Help for first time Mantis rider...

I have never rode the Mantis before. I have always been terrified of roller coasters that go upside down. But last year I finally took my first ride on the Raptor and LOVED it!

I was just wondering if the Mantis and Raptor are simliar in ride experience? I am about 5'3 and I also heard that depending on your height, standing up may be very uncomortable. Is this true?

Before I rode the Raptor I had posted a post in here sort of like this one. I got a lot of feedback and it really helped me make my decision on getting on the coaster to see what it was like. Does anyone have anything to say here that may make me less afraid of the Mantis and more willing to ride it?

Thanks for your help. :)

Ride in the front = not as rough.

Lean forward so your head isn't in between the harness.

If you're a guy (sorry, I can't tell by the name :() But stand up and push up as hard as you can. Otherwise it can get painful.

My suggestion is to make sure your feet are back as far as they can be, and lean forward. Also, Don't try to fight the G's by not bending your knees.

I think If you bend your knees and don't stand up straight they pull the harness up untill you are standing up straight. It could be hard for you to bend your knees but if you can bend your knees it helps for a better ride. Don't Sit on the seat. That was massive pain durring the drop and the rest of the ride.

Yeah lean forward. It insures that you wont get the head banging that you get from keeping your head in-between the OTSR's when the train makes those really tight turns.

In other words, go with the flow... be the coaster. Which the same thing could be said for wooden coasters.

Get a hand stamp and wait for the front. You'll get a great view and the smoothest ride possible. I find that you really don't need to lean forward until after the mid course brakes. I love Mantis! ;)

Dont do it!!!!

Just kidding,

Actually its not that bad. Mantis is one of my least favorate coasters at the point because its just uncomfortable unless your a female.

However, after learning the hard way where to lift myself up off the seat....its not as bad.

my problem with mantis isnt the seat so much as the pressure exerted on your legs, its a unique + uncomfortable feeling :) by far my least favorite coaster at the point, but the only stand up ive ever ridden, so maybe that style is just not for me.

Like everyone else has said, just keep your head forward to avoid headbanging and try to keep the seat from touching your body and you'll be fine. Mantis, while not my favorite coaster at the park, provides a unique ride experience that you shouldn't miss. Also: FreeWay stamps are a must, because the lines for that ride can get brutally long.
*** Edited 3/1/2005 8:10:10 PM UTC by MillenniumMan1287***

The Mantis is not a very good ride. Standing up on a rollercoaster isn't fun at all. Plus there are a few places that make it uncomfortable for guy riders.

Mantis is one of my favorite coasters. It gets a lot of bashing but I think it really is a great coaster. I've learned to keep my head forward and to keep my legs completely straight. The first loop on it is amazing. I just wonder why they made it a 2 train coaster. Wouldn't the line move faster if they got they third train running?

CPking,

I believe Mantis DID have 3 trains, for awhile. I don't remember why they cut it back to 2. Maybe someone else here does.

MrScott

I skip past Mantis unless the line is REALLY short. My legs are usually gel by the time I get through the typically slow wait, and then I have to stand up on the ride? Call me lazy, call me out of shape, call me old, but I can do without. I'm not saying it's a bad coaster (in the realm of stand-ups, it's easily one of the best), it can just take a lot out of a person.

But the stand-up coaster is a dying fad, so do it while you can!

Cedar Point no longer runs three train on Mantis as they stacked them consistently, because of the load and un-load times. I remember in 96 and they always had both trains sitting on the breaks. Although Mantis has had some poor crews in the past you can't blame it only on them. I think the load and un-load times would be alot quicker if people knew how to follow simple instructions.

CoasterGuy78, as much of a fad ride that Mantis was, I don't see it going anywhere anytime soon. Cedar Point isn't going to take a $12 million doller investment in the nuts.

CPKid said:
Don't Sit on the seat.

While I've never tried that, and never will... What kind of sensation is experienced if one sits down?

Go ask someone to kick you in the nuts. That's what sitting down will do to you on Mantis.

And for us older gents...it sometimes does that to you standing up.

I've ridden that sucker twice in my life. Not one of my favorite coasters, for sure.

MrScott

MrScott said:
Go ask someone to kick you in the nuts. That's what sitting down will do to you on Mantis.

Listen to him! He speaks from experience!

I have always loved The Mantis, I think it is a decent standup, one of the better ones, it doesn't compare to the smoothness of Riddler's Revenge. But Riddler's doesn't have as twisted of track that makes it worth standing up on. I think that's one of the reasons that it is much smoother, it is more spread out, with no quick direction changes, but that is also what it lacks, because that is why it is unique standing on a ride.