Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[BisonRugbyGuy]

I don't care what people think, Millennium Force is still an incredible coaster and I can't wait to work on the 2017 Millennium crew.

 

You are going to absolutely love it. I worked there last season, this season I'm contracted to Dragster, but I'm hoping I can go back to Millie from time to time.

[Nrthwnd]

...And I remember their ads for Gemini: The Twins Racer!

 

Or something like that, lol. It was even on the cover of the

resort's annual Chock-Full'o-Coupons Magazine for it's Opening Season!

[MidwestThemeParks]

I was 16 when MF opened, and it was unreasonably hyped. For you youngins, back in the 90s, the idea of a coaster 300 feet tall was unimaginable. Cedar Point blasted ads all over the place. We heard about it all the way out here. I tried to get my dad to plan a family vacation to Sandusky that summer. He wasn't really thrilled with the idea of standing in super long lines, so we went to Florida instead, which was admittedly a good vacation spot. But I always had Cedar Point on my bucket list, and specifically Millennium Force.

 

It took 16 more years, but I finally got to ride this masterpiece last summer. MF is an absolutely amazing coaster, and I have a hard time deciding if it or Outlaw Run is my favourite. It's one of those two certainly. MF just has that classic feel of a boardwalk coaster, but scaled up immensely. That drop goes on forever, it races through all the elements, and it hits the brakes feeling like it could go another mile. It is perfection itself.

 

I was ten days old when Milllenium Force opened and didn't even know it existed until a year or two ago. I think I would put Outlaw Run above it, but they are kind of hard to compare to each other. Either way, they are two of the countries (or worlds) best coasters!

[SFOGdude25]

Quick question - if you stay at Breakers Express, do you still have to pay for parking since they don't have a shuttle service?

On my visits last year and the year before, I was given a parking pass to put in my dash for the duration of my stay. I didn't really need it since I had a platinum pass, but it was still nice of them to provide that. I know it's a fairly recent addition to the benefits of staying there.

[drummermattk]

Since some people are on the topic of working at the point I have a question. are you guys able to pick up shifts at other rides or get cross trained? I know at KI we can pick up shifts and get cross trained sometimes.

[christianscoasters]

In rides, there's no such thing as "picking up a shift." Each ride has an absolute minimum number of hosts that it must have to operate. The schedules are made a week in advance, so they know when they're short. When they're short, they'll pull someone from another ride that has extra hosts to make up for the deficit. There is such a thing as "extra hours" which is usually in other departments, but in rides, you're usually working 60+ hours a week and it would be pretty crazy to try and work more. You don't want to overdo it. Cross-training happens frequently and is pretty easy. You'll probably get asked to work another ride for a bit and if you don't, you can usually ask.

[drummermattk]

In rides, there's no such thing as "picking up a shift." Each ride has an absolute minimum number of hosts that it must have to operate. The schedules are made a week in advance, so they know when they're short. When they're short, they'll pull someone from another ride that has extra hosts to make up for the deficit. There is such a thing as "extra hours" which is usually in other departments, but in rides, you're usually working 60+ hours a week and it would be pretty crazy to try and work more. You don't want to overdo it. Cross-training happens frequently and is pretty easy. You'll probably get asked to work another ride for a bit and if you don't, you can usually ask.

 

Ah okay. Seems reasonable. That's what we consider "sending people". I know when rides are low at KI the supervisors will post in the area group about open shifts up for grabs and all that fun jazz. I know i worked with a guy from Maverick who came down and was working at DBack and he said its a lot different down here than it is up there.

[DBru]

I know i worked with a guy from Maverick who came down and was working at DBack and he said its a lot different down here than it is up there.

 

"A lot different" = "way less fun"

[JRice92]

I don't care what people think, Millennium Force is still an incredible coaster and I can't wait to work on the 2017 Millennium crew.

 

Congratulations! You're going to have a blast working there! One of the special things about working that ride is the guests are always excited. When you get to say "Welcome back riders, how was your ride?" Every single train, every single time always cheers in excitement! That doesn't happen at other rides. It makes for a great working atmosphere!

[Philrad71]

^ I have also noticed that every train is always cheering when it comes into the station. Granted, I have never been a ride-op there, but I probably have at least 100 laps on MF and there is not one time where the riders haven't erupted in the station.

 

That's why I don't get all the complaints from enthusiasts about this coaster. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I never could understand the "forceless" and "boring" claims. Yes, it's not as crazy twisty and full of airtime like other coasters...but it's a well-rounded thrilling coaster with several great elements - and it's in a great location.

[Ape]

That MF music gives me chills. I love it.

 

Anyway a few years ago I had a strained muscle in my back. The only coaster that made it hurt or uncomfortable was MF, that is when I also started finding it odd that people were calling it Millennium Forceless.

[prozach626]

^Word. And for us coaster geeks it should be an great piece of nostalgia.

 

Two words: Spoiled Rotten.

[Coasters & Lamps]

I was wondering that too! And is this for all the new coasters being constructed, like say Mystic Timbers?

 

Honestly, this is why Trump is our president because people are just this dumb now.

 

This, right here, made my day! I've had my own fair share of dumb moments, but at least I didn't vote for Trump.I could go on an extended and well-written political tirade about all the reasons why Trump wasn't a viable choice, but I think many people will learn in time, and it will be a harder lesson for some than for others.

 

And I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that the likely consequences from the impending governmental mismanagement don't trickle down to the amusement park industry. I like my roller coasters.

[michaellynn4]

Can we get off the politics, guys? It dominates enough of our lives everywhere else at this point.

 

I never got the whole "Millennium Forceless" argument, either. It may not be the most intense coaster I've been on, but it's still a whole lot fun and delivers an all-around excellent ride. "Millennium Forceless" implies it's basically a glorified mine train, which it certainly is not.

[coasterbill]

I find Millennium Force to be a pretty intense at the bottom of the first drop, and I enjoy being ripped through the overbanks in the back of the train. It also delivers some nice airtime. It's not the most intense ride in the world and the airtime is far from ejector air but I never understood those criticisms either.

[jonskinny12]

Congratulations! You're going to have a blast working there! One of the special things about working that ride is the guests are always excited. When you get to say "Welcome back riders, how was your ride?" Every single train, every single time always cheers in excitement! That doesn't happen at other rides. It makes for a great working atmosphere!

 

Are you working Millennium Force again this year?

 

Great video.

 

It's almost insane that that was almost 20 years ago. I was 12 when it opened and I had been hyping it up in my head for over a year before finally getting to ride it. I hadn't been on a ton of coasters back then but I got tickets to Cedar Point for my 13th birthday and depite the 8 hour road trip, the 2 hour line and almost 2 years of hyping the hell out of it we were all absolutely speechless after our first ride. For a coaster to have that much (almost unreasonable) hype building up for so long to still shatter our expectations the way it did was amazing.

 

This was a few pages back but this is very similar to how it was for me. I was 16 when it opened and we made our first trip out to Cedar Point the following summer. I had read so much about it and seen so many pictures and had hyped it up beyond belief in my mind. Then we stopped somewhere near the park and I could finally see the top of the hill off in the distance. I still remember that day like it was yesterday and it's still one of my favorite rides I've ever been on, possibly my favorite.

Edited February 7, 2017 by jonskinny12

[coasterbill]

When you get to say "Welcome back riders, how was your ride?" Every single train, every single time always cheers in excitement! That doesn't happen at other rides

 

To be fair it would happen but the Sky Ride ops never asked us.

[El Toro_Ryan]

I don't care what people think, Millennium Force is still an incredible coaster and I can't wait to work on the 2017 Millennium crew.

 

That's awesome man! Working at Cedar Point seems super fun and I hope to work there one day for fun.

 

That's also cool Cedar Point lets you know so early in advance what ride you will be working. I'm a supervisor and I still have no idea what ride GADV wants to place me at and we open a whole month earlier. If you hire in as a team member, you don't find out your placement typically until a week or two before the season starts. Is this part of like a slightly different program CP offers or does CP always let you know this early in advance?

[Coasters & Lamps]

Can we get off the politics, guys? It dominates enough of our lives everywhere else at this point.

 

I never got the whole "Millennium Forceless" argument, either. It may not be the most intense coaster I've been on, but it's still a whole lot fun and delivers an all-around excellent ride. "Millennium Forceless" implies it's basically a glorified mine train, which it certainly is not.

 

Very well! And my apologizes. I'm tired of politics myself. I can't even look at my Facebook feed without seeing it.

[storms555]

Yea I never got why many people say MForce is boring or forceless either. Like yea MForce maybe not be as forceful as let say Mavrick but it does have a killer drop,height,and speed. I love that huge adrenaline rush you got on super tall steep drops so thats why I enjoy MForce so much. So far its my favorite coaster. Here is my thought on CP's "Big Four" and why I think they are so awesome in their own ways. Mforce has the awesome "free fall" feeling tall drop,height and speed. Mavrick has the intense transitions and that out of control feeling as well as that super steep drop and of course the launching. Magnum is great for its intense ejector air time. Top Thrill is great for its intense speed and super tall height. But if I had to pick I say MForce is still my favorite because my all time favorite coaster element is the free fall like drops that seem to last forever. Of course though I love many other coaster elements/features too. Imagine if they made one awesome mega coaster that combined MForces drop but with TTDs speed and height,the out of control feeling and fast intense transitions of Mavrick and awesome ejector air time of Magnum! Now that would be one heck of a coaster!!

[Hilltopper39]

For me the first drop and turnaround on Millennium Force are amazing, one of the best drops in the world, then after that the layout is just kinda boring. The two hills over to and from the island don't really feel like much of anything, same for the turn around on the island. It's not a bad ride by any means just isn't my favorite, amazing drop but the majority of the layout is just kinda boring.

[LeoBruz199]

I think people like to make the "Millennium Forceless" argument not because it's literally forceless, but because the elements are not as fast paced as many of these newer coasters like, as mentioned before, Maverick, i305, etc.

 

What I mean by that it takes its time with the airtime hills, transitions, and over banks, which are intense in their own right, don't get me wrong, unlike these others which are an out of control rapid-fire mishmash of wild elements one right after the other.

 

Personally, though, I have to also acknowledge what Taylor from Coaster Studios says about it(just very, very vaguely paraphrasing). It is so hyped up a ride (people calling it the #1 coaster in the world and all that) that when you actually ride it, it becomes a let down because in your brain you expect it to be absolutely phenomenal, but it ends up not fulfilling your unrealistic expectations. Maybe that's where some of the "hate" (kind of a big word, but you know what I mean. Do you? ) comes from, I venture to guess.

 

Still, a Top 10 worthy ride, if you ask me, if not Top 5.

[DirkFunk]

Millennium Force, at its strongest, produces negative g-sensations that are less powerful than pretty much any of the B&M hypers. If anything, it is just people acting consistent in their derision.

 

One of the stronger statements I've heard against the ride is that "I can go 90 in a car or motorcycle, what's the big deal?" Admittedly this is a kill the messenger thing, but that same person that always said that to me hadn't driven anything bigger than a go-kart in something like 20 years. 90 MPH in a vehicle with no windshield with major elevation changes even remotely resembling that of MF would be terrifying/exciting as hell. If a 300 foot, nearly vertical drop and a average speed probably >50MPH doesn't do it for you, you need to get out of this hobby and take up racing sport bikes or something. You're wasting your money and time.

[mjollner]

Clicked this thread and saw Robbs generic 1st post that starts out with " This thread is simple" which made me laugh out loud in light of recent pages.

 

But to stay on topic, I'm totally stoked to see where this goes when Cedar Point does decide to announce. If it does end up over 200feet, I hope they're able to harness all that energy into something that rides as good ( or better) as it's record-breaking stats.

Even the big RMC's seem to be somewhat of a victim to over-hyping where anything less that perfect is a little bit of a letdown.

[TheCoasterKid211]

One of the stronger statements I've heard against the ride is that "I can go 90 in a car or motorcycle, what's the big deal?"

I refuse to believe people actually say that against MF. If you think a coaster is stupid because it doesn't go faster than your Mustang, you're probably the dumbest person to walk the earth.