USA Trip 2011 Park #2
18 – 19 August 2011
If Disneyland is meant to be the happiest place on earth, then I think Cedar Point must be on a different planet. It is a place where one throws up rainbows with giddiness and joy. This magical land is known as the roller coaster capital of the world, and to this day remains my favourite fun park on the globe.
I met up with Kyra in Philadelphia, and we flew to Ohio. It was our first taste of just how busy American airports could be. Even though we allowed a couple of hours to get through check in, we got stuck in a massive line at Security, and ended up sprinting to the boarding gate with shoes in hand. Staff had to reopen the boarding gate doors for us, and so we were grateful not to have missed the flight (which would have stuffed up everything from bus connections to hotels.) Hours later, we checked in for our first on-site hotel experience at Hotel Breakers. It was pretty run down, but the convenience of staying on-site with benefits such as early entry to the park, cannot be understated!
First stop was Magnum XL. You couldn’t actually see much of the coaster from the from the queue area, so we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves in to. We knew something good was coming on that first lift hill though! The look on Kyra’s face as we sped down will be etched in my memory forever! Was it fear, confusion, or the realisation that I was going to make her go on another 30 just like this that had sunk in? These days it takes a lot for any roller coaster to give me a good thrill or weird stomach/head feelings, so I tend to live through others like Kyra, who are ride novices. Magnum XL was a brilliant start to the day.
After knocking over some of the smaller coasters (just to say we did) like Blue Streak, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Corkscrew, Iron Dragon, Disaster Transport (indoor) and Gemini, we thoroughly enjoyed multiple turns on Wicked Twister (quick launch coaster operating on a twisted half pipe). There were actually so many rides we had to cross them off on the map as we went to ensure we didn’t miss any.
Next stop was Maverick, which we only went on twice because the queue was so long. It was at this point we developed our repertoire of games such as charades, Disney celebrity head, guess the number, A-Z etc. Various internet sites had raved about Maverick so we were super excited, but I was a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong – it was still great, I just wanted that 95 degree drop to be a little more heart stopping.
Raptor was another high quality coaster before we embarked on another massive wooden beast called Mean Streak. After El Toro after Six Flags I was totally sold on giant woodies (that’s what she said.) Mean Streak was a little less impressive than El Toro, but still a beautiful ride. This has since been converted in to a hybrid steel/wooden coaster known as Steel Vengeance, so I am glad I got to experience it in its original form.
Another rollercoaster which has since changed is Mantis. My second ever standing up coaster, the novelty hadn’t yet worn off. It is now a sitting down/floorless coaster called Rougarou. It makes me much happier to see rides transformed than torn down, so I suppose I shouldn’t complain.
I have saved Cedar Point’s two most epic coasters until last. Top Thrill Dragster is another fast launch coaster similar to Kingda Ka.
Some people love watching movies, others love a good whiskey. I love getting shot out across a roller coaster track at high speeds. Each to their own! We went on this one several times, though I’m not sure Kyra was sold on her first seriously fast launch experience. At the end of the first day, she didn’t want to go on with me again. Well, being a single rider means less wait time, so hooray for me! As I sat in the front row with the sun setting, I really loved my life at that moment. However I learnt a very valuable lesson. When the sun goes down, the ride lights come on. The lights attract bugs. Bugs which hit you when you are travelling at high speeds feel a bit like someone is throwing rocks at you. I had dead bugs all over my clothes, in my eyelashes and mouth. I ended up with an irritating eye infection as a result, but hey, it was worth it!
Last but by no means least, is the roller coaster which to this day is still my favourite of all time. Hail Millennium Force! The lift hill just kept going and going at a decent pace, as we shot up on the edge of Lake Erie. I have never experienced a drop quite as exhilarating as this coaster, and it really was just a perfect set up of speed, height, twists and turns. We went on it the morning, the night, the front row, the back row – we just loved it! I actually asked the company if I could have a blueprint of this coaster, as I really want to get a tattoo to remember it. I have also told loved ones that I want some of my ashes to be thrown off the top of Millennium Force when I die. This one totally deserves every award it has ever won.
At the end of day 1, Kyra and I just couldn’t get enough. So I bought the Cedar Point edition of Monopoly, and we played that well in to the night. It was also Kyra’s 21st birthday, so we enjoyed her first legal drink in the US. We then got to repeat every magical moment on day two.
Cedar Point I WILL be back, especially now that you have the GateKeeper and Valravn coasters which look amazing.
Roller Coaster Ramble 