Why is Raptor so good?

Without throwing a frenzy, can someone please tell me why Raptor is so highly rated? I have only ridden it once in the back seat and didn't think much of it, in comparision to Batman: The Ride, Dueling Dragons, and Nemesis.

Is it just because it's at Cedar Point?
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#Life is a rollercoaster you just gotta ride it#

I am sure that being at CP is at least part of the reason, more people have rode Raptor than the rest. I personally would choose Alpengeist over Raptor anyday. Raptor is a great ride but I thought Alpengeist was more an intense and the pacing of the elements created more surprises. I would also put Ice Dragon before Raptor, though this has more to do with the uniqueness of the intertwined coasters, those near misses can't be beat.
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All time Top 5: (1) Milleniun Force (2) Alpengeist (3) Hulk (4) Ice Dragon (5) Raptor

Well, I do think that its location does serve it well. Many people that frequent boards such as these have ridden Raptor. More importantly, Raptor was probably the first invert they ever rode and thus has some lingering effects. For me, the original Batman was first, in the first season as well. Since then, EVERY other invert has been held to B:TR and while I think that some inverts have better more interesting layouts (Top Gun @ Carowinds and Fire Dragon) they still dont deliver the ride experience that B:TR did for me. I'm sure that is the case for many people with Raptor.

Frankly, IMO, Raptor and Ice Dragon deliver almost the same ride. Ice only gets a slight edge in the front seat because of the castle wall duel. Otherwise, in any other row, the are virtually identical to me.
lata,
jeremy

I love Raptor because the entire ride is exciting and it seems very long to me. DD was great, and while a little more intense as far as raw G-force is concerned, I thought both DD felt a little short. Raptor gives a great, intense ride with extremely good pacing, and a fantastic helix to end the ride. The view over the midway on the first drop is also breathtaking. I do think that Raptor has to be experienced in the front in order to really be great, but in the front, it's just outstanding. (I don't ride the other seats very much...just ride the front every time.)

Jman

I would have to say that Raptor is only good in the front, otherwise the ride feels too slow. BTR is my favorite invert. Even though I have only ridden four of the B&M creations I like the original the best.

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BMCOASTER

bmcoaster@wi.rr.com

I rode BTR the year it opened and many times since. Likewise Raptor. To compare those two, I much prefer Raptor. Batman is too choppy and bangs my head around, the elements are too close together. I prefer Raptor's pace, there's just enough space between each element. I even like the brake run, I get a chance to re-orient before plunging back in.

Size seems to effect everything on inverts, and Raptor is, in my experience, the great middle ground that earns its praise.

Batman: The Ride is a fast and intense ride. The downside is its length. Alpengeist is a huge and impressive ride with a fabulous drop. The downside is the poorly paced elements, because they're so far apart.

Raptor tends to sit right in the middle of the two. It's not too short, and the elements come right after another. The only place to rest is the short stretch of track between corkscrews along the main midway.

And yes, I'm sure being at Cedar Point helps.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

I rode Raptor in the front, middle, and back. But i can't choose which is better. Batman is very quick paced, very intense, but is very short.

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Get wrapped in the coils of Viper at SFGAm.

Well my answer is kind of weird, but it's just the setting around Raptor and CP that you can't beat. I mean the first little dip you see Lake Erie and the whole midway. On a sunny day, you can't beat it. I think that Raptor just has a better atmosphere than B:TR. I mean it's not really the ride that makes me think that it's the best inverted coaster out there. Anyway that's my answer.

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Millennium Force all the way!

BECAUSE RAPTOR RULES THE SKY!!!!!!

Finally someone else feels the way I do!!! I rode Raptor my first time in August, and to be quite honest, I thought it was boring! I'm glad that someone else here agrees with me! B:TR at my home park, SFStL, is much funner and much more intense.

The length is good, the elements are in a good order, and the out and back style layout is cool. I have never met a B&M inverted I didn't like, so I may not be the best judge... but I think it has some great qualities.

Raptor, like others have stated, has an awesome location. The feeling of flight in the front row is matched by only one or two other inverted coasters I think. Being over the midway and doing all those aerial acrobatics is extremely pleasing to me. Length is a big issue with coasters to me and Raptor has a perfect ride time. It has a fantastic drop, a really neat vertical loop (getting to see all the water while upside-down is awesome), my very favorite heartline, an extremely intense cobra roll, and a wicked helix ending. All these elements combined make Raptor a fan favorite, I'd think. Being at CP doesn't hurt at all, either.

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In the future, packages will be sent to distant worlds by BEAMS OF LIGHT! - Space Mountain WDW exit

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jdancisin said:
"I personally would choose Alpengeist over Raptor anyday. Raptor is a great ride but I thought Alpengeist was more an intense and the pacing of the elements created more surprises.

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I completely disagree. Alpengiest, though a decent ride, is NOT at all intense. The drop isn't that much,and the pacing is way too slow. That may be what you like, but IMO I want fast, in-your-face elements. Raptor has fastpacing, but to understand more, look at Montu and Nemesis - my two favorite invert's. Right from the start on Nemesis your head is spinning with g's and disorienting scenery, and on Montu you have the same effect, except ALOT bigger.

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Snow, SFNE, SROS, and the Martian hop - what could be better? *** This post was edited by rOLLocOASt on 1/17/2001. ***

I like Raptor the best because it was the first inverted coaster i've ever been on. Wait - it's the only inverted coaster i've ever been on. Man i need to go to more parks!! I rode raptor the year it was built in the front seat. it was my favorite coaster until i rode OL:FOF. That's right, i like flight of fear... :)

Raptor, though my #1 inverted coaster ride, has a really nice balance of elements. It gives you a break without losing any interest, and kicks you around to a great finale.

I though Raptor was a very good ride, and is deffinitely in my top 5. I haven't ridden Alpengeist, so I wouldn't know how to compare it. But Batman @ SFGAm is much more intense than Raptor. Yes, Raptor has it's speed, new, and smoother elements, but Batman has a FAST, INTENSE, quick feeling to it which is great, I perfer Raptor better, but Batman is right there. And yes, the Point does make it better. I don't know how, but it does ;)
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"4 Seats are better than 2"

Am i the only one who thinks alpengeists finale was nothing compared to raptors?

One of the reasons I liked Raptor better than some of the other inverts I've been on is its length. It is much longer than any of the other inverts which is really neat. It was also the first ride I had been on with a cobra roll. It was also the first ride I ever rode at the legendary CP. So I had some high anticipation just like the MF.

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"This time I think ... I think It's ... going to work!" - Dr.Bruce Banner

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joey isch said:
"Am i the only one who thinks alpengeists finale was nothing compared to raptors?"

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Not at all. I was surprised at how slow that last turn on Alpengeist is. The train really runs out of steam there. When you consider the terrain (the station and brake run are at ground level), it makes sense that it would be slow. I love Alpie's first drop, but after that I like Raptor better.

It's a really hard thing to discuss, because like others in this thread, I don't think there's such a thing as a bad B&M inverter!

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com