10/11 & 10/12/03 - (Evil Day/Good Day)
I've posted photos from our trip in my Webshots Coaster Gallery...
http://community.webshots.com/user/djgreghaus
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EVIL DAY
(Saturday - 10/11/03)
At 10:00am Chicago Time, my friend Michael picked me up in a GM Grand Prix rental car. Much to his chagrin, some "Hooker" (his words, not mine) had stolen his boss' Mercedes convertible we were supposed to be traveling in. Fortunately the "Benz" has a tracking device, but we didn't have time to wait for the Cops to catch up with criminal who stole our ride. The kingdom of giant roller coasters was beckoning, and we couldn't delay our trip any longer. On our way out of town, we picked up his cute friend Jennifer set off for Sandusky, Ohio.
We arrived at Cedar Point at 5:00pm on Saturday. From the moment we arrived at the parking lot we knew we were in for a difficult night. The park was so crowded that cars were parked in the grassy area near the parking fee booths. It took us 1/2 hour of driving around to finally find a space. We then purchased our 2-day passes and made our way into the park by 5:45 or so.
Crikey was this place crowded! Queue lines were overflowing at every turn - Midways packed to the gills - Restaurants and vendors swamped... it was unbelievable. Top Thrill Dragster, the primary reason for this journey, had at 3-hour line - but the sight of this puppy in operation was mouthwatering, especially since it was broken down for my entire visit this past June. I wanted to ride it immediately, but figured it would be best to wait until later (which would end up being 'tomorrow').
Here's how the night went in a nutshell - less rides, more beer. Between 6pm and midnight, we only managed to get in six rides. Some parts of the park were so overcrowded that at times we felt like we were in a nightclub that was dangerously over capacity. The Halloween decorations were festive, and I imagine the Haunted House walkthrough attractions were kinda interesting, but we didn't dare go near them. Dragster broke down a little over an hour before closing, so we decided not to risk waiting to see if it would re-open and made the 310ft tall Millennium Force our final ride of the night. Here's what we rode in the midst of the crowd dodging and beer buzzed mayhem.
POWER TOWER
240 ft Combo Shot/Drop Tower
(shot side / facing parking lot)
wait time: 25min
grade: B+
After overcoming my fear of drop rides, I've found this to be one of my favorite new diversions. It was a good burst of adrenaline at the beginning of the night. Got some nice ganders at Dragster's launch while waiting in line.
GEMINI
Steel Racing Coaster with Wooden Supports
(blue train - back row)
Wait time: 40min
grade: B
This classic, 25 year old racing steel coaster was one of my favorites during my June trip. It was riding a bit rough this time, but its still full of great airtime & killer head chopper effects.
DEMON DROP
1st Generation Freefall Ride
Wait time: 5 minutes
Grade: B-
After being greeted by ridiculously long wait times for most coasters and pounding a few beers to quell our frustration, we sauntered over the this unsettling little drop ride just after sunset. We giggled all the way up the clunky sounding elevator lift and yelled "Scooby style" during the 3 seconds of weightless thrills this goofy old ride provides. The clanking metal sounds get me every time.
MAGNUM
Steel Hypercoaster
(back row)
Wait time: 45minutes
Grade: A
The queue for this went by quickly, as we had a good buzz going (but no, we were not drunk). Michael & Jennifer were being silly, calling up random friends and playing games on their cel phones. This was my first night ride on Maggie. Even after all these years, this coaster still manages to surprise me with its intense airtime.
MANTIS
Stand-Up looping coaster
(2nd row)
Wait time: 45 minutes
Grade: A-
The best ride I've had on Mantis in years. I was disappointed by its roughness back in June, but this time I experienced very little headbanging. I absolutely love the first 5 elements on this great Stand-Up coaster (137 ft drop, giant vertical loop, diving loop, helix, inclined loop). The 2nd half of this coaster normally smacks my beee-atch up. Not this time.
MILENNIUM FORCE
310 ft Steel "Giga" Coaster
(back row)
Wait time: 1 hour 15 minutes (entered queue shortly before closing)
Grade: A
We took a back seat ride in the moonlight - twas a little shakier than I remember, but still spectacular... a great way to end the night.
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GOOD DAY
(Sunday - 10/12/03)
This day was nearly perfect - the polar opposite of Saturday - 68 degrees and sunny all day. We managed to get 2 fastpass stamps - 1 for Raptor (2-3 pm) and 1 for Millennium Force (3-4 pm). Most all queue lines were under 30 minutes, with many rides actually station waits or walk-ons.
After checking out of the scary Econo Lodge (we found a tube of mint flavored adult "oral lubricant" in the parking lot - ewwww), we arrived at the park at 10:00am and made a mad dash for...
(you guessed it)
TOP THRILL DRAGSTER
World's first 420ft Steel "Strata-Coaster"
(back row)
Wait time: 40 minutes
Grade: A+
This ride simply cannot be compared to any other roller coaster on the planet. The experience is absolutely breathtaking. You've all heard countless descriptions of what it does and how it feels from launch-tophat-twisting drop-breaks, so I won't bore you with my rehash. That said... Jennifer & Michael were so freaked out by this coaster that they refused to ride it again (at least until next year). I wanted to get right back in line, but this was Jen's first trip to Cedar Point, so I wasn't going to force her. There was plenty more to experience.
MEAN STREAK
Large Wooden Coaster
(back row)
Wait time: 10 minutes
Grade: C+
Not as bad as my ride in June, but still fairly crappy. The trim break seemed to be off on the 161ft first drop, which made the ride far more exciting. Jen's sentiment was perfect... "Boy, I like it rough... but not THAT rough!".
WILDCAT
Wait time: 10 minutes
GRADE: B
A great, old-fashioned "Mouse Style" steel coaster. Tiny, but fun & intense. We all loved the new colors!
MAGNUM
Steel Hypercoaster
(2 rides - back row / third row)
Wait time: 15 minutes
Grade: A
2 excellent daytime rides. I've heard stories about the 3rd row being the "airtime" seat. Now I believe them.
DISASTER TRANSPORT
Indoor bobsled coaster
Wait time: 5 minutes
Grade: C
Still the same, lame old outer space themed coaster. I was hoping the park would do something interesting, like change the theme for the entire coaster during Halloweekends... no such luck. This thing gets more and more boring every year. The theming has a cheesy 80s 'lazer tag' vibe.
WICKED TWISTER
Double twisting impulse shuttle coaster
(2 rides - back row / third row)
Grade: A-
Wait time: 20 minutes
After some extended breakdown time, I managed 2 rides on this monster. I have to admit, I prefer V2 and Superman: Ultimate Escape for some reason, but WT is still an excellent ride. The crew working this coaster were perhaps the most efficient and enthusiastic of the day.
RAPTOR
Inverted Looping Coaster
(back row)
Grade: A
Wait time: 15 minutes (with fastpass)
Lines for this seemed shockingly short all day, so we probably didn't need the Fastpass. The ride itself was just as intense and exciting as ever. Back in June, the mid-course break didn't seem to be working, so the 2nd half of the ride was extremely intense. The break was noticeable this time, making the final helix a little bit less forceful than I remembered, not that it mattered.
MILENNIUM FORCE
Steel "Giga" Coaster
(front row)
Wait time: 40 minutes (with fastpass)
Grade: A+
This was the surprise of the day. I'd never bothered to wait the extra 1/2 hour for the front car, and I was amazed by what a difference it makes. My first front seat ride was ultra smooth and exciting. I even purchased my first on-ride photo!
IRON DRAGON
Suspended Coaster
(middle row)
Wait time: 15 minutes
Grade: C+
Dull & Slow. Only fun part was flying by Dragster's finish line. A good ride for small children & families, but fairly uninspiring otherwise.
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In addition to all the coasters, we also rode POWER TOWER (2 times), CHAOS, WAVE SWINGER, SKY RIDE, DEMON DROP and MATTERHORN, but I won't bother describing those in detail. After a long, satisfying day, I simply had to get a night ride on TTD...
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TOP THRILL DRAGSTER
World's first 420ft Steel "Strata-Coaster"
(2nd row)
Wait time: 1hour
Grade: A+
Jen & Michael were too freaked out to ride it again with me, so I waited alone. I probably called 11 or 12 people on my cel phone to keep me company, which made the whole thing go by even faster. The TTD ride crew was just cranking the trains through. It seemed like there was a launch every 45 seconds.
I highly recommend waiting for one of the first 2 rows on this coaster - you get a significantly better view of how high you really are. In the back seat, I was pulled over the top so fast I didn't even notice Millennium Force over 100 feet below me. I sure noticed this time... and the experience was exhilarating!
I purchased my 2nd on-ride photo of the day, still shaking from the experience. The ladies working at the photo counter were extremely nice, and seemed to be having almost as much fun as the customers.
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CONSENSUS:
Michael, Jennifer, & I had a great time this weekend...
My overall impression of Cedar Point is still quite positive, but I'm not sure I'll bother visiting for "Halloweekends" again. Saturdays in October are simply too crowded, especially when the weather is good. They also seemed grossly understaffed on Saturday, and on top of it all, the food and beverage workers at most places were performing at Six Flags level inefficiency, especially at the "Last Chance Saloon" on Saturday night (It took 1/2 hour to get a beer, and there were only 10 people I line in front of us!). I'd like to give a quick shout out to "Falon" however. She was working at the "Red Garter Saloon" and was doing a great job of slinging drinks in the midst of the outrageous mob. Big ups to the girl with the cool name!
If you must go in October, definitely make it a Sunday. It was one my best days ever at the Point.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the rest of the season!
Don't let one busy Saturday ruin your experience. You have to realize that Saturday was the busiest HalloWeekend ever. It's not that Cedar Point didn't want to be staffed, it was just nearly impossible. As far as Ride Operations go, when talking to other crews it sounds like each crew did the best that they could. Some rides weren't able to run at their full capacity (Gemini and Corkscrew have both had one or more trains taken off so Maintenance can get a jump start on refurbishing them). I'm sorry that you had a bad experience in Foods, but again, everyone was understaffed. Try coming this weekend, we'll try again.
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2003 Super Screw Crew
As for Corkscrew, I really wanted to get at least 1 lap in, but my friends absolutely hate it (they complain about headbanging, which I personally think is pretty minor on the 'Screw). I didn't want to be rude, so I decided to stick with them most of the time. Then only ride I went on by myself was my second launch on Top Thrill Dragster.
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