New Height Maximums?

I've railed against restraint changing (shrinking) and slowing increasing height maximums on this forum over the years, but I'm pretty sure I've made my last trip to CP after 25 consecutive years. Today, searching the CP website, I found something new (to me anyway):

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/ride_policy.cfm

Height maximums for virtually all the best coasters in the park.

So many questions.....Is this new for 2011? Did I miss this announcement last year? Why introduce these at all - this year or last? Will this horrible trend ever reverse itself? Will I ever go to my beloved Point ever again?

How sad......

These are just loose guidelines to let people know they may have an issue fitting on a ride. If you fit before, you'll still fit. The restraints haven't changed.

They have been there forever. They just weren't very prominent.

"If your physical characteristics prevent the seat belt or lap bar from functioning properly, or If your head can not be supported by the seatback, you will not be permitted to ride."

Top Thrill Dragster

I think he is referring to this:

Maximum rider height is 6' 6" for the following rides: Maverick, Millennium Force, Shoot the Rapids, Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister.

sfnefreak2002 said:
I think he is referring to this:

Maximum rider height is 6' 6" for the following rides: Maverick, Millennium Force, Shoot the Rapids, Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister.

They haven't specifically listed the 6' 6" limit in the past, but they have said people over 6' 2" could have problems on rides for a long time now.

firefox15 said:

sfnefreak2002 said:
I think he is referring to this:

Maximum rider height is 6' 6" for the following rides: Maverick, Millennium Force, Shoot the Rapids, Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister.

They haven't specifically listed the 6' 6" limit in the past, but they have said people over 6' 2" could have problems on rides for http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/ride_policy.cfm"]a long time now

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.

It is on the site now.

Phantom 1898 said:
"If your physical characteristics prevent the seat belt or lap bar from functioning properly, or If your head can not be supported by the seatback, you will not be permitted to ride."

Top Thrill Dragster

I cannot count how many times I have heard this. I can hear the anonymous neighborly American conversational voice saying it in my head right now.

Out of curiosity, why does this make you so angry, Doug?

I'm guessing he is 6' 7". :)

It's actually a manufacturer restriction that the park was lax on following before. I would assume that since it's posted now they will be enforcing it more.

At SFNE on Bizarro, they are very strict about the 6'6'' limit.

Does anybody know if LeBrat was prevented from riding any rides when he visited the park a few years back?

I actually tried to find some pictures of LeBron riding at CP, but I couldn't find any. They had pictures of Miley Cyrus on MF, so I'm guessing they would have had them for LeBron if he chose to ride. Perhaps he just didn't ride anything?

I'm pretty sure I remember something about him riding Magnum, or wanting to ride Magnum but being unable to do so...

There has always been a loose guideline in this regard, and it tended to be more prominent on some attractions than others (Wicked Twister, Dragster). However, my guess is that IntaRide/Intamin firmed up the guideline, thus enacting a stronger enforcement by the park. Mid-last season maximum height stickers showed up on the platforms/entrances for Dragster and Millennium. While I don't recall seeing them at Wicked Twister, Maverick, or Shoot the Rapids, my guess is that they exist there too. They're merely a sticker stuck on a support or wall indicating a 6' 6" mark and that it's the maximum allowed height.

Kevinj said:
Out of curiosity, why does this make you so angry, Doug?

This makes me nuts because I am very tall - 6'8" or 6'9".

I have no problem with CP building a ride that has a height maximum, like Maxair, that I know from the beginning I won't be able to ride. No worries there, manufactures' policy, park enforces - I just won't ride.

What I do have a problem with is having ridden all of these coasters hundreds of times in the past, being told all of sudden that I'm too tall. Why? My guess is litigation avoidance in the case of an incident. I'm putting this new policy in the same bucket as all the seatbelt shortening - done in the name of safety that has no positive impact on safety whatsoever.

Maddening.

That totally stinks, Doug. And you're so much over that line, trying to scrunch down a little bit when they measure you probably wouldn't be enough to make a difference. Maybe you could try wearing the thinnest-soled shoes you could find and it might help...