Cedar Point, and Kings Island Trip Report.

[DoinItForTheFame]

So, as many of you may know from the CP and KI threads, recently my partner and I made a trip to Ohio! First stop was Kings Island on a Friday, and Cedar Point the next day (Saturday.) I had been to Cedar Point, but it's been a few years, and neither of us had ever been to Kings Island. So I was very excited to not only go to a park I have never been to, but to get a trip back to Cedar Point. Our phones stayed in the car to avoid getting destroyed on a water ride, so there will be no photos to go with this trip report. Besides, both parks have so many really good photos of them floating around that my lame little cell phone pictures would not be anything worthy of posting, so instead there will be detailed reviews of the coasters! At the end of each coaster review there will be "X/10." This is my personal rating given to the coaster, on a scale of 1-10... 1 being the worst, and 10 being the highest! Anyways, on with the trip report!

 

Kings Island:

On Friday, we arrived at the park around 9:20am, for the park opening at 10:00am. Having already purchased out tickets, and Fast Lane Plus online in advance, we just went straight to the gate. There was already a bit of a line, so we waited. The gates opened at around 9:45am, after the park played the Star-Spangled Banner, which call me tacky, but I like that parks still do this. Once we made it in the gate, there was not much we could do yet because we did not have early entry for the rides, so instead we went over, picked up our Fast Lane Plus wristbands, and went to the gift shops. We picked out what souvenirs we wanted to buy later when we were laving the park! After this was done, the park officially opened for the day, and having been giving advice on here that we should make Firehawk the first ride of the day, so that is where we headed first!

 

Firehawk:

Having heard nothing but horror stories about how rough this ride was, we were both really not looking forward to riding it, but we both knew we needed the credit, so we got on the red train. We prepared for the worst, and hoped for the best. As the train was being lowered down in the station it was actually surprisingly jerky. I don't know why, but I had always imagined this would be the smoothest part of the ride. Well, I was wrong. We hadn't even left the station and this ride was already living up to the horror stories we had heard about this coaster. Climbing the lift hill was one of the more annoying things we have done on a coaster. Seriously, you're just laying there with the sun beating down on you. It feels like you're in a tanning bed. We made it over the top of the lift hill, the train rolled over into the flying position, and I braced for what I thought was going to be the worst ride of my life. . . I am not sure if I am the only person who feels this way, but I really liked Firehawk. It was by no means rough at all. The only thing I could even consider rough on the coaster, aside from the trains laying back in the station, was the turn right by the Flight Of Fear Building where you go into the turn in the flying position, and you come out of the turn laying on your back. Even then, it wasn't so much rough... it was uncomfortable lateral g's. We actually got off of the ride, wanting to ride it again. We ended up riding the coaster 3 times, we would have rode it more, but the last time we were waiting for it we were next to get on, and as the red train was coming back into the station the ride broke down. Figuring since we hadn't had to wait for anything the entire day, we would just wait for it to re-open. . . Well, 30 minutes later the people were still laying down on the train in the station, so we decided to leave the line! If I were the people stuck laying down on the train I am pretty sure my head would have exploded. Anyway, Firehawk was one of the surprise coasters of the trip. 8/10.

 

After Firehawk it was suggested that we rode Flight Of Fear next. So needless to say, that is what we did!

 

Flight Of Fear:

We had both previously been on the "Outdoor" version of Flight Of Fear, so I knew what to expect. However, I did not tell my partner anything about the ride because I wanted it to be a surprise for him. The launch actually packed a decent punch, however I was hoping that the main part of the ride building would have been a little darker. I was actually surprised at how much the inside of the building was actually lit up. I was hoping it would have been more along the lines of Runaway Mountain where the coaster is pretty much pitch black dark, however FOF was not this way. You could always see the track, and what was coming next on the ride. The MCBR really kills the pacing of the ride. All the times we rode it the train seriously came to almost a complete stop. With that being said, I was still very surprised with the speed the coaster picked back up toward the end of the ride. Flying low to the ground right before the final corkscrew was actually really fun!! The coaster was not rough like some claim it to be. We rode ended up riding the coaster 3 times. 7/10.

 

After Flight Of Fear, we really had no "We need to ride this, in this order." So we decided to just walk around the park and ride the coasters as we came to them. So leaving FOF, the next coaster we came to was The Racer, so we figured why not? We will give it a ride. We needed the credit! We had not heard much about the coaster, so we did not really know what to expect.

 

The Racer:

We were not expecting much out of this coaster. We just figured it would be it would be your typical out and back coaster experience. We got in the last row of the red train, and headed out of the station. The first drop was decent in the back row, however everything after the bottom of the first drop was seriously unbearable. The coaster was seriously so rough by the time we made it to the turn around we both had migraines. The rest of the ride was seriously awful. We have both been on hundreds of coasters, and it was by far the worst coaster we have ever ridden. We rode it once for the credit, and I will NEVER ride the coaster again. 0/10.

 

After The Racer our headaches were so bad we decided to go to the car to take some headache medicine. I had read here on the forums that someone took an ice chest with them to parks, and left it in the car. Then when they wanted something to eat/drink they could simply go out to the car and have food, and water!! So that is what we decided to to do this trip. We had an ice chest in the car, and thankfully we had a very close parking spot! We went to the car and took some medicine, and cooled off a little, then back into the park we went! Next coaster was Banshee!! Having watched Banshee from the time it was announced till the day we got to ride it, and I was beyond excited for the coaster!!

 

Banshee:

This was the first time we really were thankful to have Fast Lane Plus. At this point Banshee was about a 2-1/2 hour wait. We waited about 5 minutes for the ride, and that is only because we wanted the front row otherwise the coaster would have been a walk on. I had always dreamed that Banshee would be a fast, forceful, coaster... and that is just what it was. The first drop was awesome, and the inversions were perfectly placed. I really enjoyed the "slow" zero-g-roll at the end! I must give props to the Banshee crew! They were working their a$$ off to get those trains out of the station. There were several points where they would have the train leaving the station, or on the lift hill by the time the other train was in the "slow" zero-g-roll! Seriously the crew was amazing!! Overall Banshee gets a 9/10.

 

After Banshee we decided to head over to The Bat. My partner had never been on a suspended coaster so I was really excited for him to get to experience the coaster!! The Bat at this point is the largest suspended coaster I had ever been on, so I was excited for the ride!

 

The Bat:

There are two things about this coaster that annoy me. 1.) The coaster seems to be in the middle of no where. There was nothing near the coaster, it just seemed kind of out of the way. 2.) I hate that the coaster didn't have Fast Lane. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes for the coaster. 30 minutes in line, and about another 15 for the front row. I am very glad we waited for the front row. There were several parts on the coaster where the front car gets well beyond 90 degrees sideways. On a side note while climbing the lift hill we saw the near by Great Wolf Lodge. I had no idea the Great Wolf Lodge has one of those Hybrid Proslides creations. The ones with the small funnels throughout the course. So we will be booking a stay there next year so we can experience the slide! Anyway, back to The Bat. We really enjoyed The Bat. It was not rough at all. It was really fun. We would have rode it again if it were not in the middle of no where, and if it had Fast Lane. 8/10.

 

After The Bat we decided to head over to Invertigo. Having heard nothing but horror stories about Invertigo we were NOT looking forward to the coaster, but we needed the credit, and I had never been on a suspended boomerang coaster, so I was excited for the different experience.

 

Invertigo:

We decided we wanted the front "back" row. So the back row that was facing up the first spike. Last row of the train? Anyway, the entire way up the lift hill we probably looked like we were bracing for a car wreck. However, to our surprise the coaster was actually really fun!! It was not rough at all. Then again, we were in the "brace" position the entire time. We had our head pushed back against the seat, and held on for our life!! Not only was the coaster not as rough as we were expecting, but it was really forceful. We both grayed out going into, and coming out of the cobra roll both directions. 7/10.

 

After our graying out incident on Invertigo we decided maybe we grayed out because we were hot, and needed food... So we decided to get some lunch! We ate at Festhaus. I had pizza which was actually really good, and my partner had Panda Express which he loved! After lunch we decided to head over to Backlot Stunt Coaster. We figured it would be a great way to get back into coasters after lunch. You know, having a full stomach and all. Backlot Stunt Coaster is one of those coasters we knew very little about. All we knew is that it is suppose to be a family coaster, and that most of the effects never work. So needless to say we didn't have very high expectations.

 

Backlot Stunt Coaster:

We waited one train, and got a front row ride on the white train. Which of the 11 times we rode the ride we managed to get in the white train. The launch was slow at first, but it became decently forceful towards the end of the launch. Right after the launch is the weird helix up. Every time we rode the coaster we started to gray out in that helix. I seriously did not expect this coaster to pack that much of a punch. The trick track by the police cars was a lot of fun. The MCBR/Launch was nice, and that I am aware of all of the effects or at least most of them were working. The helicopter was shooting the wall to the right side of the train, and there was fire on the left side of the train, and in front of the train. The "dark" part of the ride was awesome. Of all the times we rode the coaster we had no idea what was going on in the tunnel. It was really a lot of fun. It was smooth, forceful, and very re-rideable. This coaster was by far the biggest surprise of the trip. We went on it expecting nothing, and we LOVED it!! It is seriously one of the most under-rated coasters I have ever been on. 10/10.

 

After Backlot Stunt Coaster we headed over to Vortex. Now all I have ever heard about Vortex is that it is rough, and boring. Well, all I had ever heard of Firehawk, and Invertigo was that they were both rough. . . However, we enjoyed both of those, so we expected that we would enjoy this coaster as well! Boy were we wrong.

 

Vortex:

We boarded Vortex, and sat near the rear of the train. Hoping that everyone had over exaggerated how rough the coaster was we thought we were in for a good time! Well, the pre-lift, and the lifthill were both smooth...ish so I was hoping that the coaster wouldn't be that bad! Ugh, seriously as soon as we left the first hill it felt like every wheel on the train were squares. Even the straightaways were rough. The layout was not all that thrilling. I did enjoy the corkscrew that went between the loops. Our favorite part of the ride was the brake run. Seriously this coaster was awful. Rough is an understatement. It seriously felt like we were speeding on one of those uneven brick roads in the historic district of a town. All in all, Vortex gets a much deserved rating of 0/10.

 

After taking a beating on Vortex we thought we would take a ride on Windseeker to relax! However, we both hate heights so I was rather unsure of how this Windseeker ride was going to go. I mean I HATE the Starflyer type rides, so I expected to hate Windseeker as well.

 

Windseeker:

Windseeker was actually a lot more fun than I was expecting. For some reason when we were up at the top of the tower it did not seem nearly as tall as it looks from the ground. The ride made my partner incredibly dizzy, but I was fine on it! I actually enjoyed the ride. It was relaxing, it was fun, it was a great way to cool off, and I really enjoyed the music that they played on the ride! 8/10.

 

After Windseeker we decided to head over and take a ride on Diamondback. Having not been on one of the newer B&M Hyper coasters I was slightly excited to try out this coaster. I was really excited for the new V seating on the trains! However, I have always heard about how forceless the coaster was, and how much airtime you don't get on the airtime hills. So I was not expecting much from this coaster.

 

Diamondback:

The wait time for Diamondback was 2+ hours. Thankfully we waited one train with Fast Lane Plus! We decided to sit in the second to last row, and I was expecting a boring ride. Boy were we surprised. The first drop provided some really good airtime, and we got really good airtime on every airtime hill! We even got a nice pop of air on the drop going down into the splash down! Who ever says this ride has no airtime has obviously never been on the coaster. People need to realize there is a difference in airtime, and "OMFG EJECTOR TIME!" Airtime/float time is when you float nicely in between the restraint, and the harness. Ejector time is when your body is thrust into the restraint, and you leave the ride with bruises. With that being said Diamondback DOES have airtime, and it is a really good ride. We rode it at least 10 times, and there was airtime every time we rode it. Then again, we only either sat in the front of the train or the back of the train, so I can not speak of what the airtime is like int he middle of the train. We really enjoyed the coaster, and it was by far our favorite coaster in the park. 10/10.

 

After Diamondback we decided to head over and give The Beast a ride! I had heard nothing but mixed reviews of this coaster. Some people say it is super rough, and not worth riding, while others say it is one of their top coasters. So I had no idea what to expect.

 

The Beast:

We grabbed the second to last row, after reading that we shouldn't sit above a wheel. We left the station and started climbing the awfully slow first lift hill. Seriously, I have no idea why the lifthill is as slow as it is. It took a good 2 minutes to climb the lift hill. Once we finally got near the top of the lift hill I braced for impact! I knew the coaster was going to be awful. . . But it wasn't. We actually really enjoyed the coaster. I am sure the coaster is actually really rough, because you could see how much other riders were bouncing around, and you could hear them complaining about how rough it was. However, we really enjoyed it. I think that not sitting in a wheel seat was actually a really good thing. Thanks for the tip! We both really enjoyed the ride, and rode it several times. 10/10.

 

After The Beast we just started making our way around the park re-riding the coasters. We didn't ride Drop Tower mainly because I HATE drop towers, and I was not in the mood to be riding one that day. But of course I regretted not riding it after we left, so I will be riding it next year when we go to the park. All in all, we really enjoyed the park. All of the employees were really friendly, and they really seemed to honestly enjoy their jobs. The park was VERY clean, and the landscaping was very well done. They even had a random liberty bell made out of what looked like a hedge bush! We left the park by around 7pm since we had a 2-1/2 hour drive to our new hotel near Cedar Point, so sadly I never got in the famous night ride on The Beast. We had such a great time at the park that we decided we would have to revisit the park next year, and every year after that. It is going to become part of our new vacation tradition!

 

That's all for now! Cedar Point Trip Report coming soon!!

Edited August 13, 2015 by DoinItForTheFame

[BelizeIt]

Your report is cool, but if you want people to show ((interest)) there needs to be some photos/videos.......otherwise this trip report may be overlooked.

Sorry, but most people need some visual stimulation to respond. (I'm the exception)

[Samuel]

The written review sometimes feels like an endangered species, but I'll tell you that I enjoy reading these as much as I do looking through pictures.

 

Vortex:

Even the straightaways were rough. The layout was not all that thrilling. I did enjoy the corkscrew that went between the loops. Our favorite part of the ride was the brake run. Seriously this coaster was awful. Rough is an understatement. It seriously felt like we were speeding on one of those uneven brick roads in the historic district of a town. All in all, Vortex gets a much deserved rating of 0/10.

 

Although I don't like to see rides get retired, Vortex is the "living" example I offer whenever someone romanticizes the good ol' days of Arrow mega loopers. Steel Phantom, Great American Scream Machine, Shockwave, etc. were impressive in their time, but they're plain-to-see awkward at best, and riders are very lucky to even get the at-best scenario. Vortex still has its fans -- those who can defensively ride, know exactly where to sit, and have specific bodily dimensions that are somehow Arrow-friendly, but as I don't possess these qualities, I had a good laugh at your description & share your opinion.

[Whodey]

There are so many pictures of this park. I liked the narrative instead of pictures. Pictures of something unusual for this park would be the only reason to post it.

 

Racer is a lot better on a non wheel seat. It is just like Beast. Wheel seat people hate the ride while non wheel seat it is good.

[coasterbill]

Great report, it's nice to see a gold old fashioned text trip report. Like you I don't bother taking a ton of pictures at parks either... I'd rather just relax and enjoy my day.

 

I actually agree with your review on everything (besides the Racer which I had a good experience on). I think Backlot Stunt Coaster is ridiculously underrated and will never understand how anyone thinks Flight of Fear or Firehawk are rough. The only rough coaster in the park is Vortex and it's a colossal piece of crap.

 

Too bad you didn't get a Beast night ride though, if you do, ignore the wheel seat thing and just sit in the front anyway.

 

I can't wait to read more...

[DoinItForTheFame]

Your report is cool, but if you want people to show ((interest)) there needs to be some photos/videos.......otherwise this trip report may be overlooked.

 

If people need photos/videos for them to be interested in reading about how a park visit went, then I am okay with them skipping my report. Obviously if they need photos/videos then they are not really interested in the report, they are more so just interested in the photos/videos, and if that is the case, there is Google Image Search. Glad you enjoyed the report!

 

The written review sometimes feels like an endangered species, but I'll tell you that I enjoy reading these as much as I do looking through pictures.

 

Glad you enjoyed the report! There is more to come soon! It takes more time than I thought it would to write out a good trip report. To me, it doesn't take nearly as much time, or thought to upload some photos, and click submit!

 

There are so many pictures of this park. I liked the narrative instead of pictures. Pictures of something unusual for this park would be the only reason to post it.

 

Racer is a lot better on a non wheel seat. It is just like Beast. Wheel seat people hate the ride while non wheel seat it is good.

 

Glad you are liking the report! I might... MIGHT try racer again in a non-wheel seat. It was seriously awful. But if they wheel seat trick helps I am all for trying it again!

 

Great report, it's nice to see a gold old fashioned text trip report. Like you I don't bother taking a ton of pictures at parks either... I'd rather just relax and enjoy my day.

 

I actually agree with your review on everything (besides the Racer which I had a good experience on). I think Backlot Stunt Coaster is ridiculously underrated and will never understand how anyone thinks Flight of Fear or Firehawk are rough. The only rough coaster in the park is Vortex and it's a colossal piece of crap.

 

Too bad you didn't get a Beast night ride though, if you do, ignore the wheel seat thing and just sit in the front anyway.

 

I can't wait to read more...

 

I am glad I am not the only one who is not all about taking a ton of pictures at the parks. I would rather enjoy my day then spend half of the day bending over backwards trying to get the worlds best "upskirt" photo of a roller coaster. Don't get me wrong, I love some good park photography... I just happen to not be a photographer. I'd rather enjoy my day at the park, and then enjoy other peoples really good photos! Glad that someone else agrees that FOF and Firehawk are not rough. I really enjoyed them! I think next year we are going to stay for a night ride on Beast! If that is the case, we will for sure sit in the front!!

 

--------------------------------------------------------

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone!! Cedar Point report will be uploaded tonight!

[coastercrazi]

I LOVE this TR. I just wish it had pics. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading it! Thanks for sharing

[DoinItForTheFame]

I did end up taking *some* photos at Cedar Point, so if there are any that are TPR worthy, I will upload them after my Cedar Point Report!

[Geauga Dog]

I enjoyed your TR and it's okay you didn't post photos as there are plenty of photos of the park on the Net. I love taking photos at parks but I don't really post them as many are the same that you find in other's trip reports. BTW I would gladly be stuck in the lay down position on Firehawk over the flying position on a B&M like SUF. Just a few minutes stuck on a brake run due to stacking and my ankles start hurting.

[FaithPlus1]

I enjoyed reading your report as well. I gotta say, I agree with almost everything you said, except I always found racer to be very fun!

Can't wait to hear your Cedar Point Report! Your doing great

[marth555]

I dont find Firehawk to be rough (I even love the loop) and its my second favorite at KI after Diamondback

You must have went on a very busy day if the Bats line was that long.

[angryemobeaver]

Excellent review! I'm happy you bought Fast Pass so you could get plenty of rides in. Next time you come to Kings Island make sure you ride Drop Tower as its definitely one of the better models. Also, it seems you did not ride Delirium? Delirium is one of my favorite rides at KI (and also MaXair is one of my favs at CP.) The Bat is so underrated, its intense, smooth, and if you sit in the second to last seat of the train you get a nice pop of air on the main drop! Overall you got a good amount of rides in, next time just make sure you ride Drop Tower, Delirium, Bat in the back, Adventure Express, and maybe if you have time even Woodstock Express (yes the kiddie coaster, its so much fun!)

[DoinItForTheFame]

Excellent review! I'm happy you bought Fast Pass so you could get plenty of rides in. Next time you come to Kings Island make sure you ride Drop Tower as its definitely one of the better models. Also, it seems you did not ride Delirium? Delirium is one of my favorite rides at KI (and also MaXair is one of my favs at CP.) The Bat is so underrated, its intense, smooth, and if you sit in the second to last seat of the train you get a nice pop of air on the main drop! Overall you got a good amount of rides in, next time just make sure you ride Drop Tower, Delirium, Bat in the back, Adventure Express, and maybe if you have time even Woodstock Express (yes the kiddie coaster, its so much fun!)

 

We opted not to ride Delirium! I have been on MaXair at Cedar Point, and it made me very nauseous, so we avoided it to keep from getting sick, or at least feel like we were going to get sick!

 

We did ride Adventure Express! I completely forgot about that! Sadly, it was nothing spectacular. I was really excited for the really well themed lift hill at the end! I kept waiting for there to be a decent drop... and there was.... a brake run... Probably the largest disappointment of the day!

 

We will for sure try The Bat in the back row next year!

[DoinItForTheFame]

Sorry for the double post, but time for out Cedar Point trip Report!!

 

We were at Cedar Point on a Saturday. Knowing we only had one day at the park, (and mainly because I really hate waiting in lines) we booked a VIP Tour. My partner didn't think that we needed a VIP Tour, he said "We can just get Fast Lane Plus" and we will be fine. Well, I pushed and pushed for a VIP Tour until he gave in! To me it was worth every penny. We opted for the 9 hour tour with a required one hour break. How did my partner like it?? We will find out at the end of the report.

 

Cedar Point:

So it has been a while since I was last at Cedar Point, and my partner had never been. Considering this is the holy grail for any coaster enthusiast, I was really excited to not only get back to the park, but to get to experience it with him. We stayed about an hour away from the park, and I drove to the park in the morning. The entire drive my partner kept looking to see if he could see Top Thrill Dragster above the trees. He finally found it... Sadly we were still about 20 miles from the park. That might have been the LONGEST 20 miles of my life. We got to the park at about 9:15am since our VIP Tour got us early entry! When we pulled onto the Causeway the traffic was already back up about halfway down the Causeway. At that moment we knew it was going to be a busy day at the park. We finally made it to the parking booth area around 9:30am. Thankfully our VIP Tour included preferred parking, they scanned our pass, gave us a little pink thing to hang from our review mirror, and we were off to find our parking spot. Once getting to our spot we got our ID's and our VIP Tour tickets, and we were off to the front gate. After scanning our tickets, and getting through the early entry area, we headed straight for Top Thrill Dragster. We got to TTD, and there was already about 50 people inline. At this point it was about 9:45am, and TTD was suppose to be opening at 10am when everything else opened, so we figured we would just wait it out, and make this the first ride of the day. . . I don't know if Top Thrill Dragster was just being moody, or if they were having issues with the coaster but it didn't start testing until 10:15am. I have study this ride for a long time. I have rode it at least 1,000 times, and I have watched hundreds of 1,000's of videos about this coaster. I was beyond surprised when the first train they launched cleared the tower with no problem. I remember back in the day when every train would roll back at least 2 times each during testing. Well, none of the trains rolled back at all. They tested each train twice, then put test riders on it. Tested each train once with test riders on it, and then tested each train empty again twice, then they opened the ride! At this point the Fast Lane guest had formed a separate line away from the standby line that was against the black fence. I was incredibly surprised when they opened the ride that they let in every single person that had been waiting along the black fence before letting in any of the Fast Lane guest. We ended up getting on about the 3rd train out, and in the front row! After TTD we had a little time to kill before our VIP Tour started at 11am, so we went and got our unlimited drink wristbands, and our unlimited food wristbands (both included with the VIP Tour) We walked around the park rather quickly to get some pictures in, and then we met our VIP Tour guide at 11am! Upon meeting our VIP Tour guide talked about our plans for the day, gave us a list of places our unlimited food wristbands worked, and what they would get us, and then asked us what we wanted to ride first. Having met her by Top Thrill Dragster, obviously we decided to ride Top Thrill Dragster again! Just like last time at the end of each coaster rating there will be "X/10" that's my personal rating given to the coaster on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the worst, and 10 being the best! With that being said, onto the coaster ratings!

 

Top Thrill Dragster:

Since the first time I rode Top Thrill Dragster it instantly became my favorite coaster on the planet! I remember the crazy anticipation sitting there waiting to launch, the force of the launch feeling like your body is literally going to melt because it can't take the forces being put on it, and right before you pass out from acceleration the train climbs the 420ft tower, crest nice and slowly to give you a nice look around, and the drops you straight back down 400ft, and smoothly slows you to a stop. Having been on it as many times as I had, and having been as long as it had been since last time I rode it, would I still feel the same way? Would the coaster still be as amazing? More importantly would the coaster live up to the expectations I had set for my partner, and trust me I set the expectations really freaking high. . . Well it turns out... Yes, the coaster is just as amazing as it always has been, and my partner absolutely loved it. He was literally left speechless by the ride. He could not put into words how much he loved the coaster! The average wait time for the ride while we were in the park was 2-1/2 - 3 hours, (Not including the wait time for the front row) Thanks to our VIP Tour we got to ride TTD 5 times (Could have been more, but I will get to that later.) TTD was just as amazing as always!! 10/10!

 

After Top Thrill Dragster being as close as we were we headed over to Power Tower, to get in a ride on Drop Side.

 

Power Tower Drop Side:

I HATE Drop towers, but there is something about Power Tower that I love. I think it is because the "Drop Side" goes up fast enough I don't have time to mentally freak out. Also, you get some amazing views from the ride. The anticipation sitting at the top waiting for the drop is amazing. The airtime on the way down is awesome! Seriously one of my favorite S&S Towers ever! We got in 4 rides on Power Tower. 3 on Drop Side, and 1 on shot side! 10/10!

 

Leaving Power Tower we headed over to Millennium Force.

 

Millennium Force:

So I am sure everyone on here knows that I have never been a huge fan of Millennium Force. Or as I call it Millennium Forceless. Regardless we got in the front row, and I prepared for another typical ride on the worlds most over rated coaster. . . I don't know if I am just getting older, or if I have learned to appreciate coasters more, but I was blown away by this coaster. It was NOTHING like I remembered. The drop was amazing, the speed was relentless, there was actually some REALLY good floater time over the airtime hill, and some crazy ejector time on the little tiny hill right by the station! The back seat was just as amazing, you get some REALLY good air on the first drop, and you get airtime over every one of the hills. I never in my life thought I would say this... But I have a new love for Millennium Force. The wait time was around 3 hours most of the day. We ended up riding it 5 times as well. 10/10.

 

After MF we headed back to Maverick, having told my partner how amazing this ride was, and telling him how you needed to "lean into each turn." He was a little nervous about riding it afraid that he was going to get a nasty neck chop.

 

Maverick:

Everything about Maverick is pure perfection. It is fast paced, the launch is forceful, the airtime is beyond airtime. It is perfect. That is all that can be said about this coaster. My partner loved it, and I think the new harness are an amazing addition to the coaster. They make the ride really more enjoyable, and you don't have to "fight" the coaster as much. The entire que line was full the entire time we were there, and there were several points where the line spilled out of the entrance, and every switchback was open in the line. We ended up riding the coaster 5 times! 10/10!

 

After Maverick we walked all the way to the front of the park, to ride Gatekeeper. Which was poor planing on our part because we could have easily ridden MF again on the way up. But we didn't.

 

Gatekeeper:

Having heard nothing but how "forceless" this coaster was, and how "boring" the coaster was, I must admit my expectations were pretty freaking low for this coaster.With that being said, we really ended up loving the coaster. No it is not the tallest, or fastest, or most forcefull in the park... But it is still a really good coaster.The hangtime on the first drop is amazing in the front row, the inversions are perfectly placed. The keyhole is a lot of fun, and we both got floater time on the airtime hill. We only rode in the front, so I do not know what the rest of the train is like, but like I said we really enjoyed our rides on it! The wait time was around 2-1/2 hours all day, and we only got in 2 rides. 9/10.

 

Leaving Gatekeeper we headed over to Wicked Twister since it was nearby!

 

Wicked Twister:

Having been on Wicked Twister many times I knew the "magical seat" was the second to last row on the right side. So needless to say that is where I put my partner for our first ride. I will admit the launch is much more forceful than I remember it being.This coaster also pulls a lot of positive g's which is nice. I will admit this is one of the only rides I felt bad about using our VIP Tour on. Usually on rides at Cedar Point a guest just has to wait a little longer for the next train when there is a VIP group... But on Wicked Twister they have to wait the entire ride cycle. Which I admit made some people a little un-happy when we took a front row ride on it. Still a great ride regardless! We only rode it twice though. 8/10.

 

After Wicked Twister we headed back down and rode TTD again, and then headed over to Magnum.

 

Magnum XL-200:

I remembered that this coaster provided some really aggressive airtime, but was still really fun. Well, that hasn't changed the airtime is insane, yet still fun! We didn't sit above a wheel, and we did the seat belt trick, and I STILL ended up with bruises, after only riding it twice. I rode it once with my partner, and once with my VIP Tour Guide because my partner did not care to ride it again. 8/10.

 

After Magnum we did Gemini.

 

Gemini:

I remember this coaster being a little on the rough side, and never really liking it. . . Hoping that had changed We jumped in the second row, and took a spin... Yeah to me the ride hasn't changed at all. It was a little on the rough side, and not really entertaining. Just meh. I only rode it once, but my partner rode it twice with our VIP Tour Guide. I give the coaster a 7/10.

 

After Gemini we made a loop doing Maverick, MF, back up to Gatekeeper, and Wicked Twister again... Then we took our required hour break, and did lunch!

 

We were lucky enough that we never had any issues with rides having downtime while we were riding coasters, but while we were on lunch Rougarou, Top Thrill Dragster, Maverick, MF, Gatekeeper, Raptor, Iron Dragon, and Wicked Twister all went down, however they were all back up and running by the time our break was over. I was personally surprised by the food that you could get with the unlimited food wristband thing. Not only do you get pretty much anything at the little snack carts, and food places that sell like pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders and things like that, but you also go Chick-Fil-A, Panda Express, Pinks Hotdogs, and Subway. Which was a nice suprise for us because I LOVE Subway, and Pinks Hotdogs! After our break we met back up by Top Thrill Dragster, took a ride on Top Thrill Dragster, and then went back to MF, and Maverick, sadly doing Mean Streak this time.

 

Mean Streak:

I had also remembered this coaster being rough as hell, and really freaking boring... Well not has changed the coaster wasn't actually as rough as I remember it being. It was actually rather fun. We sat in the front and made sure we kept our backs off of the seat backs the entire time, and it was actually enjoyable. Not an OMG MUST RIDE, but still a decent ride. We only rode it once, but we did get to see Mean Streak Henry. He is this like 70 year old man who has over 14,000 rides on Mean Streak. There was a news paper article about him, and it was hanging on the window of the operator booth. 6/10.

 

After Mean Streak we did Maverick, and Skyhawk.

 

Skyhawk:

This is such a fun ride. It is relaxing, and enjoyable. You get such great airtime at the top of each swing! We got 2 rides on it. 9/10.

 

After Skyhawk we headed back towards the front of the park to do Raptor, and Blue Streak on the way we stopped by Iron Dragon, and Rougarou.

 

Rougarou:

I remember Mantis, and I am glad it is gone! Rougarou is a nice coaster, but it just didn't really do anything for me. We rode it once with our VIP Tour Guide, and it was just kind of... blah. We really got off the ride with no desire to ride it again. Like I said, it is by no means a bad coaster... It just seemed very tame when compared to the rest of the rides in the park. Also, as busy as the park was, the line never got over 15 minutes the entire day. I know it is a people eater... But when everything else in the park has a 2-3 hour wait... I mean... Maybe we were not the only ones who were just not blown away by it, and had no desire to re-ride it. 5/10.

 

Iron Dragon:

Having been on The Bat at Kings Island the day before, Iron Dragon seemed really tame. The second half of the coaster over TTD's unload station, and out over the water is by far the best part of the ride. I was really surprised to not only see every switchback open on Iron Dragon, but they were all full, and the line was spilling out into the midway. Made me feel slightly bad for taking a front row seat and making those little kids wait longer. :/ We only rode it once. 6/10.

 

Blue Streak:

For as old as this coaster is, it really packs a punch. We rode front row, and really enjoyed it. The line was insane, that is the only time I have ever seen all of Blue Streaks entire que line full, and spilling out into the midway. Those airtime hills provide some serious airtime! We only rode it once though. 8/10.

 

Raptor:

I remember from previous rides that I never really cared for Raptor, and I really hated the Raptor smack at the end. Well, this coaster was about 400 times more forceful than I remember. There were several points in the ride where my feet were seriously tingling... Like that feeling you get when you try to stand up, and your feet are asleep. it was crazy, fast paced, and forceful. Not to mention, I didn't even notice the Raptor Smack at the end. I have a new respect, and a new love for this coaster. 9/10.

 

Other rides we rode while at the park were

 

Shoot The Rapids:

Having never been on this ride I was actually excited to ride it. People didn't seem to be coming off *that* wet, so I figured... Why not?? We jump on for a front row ride, and I was on the left. Before we left the station the ride-operator said "You will get very wet on this ride, especially those of you on the left, you go under a big waterfall. I just assumed he was joking, and didn't think anything of it. The bottom of the first drop was weird... We didn't get that wet, but then when the boat went from being on the track, to back down "free floating" in the water, there was this nice wall of water that came rushing over the front of the boat and covered us from the waste down. Then we went around the turn and I found the nice little waterfall that I thought the ride operator was joking about. Yeah... I came off the ride looking like a drown rat. Still an enjoyable ride though. 8/10.

 

Thunder Canyon:

So... Everyone who got off of this ride seriously looked like they just got out of the shower. I could not figure out why people were getting so wet. So we decided to give it a go. I tried to get our VIP Tour Guide to ride it with us... but there was no way that was happening. So knowing nothing about the ride we jumped on, excited for what would be a fun ride. . . The rapids were fun, and it was a decently long ride... But as the ride was coming to an end we were all still dry as a bone. I made the comment to everyone in the boat "I don't understand why everyone is coming off this ride dripping wet. We are all dry. . . Now watch, I say that and we are going to go around a turn and there is going to be a huge waterfall." Little did I know around the next turn there wasn't actually a huge waterfall... THERE WERE 4.. yes F.O.U.R... 2 on each side of the boat that ensured NO ONE got off the ride with any part of the body dry. . . So we quickly became *those people* looking like we had just gone swimming walking around the freaking park. Next year I am paying the $5.00 and using the family dryer. All in all it was a really fun ride though! 9/10.

 

Corkscrew:

Yeah... about that... Moving on now. 1/10.

 

All in all we had an amazing time at the park. The VIP Tour was 100% worth it. My partner LOVED the park, and LOVED the VIP Tour.. Enough that we are already planning our VIP Tour there for next year! (Not to mention a VIP Tour at Dollywood for next year!) I think I spoiled him with the VIP Tour! . . . Hey, I'm okay with that. It really is the best way to visit a park.

 

If anyone has ever thought about the VIP Tour at Cedar Point I would highly suggest it to anyone. Of course it is a little on the expensive side, but it was worth every penny. We had an amazing time, and I can't wait to go back!

 

----------------------

 

Thanks for reading my really LONG trip report. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

[Ape]

I have always liked MF and never thought of it as forceful ride, However last wear we went and i was just getting over a pulled muscle in my back. we rode everything multiple times. MF was the only one that had me in pain from the forces on it. Odd right? i now laugh a little bit whenever anyone calls it Millennium Forceless. (just a side note i have to throw in we have a daughter due in November her name is Millie and yes for the reason people here should think.)

 

I loved the report. If it is well written it doesn't need pictures. Question about the VIP, did your host hold the loose articles for you or did you still have to get a locker?

[DoinItForTheFame]

I have always liked MF and never thought of it as forceful ride, However last wear we went and i was just getting over a pulled muscle in my back. we rode everything multiple times. MF was the only one that had me in pain from the forces on it. Odd right? i now laugh a little bit whenever anyone calls it Millennium Forceless. (just a side note i have to throw in we have a daughter due in November her name is Millie and yes for the reason people here should think.)

 

I loved the report. If it is well written it doesn't need pictures. Question about the VIP, did your host hold the loose articles for you or did you still have to get a fluffy, fluffy bunny filled with medicine and goo?

 

I love that you're naming your daughter Millie! I think that is amazing!! Our VIP TOUR Guide would hold loose articles for us, there was no need for us to ever get a locker!

[Ape]

That would be a nice benefit. Another question. The tour ends at 8 if my math is correct. From that point on do you have to wait in the normal lines or do you get Fast Lane to finish the day?

[DoinItForTheFame]

That would be a nice benefit. Another question. The tour ends at 8 if my math is correct. From that point on do you have to wait in the normal lines or do you get Fast Lane to finish the day?

 

After the tour is over if you want to stay in the park you have to wait in normal lines. We were exhausted enough we did not stay after the tour. We had done everything we wanted to do, and we were exhausted and ready to go. However, what we did not know is you can schedule the tour to start at a later time like noon, or 1... and then it still last the full 9 hours. With the hour required break. So next year we are starting at one so we can get to the park and ride things before the park gets really busy, and take time to walk around and take pictures and then start the tour. I think starting at 11 am was a little early to start.

[coasterbill]

Great Report! And I'm glad that Mean Streak trick worked for you... sadly you can't do anything to make the layout any less meandering / dull but at least it doesn't beat the crap out of you.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Great Report! And I'm glad that Mean Streak trick worked for you... sadly you can't do anything to make the layout any less meandering / dull but at least it doesn't beat the crap out of you.

 

Sure you can!! It's called R...M...C...!

 

But then again, I don't really own Cedar Point, so I mean I don't really get to make the choice to call RMC and say "Hey... This is Cedar Point... We have this really boring, dull wooden coaster... can you take it and maybe make it... Amazing?! Thanks!!!" ... Well... Maybe some day!

[jten11]

Hey man, that was a great read! Thanks for sharing!

[TBpony414]

We went to CP last month and got FP+ both days getting on more rides than I could ever have thought! Lines were super long just like on your visit. I encountered one person with the VIP receipt who was less than friendly. I asked him why they didn't give out wristbands for VIP people as it was confusing to myself and others why he was standing in the FP line. Never got a real answer. Can you tell me in detail what the advantage of the VIP is over FP+? Skyhawk was my absolute surprise favorite flat and we too enjoyed Gatekeeper. Still, I would be more than happy to lap Maverick and MF allllllllllll day

[DoinItForTheFame]

Hey man, that was a great read! Thanks for sharing!

 

Glad you enjoyed it! I actually really enjoyed writing it. I got to re-live my trip all over again!

 

I encountered one person with the VIP receipt who was less than friendly. I asked him why they didn't give out wristbands for VIP people as it was confusing to myself and others why he was standing in the FP line. Never got a real answer.

 

I am not sure why the guy was in the Fast Lane/Fast Lane Plus line. The only people allowed in the FL(+) lines are people with FL(+) wristbands. Even guest on a VIP Tour are not allowed in FL(+) lines unless they purchase the Fast Lane (+).

 

Can you tell me in detail what the advantage of the VIP is over FP+?

 

So, the main advantage of the VIP Tour over Fast Lane(+) is the tour guide. Guest who purchase a VIP Tour will have a Guest Services park employee in uniform, with a radio, and a lanyard that says "VIP Tour" on it with them for the duration of the VIP Tour. Guest who are on a VIP Tour do not wait in any lines. They do not wait in the normal line, they do not wait in the Fast Lane(+) line... They simply don't wait in lines. The VIP Tour guide will take them up the exit for any attraction they want to ride. Guest who purchase a VIP Tour get two wristbands. They get one wristband for unlimited drinks all day long, and they get another wristband for unlimited food all day long. The VIP Tour only last for 9 hours with a required 1 hour break. If guest who have purchased a VIP Tour want to stay in the park after the VIP Tour is over they can... However they must wait in the regular standby line. We LOVED doing the VIP Tour, and we will purchase a VIP Tour any time we go to a theme park. It was well worth the money.

 

I hope this clears up any confusion for you! Still not sure why there was a person in the FL(+) line claiming to have a VIP ticket, but I assure you they did not. Do you know if they by any chance actually got on any of the rides, or did the ride host turn them away??

[DILinator]

I don't think I'd ever do a VIP tour at CP, simply because I've done everything so many times over the years, I just don't think it would be worth it to me. However, your report does make me want to do VIP tours at other parks, such as possibly Dollywood when we go next year! So thanks for the heads-up! I honestly hadn't given it any thought prior to now...

[TBpony414]

Thanks for the reply about the VIP tour! The guy with the VIP receipt was in the regular TTD lane at opening, then he jumped from the standby line to the FP+ line in front of me right before the station. He voluntarily showed me his VIP receipt and it was indeed legit. He got on the ride in front of us after showing the station attendant the receipt. Several people asked him why he didn't have a wristband because it was confusing? He said in no uncertain words that unless we all worked for CP to pound sand. Nobody was even remotely rude to him so it was a bizarre response. His wife met him at the station platform for the ride. I saw them once later on in the day walking around but didn't note a staff member with them, however I wasn't really looking for one. What color were your wristbands?

 

Very cool that you don't have to wait in any lines whatsoever! That's a huge bonus especially if you only have 1 day and rarely or never get to CP. We stayed for 2 days and got FP+ both times. Even with waiting in very short FP lines of max 15 mins, we took several leisurely breaks simply because we got tired LOL. Having free food is a big bonus too however we ate lunch at the marina Famous Dave's both days so I guess it wouldn't count for that. I had no idea there even was a VIP tour until the 2nd day with that guy - how did you find out about it? We want to go to Dollywood for the first time next year so I'll have to see if they have fast passes or VIP.