Mean Streak- Redone

Except Blue Streak has individual ratcheting lap bars. No, it doesn't need them, the buzz bars worked fine. But, I think a reason the high back seats and individual bars were put in was because idiots constantly tried to stand or sit on the back ledge of the car. I remember stopping on the lift numerous times where the ride op had to yell at people for misbehaving. The revised restraints pretty much brought that behavior to a stop.

And I'm surprised to hear someone say those bars don't go down far enough. I'm always quite stapled in. And if the ride is empty those bars sit directly on top of the seats.

Blue Streak go? No. No, no, no, and also, no. It's a perfect coaster in a perfect place with a small footprint. Call me sentimental, but that's one of my favorite coasters.

I'd guess that Mean Streak's longevity has less to do with coaster diversity or removal costs and more to do with: it may not meet enthusiast metrics, but it continues to meet whatever metrics Cedar Fair has in place to justify its existence.

I meant to imply that Blue Streak's restraints are already overkill, and therefore I have no idea why anyone would not feel safe. Sorry I was not more clear.

Blue Streak go!! Nooooooooooooooooo! If you are going to type profanity, nonsense, dirty words, bad thoughts or treasonous actions chop your fingers off!

Get rid of the Blue Streak? Some people just talk crazy.

jscll said:
Blue Streak is defiantly a smoother coaster than Blue Streak.

It's not just smoother than itself, it's being obstinate about it too!

Blue Streak is definitely smoother than Mean Streak, has plenty of airtime despite it's crappy restraint system and had better not ever go anywhere. If it ever did leave us there would be tears and crying and sniffling and boogers and it wouldn't be a pretty sight. My kids would probably be very upset too.

...and you'd all get over it, and begin enjoying whatever took its place.

Blue Streak isn't going anywhere unless maintenance becomes cost prohibitive or if replacement parts are no longer produced. The manufacturer, PTC is still in business to this day. Blue Streak won't go anywhere for a very long time.

Thabto said:

Blue Streak isn't going anywhere unless maintenance becomes cost prohibitive or if replacement parts are no longer produced. The manufacturer, PTC is still in business to this day. Blue Streak won't go anywhere for a very long time.

Indeed, and how many more years until you'll be able to order replica parts "printed?" That is an industry already taking shape.

Scottyf said:
...and you'd all get over it, and begin enjoying whatever took its place.

Only half of that statement is true.

I should have mentioned that we were sitting in the very last row of Blue Streak, but the very front row of Mean Streak, around the end of July (the weekend the cable snapped on SkyHawk, though I didn't find out until we got back). I also do not think that Blue Streak should go and I never said that it should, because I know a lot of people love it and it is a park icon (congrats on making it to 50!), but between the two Mean Streak was more tolerable for me (not more exciting). The individual ratcheting lap bars were not able to reach the seat when we were on Blue Streak and there was about a fist's space between my fiancee and her restraint (she is quite tiny, though). They said that was the last ratchet, so it couldn't go any tighter, and she was still fine with it until we started getting thrown around on the ride. The air time was actually part of the problem and she held onto the restraint for most of the ride because of it (she normally doesn't, of course). I'm willing to give Blue Streak exactly one more chance (though I don't know that she is) riding closer to the front. It was not that we did not feel safe because obviously we were, we just wanted to feel safer.

And I would definitely love to go to Holiday World, Knoebels, Kennywood, etc. but for the time being I'm only able to get to one park (outside of Wonderland) a year due to small vacation windows (five-ten days max) and I've already got the next few years planned out (2015: Kings Island, 2016: Kings Dominion, 2017: Carowinds). I do love our wooden coasters up here, and you'll be happy to know that as of 2014, Ghoster Coaster (kids woodie) still has buzz bars (though sadly no bench seats). Wild Beast is actually my favourite wooden coaster I've been on, despite the fact many people find it too rough, and for those people it is actually being re-tracked this off-season.

Jeff said:

Gemini and Mine Ride are steel coasters.

Yes Jeff, I am aware. As some of the other guys were pointing out, most people do not know this, nor do they care about the ratio of wood to steel rides.

As for redsfan, not sure if you a trolling me or actually serious about your love for MS. Either way i am entertained.

Also, Why can't we see the wood with topper track that RMC did with Outlaw Run? It would still be considered a wooden coaster, and it would vastly improve the ride. Everyone wins right?

Yeah that's the best thing I got to do is "troll" you. I only posted once.You think I've been following you for all these years to post after you in a forum once. You caught me. If you don't like Mean Streak you shouldn't have hung out back there all day to see if other people liked it or not. You should have just enjoyed the parts of the park you do like.

In fact I do love the Mean Streak. And all of Cedar Point as it was when I was a child. When Mean Streak was brand new I was there riding it probably 14 years old. I still like riding it. Other people do to. I've never rode it alone.

Seriously this is what upsets me. These crazy ideas people have how they can make something better that they don't like. There are already rides at CP that are on a wood frame with steel tracks. Adding another one is not really that appealing to me. Not to mention they just did significant retracking to the ride. This is what I'm reading in my head when I see these ideas....

1. Retrack a ride then immediately tear it down or put different track on it so it resembles other rides in the park.

2. Build an expensive stage. Reprofile the area then move the stage to a new location reprofiled around the idea they'll move a stage they just built.

3. The most important and this is going to sell the most tickets ever is the idea that the thing CP needs most is more concrete to walk on. I can see it now. New for 2016!! A straight path from Blue Streak to Millenium Force. I mean you've played RCT. The guests all get lost and can't find the ride they want to ride. Need straighter paths. I guess you could also give maps out for free. Think we should build the path.

Uh Oh. Where'd my dividends go?

I myself want to ride something completely new and different if we are so blessed to have a "new" coaster. Is it possible that I might love CP as it is. As it was in the early 90's. I would gladly ride the ride that replaces Mean Streak when it happens. I just don't want to wait in long cue's of all day. I'd rather ride mean streak.

RCMAC

Yeah I am actually suprised at how late I posted. I work late hours but I should have been in bed by then. Wasn't in a very good mood due to personal matters I'd rather not talk about in this forum. Anyways I got nothing wrong with people having opinions or voicing theirs. I've been around long enough to know that alot of times your ideas or opinions get run over by someone who talks louder. I see all these ideas and I want to talk just as loud. Most the time I move on and bite my tongue. It's not a big deal these are just ideas. I get it. I don't post here as often as most of you. If I do it's because I have strong feelings about what's being discussed.

I really like the RMC Topper Track. Seams to be a perfect solution to reducing maintenance and smoothing the track. Maybe Mean Streak could even be run without the trim brake.

redsfan said:

These crazy ideas people have how they can make something better that they don't like.

To be fair, this is what Cedar Point is constantly trying to do. Take a look at Rougarou. People hated it and now they're making it better. A quote from Rob Decker himself in the latest Rougarou files: "We take a look at what works and what doesn't, and if we can make the adjustments, we're going to make the adjustments"

If everyone liked Mean Streak, it wouldn't be the only big coaster that didn't make the top 10 ridership list that was just released. (That's saying that Blue Streak, Corkscrew, and CCMR aren't big coasters). Even Mantis, the coaster that they're already redoing because people didn't like it, made it in the top 10. The park always is trying to please the majority, and the majority of the people want a good ride. Take a look at some of the comments on my video as well as some of the comments on the TPR Facebook post of my video, and almost everyone is saying that this needs to happen. I don't think that the park is going to care if a few people won't ride just because it's classified as a steel coaster, which is ridiculous logic. That's like saying you won't ride a coaster just because it's red. Why does any of that matter if it's a good ride?

I'd be curious to know what the percentage of riders who rode Mean Streak last year were first time riders, who if polled would say they'd never ride it again. And then compare those numbers to other rides in the park. I'd be willing to bet that both would be higher than most rides at the park.

And then there's the percentage of guests like myself (and my wife) who will, for no reason, ever give Mean Streak another chance. The re-tracking work did absolutely nothing for the ride, seeing as how the trim-brake is the culprit to how terrible it is, albeit apparently necessary to keep the structure intact.

If you have gotten a trim-free ride, you know the difference it makes first-hand. I was indeed lucky enough to get one of these about 7 years ago, but it's completely luck-of-the-draw and also quite rare.

RideMan's analysis is entirely correct concerning the trim-brake. The trouble all starts in the first over-banked turn following the initial drop, and the vibrations increase as the ride continues.

Scottyf said:

...and you'd all get over it, and begin enjoying whatever took its place.

That's my very favorite ride in the park we're talking about so while I would ride whatever took its place I would not simply get over it.