Magnum’s new sign at Cedar Point!

[Tchu]

The first time I rode Magnum, I loved it. Then again... height and speed are elements I love on a coaster, and at the time, it was the tallest/fastest coaster I had ever been on.

 

The air-time on the home stretch was a blast, and my brother and I rode it over and over again.

 

Then I started riding more coasters and suddenly.... Magnum was a whole lot less appealing. God bless Intamin and B&M, who have created coasters with wonderful bursts of air that don't break/bruise your legs in the process, leaving you unable to walk the next day.

 

Magnum is still a decent (though painful) ride. The first drop is still fun, and it has one of the best views you could ever ask for on a roller coaster. No amount of age or wear&tear changes that amazing view. But, the coaster has become outdated and for me... too painful in the airtime department.

 

At this rate, Magnum is only the third best hyper coaster in the state of Ohio. #2 is just across the park, and #1 is a few hours drive south.

[Eric Andrew]

To "get" Magnum you kind of had to be there 20 years ago. There was nothing like it that I had ever been on. At 10 years old that thing scared me to death. I had ridden other costers at KI, BGE, GL, and WDW. That 200 foot tall hill was the tallest in the world it did make you "gasp"

[haux]

On the topic of the sign (not getting into the coasters), I think it's pretty cool. I agree that Magnum needed a sign for ages. When I worked at the park and when I visited as a guest, people would walk right by it because it's not marked well at all. I like the sign. It's got a metallic feel to it.

 

Now if only they could change the station so people waiting for the front don't block the entire first car.

[ScoastinGS]

I rode Magnum after riding MF and Dragster so maybe I am biased, but I also think it is very overrated. It does have a great view, but other than that, I see no reason for it to be in anyones top 10 who has ridden all the other rides at CP. IMO nostalgia should'nt be a factor in how one rates a coaster. Coaster ratings should be based on the coasters that exist now, not on any former state of the coaster world.

Or maybe an asterisc should be added to denote nostalgia, kinda like steroid use...

[jmicha]

^Oh how nice that would be lol. They just need to have someone controlling the station instead of leaving it to be a free-for-all. The way it's designed isn't very friendly for organization. Basically a backwards funnel meaning it is hard to tell who is waiting for what line when there are so many people in the station.

[southpuddle]

As a Magnum crew member in 2007 and 2008, I've ridden Magnum more times than all of the other coasters on my list combined... well over 300 times and I've been on 350+ coasters. It sits firmly at the top of my steel coaster list. I can't really even explain it. The view, the second drop, third hill, classic Arrow awkwardness, tunnels, and my GOD the airtime. Out of my 300+ rides, I MIGHT have had three or four unpleasant ones where my lapbar came down too tightly and I was unfortunate enough to be sitting in a wheel seat, but 99.9% of my rides have been pure bliss. Sit in the second row of any car (so that you're not directly over an axle) and you'll be fine.

 

As for the sign, It's pretty sweet and WAY overdue. The most frequent question I got while working at Magnum entrance was...

 

"What ride is this???"

"This is Magnum." I'd tell the guests.

"Which one is the Magnum?" they would ask.

"You can't see it from here. Walk down the midway 100 yards and you'll see it on the right or you can get in line and you'll be able to see it."

"Nah - let's go ride Dragster!"

"D'oh!"

[Josh Linn]

I have a soft spot for Magnum. I first went to CP in 2000, and this was before I was a real "fan" of roller coasters. Being that I was too short to ride MF, Raptor, and Mantis, Magnum was the biggest ride I could go on. I was petrified going up the hill but absolutely loved the rest. I rode again in 2003, and while it wasn't mind-blowing like the first ride was, it was still decent.

 

I'd say it's my least favorite hyper/gigacoaster behind MF, Nitro, Steel Force, and Apollo's Chariot, but it's still a good ride. I can see why some people don't like it, though.

 

Oh, and the sign's pretty cool.

[Movieguy]

*Looks at the title change* Well, if having fond memories of a coaster that enthusiasts have come to dislike makes me a CP fanboy, then I guess I'm guilty as charged

 

Doug "I haven't even been to CP in 7 years." Booth

[robbalvey]

Am I the only one that thinks Magnum is one of the most over-rated rides in the world?

 

Seriously, I think the ride is terrible. I just never "got" what was so amazing about it.

 

I'm with you on this. The ride does nothing for me. It has some of the most penis-smashing seats I've ever encountered and the airtime is not all that. And the turnaround is one of the most horrible coat hanger bending elements I've ever seen.

 

I've given the ride several chances all over the train and have been thoroughly disappointed each and every time.

Same.

 

Wow, what's with the Magnum hate?

 

Compared with all the park has, it's one of the better rides in my opinion.

I would much rather ride....

 

Blue Streak

Cedar Creek Mine Ride

Corkscrew

Disaster Transport

Gemini

Mantis

Maverick

Millennium Force

Raptor

Top Thrill Dragster

Wicked Twister

Wildcat

Woodstock Express

 

...over Magnum.

 

I honestly think it's one of the worst coasters in the park, mainly due to all the hype it's gotten over the years. Had it not been SO hyped up for SO long and appear on SO many top ten lists, I'd probably like it better.

 

But I have *WAY* more fun on Gemini than I ever had on Magnum.

 

and my GOD the airtime.

This is what I don't "get" about Magnum. Where is this MY GOD the airtime? Sure it has some little pops going over those bunny hills, but it is NOTHING extreme and NOTHING that makes me go "MY GOD THE AIRTIME!"

 

Have you been on coasters like El Toro, Superman: Ride of Steel, Boulder Dash, Phoenix?

 

THOSE rides make me go "MY GOD THE AIRTIME!" Magnum? I don't think so.

 

--Robb

[Teacups Make Me Sick]

^I think that the airtime is overlooked by the fact that your leg gets crushed by the lapbar.

[CPmaverick]

^^Try riding Magnum early in the day before the trims are on in seat 2-1. It is not horribly painful and you get to experience the airtime Magnum should always have. One way to cut down on the amount of leg crushing is to pull the seat belt as tight as possible and not jam down the lap bar. Helps me a lot.

 

By the way, I have been on Magnum 120 times and it is still my 2nd favorite coaster (behind Maverick of course).

[Movieguy]

But I have *WAY* more fun on Gemini than I ever had on Magnum.

 

Now HERE's where we can agree. No matter how many coasters they add to CP, Gemini will always be at the top for me. When I was younger, my family always went to that coaster first.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

That is a bold statement. Maverick and Dragster are the only noteworthy rides?

 

And I stand by my statement. I reiterate that I don't HATE Cedar Point, nor any of it's rides. I look at their lineup and just see that nothing in it except for Maverick and Dragster differentiates it from any other park. My statement is bold, but it's even bolder to say you hav the "best" collection of coasters when only two or three really stand out.

 

And for the record, I don't really think that MM's lineup is anything worth jizzing over.

[southpuddle]

Have you been on coasters like El Toro, Superman: Ride of Steel, Boulder Dash, Phoenix?

 

I've actually been on every one of those coasters, Robb...

 

Maybe it's the fact that I'm not your average 500lb+ coaster enthusiast and my body type lends itself to getting airtime on Magnum, but I get massive amounts of airtime on Magnum - especially that third hill which is the single most amazing moment of airtime on any coaster I've been on. Talk about flojector for a good 3 seconds.

[sros1fan]

Spending the money on a new sign is ok but why not spend it on new trains, those are out dated POS imo. I also agree that the coaster is way overrated, rough and the layout is boring. I think the ride was designed for one purpose and that was to be a record breaker as well as other parts of the body.lol My kids rode it last year for the first time and they said it was a piece of crap too, actually they said they liked Steel Force better at dorney!

[Der Der Dongt]

I like the new sign and I love Magnum since the first time I rode it which

was by the way in 2007 (last row).

It's in the lower part of my top ten list,

but I have got to admit that I have only been on a little over

190 coasters so far.

 

And I think Mantis is also a pretty good ride as long as you ride it in the

front row.

[arson]

 

Have you been on coasters like El Toro, Superman: Ride of Steel, Boulder Dash, Phoenix?

 

--Robb

 

I've been on all those rides, and I see your point, however... the average Sanduskian has not. No one out here knows what Knoebels is, or where the Hell it would be on a map (I'm from Hershey, Pennsylvania, and I can't even do that, unless it was labeled). Ditto for Lake Compounce. Six Flags' reputation was forever ruined in this area from Geauga Lake, even though they're rebounding elsewhere.

 

The biggest comparison for the park and it's surrounding audience are parks like Kennywood, Geauga Lake, Michigan's Adventure, King's Island... maybe Kentucky Kingdom. Holiday World, or Fun Spot (I've heard them all come up in conversation with a few non-coaster geeks before), so Magnum (and MF and Dragster, by association) are going to get a lot of love from the locals.

 

Personally, I agree with all the other rides you would rather ride. I still enjoy riding Wildcat, Iron Dragon, Disaster, Raptor, and all the flats, but for me, personally, I've been on clones (or better rides) of those types of rides before (I'm looking at you, Raptor. I'll take Talon or any Batman clone). I love Gemini, but I worked that ride for most of '07, so I'm just a little spoiled by it (I also miss speiling, but that's another story). Maverick's great, but it makes me miss Storm Runner (where I worked from '04-'06), plus it's still new to many guests, and therefore, has a long line. So, from this line of thinking, this is why I like Magnum so much. It's not that it's some legendary coaster to me, but I enjoy it.

 

Plus, have you ridden Steel Force lately? They look the same, but the experience is incomparable. Now, only if Cedar Point were adding Laser this year...

 

Edit: Woah, are there really seven pages of this?

[coolcalicoaster]

That is a bold statement. Maverick and Dragster are the only noteworthy rides?

 

And I stand by my statement. I reiterate that I don't HATE Cedar Point, nor any of it's rides. I look at their lineup and just see that nothing in it except for Maverick and Dragster differentiates it from any other park. My statement is bold, but it's even bolder to say you have the "best" collection of coasters when only two or three really stand out.

 

And for the record, I don't really think that MM's lineup is anything worth jizzing over.

 

I was merely using MM is an example. In fact, I really like parks like MM, GADV, CP, BG and other large parks because I love the huge collection coasters. Each coaster doesn't have to be in everyones top 10 for me to have a good time. Most parks have one good coaster that you ride and then have nothing better to do than eat. I don't go to an amusement park to sit on a bench as some propose. I can do that down the street at a public park. I go to ride coasters and thrill rides. I would be happy as hell to have MM closer so I could spend a day riding all of those coasters more often despite reviews, lists, or rankings.

 

I just get annoyed at the constant bashing of certain parks such as Cedar Point. Those people are going to turn off others from taking the trip and experiencing all that CP has to offer. People act as if there is nothing to do in Ohio but Sandusky and Lake Erie actually offer a lot of fun. (Try Put-in-Bay- home to the worlds longest bar and tons of hot chicks )

 

And for the record Bollinger&Mallibard, I do not think you were doing this. Unlike many on this site, you generally make intelligent posts and tend to make a lot of sense with what you say.

[Hercules]

 

I've actually been on every one of those coasters, Robb...

 

Maybe it's the fact that I'm not your average 500lb+ coaster enthusiast and my body type lends itself to getting airtime on Magnum, but I get massive amounts of airtime on Magnum -

 

Are you calling Robb fat?

[robbalvey]

^^Try riding Magnum early in the day before the trims are on in seat 2-1...

LMAO! I always love it when people tell me stuff like this...

 

"Well, in order to get the REAL experience you need to ride it at a certain time of day, in a certain seat, when the moon is out, and a witch doctor has cast a spell on the train..."

 

C'MON! GIVE ME A F**KING BREAK!

 

If the ride only delivers said "amazing airtime" when the stars are aligned properly that IMO is a MAJOR FAIL on the part of the ride and how it was designed.

 

Have you been on coasters like El Toro, Superman: Ride of Steel, Boulder Dash, Phoenix?

 

I've actually been on every one of those coasters, Robb...

 

Maybe it's the fact that I'm not your average 500lb+ coaster enthusiast and my body type lends itself to getting airtime on Magnum,

So you're saying that everyone here who doesn't like Magnum as much as you do is a fat, slobbering 500lb coaster enthusiast? Are you kidding me? How rude. But very typical of the attitude I've seen from many Cedar Fair employees.

 

I don't weigh ANYWHERE near what you are suggesting I weigh and I get plenty of OMFG airtime on: El Toro, Phoenix, Superman, Boulder Dash, but I don't on Magnum.

 

Perhaps you can explain that to me? Or maybe I just need those magical witch doctor full moon stars aligned Magnum rides that only happen to come on certain nights that only YOU and a few others know about.

 

--Robb "This thread makes my 500 pounds of giggley fat wiggle!" Alvey

[MattMattMatt]

Have you been on coasters like El Toro, Superman: Ride of Steel, Boulder Dash, Phoenix?

 

I've been on all of these and for me, Magnum's 3rd hill is one of the most perfectly orchestrated moments of airtime I've ever experienced, and stacks up with any other moment on those other rides. Plus I really enjoy the rampy bunny hops at the end other people seem to dislike. I think it's a total airtime machine but different people like different things.

 

Magnum is personally my favorite steel coaster. However, claiming that it's "overrated" when it sits at #78 on Mitch's Poll seems to me like beating a dead horse a bit. Sure, there's a lot of love for it based on nostalgia and it's setting, but it's not as if it's beating out lots of top tier coasters in the only poll that really matters sitting at #78.

 

Back on topic I really like the new sign. It looks very much in place with the original style of the coaster's surroundings but new and updated at the same time.

[jarmor]

heh heh heh...you said fat wiggle

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^I^^^^ Thank you for keeping the dialect of the discusson civil!, but like I originally stated, the four times I've been to Cedar Point, I had a great time, but it has yet to give me an experience that completely dwarfs the experiences of parks I've had elsewhere. And while I agree that not every ride in a park has to be the "worlds biggest" or "fastest" or "longest", Cedar Point is one of a small few parks that tends to make a name on that practice.

 

Which brings me back to Magnum...

I don't think Magnum sucks, though I'm not a fan. I just think that so much more could have been done for a ride that turns 20 for opening day than adding a sign...though the sign does look nice.

The restraints ain't all that comfortable for those of us over 6', and reprofiled trains probably would have been something worth a second look before a sign installation. Would've been cool if they did both, though!

[BeemerBoy]

Cedar Fair's new strategy:

 

- Build new signs.

- Keep changing ride names.

- Build new signs for those new ride names.

- Relocate old rides.

- Re-name old relocated rides.

- Build new signs for renamed and relocated old rides.

 

Simplicity = thread explosion = cheaper publicity. Maybe these guys aren't as crazy as we think.

[MattMattMatt]

I just think that so much more could have been done for a ride that turns 20 for opening day than adding a sign...though the sign does look nice.

 

I haven't followed closely but I do believe they're doing more than adding a sign. Certainly not doing anything new with the trains or anything but it's more than a sign.

 

Then again, many parks don't bother doing ANYTHING when they're marquee rides hit big anniversaries so I think it's pretty nice of CP to even do a little bit. Then again they don't have that much to promote this year anyway.