Slightly late CP photo TR--May 16-17, '08

[coolhandluke]

I am long-winded. Be forewarned.

 

Well, I'm the only enthusiast of my group of friends, though we all enjoy them and are above the curve in terms of general knowledge of them, so I put together a little weekend trip to The Point for myself, 2 of my friends, my friend's neighbor, brother, and brother's girlfriend (6 total) on the weekend of May 16-18. For my friends, it was the mark of the beginning of summer (as Dayton and Notre Dame are out). For me, it was a much needed break from school (Ohio State's in till June 6). Since I didn't know 2 of the kids on the trip I had planned, I was ready for an interesting experience. We had all been before, but one person had not ridden Maverick, Magnum, Raptor, Mantis, Gemini, Mean Streak, Blue Streak, Wicked Twister, or Disaster Transport (who I call the "relative newbie"). Turned out to be the best trip to CP I have had.

 

We drove up from our hometown Dayton and arrived in Sandusky ~3.00 pm, 1 hour before check-in at the Breakers Express (we're poor college kids--no Hotel Breakers for us). We ate at the local Fazoli's, then hit up check-in, moved in, and prepared for our Starlight admission at CP which began at 4.30. We entered the park about 4.55. What followed was the single most succesful and busiest 5 hours at a park I have ever had. What follows is the times for our rides (walk into the queue at first time--walk out the exit after the ride at the second time), and my reviews of the rides (photos below for those not interested in text):

 

BLUE STREAK (5.07--walk-on): Blue Streak was one of three CP adult coasters I had not yet ridden, along with Disaster Transport and Wildcat. I've heard it's better than it's bigger brother, which I found not hard to believe. It is better. A lot. I rode second to last row, and I had one hill where I did not get a pop of anything. Everything else ranged from poppy floater to strong sustained floater, with a small pull of ejector over the top of the lift. Quite smooth, too, for being 45 year-old wood and owned by CF. Very underrated, overlooked ride.

 

DISASTER TRANSPORT (5.16--5.39): 2nd of 3 not yet ridden. I have heard everything about this ride, though most has not been the most positive (though Wes appreciated it and my roommate insists it's the scariest ride in the park). I had low expectations, and told the "relative newbie" in our group not to expect much either. Turns out, it was longer than I expected, but shorter than everyone else expected. Scenery wasn't much on the ride. Glad I got the credit (a front row credit at that), but probably won't be alotting time for it on too many future trips.

 

WICKED TWISTER (5.43--6.05): Last time I rode this, I rode middle row somewhere and I really, really had to pee, so I didn't remember much spectacular about the ride. We waited for front row this time, and...wow. What a difference. Great launches, great hangtime on the back launches, and craziness on the forward spikes. Tad (the "newbie" now has a name) and I shared the same sentiments: "oh...my...God...it doesn't look like it should be that...wild...". Some headrattling on the big spin launch, but still very worth the 15 minute wait.

 

We headed toward Corkscrew after DT, but noticed there weren't any trains running, so we hit up the closest thing.

 

POWER TOWER (SPACE SHOT) (6.15--6.24): Yes, I know space shot sucks compared to the drop side. But my friend prefers the shot, there was a longer wait for the drop side, and we had one member who didn't ride, inciting us to just go, ride, and continue so he didn't have to wait forever. As for the ride...eh...I did it. Gimme Drop Zone/Tower at Kings Island. Did get nice view of the park though.

 

CORKSCREW (6.28--6.38): Apparently it opened as we were Power Towering, so we did it. I believe I did third row. I never seem to have as many headbashing problems as other people do on this. It shook, but not enough for me to lose control of where my head was in between the restraint. I got surprising air over the camelback prior to the loop. The rest was typical Corkscrew. I ride it when I can.

 

TOP THRILL DRAGSTER (6.43--7.04): Always fun, and with a fantastic wait time. Slightly shaky, but it is going 120+mph. I thought I could feel the disengage a lot more noticeably than I did in the past, so I checked with my "GP" group. They felt it too. Oh well, still no rollback for me...

 

MAGNUM XL-200 (7.35ish--7.43): We actually got to Magnum's entrance at 7.28, but noticed it was running emptys and people weren't in the Q. We hung out there for a bit, debating whether to wait it out or move on (we did have all day tomorrow at the park, anyway). We finally heard it would be about ten minutes to finish testing for whatever was wrong. So we waited. I got back row, and ran into Tony (KrazyT) working there. As for the ride, I couldn't really tell if I got airtime or not, because I was too busy trying not to have the thing break my back. Really, the most shattering ride I have had on any coaster, and I don't live far from Kings Island. Every triangle hill of death took 8 months off my life. My friends six rows ahead of me heard my wails.

 

GEMINI (7.51--7.58): Only running red side this day, but we still only had a 5 minute wait for back row. It gave stronger air than I remember, though I didn't ride it back row before. The helix didn't rape me like it did last time either. Fun, fun ride.

 

MEAN STREAK (8.06--8.15): One of two rides my friend and I agreed we WOULD NOT RIDE this trip. Somehow, we ended up in line. I went for front row because I wanted to actually survive the ride. WOW. IT WAS SMOOTH. I really can't explain it, but I had arms up and no slammage. The best ride on that thing I've had. Though they brake raped the bejessus out of the first drop.

 

CEDAR CREEK MINE RIDE (8.26--8.31): The other of two rides my friend and I agreed we WOULD NOT RIDE this trip. And this one only had one train operation. Yet again, though, we queued. It was a one-train wait. It actually wasn't too bad. Sure, it had Toomer Transitions, but it doesn't really go fast enough to bang you badly. This ride marks the first time I've had to cross my legs to fit semi-comfortably (and I've ridden it twice before, and I haven't grown).

 

SKYHAWK (8.38--8.42): Walk on. Still fun. Still short cycle.

 

MAVERICK (8.55--9.26): This baby is my favorite ride at the park. It had a 45-minute wait advertised, but I told the 3 who hadn't ridden it that it was worth the wait. The 2 that had ridden it backed me up. Well, that crew absolutely force-fed people to that machine, cranking out the trains like none other. 22 minutes of that 45 minute wait passed before we were assigned the 5th row (2 of the first timers got front row, and the two experienced lucked out with back row assignment). Not a soul went unimpressed, including me. This thing continues to blow me away. First drop wins.

 

MILLENNIUM FORCE (9.38--9.52): We all agreed to end the night on MF, just because it's long, fast, and fun. We would all wait for front row as well, sacrificing the better ride elements in the back for the fun of the front. However, all those plans were quickly scratched when we found out that we could squeeze in another ride if we got on and off fast. So we grabbed first available seats, had a fantastic ride (classic first drop, and 2-3 seconds of floater over the two big hills, as well as a pop over the bunny hop by the station). Not sure where those negative Gs came from, but I'll take them.

 

MILLENNIUM FORCE (9.53--close): Second time we waited for second row, as first row wait was ridiculous. Still a fantastic way to close out a day.

 

So the tally from the 1/2 day was 14 rides on 11 coasters and 2 flats. In 5 hours. We got some Pizza Hut that didn't taste like Pizza Hut and brought it back to the hotel, then promptly fell asleep.

 

Saturday didn't start well, as I forgot our hotel receipt, meaning I had to go back to get it so we could get the ERT. We finally got in the park at 9.46, and headed back to Maverick. Got a middle row ride in on that, and then continued our day.

 

I didn't feel like keeping track of the stuff as well as I did Friday, so I can't remember the order of everything. We did:

Maverick again later (front row this time), Mean Streak (back row this time, and I died--complete opposite of front row), 2nd-last row MF (the air continued), back-to-back walk ons of Corkscrew (including back row, which gave me my first ejector air on an OTSR coaster), Draggin' Iron (I got air on the first drop...???), Mantis (I stooped in the station a little and avoided any racking problems, then locked my knees and generally avoiding Charlie Horses in my calves. In short, my most pleasant experience on that thing), Magnum (NOT back row, and this one was ejector bliss on each and every hill), Gemini (racing today, front row of blue. Better ride than day before, and that's saying something), Raptor (down most of the day because of high winds, but we saw CP workers on a test run and jumped in the line outside the queue and got 2nd row no problems. Still amazing), Wicked Twister (tried back row this time. While the feeling of flying off the back spike is awesome, I prefer front a little more), and ended the day on TTD, at the request of the birthday boy. TTD had something going on when we got in line at 9.45ish though. 2 ppl in our group said they saw them add another train (to max trainage), while someone walking out of the line said "it fell backwards". I'm more inclined to trust my group, though, as they aren't completely ignorant, and there were no empty test runs--full trains were launching first thing after the break in action. So we waited it out and got a fun ride on that baby to end our awesome trip. We got some BW3's on the way to the hotel, and departed in the morning.

 

Wow, I talk way too much. Onto pics.

And I will end with the final pic of this, where I finally got what I wanted. What is it? 2 train shot! Not very obvious, I know, but I don't wanna ruin the theme of this report...

"I Spy a train from Iron Dragon and a train from Corkscrew"

Thanks for reading! Or looking!

This is my awesome picture of Iron Dragon. Like I said, this ride is so non-photogenic with me.

"You'll go up an incredible 85 feet and reach speeds of astounding 48 mph! And go upside down not 4 times, not 6 times, but THREE times! No other ride in the park is like it, because they all go taller and faster!"

These next two pictures are bad ones of Iron Dragon, so I'll talk about Corkscrew in the background. It's ride op was good as well.

"Scattered thunderstorms all day"

The COOLEST park patron EVER. If I were a nun, I would definitely go to CP in my full habit as well. There were four of them from what we saw.

"Ok, you'll go up really high, then down really fast. You'll go upside down a whole buncha times and turn around a lot. Oh, and you're standing. Enjoy your ride on This Roller Coaster!"

I think they actually got that info from the ride op though. His "info-dump" routine was quite hilarious.

Inclined loop. Or, as the general public called it, a "flip"

Dive loop. Or, as the general public called it, a "flip".

Either that or it was just normal steel pieces and they melted.

In Roman mythology, Vulcan is the god of blacksmithing and metal and steel. Well, I think he puked, and Mantis is what flew out

As is this. (For the record, I got airtime on those. Really. I know, I'm shocked too)

This is, like, idiot-level "I Spy"

Aaron in front, and a themed ride behind him.

Surprisingly secluded from the rest of the park, these little skeleton town were pretty cool. even though the loser of the duel fell down really really slowly...bad hydraulics?

It beat the bejeesus out of me. So we took the train ride. So is this pic from CP or Dollywood?

Upskirt of Mean Streak. God, back row hurt. I think it saw me being all Peeping Tom on it

Oh by the way, the ride is awesome too...

We'll work your way up to that first picture. This is like going from 1st grade "I Spy" to 4th grade "I Spy"

Self-esteem boost for those who struggled with that last picture.

Through the trees again. And there is a train, if you look really hard where the roll used to be.

Millennium Falcon. Yep, that's what it was called by three different people.

This one's even themed.

4 tables, 4 trash cans. Makes sense.

Beginning day 2 in proper form. Though some of those don't have bags in them, it seems...

It sure is nice when you discover that a fence can double as a tripod...

I promise there's a train somewhere. There's water bombs. I think that the clear-painted train.

This one even has a train entering the first corkscrew

Well, I bet you didn't see this one coming, did you?

Not open on weekends or major holidays.

Just call. Coolhandluke's Steady Hand Photography. 867-5309.

I do weddings and Bar Mitzvahs as well.

I know you're all jealous.

Because I am awesome at holding the camera still for action shots.

Dan and Katie are on the far left, but I know you could tell anyway.

...made for Paul Bunyan.

Then we played on the swings...

Guess who I picked?

OK, let's play "Who would you do?"...CCMR...or TTD?

So much room, yet so much empty space in the infield. Seems like a waste, since we all know CP is out of room

Mean Streak. Also well-themed to it's name.

I will give it props for theming.

Cedar Creek. Woo-hoo.

Yep. Didn't do its chores so it couldn't play.

Gemini, through the ride, through the trees. But I think it lost its brother...

The guys in the queue in front of us couldn't wait to ride Magnum Force. They said so themselves.

uphill upskirt shot.

Aha! There you are.

This is too much through the trees. Where is it...?

A little bigger than even a tree. And yes, it is through it...

I think a straight drop may have been cooler, but this gets props for visual purposes.

Same goes for this thing

There's a reason why this pic is taken so much. It's easy to get, and it looks awesome.

I can never get a nice pic of this thing. Always just the underside of the cars.

Thank God Freud never saw this thing...

One of a kind right here

Artsy is how I roll. Yeah, yeah, through the trees.

It does have a nice entrance.

 

I like Snoopy

We walked by Planet Snoopy, so I grabbed a couple pics. Sorry, but the others didn't care about a new kids area for some reason.

Final two of the group, Dan and Katie.

Best pic of me of the trip. I'm on the left, Tad on the right. And you thought I had bad timing...

Please note the proper WT riding technique: fly-catcher mouth, tight grip on handles, and "boner-legs" straight out and fully erect.

James and Aaron (l to r) on the third launch

Great setting for a park when the weather complies. Which is a problem up here.

Just like all other Cedar Fair names, both within and outside of CP

I guess that makes the name fairly appropriate.

It twists wickedly.

It doesn't have a sign. It has flags and this on the cement.

Fortunately I'm awesome at holding the camera still for dark shots.

Friend James wandering the queue. The flash kinda takes away from the atmosphere a bit.

12E is slang for "nothing special, but a credit nonetheless"

Same way I timed this one to get the back of the train in the 'screw.

I timed it to get it upside down through the zero-G. I'm awesome at stuff like that.

This is what the station looked like after we got off. Take out about 9 of those people to see it when we got there.

Credit numero uno. chinka-chinka-chinka...whee

It's a bird, but it acts like a snake.

...there we go.

Missing something...

Raptor. Named for the bird, not the dinosaur. Because dinosaurs didn't fly as often as birds.

Parking=free with permit. Now let's ride.

Lightning rod that's really fun

Mmmmm...

Not many skylines let you see eleven coasters from this far away.

[hemmy]

Lovely, makes me miss it.