eyeamthu1

Pretty sure this is Zierer

Don't really agree with this though either. There is the unique element, which I agree is cool. 'Really good mine train' - wouldn't agree with that; the coaster segment is horrendously short, totally unthemed and very very tame - it's less exciting than Alton's existing Runaway Mine Train for sure. 'Extensive theming' - as I said already, as far as I can see, the only extensive theming is in the main station building, including the crypt which houses the secret element. The station is really nice and atmospheric, but you're only in there for a very brief time. The crypt has a bit of decent theming, but again, you're in there for all of 5 seconds. There is virtually no theming in the queue-line, no theming on the coaster section, no theming in the backwards tunnel, and, aside from 2 pillars, no theming in the final switch-over and run back to the station. As for the supposed 'strong storyline', I have no idea what this storyline is. It's not advertised in the queue-line, for sure. I mean, I get the idea that the Dark Forest is taking over the area - including Rita - but how that actually fits into Th13teen and all the wraiths and whatnot, I have no idea. So I stand by my opinion that Th13teen doesn't really work as a thrill ride and certainly doesn't work as a highly-themed 'experience' attraction, in the vein of something like Hex. Aside from the marketing which suggests otherwise, I suppose it will work as a decent family ride, but I don't think it's an EXCELLENT family ride. It's an ok family ride, with a very loose partial theme and a unique element. Basically, it's similar in style to the Black Hole, only with this extra element.

There's too much positivity here for Th13teen. I class myself as a pretty big Alton Towers fan, and was left quite disappointed by Th13teen. There's a few problems with it, the first of which is the marketing, which I suppose is largely irrelevant in the long term. The marketing makes out like it's gonna be the next Nemesis - it is NOT. So thrill-seekers will leave disappointed. However, I feel that the same marketing will alienate families and kids for whom the ride is appropriate, and actually dissuade them from riding. The first half of Th13teen is really REALLY tame, and anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves, I swear. It is a kiddie coaster. Alton's Runaway Mine Train is more intense. The drop has a trim brake which means that the rest of the course is fairly slow. The second half of the ride, featuring the infamous world's first / secret element is decent. It's fun and unique, and is entertaining. Not intense, but entertaining. It's perfect for everyone. Note that the first half of the ride is NOT perfect for everyone - it's boring for the majority of riders. The second half of the ride is not good enough to 'make up for' the first half. All the talk of theming and special effects is, in my view, looking at it with rose-tinted specs on. Th13teen has virtually no theming in the queue-line at all. The station building is really good and atmospheric, but you'll experience it for less than 5mins - the throughput of the ride was great when I went. There is no storyline to the ride, which is really disappointing. There is no theming onboard the ride, until you enter the 'crypt'. Here, we were promised an ultimate merger of theme park technology, but there's some standard audio, lighting changes and some minimal props. No revolutionary effects here. And with no storyline context, it all seems a bit random. What are the wraiths? The final tunnel is completely unthemed. To me, Th13teen is a mish-mash of ideas - it tries to be a bit of everything and ultimately doesn't do any one thing particularly well, leading to an unsatisfactory ride experience. It claims it's well-themed... it's somewhat themed, with no storyline. It claims it's thrilling - it's not. It claims it's revolutionary - it's not. I suppose it works well as a family ride, but I fear the marketing will put off that audience. I fail to see how this all cost £15m unless the secret element cost that much (which I sincerely hope it didn't) or simply if some of the effects are not working yet. In some sense, Th13teen is a replacement for the Black Hole - it's a semi-themed ride suitable for all... but Alton haven't really got that message across, and much like the ride, are unsuccessfully trying to please all.

Thanks you lot thusfar! Glad it was somewhat 'fun'!

Hi-- My University Engineering project this year covers roller coaster design. I am investigating, amongst other things, what it is that makes roller coasters so exciting. Along with additional work, the project aims to create the 'perfect' next generation roller coaster design! So this is where you come in - I need public opinion on what you think makes a coaster exciting. Please please please spare a few minutes to fill out a quick questionnaire - it'll help me greatly. Many thanks! TAKE SURVEY HERE: http://tinyurl.com/CoasterSurvey

Quick question -- can you use NoLimits to log g-forces over an entire ride? I know that the Stats bar at the top displays the CURRENT positive, lateral and linear Gs, but that's just instantaneous -- is their a way to log the G-forces over an entire circuit to produce a graph showing the general g-force 'trace' of the ride?

This is spot on. I first rode it around 1998, and it was literally one of my favourite rides ever; certainly a Top 10 - just so, so much fun. Nowadays, it's a good coaster - sort of 7 or 8/10. Nothing amazing, but certainly a solid, good ride. A couple of seasons ago, it went through a bad spell - really overly rough - but since the retrack, it's improved a bit. But still not a patch on those early seasons. Nonetheless, I got 8 laps on it earlier on this week, and really enjoyed it... and last season I had one of my best rides on it, in the driving rain - was insane.

Kinda hard to comment on this, seeing as with one day you'll be rushing as it is... it depends what you want from the day. To me, Disney is much more than just the rides. But if you're doing a crash course in getting all the big rides done and assuming your family is old/tall enough to ride all the 'big' rides, then here's my advice: If you're only there for one day, I'd skip Crush's Coaster... it always seems to get a big queue as it has low capacity. I'd just cut your losses and avoid doing it - it's not that great anyway. Your time is much better spent on other rides. Make use of Fastpass. Tower Of Terror is a must - probs worth FastPassing this. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is another essential, and the queue usually is ok on this - decent capacity. I'd skip some of the Studios shows - such as the Backlot Tour. Might eat up too much time. I'd advise to spend most of your time in the Disneyland Park and pop into the Studios for ToT and RnRC. In the main park - Space Mountain is pretty unique - really good ride IMO - so hit that. Big Thunder Mountain is also a must-do. Then I'd spend the rest of your time there hitting up the 'classics', and do some proper Disney - go see a parade! (But I guess if you're just hitting the rides, then that's a good time to go do them.)

Sorry I can't help here - I'm just looking into this time of year as well and wanted to ask the same questions really: I've heard all this stuff how September is the hurricane season - but is it actually all that bad -- does it really affect the theme parks much at all? Cos otherwise it's one of the cheapest and quietest times of year to go. Also - any word on if Harry Potter will be open by September 2010?

Hi... I'm planning on visiting Europa Park and possibly some other German parks in the Summer, but need to do the whole thing on public transport. Obviously hiring a car would be easier, but I'm only 21 and this makes things awkward and expensive. I've figured that I can fly into Baden-Baden airport (with Ryanair) and get a shuttle bus to Europa Park and back. I imagine a lot of people from the UK do similar... But I'd quite like to add on an extension to the trip to visit Holiday Park (for Expedition GeForce) too - has anyone else attempted to do this on public transport? I'd need to get there from the airport or Europa Park itself. Bear in mind that I'm trying to keep costs to a minimum, and would ideally be able to do the whole 'side trip' to Holiday Park in a day... Thanks, -Alex

^ Very true. Currently, we're going to use an estimate of 200kg per car = 2400kg per empty train. This is on the basis that a PTC 6-person car (like used on Rebel Yell) weighs around 550kg... so we're guessing that if split up into 3 'single-row' cars, they'd be around 200kg each (adding on a bit extra). No email back from GCII yet!

Hiya - just a very quick question - I'm doing a project on roller coaster design at university, and we're designing a GCII coaster... But we need one vital stat - the weight (mass) of a typical Millennium Flyer train (12 cars). Does anyone have a rough estimate as to what that figure may be, as I can't find the info anywhere online. I've tried emailing GCII, but just wondered if anyone knew, or could at least come up with a pretty good guess as to what it is! Thanks, Alex

Awesome trip report - it's nice to finally get a 'genuine' report and pics from someone who's actually visited the park as a paying customer, rather than someone who's been following construction. (Although thanks for all the really great construction updates too!) The park looks stunning - will have to check it out one day. You make a good point about the Tower of Power slide having a narrow tube - what if someone didn't adopt the correct riding position and sat-up? I never really considered that safety aspect before, but now that you mention it, it does seem a little over-looked...

Hiya everyone - I'm doing an Engineering degree in the UK at the moment, and my design project for this year just so happens to be 'Design a Roller Coaster'. (Pretty lucky considering I'm a coaster enthusiast too!) The project guidelines are pretty general - we've essentially been given a blank canvas - a flat, fairly large green field on which to build the coaster. There are no limitations to do with money, height etc etc. Our task is to build the best possible world class coaster on that site. My job is to work out what makes a roller coaster world class and why - and which types are the best. Now, I have my own opinions on this, but I'd quite like the viewpoints of everyone else as some form of qualitative data for my report. I first looked at which roller coasters are ranked the highest in the world, according to the Mitch Hawker poll and the Golden Ticket poll. Considering both, I found the following: ==== WOODEN COASTERS ==== It seems the best wooden coaster manufacturers are: Gravity Group (best example: The Voyage) Intamin (best example: El Toro) GCII (best example: Thunderhead) * * What in your opinion makes these rides great, and why? Height? Speed? Forces? etc etc * * ==== STEEL COASTERS ==== It seems the best steel coaster manufacturers are: B&M Intamin * * Why do coasters from these companies tend to be the best? * * It seems the best 'models/types' of steel coaster are: Mega/Hyper/Giga (ie. 200+ft tall) Inverted coasters Accelerator coasters Dive Machines Multi-element coasters (e.g. Maverick, Farenheit) * * Again, why are these TYPES of coasters so good? * * In particular, the most popular combinations of manufacturer and model are: Intamin Mega B&M Mega B&M Inverted Combining all of this info together, I have picked out four rides which many consider to be cream of the crop: - Superman Ride of Steel (SFNE) - Intamin Mega - ranked 1st in both polls - Nitro (SFGAdv) - B&M Mega - ranked an average of 6th in both polls - Nemesis (Alton Towers) - B&M Inverted - ranked an average of 9th in both polls) - Maverick (Cedar Point) - Intamin Multi-Element - ranked an average of 11th in both polls * * What makes these rides in particular so good? * * ==== FURTHER QUESTIONS ==== * * Steel vs. Wood - which type is best, and why? Why build one over the other? * * * * What other factors - other than the ride make, type and layout - make a coaster world-class? - Theming? Location? etc etc. * * Basically, I'm just after opinions on what makes a roller coaster good and why! I've essentially got a blank canvas (RCT style!) and would like opinions on what is the best possible coaster I could build on that space. Wood or steel? Which manufacturer? Which type of coaster? And very importantly - WHY are these the best selections? How can I make this coaster world-class? Please answer as many or as few of the questions as possible! Thanks sooo much! -Alex

So, say I was to go in September... it should be quiet. Are there any other disadvantages to going then? I've already mentioned that it's hurricane season - is this just not a problem worth considering? Could the weather potentially affect the trip?

Hiya, apologies if this topic has come up before; I've had a brief search and couldn't really find a specific topic. Basically, I'm looking at going to Florida within the next year or two and am trying to pick the best time to go. My main concern is how busy the parks will be, but factors such as the weather do come into it. I have a couple of restrictions too - I am currently studying at University in the UK, meaning that I am in term from early Jan to early March; mid April to mid June and early Oct to early Dec. Given that I'd want to do at least two weeks in Florida, when would you say is the best time for me to go? I was thinking about early December, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get two quiet weeks there before the Xmas crowds arrive. I assume late March is spring break time in USA - so that's a big no-no? What about late June? I assume July is horribly busy. August looks quieter, based on park opening hours and prices, and September quieter still. In fact, September would be a good time for me to go -- BUT what effect would the Hurricane Season have on my trip? Please help me choose the best time to go! Just one other questions about resort hotels: During my days at WDW and Universal, I'm considering staying at their on-site hotels. Can I just check their benefits with you guys? If I stay in a Universal hotel, do I get unlimited Universal Express for my stay? Does that mean basically I don't have to wait in the main lines AT ALL? If so, this really does sound worth it. At Disney Hotels, you get the Extra Magic Hours right? Thanks for any help! -Alex

Awesome pics. Can you upload any of them in full resolution anywhere? Kraken's repaint looks sweet

I loved Maverick - it's in my Top 3. It's got a bit of everything - mad drop, crazy, quick turns, loads of air, perfect inversions, a great launch and then those mad overbanked/Stengel dives. And it even duels a bit too. Add in the fact that the whole thing feels totally out of control and just a little insane, and it adds up to an amazing ride. coastermaniac - I do see your point about how it is a little rough/uncomfortable - but I don't think it's due to the compact layout - more to do with the train taking some of the elements at greater-than-normal speeds. I didn't find it a problem at all, and thought it added to the ride experience. My only real fault with it is it didn't have a 'totally wow' moment, like, for example, the Top Thrill Dragster launch. Maverick instead offers sustained brilliance throughout.

Can you post any of the shots in a bigger size / higher-res? Or send me a link? Some of them are just awesome... especially the Maverick ones and the TTD reflection shot.

I'm just back from a week in northern Ohio, USA, hitting Cedar Point for 5 days, Geauga Lake and Cleveland… so here's a trip report! Living in the UK, I'm writing this from a Brit's point of view remember - so I'll often compare Cedar Point and its attractions to the parks and rides I'm used to back home. Just a note on the photos - I'd already uploaded them on Webshots, so rather than reuploading them here, I've just linked to the photos; hope that's ok... Warning : Long Trip Report - if you want to read and don't like staring at computer screens for a while, I'd suggest printing it off! Cedar Point Cedar Point is widely regarded as the best amusement park in the world, and I'd 100% agree. For sheer quality and quantity of thrilling attractions, no other park I've been to can match it. Cedar Point's impressive skyline In the UK at the mo, there's a lot of discussion about 'theming' - Alton Towers for example used to be very much a 'theme park', but recently, its efforts have slid downhill... so I thought I'd just get the topic of theming out of the way. For me, it's all about the rides themselves – sure, theming can make a good ride a little better, but it can't make a crap ride good. To set things straight; Cedar Point is not a theme park – although it does have a few rides and areas with 'loose' themes (Top Thrill Dragster, a speedway and Maverick, the Old West). However, I'd like to point out that its 'loose theming' is still, in most cases, on a par with, or better than some of Alton Towers' recent efforts (Air, Rita) – which I guess shows how much AT has declined with regards to it being a 'theme park'. Basically, Cedar Point is not Islands Of Adventure or Disney – it's an amusement park packed with amazing rides. Cedar Point doesn't need theming anyway! Not only do the rides speak for themselves, but you'd be hard pushed to find a park with a better setting. It's located on a peninsula on Lake Erie – but it may as well be an island in the sea (Lake Erie is massive) – with trees, water and beaches aplenty. This section of the park is really beautiful, it's got a great setting. We flew into Cleveland, and drove the sub-hour drive to Cedar Point, where we began 5 days on the park. '5 days!?' you ask – seems a long time, huh? Let me put it into context – Cedar Point has 17 coasters, of which only 2 are 'kiddie' ones. Discounting the Beastie, Alton Towers has just 7 coasters. So Cedar Point has over twice as many rideable coasters. Now consider going to AT in July, the busiest time of the year… you'd be hard pushed to ride all 7 coasters in a day, let alone get any re-rides in. Given that Cedar Point has so much to do, we wanted to get lots of re-rides, the weather was ridiculously hot / sunny / humid and that we were going at the busiest time of year, we decided that 5 days was just right. We would get everything done that we wanted, as much as we wanted, and most crucially, all at a leisurely pace. This turned out to be the case. We stayed at Hotel Breakers, one of Cedar Point's hotels, located on the peninsula itself, meaning the park entrance is just a short stroll away. You also get early entry into the park. For these two things alone, the hotel is well worth the money. Otherwise, it's not a great hotel – it's very old, the restaurant choice is poor and the rooms need renovation really. But you are paying for the location – and being able to go to and from the park so freely is really recommended. The view from our room... didn't get a lake view, but hey, this'll do! Over the five days, I was very impressed with Cedar Point itself. The staff were all great, the park had a pretty good atmosphere, ride reliability was very good (Top Thrill Dragster had one 15min breakdown over the 5 days I was there – Maverick had a few minor niggles) and all the rides ran at pretty much maximum capacity. In fact, on most rides, if you hit them at the right time, you could get on them within 15mins. The top four rides though (Raptor, Millennium Force, Maverick and Top Thrill Dragster) all had a wait of about 45-60min, sometimes a little more. Before I go singing Cedar Point's praises anymore, I should point out a few negatives. The park almost suffers from having too much – you cannot do it all in 1 day, or even 2. Also, the Big 3 rides (Top Thrill Dragster, Millennium Force and Maverick) are so much better than everything else (in my opinion) that they overshadow everything else. For example, Raptor is clearly a great B&M Inverted coaster… but compared to the Big 3, it's nothing special. Basically, rides like Raptor and Magnum XL-200 could be put into any other park and be the star attraction… but not here. There's also perhaps an over-emphasis on coasters; though they've been trying to correct this recently, I'd say Thorpe Park is a 'more-balanced' park with regard to coasters, flat rides, water rides etc. One final negative is that during Early Entry, there's a list of rides meant to be opening at 9am… but they don't always open on time. Also, it must be very frustrating for non-resort guests to get into the park at normal opening at 10am, but still be faced by a one-hour wait for the Big 3… Overall though, there are very few negatives, and if you just want lots of great thrilling rides in a great setting, nothing can come close to Cedar Point. It's my favourite park. Anyway, that's the general points out of the way… now onto the rides themselves. Top Thrill Dragster So this is just a bigger version of Stealth, right? Wrong. I admit to being a Stealth fan – it provides 2 seconds of brilliance which cannot be experienced on any other UK ride – but I understand how, like with many other rides, this 'brilliance' can wear off over time. Maybe it too would wear off after several goes on Top Thrill Dragster (TTD) but after six laps on it, it's my #1 coaster in the world. It may be a one trick pony, but what a trick – for the first time in a while on a coaster, I got nervous before riding this. The launch (0-120mph) in less than 4 seconds is just mind-blowing. Lasting for twice as long as Stealth's, it feels twice as powerful and that 4 seconds seems to go on forever… you just go faster and faster and faster… It provides the ultimate, unparalleled adrenaline rush. Before long you're 420ft high, floating over the top, and then, unlike Stealth, you dive downwards, through a 270 degree spiral, hitting 120mph again, before coming to a quick stop. And the biggest difference between this and pretty much every other ride of this type is that there are no shoulder restraints. I don't mind Stealth's restraints, but cresting over TTD's top hat, 420ft high, feeling so exposed with just a lap bar is, quite frankly, ridiculously amazing. And there's nothing quite like the front seats on this thing. They're well worth the extra wait. So TTD is my #1 coaster, because though it's short, it provides the ultimate, unparalleled adrenaline rush… there's nothing else that I've been on quite like it; it's the best 17 seconds of a coaster you'll find anywhere. Maverick This is totally the opposite to TTD, but so nearly as good… it's my #2 favourite coaster in the world. New for 2007, this coaster breaks no records but instead takes the best bits of every steel coaster out there and merges them all into one long, action-packed ride of sustained brilliance. It's got elements of hypercoasters, inverting coasters, rocket coasters etc. The 95-degree drop dives straight into a ground-hugging turn. Overall, I found the front seats to be better for the whole ride, except for the 95 degree first drop, which is quite like Speed's (at Oakwood) but more compact - in the back row, the drop is ridiculous. Then you absolutely fly through some ground-hugging turns, with crazy transitions. You're banked at 60 degrees in one direction, then milliseconds later, you're banked at 60 degrees going the opposite direction. You then fly over a hill providing the most ejector airtime I've ever felt on a coaster. Then to two zero-g roll style inversions… but these are so well paced… you just float through them. A quick turn… then you enter a tunnel and hit the brakes. The turn in between the two inversions. Exiting the second inversion of 'the horseshoe roll'. If the ride was over, you'd be fairly satisfied. But suddenly, you're blasted out of the tunnel at 70mph – a launch on a par with most Intamin Accelerator/Rocket Coasters. You fly out over a lake, where you are slowed by brake fins to 50mph – but the deceleration is felt for only a second, as you then head towards the water, the g-force building up. And then the most insane coaster finale ever: you fly into a Stengel dive, twisting through a ridiculously banked dive, which could class as an inversion, then a quick turn, before another insane Stengel dive in the other direction, and then another ejector-airtime-filled hill into the final brakes. The ride is quite intense, but isn't rough… you know you've been taken on a wild ride, but despite the over-the-shoulder restraints, crucially, the ride isn't painful. The turn and dive over the lake, with Millennium Force in the background. Maverick takes all the best bits of the best coasters out there, and mashes them into one ride. Furthermore, the trains take all these elements at what surely is too great a speed… yet it works. The ride is wild, fast-paced, action-packed, fun and just a little insane, and offers sustained brilliance. So why does it not top Top Thrill Dragster? Whilst it is no doubt a more 'consistent' coaster, no part of it can come close to TTD's 4-second launch, which as I said, offers unparalleled, ultimate adrenaline. Still, Maverick exceeds expectations and is one of the most incredible coasters in the world, and goes in at #2 for me. Millennium Force The last of the Big 3, this is the third best… but still makes my Top 5 of all-time favourite coasters, probably at #4 (Superman Ride Of Steel at Six Flags New England is certainly #3). Millennium Force (MF) stands at 310ft tall, and hits 93mph, and like TTD, it only has a lap bar. The first drop is the best first drop of any coaster I know, particularly in the front seats – it's high, steep, fast and you feel exposed. The huge lift hill and first drop... ...lead straight into this fast-paced overbanked turn. The rest of the circuit lasts for about a minute, but if I had one word to describe it, it would be 'fast'. The train absolutely flies through overbanked turns, bunnyhops and low-to-the-ground turns. For raw speed, nothing else comes close to MF. The ride is all about sustained raw speed – it hits the final brakes at almost 60mph. My only complaint about Millennium Force is somewhat ironic – for a ride with 'Force' in its name, it kind of lacks any real force. It's fast, yes, but it's controlled high speed… it doesn't feel wild like Maverick does. For example, on Maverick, you experience ejector airtime, whereas on Millennium Force, its airtime is more 'floater'. Nonetheless, MF is a stunning attraction, and makes my Top 5. To sum up: 1. Top Thrill Dragster (#1 in world) – ultimate, unparalleled exhilaration 2. Maverick (#2 in world) – wild, sustained brilliance 3. Millennium Force (#4 in world) – raw speed As I mentioned earlier, Cedar Point slightly suffers in that all its other coasters are no match for their Big 3. Raptor is a solid B&M Inverter, maybe one of their best. It has a great first drop, a standard flurry of inversions and a very intense finish with a high g-force helix. But unlike other Cedar Point rides, it just seems more standard, or off-the-shelf. Mantis, a B&M Stand-Up is about 10 times better than Shockwave at Drayton Manor, yet at Cedar Point, it's a major disappointment. It's quite rough and doesn't offer anything else that Raptor doesn't, except if you like standing up in pain. The whole stand-up thing is an unnecessary gimmick. Magnum XL-200 is my fourth favourite coaster at Cedar Point. The out-&-back layout is pretty good – a solid first drop, with good speed, but it's the finale which is brilliant - four hills full of ejector air, not quite in Maverick's league, but still great fun. You fly up into your lap bar – you'll be left with thigh bruising! Great, but somewhat painful fun! I quite liked Mean Streak, in an entirely sarcastic way – it's a big, rough woodie, which shakes like you wouldn't believe. In the back seats though, you get pulled quickly though the shuddery bits, so the pain doesn't last so long… it's kind of funny how rough it is, and is an endurance challenge! Wicked Twister is an Intamin Impulse coaster – the tallest and fastest inverted coaster in the world. The launch isn't that great, and it takes a while to get going (on your first circuit, you don't travel very far up the spikes), but by the end it's quite fun. It does tread a little close to nauseating and rough mind you… All other coasters (see rcdb.com for pics) are fairly standard, and nothing really to write home about. Blue Streak, a fairly decent old woodie … Disaster Transport, a weird indoor coaster, which doesn't do enough to warrant the space it occupies … Corkscrew, rough and sickening … Cedar Creek Mine Ride & Iron Dragon, boring … Gemini pretty good, but doesn't race very well. To mention other rides: Skyhawk is a big version of Rush at Thorpe Park. It's really great fun, but unfortunately, due to the queue getting big quickly, it runs a short program - you only get two of the amazing maximum height swings (only one when you're facing the ground). It needs a couple more of these really… And it takes ages to load, which is a shame. MaXair has similar problems with regards to loading, taking ages between cycles, but it offers a decent ride. It's similar to Maelstrom at Drayton, but bigger, and actually less intense. Power Tower is only 'ok' and ironically lacks power. The blast-up tower sucks, it feels like a glorified elevator. The drop-down tower is better, but not by much. Demon Drop is a crazy 1st generation Intamin freefall, which is the scariest thing I've been on… feels like you're going to die as the whole thing falls apart. There's a standard splash-boats water ride, and a standard rapids, except for the crazy waterfall finale, where you get soaked to the bone – there's no escape! There's also a few nice transport rides (big wheel, train) to chill out on. Finally, with regards to Cedar Point, here's two sunset photos - the second one (of Magnum XL-200) is probably the best of the trip: So there you go, that's the Cedar Point review done with. Overall, it's got 17 coasters, of which several are all better than 'pretty good', some decent 'other rides' and a great setting. For sheer quantity and quality of thrilling attractions, I could not recommend a better park than Cedar Point. At the end of the day, I can say that three of their coasters are in my all-time Top 4… and that speaks for itself. One problem though – there's not that much else to do in the region besides Cedar Point. There's an on-site water park, mini golf etc, and there's your standard beach-holiday stuff (pool, beach, lake = sea), but when you venture off Cedar Point itself, there's not much around. Sandusky has a couple of indoor water parks, a mall and a few restaurants (Outback Steakhouses are SO good), but that's it. This wasn't a problem for us – we were more than happy to spend the sheer majority of our time at Cedar Point – but if you're up for other stuff, there's a lack of it. Even an hour away, at Cleveland, there's not much to do. Cleveland itself felt a bit dead… we went to the Downtown section, and besides one shopping centre, it felt really lifeless, despite us being there on a Saturday. I guess it's more of a 'working' city. However, we didn't go to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, which is on the waterfront, and I guess is the city's main attraction. We did visit Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which is a fairly standard, nothing-to-write-home-about zoo, and a few suburban malls, of which one was very good (the pound is very strong at the mo – everything over there is basically half price). The only other really noteworthy attraction in the area is Geauga Lake (pronounced Gee-ah-guh Lake). This amusement park was recently owned by Six Flags, which also had control of the Sea World-style section of the park. However, despite much investment in thrill rides, it still could not compete with Cedar Point. Cedar Fair (who own Cedar Point) recently bought the park, but attendance is still quite low. They seem to have family-ised the park (presumably because nothing can compete with Cedar Point for thrill rides) – a lot of the big Six Flags-era coasters have gone, and the Sea World area has been removed and rebuilt as a water park. The park has now been branded as 2 parks in 1 – the water park included in the admission price for the amusement park. I wasn't impressed with Geauga Lake. I suppose, as a family park, it's just about ok, but for me, it didn't cut it. Dominator (a B&M Floorless) is pretty good, with a weird custom layout, but doesn't compete with other similar rides (e.g. Kraken). The Villain is an imposing wooden coaster, which is down at the bottom of my coaster rankings – it's one of the most painful, roughest coasters I've ever been on. The rest of the coasters all scream 'average-to-bad': a Vekoma Suspended Looping Coaster (standard model), an Arrow Double Loop, a kiddie coaster and a Vekoma Boomerang. Raging Wolf Bobs (woodie) was closed, and we did Big Dipper, an old woodie, but this didn't even compete with Blue Streak at Cedar Point. There aren't any noteworthy other non-coaster rides. The water park is pretty good, but kind of similar to others. It's got a popular Proslide Tornado which is fun, and a cool complex of seven water slides, including three insane body speed slides, which are more intense with more g's than most coasters out there. Then there's the standard tipping bucket complex, wave pool, lazy river etc. It's pretty decent, but overall, I could tell what Geauga Lake's main problem was during my short week's trip : if you lived in the Cleveland area (the most populated region of north Ohio) you would always pay that little bit extra and drive that little bit extra to go to Cedar Point rather than go to Geauga Lake. Ride Count for the Week: Cedar Point (5 days): Top Thrill Dragster x6 / Maverick x6 / Skyhawk x3 / Millennium Force x6 / Skyride x2 / Blue Streak x 1 / Disaster Transport x1 / MaXair x2 / Wicked Twister x4 / Wildcat x1 / Iron Dragon x1 / Power Tower x3 / Corkscrew x1 / Magnum XL-200 x4 / Thunder Canyon x1 / Snake River Falls x1 / Mean Streak x4 / Gemini x3 / Woodstock Express x1 / Demon Drop x 1 / Mantis x1 / Raptor x2 / Cedar Creek Mine Ride x1 / Paddlewheel Excursions x1 / Lake Erie Railroad x3 / Giant Wheel x1 / Space Spiral x1 = x62 Geauga Lake (1/2 a day): Dominator x2 / Thunderhawk x1 / Villain x1 / Beaver Creek Mine Ride x2 / Liquid Lightning x1 / Thunder Falls x7 / Big Dipper x1 / Head Spin x1 / Double Loop x1 = x17 = x79 Right, I think that's all I have to say… sorry for the immense length… thanks for taking the time to read - I hope it was vaguely enjoyable / interesting! Any comments / questions etc. whatsoever would be most welcome! – please go ahead and post below!

Right, I was at Cedar Point Sunday-Friday of last week (8th-13th) so hopefully I can help. If you're there 2.5 days, you won't have a problem getting everything done, so don't rush it... try and go at a leisurely (ish) pace. You've got early entry, which is great news. ERT is actually quite busy, but it does give you an extra hour over everyone else coming in at 10am. Check which rides are on early entry. When I went it was Millennium Force, Maverick, Skyhawk and Raptor, though sometimes Maverick wasn't open - people still ran there regardless. You'll be hard pushed to get on Maverick quickly, unless it is open during ERT and you run there so that you're one of the first few in line. Otherwise, expect to wait about an hour for it - don't be decieved by the apparent length of the line. The line only holds about 1.5 hours worth of people, and it moves quickly (unless there's a breakdown). Make sure you get on Maverick, it's immense. Skyhawk will have no wait during ERT. Millennium Force isn't too bad if you get there fairly quickly after Maverick, or if Maverick isn't open for ERT, I'd advise running there. You can pick whichever seats you like - early on, I'd recommend front seats - the queue is much shorter than later on. Raptor is on ERT and doesn't really get a line during that time, but when the main gates open, was nearing an hour. So either do it in ERT, or be prepared to wait a while for it. I'd really try to get to Dragster before the 10am opening, when everyone else piles into the park. It'll save you a big wait. If you get there just before 10, you'll wait 30mins for it... much later, and it's an hour. In general, I found that the front of the park is busy early on - if you head there early/mid-afternoon, most rides have less than 15min waits (except Raptor). Maverick, Millennium Force and Dragster all have about an hour's wait - 45min if you're lucky. But I didn't wait more than 1hr 15 for any of them. Skyhawk gets busy later on, isn't too bad early. Gemini, Mean Streak, Magnum -- all under 15min queues. I found only the Big 3, plus Raptor, to be the only big waits. Basically use your ERT well - run to whichever ride is on ERT, so you get there before everyone else - stay one step ahead of them, and then the people who are allowed in at 10. As for Soak City - it depends on the weather. I'd not bother with it if I were you, and instead spend time in Cedar Point. But if it's hot and sunny, and not windy, Soak City will be busy.

PortAventura is just a stunning park... really top notch, I rate it very highly. I'm glad to see they're getting one more major ride though - that was needed, though I still think its placement takes quite a lot away from the Mediterranea entrance plaza. I mean, it's like sticking a coaster in IOA's Port Of Entry. And how is Stampida with the new trains? Comfy / better than the old ones?

Hi, I'm planning on visiting Phantasialand in mid-August this year, but have one or two questions: 1. I'm flying into Cologne-Bonn airport from the UK - I've heard that Phantasialand will provide transport from the airport to the park - is this true? If so, is it a simple case of phoning up/emailing and requesting the transport? Is it available any time of day, and does anyone know the cost? If none of that's correct, what's the best, cheapest and quickest way of getting to/from the park (using public transport)? 2. Would there be any of the German fairs near Phantasialand around mid-August? I need to know, as I want to avoid them! (The park would be busier and hotel rates are increased). Thanks for any help, Alex

Thanks for all the help so far -- anymore would be as appreciated! I think I'm going to do spend 2 or 3 days around the Cleveland area, to have a look round the city, shop and visit Geauga Lake, and then 4 or so days at Cedar Point. From these responses, provided the rates stay the same, I think I'll stay at Hotel Breakers - I'd love the luxury of being able to walk between my room and the park as I choose. I'll need a room for 3 people, so a two double bed room would be ideal - I can only visit in July or August however. I would definitely be staying on the weekdays though, to avoid crowds. Thanks once again!

Hi (apologies if this is in the wrong forum!) - I live in the UK and am planning a trip to Cedar Point this summer. I intend to stay there for a few days, and I'd like to stay on-site, so that I can walk from the park to my hotel as frequently as I like (and go for a mid-afternoon swim to get away from the crowds!). Am I correct in saying that the best (and cheapest) hotel to go for would be Hotel Breakers? (I don't want to stay in Camper Village - I believe Lighthouse Point & Sandcastle Suites are more expensive, and that all other hotels are not actually on-site?). Can anyone give me an indication of roughly how much a Hotel Breakers room costs per night, during the summer? (The rates aren't available yet on the official website). I need to work out the total cost of the vacation as soon as possible, to figure out if its affordable... And just a couple of other questions: - I can only visit CP in the summer, so am expecting crowds... but are there any particular times in summer where it may be less busy? (Obviously I'll hit the park on weekdays). - Is there anything else to do nearby to CP? There's Geauga Lake and further afield, PKI, but are there any other attractions nearby? - Best and nearest place for shopping - Cleveland? - Water parks - other than Soak City, are there any other nearby water parks? How do Geauga Lake's/PKI's compare to Soak City? Thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated! Alex