Mean Streaks first year (1991)

Since this coaster doesnt satisfy the majority that ride it now I was just curious how you ranked this ride when it debuted? Was it smooth and had no trim brakes? Was it considered your top 10 woody back then? Its sad that a coaster of this magnatude has become a disappointment after only 9 years. Personally I cant wait to ride it when I visit in June.

Ah yes... the year I graduated from high school. It was a big ride back then, as giant coasters of any material were fairly uncommon at the time. It was fast and crazy the whole way through that first week it opened.

I'm not sure what happened. You would think the way they retrack the ride constantly that it would open in its original state every spring (plus drop trims), but this isn't the case.

I don't know. It's a shame that something that looks so cool can be so lame.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 23

My first time in the park was in '90, and I didn't go back til '93 and I didn't ride for the first time til '94.

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daniel j. haverlock
'00 Magnum Count: 28/442
'00 M. Force Count:43/310
spiritofthepoint.com

I rode it opening year and really liked it. I've always been a fan of woodies. I still like mean streak but I fear that a lot of that love is just nostalgia for what I experienced opening year. I still ride it because I love the feeling of flying through all that timber and I think it is one the most handsome rides at CP. Wood coasters seem to be alive and have a distinct personality in a way that steelies do not. I am always saddened by the removal of a wood coaster but am usually ambivelent about the removal of a steel coaster. There are certain coasters that I refuse to ride because of the pain they inflict on me (viper at SFGAdv comes to mind). MS has never hurt me enough to avoid it.

My daughter and I call this, MS, the "Yucky Coaster" because of the rough ride. But I have to admit that rides this year on Magnum have been disappointing too;) We went last Saturday, Tues and Wed. Only rode it once, just to have our yearly ride.

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You can fool others, but nothing you do is hidden from God.
JESUS rules :) :) *** This post was edited by Scooter on 5/18/2000. ***

I was going to start a new thread, but this seems like an appropriate place to raise my question. If CP where able to rework MS so that it was faster (like when it first opened) and smoother, would it be a good ride? Is the layout really a good layout or is it just a boring design? What do you think?
I don’t really remember what is was like its first year, but I think the layout could be fun, if the ride was fast enough. I also have always thought that CP should add some tunnels. Enclose some of the turn-arounds with wood to make the ride seem faster.

Too be honest...It is poorly design. Compare the MeanStreak's layout to Ghostrider, Legend, Raven, Villian and you would see.

Every year Mean Streak is about as long of a wait as Magnum or any other big steelie (but account it's a longer ride than the other coasters). People like the ride. I personally think its alright but could be sped up and a smoother ride is needed. I think once Cedar Point gets the out-n-back woodie they should do something about Mean Streak to make it a better ride, but you would think they are already trying so I dunno.

kind of reminds me of rollercoaster tycoon, i barely ever am able to get a good track Lay-out

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oh don't worry, the first hill isn't all that baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadddddddddd!!!!!

The problem with mean streak is that the disigner tried for to many airtime hills. There are not many other elements on the coaster. I would of liked to see some helixes and a better ending. But you have to admitt that is a beautifull coaster. The best I have ever seen.
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Live for FUN!

GO SHAMROCKS!
GO WOLVERINES!

Airtime hills? Which ones are those? Even when it did move fast, the only one I can think of is the one along the road after passing under the drop.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 23

Too many airtime hills?

Not counting double dips, Shivering Timbers has, I believe, 15.

It's currently the #1 rated wooden coaster in the US...

What does that have to do with Mean Streak?

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Jeff
Webmaster/Guide to The Point
Millennium Force laps: 23

I think Bill's saying that the "too many airtime hills" complaint is unfounded using the Shivering Timbers example and the fact that it's rated #1.

The fact that Mean Streak fails miserably at airtime hills is a different topic altogether. :) :)

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Natalie
ATL Zone 3 Sweeps 2000

That's what I meant.

Mean Streak doesn't really have many airtime hills. It has a couple that could be, but really aren't. Basically, it tried to be a hybrid between a Twister and a mega-coaster and didn't really nail either.

If you look at the on-ride footage on the official site, you notice there are no trim brakes on the drop because it was from before it opened in 1991...sniff...I wish it could be the same.

i actually FELT the trims on the first drop this year...never have before. i still like the ride a lot, though. not only is it GORGEOUS to look at, it really lives up to its name and beats the stress right out of me. i really like the view you get when you are sitting on the brakes before the station and you look up and through the structure...you can see all the timbers, all the supprt cables, everything. it is simply an amazing structure in my mind, no matter how i or anyone else feels about it as a ride.

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i'm back and my brain is still scrambled...

I took a ride on it on the 16th in the rain and it was so smooth I didn't even think it was the same ride. I was in the front seat and barely got batted around at all. Infact it was more smooth than Magnum was. I don't know if the wet track had anything to do with it but it was a very enjoyable ride.

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"Who needs drugs when you have Cedar Point."

i worked there the year they got mean streak,and took many rides on in that opening year.it was no where near as ruff as it is today.althowe it is a very ruff ride today,i still enjoy it.

The wet track had a lot to do with it.

They seem to be doing a much better job of keeping the ride lubricated this year, which makes a big difference (wood coasters are NOT supposed to screech!). If they keep up with that, the trains will run reasonably well (considering that they can't turn the corners). The problems are twofold...the seats are made out of something that feels like concrete and should never have been used on a wood coaster, which means that no matter how smooth the ride runs, it will still beat the living crap out of anybody who rides it (Blue Streak is a good demonstration of this)...and second, in an effort to avoid beating the living crap out of riders, they've got it running so slow that the ride is simply BORING.

--Dave "Broken Record" Althoff, Jr.