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Top Eight Cedar Point Rollercoasters
1. Millenium Force - Arguably the best rollercoaster in the world, Millenium Force sends riders up to
a height of 310 feet, claiming the title of the first rollercoaster to break the 300 foot barrier, via the
world's first elevator lift which sends riders up the steep incline at nearly 3 times the speed of the
average chain lift. With Lake Erie to the left and the park patrons who look more like ants than people
to the right, the view from the top is awesome but short lived. The train hurtles down an 80 degree
steep, 300 foot hill reaching speeds of 93 miles per hour. Not a single one of those miles per hour is
put to waste, featuring 3 overbanked turned, 2 tunnels, and a second hill with a height of 182 feet.
Featuring only a simple seat belt and a comfortable lap bar, riders can enjoy the ride to its full potential.
Millenium Force may not be the newest ride to the park, but it is inarguably the best.
2. Top Thrill Dragster - Height, speed, and simplicity. These are the only 3 words needed to describe
the world's first strata-coaster. Once secured only be a seat belt and unobtrusive lap bar, the train is
sent forward to the launch pad. The train sits there just long enough to make a few riders regret their
decision to get on the ride before they are launched from 0 to 120 mph in less than 4 seconds. They are
then sent up 90 degrees to a height of 420 feet, the highest point in the park. The train slows near the
top of the lone hill but quickly regains momentum as it goes straight back down, turning 3 times along
the way. It is currently the second-tallest and second-fastest rollercoaster in the world (behind Six Flags
Great Adventure's Kingda Ka), and although the ride is often over before the riders even realize it began,
it deserves its position on the list.
3. Maverick - Appearances can be deceiving and Maverick, a ride that never goes higher than 105 feet is
bona fide proof of this. With 2 launches including one mid-ride that catches most first-times by surprise,
the ride hits speeds of 70 miles per hour. The highlight of the ride is the 95 degree (5 degrees past
vertical) first drop which, although short, does not only give riders airtime but thrusts them out of their
seats. Be warned though that the train has many unique features including sharp banks unlike those
seen anywhere else. Riders are be flung relentlessly back and forth. When you strap in for this ride,
know that for the next couple minutes, you have forfeited yourself to the Maverick. Being Cedar Point's
most recent rollercoaster addition, lines can be long but the unique experience makes it worth it.
4. Magnum XL 200 - Magnum was the world's first rollercoaster to break the 200 foot barrier, and
although built in the 1980s and eclipsed by the newer giants such as Top Thrill Dragster and Millenium
Force, Magnum is still a great ride for lovers of good old classic airtime. The 196 foot drop sends riders
to a max speed of just above 70 mph. The ride doesn't have the unique maneuvers or hidden launches
of Maverick but it does have a lot of hills. Except for the prezel shaped U-turn at the end of the track,
the rest of the ride is hill after hill which include three tunnels and more air time than you most likely
bargained for.
5. Raptor - What seems to be an everyday inverted coaster at first glance is so much more. Raptor
opened in 1994, featuring the first cobra roll on an inverted coaster, but is still critically acclaimed today.
It was ranked the 5th best steel coaster in the world in 2000. Although throughout the years the rating
has dropped down to 24th, it is still a ride that should not be missed. Located just by the entrance on
the midway, there is no excuse to not go on this great inverted rollercoaster.
6. Wicked Twister - This U-shaped rollercoaster launches riders straight out of the station at 50 miles
per hour up one 90 degree tower before sending them backwards through the station up an opposite
vertical tower. The second time the train passes through the station it reaches its stop speed of 63 mph
and nearly reaches the top of the 206 foot tower. passing through the station 5 times in either direction,
the ride comes to an end. As the name implies, the track does twist along both towers, and the ride is
quite wicked. As only one train can be on the track at a time, expect wait times to be longer than for
most rides.
7. Gemini - This unique racing rollercoaster is one of the only existing wooden-steel hybrids in the world.
The track itself is made of steel allowing for a smooth ride while the supports are made of wood to
give the ride a classic wooden racer feel and to make riders feel like they are going to be running into
the wooden supports of their own ride. This 125 foot tall racing coaster is not too intense for the more
timid guests but is not too tame for the adrenaline junkies making it a ride that almost everybody should
enjoy.
8. Mantis - A rollercoaster standing 145 feet tall with a 53 degree drop, a 119 foot tall first loop, an
83 foot tall incline loop, and speeds of 60 mph would normally be enough to stand out on its own but
Mantis has one more trick up its exoskeletal sleeve: its a stand-up coaster. Meaning that the trains are
set up so that guests are restrained in place in a standing position rather than a sitting position providing
for a unique experience. The ride may be rough at some points which is the only reason it could not
have been higher up on the list, but if the line is short and you don't mind a rough ride, then Mantis is a
must-ride.
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