6/4-CoasterMania (I actually won!)

Arrived at the park on 6/4 around 2 p.m. and entered through the Magnum Gate. Saw that TTD had quite an impressive line so I opted for a quick spin on Magnum as it was all of a 10 minute wait at the most. Good stuff. After Magnum I headed over to TTD and realized that it was closed due to mechanical reasons and that tons of people were leaving the queue so I decided to wait outside the line to get in line when/if it opened up. I waited for about an hour and eventually they started testing trains. They let us in and by that time so many people had left the line, that we were all the way up on the ramp. I was totally stoked about this for sure. But it was short lived. The ride kept on breaking down. It would launch a couple of trains then on another attempt the brake fins would pop up prematurely and another delay would ensue. This went on for a very long time and every time it would "stick" more and more people would get out of line. So now I'm all the way up to the turnstyle. It commenced to raining and one of the ride op's let us come on in the station to avoid getting soaked. I went to a line that had nobody in it because I just had a feeling that the ride would come back up and I wanted out on that first train. (praying for a rollback) And then it happened...they successfully launched a series of about 6 trains. By now a line outside the queue had developed and was watching us load up in the train. We got on, and they pushed us out for a launch and just as it was about to happen, the rolled us back into the station. I was aggravated but ready to get off without complaint. Then a female ride attendant told me, (after I had unbuckled my seat belt)"No No, we're gonna launch you guys...hang tight!" So I got my buckle fastened back up and then shoved us out again. The anticipation was KILLING all of us. The crowd was pumped and so where we. And finally after over 4 hours of waiting through all the breakdowns, we launched and my God was it ever a total rush. After coming down off my 420 foot high, I decided to head on over to MF since everybody else in the park got the wise idea to go to TTD. Smart move on my part as MF became all of a 20 minute wait. As I was in line for MF, I watched the countdown lights on the tower repeatedly and noticed that it didn't launch a train after the lights went off. She broke down again and remained that way for the rest of my trip. I could totally care less because I got my one and best ride ever in. I really don't even remember what else I rode that day because I was so wild over that ride on TTD. The day ended on a great note I do know that.

6/5 Did the JCC thing and got a couple of rides in on MF early on with minimal wait. I managed my way around the park that day but didn't do a heck of a lot of riding as it was quite busy with school kids and church groups. I did some serious window shopping though and made up my "wish list" for later on. Yet another day where I can't remember exactly what I rode but I do know that I got my fill and then some.

CoasterMania-This was only the second time I had been to the event and I was so glad I decided to come up for it as opposed to going to St. Louis for the weekend. I met up with Teejmeister from GTTP at 5:30 and got our tickets and X papers. We chatted a bit and speculated what these tickets where for. I had a really good idea in my mind but wasn't about to say it outloud. I noticed that MF was running trains before we got into the park and I immediately knew that TTD was gonna be down and we were gonna get ERT on MF instead. That was more than fine by me since I can safely say that I like MF better anyhow. A park management type came out and talked to the crowd and told us the news that TTD was in fact down and the slight changes in ERT for the morning. Then the park did something that I was just totally floored by. They gave all of us with the X papers boarding passes for any ride except TTD AND a freeway pass for TTD. It just couldn't get any better for me personally! (Oh yes it could.. keep on reading!) So after a great early morning ride on MF, we headed over to PT and did the down shot side. I'm petrified of freefall-type rides and this was my hell for sure. Afterwards Teejmeister had to do some phone calls and we split up. I did the upshot a couple of times and then headed on over to MF for JCC entry. Here's where I get pissed. A group of very loud and extremely obnoxious guys were in line before me and they ganged up with another guy that was staying at Breakers and they all had a "story" that all seven of them were staying in room 2240 together. The longer I heard them concocting this story the more I wanted to rat them out but I didn't. I couldn't let my day get ruined by this. I was so stunned as we entered the queue and they just let all seven of them on in. There has got to be another way for this to be avoided. Don't the hotels give out a pass for each individual in the party? If not, they need to. Maybe I'm just being overly annoyed by this I dunno but I quickly got over it as I got in line for front seat on MF. I immediately got over all the worries beforehand when the ride was over. I got off and got right back in line and rode mid-train. I don't know where I like to sit best on that ride.. just that I like to ride it!

I did some other coasters throughout the day and meandered around till it was time for the Q&A session. I enjoyed the one last year and was really looking forward to it again. They showed some really great news clips of TTD media day. There were some really great questions asked and allot of praises by the guests attending. I was personally touched when Janice Withrow (I think that was her name..somebody correct me if I'm wrong please) got up and said that to the park, us enthusiasts were like a family. That meant allot. I went ahead and waited around and sat through the second Q&A session too so I could hear more good questions. After it was over, I got to do something that I've never done before, I watched the divers diving into the pool from the observation windows. Now that was cool.

I meandered around till lunch time and then made my way to the Point Pavillion. Now I've bragged and chummed it up to my family and even on CoasterBuzz that I was going to win that Front Of The Line essay contest and sure enough, that guy called out my name. I could have screamed like a girl! LOL All six of the winners got up there and we read our essays to the crowd. The park put together a bag full of goodies for us and in it was some really neat stuff! A TTD t-shirt, hat, keychain, canteen, candybar, stuffed bear, media day pin, video and a mouse pad. All in all this stuff alone was totally great. They told the winners that they'd email us with their decision on what they would send us as far as the privelage to cut in front of everyone in line. I headed back to my hotel room to take a nap and rest up for the nighttime festivities. After returning to the park, I got about 4 rides on Raptor before the park closed and I tell ya' that thing was running like crazy! Faster than I had ever been on it before in my life. For night ERT I did about 3 spins on Magnum, 4 or 5 waitless rides on WT and then headed back to my room. I was exhausted and had to get up early to had to PKI for BeastBuzz.

I learned something from this whole trip. CP can and does care for each and every guest that comes into that park and tries their best to satisfy each one of them. I found out that if you go to the park operations office and ask them a particular question, no matter how insignificant it may seem, they will whip out this incredible book and look up the answer for you. (I had a question about the pressed pennies and they NAILED it for me! ) Thank you CP for putting on this event. Thank you for putting up with allot of whining by enthusi-asses who were upset with TTD being down. Thank you for going above and beyond by giving out the X papers. Thank you for being Cedar Point. You'll continue to get my patronage for a very long time.

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This ain't no book you you can close, when the big light hits your eyes. Cropduster-Riot Act-Pearl Jam

Congrats on winning the contest!

I too was at Coastermania and was excited about riding TTD for the first time (I'm from NJ, so this would be my only trip to the point most likely for the year). When they said TTD would be down, I expected the worst, but kept hoping that the ride would run eventually.

Anyways, they called my name at lunch and I couldnt believe it! I was also one of the winners! The bag of stuff was awesome, it was too bad that TTD didnt open.

Was I dissapointed that TTD was closed? Absoultely. Was I so mad that I will never visit the park ever again? No way. :-) The park and their customer service is awesome. If it was some other park with their main attraction closed, they wouldnt give anything to compensate (giving the two passes was very classy on their part).

The ERT was great as was everything about the event (except for TTD closed. lol)

Now I'm just waiting for their e-mail response about the contest. :-)