Associated parks:
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Dragster--
We arrived at TTD and we heard people shouting 4 - 5 hour wait. We took a moment to decide if it was worth it while we watched a train FLY by us and shoot up the tower. It was unanimous. We got in line, which was already almost backed up to the entrance underneathe the Dragster track. And so the wait began. I was skeptical that the wait would exceed 4 hours. In the end we waited a little over 3 hours.
We hopped in the trains and all of us were VERY nervous. I didn't know what to be more afraid of-- the launch or the drop. The train moved up to the launching area. By this point I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. Not good! The engine noises started up so I knew that our launch was imminent. By the way... the countdown lights aren't working-- or at least we couldn't see them working in the bright daylight. We sat there with engines revving and the onlookers staring for what seemed like an eternity. I could feel something click and then the train slowly started rolling backwards. The only other indicator left at this point of when you are about to launch is a slight bit of silence between the audio track of an engine revving and the audio track of tires screaching. I heard the gap but it did nothing to prepare me for the launch because before I could even think about what that silence meant we were off.
Let me just say that nothing could prepare me for the launch. I don't have much of a track record and I have never been on a launching coaster of any kind. I did not expect the launch to be sooo intense. I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING during those first few seconds. In those first few seconds my vision seemed similar to when you squint and bat your eyelids rapidly-- only brighter. My vision returned to normal just as the cable lets go of the train and you start to go vertical.
Unlike what others have said, going up did not feel like an eternity for me. In fact before I knew it we were over the hump and descending. The drop, something I was dreading, wasn't all that bad. I remember feeling some "butterflies" but it quickly passed as we spiraled down the tower. The drop was more fun than frightening and maybe somewhat of a dissapoinment because it couldn't live up to the intensity of the launch. As for the views... Here is an account of what I remember seeing the entire time I was ascending and descending the tower: sky, yellow supports, green water directly below me, more yellow, and white track-- all in a visual whirlwind. Not much for me to notice as I was a bit overwhelmed. Maybe if I rode it again I could notice a bit more but we only rode it once. It wasn't worth it for us to ride again because we had never been to Cedar Point before and we had lots more to ride. Maybe if the line had been shorter. (Note: rode second seat from the front)
Magnum--
We decided to go to Magnum next because we thought the line would be short and we were right. We all really enjoyed this ride. It was extremely fun and was full of airtime. I loved the drops in the tunnels. Definitely a great ride. Not at all ruined by the experience on Dragster. (front seat of the second to last car)
Mantis--
We all thought it was fun and nothing more. This was my first stand-up and in fact my first B & M. The elements were smooth but perhaps the pacing and types of elements seemed a bit sluggish. (especially in comparison to Raptor which we later rode) (front seat of the last car)
Wilcat--
This was our next coaster. It was lots of fun. Got to love the last helix.
Wicked Twister--
We were getting cold by this point. Perhaps it was because of the wind blowing off of frigid Lake Erie. We all really like this one. The launch gave us a reminder of what we had experienced on Dragster only much milder. I liked the intense sprials. They exerted more force than I expected. (third from the back)
Disaster Transport--
Not worth the "20 min. wait" that wasn't. It felt a little out of control which was nice but the theming covered the ride in cheese. Perhaps the ride would seem better without the crappy theming and simply as a dark ride full of unexpected drops and turns.
Raptor--
We all liked it a lot. Waited 15 min. for a ride. Much better pacing then Mantis. The elements were fast and unexpected. (rode somewhere in the middle)
Millenium Force--
I guess it was somewhat of a disapointment. Perhaps it was the fact that were getting tired. Maybe it was dragster. The drop was very nice. Definitely the most "butterflies" out of any drop in the park, but the rest of the ride seemed as some have said on the forums.. forceless. It was fast, yes... but after draster it doesn't seem that fast. I prefer a greater variety of elements like S:ROS at SFNE-- camelbacks, bunnyhops, helix, direction changing hills, overbanked... (rode the second car)
Gemini--
They were only running one half of gemini. We still walked on this ride. It was okay. (rode in the back seat)
Mean Streak--
It was rough. It had no airtime... But we enjoyed it. It was a fun ride. It had some good laterals and nice sections within the frame of the ride. (rode near the front)
At the end of the day, I was the only one who thought that Dragster was the best ride in the park (they thought it was between Raptor, MF, and Magnum). They enjoyed it a lot, but their complaints centered around the fact that we waited over 3 hours for a 17 sec. ride. It turns out that we all had very little memory of the ride and perhaps that is why it wasn't as memorable for them. Dragster is so intense that it may be a little hard to grasp on just one ride.
*** This post was edited by takeahike46er 5/6/2003 3:00:12 AM ***
takeahike46er said:
I prefer a greater variety of elements like S:ROS at SFNE-- camelbacks, bunnyhops, helix, direction changing hills, overbanked...
:).
glad to hear so many good things about dragster, although i'm dreading the wait. Gotta get the Mad Libs ready...
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S:ROS; SFNE. Ride it, and you'll understand.
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