First trip to Cedar Point in 25+ years

[Flat Freak]

As the thread title says, I haven't been to CP in at least 25 years. I remember very little of the trip then or the rides. I was in the 10-15 year old range, don't remember exactly. I just finished taking my ride warrior daughter (11) there for four consecutive days. We didn't spend all of each day in the park. We spent most of Monday (left in the afternoon for naps as we had arrived very late Sunday night), most of Tuesday (left in the afternoon to meet friends in Sandusky), afternoon and evening Wednesday (spent the early part of the day at Put-In-Bay), and until noon Thursday (went for some morning rides before heading to Chicago to continue part two of vacation).

I won't bore everybody with a full trip report that will be a lot like things they've read a million times before, but I'll share some things that are different as conversation starters. Stream of consciousness:

1) If you don't know the back way from the east, learn it. It's fantastic, no traffic, little/no wait to get in the lot, fast exits at night. We went out the causeway one night intending to get food on Milan Rd., huge difference (especially on weekends I'd imagine).

2) I recommend the Rivers' Edge Inn in Huron if you are looking for a $50/night budget that is cleaner than the average $50/night room and don't mind driving 15 minutes to the park. Oh, and if you don't mind threadbare towels and threadbare continental breakfasts.

3) The food prices seemed worse at CP than KI, if that's possible. We ate very little in the park. I'd rather stop at a chain outside the park for a decent sit-down meal.

4) For a nice diversion from the park, step out onto the beach through the beach gate (next to WindSeeker) and spend a few minutes wading in the lake. It's amazing how being next to a large body of water with your toes in the sand relaxes the brain.

5) Maverick > Millennium Force. Maverick is an awesome ride. Great trains, great transitions, great landscpaing, great launch out of the tunnel. Our favorite ride at CP by a mile.

6) Diamondback > Millennium Force during the daytime. Better visual elements on the first drop, better incorporation into the landscape, better ride elements. Millie might as well be in the parking lot. The corrugated metal tunnels are terrible and cheap looking. There's very little airtime. If it wasn't for the great lift hill/lake view/first drop/insane speed, Millie has nothing to even approach Diamondback. The overbanked turns seem to be there only to tame the speed, not for the pleasure of the riders. That said, I still loved riding it, just not as much as Diamondback. MF was AWESOME at night, though.

7) CP's WindSeeker > KI's WindSeeker during the day, KI's wins at night.

8) Iron Dragon > Flight Deck.

9) Mantis makes me want King Cobra back, at least for a day.

10) Mean Streak wasn't that rough. If you prepare yourself for the rough spot between the first two banked turns (where it's especially bad), we really liked the ride. (rode in 2-1, 3-1, and 3-1) Going through the structure is visually interesting. It's too bad space and terrain restricts them from doing a more Beast-like design, but we liked this woodie quite a bit.

11) Magnum was rougher than Mean Streak and is the roughest steel coaster I've ridden (not many, admittedly). Ten seconds after exiting Magnum, we looked at each other and said "never again." Rode in 4-1 IIRC. Absolutely miserable.

12) CCMR>AE. Expressed in another topic.

13) Maxair = Delirium, but Skyhawk > both of them. Our second favorite ride at CP by a mile. I am a Flat Freak, after all.

14) I wish KI had a Ferris Wheel. I wish CP had filled theirs to capacity and given us a longer ride.

15) I wish KI had a Skyride. I barely remember the one we had there.

16) Theming on CP&LE RR blows away the theming on KI&MV RR, and it wasn't always that way.

17) Souvenir photographers at CP were positively timid compared to those at KI.

18) Using the marina gate to get into Millie or Maverick during ERT is a big win.

19) Frontiertown is great, and especially during Starlight Spectacular. Note that I've never paid attention to KI's Starlight, as we're always rushing to get home after a night ride on Beast.

20) We didn't ride Power Tower. The up didn't seem to be running when we looked (didn't ask), and the down looks lame compared to Drop Zone Tower.

21) We didn't ride Gemini; looking forward to that one for some nostalgia.

22) TTD was fun, as there was no expectation of anything but insane speed and insane height. Great theming, queue music, dragster sounds. I wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes, though, only got to ride twice.

[thekidd33]

Always great to hear about other people's coaster trips! Glad you had fun.

As far as your reviews go...

1) Maverick is far and away the best ride at CP.

2) Diamondback is better then Millie...but I never have gotten a ride where I didn't get awesome air on the hills.

3) I'm sorry but but Flight Deck is way way way better then Iron Dragon.

Thanks for sharing!

[Magm&MForce24/7]

It sounds like you had fun!

But.... I have to disagree with you.... I think Millennium Force is better than Diamondback. I just never seem to get any airtime on Diamondback, but I always get lots on Millennium's 3 hills... I think the theme is great for the ride, and for some odd reason I love the theme!!! (I know, I'm blind... ) I also love the over-banked turns, especially the last one. I feel like I'm flying past everyone into the future.... (Cheesy, right? ) I agree with thekidd33 though (wow I agree with someone...) Flight Deck is better, in my opinion. It has more speed and the trains sway more. But that's my opinion.....

-MagmMForce247

[Flat Freak]

Thanks for the kind words. Opinions are great, and I love hearing opposing opinions. Life would be boring if we all agreed on everything. Easy, but boring.

Magm - how are you not getting airtime on Diamondback? Stapling yourself? Or getting stapled? Riding in the middle every time? I'm no coaster expert with lots of other rides to compare it to, but sometimes I think I'm floating half the ride on Diamondback. I do agree about the end of Millie. The rush past the station and the last overbanked turn are pretty exciting. Also, I loved Millie at night where the lack of visual interest was countered by the incredible sensation of flying blind at 35198 mph.

The "theme" of Millennium Force as far as I can tell is "techno music." Not that it matters a lot, the ride doesn't need theme, it's great regardless. It's not what my inexpert eye would call a "well-themed ride."

Both of you...as far as the ID/FD "debate" goes, I don't really like either much, but one of the ways I grade a ride is on the thrill/pain ratio. To me, the thrill of FD is not worth the pain (from slamming into the OTSRs over and over and over again. That pain is virtually non-existent on ID. Except for the last turn, you rarely get slammed sideways, and the second lift hill and the visual interest of soaring over the water add just enough to that ride to put it into my "would ride once per visit if the wait is short enough" category. I am aware that some people like the side-to-side motion of FD; that's why they're called "opinions."

One thing we can agree on for sure...Maverick is an EXCELLENT roller coaster. IMO, it doesn't even need the 95 degree drop to be great (but that helps). One tip for those reading this that haven't ridden...close your eyes during the curve through the rock wall when riding at night. The flash from the ride photo will blind you for the last 15 seconds of the ride and ruin the ending.

[diamondhawk]

It sounds like you had fun!

But.... I have to disagree with you.... I think Millennium Force is better than Diamondback. I just never seem to get any airtime on Diamondback, but I always get lots on Millennium's 3 hills... I think the theme is great for the ride, and for some odd reason I love the theme!!! (I know, I'm blind... ) I also love the over-banked turns, especially the last one. I feel like I'm flying past everyone into the future.... (Cheesy, right? ) I agree with thekidd33 though (wow I agree with someone...) Flight Deck is better, in my opinion. It has more speed and the trains sway more. But that's my opinion.....

-MagmMForce247

I truely think you're out of your seat more than you're in your in your seat on Diamondback. It is one of the best airtime coasters in the world.

[Magm&MForce24/7]

That's really strange that you guys get a ton of airtime, I just never seem to get any. I must be stapling my self, as I normally ride in the back. Maybe when I grow it'll fit better? But it seems like if it's touching me, there is a 5 inch gap.... I still like Diamondback a lot and is a must ride a couple times per visit, but it's not my favorite. Though I will be disappointed that I can't ride it because of my cast

-MagmMForce247

Edit: And yes Maverick is a great ride! I loved it when I got a night ride, but it doesn't compare to a Beast night ride....

[PhantomTheater]

19) Frontiertown is great, and especially during Starlight Spectacular. Note that I've never paid attention to KI's Starlight, as we're always rushing to get home after a night ride on Beast.

Starlight is on Frontier Trail not in Frontier Town.

[Browntggrr]

Glad to hear you had a good time.

11) Magnum was rougher than Mean Streak and is the roughest steel coaster I've ridden (not many, admittedly). Ten seconds after exiting Magnum, we looked at each other and said "never again." Rode in 4-1 IIRC. Absolutely miserable.

Your experience is as peculiar as it is shocking. I would chalk it up as one bad ride as to a bad ride and certainly give it a few more tries.

14) I wish KI had a Ferris Wheel. I wish CP had filled theirs to capacity and given us a longer ride.

Unless there is a consistant wait, GW has to be loaded equally on opposite sides so that it does not malfunction.

21) We didn't ride Gemini; looking forward to that one for some nostalgia.

Whoa! No Gemini?

[kingsrattler]

I have to say that my experiences on Magnum have been about the same. Every once in a while I will get a good ride that I enjoy, but most of the time I just feel like I'm jarred all over the place.

[KIfan73]

I have never been to CP to ride Maverick. From what I gather, it doesn't sound like anything at KI. If that's the case, that's at the top of my wish list for Kings Island.

[kingsrattler]

I have never ridden anything like Maverick at any of the parks I have been to.

[Flat Freak]

19) Frontiertown is great, and especially during Starlight Spectacular. Note that I've never paid attention to KI's Starlight, as we're always rushing to get home after a night ride on Beast.

Starlight is on Frontier Trail not in Frontier Town.

Thanks for the correction! I did not know there was a difference. Correct that to say Frontier Trail is great. It really is neat walking through there at night after a closing ride on Skyhawk or Maverick.

[Flat Freak]

11) Magnum was rougher than Mean Streak and is the roughest steel coaster I've ridden (not many, admittedly). Ten seconds after exiting Magnum, we looked at each other and said "never again." Rode in 4-1 IIRC. Absolutely miserable.

Your experience is as peculiar as it is shocking. I would chalk it up as one bad ride as to a bad ride and certainly give it a few more tries.

I'll take your word for it, and try it again. Right now, Magnum is 0/1. It was a really miserable experience for both of us. Mean Streak, on the other hand, wasn't as rough as I've been led to believe and was actually quite fun. It was still rough, but what woodie isn't. I remembered the comments from last year when part of Mean Streak caught on fire and many people said they should have just let it burn.

14) I wish KI had a Ferris Wheel. I wish CP had filled theirs to capacity and given us a longer ride.

Unless there is a consistant wait, GW has to be loaded equally on opposite sides so that it does not malfunction.

They do have a prominent sign at the entrance mentioning balance/equal loading. That and common sense make the reason for the partial capacity understandable. It's just frustrating to wait in line, watching empty carriages go around, while getting only three full revolutions yourself.

21) We didn't ride Gemini; looking forward to that one for some nostalgia.

Whoa! No Gemini?

Yeah, that's a regret. It was closed when we headed back there on Tuesday, and we never made it back.

[74Gibson]

Good format for the TR. Like the quick and easy comparisons.

I agree that Maverick is amazing... I love the current incarnation of i305 too!

As for no airtime on Millie, I always get it near the front and sometimes near the middle. It seems like the 2nd or 3rd car is best...especially for a DB lover like you and I

Magnum is rough on the wheel seats but, the middle row of each car is considerably smoother. As a fellow airtime lover (I know that's cheesy sounding but hey) you've got to try 3rd car 2nd (middle) seat. Any of the first 3 cars are great really. I personally find myself liking it better than DB right now.

Forgot to mention that Skyhawk is by far my favorite flat.