Ride Op Question

Hi, once I turn 18 I want to work at Cedar Point as a ride op. I just had a question regarding that job. Do you get to pick which ride to work at or are you able to give a list of preferences at least? There are definitely some rides that would be more fun to work at than others, and I would love to be able to be at one of the major coasters. Thanks!

Hello, once you get an interview he/she will ask if you prefer to work with more with adults or kids. If you say adults you have a bigger chance of a main roller coaster. You might have a preference but most likely not your first year.
Even though if you get a ride you didn't want, there's a lot of chances where they will need people to move to another ride for a day,week, or move completely for the rest of the season. You can always request to the supervisor and see if they need any transfers.
But it really doesn't matter what ride you get, it's your crew that determines your summer. In 2011 I got to be a ride host for Corkscrew, Top Thrill Dragster, and Power Tower. I actually preferred Power Tower out of all of them because of my crew. It's hard to explain now but you'll understand the stress, heat, weather, and the crowd for the whole summer.

Like sgarvner said, they will ask you for your preferences. Do you prefer a fast paced ride versus a slow paced ride? Do you prefer to work with adults or children? Are you afraid of heights? And so on and so forth. During my interview in 2010, my manager had actually asked me where I would want to work and I chose Millennium and then ended up moving to Mantis later in the season and absolutely loved it.

That being said, it IS your crew that will make your summer awesome, not the ride. So if you were to get something sort of dumpy, try it, if you don't like it, talk to management and supervision.

Thanks for the info! So it sounds like the crew is most important in determining how much I'll like it.

Yes! But you won't know until you actually get there and meet them. I've given this advice before to somebody else, but if you aren't comfortable at your current ride location whether it be because of the ride, your crew, or even if your back hurts (*ahem* SkyRide), do NOT be afraid to speak up to your supervisor and/or manager about a possible ride location change. They will do everything in their power to make you feel comfortable about where you work.