DILinator

When I went to Waldameer, I had a great meal at Sheetz! I'm considering taking my kids to Waldameer later this year. Such a great little park!

I just asked my co-worker if he'd heard of Behemoth... He said yes. I asked if he'd heard of Leviathan... He said yes. I asked about Ziz... Never heard of it. It's for this reason that I'm skeptical of the name. Everybody immediately knows what to visualize with the first two beasts, as they're fairly mainstream. Ziz, not at all. Now, Cedar Fair has shown no aversion to naming coasters random mythical beasts nobody's heard of before (Rougarou, Valravn), so it's certainly still a possibility. However, I just have a feeling that while it WILL be themed to a mythical flying beast, that DIVES down at its prey, it won't be the Hebrew Ziz. It'll probably be something that more immediately conjures up images in the average potential park-goer's head, rather than something they need to know a backstory on.

Ahhh... Memories of the 80's at Cedar Point! My first visit to The Point was the year before that video, 1983, as a 4 year old, and I still vividly remember so many things from that day. Honestly, it's a lot of my earlier memories in life! I guess that could be why it's had such a place in my heart all my life! I didn't ride the Demon Drop that early along (doubt I was tall enough to), but Frontier Trail/Town, the Frontier Lift, White Water Landing (I'm not nearly as into flumes as coasterbill, but I will admit that seeing it in that video brought me feelings of the many fun rides I had on it, and a longing for its return - though obviously not at the expense of Maverick! lol), and smaller thrills like The Earthquake Ride, and Sky Slide, as well as Kiddieland and the super fun Kid Arthur's Court, of course, are fond memories of that year's visit! I also vaguely recall seeing The Rotor, though I didn't ride it there, I don't think. Anybody notice Wildcat in the background behind Demon Drop? SO many things have been in that spot where GateKeeper now resides, over the years, and that whole midway, in fact, seems to have endured the most transitions of any at CP over my years of attendance. Thanks for sharing that video, and providing a trip down memory lane!

Yeah, this is them! To be fair, they aren't explicitly Christian Rock, at least they weren't. Sadly, it seems they've trended in that direction recently... I literally saw them at a Christian music festival I went to with a friend last summer lol They're okay at best, I wasn't a fan. Oh, I'm not saying they don't play at Christian music festivals, or get lumped in there. My point was more that they themselves don't classify themselves as Christian rock, and a lot of their songs over the years aren't about Christian things specifically. I personally like that they're not pigeonholed like so many "Christian" artists.

How much did the restraint tighten after two consecutive rides? Based on how much mine did after each ride, I don't know if I could handle two, haha They didn't tighten in the least! In fact, I haven't felt them tighten in years! Have you ridden it recently? The hate for this coaster is nuts, especially considering all the love for Magnum!

And I thought it was low in MY rankings! You're absolutely right though... Magnum's always been temperamental in my opinion, giving good rides and bad rides on the same visit. But when I rode in the front two visits ago this year, it was AWFUL! I couldn't wait for it to end! Last time I rode it, at Coastermania, I rode in my typical seat, the front of the last car, and it was decent again. So strange, this one... I definitely don't get all the love for it from enthusiasts, and have to think a lot of that's just fueled by nostalgia at this point.

Last ride of the night on this beauty, at Coastermania! I actually finished my night with three straight rides on it, the last two without getting off of it.

Great report! Being a complete and utter non-camper myself, I didn't pay this event any attention before. But after reading about it, I think you may have convinced me to give it a go next year! So, it's $200 for up to 4 people? I know a couple of avid campers, and I bet I could get my GF to go with myself and them to make it a foursome. I also respect your opinion of SV... I love it, and it's my #1 coaster! But if you're not really into that level of intensity, and especially the hard bucking (which frankly, is understandable), it's not going to be as great of a ride. MF is fantastic, and amazing, and still well worth a #1 ranking, especially if speed and non-airtime intensity is your preferred coaster taste! Melt is an amazing place! Just tried it for the first time during Coastermania (with RAWKIN, actually), and other than mind-numbingly slow service (which I also had a previous visit this year at Chickie and Pete's... Hmmm....), it exceeded my expectations! Definitely a place you can go and share an entree, and be g2g! Oh, and the abandoned bear was hilarious!

An RMC Raptor like Railblazer at CGA, or a Gerstlauer like Hang Time at Knott's, would be a good fit back there in place of Boomerang, and would seem like a reasonable expenditure for WoF as well!

Not being a fan of the system to begin with, I definitely agree with this! Lower the price, and lower the cap, that's what I would do...

I enjoyed doing Coastermania this year, but I'm really excited to take my kids to Holiwood Nights next year, and introduce them to the awesomeness that is Holiday World!

Not really a valid comparison though, as CP, KI, and CW are all no open year-round like Knott's. If CP and CW had the ability (ie. climate) to be open year-round, they would easily be the top two parks in the chain in terms of attendance. This is true of CW, certainly, but CP draws attendance from all over the country, and even internationally. And they advertise as such as well. Most non-enthusiasts in the Midwest and East, probably are not aware of Knott's, while Cedar Point is known pretty much anywhere you go. None of that is to discount anything being said about Knott's, just thought it was a point of clarification to be made...

Or, be like me, ignore that advice (based on almost 40 years of going to the park), and get 10 rides in total before June 2, with a minimal total combined waiting time for all of my rides by going when I know crowds will be low! Absolutely! 2nd to last row is my go-to as well, and yes, bayside is the better side! Last row is great as well, but with the shorter wait, 2nd to last is my go-to! Okay but if you keep telling people that, I won't be able to sneak in behind the 8-2 people who basically block the 9-2 line so no one ever waits for 9-1. THIS! I love how that row is SO often overlooked, due to the bunch up for the 2nd to last car! Hmmm... My son was there Friday as well, and said he was in line for over an hour while it was broken down before finally giving up and leaving the line. So it went down for a significant time at some point in the day! (He said it was around Noon-ish.) Emily and I are not the type of people to typically analyze or car about which exact row we're in, outside of very front or very back. Millennium Force is our only exception so far. We like the second row from the back. It has less of a line from the very back seat and it seems less shaky compared to the very back row for some reason. I love the front as well! But given it almost always carries an additional 30 minute wait (a full queue for the front), I usually pass to get more rides in the back!

^Great to hear! I enjoyed Chicago as well! Musicals are fantastic "spirit lifters", oftentimes, and movies in general can be such a healing balm in tough times!

This sheer delicacy of a beer, an amazing creation that is one of the best beers I've ever had the pleasure of passing by my taste buds! If you're fortunate enough to find some in the Michigan area during the limited season it's released, buy as much of it as there is! You won't be disappointed!

As a Movie Pass holder, I see a LOT of movies! (Though I haven't seen as many in recent weeks.) Rather than go into lengthy details, I'll just put them in categories... 5 Star Movies -Avengers: Infinity War (I read Robb's dissenting review, and while he brought up a lot of valid points, I still feel this was an excellent film, and will be best judged once the next Avengers movie comes out to really complete the story.) -A Quiet Place (One of the best pure suspense thrillers I've seen at least in a long time! The sold out theater the first of two times I saw it literally got so quiet you could hear the rustle of a bag of popcorn, many times during the film. Superb!) -Deadpool 2 (As much as I enjoyed the first Deadpool, I liked this one even more! I definitely hope they make more, because I'll take as much of this kind of movie as I can get!) 4 Star Movies -Solo: A Star Wars Story (I was worried going in, but honestly, I quite enjoyed this film! Interesting fleshing out of the beloved character, and plenty of new tidbits added to the cannon that will likely be plumbed in future films!) -Life of the Party (It's not going to win any Oscars, but I was entertained throughout, and in the end, that's a good movie in my book!) -Ocean's Eight (Saw this at a Premiere last night, and quite enjoyed it! I love a good heist flick, and it was a nice twist on the genre, and a worthy addition to the first three "Ocean's" movies!) 3 Star Movies -Overboard (I'd really rate this as a 3 and a half star movie, as it was definitely better than average, though not quite as enjoyable as the movies listed above. Still, I was pleasantly surprised with this one!) -I Feel Pretty (Not the best Amy Schumer movie I've seen, but it was entertaining, for the most part, and with Movie Pass, worth a watch in the theater.) -Bad Samaritan (A weak 3 star, but a three star nonetheless. It had its moments, where I was drawn into its plot, and I always enjoy watching David Tennant as an actor. Definitely a "watch on video" movie without Movie Pass though...) -Breaking In (Probably closer to a 2 and a half star movie, it also had its moments. However, I couldn't suspend disbelief for the sheer amount of absurd, implausible, and face palming moments. 2 Star Movies -Traffik (An interesting (and timely) premise, frontlined by an actress I like, had the framework for a good film. However, in the end, it missed the mark in my opinion, and spiraled into a B movie before all was said and done...) BTW, it's old news at this point, but I would rate The Greatest Showman as a 6 Star Movie, if it's a 5 Star rating scale! I loved that film, and it's buoyant positivity, and important message were extremely needed in my life as I went through a few dark months. I actually saw it 12 times in the movie theater, thanks to Movie Pass, and loved it every single time! Regardless of whether it succeeds as a true to life portrayal of PT Barnum (the biggest complaint from many about it), it hits a home run as a film, and a musical, and immediately became one of my favorite films of all time! My kids all loved it, including my 9 year old who can't sit through a cartoon movie in the theater, and my 4 year old, who asked to see again when it was over! Now THAT'S an accomplishment!

Awww... Switchfoot is actually one of my favorite artists! Don't be a hater! Yeah, this is them! To be fair, they aren't explicitly Christian Rock, at least they weren't. Sadly, it seems they've trended in that direction recently... Amen to this!

Yay! A chance to rank something! (I don't get the hate on rankings... Give me a collection of anything, and I will enjoy the intellectual exercise of ranking the $h*t out of it! ) As for my favorite Amusement Park, here's how my rankings go! 1. Steel Vengeance (Hands down, the best coaster of over 230 I've ever ridden! Simply mind-blowing!) 2a. Millennium Force (My favorite between these two seems to change constantly, so there's really no true one, over the other.) 2b. Maverick (I still LOVE this wild beast! But riding it directly after SV noticeably dampened the perceived insanity of the experience, at least to me...) 4. GateKeeper (I don't get the enthusiast disdain for this coaster... It's beautiful, and gives a fun and unique ride experience I can ride all day!) 5. Valravn (Consider this ranking tenuous... I've enjoyed it less this dear, than in previous years... But it's still a lot of fun!) 6. Blue Streak (Admittedly getting rougher in recent years, I still enjoy the fun airtime on this classic coaster... assuming I'm in the front!) 7. Raptor (I'm a big fan of B&M Inverts, but this one doesn't make my Top 5. Still, it's a heck of a fun coaster, and this ranking reflects that!) 8. Top Thrill Dragster (Still looking for my first ride of the year, in 4 visits, on the thrilling, but unreliable, No Thrill Downtime...) 9. Wicked Twister (Highly underrated CP coaster! Now, I just need to lose weight so I can ride this unreasonably over-restrainted gem.) 10. Magnum XL 200 (Highly overrated CP coaster! Sometimes I still get fun rides, and sometimes I get regrettable ones... Good, but not at all great.) 11. Rougarou (A massive improvement on Mantis, this still ranks as one of my least favorite B&M Floorless coasters, thanks to a rough 2nd half.) 12. Pipe Scream ( ) [seriously, I don't consider it a coaster, but it IS hecka-fun, and CP counts it, so here it is! ] 13. Gemini (The coaster of my birth year is fun, especially when it's racing, but is easily skipped on a trip to The Point.) 14. Iron Dragon (This was once my #1 roller coaster in the world... in 1988! Now, it's the worst of a dying breed of coasters.) 15. Woodstock's Express (One of the better "kiddie coasters" out there, I enjoyed riding it with my 4 year old recently for his first ever coaster!) 16. Cedar Creek Mine Ride (Also a former #1 coaster for me... in 1986! Now, it's boring, cramped, and a waste of an amazing footprint for a coaster...) 17. Corkscrew Like coasterbill said, you can throw a ton of unpleasant experiences ahead of this one! ) 18. Wilderness Run (I seriously don't understand enthusiasts' obsession with riding this one... I had a chance to ride it with my 4 year old a couple weeks ago for his first ride on it, and passed...)

I too, enjoyed Deja Vu when I rode it at SFMM! If I ever make it over to SFNE (an over a decade-long dream that STILL hasn't happened! lol), I will have to really think on whether I want to bother with Goliath, given how painful it sounds like the new trains make the ride. Combine that with a long line, for a coaster than I have actually ridden before (I personally would tend NOT to count it as a new coaster, though the new trains would give me pause there), as well as coasters like WC and Superman that could be re-ridden, and I'm not sure I'll even bother with it.

^We had the Dining Plan when we went, so we didn't pay $15 for it. But I absolutely would, if I went again and didn't have the plan! I loved the Mac N Cheese bowl, and all the yummy topping options! One of my favorite park foods I've ever had a an amusement park! (Not including fancier theme parks, to be clear.)

^The funny thing is, if it's the guy I mentioned above, he was posting those same feelings on his Facebook (we're longtime friends, after first meeting through a Coaster Fansite) the next day, after riding SV! Different strokes for different folks though... I DO love The Voyage - just not more than SV!

That actually has very little to do with why I think it should be RMC'd. I just think Hershey has a near-perfect line-up of coasters and if one of their (four) wooden coasters had to be RMC'd to create an even more perfect line-up, then let it be Wildcat. I don't think its as particularly bad as most enthusiasts think but I don't find all that much about it that is interesting or worth saving. I could understand getting butthurt about anyone wanting Comet (or even Lightning Racer) RMC'd, but Wildcat is the perfect candidate for it. This is exactly how I feel about Wildcat. It wasn't the worst coaster ever, but just not even close to a standout coaster at HP (a park I LOVE, BTW). Replace that with an RMC conversion, which are pretty much guaranteed home-runs every time out, and an already amazing coaster lineup becomes even more killer! And you still have plenty of great wooden coasters there afterward. I really feel like it's only a matter of when, not if, Wildcat gets the treatment! Again, No matter how "good" WIldcat is now, it'll be "great" when RMC is done with it. And that's a win/win for everybody!

Travesty. I do not think it means what you think it means. I look forward to the day they RMC Wildcat! Shouldn't have to wait too long now!

My money is on these quotes being from TPR's very own poster, Turtle Wax! I love The Voyage, and it's my favorite wooden coaster (and yes, night rides are surreal!), but I still think SV beats it without question! To each their own though...

The man is not lying!