Your opinion on Mantis?

I personally have not been on the Mantis yet but I probably will be at the Point either towards the end of this season or early in the spring. I have heard some people say it's a good fun B&M stand-up, and some people say it's too rough and it hurts. Are there better places on the train to ride that may not be as painful? Is it a fun coaster overall, something that should be riden while at CP or something that can be skipped without really missing anything?

Well I rode on it my first time about three times during Labor day and well i think the back was alot better and the front was alot of fun to. I rode the middle to and i didn't really like it. I didn't think it was rough at all and it didn't hurt either. Also i think you should at least try it once because it is fun but i like the Raptor and Wicked Twister better.

Mantis...my second roller coaster at Cedar Point. All I remember seeing my first time being on it were the insides of my eyelids, but I do remember it being quite painful on my legs. This was back in August of 2002, and I was only 11 at the time and barely reached the height requirement, so that probably has something to do with it.

Since then, I've been on it two more times. Both were this season. It took some convincing to get me back on that ride, because as I said, the first time I rode it was not the best experience, but I did ride. It still hurt my legs and I believe it always will. Everyone I've told this story to has given me different opinions as to how to "ride" it. I have tried a lot of different ways, but it still hurts my legs a little.

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As far as the ride being rough, I wouldn't say that it is. I think it's decently smooth and there are much worse rides (as far as roughness goes) in the park. It's just always been the pull on my legs that bothers me!

I think Mantis is definitely something to experience, at least once.

If you are a coaster enthusiast, or are just entertained with the idea of a standup, then go for it and see how you like it. Everyone's opinion is different.

Personally, I dont like it. ;)

I enjoy Mantis. 1870: Cool screen name! ;)

If you have big legs its going to hurt a little, from the bike like seats. It does feel like you can't stand up throw out the ride, from the heavy g's. You feel the most g's in your legs than anywere else. There is a little head banging but nother so bad. For its age it is, to me very smooth. Compard to the Flight of Fear at PKI, it open up the same year as Manits did in '96. It is a coaster that you don't want re-rides on dead days. When I rode it last mouth I got three rides and felt fine. You would feel beater it you are wearing a flight G vest to try to keep the blood in your upper body.

I think Mantis is a decent ride, although it can be a little painful in the groin area (at least if your a guy anyway). The other thing about it is that it usually has one of the longest lines in the park. It probably has the worst line-to-thrill ratio of any of the coasters there, if that makes any sense. On the other hand, I agree with Grovite18 that it should be experienced at least once. Also it depends on how much you like that type of ride. Personally, I'd prefer a more traditional coaster with a big drop and alot of airtime (i.e. Magnum).

Magnum all the way! I get ya, though, about the ratio idea. It seems like Millennium or Dragster-and I'd say even say Magnum-would have a bigger line. Though, on a nice day Dragster's running like clockwork, so the line might be moving fast.

-Eagle

Mantis often has one of the longest lines in the park...not the biggest, but the longest. I'm not really a fan of Mantis anymore and it has to do with several factors.

For one the crew has a "better than you" attitude. They won't allow you to ride how you want with a little space between you and the bike seat, they force it up so that it's *snuggly* against your groin to the point where it's uncomfortable to ride. They find it more important to have everyone in this type of a position rather than be an efficient crew that hits interval.

It was bad enough when there were three trains on the ride and they would stack every train, but it's absolutely ridiculous to see them stack nearly every train with two train operation! I don't understand how it can be that difficult to get people on the ride in a timely fashion. It can't just be the seatbelts because in 1999 when they were installed, trains were still sent out at a fast pace than they are today.

It may have to do with the current leadership at the ride, it may have to do with guidelines passed down from management, but all I know is that the ride definitely doesn't run close to its optimal efficiency, and it's something that should be improved upon.

The ride ops are just following proper procedure. It's for your safety. Personally, I would rather have everyone be safe and slow loading then fast loading and unsafe.

Second only to Mean Streak in roughness....

That said, I always take a front-row ride on Mean Streak, but I have only 2 rides on Mantis in 3 years at the park.

I'll ride it if it has a short line, if it doesnt the line takes forever. Its not a must ride everytime i go to CP.

But Ben, since when does following "proper operating procedures" mean "take your sweet ass time?" In my opinion, it's all about attitude with their crew. Many people came in knowing the reputation the ride has for being annoying to work and it simply degressed from there. I think it had a lot to do with the attitude that new crew people were met with while first being trained on the ride. Those first few hours or training really do make an impact on how efficient someone will at least try to be as a ride op.

CP bound, have you ever worked at CP because you are spouting crap out of your behind. The Mantis crew is one of the nicest, easy-going, and polite crews in the park with good attitudes. I know many of them and am friends with many. Like bholcomb said, they are just following proper procedure...

Perhaps during off hours the Mantis crew is nice and friendly... but on the platform the crew has had a reputation for the past few years as being rude, impatient, and slow.

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CP_bound said:
For one the crew has a "better than you" attitude. They won't allow you to ride how you want with a little space between you and the bike seat, they force it up so that it's *snuggly* against your groin to the point where it's uncomfortable to ride. They find it more important to have everyone in this type of a position rather than be an efficient crew that hits interval.

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Perhaps this is because if they allow the train to be dispatched with visible space between a rider and the seat they will be written up for a "low seat" and charged with an operational. As stated already, the crew is only following the procedures set forth by the Park Operations office.

Mantis is great! It's the best ride in the front. I really enjoy it, but the slow loading times are a bummer, oh well.

I like Mantis. It is a replacement for King Cobra at PKI. I rode King Cobra since I was basically tall enough to. It was great. However, it was removed by PKI to allow space for Delirium. Mantis is the King Cobra on crack. The ride was running better than I've ever seen it. It was running two trains and they weren't stacking. It was great. I guess that since it was a dead day, the law of large numbers says that there weren't going to be tons of idiots.

Mantis is one of the rides u have to go on while u are at the point just to say u have been on them all. Other than that there is no reason to go on it. The loading time is terrible, ur face gets beat around the whole time, and u cant walk straight after u get off. i go on it once everytime i am there just to get them all but IMO get rid of the trims on the drop, get a new crew, and convert the train into sit downs !!!!

Please no chat speak!

Anyway, I rather enjoy Mantis. I only get to go once or twice per year, and its always good for at least one ride during my trips. I went opening day and they had only one train running and it was taking forever. It was horrible, especially since otherwise it would have easily been a walk-on.