Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[Rusty Nail]

Can you buy fast lane at the park before early entry?

[coasterbill]

I don’t believe so, but Fastlane isn’t good for Early Entry anyway. Just get it at 10:00.

[beenagins87]

How were Gatekeeper and Valravn's lines their respective opening years? Were they consistently 2 hours long as well?

 

The lines USUALLY weren’t as bad, but it’s also not really comparable.

 

Gatekeeper is a whore. It’s the only coaster in the park that I’ve ever seen where a good crew can dispatch a train as soon as the last one clears the lift block (except Magnum maybe but it’s a longer lift). I’m sure there have been power hours where it did over 2,000 riders and I’d be surprised if Steel Vengeance has ever hit 1,000. It loads ridiculously fast, it’s reliable and it has 3 trains.

 

Valravn isn’t AS MUCH of a capacity machine since each train holds the same amount of riders as a Steel Vengeance train but it has 3 of them and it loads faster.

 

Gatekeeper was often at 2+ hours early but at the end of the night it could be in the station. Valravn was always a bit longer reflecting its a capacity.

 

 

When I went last Wednesday and Thursday, operations on every ride were top notch except for Gatekeeper, especially on Thursday. Stacking all three trains, opening gates one side at a time, it was truly an epic clusterfuck of Six Flags porporions, Iron Dragon with VR was running smoother operations later that night.

[coasterbill]

That’s strange. We thought Gatekeeper and Millennium had the best operations of any coasters we rode this past weekend.

 

Even with miserable ops, Gatekeeper will beat Steel Vengeance handily though.

Edited August 1, 2018 by coasterbill

[gratteciel]

Can you buy fast lane at the park before early entry?

 

Each time I’ve been to CP, the ticket booth outside of the front gates opened at 8:45 am. I’ve purchased FL+ there multiple times before early entry; however, you cannot actually use the FL lines until 10 am.

[coasterbill]

^ Plus if you go to the front gate for Early Entry you’re insane.

[beenagins87]

That’s strange. We thought Gatekeeper and Millennium had the best operations of any coasters we rode this past weekend.

 

I may have caught it at an off time, as I only rode it once each day. But, I waited longer to board Gatekeeper with my FL+ then I did Steel Vengance.

[beenagins87]

Another tip for FL+, purchase it at one of the many stores they sell it at, the FL+ location at the front of the park is mobbed for the first hour or so from everyone that uses the main gate.

[dragsterguy21]

I can attest to the horrible gatekeeper ops. I was there recently and they were stacking every time. They we’re moving awfully slow and the rattle was the worst ive ever felt on it. I don’t even bother going to the front half of the park anymore.

[beenagins87]

I can attest to the horrible gatekeeper ops. I was there recently and they were stacking every time. They we’re moving awfully slow and the rattle was the worst ive ever felt on it. I don’t even bother going to the front half of the park anymore.

[Mossed]

And I also had no problems with the ops when I was at GateKeeper early this month. I only rode it twice, but they were flying.

[beenagins87]

I can attest to the horrible gatekeeper ops. I was there recently and they were stacking every time. They we’re moving awfully slow and the rattle was the worst ive ever felt on it. I don’t even bother going to the front half of the park anymore.

 

It was surreal, because I didn’t ride it till later in the afternoon, and everything else up to that point had been nothing but stellar operations wise. I also had a delay on my first Raptor ride, but that was due to someone blowing chunks and not the actual operations.

[coasterbill]

the rattle was the worst ive ever felt on it. I don’t even bother going to the front half of the park anymore.

 

We brought my 60-something year old mother to the park for the first time in like 2 decades on Saturday. She thought Gatekeeper was the smoothest coaster ever, probably because it pretty much is. I’m inclined to agree.

 

To each his own but like... Gatekeeper???? Really?

[rjr19]

So I hear that Millie was down almost all day today, is this actually true, and if so...why?

 

As for GateKeeper, I usually ride it once during a visit just to do it, it’s not that it is rough, it is really smooth, it’s just nothing all that special compared to most coasters there. The only real plus to it is that it practically never has a long line.

[Mossed]

 

We brought my 60-something year old mother to the park

 

For your sake, I hope she doesn't read this forum.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Um....why not?

 

"Says the 65 Year Old."

 

She probably encourages him.

[coasterbill]

Yeah, I can confirm that she definitely doesn’t spent any time reading theme park forums.

 

Don’t get me wrong, she goes hard. She loved Steel Vengeance (for example) but if she finds a coaster even mildly rough she has no interest in riding again. She was raving about Gatekeeper all weekend, in part because it’s glass smooth.

 

Like I said, to each his own but it’s crazy to me that anyone thinks Gatekeeper is in any way rough. I have no clue how a coaster could possibly be smoother.

 

So I hear that Millie was down almost all day today, is this actually true, and if so...why?

It is true. I’m not sure what’s wrong with it though.

Edited August 1, 2018 by coasterbill

[coasterer]

^^^^We were there most of the day today, and yes, were told that MF was down all day for maintenance by a guy at the front of the line. It started the day stuck on the lift, but that train was gone after an hour or so I think. Didn't ask details, but he said it was all day and it sounded somewhat routine, but I don't fully know. We were there 10-5:30 and never saw it run.

 

I thought Gatekeeper was smooth to the point of boring, my wife thought it was too bouncy/rough, and she sat on the inside. Operations were efficient though. I thought Valravn was almost as underwhelming and forgettable as Gatekeeper :/

 

It was our first time on Steel Vengeance too. Our first ride in the morning was great on the verge of amazing... but we re-rode later in the afternoon since the rain had quite cleared out the crowds, and it had significantly warmed up - MIND BLOWING. Unbelievable. I was just blown away, it was nuts. My wife loved it but thought it was borderline too rough, and while I'm not the largest fan of crazy intensity (Skyrush / Storm Chaser / I305), I thought it was at the perfect edge of insane without being overtly uncomfortable. Wowwowwow. The full package, an absolute giant of a ride.

[bluestreak]

In the front GK is one of the smoothest coasters in the world. In the back it's a different story. It bounces like crazy. Now I stick to the front 2 rows and lately I have been really really enjoying GK.

[DirkFunk]

First Blue Streak was too rough. Then Raptor was too loud. Now Gatekeeper is too rough. WTF is with this hobby?

[pryonisys]

First Blue Streak was too rough. Then Raptor was too loud. Now Gatekeeper is too rough. WTF is with this hobby?

[Ed Farmer]

Gatekeeper probably just needs to be Rocky Mountain'd.

[JJLehto]

First Blue Streak was too rough. Then Raptor was too loud. Now Gatekeeper is too rough. WTF is with this hobby?

 

It could be all perception, but it certainly does seem that the enthusiast community has become spoiled. Like even if not active Ive lurked forums for ages and it does seem like there's a decreasing tolerance for roughness, to now yeah one turn is less than glass smooth and its "rough"

 

 

Ah well.

 

I am stoked for my trip. My brother went recently, his first time at CP in like 15 years. It was cool because he used to think he hated coasters. Mostly he never rode. Because well, 15 years at CP he rode Corkscrew, because it was small so everyone figured itd be a fine starter (being a nerd even then I warned mom and dad but they said itd be fine...) he hated it, had a headache, never rode coasters again.

Well, guess he finally tried again and has found he likes em.

Just messaged me about his 2 day trip at CP and loved it. Was raving how many rides there are and how good they all are, the coasters, SV, the views. Made me pumped to go. Like many here I can kinda fall into complacency esp for the place Ive gone 10 times to, but now cant wait.

 

He also confirmed FL+ 100% worth it. Walk ons for what would've been 30, 45 min waits and 5-10 mins for SV. For July! I have to assume late August will be better

[appel]

^^^^We were there most of the day today, and yes, were told that MF was down all day for maintenance by a guy at the front of the line. It started the day stuck on the lift, but that train was gone after an hour or so I think. Didn't ask details, but he said it was all day and it sounded somewhat routine, but I don't fully know. We were there 10-5:30 and never saw it run.

Just talked with Guest services and they told us that Millenium Force is undergoing some unexpected maintenance and they are not able to estimate a reopening date right now. - Bummer! Now Volcano, Lightning Rod and Millennium Force might be down during our coaster tour this time. Hope Cedar Point will fix the issues as soon as possible....

[SLCHeadache]

^^^^We were there most of the day today, and yes, were told that MF was down all day for maintenance by a guy at the front of the line. It started the day stuck on the lift, but that train was gone after an hour or so I think. Didn't ask details, but he said it was all day and it sounded somewhat routine, but I don't fully know. We were there 10-5:30 and never saw it run.

Just talked with Guest services and they told us that Millenium Force is undergoing some unexpected maintenance and they are not able to estimate a reopening date right now. - Bummer! Now Volcano, Lightning Rod and Millennium Force might be down during our coaster tour this time. Hope Cedar Point will fix the issues as soon as possible....

That's the last thing I wanted to hear, the day before I head off for Cedar Point myself.

 

Missing Sidewinder at Hersheypark because I went in the spring of last year wasn't a big deal. Missing Millennium Force will probably mean scrapping my NYC + Jersey Shore plans next year and tacking a return to Cedar Point, to finally catch the white whale, onto my Pittsburgh trip also for next year.

Edited August 1, 2018 by SLCHeadache