Superman vs. Millennium Force

2000 brought the debut of two of the best roller coasters ever built: Millennium Force and Superman: Ride of Steel at SFNE. Some say Superman is the best coaster in the world despite MF's size. I have ridden SROS and think it's great, but how does it compare to Millennium Force?

For speed, Millennium Force. For airtime, Superman. It depends on which you prefer. I liked Millennium Force. I loved Superman. They're both excellent steel coasters.

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Have you ever gotten the feeling that you've been here before? Six Flags Magic Mountain 2001... *** This post was edited by Simcoaster on 12/24/2000. ***

I rode both this year as well and liked each. I'm sorta having a tough time remembering Millennium Force since I rode that in mid June. I think I got 4 rides in two days on it, I don't rember much of the ride itself.
ROS we only got on once the day we were at SFNE. I liked its layout more than MF's. I just like the twisted second half and the two or was it 3 tunnels. It also had one overbanked turn.
I guess it's like any coaster its ones preferance.

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2000 stats: 135 coasters in 26 parks
Not Too Shabby For A Summer

AOL & MSN IM Name: coasterpunk

I predict, nuke landing in 5....4....3....2...1.........

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Everybody calm down, the coasters do not open for another fifteen minutes.

Kaboom!

I think S:ROS is a really great coaster, however IMO MF is better becuase of it's great design and how ground breaking it was *** This post was edited by Zero-G on 12/25/2000. ***

I rode both and it depends on what you like in a coaster if air time is your thing SROS has it all over MF if you like speed MF is the coaster. Personaly I love lots of air time and 20 mph difference isnt all that important to me,SROS get my vote!

I have nothing against MF. The ride looks awsome, but,Zero-G, how was MF ground breaking? All Intamin realy did was build a taller steel hyper with a different layout than other non invert steels.
*** This post was edited by Metrock on 12/26/2000. ***

How was Millennium Force ground breaking? Are you kidding?
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"I know I'm mean but I'm real sorry," MXPX-"Cold and All Alone"

How was it not? Millions of people stood on the midway last summer staring at something no one had ever seen before. The ride offered something no one had ever experienced before... a huge drop, lots of low-to-the-ground speed, nearly-inverted turns, an elevator lift, etc.

Personally, I haven't been on Superman, but I would have to guess it would be a close one (with recounts in order). Seeing as how I grew up with one, hundreds of construction photos and all, I probably have an unfair lenience to one.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

Yes, MF has some great qualities and as I said before, it looks like a fantastic ride. But I would not call it groundbreaking. So what it is over 300 feet. People at CP are used to seeing tall rides. The elevattor lift is not a ground breaking feature for MF. The system had already been in place on another ride. CP just 'stole' the idea and called it their own. Steep lift...um...not a big deal. The lift is so steep because of a space problem. So is the drop, but, that is a good thing. Lots of low to the ground speed has been done on many coasters before. Even if MF was the 1st coaster to do so, it would not be ground breaking. [trying to get to point (no pun intended)] There have only been a handfull of ground breaking coasters ever built IMO. Matterhorn bobsleds, S:TE, X, switchback railway to name a few. *** This post was edited by Metrock on 12/27/2000. ***

I don't know if we can call X groundbreaking yet. For all we know, it might tank horribly and turn out to be one of the worst moves any amusement park has ever made.

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Matt Lynch
Co-Webmaster, Kennywood Boulevard
http://kennywood.coasterbuzz.com

I have to agree with Metrock on this one. Just because you make a lift hill reach 300ft doesnt qualify as groundbreaking. Sure its taller then the rest(except for SD) but it wasnt a prototype of any kind. The elevator lift is a great idea for the lift hill but that is only a small element of the overall ride. I dont know, this is just my opinion so please dont start thrashing me for it.

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"DONT FIGHT IT, RIDE IT",,,,RAGING BULL

Ah... the naysayers don't truly understand the ways of The Force. The last 11 years or so have seen some milestones, groundbreaking events, if you will. The first was Magnum. First to break the 200-foot barrier, it captured people's imaginations as far as what could be accomplished. The next was Batman: The Ride, an inverted experience no one ever had before. Then there was Superman: The Escape, where a car was propelled at high speed my electromagnets. Finally, there was Millennium Force, a coaster so much taller, steeper and faster than any gravity-propelled coaster, that millions of people would ride it, 100 million people would see it on TV. No ride in history has had more attention. That, my friend, is ground breaking.

(By the way, the notion that 100 million people saw the ride comes from internal research conducted by the park, examining the effectiveness of their media efforts.)

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

IMO the only thing groundbreaking about MF (aside from the elevator lift thingy) was the enormous amount of advertisement around the coaster. I mean really, yes MF was taller and faster (not steeper) than all other 'traditional' coasters, but if there hadn't been this recent 'love affair' with coasters, the 100 million people you speak (type) of would have never seen it. Because of the seductive advertising power of 'World's Tallest' and 'First (traditional) Coaster over 300ft' it garnered media attention. But as far as I'm concerned, there was very little 'revolutionary' about the coaster. Thrust Air 2000 is a much more innovative coaster. The only thing that MF proved was that people could be awed by a coaster (but I think CI Cyclone has been doing that for years!)
lata,
jeremy
--A Saint is just a sinner who fell down...and then got up.

Is MF groundbreaking? IMO, absolutely yes! It is a truly amazing sight, easily seen from far away. The sheer size, speed, and steepness of the drop, WOW! If 300' does not mark a milestone for you, I don't know what will. Is it the best roller coaster ever? That's a matter of opinion, pure and simple.

Ironic humor ahead
Why debate MF vs. S:ROS? We all know Shivering Timbers beats them both, anyway ;)!
End of ironic humor

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"X" marks the spot in 2001!

To me, anytime you take people to a new height(even using standard technology), your breaking new ground. MF and Steel Dragon broke new groud this year. Never before have we been able to experience 300ft drops, and controlled speeds of 80-90mph.

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Life consists of two kinds of people, those who accept, and those who sit back and cry...

I feel deathly sorry for those who have not yet experienced The Force. The powers of the Force are amazing. Kids to seniors and everyone in between faced the sometimes 3 plus hour wait to ride the best experience ever. The grace the ride has is utterly amazing. From that starting point getting ripped out of the station, to the never ending drop, from the pure awsomeness of the Tickler Hills, to having your legs fly up on the two foot bunny hop, nothing comes close to The Force. Is it ground breaking? yes. If one was to say that it wasn't, they would still have the time of their life on it. I have not heard anyone complain that they didn't like it. I don't think anyone won't like it anytime soon either. Good posts Jeff and everyone else Pro-Force like me.
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"I know I'm mean but I'm real sorry," MXPX-"Cold and All Alone"

I belive that you guys are using the wrong word to describe MF. If MF is ground breaking for reaching 300 feet, then almost every coaster ever built is ground breaking somehow. You could say that the 1st coaster that reached 234 feet is groundbreaking. A thrilling ride does not have to be ground breaking. A groundbreaking ride does not have to be thrilling. It is not about how the ride looks, or feels. It is about what was put into the ride that makes it ground breaking. The meaning of groundbreaking is something that is characterized by originality and innovation: a groundbreaking technology. Now take that last part,groundbreaking technology. Is there any groundbreaking technology on MF? Nope. The elevator lift had been used before on an over seas coaster. I cant think of the name or location at the moment, but I have it on video.

NOTE: I dont mean to start up any wars on this board. That is the very last thing that I want to do. All I am trying to do is get across my opinion as clearly as possible.



*** This post was edited by Metrock on 12/27/2000. *** *** This post was edited by Metrock on 12/27/2000. ***

You're making an argument based on semantics, an argument that no one can win. I also noticed that, according to your track record, you haven't been on the ride.

Get back to me when you've been on it...

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

I have nothing against the ride. Why must you turn on me just because I belive the ride is not groundbreaking. I dont need to ride something to know if it is groundbreaking or not. All I need to know is what technology was put into the ride. I belive that most of you are using the word to loosley. There are a thousands words that could be used to describe MF, groundbreaking IMO should not be one of them. MF has no 'groundbreaking' technology. Quote "A groundbreaking ride does not have to be thrilling. It is not about how the ride looks, or feels." Read before you respond dude. I sure hope someone here sees what I am trying to say. It is so darn hard to get a point across though typing. *** This post was edited by Metrock on 12/28/2000. ***