Riding the Raptor

While leaving Cedar Point last year, I promised my neice that this year I would ride the Raptor with her this year. Last year was her first itme riding it. To be honest, I'm afraid of heights. I don't want to go back on my promise. Does it look higher than it really is? How about the first loop? Should I just get on, relax and enjoy the ride or take a Valium before I ride it?

Trent

Like I tell everyone: The only way to conquer your fears is to face your fears. Raptor isn't all that high, just 137 feet. Now if anything smaller in the park scares you (say, Blue Streak), you should try those before bumping up to the 100 foot coasters. Half of the park's coasters are under 100 feet, so that should give you some training ground.

Okay, I am the PERFECT person to answer this question. I used to be TERRIFIED of this coaster. The first time I have ever ridden it was just 2 weeks ago. Before I got into the seat I was freaking out. I thought that I was going to have a heart attack. I will admit that I closed my eyes the whole time, but it was the funnest coaster I have EVER ridden.

If I were you for my first time I would close my eyes just incase it scares you. But it felt like I was flying! It was AMAZING. I promise you that you will love this coaster. If you like it your first time, ride it again with your eyes open.

raptor is now, and has always been a GREAT ride.

this tops my list of coasters for many reasons. The feeling it gives you from the first drop to the ending loops is simply amazing.

get on, relax, and enjoy the sensation of flying!
i think you'll be pleasently surprised.

My hubby is deathly afraid of heights. He really likes Raptor, because it doesn't have that sense of freefall that most roller coaster hills have. He rides with his eyes closed from the time we leave the station to the time we return and the OSTRs are released.

Give Raptor a try. It's fun, like others have said, and if nothing else, you'll have at least tried it before you decided you didn't like it.

Laura *** Edited 5/19/2004 6:26:55 PM UTC by raptorgrl***

Riding with my eyes closed would freak me out. I'd rather see what's coming so I can prepare myself for it.

A Magnum ride back in 1990 scared me off the big coasters for 11 years when I overcame that fear on a ride called Millennium Force. I now love the "Big Steelies"!

Last Sunday, I rode the Space Spiral. 3/4 of the way up, I mentioned to my brother that I was not enjoying that ride--it was the height.

I don't like heights. I love coasters. I must be bi-polar.

MrScott

PS: Ride Raptor. You will LOVE it! And ride with your eyes open...you can "lean" enter several turns--IF you see them coming.

MrScott, I HATE heights. lol. When walking the stairs to get up the coasters I am freaking out. Especially on the Iron Dragon. I always have that fear that I am going to fall into that little pond.

But when on a coaster it is soo different. It is just the most amazing feeling ever. I agree about opening the eyes to see where you are going. But if you are afraid to go upside down, then it is best to close your eyes on the Raptor. You can't even tell really when you are upside down the.

I can't wait to go on it again with my eyes open...it is such a wonderful ride. Most coasters I am atleast afraid for 2 seconds. Not the Raptor. The whole time it was pure enjoyment.

Trent you really do have to ride the Raptor. Like raptorgrl said, at least you can then form your own opinion on it. I just highly suggest keeping your eyes closed the first time. If you have ever ridden DT then it feels like that. How you know that you are moving and going down and up, but you can't see it.

My boyfriend and I just got back from the park today. He is terrified of heights, in fact, he hadn't been on a coaster since he was 7, and it was the racer at Kennywood. Anyway, by the end of our 1 1/2 day trip, he worked up the nerve (with my coaxing) to ride raptor and loved it (in a scared sort of way). I don't know your rollercoaster experience, but he'd ridden the magnum and corkscrew before he rode the raptor. The magnum for the 'drop' experience, and the corkscrew for the looping experience. He wasn't nearly as scared on raptor as he was on magnum. dont know if that helped. What coasters have you been on Trent?

grab a seat in the middle of the car so there is somebody on each side of you and look straight ahead. just hope she doesn't want the front and you should be fine

Deffenently get on it. For pete sakes, I got my mom on it and shes 48 years old.

I'd say get on it. I can't say i'm afraid of heights really, but the drop doesn't seem very high. I don't know why, but it doesn't seem like 100 some feet. The rest is also not very high, so i wouldn't worry about it. It's more of a mental psych-out kind of thing. Just jump on and you'll be fine.

-Eagle-

My dad was always scared of this ride but, I got him to ride it with me for my birthday. He didn't like all the inversions in it but he was not mad about riding it eaither. Atleast try it!

When I first saw Raptor in 2000, it was a little bit scary. On my second visit in October of that year, I did it for the first time and loved it.

I became a season passholder for the first time the next year and couldn't get enough of it.

I like the front seat alot, but for my money, the last row is the best. Specifically, I love the second seat in because it gives the smoothest ride (back and forth on the head is minimalized). The outside seats are great, but the ride is a bit rougher in my humble opinion.

And as Forrest Gump said: "That's all I have to say about the ...."

Trent. I dont know if you have ridden any other coasters, but if you havent I would say you should work your way up to the raptor. Like someone else said, start with corkscrew, or blue streak, and stuff like that. I would also say when you ride Raptor you should sit somewhere in the middle or the back. This way when you are going up the hill you can look at the car right in front of you. Just stare at the back of the person right in front of you the whole way up...nowhere else, and then once you feel yourself swing out a little bit to the right at the top of the hill....just relax and enjoy b/c you are in for an amazing ride. Ill admit I still get scared going up the hill because it scares me hanging beneath the track, rather than being on top of it, but something that helps me is I just talk to my friends on the way up the lift hill. If you do the same you will find yourself at the top before you know it. Also on this ride, you really can relax because it is amazingly smooth and also the seats you sit in are really really comfortable. Raptor is easily my 3rd favorite ride at C.P. Next to MF and TTD. Needless to say you should definitely ride, you will LOVE it. Promise.

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thompson_osu said:
I would also say when you ride Raptor you should sit somewhere in the middle or the back.

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I would have to say stay away from the back. Sit in the 2nd or third row. If you are near the back (last one or two rows) you get yanked over the top. This is true for any coaster, so if you are afraid stay towards the front of the train (but not RIGHT in front).

As a suggested warm up list
I'd say do Disaster Transport, then Blue Streak, then head to the back and do Mine Ride. Once you have those done, do a lap or two on the Dragon to get used to swinging underneath the track. Then head over and do the CorkScrew, and sit towards the middle/front. Now you should be ready for the Raptor. Which is about the smallest "Big" ride. I think Mantis might be a bit shorter but a standup is not a way to introduce yourself to the big rides. Also, close your eyes on the way up the lift because the height won't freak you out on the way up that way, but once you crest open them so you have some sense of where you are.

Raptor is definitely one of the best rides in the world. I've been riding it since it opened in 94, and it was actually the first upside down ride that I went on.

Other than that, enjoy your stay at America's Coller Roast

John

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.

Trent

I think your own suggestion was the best. Take a Valium and enjoy the ride. You will love it.

Has Raptor really been around since 1994? It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. It is my favorite of all the coasters I've ridden, and that is quite a few. I would encourage anyone who has the slightest bit of desire to give it a try. It is so smooth, and the sensation of flying is hard to describe but definitely worth the ride.

You will be fine on Raptors, just buckle yourself in and go. I don't understand how you would be able to get up the stairs if you are afraid of heights, but if you close your eyes, that might make the ride all the more scarier. But the sensations are nevertheless incredible and unique within Cedar Point.

Raptor is awesome! I'm really afraid of heights, but I love roller coasters. Like I always say the scariest part of a coaster for me is the lift. haha