Photo TR - Cedar Point - 8/1/2013

[CPGemini08]

Hello everyone!

This is my report of my visit to Cedar Point on Thursday, August 1st 2013.

Here's my rundown of how I would review each of the rides that I rode today (forewarning, these pics were taken by my GS3, so they might be slightly pixelated :

 

Blue Streak: 1x -F

I actually really liked it this year. It ran really well, no more shuffling as I remember from previous years. I'll be honest, I miss buzz bars. I could hardly find the female end of the seatbelt and felt as I was impending a "walk-of-shame". Thankfully, that never happened, and I enjoyed the ride. It actually gives a GREAT view of the back end of Gatekeeper, as well as an amazing look at the out-and-back layout when you crest the lift. 8/10

 

Corkscrew: 1x -F

If you learn how to ride it properly, it's actually a good ride. Caught a couple moments of airtime as well. I do, however, see this n the chopping block soon. 6/10

 

Gatekeeper: 3x (F-lw, B-lw, 4th-rw)

Now the ride is pretty, I'll give it that. But, it's rough, especially on the outer wings. The last few rows were really bad with the vibrations. Some of the light's on the wings were working, and one of the train had a lazy eye. Nonetheless, the park entrance is absolutely stunning now, and the entire ride creates a very welcoming aurora to the gates. 7/10

 

Gemini: 2x - (red train F, blue train b)

Stilll one of my favorite rides (my username doesn't give it away?). I had both a trimmed and trim-less ride. Airtime filled, and actually managed to race (instead of the red train far ahead). Love, love, LOVE the ride! 8/10

 

Magnum XL-200: 1x - 3rd row

Magnum still gets me every time I ride. Those final five hills are some of the most irregular shaped, airtime filled hills I've ever experienced. Still wish the lasers and fog filled the the tunnels but eh, what can ya do? 7/10

 

Maverick: 1x - back row

My highest ranked coaster in the park. Intamin's peak at Cedar Point IMO. Never a dull moment, an absolutely gorgeous view alongsde the bay. The launch is incredibly strong, and the drop still gets me every time I ride it. 10/10

 

Mean Streak: 1x - F

Here's the thing. It's a real pretty looking structure, however, it's a dull layout. No low-to-the-ground turns, all high up there. So much shuffling regardless of the amount of retracking they do. I'll jump the bandwagon on this, RMC treatment or tear it down. Prime location. 5/10

 

Millennium Force: 2x - (2nd row, back row)

Good looking ride, and much better in the back. It's drop is quite photogenic, and it still is smooth after 13 years. I just wish there was more airtime on those hills, possibly could have happened if they were lowered and more drawn out. 8/10

 

Raptor: 1x - 2nd row

That final helix is one of the greatest finishes I've had on a coaster. The rest of the layout, to me, is very typical B&M. I know it was one of the first, but loop - zero g - cobra roll. Very, reptetive from future rides. So it's nothing too exciting anymore. It's not its fault obviously, and it is the best invert I've been on, but it lacks originality. 7/10

^my fav

 

Top Thrill Dragster: 1x - 2nd row

Smooth acceleration, rough upwards transition, smooth downwards transition. Need's a MAJOR repaint however. I'd say the official colors now are cream and faded red. Bleh. 7/10

 

 

Windseeker:

Pretty view, and luckily was open after the Carowinds mishap. Still a dull ride none the less. 6/10

 

Cedar Downs:

I rode for nostalgia to be honest, but found it to be quite a kicker. The kid's, although just barely able to ride, loved it. It had some great speed and I loved that out of the one's that are left, the ride still manages to slide back and forth as well as up and down. Great history with Euclid Beach Park, and the refurb makes it a keeper for sure. 8/10

 

 

Overall the park was very nice. Best deal (again, my opinion) was the souvenir cup. Free refills for first day of purchase, and the wife, kid's and I used that to its full extent. Had to have refilled at LEAST 15 times. Best deal i got there.

Ride ops were on-par with what I expected. Usual cell phone retrieval, vomit, but overall all crews ran dispatched quick and efficient (hardly any empty rows). The park was very clean, and all crew members were friendly. We had a great ride op on Gatekeeper who sang us the Mr. Ray song from Finding Nemo which was a great, and actually humorous joke due to the size of the trains. I laughed harder than I probably should.

 

Only complaint? Rain. Man, Ohio never gives me a break with weather. Now I'm not letting CP off the hook, however. One SPRINKLE and rides are shut down. Even CP-LE which was sad for our family. I might come back later in the season for halloweends, but work has been demanding and I'm running out of free time.

 

Thanks for reading my first TR everyone, hope you enjoyed it! Here's a pic my wife snapped of our view on the way out tonight!

 

-CPGemini08

[TunaSled]

Excellent TR. Thanks for the great pics.

[yay101]

Great trip report! I love the GateKeeper pictures!

[2012jarrett]

I don't get why people thing GateKeeper is rough. I rode it on the outside left in the front and I found it to be butter smooth. A tad forceless, but smooth and a much better ride than Eagle.

 

I agree that TTD needs repainted badly. That red looks HORRIBLE now. Though I personally like Mean Streak. That section where you're actually tearing around inside the support structure rocks.

 

I agree that Corkscrew's on the chopping block. GateKeeper also has that selling point of looking nice going over a path and Corkscrew, while I found it smooth, it's not in the league of their other coasters. I vote if they have to tear it down that they put an inversion crazy Intamin in like the one being built in Rome. None of CP's coasters are exactly inversion crazy and I think that the most inversions in the US seems like a good record for CP.

 

Great trip report! Loved those GateKeeper shots!

[StLCPfan]

Unless something mechanical happens to Corkscrew, I doubt Ouimet has his sights set on removing Arrow's first vertical loop and the world's first triple inversion coaster. It might not be great by today's standards, but as long as replacement parts can be found or made the nostalgia and the visual appeal of the corkscrews over the midway is a huge part of Cedar Point. And remember that if the climate of northern Ohio were a little nicer in the spring Corkscrew WOULD have been the world's first looping coaster.

 

A lot of the talk of which ride(s) at Cedar Point have outlived their lifespan has a lot to do with personal preference. Just as your (OP) username shows your love of Gemini, I personally would not cry if Gemini burned to the ground. It's my LEAST favorite coaster at CP (I haven't ridden JRG, but I prefer Woodstock to Gemini) because of how much back pain I've experienced in the finale helix and how boring I find the ride except for the first hill and the head-chopper hill.

[arby]

I personally would be saddened to see Corkscrew go. While it wasn't the first one, it was the first one in the area. It was revolutionary when it opened and I still remember that year. We went to the park and I wasn't able to ride it. (I think I wasn't tall enough) I'm still getting therapy for that... well, not really. Anyway, it's a classic that is in a great location so I hope it's there for many more years for future generations to enjoy.

 

(I grew up 3 hours from CP so we used to go to GL and CP once a year)

[Philrad71]

I don't get why people thing GateKeeper is rough. I rode it on the outside left in the front and I found it to be butter smooth. A tad forceless, but smooth and a much better ride than Eagle.

 

 

He did mention it being particularly rough in the back and I found it to be a bit shaky in the back as well. My very first ride was in the front left seat and I didn't notice hardly any vibration, but the back seat was a completely different story.

[Joe_Swanson]

I was there the same day! It was my first visit to Cedar Point! We flew all the way from Colorado and spent 2 days in the park, (aug 1st & 2nd 2013). Since we live so far away we decided to get the Fast Lane Plus, it was a blast, defiantly worth the Money. I think the 1st day was by far the best. But the rain we got that afternoon was ridiculous, we were in line for Mantis when it hit; which by the way, was not as horrible as I expected.

 

I know what you mean by Gatekeeper being rough in the back. But I thought it was a lot better in the back too! The front on that ride is pretty tame.

 

Hopefully I'll get back to the point in the next year or two; that was my dream vacation. Now that I'm back home I really miss Cedar Point. I would give anything to just be standing in line for Millennium right now. It's such a wonderful beautiful place! It's every coaster enthusiasts dream. I meant think about it, an island (technically peninsula) filled with incredible roller coasters! It's the perfect park in my opinion! The only thin it's missing is a flying coaster and a 4th dimension coaster!

 

Well I'm done with my rant, I hope you had as good of a visit as I did!

 

-Joe

[cfc]

Blue Sreak was the most pleasant surprise for me at Cedar Point. People never talk much about this ride, but it really delivered some, nice, old-school fun when I was there in June.

[gisco]

Nice report. Someday maybe I will get to see the park for myself.

[Aceattack52]

Looking through these pictures, everything looks so nice there, especially some of the shots of Maverick and Gatekeeper.