, but somebody grabbed it before us. Yes, you can wait for the front now. After we rode the Force, we were on a serious high, we just loved it. Always great, but it would get better later.
We grabbed some lunch under the sky ride, which was OK. We then went to the Magnum exit to meet up with *him*. I was psyched, I was finally recognized for wearing a amusement park shirt. We went to the Gemini with him, and I talked a little with him about CP and their new rides. I asked if they were getting a Thrust Air and he said yes. He told me they(two of em)would be longer than that of King's Dominion, and they would both have duel stations, a la X-Flight. He also said that they would have 12 passenger trains instead of eight. Hmm.... I don't know if this is true, but it is certainly cool to hear something like this. He said that a CCI out and back is possible near the ferris wheel area.
Great ride on the Gemin, he didn't have his lap bar down at all! He held it up! Crazy man.
We headed over to MF again thinking that *he*could get us to the front of the line. What were we thinkning. The line did become significantly shorter, by 30-45 min. though. I talked with him about Coasterbuzz, all sorts of parks, deigner crap, SFWoA, and general enthusiast stuff. He said that Blue Streak was running fast and smooth this year, and that Mantis is getting a paint job next year and the Magnum the next year. We got up to the station, and had to say goodbye to *him*.
Because my friend and I had to wait for the front. Oh my God. The half an hour extra wait was more than worth it.
I urge you to wait for the front of MF. Nothing compares to it. I usually hate front seat rides, but jeeeeez! The first drop was glorious and all of the sudden you can feel it. SPEED up the wazoo. The train rockets through the turnaround which is wear I got some sparkly vision for a split second. Amazing.
It was now just down to me and my friend because nobody else waited for the front like us. We went over to the Power Tower where we found about a 10 min. wait, very nice. Turbo Drop side, thrilling as always.
We then took the Sky Ride over to the Raptor to find about a 30 min. wait, still very sweet. What happened? The Raptor did not do it for me. I never really loved this ride, but it always left me dizzied. It was good, but by no means great. I will stick with my Alpengeist and
Dueling Dragons for B&M inverts.
We took a trip on Blue Streak, which rode just like *he* said. CP did retrack it, you can clearly tell. No more bouncing on the first drop! Great ride with great airtime, much improved from last year.
We went back over to Magnum, to find about a 20 min. wait. Sweet! We decided to take a trip on the ejector seat, 1-3. This seat is by far a very different ride than the back. Airtime to the point of pain! Awesome!
We wanted to go back to MF for another front seat ride, and I took a trip on the Corkscrew while my buddy gave his legs a break. The Corkscrew seemed to be having troubles all day as they kept closing it, and reopening it. It was actually running smooth with great airtime in the back seat. Not bad for a 1973 Arrow! They do have a lot of junk, concrete, old moving food stands under it, very ugly.
We spent about 40 min. in line and another 25 for the front seat on MF. Once agin, just amazing. Watch out for bugs though my shirt was loaded with them! We then took the train back to the Mean Streak.
This hunk of wood is so neglected, what a shame. We had walk on waits, which was very sweet. Yes, those trims are on heavy, so you gotta live with it. Funny to see what once you has to wait hours for, is nowdown to a one-two train wait. We took to spins on the Mean Streak, which were actually pretty fun rides. My advice to avoid as much roughness as possible is to move forward, so neither your head or back touches the car. This way, litlle of the jostling is directed at your spine.
Took two spins on the Gemini to finish off an immaculate day. My funnel cake sucked. Overall, it was probably my best day at CP. Everything ran so perfect. We timed a 1:30 min. train to train interval on MF, very impressive. The Magnum crew was by far the fastest. The train drops off the lift, and the next one is already dispatching. Congrats to CP, and thank you anonymus ride op. Now on to SFWoA and Kennywood later in the year!
*he* just told me that I can't mention his name, sorry!
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CDNSN
*** This post was edited by Craig the Coaster Freak on 6/22/2001. ***
