Coastermania

[indianapolisman]

Ever wanted to feel like your at home inside of an amusment park? Take a trip to Cedar Point's coastermania, truly a personal event at a great place.

It kinda reminded me of a park to the SW of me. This was our first trip to an event so really didn't know what to expect other than a fun day. The amount

of customer service that CP put into this event was above par. In other words everyone was curtious and greetful all day. Also we didn't have to spend a

nickel inside the park (except for lockers) all day. This was very nice for a change. We were treated to free hoodies, lanyards, cofee, doughnuts, Q&A,

all you can eat lunch,boxes of salt water taffy,carmel apples,Pepsi all day, and midnight munchies!WOW!

The hardest part of the trip however was staying awake. I couldn't get thursday off so we were up a total of 41 hours! Not kidding, just thought this

would be what every good hearted coaster loving american would do. So we left Indy in a blaze of glory around 11:PM, made great time at 3:36 we

were there.We arrived to an empty parking lot, but not for long. We waited in the car till a line formed. By 5:15AM we were done w/ registration and wanted

somthing to eat besides cofee and doughnuts so we left and went to BK. The food was terrilbe and we immedtatlly returned to the park. By this time the line

was very long which we were able to bypass and straight into the park.

Millineum Force was first, now at 23 hrs. w/o sleep this was all the waking up we needed. We rode front seat then back and went to the second seat back.

This took every bit of an hour so it was off to Maverick. The first ride was front seat which banged my wife up pretty good, then we rode second to last, not

so bad. Over all this ride has some great parts but equally has some roughness to it. I'm not a big fan of Raptor but I do enjoy the roar this monster makes.

So we listened to it roar from the back seat of Blue streak. Something about this classic just makes me want to put my arm around my wife and hold tight

quite a trip back in time. This ride would end the mourning ert, so we strolled around the park till rides started to open.

Friday was a pretty busy general public day and very congested. We tried to take it easy so we would make it the whole day, so next we went to PBE. I

rememberd the tour guide from my last trip and talked a little, this guy is a stitch. Very funny also good to see everything still operating on this ride. made

me miss the good old days of MRR. So with my side split we headed for Disater Transport this ride has really become a disater, no a/c , no control over line

jumping and the place stunk. I never really understood an indoor RC on the beach?/? Wold'nt this be an excellent spot for a new woodie, I think so. But with

no control over ride placement. I can only hope.

So as the day wore on so did we, and a wake me up coaster was in order. Mean Streak, does anyone know when the brakes on the first drop were added

or was it always like this? Front seat green train twice, its definately rougher than SOB but I love it. Also SOB is my favorite wooden coaster anyways. Well

with the 90 degree temps and almost 30hrs under our belt its time for some cold water. Thunder canyon is a much shorter ride than WWC, however gets you

just as wet if not more. The one thing I liked was the waterproof bags available for a buck.It's been several years since I rode WWC so I'm not sure if this is an

option. After a couple drenchings it's about 2:00 so we go to the pavillionfor the grub. Were just going to check it out at this point. (The Feast) brats, potatoe

salad,rigatoni,and grilled chicken w/a cookie, saltwater taffy, and carmel apples for desert. The qualitywas expected but the quanity was never ending.

We left the park right after we ate, and checked in to the hotel room. We have stayed in a few hotels in Sandusky but never fortunate enough to have a good

stay.This time wasdifferent we stayed at the Econo Lodge which is conveinently located on the other side of CP Causeway.I would recommend this hotel to anyone

I know. The staff was very curtious and clean also seemed to be alot of them. The overnight stay was quiet but I probably could have slept through anything after

beeing up for 41hrs. No time for sleep now, athough we did clean up and get something else to eat.

Back at the park around 7:00 we rode Iron Dragon. We haven't ever rode this until this trip, and enjoyed it. This is a smooth suspended coaster which dosen't

have the speed Flight Deck has, but has longer ride time w/2 lift hills. We then made or way to Mantis, I only like back seat on this ride. It seems more comfortable

and not so hard on the crotch. After Mantis we made our way through Frontier trail towards Maverick. After one last ride on Maverick we had enough time to hit MF.

We waited an hour and fifteen minutes for front seat. This was a totall waist, becuase four trains away, a storm came through.We tried to wait it out and once the

lights over us started swinging we left. My wife said something about leaving and then it was gone.

With most people thinking ert was cancelled the park was a ghost town. The majority of people left in the park were crowding around TTD and the free nachos.

We decided this was a perfect opprutunity to ride my favorite steel coaster, Magnum XL 200. The first time I rode this ride (many moons ago) the guy coming off

the ride in front of us lost his lunch in the seat. It took about about ten employees that decided to throw a bucket of water on it and run the train untill it dried. We

were the lucky ones to ride in the still pretty wet seat, and it took some time before I ever rode it again. Once I worked up the guts to ride it again I had deemed MF

my #1. This quickly changed because of MF's lack of air time. (Back to CM) After five rides in a row my wife couldn't take it anymore, so we grabbed a good on ride

photo, and went to TTD. To our suprize the line for the Nachos was longer than front seat for TTD. So we rode three times in a half an hour, then got our nachos and thats

all I remember. Just kidiing but seriously we were both really tired and took advantage of the eleven oclock check out.

Saturday was fun too just a much slower pace on a much busier day. Still got to ride ID, MF, MS, Gemini, and Magnum. We also spent the money we saved the day

day before, and brought home some really cool things. Will we do it again next year? Yes, but w/o all the sleep deprivation. That is unless they some how include KI

the day after. Which in that case I would. Hope this will convince some of you to try this event. Next year I,m planning on some other events at other parks. I also

plan on becoming an ACE member as this seems to be the best way of meeting people with similar likings. Well that concludes myfirst coaster event, and this ends

my first TR. Hope it wasn't too boring.

Sean

[The Interpreter]

It was in no way boring! Thanks for the great trip report. I wish I could have made it up there this year...but it was not to be...perhaps later this season.

[DropZone99]

I didn't see you at Coaster Mania. It was a great day... the best day of my life! Im glad you had a great time too!