Reviews • Coaster Carl

I went to Cedar Point with my groomsmen for my bachelor party and we had an absolute blast. At the end of the visit, everyone rated their favorite and...

I went to Cedar Point with my groomsmen for my bachelor party and we had an absolute blast. At the end of the visit, everyone rated their favorite and least-favorite rides and Cedar Creek Mine ride was easily people's least favorite. Because their comments about it were cracking me up, I decided to allow every one of them to write a personal statement about their experiences. Here they are: Cameron: “I was as enthralled as the pieces of coal in cart transport would have been in the 1800s” Will: “Cedar creek mine ride is exactly the coaster you need it to be. Ranging from dumpster fire that should be torn down, all the way to hidden gem that makes it into your top 3 coasters for the park. It is rated.” Robert: "Gets better every time I ride it so by the year 2078 it should be the best coaster in the universe" Mark (me): “The owner of a nearby Diner in Sandusky said she doesn’t even consider this a rollercoaster… that’s all you need to know” Nate R: "Is it a kiddy ride or is it a coaster? Each turn will keep you guessing! Don’t sleep on this ride, as the period piece is equipped with some rips and turns and arm-choppin’ hazards" Matthew: "About as thrilling as mowing my lawn, which for the record is a very relaxing activity I enjoy. 10/10" and "It’s easy to mistake this ride for watching PBS Antiques road-show with mom. Unexpected but welcome surprise." Tanner: "At only 5 years younger than BS, Mine Ride should command the same respect. Anything less is intellectual dishonesty. Oh, but be sure to keep your hands inside the vehicle." Nate A: "Almost as bad as Magnum XL 200, this ride brought my headache from a 2 to a 6."

Iron Rattler is one of a kind. First, you’ve got arguably the best drop in the world. Then, the rest of the layout is pure perfection. The way the ...

Iron Rattler is one of a kind. First, you’ve got arguably the best drop in the world. Then, the rest of the layout is pure perfection. The way the ride interacts with the quarry wall is a masterpiece in terrain coaster design. You get not one, but TWO “jump offs” the quarry. The second one (before the tunnel) is one of the best sustained airtime hills I’ve ever experienced. Biggest downside is length. And the train can lose a bit of speed up on the quarry wall, but this isn’t an issue on a hot day or later in the afternoon/evening.

Rapterra does a couple of things really well and the rest sub-par. Pros: theming is SO cool. Love all the old homages to Volcano. Atmosphere aroun...

Rapterra does a couple of things really well and the rest sub-par. Pros: theming is SO cool. Love all the old homages to Volcano. Atmosphere around the ride as a spectator is unparalleled. Legitimately one of the most fun coasters to watch - ever. Launch is nice and punchy too. Best part of the ride is the wing over! I loved that. (Also smoothest part lol) Cons: I’m so sad to say that I was disappointed by the bumpiness of this ride. Yes, it’s not terrible and not “rattle” persay, but I just found it annoying and distracting from the experience of what should feel like “gliding”. Also forces overall were kinda mid, but I guess the prioritization of floater airtime matches the theme. BIGGEST CON: this honestly applies to the whole park too. Rapterra and its other counterparts have a terrible capacity problem right now. Operations opening weekend were literally abysmal. Rapterra clocked in an average dispatch time of 2:30 which means theoretical max capacity of 480 riders/hour. Dominator was running two trains with an average dispatch of 3 MINUTES. like come on guys. I hope they get their s**t together. Anyways, back to rapterra. I have two rides in, one front left inner seat and another second to back outer seat. Both were just okay. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a really fun ride. It deserves to be beloved, especially by the public. But as a coaster enthusiast I wanted more. At this time, I prefer gatekeeper over this. UPDATE: got one more ride in on this at sunset and definitely “warmed up” to it more. It’s fun. Just not a coaster enthusiasts dream.

As a native Coloradan, I’m surprised it took me 28 full years to get on sidewinder. On the flip side, it has been broken down for like 4 years now 😂 s...

As a native Coloradan, I’m surprised it took me 28 full years to get on sidewinder. On the flip side, it has been broken down for like 4 years now 😂 so that was a deterrent lol. But today was the day! It’s an excellent, rare ride with great airtime. As far as an enthusiast goes, definitely the best (and notably most comfortable/smoothest) ride at Elitches.

Easily the best dive coaster. This thing is glassy smooth and provides some of the most enjoyable floater on any coaster. The massive trains feel like...

Easily the best dive coaster. This thing is glassy smooth and provides some of the most enjoyable floater on any coaster. The massive trains feel like you’re floating around on a semi truck lol. Splashdown is so cool to experience and SO fun to watch.

Underappreciated woodie. Lots of zippy twists, turns, and pops of airtime make this a great ride, especially at night because of the hand choppers. Gr...

Underappreciated woodie. Lots of zippy twists, turns, and pops of airtime make this a great ride, especially at night because of the hand choppers. Great airtime too.

Defiance is such an awesome coaster. The location alone is unbeatable. First drop is spectacular, non-inverting loop has wild whip, and the banana rol...

Defiance is such an awesome coaster. The location alone is unbeatable. First drop is spectacular, non-inverting loop has wild whip, and the banana roll has strong positive G's that unfortunately come with lots of headbanging. Then, to finish the ride you have the upwards in-line twist which is definitely fun but not amazing. Best seat is the back left. Front row seemed to be more shaky and rattly. This ride would be a 5/5 stars if it were a little bit smoother and had better restraints. That being said it's Defi-nately the best coaster in Colorado at the moment.

bruh this ride honestly may be shorter than the OG top thrill dragster. Like we hit the brakes and I was genuinely shocked it was over, couldn’t belie...

bruh this ride honestly may be shorter than the OG top thrill dragster. Like we hit the brakes and I was genuinely shocked it was over, couldn’t believe it was that short haha. Launch is fun tho

Scream is insanely over-hated by enthusiasts. If you plopped this down in a different park other than SFMM or anywhere in my home state of Colorado, p...

Scream is insanely over-hated by enthusiasts. If you plopped this down in a different park other than SFMM or anywhere in my home state of Colorado, people would likely drool over it. It's got great height, length, and a fabulous layout that keeps its pace the whole way through. Maybe I got a good train or seat (front row), but there was little to no rattle either, it felt very smooth and enjoyable. Scream is a solid 8/10 for me!

X2 is a one-of-a-kind coaster, that's for sure. There is no drop in the world like it (besides Eejanaika). The biggest complaint I have is you can rea...

X2 is a one-of-a-kind coaster, that's for sure. There is no drop in the world like it (besides Eejanaika). The biggest complaint I have is you can really feel the age of this thing. The station feels erie, dirty, and sad and the trains look skeletal. The rattle is noticeable and there are quite a few dead spots, especially the large sweeping turn halfway through. It's a good "break" I guess, but just feels a little too slow. I also didn't enjoy the amount of jank, especially that last turn around and inversion before hitting the brakes. All this being said, X2 is still a 9/10 coaster simply because it is a marvel of engineering and is so fun.

Wonder Woman Flight of Courage absolutely blew me away. I stepped off of this coaster feeling elated and so surprised. First off, WWFOC was my very fi...

Wonder Woman Flight of Courage absolutely blew me away. I stepped off of this coaster feeling elated and so surprised. First off, WWFOC was my very first single rail coaster, so that added to the experience for sure. But I imagine even if I had done one before, this still would have blown my mind. WWFOC has a delicacy and precision to it that's incredibly hard to find anywhere else. Because there's only one rider per car, and that one rider is in the perfect center of the track, the single rail boasts heartlined elements that achieve mathematical perfection - and you can really feel that. The zero-g stall and the zero-g roll were both some of the most perfect inversions I've ever experienced. Another thing that boosted this one ride I got was how I left a little wiggle room between myself and the restraint. I thought I had pushed it down far enough, but I'm glad I didn't because I was quite literally FLYING out of my seat and it was the coolest sensation. Finally, the theming and color scheme of the ride and track are really some of the best at the park. The queue is enclosed in this building that has lots of art and weapons hanging on the wall and that bright yellow track makes you feel like you're riding on rays of sun. Overall, WWFOC is my new #3 roller coaster. I really hope to get back to SFMM to ride it again soon. Cheers to RMC for creating a masterpiece!

I’ll step out on a limb and say Cannibal was a little disappointing for me. The ejector on the first drop is so intense it’s hard to really enjoy it. ...

I’ll step out on a limb and say Cannibal was a little disappointing for me. The ejector on the first drop is so intense it’s hard to really enjoy it. It’s borderline uncomfortable sadly, at least for me. Only rode once and it was the first ride of the day, so I probably would have enjoyed a second run better later on. Oh well, it makes me excited to try it again soon! Cannibal helped me realize two preferences I have that many other enthusiasts don’t. One, I don’t like steeper than vertical drops. The further past vertical you go, the more time and space you have to spend leveling out, taking away precious height and “drop” floater airtime. Two, hangtime, at least the kind on Cannibal is too intense for me. It’s a cool sensation, but is not very comfortable. I guess I’m weird like that haha. But just had to be honest! The rest of this coaster is absolutely stunning and truly incredible. From waterfalls, to tunnels, to the lagoon roll, this coaster has something for everyone and is wildly fun overall. I just wish the first drop wasn’t so “sweaty” haha.

West Coast Racers is exceptionally good - way better than most people give it credit for. I didn’t find the restraints to be painful at all, just slig...

West Coast Racers is exceptionally good - way better than most people give it credit for. I didn’t find the restraints to be painful at all, just slightly claustrophobic in those small trains. The ride experience itself is really really cool. The dualing is SO CLOSE it feels like you can really grab someone’s hand on the other train at times. I love how this coaster hugs the ground and has very balanced forces. The maneuvers are very RMC-esque, but the forces are more floaty and regulated instead of intense, which I think fits the racing cars theme well. The biggest downside here is the capacity. This crew runs slow as molasses, which makes the experience of that halfway wait painfully long. I wish each side was its own separate track so you could run two trains on each track. On a slow day we waited 40 minutes for this. Can’t imagine how long of a wait it would have been if busy.

I agree with the review below. This is such an overrated ride not only at magic mountain but in general. Rode back left and got insane forces on the p...

I agree with the review below. This is such an overrated ride not only at magic mountain but in general. Rode back left and got insane forces on the pretzel loop, but everything else was honestly trash. There’s a painful rattle back there, at least on the train I was on, and these flying coasters just aren’t my style I guess. It’s such an uncomfortable way to ride. I even heard many teenage girls in front of me commenting on how rough and painful it was. Maybe that specific train needs maintenance. Hope to get a better ride in the future, but for now it’s gonna be a solid 5/10

A very nice little kiddie coaster! This is the newest coaster at Elitches, which is sad, but hopefully after they relocate out closer to the airport t...

A very nice little kiddie coaster! This is the newest coaster at Elitches, which is sad, but hopefully after they relocate out closer to the airport they'll be able to expand and add some seriously awesome coasters.

Pinfari is an incredible and fitting addition to Lakeside. Originally built in 1978, this surprisingly rides butter smooth. The first drop is surp...

Pinfari is an incredible and fitting addition to Lakeside. Originally built in 1978, this surprisingly rides butter smooth. The first drop is surprising and riding with friends or family in that small jam packed 4-person car is a blast. My personal favorite moments are at the bottom of each drop where you experience a very unique “swooping” feeling of sharp but smooth positive g’s - the kind that reminds you of swinging at the playground as a kid.

Wild Chipmunk is a true classic. Riding it as an adult is actually better than I remember as a kid since you get tossed around more in the restraint-l...

Wild Chipmunk is a true classic. Riding it as an adult is actually better than I remember as a kid since you get tossed around more in the restraint-less cars when you’re smaller. Its held up great over the years and feels well maintained. Even this small, historic coaster is better than most, if not all of the coasters at Elitches.

Okay... well basically this coaster sucks but it doesn't suck enough to be the 6th worst coaster in the world. The view of Denver up the lift is actua...

Okay... well basically this coaster sucks but it doesn't suck enough to be the 6th worst coaster in the world. The view of Denver up the lift is actually great and so unique, there are few coasters that have an urban view this good. The inversions are all insane and so uncomfortable that you genuinely wanna die, but I have to give Vekoma credit for naming this coaster so literally. They were really like "someone may have permanent memory loss on this ride" and still built it anyway. By far the best and most under appreciated aspect of the ride is this cool left-banking bunny-hill that happens right next to the station after the first inversion. It's a great feeling and with a train as thin and compact as this, presents a really unique angled airtime. The rest of the layout is so forgettable it's not even funny, but the double corkscrew is really the nail in the coffin for the erasing of minds. I mean the whole thing is so bold, terrible, and just flat out insane that you have to look at it and be like "I respect you". Like even Mavrick at Cedar point trying to emulate a bucking bronco has nothing on the Mind Eraser, at least when it comes to literally trying to buck it's riders off the ride and have them never come back again. I'll miss Mind Eraser when it's relocated to an area out near the airport. Maybe it will deserve a 1-star then. But until then, go ahead and give it a chance and make the best of it. UPDATE AUGUST 19TH, 2024: I rode Mind Eraser three times yesterday - somehow local, non-enthusiasts still love this thing. Testament to a rollercoaster still being fun even though it's ranked as one of the top 10 worst coasters in the world on this site. I audibly heard multiple people get off and say "wow that was rough" and then get back in line. It seems that with no good coasters in Denver, everyone (including myself) just settles for permanent brain damage. I did figure out a "better" way to ride, hold on as tight as possible using the hand grips on the restraints and stick your head forwards and clamp your legs up against the bottom of the seat to stabilize your body a bit. I mostly rode back row yesterday, one of the rides later in the day around 2pm did seem barely smoother, so maybe I'll try next time at the very end of the day to see if the shakes, rattles, and rolls get less destructive.

Twister III: Storm Chaser is a great ride to experience before you actually get on it. Aka, the theming is pretty good in the queue. Everything else, ...

Twister III: Storm Chaser is a great ride to experience before you actually get on it. Aka, the theming is pretty good in the queue. Everything else, besides the first drop is disastrous. This woodie is quite literally falling apart. I think the "joke" is supposed to be that you're riding it AFTER the Twister came through town, not before. Sheesh, what an absolute disaster of a ride. The layout is actually terrible too. After the first drop, you're just pinned up against the left side of your seat because you just go in circles around the layout. It's long too - which isn't a good thing in this case. You want the experience to be over right at the bottom of the first drop. I'd go as far to say this coaster is legitimately dangerous. I would not recommend anyone over the age of 30 to ride it, it's way too rough.

Half Pipe is an undervalued ride. It's a baby Wicked Twister, but I was so incredibly surprised by how much airtime you get on this thing. It's actual...

Half Pipe is an undervalued ride. It's a baby Wicked Twister, but I was so incredibly surprised by how much airtime you get on this thing. It's actually crazy. And the best part is you get it over, and over, and over again. It's one of the things that I always loved about swing rides is just the consistent floater experience, but the gradual spinning of the seats provides even greater airtime and even some mild ejector depending on the timing. It's fantastic. Allegedly, this is the only Half Pipe that's still operating out of the 3 that exist, so I felt honored to be able to ride it on the Fourth of July this year. Don't let it's lame look steer you away. It's by far the best coaster enthusiast experience at Elitch Gardens (although that's not saying a lot because the bar is pretty low lol). UPDATE AUGUST 19TH 2024: I rode Half Pipe Twice yesterday, both on the left spinner. I'm convinced this spinner is much rougher than the right one. The ride is still good, but I'm changing it to 3.5 stars just because of the shake and rattle on that left spinner.

Maverick is a coaster with supreme personality. I've always loved this ride, but in recent years you realize how unique Maverick is. Cedar Point and I...

Maverick is a coaster with supreme personality. I've always loved this ride, but in recent years you realize how unique Maverick is. Cedar Point and Intamin really showed off how intense you can make a ride that is barely over 100 ft tall. From beginning to end, Maverick is a beast, but one that makes you laugh in awe of how crazy it all is. The turns and banking are snappier than any other coaster I've ridden and the new restraints are honestly really nice in my opinion. Some of the ejector on the speed hills is so powerful that you are genuinely shocked during and after. Maverick may not "look" like a lot from the pathway, but the current #13 spot in the world is much deserved. By far the best theming at Cedar Point too (not saying a lot because there's barely theming anywhere, but the sound effects and lights of a "train crossing" before the launch really adds to the intensity and excitement of it. Would love to see them lean more into that kind of thing for future rides.

The original dragster was by far the most intense physical feeling I've ever experienced. Imagine the top acceleration of a tesla times three. Your he...

The original dragster was by far the most intense physical feeling I've ever experienced. Imagine the top acceleration of a tesla times three. Your heart and stomach were literally left at the station. I am so sad to see Top Thrill 2 struggling right now, but hope that I get to ride it someday. Still, nothing will compare to the original hydraulic launch. It was SO powerful. I'll be chasing that crazy feeling forever!

No other roller coaster truly deserves the #1 spot the way this does. For me, it's not even close. The very first ride on this was back in 2018 right ...

No other roller coaster truly deserves the #1 spot the way this does. For me, it's not even close. The very first ride on this was back in 2018 right after it opened, but it was in heavy rain and I literally couldn't see anything and don't remember anything haha (I'm surprised they even let us ride it in those conditions anyways). Fast forward to a week ago and I rode it three times in the span of two days. Steel Vengeance is a masterpiece and no one can change my mind. RMC obviously has a huge grip right now on coaster enthusiasts, but people that try to argue that this is overhyped are flat out wrong. Like you ride some of the best rollercoasters right before and after this (like Maverick which is currently #13) and it's not even close how much better Steel Vengeance is. It puts all other coasters to shame. Truly a wonder of engineering and a work of art. Now, it depends on what kind of rider you are and I understand some people may not like how "back to back" and "maximalist" this coaster is. I understand that. But this is not a "coasting" type of rollercoaster. This is the airtime machine. You dive, you pop, you twist, you fly. I'll call it now: Steel Vengeance will likely be the best rollercoaster of all time for many, many years to come. There's something just so special about it that I can't even put into words. It's so unhinged and free, so daring and bold, and somehow still whimsical and playful. You can't help but get to the brake run and think, "That's it. That is the best rollercoaster in the world."

I honestly did not expect this ride to blow me away like it did. It's easily the smoothest coaster at all of Cedar Point. Unlike many of the other coa...

I honestly did not expect this ride to blow me away like it did. It's easily the smoothest coaster at all of Cedar Point. Unlike many of the other coasters, it's not trying to be something crazy innovative or intense, it's just a flat out good ride with arguably the best first drop in the park. We even waited in line for almost a full 2 hours and this ride still felt worth that wait (in the terrible, boxed-in queue).