Mean Streak is history!

But why do we need to replace it at all? Remember, Cedar Point isn't running out of space!

I'm with Jeff on this one. I have been a couple woodies that are way rougher than MS. A good wooden coaster should deliver one or all of the following things:

- airtime
- crazy out of control feeling/intensity
- directional changes
- speed

In the way of speed and airtime the Mean Streak suffers greatly. Now when it opened it really hauled so you got the intensity and the speed...even without any airtime it was still a good ride. Today, however, that whole element has been removed, leaving MS with not too much going for it.

I should qualify here, though, that this is the inner coaster enthusiast in me talking. Having a ride that's big but not too aggressive with more gentle dips and curves is not a bad thing...not everybody is looking for the insanity of Maverick like I am.

I think MS is a huge pile of crap, but at the same time I could see the argument that it serves a purpose in the park...

I can see the press release now.... Come visit Cedar Points closing day, November 2nd, for the worlds tallest, and biggest Bon fire! Starting at 7:30 P.M. your kids can warm up to the fire on the cold November night.....

That would be funny lol.

Jeff said:

TopThrillChris said:
Why tear down a great wooden roller coaster? Because a coaster is wooden and rough it is no reason to be taken it down.

Well if great is the criteria, then Mean Streak definitely doesn't need to be saved. The ride is terrible. It has never been good. It's not even particularly rough, it's just boring and uninspired. If you really think that's a good ride, you need to get out and ride others.

Ok great is taking it way too far. On the other end its not bad or horrible. An average wooden coaster is probably the right description.

^Below average*.

Your mom is to fat to ride TTD. said:
^Below average*.

Not enough to tear it down though.
If they do tear it down then i say forget about the wooden coasters and go above 500 feet. Tear down DT and build one over there, but thats a different argument.CP has to be the first over 500. They can't be the first over 200, 300, and 400 and forget 500. There would be so much room to build it, but no more clones of TTD.

I am tired of people complaining about how Mean Streak is too rough. Its not even that bad. However, it is just too boring. There is just no thrill factor to it. The speed is gone, the airtime is gone, all the ride does is meander around through itself for a while and then return to the station. For some people though, that is what they are looking for. Some people aren't looking for El Toro type ejector air on their wooden coasters. I for one, would love it, but the average Joe may not. There is really no reason to tear Mean Streak down. Sure I would love for a wooden with the caliber of El Toro, Balder, ect to be in its place, but there are several other world class rides spread around the park. At least Mean Streak looks nice, and isnt a giant metal box covering a deteriorating parking lot coaster while blocking a view of the beach...

You do realize that the $ has gone down right? Everything cost more now. A 500ft coaster would probably cost well over 40 million dollars especially if you want substance after the hill.

Cedar Point is going after more family rides now a days. A 500 footer is not what they want to do. The coaster wars for being tallest and fastest are over and now are about substance and crowd pleasers.

And if they did make a steel coaster and a woodie the wooden would definately go back in Front. town. It fits the theme unlike if it was by WT and MaXair.

The question Cedar Fair has to answer...and I don't know how they quantify it...is: Does the benefit of Mean Streak (presumably number of riders) outweigh the costs associated with operating and maintaining it year in and year out?

Mean Streak is no Kennywood Jack Rabbit, Racer, etc. I don't see it standing indefinitely. But, I'm not sure I see it coming down in the next 10-15 years.

I still think that if CP tore down MS and put in the best woody money can buy smoothest,fastest,most air time,and the longest everyone would be happy they tore down MS.

Does anyone know much about the Texas Giant? It is probably the closest "cousin" to Mean Streak. I don't hear much about it. Does it have the same maintenance issues and complaints?

From what I hear, Texas Giant is just plain brutal. Much more rough than Mean Streak.

Last time I rode Texas Giant it wasn't too bad. Its about the same as Mean Streak.

I live 4 hours away from SFOT and honestly Texas Giant has always been our first ride of every trip. i love it, love it ,love it. But, the last visit, it liked to knocked my teeth out. I am not joking. It has never been like that before.

The reason i was ready to give Mean Streak another try was to put my spine back in alignment from last years ride on MS.

Anywho, i adore woodies. Smooth or rough.

could see it now

Hells Kitchen Sandusky

Gordon Ramsey is up to it again. He is building another restraunt in the world famous Cedar Point Resort Hotel Breakers. The restraunt will be named stratosphere 500 (after the new record breaking looping wood coaster debuting in place of Mean streak) It will premier such dishes as gourmet pizza for the kids all the way up to fine candle lit dining for the adults. This restraint will be the first to feature a child care staff that will accompany the children in the hotel room while the parents enjoy their fine dining experience.

Hells Kitchen, Ramsy’s hit television show and restraunt will be the forefront for the executive chef for this location. The first week of tasks is for the chefs to compete in service times around the amusement park at the different food venues. Deep fried cheese on a stick, The happy friar, and dippin dots are all on the menu in this high heat, minimal space working environment. Watch the contestants as they are pummeled by park guests, yelled at by children, and scream like little babies on the world famous Top thrill dragster, .and Millennium force.

The final challenge for these aspiring chefs is the bonfire dinner. Situated in frontiertown nearby the standing mean streak. Park goers will graze on a buffet of picnic foods and watch mean streak burn to the ground (fire dept and ems will be on staff). This will work up to one HELL of a night to prepare your best.

I think the only thing that makes mean streak good in any way is the view you get from the top. A great view and of the entire park. The ride stinks though. Tear it down and that space could provide a lot more fun.

^ haha that was great.

Blue Streak is a hundred times the ride that Mean Streak is. And as Wahoo mentioned, you can take any of the Kennywood woodies and they're far better rides as well, pre-dating Mean Streak by many decades. MS was never state of any art. It was always crap, built when the prevailing attitude was that height was all that mattered.

Huh, I guess not much changed over the next decade.

As far as the quest for the tallest coaster goes, and equating that with sub par rides, I really feel as though from Magnum to the present CP has scored a 75%. I know many criticize parks for building solely for height and speed. And normally I agree, as there are many coasters that I prefer over the record breakers. However, I think these rides certainly have merit,and still offer some of the most thrilling rides available on the planet.

Magnum - 1989 - Built and marketed as tallest and fastest, but remains to this day one of the top steel coasters in the world, and lauded by both enthusiasts and the general public, not necessarily for it's height and speed, but for it's incredible airtime.

Mean Streak - 1991 - The black sheep of the bunch. Also marketed for it's height and speed, but never was a huge hit with the enthusiast community. Was still very popular as far as ridership for several years, but since has fallen off dramatically.

Millennium Force - 2000 - A huge home run for the park. The hype, anticipation, and final product were excellent. Although there are certainly better (more popular) coasters out now, MF still has a loyal enthusiast and GP following, and will for many years to come. MF blended perfectly the thrill of height and speed, while making a ride that was not so intense that the whole family couldn't enjoy it.

Dragster - 2003 - I know some will disagree with me here, but even with it's short layout, and heap of mechanical trouble early on, this ride is still world class, and a huge hit for the park. While most enthusiasts see this as a "one trick pony", the GP and several enthusiasts love it. Nearly everyone who I talk to who goes to the park for the first time raves about the thrill of Dragster more than any other coaster in the park. Watching a train hit the brakes on Dragster still shows more shocked faces than any other ride in the park. While I don't think it will have the legacy that MF or Magnum have because of it's length and single element, I still think it will thrill people for years to come.

Now, with all that said. There is one thing that really annoys me. Building coasters with nearly identical designs, and simply making them a few feet taller in order to clench the record... I'm looking at you Steel Magnum 2000 and Top Kingda Kagster!

^ I agree with you about Kingda Ka. They are bragging that they now have the tallest coaster, when it is only about 30 feet taller than dragster. Oh, and there design is very original too. ;)