My experience with Mean Streak

Well, I decided to go on this roller coaster yesterday. And I found it to be a very enjoyable ride. For me, all it was was a bit bumpy in some spots, but for a wooden coaster, it isn't all that bad.

It basically feels like your riding a motorcycle on some bumpy roads and I was reading an earlier post written a few years ago on here that tells you how to ride it, using your legs as "suspension" for the ride, which I did. Never got a headache.

I haven't ridden this roller coaster in 17 years. Since they added the retractable seatbelts that are individual I'm sure that was a good thing since I am overweight and I had no trouble fitting in the restraints.

I'll definatly ride this again next time I visit on the 13th.

That's good that you had an enjoyable ride on it. :) I have only been on it once, and i thought it was very rough. It was my first time at CP and on roller coasters. So I just thought it was normal, until everyone on here said it was rough too.

I have always said though, I will not choose to ride it...but if someone asks me to ride it with them I will. So maybe next time I'm at CP I'll give it another try too. :)

I too have read about how people say this ride is rough, but if you ride the Gemini and Mine Ride a few times and get banged around on those rides, the Mean Streak actually feels fine, in my experience that is.

I'm not sure if it matters on where you sit on the Mean Streak, I was about 5 seats from the front on it, I only rode it once, so I can't really say if another ride would be the same or not.

The trick is to not put your back all the way to the seat, but to lean in to the bar in the front and hold on. (That's what I did anyway).

My boyfriend rode it twice and he said both times he enjoyed it. He's thinner than I am, but much taller than me.

I basically forced myself to go on it, but I'm glad I did. I honestly expected it to be much rougher than it really was.

The first time I went on Mean Streak was on my first trip to CP back in 2002. Our whole family agreed that it was very rough and that we wouldn't be riding it again. I went on it again in 2007 and they added wierd brakes on the first drop so that you are moving ~10mph down almost half of the drop before you start accelerating. It was not nearly as rough then, but it also was not very fun. You could tell that some of the hills were supposed to give you air time, but they didn't because of the heavy breaking on the first drop. I don't know if those breaks are still in place and operating this year, but it seems like they fixed the roughness at the expense of an exciting ride. The only other wooden coaster that I have been on that was worse than Mean Streak (pre drop-brakes) was was the Son of Beast (back when it had the loop, haven't tried it since the loop was removed) at Kings Island, and I have been on the wooden coaster(s) at CP, KI, Knotts, SF Magic Mountain, SF Kentucky Kingdom, Indiana Beach, and Holiday World.

On my last trip, I rode it two times. And felt much better than last years ride, were it felt like the wheels were replaced with eggs. It did have some rougher and bumpy spots but, wasn't that all bad. I liked it more this time.

I'm also one of the few who likes Mean Streak. It would be really sad to see it go because it is a really good looking coaster. It also really makes Frontier Town stand out and if Maverick wasn't there Mean Streak would be the main attraction of Frontier Town. I'm for not tearing it down. Now Disaster Transport, well that's a different story.

cdrptrks said:
Son of Beast (back when it had the loop, haven't tried it since the loop was removed)

I have never been there, but back in 2002 I taped "Thrills, Chills, and Spills" on the Discovery Channel. I remember on the Top 10 Coasters of 2002, Son of the Beast was one of them. And it was because it was one of the only wooden coasters in the world with a loop. When did they take that loop out and why?

Although I think Mean Streak is rough, I have decided that I should give it another try. I agree with you CPboy77, that MS is a beautiful coaster. I have mixed feelings about tearing DT down though. I know in the past that I have been all for it. But my recent trip to CP changed my mind. Although the queues stink, the theming sucks, and the building is a big eye sore...I still think it's a fun ride. Too short, but a fun ride.

It is also one of my favorites because it was one of my first coasters that I have ever ridden. So it always reminds me of my first time at CP. I also think that it is a good coaster for little kids, or people that are afraid of the heights.

Jesz said:
And it was because it was one of the only wooden coasters in the world with a loop. When did they take that loop out and why?

Not quite. It was the ONLY one.

I think the final culprit was wear and tear. The speed that the trains had to go at to clear the loop was causing excessive wear on not only the trains but also the structure. This eventually caused an accident where (and someone correct me if I am mis-remembering this) there was a separation in the track, i.e. two sections became mis-aligned, and the train slammed into it. This occurred just after the CF purchase of the parks, and they made the decision to remove it.

I still think it should be rethemed with Peanuts characters as a family coaster, which in truth is what it is. Less dark, more friendly colors. Vince Guaraldi piping in the queues. If they wanted, they could even continue the 3-D idea, only with Woodstock popping out at you instead of freakazoid Brother Bear handprints. This to me would be the ultimate, true calling for the erstwhile Avalanche Run.

Edit: Oh yeah, it would help if I mentioned I was talking about Disaster Transport, in response to two posts ago. :)

^^ Omg, that is scary! Good thing that they took care of it. I thought that it was the ONLY wooden coater in the world with a loop, but I wasn't sure. So that is why I said "one of the only..".

^ lol as soon as you said re-theming, I knew you were talking about DT. :) I don't care what they re-theme it as...but they should pick one theme and stick to it! Not only that, but the queues REALLY stunk this year.

CPboy77 said:
I'm also one of the few who likes Mean Streak. It would be really sad to see it go because it is a really good looking coaster. It also really makes Frontier Town stand out and if Maverick wasn't there Mean Streak would be the main attraction of Frontier Town. I'm for not tearing it down. Now Disaster Transport, well that's a different story.

I have to agree with you there. Mean Streak is really a pretty coaster at night, I haven't stayed that late this year (since we go during the week, and my boyfriend works 6 days 12 hours a day).

My next trip will be on the 13th and I'll probably ride it more than once. I do remember it being much rougher when it first opened back in 1991.

I am going to ride Mean Streak for my first time in the next couple of weeks. Any suggestions on where to sit?

Near the front of the train, and when riding, hold on and get your back off the backrest. That way you wont wrench your back.

That sound good to me.

I have a working hypothesis that the front bench of any given car tends to provide a gentler ride than the back bench. My daughter and I rode in the front bench on two rides today (2-1 and 3-1) and got good rides.

Yeah Touchdown, you're right if you don't have your back on the rest and sit up perfectly straight on your ass there is no pain at all.