July 11, 2000

Well, after a much anticipated wait, I packed my bags and headed to the Point on Monday. This wasn't just a day trip either, seeing I live in Texas and 1100 miles from CP. Thank God for air travel :) I fly into Dayton and meet up with an old college buddy of mine and his family and we make the trek into Sandusky. We stayed at a hotel out on I75 to avoid the price those in Sandusky charge, and it was only a 25 mile ride into the park on Tuesday, but the trip back after a LONG day there got kind of tiresome.

We got to the gates about 8:30 and as soon as they opened we booked it back to Millenium Force. (well as fast as we could, my friend's got a 4 year old son, so we couldn't exactly run) There are MANY advantages to having a little one in your group, more on that later.

So when we get back there, the line is almost back to the tunnel, but they had just opened up the queue, so it wasn't that bad. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised when they started running at about 9:15. We got to the queue in about10 minutes, and here is where having a small child comes in handy. (I highly suggest bringing your niece or nephew with you if you don't have one of your own, or you could always ask your neighbor to borrow their's for a day :) ) In the meantime, a very friendly employee came up and asked if we wanted a baby swap pass...we already knew about this wonderful service CP provides for their guests, but we thought we'd have to run back to the front of the park to get one, so this saved us a hefty hike. (for those that don't know how this works, people in your group wait in the line and ride while one person waits back and babysits. When they get off the ride, they hand this pass to an op, and the person who babysat, and here's the kicker....one other person, even if they just got off the ride, gets to go up the exit for a walk on ride) He and his wife wanted their first ride to be together, so I babysat while they rode. Only took 45 minutes for them, so we just roamed around the Fronteir Trail a little and watched MF and Mantis run, he sure did love watching the trains run their course. I think we have a coaster fanatic in the making!!!! :) So after they got off, he and I went back up the exit for our ride. The ops get us buckled in, and wouldn't you know it, the ride goes down :( So they get us out, and run empty trains for about 15 minutes or so...talk about anxiety, I was sooooooo pumped, I thought I was going to explode! Finally, about 10:35 or so, they get us back in and lock us down...well, I'm a big guy, so there was no way in hell of getting a little free space between me and the lapbar LOL We move into the loading station, everyone else gets locked in, and the train just flys out of the station...up, up, up, up....and when you think you're at the top, you realize you are only HALF way up the hill...I was truly nervous, so my first ride wasn't as good as my other two, because I was holding on for dear life! We were in the 1st row of the second car and when we crest the hill, all I could yell was HOLY S***!!!! It was just guttaral and instictive, I couldn't have stopped myself if I had wanted too...but what a rush, you just keep dropping and dropping, then drop some more...simply amazing! The rest of the first ride is but a mere blur...but I do remember the amazing air time the whole way down the first hill over to the island. One of the interesting things that I liked was the crisscrossing of track on the island. I thought we were going to go left when you actually pull out to the right, neat little effect IMO, because it looks like you're going to go left. I'm not normally a screamer on coasters, always thought it was kind of childish, but I'll tell you what, you can't help but yell on this ride, the electricity in the air and the excitement is phenomenal! It wasn't even 11:00 yet, and I'm already hearing a crackling in my voice...I like that :) So my friend got got 2 rides on MF in a matter of an hour, and I only got one, but I was playing my cards...I wanted 2 NIGHT rides, so I let it slide and didn't say anything ;)

We head on back down the Frontier Trail towards Mean Streak...we got back there, and it is a beautiful ride...but that's the end of it. I rode solo on this one while they took the kiddo back to the Cadillac Cars for a spin. MS could be a great coaster, just a little too rough for me, the first half is great, but the second half felt like I'd just spent 4 hours as a tackling dummy at an NFL training camp! I got off, and they went up and took their obligatory MS ride...I think we're done with this ride for the day.

We hop on the CP&LE train for a spin back to the middle of the park, besides the kiddo loves trains...he was loving it. We walked back around past the Corkscrew, bypassing it, knowing there would be a virtual walk on all day...Power Tower was over an hour, so we passed it up for now too...headed straight to Magnum. It listed a 45 min wait, but we got on in about 35. The wife took the baby over to Camp Snoopy while we rode this one. Magnum was a great ride...a little rough in the pretzel turn, over all a great ride, the air time over the bunny hills coming back is terrific. I really like this coaster because of how the track is essentially hidden to those in the park. Only if you go to Soak City or that parking lot can you catch a glimpse of it. Definitely adds to the mystique of this classic! She meets up with us at the exit and they go on their ride together (Damn! Here he gets a second ride on the second best coaster in the park again...but I'm just holding my trump card for tonight :) )

It's pushing 2 o'clock now and we're getting pretty hungry...so even though we backtracked a little, we headed to the front of the park to find food and hit Raptor. We ate at the Silver Dollar Cafe...food was mediocre, and the service really sucked, but our waiter did answer a couple of questions for us about some shows. After eating, we didn't want to jump right on Raptor so we hit the IMAX movie. Pretty lame...graphics are pretty good, but the story line is non-existent...except for a good rest in the air conditioning, pass this one up. I had to find a bathroom after sitting there for awhile, so while I went, so to speak ;), they took the kiddo on the Dodge'ems and I met them back there.

We headed over to Raptor next. Like I said earlier, I'm a big guy, and was concerned about the Raptor restraints, I have yet to experience an inverted coaster in the past, both Batman and Dueling Dragons didn't cut it, but I've lost 40 pounds since I tried either of those, so I kept my fingers crossed...but to no avail...came up about 2 inches shy of buckling...oh well, I'm going to Florida in Novemeber...and I WILL ride DD then :) It was an hour wait, so I took the kiddo over to Kiddie Kingdom and let him ride to his heart's content while they rode Raptor. Timed it perfect, we walked up to the exit just as they were walking down the ramp...and I could see it in their eyes...they were dizzy as could be...Raptor took a couple more victims LOL They could barely walk straight, but said it was a great ride...guess I'll just have to plan another trip to CP for next summer ;)

The wife said she was done riding for the day, but we changed that a little later in the evening, we still hadn't hit Gemini or Mantis...and our final night ride on that "other" coaster! hehehehe

So we headed back by Power Tower and only a 30 minute wait...and like I told you, we changed her mind, they went for their ride while I babysat, and then I rode it with her...she loved it!!!! We did the Space Shot side and had a great ride. The ops there are really cool, ours liked playing with our minds. He got both me and my friend on each of our respective rides. Standing there talking with you, asking if you are afraid of heights, then in mid-sentence, blasting you toward the sky...kinda cruel to someone who can't really take it, but I felt it added to the excitement of not really know when you were gonna be launched. Would like to have gotten a ride on the drop side, but time just didn't allow it.

note: we did pass on the Blue Streak and Demon Drop, I had ridden both of them before (20 years ago) and they wanted to be sure to hit the other rides first.

The wife took off with the kid to Camp Snoopy again while my friend and I hit the Corkscrew and Gemini. Good ride on the Corkscrew...this was the second looper I had ridden way back when I was a kid, so there was a little nostalgia mixed in too. (the first was the now defunct Screamin' Demon at PKI) We only had a 4 train wait, and talked about a second ride, but passed to go on back to Gemini.

Gemini was virtually a walk on...a one train wait for the back, and maybe a 3 train wait for the front. We took the back and had a great ride. This one was a little too big for me when I was 8 so this was my first time on it. Alot of fun, and amazingly smooth for being 22 years old. We got off and I snuck in two more rides while he went and found the wife and kid. They did a quick ride together while I babysat, and we headed back toward magnum. I wanted a second trip on it, so they went back to Camp Snoopy for the baby's first coaster experience...well, technically second, he rode Jr. Gemini earlier...but Woodstock is more of a coaster for a little kid :)

My second ride on the Magnum, I opted for the "ejector" seat...that was a mistake LOL I've still got bruises on my thigh from being thrown into the lap bar...which was down as tight as it would go...and I still couldn't keep from feeling the pain. Still a great ride, I just won't ever ride in the 1-3 seat again LOL

Got off and went and found them over in Camp Snoopy, and the kiddo was bouncing off the walls...they said after the first ride on Woodstock...he kept yelling "More, More...again...again!!" Like I said, we've got a little coaster fanatic in the making!! :)

It was pushing 7 o'clock by now, and we needed to line up as to how we wanted to plan our evening, so we could get a night ride on MF, and we still needed to hit Mantis. They wanted some ice cream, so I went and got in line for Mantis while they did that. It was about a 45 minute wait. Great ride...I had to squeeze in, but no problems. The only other stand up I've ridden is Iron Wolf at SFGAm which was ok...but Mantis is twice the coaster that IW is. I took Jeff's advice and put my feet back all the way and leaned into the restraints, and I think that made the difference. While I was pulling some intense G's pulling out of the loops, it wasa good ride...although one time in a day was enough for me. They went and rode and came right back. She was feeling a little rough, so we just chilled for a bit before lining up for our nighttime MF experience.

We had started to get a little worried, because we hadn't seen a train run for awhile, I think it was down part of the evening...but we toughed it out and had faith. My friend was getting a little hungry, so we hike up to the Pizza Patio and grabbed a slice and went back to the MF queue. It was about 10:30 or so when he and I went into the line and they had it up and running, so we were psyched! We only waited about 1 1/4 hours for our ride...although we had a couple of times we got worried again when we wouldn't hear a train run for a little while...but come to find out, they were putting on the third train!!!! Even better, I think this is why our wait was so short. By now, I've already convinced him that I wanted a second ride with the wife, and he said no problem...but we weren't sure if she'd want to ride again or not, she looked a little green after Mantis...so I told him I would love a third time, but only if she wants to go.

We get up to the station and unfortunately, didn't get a shot at the front seat, so we high-tailed it to the second to back row...someone else beat us out for the very back seat :( I still want to experienc the front, but I really think that I will like the back better because of the massive pull you get going over the lift. All my fears had subsided after the first lap that morning, it was hands up all the way baby!!!!!! Not only does this thing seem to move faster after a long day of operation...the night atmosphere just adds to the intensity. You can't see anything but blackness going down the hill, and you are just leaning out over your lap bar like your are floating above the train!!! Simply amazing!!!! Screaming the whole way....by the end of the ride, my voice was gone...but I didn't care, I was still squeaking out what I could LOL

One thing I love about MF is the "brother/sisterhood" it creates among it's riders. Everyone is so pumped about riding, at night with the music pumping makes it even better, and how EVERYONE, those on the train, those in the queue just yell like crazy everytime a train flies through the final turn. AWESOME!!! THAT is one of the things that makes this the best coaster anywhere. I have NEVER seen people get so worked up over just seeing the train fly by...and fly it does!!!

We have an awesome ride, and we give the op our swap pass, just in case she wants to ride, although neither of us thought she would want too...but much to our surprise, she was up and ready for that last ride!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Two night rides within minutes of each other!!!!! I let her pick the seat, and she went for the back seat of the next to the last car...that was fine with me, so long as I got one more dose!!! :) I had no voice already, but I screamed anyway and once again, an unbelievable ride!!! I think we were within the last 10 trains of the night, because when we got off the end of the line was up to the unloading station.

All in all, this was an amazing trip. I wish I could have gone back for a second day, but I'm not so sure my body could have handled a second day. My muscles still ache from all the walking...I swear I put 20 miles on my Nikes...but for another dose of the Force I would walk 100 miles...uphill both ways, in 20 feet of snow!!! :) Everyone should experience this monster of a coaster! Just go and ride...get there anyway you can, sell internal organs, mortgage the house, pack up the family and move, hitchhike, do what ever you have to do to get there....you won't be dissappointed!

Until next year, and I will be visiting again next year...I need my annual fix (at least until I can convince my company to transfer me to OH :) ) Later!
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20 years since my last visit to the Point...that all comes to an end July 11!!!!!!!

Hey LonestarGator, sounds like you had a great time. :-) I do have a question for ya though. You said you couldn't quite squeeze into the Raptor seats. When I was there in June, I managed (with the help of the ops) to get into one. Can I assume that since you rode the Power Tower the restraints are bigger? I passed on it since I had such a trouble with Raptor. Any insight from a fellow "big guy" is appreciated. :-)

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-JJ

Awesome report, man......

Those who are "borderline" with the Raptor restraints should have no problem with Power Tower. There is more room.

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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual

jjfang,

Yeah, they are bigger...I even had a little slack in the belt! I went to IOA last summer and was about a half inch shy on Dr. Doom's Fear Fall...so I knew after 40 pounds gone wouldn't have a problem. Raptor is much tighter, on Dueling Dragons the belt didn't even reach the bottom of the OTS harness, even with the "larger" seats that B&M puts on newer coasters...but on Raptor (sans the 40 pounds)the buckle laid flat on the front of the restraint, but just couldn't make it over the top into the buckle...it will work next time...I guarantee!!!

One other note about PT...I did watch one guy who was a BIG guy ride it. I felt sorry for him, because it took about an extra 2 or 3 minutes and 2 ride ops to force the restraint down, but hey, he got to ride anyway LOL But if you rode raptor...you won't have a problem on PT!!

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20 years since my last visit to the Point...that all comes to an end July 11!!!!!!!

Sweet thanks for the info. Next year, I won't pass this one up.
Oh FYI, if you go to PKI, you might want to skip Drop Zone. That one was even tighter than Raptor and the harness ledt bruises where it was pressed into my flesh. Ouch! hehe

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-JJ

LOL...no need to skip Drop Zone then...like I said, next year, Raptor will be mine...I plan on being down 75 pounds by thanksgiving, and even more by next summer...only took 5 months to lose 40, just another 80 or so to go =)

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20 years since my last visit to the Point...that all comes to an end July 11!!!!!!!