roller coaster recommendations for Cedar Point

[coltfan]

My family visits Disney World every 2-3 years. We visit Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN annually. Next week I will be visiting Cedar Point for the first time in over 30 years.

I can handle Tower of Terror, Expedition Everest, and Rock and Roller Coaster at WDW. I can only handle the Raven and Pilgrim's Plunge at Holiday World. The Legend and The Voyage are too extreme for me at HW.

Hopefully those of you familiar with roller coasters at Holiday World and Cedar Point, can make recommendations based on what I like at WDW and Holiday World. I would appreciate your help with suggestions on what roller coasters to ride or avoid at Cedar Point.

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

I would think you could handle Top Thrill Dragster because it is literally one big hill. No more of a dropping feeling than TOT.

Milinneum Force and Magnum are two steel coasters that are high thrill but NO inversions, just fast with hills. Similar to EE.

Blue Streak is a wooden coaster, so it throws you around a bit, but it is a pretty small one. Short and sweet

Cedar Creek mine ride is similar to Big Thunder Mountain railroad.

Corkscrew is similar to RnRC but it is outdoors, don't know if that makes a difference.

Disaster Transport is an indoor coaster with NO inversions and it is pretty tame. Similar to SM but not so jerky.

Gemini is a twin coaster on a wooden track. NO inversions, fairly short, no comprable Disney ride.

Iron Dragon isn't even really a coaster,more of a gentle ride. Like Peter Pan but faster.

Mantis is tough. You stand up in a harness and there are lots of inversions, probably not for you.

Mean Streak is the longest wooden coaster and is VERY rough. Tosses you around a lot and is tough even for people who like thrills.

Raptor is a dangly feet rollercoaster with lots of inversions, Probably not a good one for you. Similar to the build your own coaster at Epcot if you build the scariest one.

Wicked Twister is a hard one to gauge. It takes you back and forth in a U shape and also twists you. Very fast, lots of motion. Be cautious.

Wildcat is a small coaster, similar to Primeval Whirl but with no spinning.

Power Tower is fine, similar to TOT, but I would recommend the red tower. Green tower takes you up slowly, makes you hang in the air for an indeterminate amount of time, then drops you really fast. Red tower sends you up fast and then bounces you down.

The rest of the rides are either thrills I haven't been on or they are basic carnival/amusement rides. Good luck!

 

[coltfan]

Thank you for the details. Now I can have fun with my Girl Scout troop but also not take on too much that I feel sick!

 

[Nadjalu]

I wouldn't agree with PP accesment, just my opinion.

Depending on why you like the coasters you do, Cedar Point is for the coaster junkie...aka a "ride warrior".

Out of 17 coasters at Cedar Point I can only do, Iron Dragon, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Corkscrew and Disaster Transport.

I can do all at WDW minus ToT.

Cedar Point is in my back yard, I can tell you anything you wish to know about each and every ride.
What do you like about a coaster and what are your no nos?

 

[RayRing]

Wow, I am getting motion sickness just reading about the rides at Cedar Point.

I can't imagine riding some of them !!!

 

[knlasv]

Cedar Point is about a 40 minute drive and I used to go several times a year.
My favorite coasters are Raptor and Millennium Force. Nice smooth rides.
Top Thrill Dragster is over rated, IMO. It is up and down one hill, one time. Not worth the long wait time.
I do not like the Mantis. Stand up roller coaster that is uncomfortable to ride since you are standing up, but still have a seat-type thing that you have to sit on.
The Corkscrew and Mean Streak give me headaches. Too jerky.
The Magnum, Gemini, Blue Streak, Mine Ride, and Power Tower are all good too.
I know I'm missing some, but those are just a few off the top of my head.. I hope it helps!

 

[HannahNoahMommy]

Given the responses already, here's a bit more information. It's hard to say without knowing what puts a a ride on your can't ride list.

I'm putting these into three categories, shouldn't be a problem, use your judgement, and ones I wouldn't recommend.

Shouldn't be an issue rides:
Cedar Creek Mine Ride - old style mine ride, very tame. The cars are not comfortable if you're tall.
Iron Dragon - A suspended coaster, it's quite tame and should not present an issue.
Disaster Transport - Also quite tame, very dark. This is the only line that is in the A/C.
Blue Streak - Small wooden coaster, a blast to ride, and shouldn't give you any trouble.
Wildcat - Similar size to Primeval whirl, but not a similar ride. It's a lot of fun for the size.
Corkscrew - It's rougher than RnRC, but not bad. I think you'd be fine here as well.
Gemini - steel tracked, wooden supported racing coaster. It's tamer than EE for sure.

Use your judgement rides:
Wicked Twister - it's smooth, but it does accelerate you going backwards. Some people don't like that feeling.
Magnum - I'd put this on the rougher side of the steel coasters. That being said, the roughness is one of the charms of this ride, and one of my favorites.
Millennium Force - Don't let the big hill scare you, this ride is all about speed, and is not rough or really wild. I would describe this as the smoothest of the steel coasters.
Raptor - It's got of lot of inversions, 6 vs. RnRC having 3. That being said, still my all time favorite steel coaster. It's not rough at all. If you do ride, choose an outside seat, the middle two can be disorienting.
Maverick - Again, don't let the small size fool you. This ride is quick, and rather intense.
Top Thrill Dragster - If you like the launch of Rock N Roller Coaster, then ride this. It's not overly intense after the launch, and it's over quick.

Do not ride:
Mean Streak - It's huge and really rough. I'm a die hard coaster nut and I don't even bother anymore.
Mantis - Being a stand up coaster, it can be rather uncomfortable to ride. It's also been running rough the past few seasons.

The last two coasters are kids rides, Jr. Gemini is really small, and really short. Woodstock's express is much like Goofy's Barnstormer.

As for the non-coaster rides, if you can stand spinning, don't miss Maxair, my favorite non-roller coaster. Also, Skyhawk is a lot of fun, just a giant backyard swing. The new ride, Windseeker, is pretty tame despite the size, and the view is amazing at night.

My last two bits of advice, if you get there early in the morning, do NOT stop and ride Raptor or Blue Streak, these are up front, and typically have the longest lines of the day during the morning. Come back in the middle of the day for the shortest lines on these rides.

Second, food/drink is VERY expensive there. If you are thirsty, ask for a glass of ice water from ANY concession stand. They are free, and they use the filtered water. Many stands will give you a large glass if you ask for it.

 

[BerrysGirl]

I can do all the coasters at Cedar Point but Top Thrill Dragster and Mantis (I handle all the rides at Disney just fine). Top Thrill's intense because of the tiny lap bar they give you for basically a face-down vertical drop. IMO it's just too intense and terrifying. Plus, because of the design, it doesn't even make it over the hill every time! It's completely safe to drop back down the hill backwards, then they reset the ride and go again but still, no thank you!
Mantis is very intense because it's a standing coaster. There's a lot of pressure on your legs throughout the ride and you're thinking more about that then how much "fun" you're having.

But enjoy the park! Cedar Point is a ton of fun... you'll definitely find something you'll love (give Millennium Force a try... it's the best)! Just don't compare it to Disney too much (you'll be disappointed ). And if you see a worker named Ryan from Dayton, Ohio say "hi" to my boyfriend's cousin from a mutual Disney lover!

 

[coltfan]

Wow, thanks for all the great responses. This will be helpful since you described them well. What I can't handle on roller coasters is when it shakes my head alot or when it never lets up and coasts at all. On some of the roller coasters at Holiday World I felt like I was barrelling ahead full force the entire ride. I prefer the bursts of speed and then coasting a bit through some turns, curves, etc.

 

[chalee94]

i think you'll be fine with magnum.

i suspect you'll chicken out on top thrill dragster when you are staring up at the 420 ft hill that goes straight up and down...

(you are welcome to prove me wrong. )

i think you definitely should give millenium force a chance. the hill looked less intense to me even though it was 300 ft tall...it only gets daunting as you are in the coaster and you are quickly moving up the big hill...yet it seems to take forever...and then you notice you are really high up...but by then it's too late.

 

[kaligal]

The only coaster in Disney that comes close is RnRc. But that's not to say they're all as jerky as that one. They aren't. But Disney's definition of "thrill" and Cedar Point's definition aren't the same. Cedar Point would not advertise BTMRR as a big thrill.

Disney has GREAT rides, but they aren't thrill rides. Disney focuses on themes. CP focuses on the rides.

Millenium Force is still my favorite. I like hills. They couldn't build one too tall or fast for me. And that's the best part of MF - the hill. It's a very smooth ride.

Maverick is fast and fun, but no big hills.

Top Thrill Dragster has a ridiculous line and while it is a good ride, it isn't all that and a side of fries. I dont' really get the huge draw, other than that it is relatively new. If you must ride it, let it be the first or second thing you hit.

You should check out the Cedar Point site - they actually give you a rating for thrill quotient.

When you're there, you can see the rides, so none of them will be a big shock once you're on them.

They have a lot more regular rides in there than they did 20 years ago. It's not all rollercoasters any more.

Have a good trip!

 

[PhillyMc]

If you are unable to handle the head movement stay away from the meanstreak that thing beats you to death. Raptor is fast but very smooth, we also love the Maverick but it might be a little rough.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

You've already gotten pretty good advice, however, I'm going to say that Top Thrill Dragster is not like any other roller-coaster in existence. It is not something I would suggest to anyone who has any trouble with roller-coasters at all. Think of it as the Tower of Terror, except the up elevator is as fast as the opening shot of Rock n' Roller Coaster...and it's about 3 times as high.

That's the only ride I never feel the need to go on again for the rest of my life. It wasn't the hill...it was the anticipation.

 

[damo]

I find Magnum's restraints very painful on the legs. Make sure when you get in you position yourself carefully as every bit of airtime slams your legs into the retraints.

Cedar Point is great...have fun!!!

 

[chris4disney]

I am in my mid-30's and have lived in NE Ohio all my life, so I've been to Cedar Point many times. More so in my late teens and during my 20's though. In 2004 we went to WDW for the first time and have gone back every year since. During that same time frame DH and I went back to Cedar Point just once last summer. Yes, the roller coasters are awesome there, but I will say that WDW has spoiled us when it comes to the cleanliness and theming of the park itself. Cedar Point was... well dirty, IMO. While waiting in the lines for rides everywhere you turned were huge spiderwebs and cobwebs! I MEAN EVERYWHERE!!! And I missed all the theming that Disney does into their attraction lines/cue areas. Cedar Point is just rows and winding rows of people in line with no shade!! It really made me appreciate what Disney does in this area.

I'm not saying all this to ruin your Cedar Point trip... for the thrill ride junkies (like me!) it is awesome! But if you are used to the WDW way of the few things like I mentioned above, it definitly stands out to the WDW peeps, like us, when you're at the Point. So just prepare yourself mentally and keep saying... I'm here for the rides, I'm here for the rides!

Have fun!!! I've seen the commericals for the new "swing in the sky" ride and it looks awesome! Can't remember the name of it right now, but it looks like the old Yo-Yo swing ride, but 300 feet in the air!

I also might add that my DH gets motion sickness and just half way through the day he decided to ride the Raptor. I LOVE THIS RIDE, but it did him in for the day. He spent the rest of the day watching me ride rides. So if anyone in your group does get motion sickness, stay clear of the Raptor.

 

[pamelaz]

Ahh, Cedar Point - I love it there! You're going to have a blast!!!
Especially love the Raptor.

 

[stky6]

Something that they have started up recently is the old Western Cruise, they are calling it Winnebego Tours now. It is a paddlewhell boat ride that takes you along the western bank of Cedar Point in Sandusky Bay. We come in this way in our boat a lot when we camp on Kelleys Island and it gives a neat look at the park from the water. If you're looking for a relaxing break from the park this is a nice tour that give you a different view.

Plan on spending some time on the water park too. They have 2 lazy rivers, one is a traditional float around the ring on a tube. The other is called Rampaging Rapids, it has a fun twist at the end of it.

Cleanliness in the park has never been an issue for us. They have trash cans about every twenty feet and the sweeps do a wonderful job at keeping the park clean.

One trick to do if you are driving is to take stuff along to grill and picnic. They have a huge covered picninc area with grills right by the main entrance. When you get there just put your stuff on a table to stake your claim. Get your hand stamped and come back out and relax, eat and feed the seagulls for a bit.
As far as riding Raptor is tell everyone I'll wait for them...let them get in line...then walk across the midway to Toft's Ice Cream Parlor and get a big double dip ice cream and make sure it's all gone before they come back and just tell them how boring it was waiting but I did it for them

When it comes to Maverick just tell them you're a bit tired and you just want to walk over to the museum and get in some A/C (There is a Cedar POint Museum close to Maverick. Once they're in line, walk past the old car ride, around the corner past the frozen custard stand, across the bridge to the CS station and get a grilled Turkey leg...again make sure it is eaten and you are in the museum by the time they get off Maverick and explain it was kind of boring waiting but you needed the break

I would suggest to definetly do Top Thrill Dragster...I can pretty much guarantee your head won't move around and you get a nice break at the top of the hill...rollback or not

If you have streaming Netflix pull up Bert the Conquerer...his first episode was at Cedar Point.

 

[cristielf]

As a former ride hostess at CP, my favorite rides are the ones I worked on.. Magnum XL 200 and the Gemini!

 

[Order66]

We're >hour from Cedar Point, so I've been there way more times than Disney. Honestly, there is really nothing that WDW has that you can compare to anything Cedar Point has. All WDW coasters are pretty tame compared to what CP has to offer. Of course by comparison, my son (11) will not ride RnR at all. Dislikes TOT for the dropping and EE for going backwards, yet will do any of the coasters at CP that do not invert you. Magnum is his favorite.

Mean Streak has been mentioned to be the worst........and I concur. It's an old fashioned wood coaster that is rough with a capital R O U G and H! It's also very long, over 3 minutes. But if you like being jerked around until you feel like your head is going to unscrew.......it's the ride for you.

Blue Streak is a very old wooden coaster and very jerky too, but it's much smaller so it's not as bad as Mean Streak. Lightweight folks will get a lot of hang time on this one. My 60lb son said he stood the whole ride because he just couldn't keep his butt in the seat.

Gemini is a hybrid wood and steel coaster that was a big one in it's time. Now it seems rather small and slow. But if you don't want huge coasters, but like a bit of thrill, it's a decent one. It's not as rough as Blue Streak or Mean Streak due to the steel track. My kids like this one second.

Magnum and Millennium are steel coasters. Fast and BIG! They are pretty smooth and a lot of fun. The worst part of them to me is actually looking at the track, which when you are climbing that 300' hill, seems to be about the diameter of a drinking straw. LOL But these 2 are a lot of fun.

Maverick is unlike other coasters. It's not big and it's not long.....it's about speed and track layout. This one tends to have the longest lines, so go there first if you want to try it.

Top Thrill dragster is also a long line for a very short ride. It has the shoot you out thrill of RnR, but rather than a trip through LA you climb straight up........and fall face first straight down.

Iron Dragon, Corkscrew and Cedar Creek are all very small "tame" coasters. Usually good for kids who are not quite ready for the monster coasters. Iron Dragon hangs under the track, but doesn't invert you. Corkscrew does......and IMHO bounces my head around a little too much. Cedar Creak is no bigger or faster than BTM........without the fun stuff to look at. Each are worth a ride once as the lines are generally short for these 3.

Disaster Transport is CP's attempt at a Disney like themed ride.....only they obviously only had a budget of $50 to work with. Think water coaster with no water. It's a small not very fast "indoor coaster" that could probably be kinda cool, if they did more than slap glow in the dark paint on the walls. The que has AC.....the ride does not.

If you like the dropping of TOT, try Power Tower. It's similar, except outside and only 1 drop. You can choose between being shot up very fast and free falling down or being taken up slowly and held while you dangle 300' for a life time waiting until they release you to plummet down. Both are fun.

Raptor and Mantis are off my kids radar. They won't try them and I'm OK with that. My last looping, twisting, inverted coaster ruined my day for a few hours........and I'm even older now!

Now CP does have one pretty good themed area in Frontier land. The home of the water rides. They are all pretty good and you will get pretty wet. Thunder Canyon = Kali River Rapids and 2 unfortunate souls will get 100% head to toe soaked in the falls. Usually, that means me and whoever is sitting next to me. LOL This area of the park allows swimsuits and entering shoeless for 2 of the rides. Lockers are available for your stuff.

Windseeker is this years new ride. A 300' foot swing ride. I hate heights, well I hate being stuck that high....moving on a coaster is OK, so I opted out. But my son and my sister rode it and loved it.

We were there this year about a month ago and I will say, that while the park has had some issues with not being super clean (but not filthy either) and workers being unfriendly or unable to speak clear english..........I noticed a big improvement this year. The park was very clean and most of the ride attendants were very friendly.

Enjoy your trip.

regards

 

[CarrieR]

I only have a quick sec but am intimately familiar with all three parks (HW, CP, Disney) so I can't resist replying.

Mantis and Mean Streak = PAIN. I would not suggest either of those to my worst enemy.

Corkscrew also has a way of bashing your head around, I always come off with a headache. I have the same problem with Raptor but have never met anyone else that says the same, so it may have to do with my height and how I fit into the restraint.

Millennium is large and fast, but very, very smooth. If it's roughness you are worried about, and the height doesn't trip you out, then go with it. It's probably my favorite coaster anywhere. Similarly, Dragster is all about the launch; very smooth and won't rattle you around, though.

Maverick is the only coaster that competes with Millennium for my favorite. Make sure to actively PUSH your head back into the restraint, and you will be ok. I find it easiest to wrap my arms around the restraint at collarbone level, it seems to steady my head. As long as my head is steady, I LOVE that ride. If I don't, it can be a little too rough.

Wildcat, Jr Gemini, Iron Dragon, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Disaster will be fine, as well as the kiddie coaster.

For Magnum, sit in the middle bench of the car, towards the center of the coaster. Row 1-3 is known as the ejector seat and WILL bruise your legs.

FWIW, I find it very difficult to compare any of Holiday World's coasters with those at Cedar Point. They are really very different experiences. Raven is okay, I am not a fan of the lateral forces on Legend (and you're right, they don't let up.) I now find Voyage awesome, but only after riding it a few times and learning how to lean/steady/ride actively, out of pure stubbornness. The first few rides on it were brutal. I don't think there's anything at CP with that level of intensity; maybe Maverick with its back-to-back moves but in a very different way.

Power Tower at CP is basically a mega-size of Liberty Launch. My BFF is afraid of heights and can handle Liberty Launch but not Power Tower (she won't even try.)

I am a certified coaster dork, but taking the summer off to do the AP thing at Disney (after having the Cedar Fair pass -- to CP & Kings Island -- for the last few years. Suffering slight thrill ride withdrawls, lol!!!)