Thurs. June 21 2018....awesome day in the park...for the most part

Haven't been to the park since Gatekeeper opened so was excited to ride Valravn and SV. Brought my 15 year old son with me since he's the only one in the family that will ride coasters. Bought fave lane plus early before we got to the park. Didn't need it for most rides but glad we had it.

Weather was perfect. Partly cloudy and mid 70's. Crowds were might lighter than I had imagined. More on that later.

First ride: Valravyn. First of three rides for the day. In the front row and while I liked the ride. It really seemed to be a one trick pony. The first drop is very cool and the anticipation while you are hanging in awesome, but after that...except for maybe the last loop, it felt to me a lot like the feeling I get when riding Gatekeeper. There was no wait in the fast lane line which I thought was odd but it kind of paints a picture for the rest of the day.

Next up TTD: the last time we went to CP my youngest wouldn't go on it. 4 years later he was more than game. Once again...no one in the fast lane line. The anticipation for this ride has always been almost as exciting as the ride itself. I love the sense of speed on the takeoff. The ride happens so quick and it's hard to take in everything for the second you have on top. I wish there was a way for them to keep you on top for like 5 seconds. Not sure how or even if they could but that would be amazing. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE the ride, but I liked it a lot more because we didn't have to wait long for it. I remember how disappointed I was when I waited 4 hrs for it the first year it was open. There's definately a correlation for me between the length of time I wait and my overall enjoyment of the ride. We rode it 3 more times throughout the day and never had to wait until we got to the station.

Walked back to steel vengeance but it wasn't running, no empties. Nothing.

Maverick was next. The line for maverick was probably and hr plus long but the fast lane line was maybe 10 min max. Before today it was my favorite coaster I the park. I like the way that it just keeps going and has so many elements. Maybe it's just me, but it seems to have gotten a little more rough in the last 4 years. Maybe it was where I sat, maybe I'm imagining it, I don't know. We rode it twice. Still love the ride, but it's not my favorite any more.

Walked around to MF. MAYBE a 5-10 min fast lane wait. Still a great coaster. Always will be. The first hill is absolutely amazing. I love to just look around while going up. Such great views.

Gatekeeper: no wait. Not just fast lane....just no wait. We actually went in the regular entrance because there was NO line coming out of the station. I rode it the year it opened and thought is was ok. Now after riding it again. A couple times. I can see why there was no line. It doesn't look like one, it doesn't sound like one.....but it's a starter coaster. There is nothing overly exciting about it. There is not one element within it that made me want to deride it (we did anyway). My son renamed it a floater coaster. He just felt like he was floating along. He thought it was kind of boring. I kinda have to agree with him.

RAPTOR IS sooooo loud. the raptor roar is out of control. Still a fun ride though. Def. showing its age though. It opened the first year I worked at CP so it will always hold a special place w me

Waited 45 min and an hr to ride steel vengeance twice. best coaster in the park. Hands down. It's crazy how they were able to take such a bad/mediocre coaster and turn it into a masterpiece. Maybe my favorite coaster ever. Genius...absolute genius.

My opinion... Gatekeeper in the very front is one of the best rides in the park. Always have to ride Maverick in the front too. Although some love the back. I love MF but sometimes feels really tame and find myself day dreaming while riding. Not every time though.

There is only one correct seat on GK - back left.

Unless it’s front right which is the actual only correct seat.