CoasterTycoon Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Riders coming down now. Great front row seats to this, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 It looks like the 3rd train (which I assumed was in the station) is on the lift. Twitter Hopefully the ride won't be down for an extended period of time but it's strange to see such a long breakdown on it to the point that they'd have to evac riders. It seems odd that the coaster would stop on the mid course too, the train on the brake run is clearly free of the back block on the final brakes. Then again I'm not pretending to know anything about this kind of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I assumed it was in the station as well. Most likely a fault that was unable to be reset in a timely manner so management just made the decision to EVAC and fix the issue once all the riders have been removed. Edit: Looks like the last row of riders is being taken off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumFreak25 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Mean Streak's on the web came, again.... I have a feeling this time they're doing it to make fun of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Password121 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Here is my very informal TR for Cedar Point, August 10-12, 2014. Sorry, no pictures, but if you care to read, please do! First off, I want to thank everyone who gave me any advice to tackle Cedar Point. The Marina entrance and Maverick followed by MF for early entry is probably the best advice I could have gotten. On to the TR! My first ever trip to Cedar Point was last summer, Saturday, July 5th, 2013. One of the busiest days in peak season. With a regular Fast Lane in hand, I had a great trip, and I was fortunate enough to make it back this summer, with a little more time to really enjoy the park. Originally I wasn't sure if I would make it in time for a starlight Sunday night, August 10th. Fortunately, we checked into Breakers Express around 5:30 pm and got in the park just before 6. First thoughts- wow. Driving over the causeway is something special. First ride of the evening was Raptor. Waited about 45 minutes for front row. Very forceful, my thoughts on all coasters are below. After a great ride on Raptor, we headed to GateKeeper. Also about 45 minutes. I enjoyed this a lot more than I remembered form last year. By this time it was around 8 pm, so we decided to head towards the headliners for some night rides. I had ridden Kingda Ka just one week ago, so I wanted to compare it to Dragster, which was listed and said to be about a one hour wait. I figured, "why not?" Big mistake. Through breakdowns and low capacity along with outrageous amounts of FL+ users, we got off the ride around 9:58. From there, we hauled off to Millennium Force for a night ride. Waited about 45 mins. for the very last row, last train of the night on MF. Train was half-full, including a few employees. What an incredible night ride. Thoughts are below. Day two, I had originally planned on splurging for Fast Lane Plus (something I never do), but the weather did not look good. It was a good decision to hold off- rain was on and off the entire day. I was able to get rides on MF and Maverick in the morning, as well as a Front row ride on Maverick midday thanks to GateKeeper Plinko line skippies. Rode everything I wanted to, including Magnum in the "magic seat" in the rain (row 3). Magnum was running 1 train, and many of the other coasters were not running all their trains. Ended the night with two back row rides on MF, which was even better than the night before. Stayed at the park from Early Entry to close, in total 13 hours. A first for me. Tuesday was the last day, and we had to head out around 2 pm to drive back home to Virginia (6 hours from CP). Started the day at 9 am with two rides on Maverick. As it was the previous day, Maverick was OMFG insane. I then went to MF for a 25 minute wait. Once we got off at 10, we headed to Dragster, just as we had Monday to find it closed for rain. Tuesday was a different issue, though. The line stretched from the entrance past the station, awaiting Dragster to open. Waited until around 10:30 when a man behind us asked the ops what the plan was. They replied, "Mechanical issues." The man asked if they had any intention to announce whether or not the ride is expected to open at all, to which the op said, "No, we don't." I was able to finish off the day second row on Dragster using another Line Skippie from Plinko after waiting by the exit for around 45 mins while they tried to get a train out of the launch position. We departed later than we had hoped, but still managed a final ride on Dragster after a 25 minute wait for MF. The following are my thoughts on the coasters I rode, along with my ride count, in no particular order. Raptor (3-4x): Very forceful and a great location in the park. This invert really delivers and has that great old school B&M feel. The front row was a great ride. Still very smooth very a 20 year old coaster. My favorite invert, granted I've only ridden Batman at SFGadv and Alpengeist. The last turn into the brakes is too sharp- can this be re-profiled? Score: 8/10 GateKeeper (5-7x): I really don't understand all the whining about this coaster. I rode in the back row on both wings, the front on the left wing, plus a few rides towards the middle. The immelmann is pretty forceful, and the keyholes are a very cool visual feature. It does lose some speed by the end of the course, but in the afternoon with full trains, it was really moving through the dive loop turnaround. On top of this, GateKeeper is a truly stunning coaster with a location that can't be beat. I don't care what you say- this is a win for Cedar Point. Score: 8/10 Top Thrill Dragster (3-4x): I have riddden Ka quite a few times, so I knew what to expect. I think this coaster is a little bit smoother (Ka isn't as bad as people make it out to be) and I really like the lap bar only and the theming. Yeah, it's a one trick pony, but it's a pretty frickin' awesome trick. However, never in my entire life have I seen a coaster break down so often. The rain policy for Dragster (most rides at CP, for that matter) is insane. If there is a drop of rain falling at all, Dragster goes down. One time it went down in anticipation of rain. Not only this, but it takes FOREVER to get back up running after a breakdown. I don't know if this is an isolated incident, but Cedar Point NEEDS to get ride under control. Maybe the station music "Ready to Go" is because we were all getting impatient with the ride. Outside of this, the launch is insane and the view beats almost anything, including Kingda Ka. Score: 7/10 Magnum XL-200 (2x): I came in with moderate expectations. On Monday I waited about 20 mins in the rain running 1 train for the "magic seat," row 3. I want to love this ride, but it was just good. Not great. I didn't get any of this famed ejector airtime; none whatsoever on the first airtime hill, and only floater on the next and return bunny hops. You gotta respect this ride for what it is, and I really WANT to love it, but I just didn't think it was all that great. I do enjoy the classic feel of old technology with the track over banked into the turnaround and the oddly shaped bunny hops. Score: 6/10 Wicked Twister (2x): This was my first Intamin Impulse, and I must say, that is a fun ride! I sat towards the back with little wait (~5 mins) both times. Twisting while looking straight down on the beach is quite the experience, and the launches were pretty strong. Too bad more of these weren't built. Score: 7/10 Maverick (4x): I had ridden this one last year, but never in the front. I can see why this has some of the longest waits in the park. First drop is outstanding, one of my top 3 favorite first drops. The low to the ground turns are intense, but not overwhelming, and are taken at the prefect speed. The first airtime hill is some of the strongest ejector airtime I have experienced; I would say it rivals El Toro. The two inversions are swift and intense, a good lead up to the launch. The trains reach 70 mph very quickly and shoot up out of the tunnel in the blink of an eye. Two more VERY tight and intense transitions, especially under the first drop, are a great way to finish off the ride. My only complaints (and these are nitpicking) are the following: -The restraints dig into my thighs a bit too much, although I didn't experience much headbanging at all. -The trims on the hill after the launch kill the pacing just a bit; I would like to see how the finale differs without these. -The s-curve in the former location of the heartline roll seems a bit out of place. The entire ride is action packed without any breaks, and it seems a little out of place. I think a sharp bank to the left to counter the overbank under the drop would go well here. If these minor issues were fixed, Maverick would be my undisputed #1 overall coaster. It is still one of the best coasters in the world, no doubt. Score: 9.5/10 Millennium Force (8-10x): So many enthusiasts love to hate Millennium Force, and after this trip, I really cannot understand why. My rides in the morning were very, very good. It was fast and had some good floater air. However, my 3 night rides were something else. MF was HAULING at night in the warm, humid weather (I sat in row 18 every single ride). This is my favorite lift hill view and might be my favorite first drop of any coaster I've ridden at night. I began to grey out just a bit at the bottom of the drop, and the first overbank was very fast and pretty intense. I felt like I was being pulled along the course riding in the back faster than I should. At night, the first airtime hill delivered VERY strong floater air that was sustained for a solid 3 seconds. I would say the airtime was stronger than Nitro at SFGadv, and I would assume most B&M hypers. The final airtime hill by the station delivered borderline ejector airtime, and the last overbank was a great way to finish off the ride. MF came screaming into the brakes at night. My only complaint is the wide 360 degree turn after the first airtime hill; it seemed to be the only part of the ride I didn't LOVE. Overall, MF at night puts up a solid fight for my #1 steel coaster, and there is something about the theme and nostalgia to the days of the coaster wars that makes me love it even more. This coaster dominates the park and is what made Intamin famous. I would argue that it is the most iconic coaster of the new millennium and may be the best decision Cedar Point has made. Period. Score: 9.25/10 I also got 2 rides on MaXair while other rides closed for rain. This was a pleasant surprise- it was very fast and made some great views. Score: 7/10 I didn't ride Mantis, Blue Streak, Mean Streak, Gemini, Corkscrew, Iron Dragon, Mine Ride, or any of the kiddie credits. I considered riding some of them (Blue Streak), but had ridden most of them last year and I don't count credits. I don't feel that I missed much of anything. Miscellaneous thoughts: I noticed the paint on Mantis while riding MF. I don't mind the current color scheme, but I would like new trains. I hope it doesn't look too much like Raptor. The rain policy is pathetic and made up on the spot. An employee at the GateKeeper merge area told us that GK was currently down because the rain is "just too heavy" at the time. It had stopped raining 15 minutes ago. Raptor and Wicked Twister were both running at that time. Cedar Point needs to get Dragster under control. It is too great an asset to turn into a liability and leave a sour taste in guests' mouths. Most of the staff were very friendly, outside of a few minor incidents. Dispatch intervals, when the rides were operating, were some of the best I've seen, and I thought I heard a staff member call out the number of dispatches to one of the ops on Raptor, which is something you would NEVER hear at a Six Flags park (or most parks, for that matter). Cedar Point is also one of the most well rounded parks in the world, with many flat rides and water rides to round out the collection. I hope to be back at Cedar Point next year or in the near future, and I am very excited for the future of the park. If you have any questions or comments, let me know. Until next time at the "Best Amusement Park in the World," Passwsord121 UPDATED TOP 5 steel coasters: 1) Maverick 2) Millennium Force 3) Intimidator 305 4) Nitro 5) Raptor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewesker Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Raptorcam switched to Top Thrill Dragster now. The previous Mean Streak camera is now pointing straight down from Power Tower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 I told you they'd move them soon. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MagnumFreak25 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Magnum XL-200 (2x): I came in with moderate expectations. On Monday I waited about 20 mins in the rain running 1 train for the "magic seat," row 3. I want to love this ride, but it was just good. Not great. I didn't get any of this famed ejector airtime; none whatsoever on the first airtime hill, and only floater on the next and return bunny hops. You gotta respect this ride for what it is, and I really WANT to love it, but I just didn't think it was all that great. I do enjoy the classic feel of old technology with the track over banked into the turnaround and the oddly shaped bunny hops. Score: 6/10 Quick question, is it even possible to not get ejector on the return?!?!? it's some of the most intense ejector of any coaster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcjp Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 ^I think it feels a bit more intense than it really is because of the restraints. It's more than floater, but I didn't find it that insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Mutts Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Magnum XL-200 (2x): I came in with moderate expectations. On Monday I waited about 20 mins in the rain running 1 train for the "magic seat," row 3. I want to love this ride, but it was just good. Not great. I didn't get any of this famed ejector airtime; none whatsoever on the first airtime hill, and only floater on the next and return bunny hops. You gotta respect this ride for what it is, and I really WANT to love it, but I just didn't think it was all that great. I do enjoy the classic feel of old technology with the track over banked into the turnaround and the oddly shaped bunny hops. Score: 6/10 Quick question, is it even possible to not get ejector on the return?!?!? it's some of the most intense ejector of any coaster! Yep, I noticed it when I had a similar situation you had (just after rain and running 1 train) and they had to turn the trims off to make sure it wouldn't valley on the return. If you go again make sure to ride magnum when it isn't raining, its a completely different beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 About the Mean Streak webcam thing, I think that Tony Clark wants us to think it has something to do with Mean Streak. Yesterday he posted on Twitter " Just FYI, the webcam is focused on Mean Streak". The webcam has been focused on Mean Streak many times without him mentioning it, so what makes this one special? I doubt that Mean Streak has anything to do with 2015 because he pointed it out so clearly. For 2015, I would look anywhere but mean streak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 So........Anyone know what this is about? Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterkyle Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 That machines breakdown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Thanks............................... I was more-so looking to see if anyone knew the cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 So........Anyone know what this is about? Ummm...they want to win the insane coaster break-down war with Six Flags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfelice Posted August 13, 2014 Share Posted August 13, 2014 Thanks...............................I was more-so looking to see if anyone knew the cause. Because park workers, especially from the large corporate ones, are allowed to publicly disclose this information. "Sorry, Gatekeeper is down for mechanical reasons." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterbill Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Guest Services says it will be down all day today too according to a post on Pointbuzz. I hate to speculate but does anyone have any theories as to what might be wrong? The lift motor is at the bottom of the lift... what would require a crane at the top of the lift? A lift chain maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 (edited) ^That's my thought. I can't see any other reason for a crane. Edited August 14, 2014 by DJeXeL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Guys, this is obviously Intamin's fault! B&M's never have problems!!! My theory is that the Intamin Cable from Dragster snapped and smacked into the top of GateKeeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJeXeL Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 ^Clearly! Maybe Sandor took a ride on Gatekeeper and it hasn't been the same since....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImNotOneOfYou Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Mantis got stuck on the final brakes We were so close Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCI Wooden Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 ^ Look at that, Top Thrill Dragster's cable is attacking all the B&Ms. Raptor & Gatekeepr yesterday, Mantis today, it has to be stopped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VF15 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 ^^Gee, Cedar Point's B&Ms have had such bad luck lately. I guess everyone else is right: Intamin's cables are getting their revenge . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImNotOneOfYou Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 ^ Look at that, Top Thrill Dragster's cable is attacking all the B&Ms. Raptor & Gatekeepr yesterday, Mantis today, it has to be stopped! Intamin must be doing a suicide mission, Millennium Force shut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmcdllr Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 What is going on in this park, the swing accident, Maverick stalls before the station, Raptor, Mantis, Gatekeeper.... Or are these just common events that happen to be talked about on here? Well, not the accident of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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