If you had only 1 more park trip ...

[worknman]

Hello all,

 

My dad and I are big roller coaster fans, though we've never ventured outside of the theme parks in Texas (SF:Astroworld/SF:Texas) and Georgia (where we go to visit family every few years, and usually hit SF:Georgia while there). We also rode a few coasters in Vegas while there in 2002, and went to a now defunct park in Florida called 'Boardwalk and Baseball' in the late 80's.

 

Anyway, it is very likely that our next planned outting to a theme park together next year will probably be his last, because he's getting too old to handle the big coasters. Therefore, we figure we'd better make this trip count Instead of being limited to our usual stomping grounds (Astroworld is closed now anyway - R.I.P. Texas Cyclone), we're willing to travel anywhere in the US to find the park with the best selection of the biggest and baddest coasters.

 

Only question is, which park? We care about the coasters and nothing else. From my initial research, it seems that the obvious choices would be SFMM and Cedar Point. Between the two, I like the looks of the coasters more at SFMM (esp X), but I've read some really negative reviews of that park. Some people say it is really dirty, but I'm used to that, from having gone to Astroworld so many times More seriously though, people have reported going to the park and finding that many of the rides were closed, plus the lines were super long. Since we'll be flying in from out of state, we've only got one shot at this, and don't want to take that kind of risk. As for the lines, I think that if we had a choice between a park full of stellar roller coasters with 2-hour waits and one with slightly less stellar coasters and shorter lines, we'd probably choose the latter.

 

So, what do you guys think? Between these two, which would you choose if you had to fly there? Or is there another park somewhere we should be considering as well?

[GalacticHero]

I would say that if money wasn't a big object, go for SFMM. You can get their flash pass for i think it's $15. Just go early, stay late, do everything, be happy!

[DATman]

For thrills, SFMM hands down. CP has some good rides, but they are almost all geared towards family. Since you want to go out with a bang, SFMM is the best choice, as it has the best collection of thrilling coasters. Some of which are the best of their type (i.e: Riddlers, Tatsu). I mean, yes, their themiong stinks, but their vegetation is actually pretty good, and it isn't a concrete wasteland populated by hundreds of trashcans. I also like SFMM better than CP, as it is easier to do everything there, and they have more thrills.

[downunder]

Six Flags Great Adventure sucks as a park but it has some very good coasters including El Toro, and Nitro, and the largest/fastest in the world - Kingda Ka.

 

Six Flags New England has arguably the best coaster on the planet Superman Ride of Steel and is a relatively nice park for Six Flags.

 

Cedar Point is a thrilling park, they have the 420' Top Thrill Dragster, 310' Millennium Force, the great invert Raptor, the great hyper Magnum, as well as 12 (soon to be 13) other coasters, which range from very good to pretty average.

 

Those three are in the North East, so they could be done in one trip.

 

Orlando also has a large concerntration of parks with some very good coasters and there is busch gardens not too far away Tampa which has some great coasters.

[robbalvey]

If it were between Cedar Point and SFMM, I would reccomend Cedar Point. You have a much better chance of more coasters being open, and the selection there, IMO is much better.

 

The only unique coaster that SFMM has over CP is "X", and IMO that ride is rough as hell, takes forever to get on (2-3 hour lines on average with NO FastLane option) and that's if it's even open.

 

I can't say I've ever been to Cedar Point when they have been running "one train" on coasters, and this seems to be a fairly common practice at SFMM.

 

If you do decide SFMM, so NOT go during the park's "peak" season (July/August.)

 

Overall, I think you'd probably have a good time at either park, but if you're looking for an option that would be slightly less hassle, go for Cedar Point.

 

--Robb

[worknman]

Overall, I think you'd probably have a good time at either park, but if you're looking for an option that would be slightly less hassle, go for Cedar Point.

 

Yes, I think so too. When would be a good time of the year to go to CP? I'm thinking mid-May, like in the middle of the week, while school's still in session

[sixflagsguy5]

I'll just give you a quick review on a few bigger parks that I've been to in the US.

 

-Orlando Area: lots of amusement parks here. If you have at least 4 days then you'll be able to get a lot in with little driving compared to doing a cross country trip. All the parks are near each other in orlando and busch gardens is only 2 hours away.

 

-Six Flags Great Adventure: good amusement park with a lot of intense coasters. A close tie with Cedar Point ride wise.

 

-Cedar Point: another good amusement park with a ton of coasters. They have a new coaster for next year, which will give you an advantage if you go there rather than Great Adventure.

 

-SFGAM: an OK amusment park. It's sort of been run down in the past few years, because a lot of the rides have had downtimes, really cocky ride operators, and they haven't gotten a new coaster since 2004. They haven't gotten a GOOD coaster since 2001.

 

-Paramount Carowinds: a really nice/ clean park with a bunch of good rides. I don't like flying coasters and I still enjoyed the park. They could also use a new coaster, because a lot of the coasters are medium sized, but still a really fun place to go to. For you I would recommend trying to go there when you visit your family in atlanta, because it's only 4 hours away, which isn't too bad of a drive.

 

-California Parks: I haven't been to any cali parks, but from what i hear they're pretty good. There are a bunch out there, so the selection would be hard to do.

 

-Pennsylvania Parks: I've been to Dorney, Hershey, and Knoeble's, and they were all a lot of fun. It's really nice out there in the mountains, so the driving is kind of fun also.

[KKAddict127]

I would definitely reccomend SFMM over others. Cedar Point does have a better-than-average collection of coasters, but they are not as good as SFMM's. I won't do an all-out coaster by coaster comparison, but in general, IMO, SFMM's coasters are better. Sure, it may not be the cleanest run park, but I think they have gotten better in the last year or so. On my last visit last August, I found out that operations are not as bad as they are cracked up to be...well, except on Tatsu. Ride that first. I only had one ride on X back in 2004, and from what I remember, it was pretty fun. SFMM also has a ton more coasters meant to thrill. CP has a few thrilling coasters on SFMMs scale, but some/most are not. If you are looking for the most thrilling coasters, I would hit up SFMM.

[Carnage]

CP has some good rides, but they are almost all geared towards family.

 

Since when are Dragster,Millenium Force, Magnum, Raptor, Mantis, Wicked Twister, Power Tower, Maxair,Maverick considered family rides??

 

If anything CP doesn't have enough family themed rides.

[Coaster Palooza]

I would highly recommend Cedar Point over SFMM. The operations alone are well worth the trip compared to the operations at SFMM. You roll the dice with SFMM.

 

Another suggestion is to add on a few parks in the area with this trip. You were stating that you want to go to CP mid-week in May. Try to go just before Memorial Day, then, if they have it, head to Santa Claus, Indiana for Holiwood Nights. If you plan this trip right, you could hit the following parks:

 

CP (Cedar Fair Season Pass) at least 2 nights, 3 days here

Geauga Lake (Cedar Fair Season Pass) Probably a 4-hour park

Michigan's Adventure (Cedar Fair Season Pass) & it's a 2-hour park

Indiana Beach (not too expensive) around 4 hours

Holiday World (Holiwood Nights with ERT on Voyage!)

Beech Bend (Pay one price is pretty cheap) 3-4 hours at most

SFKK (Six Flags Season Pass) 3-4 hours

PKI (Cedar Fair Season Pass) All Day

 

Then fly or drive home, whichever you are doing! If you're more adventurous, there can be a lot more to add onto this. The only parks that you would have to pay to get in would be Indiana Beach, Holiday World (with ERT), and Beech Bend. The other parks are on Season Passes, which aren't that expensive at the moment. Cedar Fair can be $80-$100 (not at Cedar Point), and Six Flags should be around $70-$90.

 

If you want to go out with a bang, that's what I would do!

[PKI Jizzman]

If it were between SFMM and CP, I would have to say CP. As much as I would want to go to SFMM to ride Tatsu, X, Goliath, Scream, and Riddlers Revenge, Cedar Point still has better stuff IMO.

 

2007 Trip?

 

I would take MF over Goliath

Dragster over Superman: TE

Maverick over X

Gemini over Colossos

Raptor over B:TR....maybe

Riddlers Revenge over Mantis

Tatsu over Magnum....maybe

Cedar Creek MR over Goldrusher

Ninja wayyyy over Iron Dragon

Deja Vu over Wicked Twister

 

 

But thats all IMO

 

SFMM

-X: Wow, looks awesome, even though everyone said its rough, It looks amazing

-Tatsu: Hands down best flyer out there, looks intense and just sweeeeet!

-Goliath: Intense and a good ride

-Batman: Looks like a great invert

-Riddlers Revenge: I am a big fan of Mantis, so RR looks OMG awesome to me

-Scream: Any floorless, parkinglot or not, looks sweet

-Ninja - looks like a good suspended coaster

-DejaVu - Two vertical drops and inversions, this looks sweet, hopefully its open!

-Colossos - Looks pretty good, a larger racer

-Goldrusher - Fun mine train

-Superman - It looks like a fun experiance, floater airtime

-Viper - I am a fan of Arrow Multiloopers, this looks like a great ride

-Revolution - Cant beat a classic

-Psyclone - anything good about this ride?

-I am not that sure about the Atmosphere, but the opperations arent that great from what ive heard

 

 

Cedar Point

 

-Millennium Force - Wow, amazaing, Go ride it!

-Top Thrill Dragster - The launch is amazing, the dorp is kick @$$!!!

-Magnum - Some dont like it, It has awesome airtime, al over and in tunnels!

-Mantis - Intense stand up, awesome drop with airtime

-Raptor - Has a good zeroG, I really liked it

-Wicked Twister - Massive impulse, spiraling straight down is awesome

-Gemini - Wow, airtime filled racer, this ride rocks

-Maverick - Looks like it could be the best at CP, airtime and inversions

-Iron Dragon - I liked the ending

-Disaster Transport - it was pretty cool, i liked it

-Mean Streak - It has gotten better everytime I rode it, its pretty cool with the quick turns, its awesome trimless

-Blue Streak - Painful airtime, i wish it was smooth

-CCMR - it was an ok mine ride

-Corkscrew - Awesome double down!

Wildcat - Why is it at CP? feel like it doesnt belong...

 

Somthing that SFMM doesnt have - FLATS! Demon Drop is awesome, Power Tower is sweet, Maxair is good, but Skyhawk was short and just okay. Great service all around the park.....and 25 CENT COTTON CANDY!!!! Awesome shows, and this park is just awesome!!!!!!

 

But all that is IMO!

 

 

-James