First Visit to Cedar Point in Twenty Years - September 2, 2016

As the title suggests I visited Cedar Point on September 2nd for the first time in over twenty years. Growing up outside of Detroit my family took regular trips to Cedar throughout the mid-1970s, 1980s, and the early 1990s. We would make one multiple-day trip every year in which we stayed at the (even at that time) very outdated and falling apart Breakers hotel and would make additional single-day trips as my sister and I became older.

After leaving home to go to school, my family stopped our annual trips to Cedar Point around 1991/1992. Then, in 1996 I took some friends to the park only to realize that in the 3-4 years since my last visit I had acquired a severe case of motion sickness. (I was shocked to have felt nausea after getting off the then new Mantis stand-up roller coaster). Alas, this new condition coupled with the fact that I was getting older and had different priorities led me to forget about Cedar Point. Then, last year my wife and I visited friends in Toronto and because both couples have kids aged 3 and 5, we decided to visit Canada's Wonderland. Needless to say, I quickly discovered that amusement rides have changed in the last two decades!

With small kids and a fear of getting sick, I restricted myself to riding only a few roller coasters. Fortunately, as I've come to discover, I chose some memorable rides, namely Behmouth and Leviathan. I was hooked, as were my wife and daughters. So, in the last year, we visited Michigan's Adventure, King's Island, Magic Kingdom, returned to Canada's Wonderland, and Cedar Point (this trip was with two other couples, not our kids). In addition to visiting these parks and having a tendency towards obsessive compulsion, I also read with great interest about the coaster wars of the 1990s and early 2000s, about the various amusement ride manufacturers (especially the seemingly everlasting enthusiast's debate regarding the German manufacturers Intamin and B&M), about the various types of roller coasters invented, and generally about the maturation of the amusement industry since I last experienced it 20 years ago.

Because i have been lurking on this website and CoasterBuzz for the last 6-8 months and because I have appreciated reading your insights, opinions, and information, I thought I would share my reactions to my visit.

The Park: Even with a drastically different entrance, the park still felt like "cedar point." It was clean, efficient, and friendly.

The most notable differences I observed were: (1) no demon drop at the entrance!; (2) being able to see the lake due to the elimination of avalanche run (although the old aquarium looks really sad and out of place now); (3) no pirate ride and pirate ship in front of the blue streak (this might have been the most strange absence as climbing on the pirate ship and cooling off on the pirate ride was an important part of the experience for me); (4) entering the blue streak from the opposite side (and especially not being able to watch the ride operators manually pull the wood triggers to release the trains); (5) the entire southwestern section of the islands (the section with Raptor, Valravn, and Rougarou) -- especially the elimination of the mill ride (and wasn't cedar point downs near the mill ride at some point?); (6) the removal of the kiddie rides near the skyride loading station and the midway chaing from games and entertainment to stores and restaurants; (7) no more paddle-boat ride!; (8) no longer having the Ferris wheel predominately in the middle of the park; (9) no more sky needle (or whatever the needle was called); (10) with top thrill dragster across the midway from Corkscrew, both corkscrew and iron dragon are no longer the main attractions they once were (this is especially true with iron dragon as Rougarou subsumes the northern portion of iron dragon -- I thought the interplay of the two rides was unfortunate); (11) the entire camp snoopy development across from Gemini (what happened to the Berenstein Bears [just kidding]; and (13) soak city completely surrounding Magnum which lessens the effect of feeling like you're leaving the park when riding Magnum.

Also, although Frontier town has largely remained intact, there seems to be a felt difference between how it operates now and how it operated 30 years ago. I couldn't determine if this difference was simply a product of getting older, or whether it was because the approach to frontier town had changed with the introduction of Maverick, Millennium Force, and Skyhawk. Regardless, it seems more integrated into the park then I remembered and no longer the "escape" it used to be.

The rides:

Blue Streak - Great! I commend Cedar Point for taking such good care of this roller coaster. I love the chaotic feel of classic wood roller coasters and, although there are now seatbelts, headrests, and seat dividers in the trains, Blue Streak was still a lot of fun to ride (although it shocked me to see how insignificant it now looks next to Raptor and Valravn).

GateKeeper - Pretty Ride. Very smooth. Underwhelming. I like the feeling of wind blowing through my sandals and enjoyed the views of the beach while climbing the first hill, but I didn't find this ride as thrilling as other rides.

Raptor - Did not ride due to fear of getting sick. My friends really enjoyed it.

Valravn - I enjoyed this ride and look forward to revisiting it when the crowds are distracted by the next newest coaster. Although I have read some enthusiasts complain that drop coasters are just "one hit wonders," that one hit is very cool! I will ride this coaster many times simply for the rush of looking through my legs in preparation of falling 200 feet straight down.

Iron Dragon - (1) the ride is now old enough to be cool again. i can't wait to take my 5-year-old daughter on this coaster, knowing that she'll love it; (2) it's unfortunate that Rogarou overwhelms Iron Dragon. Iron Dragon is a very pretty coaster with the new color scheme and the interplay of the track, the forest, and the water. With Rougarou towering over the first lift hill, however, the initial excitement felt from climbing the first lift hil is diminished.

Rougarou - I did not ride due to fear of getting sick, but my wife rode it three times. She thought the ride was great, especially considering she never had to wait to get on.

Millennium Force - I thought the ride was 'ok' the first time I rode it, but think this reaction was largely due to the fact that I had expectation created from riding the B&M hyper coasters Leviathan, Behemoth, and Diamondback. In the last fifteen years, it's apparent that ride manufacturers have "upped" their games. I ended up riding this coaster two more times and grew to like it more throughout the day. Of all the rides, the designers of Millennium Force nailed the ambiance in the station. The single neon light and the ambient groove of the music was well thought out. I wished more rides were as cool to entire as Millennium Force.

Maverick - I rode this roller coaster twice. The first time I didn't know what to think because it was so frenetic. I loved it after the second ride. cool and fun ride.

Mean Streak - it was sad for me to see the terrible state of this once glorious coaster. It was evident to even a novice like myself that this coaster had too many band-aid fixes attached to the structure to the point that it didn't even feel like the ride I remembered. What a travesty. The decision to eliminate Mean Streak seems to be many years too late. I look forward to seeing what replaces it.

Gemini - I did not ride and am a little upset I didn't ride it as this was THE RIDE when I was a kid.

Magnum - Like Mean Streak I left Magnum feeling sad. I remember Magnum being the king of kings, the ride that towered over all others. Now, it's height, slope, and speed felt unremarkable. If I wasn't there to experience its history and to see my father's mouth drop when he first saw it, I would be confused as to how such a roller coaster was at Cedar Point. The memory of this ride is far greater than the experience of riding it today, in my opinion.

Top Thrill Dragster - Awesome. Really amazing. Thrilling. I loved this ride.

Corkscrew - unlike Mean Streak or Magnum, the nostalgia surrounding corkscrew seems right on point. It still looks cool and makes me feel like i should be wearing a Journey t-shirt while riding it.

Skyhawk - Wow! What a cool, crazy thing this is. Hilariously entertaining. I laughed the entire time.

Mine Ride - I didn't ride it, although it still looks great. The stained wood and surrounding trees are a welcome break from the sterile surroundings of the other ubiquitous and brightly colored steel coasters.

I spent an hour sleeping on the beach in one of the beach chairs and got a coffee at the Breakers. As has been noted, the hotel and the beach look great. I'll certainly take time in mid-day to relax at the beach the next time I visit.

I think that's it. We had a really nice day. We're thinking of purchasing a platinum pass for next season and look forwarding to experiencing and learning more. It's interesting although slightly traumatic to revisit a childhood memory like Cedar Point. On one hand, the waves of nostalgia are mesmerizing. While, on the other hand, the realization that you're no longer the impressionable 10-year-old old kid that you remember is strongly felt. Alas, I look forward to relieving those experiences through the eyes of my daughters while we together create new family memories.

I wish I could vote you up twice. Your entry is everything a trip report should be.

A couple of things for you. Cedar Downs is in the same spot it always was since it arrived in 1968. Raptor took the place of Mill Race, so the rides were neighbors, just not next door neighbors. Blue Streak was always between the two.
Also- you know Rougarou is actually Mantis with new paint and different trains, right? So when Mantis made you sick it towered over Iron Dragon just the same as it does now.

Your assessment of the rides at CP is pretty much dead on, and you shouldn't get too many arguements from this group. Although, MF and Magnum will continue to always be two of my favorites. And you're absolutely right, Magnum was at one time the jaw-dropping ride, wasn't it? How bout that view of Cedar Point from the causeway now, right?

Thanks for writing.

Thank you for the kind words RCMAC.

In regards to your comments about Cedar Downs - I thought that it was roughly in the same area that I remembered. But, the space and spatial relationships with the rides in the southwestern quadrant feel really wacky now that everything has been opened up. Prior to last week's visit, I would've imagined blue streak located on the side of the park, not the bottom (I think this was because you had to walk around the old picnic stands but I couldn't figure out why the Blue Streak was surprisingly close to the front gate.) Raptor certainly changes that quadrant. I'm struggling trying to remember the relationship between the Mill Race and Cedar Downs. Wasn't there a second set of Cadillac Cars right there too? And, for that matter, I remember there being a "modern" car ride on the same side of the midway. Did I miss these? Or, is my memory incorrect?

The other confusion I felt was in regard to the point you made about the relationship between Rogarou/Mantis and the Iron Dragon being the same today as it was in 96. I simply didn't remember that. More surprising is that I didn't remember Mantis' entrance being across the path from the train station. In my mind I visualized the ride closer to where Raptor is located. So, I started questioning myself as to whether I actually rode Raptor and not Mantis. But, I distinctly remember the stubby "crotch/seats," shoulder restraints, and how weird the train looked with a big platform. And, until riding the Silver Streak with my daughter this year at Canada's Wonderland, I have no memory of riding a suspended roller coaster. The only explanation I had was back in 96 I was too cool for the Iron Dragon and simply didn't pay attention. And, having only been to the park once since they started putting large rides in the front southwest area, I simply forgot where everything was and how everything changed (the back of the park was much more familiar to me).

The Magnum was certainly a game changer. It's hard to imagine waiting hours, like we did, to ride it with such nervous excitement. Waxing in nostalgia: I also remember the 80s as a time of crowds chanting -- I remember the 'great taste / less filling' chants frequently breaking out in the Gamini queue and doing the wave while waiting in line for other rides. In this way, I think a certain je na sais quoi is missing in the atmosphere -- I remember that Cedar Point used to employee people to stand at kiosks in the middle of queues to sell drinks and to play music. Now it's all vending machines and televisions. A lot of little subtle things like that created memorable experiences while standing in line. Everything wasn't just the ride itself.

In regards to your comments about the Cadillac cars, tose are still there, next to Cedar Downs. The Turnpike Cars, or modern cars as you called them, were removed to make space for Valravn.

Urumqi said:

The Magnum was certainly a game changer. It's hard to imagine waiting hours, like we did, to ride it with such nervous excitement. Waxing in nostalgia: I also remember the 80s as a time of crowds chanting -- I remember the 'great taste / less filling' chants frequently breaking out in the Gamini queue and doing the wave while waiting in line for other rides. In this way, I think a certain je na sais quoi is missing in the atmosphere -- I remember that Cedar Point used to employee people to stand at kiosks in the middle of queues to sell drinks and to play music. Now it's all vending machines and televisions. A lot of little subtle things like that created memorable experiences while standing in line. Everything wasn't just the ride itself.

It's ironic that you raise this point. In reading your initial trip report (I agree with RCMAC, it was very refreshing) I was reminded of my first ever visit to the park. It was during the summer of 1989 just after graduating from high school with a bus load of kids on a day trip. I recall the view from the causeway and that crazy giant orange steel structure punctuating the skyline! The majority of my time in the park that day was waiting in line three different times to ride Magnum, which certainly was a thing of beauty and awe that summer! In between Magnum rides, a small group of us sprinted (you'd NEVER see me doing that THESE days) to the front of the park to ride Demon Drop! I may have had a ride or two on a few other things, but not much!

While in line for Magnum at 2 or 3 hours a pop, there were always at least 2 (sometime 3 or 4) blow up beach balls being volleyed back and forth and usually there was any of a number of TV show theme songs being poorly sung by 75% of the queue line. It was a LONG wait for what was an awesome ride at the time, and there were no cell phones or ipods to occupy our wait time. It was definitely a more "party-like" atmosphere and you actually made some sort of connection with those in line around you.

I imagine if someone tried to start a beach ball volley or a group sing-a-long in a queue line today they would get some pretty strange looks and/or would simply end up on youtube or instagram characterized as a crazy idiot.

Great memories Rusty. I suppose it's a sign of the times: "amusement is a serious business!"

The stretch "north" of the Blue Streak midway hasn't changed. Corral, Cedar Downs, The Subway stand, and Cadillacs are still in their original spots. The Blue Streak midway had Silver Dollar Cafe, now Chickie &Petes, Pirate Ride, BS, Calypso, and Turnpike. That must be the auto ride you remember, and it lost some of its space and went from two tracks to one when Raptor's cobra role came along to encroach. Turnpike was removed for Valravn and Calypso moved to the other side of town to be reborn as Tiki Twirl.

It's funny how memories change through the years, and misconceptions become reality. I first went to CP as an upcoming third grader in 1962. Imagine the changes since then and how I occasionally,... ok, continuously,... struggle to keep the 50-odd seasons since then straight in my mind. And while it's not necessary or required to keep those memories right, I'll admit I'm rather compulsive about it.

I guess I should have held on to all those park maps.

I only see 1 problem with this trip report, and that is: you didn't ride Wicked Twister?! ;)

Wicked Twister is/was one of my favorites anywhere, until I didn't fit.

And I think this is one of my favorite trip reports of all time.

TwisterWicker -- point well taken. Two in our group went on the Wicked Twister while I enjoyed my time on the beach and another took part in a phone conference ;) -- I'll be sure to report back next year after giving it a go.

Urumqi said:

The other confusion I felt was in regard to the point you made about the relationship between Rogarou/Mantis and the Iron Dragon being the same today as it was in 96. I simply didn't remember that. More surprising is that I didn't remember Mantis' entrance being across the path from the train station. In my mind I visualized the ride closer to where Raptor is located.

Mantis' original entrance was located further away from the train station than it is now. You can see what remains of the old entrance path that crossed the tracks here near the red arrow (blue arrow shows present-day entrance):

Regarding your motion sickness, how did you manage this time around? I too suffer from pretty significant motion sickness - spinny rides are comepletely out, and unless I'm medicated, I have to seriously pace myself. I've used Dramamine in the past, but didn't like the drowsiness. These days I take generic Bonine. With that, I can handle a couple consecutive rides even on Raptor before I start to feel wonky.

Thanks for the clarification djDaemon - Seeing where the original approach to Mantis helps, but it still doesn't clear the confusion in my mind in which I remembered the ride closer to the front gates! C'est la vie. In regards to my motion sickness, it seems like you and I handle the situation very similarly. I go on rides which do is not constantly spin and pace myself on how many I go on. I also take Dramamine like pills throughout the day. But, like you, they make me feel really drowsy (the reason I ended up spending an hour on the beach sleeping). After my cat nap on the beach, I felt much better and stopped taking the pills. Next time I'm going to try going without the pills and just take it easy as to how many rides I ride.

I think it was last year a beach ball was making the rounds in line for Maverick but someone missed and it fell in the water :( I always hated when they would send employees into the Magnum queue to take away the balls. The interaction with other people in line is definitely less than it used to be although last night at Mean Streak most people were quite chatty. We even ended up comparing concert pics on our cameras with someone else who had seen the Paul McCartney show in Cleveland the day after we did while we were waiting for last rites to begin.

I never understood (and didn't really like) the line entry for Mantis starting as a railroad track crossing. Seemed odd too me, and I was happy too see it moved to where it is now.

Urumqi said:

Thanks for the clarification djDaemon - Seeing where the original approach to Mantis helps, but it still doesn't clear the confusion in my mind in which I remembered the ride closer to the front gates! C'est la vie.

In 1996 when Mantis was built, Millennium Force would not have been on that midway. WildCat would have been across from Iron Dragon. There would have been a big laser show screen in front of the train station (no Luminosity stage) and the Big Wheel would have been behind the station. It seems to me there was a sign for the Frontier Trail near the Red Garter too that I just realized was probably removed in 2000 with MF.

Especially with the Big Wheel's lights at night being much like the other carnival lights on the main Funway, I often thought of that area as being the "front" of the park too. Without that connection to the front and no clear delineation about where the Trail begins, that area tends to blend into the Frontier Trail a little more after you reach the train station and makes it feel more like the "middle", where it really is.