coasterfreak101 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 (edited) Welcome to the best trip report you'll ever read! Not really. But hopefully it'll be really good! Or at least decent. I'm not much of an overachiever. In fact, it took multiple tries to spell that word... Also, before you all get too excited over pictures from Thomas Edison's birthplace...there are none. But we did have to take a detour coming out of Sandusky because some bridge was closed. We saw a sign and a museum, and that was about it. But if you're here for pictures from CoasterMania, stay tuned! Because if you scroll down just a little bit, you'll see a whole bunch of them. Enjoy! Cedar Point Pt. 1: Posted! (Page 1) Cedar Point Pt. 2: Posted! (Page 1) Kings Island: Half-Posted! (Page 2) Kennywood: Coming Soon! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cedar Point (CoasterMania!) - 6/4/2011 Good morning everyone! It's 5am, the sun isn't out, and it's very, very cold! Waking up this early was definitely worth it though - they gave us donuts and some AWESOME apple juice! Because that's what's important. My Cedar Fair Platinum Pass - $135. Tolls on the PA Turnpike - $11.35. Watching the sun rise over Cedar Point - priceless. I hope you're loving the blue-ish tint all these pictures have. This is why I'm not a morning person. Only reason. Hey look, the sun! Time for some awesome (and by awesome, I mean generic) pictures! Here's the first one. I choose to believe that nobody has ever taken such a picture before. (Generic picture number two.) This was the point where we went back up front for some donuts and juice. Best part of the day! I'm thinking Cedar Point learned from CoasterMania! 2009 (and others?) that Dragster ERT in the morning wasn't a good idea. Don't worry, you'll get a slew of (NOT GENERIC, I SWEAR) Dragster pictures later on! Corkscrew always surprises me. That airtime hill after the first drop, at least in the front seat, convinces me that my death is imminent. More Corkscrew! This whole place is very photogenic, and this ride proves it! Cross my heart and hope to die, this is the last time you'll see this picture. But it was finally sunny out, and I couldn't resist! Alright, let's talk coasters. Mantis was running without its first-drop trims on. It makes me very thankful for the valley last year, because it's absolutely fantastic! We actually ended up riding four times during Saturday morning ERT. Especially after Millennium and Maverick went down, what else was there to do than send tons of blood to our legs! Also, we're related. Don't judge me. Millennium Force is very large. It definitely feels bigger than I305, just because you can walk next to it (unless you're at East Coast Bash!) and whatnot. I honestly love this ride. It's no I305, that's for sure. But it's got a long ride-time, and it's loads of fun. Seems like a winner to me. Maverick ERT - now with sunlight! A few hours of exhaustion later, and no more blue tint! Remember when I said I loved Millennium? Yeah...I love this more. More than just about anything I've ever been on. It's just that good. And as the sun comes up, Snoopy gets ready for another day with kids bouncing under his butt while he sits in Dragster's shadow! How sad. Pictures you've probably never seen before: this one. I wish Kingda Ka was this smooth. And had lap bars. Because Dragster just kind of poos all over it, really. Excuse this picture. It's Paige's "I'm about to ride Dragster?" face. Cedar Point has been a dream of hers for twelve years in the making, and now she's here! And here's Mike comforting her. You know, that sort of "Don't worry, it's only 420-feet tall..." sort of comforting that we're all best at. Dragster from the line for the front-row. The best seat in the house! Remember that time a train stopped up here? Good times, good times. About eight breakdowns and over an hour later, we were off! Worth it, just because it's seven hours away and it's a once-a-year sort of deal. Also, I like this picture! Last Dragster picture (for now), I swear! I love this sign. I wish I could say the same for the ride...it just isn't my cup of tea. It's kind of fun to grunt in pain with a train full of people, but not so much to walk off with unhappy thighs. More for the park index! This ride's fun - mostly the drop down to the water. A nice break from the big guys! Skyhawk. Oh, how I wish your cycle was longer. But you're the most fun swingset I've ever been on! And I don't even have to pump my legs! The best ride here, hands down. Well, my hands down. Maybe not yours. It's a shame I don't have more pictures of it from this trip...not sure what happened there. Really though, this ride couldn't have been better placed. It opens up some fantastic views of Millennium and Dragster, and the views from Millennium Island itself are just great! Also, I'm amazed people complained when it opened about how wet they got. First, it's not that bad. Second, IT'S A WATER RIDE. Funny story, there's a lot of water. Who'da thunk it? And the sign, for those who were wondering. It's got a nice little entrance, and the train crossing through the queue is awkward but interesting! I never liked Gemini until I rode in the front row of the last car. Twenty times more painless and enjoyable than ever before. Consider me converted! There should be more of these in the world. Just saying. I never really noticed this on the ground, or even the ride name on the station. I must be really oblivious... Another ride here that I love - Wicked Twister. It's just so different and disorienting - in the back row, spiraling up and stopping at the top of the back spike was just great! Windseeker is VERY close to the beach. As is Wicked Twister, and this entire side of the park - it's very nice! Boardwalk GCI, anyone? Yes please! This ride looks GREAT in its new spot. I didn't see too many people riding it, but being right next to the gate, I hope it gets itself some nice traffic! It deserves it! Mean Streak was running very smoothly. Most of it was retracked, which was nice. However it's still really boring, and I'm still upset that they haven't managed to burn it down yet. One day... Maverick was having some real problems on Saturday, maybe to do with the sudden jump to 94 degrees? I was informed of two rollbacks (I saw one), and quite a large number of breakdowns (I saw three). It's almost like my grandmother's backyard. I learned to swing there. Oh, nostalgia. I love watching it from the queue. People's reactions are crazy! One last ride on Dragster for the night, and it was time for ERT to start! This picture's dark, but Windseeker's lights are looking absolutely fantastic! It'll definitely bring in the crowds with how noticeable and stunning it is! ERT included MaxAir, Wicked Twister, Disaster Transport, Raptor, Blue Streak, and (because Windseeker is delayed) Millennium Force! And while you look at my ghostly self, I think kudos are in order for the Millennium crew! 5am-12am, they were great as usual! So kudos! And because I can't leave you with a picture of myself, here's a picture of Wicked Twister at night! It's blurry because it's wicked. Unrelated to Raptor, but Blue Streak with new trains is FANTASTIC. I can't emphasize enough how out-of-control and amazing it was. Truly a great decision for Cedar Point! (Oh, and I like Raptor too!) Cedar Point Pt. 2 coming soon! Edited June 22, 2011 by coasterfreak101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon8899 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Nice TR And not very often you see a Huss Giant Frisbee in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomNick Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Nice TR and pics! Looks like a good time was had by all. I haven't been to a Coastermania in a few years....they're always a TON of fun! Looking forward to the rest of the trip, especially your thoughts on my home park (Kennywood) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelTheFORCE Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Cool PTR! Can't wait to see more! And not very often you see a Huss Giant Frisbee in the US. As far as I know, MaXair is also the tallest and fastest Huss Giant Frisbee in the world as well...at least it was when it opened. Definitely a VERY underrated ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreak101 Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 The ride op during ERT sold it to us as the tallest giant frisbee, so I think you're right! And, just a hint: I'm in love with Kennywood. So my thoughts will be positive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.A.B Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Great trip report so far,but I never like Gemini either. I only had one smooth ride on it,and that was in the front row of the last car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Great photos! You captured some angles of Cedar Point that you don't see to often. Plus, you described MF pretty well, it's great but "it's no I305, that's for sure." Can't wait to see the KI and Kennywood ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreak101 Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 (edited) Because we missed Friday night ERT (we didn't check in at Breakers Express until 145am!), and since we have Platinum Passes, we decided we would spend a few hours in the park Sunday morning before we had to drop half of our group off at the airport in Columbus. So here are some nice, sunny pictures from Sunday! P.S. This might be the last update for a few days, but don't worry - I'm getting my wisdom teeth out tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I'll deem it a great idea to write a trip report on heavy-duty painkillers! I guess we'll see! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cedar Point (Day Two) - 6/5/2011 After sleeping more than an hour and a half this time, nothing screams good morning better than a front-seat ride on Dragster! I finally did Power Tower on this trip. Just the shoot-up side - much weaker than the other, smaller ones I've been on, actually. It was fun! This picture looks great in black-and-white, says I. Hey, a few more Maverick pictures! Hooray! I refused to leave before we rose the best ride here again! I need a Blitz closer to home...hey SFA? I love when this thing duels. Werner Stengel, you are a genius. The supports on this overbank are crazy! I finally found the cut-away one towards the end of it. Are the rumors actually true? I'm curious! I didn't get to check out Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular here, but I thought Kings Island's was a nice addition to the sad walk out of the park, so hopefully this one feels the same! Our last ride on Millennium Force until next year - what a sad moment! We still haven't ridden this thing. The line just moves so slow, and we tend to forget about it...oh well. There's one an hour away from home if we want it! One more shot of the Dragster/Corkscrew midway. Very nice, very nice! We went ahead and rode the Skyride back down the Main Midway, because we were exhausted! So here's Raptor... Some more Raptor, just doing it's thing. Running fantastically as always, might I add! Definitely one of the whippiest cobra rolls out there, right up with Alpengeist. The Wicked Twister/MaxAir midway. I don't know what it's called - this place has too many stretches of path for me to know if it's just a walkway or if it has a name! And almost the same shot, but flipped. I'm really shooting for that boardwalk GCI. Big advocate. Let's see it happen! And this would be our last stop before leaving the park - the best ice cream I've ever had! If the east coast had Toft's and In-n-Out, I'd never leave. Let's make that happen, too. And a group picture. I hope you've enjoyed these updates from Cedar Point - Kings Island and Kennywood are still to come! Edited June 22, 2011 by coasterfreak101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrojack Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Great trip report and pictures Looking forward to the rest. Magnum can be painful if you sit over the axels, that's why I only ride it in the middle seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ejectorbater Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 WOW! Amazing report and pictures! CP is so beautiful and photogenic. I haven't been to Cedar Point in about 4 years but reports like this just force me to make the trip! They have such a great collection of coasters, flats, shows, and family attractions. I can't wait for the next two reports:) BTW- I love MF. I know that nobody wants to say its as good or better than i305 because certain people on this site have obvious disdain for the point, but I have to say I think its better for several reasons. I agree i305 is more intense, but that isn't my number one reason for liking a coaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drachen77 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I haven't been to Cedar Point since 1990, so I'm WAY over-due. I love looking at these trip reports to see what I'm missing. Hopefully one day I will figure out how to get up there. Great trip report! Looking forward to updates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon8899 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 It's nice to see they keep their "oldies" - Arrows and Zyklons are facing to become scrap metal in many parks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDB Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Great job! Can't wait to see the Kennywood pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreak101 Posted July 3, 2011 Author Share Posted July 3, 2011 Alright, so after a bit of a hiatus where I got my wisdom teeth out, recovered, and started an internship with the FHWA, it's time to get the ball rolling on this again! This'll be Part 1 for Kings Island, with Part 2 being the smaller batch of photos I have from the Eiffel Tower. Hopefully you keep enjoying the updates, and I'll try not to take so long for the last two! ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Kings Island (Part One) - 6/5/2011 and 6/6/2011 Welcome to Kings Island, where it's impossible to get a picture of the entrance without people in it! Coming from MaxAir at Cedar Point, Delirium is much, much less exciting. But it feels older and shakier, which is slightly disconcerting! Cool tall stuff. That's pretty much this entire section of the park. Pretty boat ride! We passed it up, but it got me excited to hit BGT next year for their double-down version! First stop: Invertigo! It's like Two Face, but with better queue interactions! And worse loading times! While I'm on the SFA-jaunt here, I'd like to throw out there that Kings Island is like a Kings Dominion-Six Flags hybrid. You've got the rides and atmosphere of Kings Dominion (plus a spinning Drop Tower!), but the cleanliness and quality of Six Flags. In other news, I love Flight Deck! It felt really short though - once it got good, it was over. All in all, though, a good ride! It's nice to see a suspended coaster work with the terrain a bit, since they seem to be disappearing and all that's left is...Iron Dragon. Shudder. Son of Beast basically just looms over this entire area. And it being closed really screws over Flight Deck, because it's forever away from everything else! Eiffel Tower...with snacks! Interesting. BET YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THIS PICTURE BEFORE. Just kidding, you probably have. But it's so nice! (Unlike this ride...) Okay, so they picked Diamondback as the name, but I'm really pushing for Rattler. Because, well, that's all it does for two minutes. Best ride at Kings Island? The Beast. This is the darkest picture you're getting, and it's not very dark. But oh man, this thing at 1030pm, in the pitch dark, with firework smoke all over...wow. Here's Mike trying to look seductive (I think?) outside the best-looking-waste-of-time you've ever seen! I mean really. It makes me sad to realize that I never rode it when it was anything but terrible. Kings Island does make their Eiffel Tower pretty at night, though! Is this part of Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular, or has it always been this way? This is Joey. He's a dinosaur. And it's his birthday! FINALLY. We got a picture without people in it! But we're kind of white. And moreso than usual! And, if you want to be just like Joey, here's your chance! Alright, Day 2! First, another not-front seat ride on Diamondback... Then a morning ride on The Beast... Then all the other rides! But first, more pictures of pretty ol' Diamondback! Empty train coming back? This is why I'm afraid of snakes. NOTE: If you sit in the back row, you will get wet. It's very surprising! Refreshing, but a real shocker. Over to Italian Job! And of course the fire would actually be on when it's 95* outside. I think Premier really hit the nail on the head with these rides. You don't really expect a launched ride to be a family coaster, but I think they did a great job combining the two. And then, to back them up, Paramount did a great job theming them and putting you in the movie! Granted, not everyone's going to understand what they're doing, but for those who have seen Italian Job, it works! Vortex was insane. It might've been the heat, but I greyed out as much as I do on I305 in the loops. And the turn into the MCBR is crazy! Windseeker! It's open now, so I'm a little late on my whole testing-update thing. But it was moving up and down the tower all day, if you were curious! The Racer. Fantastic old set of wooden coasters! I love the Paramount parks for having these, and am not happy with Cedar Fair for turning them all forwards! Such a good mine train! Minus the lift hill at the end. But at least there were weird, dancing stone creatures to keep us entertained. Come to Kings Island, and you'll spend half your day here waiting for just two rides. It's crazy. Deja vu right here. I'm telling you, we brought Kings Dominion to Ohio with us. Right next door is Firehawk, which has a lovely, slow-moving line like you've never seen (unless you're been on Batwing). They actually started handing out water. It was bad. We almost skipped all of X-Base, because we have these rides at home. But we're only here once, so skipping was deemed out of the question! And now for Planet Snoopy! The absolute best in the entire chain, as far as I've seen. And here's me all happy with Snoopy to prove it! Mike loves Snoopy too! But really, who doesn't? After a rousing ride on Woodstock Express, it was time for Snoopy's own roller coaster! Kids seemed to really love this ride! It's nice to see a little variety in the Vekoma roller skaters. Diamondback from the line for Flying Ace Aerial Chase. This thing really sticks out from everywhere in the park! Oh, right. Don't take my negativity too seriously. I'm just not a fan of the B&M hypers. There's always a good first drop and maybe one other hill, but aside from that they're just nothing special to me. Charlie Brown even agrees! Save money, buy Intamin! It makes me sad to not be able to post a million pictures of The Beast to show how much I loved it - but if I could, it wouldn't be as great! So just trust me when I say that it's amazing! I took this because I didn't want to get in trouble for taking one from the front row of The Beast's station. If you can get permission to take one before the train rolls out, the view of Diamondback is great! While I'm here, Happy Independence Day, everyone! I'm a day early, but it's either that or I delay this trip report even more... Once more picture of Italian Job - I like that you can actually see the parking structure and such from somewhere other than the queue here! Characters by day, Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular by night! It's not too much, but it makes the walk-of-shame back to the car a little bit more bearable! And one last photo for now - next update, we'll be up top for some awesome pictures from the air! Get excited! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 I'm just not a fan of the B&M hypers. There's always a good first drop and maybe one other hill, but aside from that they're just nothing special to me. AGREED. Save money, buy Intamin! AGREED. Oh and very nice report of KI so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpengeist04 Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 ^The US B&M hypers do seem to all have the same feel to them , except for Goliath at SFOG. I find it to be head and shoulders above the rest, especially the airtime. That's not to say I don't enjoy the others, actually they are all grouped just outside my top 15, they're just not in my top 10 like Goliath. Also, an Intamin Blitz Coaster would look great at KI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrykoala2112 Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 I feel that all B&M Hypers are the same except for Raging Bull, which manages to have many more twists and turns. The rest are all out and back, airtime hill after airtime hill, with some type of hammerhead or helix turn-around. Some are better than others due to their speed and airtime, but they aren't that unique from each other. As for your trip report, you had so many great photos! I pretty much agree with you on everything about Kings Island. Flight Deck is also one of my favorite Suspended coasters, very fast paced with lots of turning and there's no sign of slowing down until you hit the brakes! Diamondback was beyond lame when I rode it in 2009, with a lot of rattling... I wasn't all too impressed with it. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDCOASTERFAN Posted July 4, 2011 Share Posted July 4, 2011 For some reason a few CF owned B&M's just aren't running smoothly anymore...Dominator has developed a horrid rattle lately that really makes for a rough ride,especially in the back.I hear you on the backlot rides too as I really geta kick out of riding KD's but don't really get the chance lately seeing as the ride has been so busy as of late. Have you had a chance to see KD's SSS yet? They did a good job on the lighting package for ET as well as the area in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geauga Dog Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Welcome to Kings Island, where it's impossible to get a picture of the entrance without people in it! And those stupid flagpoles. Who's bright idea was it to put three flagpoles in front of one of the most photographed spots at the park? They need their head examined. Kings Island does make their Eiffel Tower pretty at night, though! Is this part of Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular, or has it always been this way? That is a very nice photo of the Eiffel Tower. You got the side that's part of Snoopy's Starlight Spectacular. Right next door is Firehawk, which has a lovely, slow-moving line like you've never seen (unless you're been on Batwing). They actually started handing out water. It was bad. I agree. I only ride it once a year because I hate the way they have set up the queue. At least they handed out water. Not too many parks would do that for their guests. Charlie Brown even agrees! Save money, buy Intamin! So that you can use your savings on fixing that Intamin cable. We all know just how reliable Intamin coasters are. Thanks for sharing. You got some great shots of the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.A.B Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Nice TR so far,I love the Kings Island photos and I agree that The Crypt is an waste of time. Tomb Raider was way better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real Posted July 5, 2011 Share Posted July 5, 2011 Morning hours provide the best angle and color of the sun. It tends to be more crisp and provide a sky free of haze. You also get the BLUE-est skies between like 9-1030 and right before dusk before the tint turns yellow. The blue tint is mostly from your white balance and tone being off. You do have to change it throughout the day to get the correct color or have a program like photoshop or lightroom do it for you afterwards. But trust me, mid-day are the WORST. The sky ends up being whited out in most photos around mid-day. Just some tips, I saw your comment about blue tint and not being a morning person. Trust me, youll find the best lighting conditions then long as you can adjust the tint out later. Great TR. keep it comin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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