Coaster reviews

Inversions Smoothness Dead spots

I think this is the most underrated ride at the park. Don't go in expecting an over-the-top intensity machine. Instead, what you get is a very smooth and at times very forceful ride. The first drop can sometimes cause me to gray out and is a very unique way to start the ride. The inversions are varied and give a nice mix of forces. Butter smooth throughout. The ride dies after the mid-course, but the mid-course is so late into the ride that it's not that big of a deal. Go in with proper expectations and you will have a good time with this one.

First Drop Pace Intensity Intensity

I hate to be that guy but I do have to knock it somewhat for the first turn - while I love intensity, I don't love the sustained gray out I am guaranteed to get in every row. I don't think I've ever fully blacked out on this, but given this thing scrambles your head like nothing else I could be wrong on that. The rest of the ride has the sort of insanity that I'm looking for. The other turns have the right mix of force and length to not be overwhelming. Those transitions. THOSE. TRANSITIONS. I love whip and these are the best in the world for that. And the amount of speed this thing carries throughout the layout is mindblowing. We'll never see another coaster this intense again, so enjoy it while you can.

First Drop Launch Pace

It's not the size of the coaster, it's what you do with it that counts. I'm so grateful Cedar Point broke from the coaster wars mode and built this. Phenomenal pacing throughout. Incredibly diverse mix of elements with every force you can think of accounted for. My favorite elements are the very last two: the second Stengel dive into the speed hill is a disorienting mix of laterals, positives, and negatives back to back to back. It's approaching 20 years old and still feels fresh and unique. I will never get sick of this ride.

Airtimes Masterpiece Layout Capacity

Absolutely stellar, RMC delivered again. The first half is a greatest hits collection of RMC: killer drop, the outerbank, death roll, and outside wave turn are some of the best RMC has ever done, and they've already set the bar very high. The second half lets the foot off the gas a bit and is less distinct, but that is a nitpick. Slamming into the brakes, it still feels like a satisfying and complete ride. I still place Steel Vengeance ahead of it due to length, but they are so so close together. Worth the trip to Tampa alone. And if anyone from Busch Gardens is reading this: my god, the ops need some work. I saw regular 5+ minute dispatches when I was there. This is the star of the park, get more people on it!

Pointless

I support this ride existing solely because Cedar Point is lacking in the family thrill department, and this is a great first 'big' coaster for anyone getting their feet wet. For enthusiasts, it's a great ride to take a quick nap on as it gently rocks you to sleep.

Inversions Dead spots

Eh. Rougarou is kinda fun, but completely forgettable. Some good forces and inversions in the first half, but nothing particularly memorable. The second half after the mid-course does absolutely nothing but meander around. The rattle is enough to be a bit annoying but it's not overwhelming. Cedar Point definitely made the right call to convert it to a floorless, and it's not a bad ride by any means, but it's by no means essential. Do it once for the credit, twice if this has a short line on a packed day. You're not really missing out on much.

Location Comfort Pace

This is probably the least objective review I can give - I rode this for the first time at 7 years old, and it is by far my most ridden coaster with an estimated 500 rides over the last 25ish years. I hear the critiques about it - less than stellar layout, not very forceful. Part of that blowback comes from being so highly rewarded by the Golden Tickets for so many years. And I get it, my preference is for ultra-intense coasters, and there's plenty of more recent coasters that are better thrill machines. But there's something about Millennium that transcends its shortcomings and still places it very high in my rankings. One of the best views on any lift hill going up near the lake. Surprisingly intense pullout/overbank that does provide the force people claim isn't there. And speed... so much speed rushing through the most isolated part of the park. There's a magic to it I can't put my finger on, but that magic is still there after all these years.

Airtimes First Drop Intensity Rattle Dead spots

I'll start with negatives - when I rode for the first time in 2023 the turnaround was brutally rough. I can take a bit of wooden coaster shuffle, this was far worse than that. The return track and speed hill did nothing and felt like straight track. Other than that, absolute masterpiece. The first drop, camelbacks, and Rolling Thunder hill are quite possibly the best airtime moments on the planet. The switchbacks are awesome and don't get talked about enough. The star of Great Adventure and one that I hope sticks around for a long long time.

First Drop Intensity Ejectors Lap Bar

I have not yet ridden this with the redone restraints and am eager to try it, but even with the old restraints this is near the top for me. My favorite first drop ever - that kink in the drop halfway down in the back row is magical. Crushing positives in the turns. Unreal ejector on the speed hills. And the Stengel dives are one of the few elements that still scare me, with those minimalist restraints your upper body gets chucked sideways unlike anything I've ever experienced. Its uniqueness and intensity keep me coming back. We will never see another coaster like it, and I thank Hershey for building it.

Intensity Ejectors Duration

This remains deserving of the overall number 1 spot. I think the elements here are less distinct than on newer RMC hybrids (particularly Iron Gwazi), but it more than makes up for it given the incredibly long duration of the ride. I'm also a sucker for wooden coasters that go through their own structures, and Vengeance does this to perfection. It is still king of the hill for me and should be on every enthusiast's bucket list.

Pace Layout Duration Lap Bar

Growing up as a kid I remember when Millennium Force and this ride would trade the Golden Ticket for best steel coaster. I would always indignantly say that Force was better being a Cedar Point kid (having never been to SFNE). Cut to 2023 when I finally get on this and man, I get it now. What a fantastic ride. Incredibly unique and diverse layout. Very forceful positives, really stellar airtime. Awesome location right by the river. Had I ridden this with T-bars I would happily put this over Millennium... but I did not ride with the T-Bars. The U-Bricks are as bad as everyone says, and cuts back on a fair bit of enjoyment I would get. I place it slightly behind Millennium for this reason alone, but the fact a ride with restraints this bad can still be this good is a testament to the design of the ride.

Location Tear it down!

The only reason I want this ride to remain is those corkscrews over the midway. They are iconic and beautiful, and I still love walking under them while trains go twisting overhead. The ride itself has no redeeming factors though, and is completely obsolete in Cedar Point's otherwise stellar lineup.

Airtimes Location Duration Rattle Discomfort Lap Bar

I'm deep in the minority here and I want to love my home park hyper, but I just can't. Some of the airtime hills pull absolutely no force at all. It has a gnarly rattle that is particularly brutal in the turnaround. My least favorite part of the ride is, yes, the triangle hills at the end. Any enjoyment of the otherwise good airtime is negated by the pain and discomfort of the lapbars (and this is coming from a guy that would happily lap Skyrush with the old restraints). I try to see the good in it that everyone else does but that magical ride is just never there for me.