Valravn reviews

According to the monitor at around 2:30, the dispatches were easily hitting 100 seconds, with a few getting over 135. They were also letting 16 fastlane people on for every 8 standby line people

Sounds like an issue specific to that crew. On Friday, the "train parked in station time" was between 60-75 seconds, and they typically weren't filling more than one row with Fast Lane riders.

If Fast Lane is a guarantee for the front row, there is either something wrong with the system or the crew. Fast Lane should get no more than 2 or 3 seats in every row.

What if you are with a large group?You can't sit with your friends?

Does every train that is dispatched have 8 friends with Fast Lane?

I was there yesterday and the Fast Lane Plus people were not being given the front seat every time. They were being assigned like everyone else. There was not a huge amount of Fast Lane people, so I can't comment on the ratio of Fast Lane vs. general line people being let in.

They were assigning the seats based on group size. I saw a group of 5 Fast Lane people and the line attendant was working to determine where they could go to be together and still fill the other 3 seats.

Personally, I think Valravn is most fun in the back row on the outside, either left or right.

I've ridden 4 different Dive coasters, and I would have to agree with Pete.

The back is great on the drops, but on my one and only back row lap it was surprisingly rough. Not sure if that was the due to the ride or that specific train.

Overall, having taken a few more laps recently, the ride is a definite home run in my opinion. The ride is beautiful, and the new midway is outstanding.

The only thing I cannot understand is the color choice for Valravn in the context of the color choice for Rougarou. I just don't get how they decided it was a good idea to paint two nearby coasters in incredibly similar colors, especially back-to-back. It makes no sense.

djDaemon said:

The only thing I cannot understand is the color choice for Valravn in the context of the color choice for Rougarou. I just don't get how they decided it was a good idea to paint two nearby coasters in incredibly similar colors, especially back-to-back. It makes no sense.

I completely agree! I know it's "just the color, and doesn't affect the actual ride experience at all", but still, I really don't get their decision there either, especially when they could have given it a much darker, and more imposing look, that would befit the ride's theme. Also not to mention the ton of orange track variants already in that same general area.

Funny story regarding the assignment of the front row... One of the times up there, I was next to enter the station in the standby line, and the Op asked me if my group wanted the front row. I said yes, but then he asked the guy at the front of the Fast Lane if they wanted that too. They did, so the Op had us Rock/Paper/Scissors for it! lol Sadly, in spite of my mad skills at that game, I out-thought myself, and lost... :( Oh well... I've ridden it a bunch in the front, I just felt bad for letting down the others in my group who hadn't ridden front yet. At least he let us pick back though, which, as others have mentioned, is really fun as well!

IMO CP have many attractions with unsightly color patterns. Giant wheel. Iron Dragon. TTD. Rougarou. Valravn. Matterhorn. Monster. Super Himalaya. Scrambler. Troika. Music Express. .. To name a few.

I wouldn't say those patterns are unsightly. Trust me, SLCs tend to have worse color schemes than those. I mean, look at the old color scheme for Fly - The Great Noreaster (all pink) or T3 (all red).

I find those color patterns beautiful actually.

The CP colors or T3? ;)

How does dragster have an unsightly color scheme?

Maybe he hates any color scheme that reminds him of McDonald's? :P

Anyway, to be on topic, I finally took a trip to the park on monday and got a couple of rides on the valravn, and I thought it was excellent. The diving gimmick was fun and unique, and the ride was pretty forceful, smooth and not too short despite having the mcbr after the first element. I'd probably rate it as the fifth best in the park, and the best b&m in the park.

I finally got the opportunity to get to Cedar Point and ride Valravn for the first time. It was also my first time on Rougarou since I was not able to visit the park last year. Valravn is a fantastic new coaster for Cedar Point! It comes in at #6 for me right behind Raptor. I expected it to be higher but I rediscovered Raptor on this trip. Raptor is really running fantastic this year. Valravn is very forceful, smooth for the most part, and I love the vest restraints as always. The biggest downside for me was the capacity which is less that par for a B&M. The line really crawled. And the lines were not long at all. They were lines that Gatekeeper would have eaten for breakfast in 20 minutes but they took about an hour and a half for Valravn to digest. However, overall great ride experience and I'm glad the park built it because I love dive coasters and I've wanted one at CP for quite a while.
Rougarou is also a huge win! 1000x better that Mantis could ever do for me. Very smooth and forceful. Very comfortable. Beautifully colored supports. I also don't understand the head banging complaints. I experienced zero head banging whatsoever.
Valravn and Rougarou's colors are different enough as well.

^ I also got to ride rougarou for the firdt time since I didn't go last year. Much better than the mantis. I'd put it below valravn and above raptor for my favorite b&m's at the park. I don't understand why people say it's rough, I thought it was pretty smooth.

I think Rougarou head banging has a lot to do with the size of the rider. I experience little, whilst the better half gets beat up. Better than Mantis though even still. And three train efficiency!

This year was also my first for Rou. Valravn was exactly as I expected, yet exceeded my expectations. The final inversion felt.. Slow and awkward as I was caught by the restraint from plummeting from the train. That said, I love B&M vest OTSR! That line though... Plinko fast-lane pass FTW!