Park 4: Cedar Point

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Day 8: Cedar Point

I have been to Cedar Point at least one time a year for 28 consecutive years. Each time I visit the park is just as awesome as the last, and this year was no exception. The roller coasters that Cedar Point has are unlike anything we have seen so far on this trip, and the quantity and quality of rides is unmatched. One of the most amazing things about visiting Cedar Point is taking the short drive on the causeway as you approach the parking lot and seeing the enormous, brightly colored coaster tracks and supports. It is completely amazing, especially for people unfamiliar with this skyline, and always leaves me in awe.

Weather for Friday was not looking great at all. There was a 40% chance of rain most of the morning, and then it was supposed to clear up in the afternoon. We took advantage of our Platinum passes and entered the park an hour early, which was supposed to help us knock some of the 17 coasters out of the way early before the crowds arrived. However, while we were in line for Maverick it started pouring down rain and caused the ride to be closed for over an hour. No fun, but at least we stayed dry in line.

The rain proved to be a thorn in our sides later in the day as well; while we waited in line for Top Thrill Dragster it started to rain again, and again the ride was closed for about an hour. Since no other coasters were running during the drizzle, we held out and killed time doing nothing. TTD is solid though, and in the end I was glad we waited it out! After all that sitting around in between runs, the first and third trains didn’t make it over the hill after the launch and rolled back. A rollback on Top Thrill is one thing that I have never been able to experience and would really, really like!

One of my all time favorite coasters is Millennium Force. It might actually be my #1 favorite roller coaster, especially at night. The height and speed and ride experience is completely awesome. If you haven’t ridden Millennium Force before, you have absolutely no idea what you’re missing. If you think you’ve ridden the greatest roller coaster ever…think again. The addition of Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion this year has a lot of people comparing it to Millennium Force…and from what I’ve read on the Internet, a lot of people really seem to think that Intimidator is better. I’m really looking forward to comparing them myself! Stay tuned for the review!

Magnum is a classic; there’s nothing quite like riding right next to Lake Erie, especially at sunset, and it will forever remain a favorite of mine. I can still remember how incredibly scared I was when I got on the ride opening year in 1989! Blue Streak and Gemini are two other classics that are surely worth mentioning.

Generally when I visit Cedar Point I am with a small group of people and we spend our day riding both coasters and other attractions. This time, however, we had the goal of riding all of the roller coasters that we possibly could. Cedar Point has 17 coasters, including two kiddie coasters, which meant that we had at least 15 to ride in one day. Up until then, the most we had ridden at a single park was [only] eight coasters. At the other parks, between the coasters and other rides we were able to stay busy pretty much all day. Riding 15 roller coasters at a park like Cedar Point actually turned into a bit of a chore, especially with the crowds and rain delays. At one point we were actually concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get everything in, but in the end we were able to accomplish our goal (except for the kiddie rides) and rode 15 coasters with time to spare!

Going to Cedar Point always makes me happy. It brings back tons of childhood memories, as I remember riding rides that not longer exist, and recall different areas of park expansion throughout the years. I don’t think any amusement park anywhere will ever surpass the number one spot in my book.

Ride List (* indicates roller coaster)

• *Blue Streak
• *Cedar Creek Mine Ride
• Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad
• *Corkscrew
• *Disaster Transport
• *Gemini
• *Iron Dragon
• *Mantis
• *Magnum XL-200
• *Maverick
• *Mean Streak
• *Millennium Force
• *Raptor
• Sky Ride
• *Top Thrill Dragster
• *Wicked Twister
• *Wildcat