It's been 20 years since my last visit. Same place, but different. This visit was late August 2026…read more
Maverick is where White Water Landing used to be.
Ocean Motion is where Demon Drop used to be.
Gatekeeper is where Disaster Transport and Space Spiral used to be.
Valravn is where a theater and some flat rides used to be.
Mean Streak was rebuilt into Steel Vengeance.
The Grand Pavillion and Wild Mouse are where Wicked Twister used to be.
Siren's Curse is where a stage and the last WildCat used to be.
Steel Vengeance, Top Thrill 2 and Siren's Curse have metal detectors. You're forced to leave the contents of your pockets in a locker. Thankfully I got to keep my belt and glasses (with Cedar Flags branded retention strap). I get why. The Bozos that would toss stuff at the opposing train on Dueling Dragons / Dragon Challenge at Universal Florida really ruined it for everybody. I'm surprised I didn't have to sign a pledge not to try to high five the other train before boarding Gemini.
The variety and quality of the food has improved. The daily dining plan they occasionally offer is a value if you're staying open to close. I would't call any of it health food, but there are some not terrible options for those watching their figure or trying to avoid the punishment for putting on weight courtesy of Steel Vengeance.
Speaking of Steel Vengeance...I thought Skyrush aka Thighcrush at Hershey Park hurt. It's got nothing on Steel Vengeance. I thought Intamin was full of nutters, but RMC makes them look stone cold sane. Hershey Park supposedly fixed Skyrush, Cedar Point needs to do something about Steel Vengeance. Or put up signs, sell thigh cushions, or retrain the ride ops. Something. It was like getting repeatedly hit in the thighs with a baseball bat. I kid you not. I used to be a bit pudgy, but I lost 100 pounds and got in shape. I have a 32 inch waist. Maybe that's my problem, I lost too much thigh fat. Not that it helped on Skyrush.
I don't know if I got a mad stapler ride op or what, but it was one and done for me. Was in the front row even, not the back. I had trouble walking afterwards. I was so sore I couldn't enjoy Millennium Force or Top Thrill 2. I should have gone to First Aid and shook them down for ice packs.
Speaking of Top Thrill 2. New trains. They still fuss about folks putting arms up pre-launch, but of course everybody still does it after the launch cycle starts. Anybody with any sense puts their arms down before going over the top, especially in the back. If you are hanging out of your seat when you hit that first twist on the way down, you're going to get a good crack to your spine. The new trains just have lap bars.
Have they been messing with the belts on Millennium Force? I thought they were as short as they could get but apparently not. The ride ops pretty much do them for you now to save time. As well as the lap bar. If you've got a 36+ inch waist, good luck.
It seems assigned seating is the rule rather than the exception. It can be tough to collect a front or back seat unless it's right after open or right before close. Unless you find a cool ride op and the platform isn't full.
Fast Lane / Fast Lane Plus is pretty much required now unless the park is deserted. The more crowded the park is the more expensive it is. They even admit it, the non-fastlane queue for TT2 is labelled 'standby'.
All season drink bottles have been a thing for a while now. If you're going to sell them you need to have a spot to leave them. Had to dump them for Blue Streak. Seems to be a legacy Cedar Fair Issue, legacy Six Flags has bottle holders almost everywhere.
I'll admit I'm getting old, but this trip just hurt. My thighs, my back and my wallet. Were the massive thrills worth it? Possibly not. Reminds me of the time I stayed at the Hotel Breakers for a whole week when the original Top Thrill opened, trying to catch a ride. I was not successful. This trip feels like a dud, too, but for different reasons. I'll be back, if only because I can hear my younger self telling me I've gotten old and soft. I'll have a better plan and will see about losing more weight. I've got the waist size I graduated high school with, but a few extra pounds, and as much as I wish it were so, not all of it is muscle.
Potential visitors, learn from my mistakes. Cedar Point, put more padding on those restraints on Steel Vengeance and maybe some kind of indicator to prevent stapling. Invest in some drink bottle holder stands, too. Go tour the legacy Six Flags parks Cedar Flags didn't sell and see how handy those are.