Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[BitterOldHag]

I was amazed at how busy the park was last night. We didn’t arrive until 7:30 and it took us 20 minutes to get in at the main gate. The pass process was relatively painless as others have said though!

 

This year’s Midnight Syndicate show wasn’t as good as prior years. There was a heavy focus on the “story”, which featured the use of old school magic tricks and less focus on Gavin and Ed and their music. It wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but I think I enjoyed the show more when they played more of their music.

 

The only fright zone we got to do was Trail of the Forsaken. I didn’t know that this zone had been reduced in size. And that reduction in size seemed to come with a reduction in scares. We walked through in both directions and had not one scare. Of course, that could have something to do with the large number of people wearing No Boo necklaces.

 

This year’s new addition is called Boneyard Battleground. The park calls it an “entertainment zone”. Located in Celebration Plaza, there is a live band playing songs like “Chop Suey” from System of a Down, all while young girls grind and gyrate on various stages through the zone. At another point, a pole was brought out on stage and a girl was doing erotic moves on said pole. As we walked past families with children, one of the male visitors pulled out some dollar bills and started waving them at the performers. While I’m definitely not a prude, I was definitely surprised that Cedar Point signed off on this as they have traditionally been much more family friendly. Also in this zone we’re several food trucks which seemed to be overlooked as their corner is quite dark. In any case, it’s a unique idea, I’m just not sure if it will go over too well with the large number of families.

 

The CP app had Steel Vengeance with a 135 minute wait and Valravn and Millennium Force with 75 minute waits. That’s crazy for the second Friday of HalloWeekends. I’m guessing the warm weather had something to do with it. Well, that and the fact that all of northern Ohio now seems to have a Gold Pass (myself included!).

 

I’ll be heading back next week to see if I can check out the rest of the scare zones. CornStalkers no longer has FrightLane access, so that is going to have to be a first stop. There is a very cool pumpkin animatronic out front that seemed very popular with selfie takers.

 

Ok, I have rambled long enough. In conclusion, decent night but much busier than anticipated.

[PKI Jizzman]

Maverick will not operate today, per the ride ops at the entrance. F.

[MrE12AX7]

Yup. Its been down all day so far. Its packed right now.

[PKI Jizzman]

It was closed all yesterday too. Bummer! The parking lot is full and there is a line going down the cause way. I'm sure there are only a few spots left. Fast Lane is saving the day! Minimal waits for those who have it.

You could be having a worse day, like this seagull muching on a protien spill haha. Come on have some respect for yourself bird!

[Nrthwnd]

^ YUCK.

 

That actually reminded me, of a protein spill on Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters in DCA, of all places! Happened over a week ago, while we were visiting. The whole attraction stopped, until 'the mess' was cleaned up. It was amusing to watch, although I would have rather witnessed what actually happened, euuuuuuuw.

[Samuel]

I was also at the park yesterday evening, which included my first Steel Vengeance rides! Some quick hits:

 

Steel Vengeance: Relentless, imposing, so smooth, and such a wild, fun blur of an experience. The airtime over the first two big hills (the top hat and outer-banked hill) felt like pure flying through the air and had me laughing hysterically. The airtime is bananas. There's so much happening so rapidly that it's difficult to recall individual moments. The first drop, which would be the signature of most rides, is just one part of a larger ensemble that defies clear recall. The whole coaster seems like it's in fast-forward, giving you no time to think about each element as you shred through it. Contrary to some reviews, I never felt tossed around whatsoever -- in fact, I was mesmerized by how aggressive and graceful this ride is. And what a beautiful structure lit up at night! That's one aspect of Mean Streak that I'm glad was preserved.

 

My only caveat is one that I anticipated heading in: Steel Vengeance is like a huge slice of great cheesecake, where every bite is rich, creamy, and simply perfect, but when taken as a whole, I'm stuffed and can't devour another big piece right away. I was a little bit dizzy and tired after two rides, but they were phenomenal. I view this as a special attraction that I'll do just once or twice a visit, but I'm satisfied with that. A+.

 

Magnum: Still bumpy fun. I've had better and worse rides on it, but the airtime was all there, the first drop is still good, the setting remains one of my favorites, plus bonus tunnel effects!

 

Valravn: My first ride in the middle of the middle row was butter-smooth and fun as always. I love both dive drops. This coaster just puts a big smile on my face. However, later I rode in the far-left seat of the third row and I was startled by how rough it was. I don't know if it's just one unlucky ride or whatever, but it's the first bad ride I've had on it. I can forgive it and enjoy it again, I'm sure.

 

Millennium Force: My first ride before sunset was merely fine, but I came back later for extraordinary night rides that hauled. Iconic drop, great speed, and good airtime. It's hard to describe the hands-up fun that everyone has together which makes this such a memorable coaster in a way that can't be quantified by counting airtime moments or anything like that. To me, Steel Vengeance is a great dessert and Millennium Force is a great entree. I think they complement each other in the lineup, and I'm glad that both are at Cedar Point.

 

-- And that was it because while the park was pretty busy, my one issue was that too many rides were down. I knew going in that Dragster and others would be out, but Maverick and Raptor were surprise closures, leaving big gaps in the park where there just wasn't much for people to ride. The night was essentially a pick of Steel Vengeance, Millennium Force, Valravn, Magnum, or Gatekeeper. That's still a headlining list, but the closures and lack of depth were noticeable when set against packed midways with crowds looking for more to do.

 

-- I didn't go through any of the haunts with only a handful of hours to work with, but those lines looked long all night.

 

-- I didn't see any of the Peanuts characters or funny monsters walking around or in parades. While not scary, I like them and think they add charm to HalloWeekends. Does anyone know if they still roam during the day on Sat/Sun? Yesterday just seemed like a darker and more straightforward PG-13 event.

[DILinator]

All of the recent reports in this thread only reaffirm to me why, in spite of CP being my favorite park in the world, and only a few hours away, it's officially dead to me during the Halloween season! I haven't been since 2015, and that was Friday. I made the mistake many years before that of going on a Saturday, and I swore off ever doing that tragic blunder again. And that was before the days of Gold Passes! I can't even imagine how ungodly the crowds are now, nor do I want to. Shiver

 

Steel Vengeance: Relentless, imposing, so smooth, and such a wild, fun blur of an experience. The airtime over the first two big hills (the top hat and outer-banked hill) felt like pure flying through the air and had me laughing hysterically. The airtime is bananas. There's so much happening so rapidly that it's difficult to recall individual moments. The first drop, which would be the signature of most rides, is just one part of a larger ensemble that defies clear recall. The whole coaster seems like it's in fast-forward, giving you no time to think about each element as you shred through it. Contrary to some reviews, I never felt tossed around whatsoever -- in fact, I was mesmerized by how aggressive and graceful this ride is. And what a beautiful structure lit up at night! That's one aspect of Mean Streak that I'm glad was preserved.

 

I'm completely with you on this! I too feel like SV is the epitome of an aggressive, but graceful ride experience, and I can actually ride it over and over! Sure, I'll have some thigh bruises from the last bunny hops, but they'll be well worth it! I don't "get" the talk of it being rough, or feeling out of control, but hey, to each their own.

[ajfelice]

Scored some deeply discounted tickets, so I was also at the supposed to be slower Friday of September 20. For one, at the resort entrance under Magnum, they gave no effs about who was early entry and who wasn't, so that was a great bonus considering we were running a bit early.

 

Steel Vengeance posted at an hour with an actual wait of an hour and 15 minutes was our longest wait. Not a huge deal considering its newness and the person I was with had never rode before. After that, we never waited more than 30 minutes. Not what was originally anticipated, but considering the warmth and the supposed inflated attendance with the Gold Passes, it was fine. Gave a few extra chances to enjoy October beers in the queues.

 

My only head-scratching observation is this Steel Vengeance loose article policy. I get it there was an incident, I get it the phone ban in the queue fired people up, and I get it that the nature of the ride will eat more pocket items than the average coaster. However, there are four ride hosts dedicated between two metal detectors and stamping. I wonder if the desired results of this procedure are enough to justify this investment of labor and resources. Of course, this is slightly better than the phone ban in the queue, but even that didn't require the resources the current procedure needs. But hey, if CP thinks this is their best solution, have at it I guess. CP and Universal can bond over their metal detectors.

[prozach626]

Strippers, food trucks, and cheesecake? It sounds like Cedar Point is the place to be this Halloween season.

[ZeroGravity55]

Samuel wrote:

Steel Vengeance: Relentless, imposing, so smooth, and such a wild, fun blur of an experience. The airtime over the first two big hills (the top hat and outer-banked hill) felt like pure flying through the air and had me laughing hysterically. The airtime is bananas. There's so much happening so rapidly that it's difficult to recall individual moments. The first drop, which would be the signature of most rides, is just one part of a larger ensemble that defies clear recall. The whole coaster seems like it's in fast-forward, giving you no time to think about each element as you shred through it. Contrary to some reviews, I never felt tossed around whatsoever -- in fact, I was mesmerized by how aggressive and graceful this ride is. And what a beautiful structure lit up at night! That's one aspect of Mean Streak that I'm glad was preserved.

 

 

I'm completely with you on this! I too feel like SV is the epitome of an aggressive, but graceful ride experience, and I can actually ride it over and over! Sure, I'll have some thigh bruises from the last bunny hops, but they'll be well worth it! I don't "get" the talk of it being rough, or feeling out of control, but hey, to each their own.

 

The biggest complaint I always see with SV is people don't necessarily like the transitions when the track is re-align with the footers which always throws in some laterals. Personally those were some of my favorite parts. The little jolt into the MCBR and when you come out of the last barrel roll in and get thrown to the right with a quick jolt. To me, those aren't rough or out of place though. Honestly it feels like Alan Schilke did those on purpose to find a way to throw some laterals into the ride.

[PKI Jizzman]

An underrated lateral can be experienced in the front car of Millennium. The train comes rocketing through that final overbank into the brake run and there's that final little adjustment to align with the station. For a second or two it really seems like you're just going to keep on going!

[Invertalon]

The little jolt into the MCBR and when you come out of the last barrel roll in and get thrown to the right with a quick jolt. To me, those aren't rough or out of place though. Honestly it feels like Alan Schilke did those on purpose to find a way to throw some laterals into the ride.

 

 

To me, that part especially comes across as a design flaw IMO. It doesn't feel 'right' and doesn't add anything to the ride aside from feel weird and out of place. That is the start of the finale I absolutely hate, though. Nothing good comes out of that part forward on SV

[DoinItForTheFame]

I just came across this little gem and I can't stop freaking laughing!

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

[prozach626]

That is the start of the finale I absolutely hate, though. Nothing good comes out of that part forward on SV

 

+1. The finale is uncomfortable for me. Just like Storm Chaser, which is the only other RMC Hybrid I've ridden.

[Invertalon]

That is the start of the finale I absolutely hate, though. Nothing good comes out of that part forward on SV

 

+1. The finale is uncomfortable for me. Just like Storm Chaser, which is the only other RMC Hybrid I've ridden.

 

Yeah, I agree on Storm Chaser. After that corkscrew or barrel roll, whatever you want to call it, it is just uncomfortable and borderline annoying. Sucks, because again, the front half is so damn good!

 

Same with SV... I really like the ride up until that final barrel roll... The finale completely just kills it for me.

 

I don't like the feeling i'm on a mechanical bull with those abrupt, tiny bunny hops. It doesn't help that due to my height, my shins are also pinned on those shin restraints and after the few rides on media day I took, my legs were destroyed. Even aside from that though, i'd take longer sustained floaty air over the abrupt ejector any day of the week. No contest!

[prozach626]

It's funny that you compared it to the mechanical bull, because in my last post in another thread I said that I probably wouldn't like bull riding much.

 

On another note, with gold passes being cheap and parks seeming more crowded than I can remember, it seems like the golden days of consistent walk-on FL+ days might be less likely to happen than they used to be. Even KI had FL+ 10-20 minute lines on my last trip and I always used to boast about everything being consistently less than 5 minutes, despite whether or not it was on a weekend or Haunt.

[DILinator]

It's funny that you compared it to the mechanical bull, because in my last post in another thread I said that I probably wouldn't like bull riding much.

 

On another note, with gold passes being cheap and parks seeming more crowded than I can remember, it seems like the golden days of consistent walk-on FL+ days might be less likely to happen than they used to be. Even KI had FL+ 10-20 minute lines on my last trip and I always used to boast about everything being consistently less than 5 minutes, despite whether or not it was on a weekend or Haunt.

 

I've always compared The Voyage, especially on the return run, to riding a bull! SV has those intense hills at the end, but I still don't think they're as intense as that section of The Voyage!

 

If you're wanting short waits, and even wouldn't mind saving some money, and not getting FL+, I recommend coming to CP in May, mid-week, and the park is a whole different animal than the crowded one so many people describe. I've been going then almost exclusively for well over a decade now, and it's the only time to go to CP if you can go then! Gold Passes or not, most people will still not come while school is in session, so it should still be a great time to go next year! If you do come up during that time, you'll have to let me know, and we'll have to see about coordinating times at the park!

[WolfBobs]

^Just be aware those Mid-May weekdays can see drastically short staffing on rides as well as food and drink stands. A few days I attended this year the only freestyle stand open was by Steel Vengeance.

[anonymouscactus]

Getting 120 flavors of Coke, or short lines at Cedar Point. Damn, that's a tough choice. Thinking of rescheduling my trip!

[Haymaker]

I just came across this little gem and I can't stop freaking laughing!

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

[Samuel]

The biggest complaint I always see with SV is people don't necessarily like the transitions when the track is re-align with the footers which always throws in some laterals. Personally those were some of my favorite parts. The little jolt into the MCBR and when you come out of the last barrel roll in and get thrown to the right with a quick jolt. To me, those aren't rough or out of place though. Honestly it feels like Alan Schilke did those on purpose to find a way to throw some laterals into the ride.

 

Having seen POVs, I braced myself a little bit in anticipation of those moments, but to my surprise they barely registered with my body. The elements might feel different when sitting on the ends of the train, but my middle-ish rides were extremely smooth and jolt-free. The trains also contoured my shoulders pretty well, so I didn't get a whole lot of laterals. Everything was just comfortable. Who knows, perhaps after being the wrong size for lots of Arrow loopers growing up, I'm finally just the right size for a coaster seat.

 

In contrast, while I still love Raptor, that snap into the brakes is certainly what I'd call a jolt.

[Zand]

I just came across this little gem and I can't stop freaking laughing!

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

 

This needs a headphone warning lol

[DILinator]

^Just be aware those Mid-May weekdays can see drastically short staffing on rides as well as food and drink stands. A few days I attended this year the only freestyle stand open was by Steel Vengeance.

 

I've been going during that time pretty much exclusively for over 15 years, and honestly, I've never found the staffing, or lack of food and drink stands to be an issue. Not saying they don't have more staff other times, or more stands open, just that what's open during this particular time, is more than sufficient to have a great day at the park, buoyed by short to non-existent waits on almost everything.

 

On the other hand, something that I'm not as familiar with is Halloweekend Sundays at CP. In spite of what I said earlier about avoiding this time like the plague, my folks expressed an interest in getting Gold Passes and going this year (surprise, surprise), so there's a chance I will end up doing so. However, I refuse to go on Saturdays, and I know there are limited operations Fridays. So, what are crowds like typically on Sundays during the Halloween season? Not talking about Haunts, as that's not something we go for. Thanks!

[hendrixmarshalljames]

^^ what these guys said in regards to late May. Seemed to us that the rides ran better, too.

[coneyislandchris]

So, what are crowds like typically on Sundays during the Halloween season? Not talking about Haunts, as that's not something we go for. Thanks!

I'll be there this weekend with my family; I'll be sure to let you know. We're going on both Saturday and Sunday. Planning on taking it easy on Saturday during the daytime, doing the haunts on Saturday evening, then using Sunday to pick up our free Fast Lane Plus bracelets for renewing our platinum passes and cranking out the rides. Fingers crossed.