Associated parks:
None
Millennium Force-Rating: 5- For the first time in 3 years I never waited longer then an hour and a half for this ride, it was wonderful. I had the privilege of riding this baby in a minor rainstorm on the afternoon of the 26th. It was quite the experience, I don’t know how feeling like a barrage of needles hitting your entire body can be a positive experience but it was. My best ride, however, was that night. From about 8:30-9:30 it absolutely poured (I’m talking sheets of rain) and every ride was shut down (except Power Tower for some reason). After getting soaked on the last ride before the shut down of CCMT I decided that I was just going to stick it out instead of retreating to the Breakers like I did in the afternoon. After an hour of waiting with two ride ops that thought that I and a group of teenagers were absolutely insane, we were let in to the queue. We ended up being the third train out of the station. Speaking of the station, that place was juiced up, the ride ops were psyched, the riders (all fairly young) where psyched, and I of course was psyched. Everyone was slapping hands, screaming, and the like. The ride was incredible, it was the best ride I have had on that ride since my first, it was on steroids, the air I got on the 6th hill was sick. Overall a great experience. Finally as a general trend I found that the red train gave me my best rides, the blue train is really rough, and the my one time on yellow wasn’t as bad as blue or as good as red (rain or no rain)
Magnum XL 200-Rating: 5-For those of you who don’t know, I like Magnum; this ride, in my opinion, is the best airtime producing steel in the world. It has become my tradition at the point to end my night with a Magnum marathon, however extenuating circumstances forced me not to have a full one this year. The first night Magnum kept overshooting the sensors and it finally opened 2 minutes after the park closed but the ride op in the front of the line (a great guy, fellow ACEr, and one of the opinion that TTD is a “piece of crap”) let us in anyways. The ride was worth the wait as the train was only mildly affected by the trims (I heard but did not feel) even though we were full. That ride was great but nothing compared to the two I squeezed in the next night, due to rain the park shut down until about ½ hr before closing, I waited at MF because I wrongly assumed that the rain would last only about a ½ hr. Anyways, as I said above, the wait was worth it as I got the 2nd best ride I have ever gotten on the MF. After that ride I “sprintwalked” to Magnum and got there with about 15 min left. The ride ran trim less and the track was rain slicked, ladies and gentleman welcome to coaster nirvana. Got on 2 times, once in the last car first row and once in the ejector seat. I decided that (at least for me) that both positions give the same amount of air (they should as they are the same distance from center) but ejector gives the air on the crest of the hill while the back gives it on the way down the hill, which is a more natural spot for air at least according to me. Therefore I will remain a last car first row person.
Gemini-Rating: 4-Had to downgrade the birthday coaster on its big silver jubilee because until my last time on it for the trip it did not race. The first time I rode it, I was the first red train out of the station to leave without the blue for the night and the next time I attempted the GP from hell in seat 1-3 unbuckled his belt as it was leaving the station, the ride op stopped his train, we left and thus did not race. Besides that though it was the same great Gemini, always a short line, always delivering a fair amount of air.
Mean Streak-Rating: 3.5-Well at least it wasn’t rough, and a sunset ride on this sucker has some breath taking scenery but the trim was heavily applied.
Disaster Transport-Rating: 3-Wasn’t going to ride it, but I walked by and there were 3-D glasses on top of a garbage can at the entrance and only a 15 min wait so I decided why not. The 3-D thing was cool (but not worth a $1). In the first room you have travel posters, except on almost every picture a monster or demonic looking animal is featured prominently. In the haunted house room (you could actually see some Egyptian themeing this year), you have weird patterns on the wall and floor that poke out of you. Side note, was this actually a huge queue house for DT at sometime? If it was I couldn’t imagine the wait, oy! After the haunted house room you might as well take the glasses off until you reach the ride crest at the foot of the stairs because there is no 3-D effects nor is there any on the ride itself. As for the ride itself it is growing on me, its not as bad as I remember but it still isn’t a MF or Magnum.
Blue Streak-Rating: 3-Yet another out and back that suffers from trims, I understand that some twisters and freeforms tear themselves apart without out trims but I cant think of how an out and back does this (except maybe on the turnarounds but retracking that area of track every couple of years cant be that expensive). But anyways got a little air on this trip, makes me want to ride it again the next time I go.
Mantis: Rating 4-The trim was on, it was a little rough and had to wait an extra 15 min due to guest illness.
Cedar Creek Mine Train: Rating 5-Yes that’s right five, why do you ask well I’ll tell you. I had just had an elephant ear and didn’t want to go on anything too powerful just yet so I found myself on the mine train. Just as I entered the station the sky opened up and sheets upon sheets of rain just came down. Unlike MF during the ride the rain didn’t hurt and I just found myself laughing as I got more water on me then I do during my morning shower. When we came back (full train) the entire train started clapping and applauding like we had just been on the greatest coaster in the world, just fun people. We defiantly scared the ride ops, I even heard one muttering “they’re insane” ;)
Other Rides: Power Tower was good. Trokia seems to have reduced its ride cycle. Rode the Giant Wheel for the first time, wow that thing is tall. Skyride actually ran on Fri. Calypso ran good be sure to hit the blue cars for the most spinning. Train was well the train, the lazy mans way to get from frontier town to MF and back again. And as usual the Cedar Downs was excellent. Finally, if you are over 5 ½ feet do not ride the Cadillac cars.
Join me again in the near future for my SFWOA report that will hopefully hit the stands tomorrow, later.
*formating problems
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Summer 03-CP, HP, SFDL, SFNE, SFWOA, and SFGAm.
*** This post was edited by Touchdown 7/12/2003 1:50:53 AM ***
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