Trip Report: Cedar Point

I arrived at the park right around 8:00 am. I shot some video of the assembled television news crews. The coaster was cycling. Last time I had seen it, the towers were almost but not quite complete. Now the towers are towering over the beach, well above the surrounding structures: Disaster Transport, the Giant Wheel, and the Aquatic Stadium. The exit side of the platform is clearly visible from the midway, and you can get a good look at the operational hardware. I said hello to some assembled coaster nuts and started collecting various early reviews, all of which were positive.

The ride was being shut down as I approached it, so I detoured back to Johnny Rocket's where I collected a Krispy Kreme doughnut for my breakfast. Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts have to be served hot, but the other varieties, particularly the cream filled ones, are just fine at room temperature. I also saw something entirely unexpected inside Johnny Rockets: Dan Haverlock, who announced last year that he would NEVER go into Johnny Rockets, as his protest to the removal of Fascination, was sitting on a stool just inside the door. I hurried back to the temporary stage that had been erected across from Schwabinchen for the ride opening ceremony. I noticed that on the midway in front of the ride, a Wicked Twister logo has been constructed in the pavement. The station house is outlined with neon lights, and a Wicked Twister logo is perched on the roof. Apparently Cedar Point has decided that if they are going to go through all the effort to create a logo for a ride, they might as well put it on the ride someplace!

The dais was set with chairs and a lectern, but the participants in the opening ceremony opted for a less formal approach, standing well off the dais and stepping up to the lectern for their speeches.

Janice Witherow took the lectern first, and started talking a few seconds before I managed to roll tape:

JANICE: ...As most of you probably know, when Cedar Point decides to build a roller coaster, we just don't build a roller coaster. We build a world record breaking coaster. So what stands behind us is the world's tallest, the fastest, double twisting Impulse roller coaster. As you'll soon find out, the most unique aspect about the ride is the launch system. And all of us at Cedar Point are especially proud of its location on the historic Cedar Point beach where Cedar Point all began way back in 1870.

JANICE: At this time I'd like to introduce to you a TRUE roller coaster fan and one of the first riders on Wicked Twister, Dan Keller, Vice President and General Manager of Cedar Point.

(Applause from the crowd. Dan Keller makes his way to the lectern)

DAN: Thank you, Janice. Good morning! I am thrilled that you are here at Cedar Point today. We are the greatest amusement park on the planet. Cedar Point has been voted the best amusement park in the world for the past four years by the readers of Amusement Today. To make Cedar Point even greater in 2002, we have added our fifteenth roller coaster, Wicked Twister, and an ice show, "Snoopy Rocks On Ice." Wicked Twister truly lives up to its name. It is the ultimate double-twisting Impulse roller coaster, with the most advanced linear induction motor system. Our objective at Cedar Point is to provide our guests the most variety of rides, attractions, water activities, entertainment, merchandise, food, games and hotels. We are the premier resort in the midwest. I guarantee that our staff will provide the highest level of guest service available in 2002. Again, thanks for coming, and enjoy Wicked Twister!

(Applause as Janice Witherow returns to the lectern)

JANICE: Thank you. You'll have to ask Dan Keller a little bit later on about his inaugural ride on Wicked Twister. At this time I was going to be very pleased to introduce to you a gentleman by the name of Sandor Kernacs. He is the president of Intamin which is headquartered in Switzerland. His company is responsible for manufacturing Wicked Twister. Unfortunately, Sandor is MIA at this point, we do believe his flight got delayed in the weather conditions. We're hopeful that he will join us a little bit later on and if anyone would like to talk with him or interview him, please let us know and we can certainly arrange that.

JANICE: And now I would like to introduce to you ...No roller coaster debut would really be complete without a word from Bill Linkenheimer, President of the American Coaster Enthusiasts, also known as ACE. For those of you not familiar, ACE is an international organization of coaster enthusiasts who travel all around the country and around the world in search of that ultimate thrill. They ride, they appreciate, and they preserve roller coasters. Every ACE member I have ever had the pleasure of meeting...and I know many of you here today...are in search of that ultimate thrill, which we believe stops right here at Cedar Point with our 15th roller coaster, Wicked Twister. I'm sure Bill can tell you a little bit about ACE and the impact Wicked Twister will have on Cedar Point. Bill Linkenheimer!

(applause from the crowd as Bill approaches the lectern)

BILL: Janice, I was really hoping you could have some better weather for us today...sunny, 70 degrees, like it was in February...

BILL: Despite the cold, almost damp weather, I'm really happy to be here today in what is my fourth and final year as President of the American Coaster Enthusiasts. I attended my very first Media Day here at Cedar Point back in 1989 for the opening of Magnum, the first coaster to break the record of 200 feet, a world record at the time. I was here in 1994 for the opening of Raptor, the world's largest inverted coaster. Again in 1996 for the opening of Mantis, the world's largest stand-up coaster. And two years ago, I had the honor of not only attending but of speaking as I am now at the opening of Millennium Force, as you all know the first coaster to break the 300-foot barrier. Another world record; maybe you see a pattern there. Since that time two years ago, reporters and ACE members have been asking me what is Cedar Point going to do to top that, to top Millennium Force. Can a coaster be built 400 feet tall. That's a different story, and I am sure Cedar Point will address it at some time. But the question for me was, "What coaster are they going to put in next?" What type of coaster is going to complement the other 14 that they have. And I think they've come up with the answer. But I know they'll be looking at more coasters in the future, and Dan, if you need suggestions I have about 8,000 people on staff who would be happy to give you free advice. At any rate, any ACE member will tell you it isn't just one coaster that brings them to the park, it's the whole collection of coasters. Cedar Point looked for something that would complement the existing coasters and the found two things that they didn't have. One was a shuttle coaster, where the train goes back and forth on the same piece of track, forward and backward; and the second was a launched coaster, in this case one that's going to take you from 0-72 in 2-1/2 seconds. So what Cedar Point did, they went out as they typically do hired a world-class designer and builder in Intamin. One that is known for safety, perfect engineering and great rides. They also made a world class design, one that is not just a typical coaster, but that is a world record, 200 feet tall for its class, one that has spiralling tracks at both ends. We have a lot of ACE members here...can the ACE members all raise your hands and identify yourselves...If you don't believe me, any of you media here, ask any of the ACE members that it's not one coaster that attracts them to the park, it's the whole collection. And this one complements the existing ones as well as any one possibly could. So on behalf of the members of American Coaster Enthusiasts, I congratulate Cedar Point on building their fifteenth, possibly most unique roller coaster.

(applause as Janice returns)

JANICE: Thanks, Bill. At this time I would like to remind everyone that we do have a lunch and a warm place for you all to gather at Johnny Rockets from 11am-2pm. We also have a media center if anyone is in need of FAX, phone, ISDN, news releases...that's directly over here under this tent. At this time I guess I just have three words for evryone and that would be ENJOY YOUR RIDE!

At that point, everyone crowded around the queue entrance to watch Dan Kellar cut through the twisted ribbons with a pair of rusty shears. At that point, everyone headed down the queue and ride operation began.

I took my first ride in the third row back, that is, the front of the second car. Even though I have no trouble at all riding Volcano at Kings Dominion or Superman: Ultimate Escape at Geauga Lake, I had a really hard time getting into the seat on Wicked Twister. First of all, it's a really high seat to begin with. I found some surfaces on the frame of the seat in front of me and managed to climb up and sit down. I pulled the bar down, but could not get the safety belt to fasten. The bar was released, and Bob Wozniak (I forget his exact position, but he's a ride operations boss...) suggested that I remove my jacket. I removed my jacket and managed with help to get the safety belt fastened. Then Bob noticed that I had glasses on and wanted to take them from me. I warned him that he didn't want to clean up the mess if I rode without them. Fortunately I had a neck cord in the camera case that made him happy. Be aware: While the longer-than-ever cautionary signage at the ride entrance has the usual comments about potential lost items, nothing I have read anywhere indicates a strap requirement for eyeglasses, but apparently...for the moment, at least...they want glasses to be strapped down.

Finally, we were off. It's a smooth launch down the launch track and a trip just into the spiral on the forward spike. Going backward, the train is launched a second time and it nearly reaches the top of the backward spike. The third time through the station the train is launched hard enough to carry it nearly to the top of the forward spike. It then falls backwards, is launched backward again, and cruises to the top of the rear spike. For the last pass, it coasts through the station and launch track, coasting almost to the top of the forward spike as the magnetic brakes are pneumatically lowered into position. The train falls backward down the spike, slows rapidly in the brakes and nearly stops...but when it gets down to a walking speed, the brakes are retracted and the LIMs are operated at low frequency to pull the train back and park it in the station. Once the train stops, the brakes drop back down again, and the shoulder bars are released.

Besides being a whole lot taller and faster than the original over at Geauga Lake, it is different in several other important ways. Most notably, the towers don't sway nearly as much as the slightly shorter towers over in Aurora. With the twist on both ends, a key element to the ride is the visual experience of watching things go around in circles. Because the lead seat was given over to video production, I didn't get a front seat ride. But the front seat would lack the visual impact of the cars in front of you twisting out of the way or into place ahead of you. Easily the best seat in the house is the right-hand seat in the second-to-last row (that is, the front of the last car) because when you reach the top of the reverse spike, all the other cars just sort of pivot out of the way and you're looking straight down at the beach below. Far below. It's just as effective as (and a whole lot more pleasant than) Tomb Raider's signature lava pit scene. That extra twist does for this ride much what the holding brake does for Superman: Ultimate Escape. It gives the ride an element that majes it more than just zipping back and forth at 70 MPH.

It's a good ride. Getting in and out is a bit of a chore, and the design of the shoulder bar leaves a whole lot to be desired...another inch on the safety belt would fix the problem, but my problem is mostly in the size of my shoulders and upper chest, so if the bar were merely shaped a little differently it would make a huge difference.

The train has three fins on it. The center fin appears to be copper, and is launched by a double-sided linear motor. The LIM coils are flanked by backing plates, so the outer fins, which appear to be aluminum, fit onto the outboard sides of the coils, to form a pair of single-sided LIMs. These outer fins are also the reaction plates for the magnetic brakes. I shot video, took a whole bunch of rides, then went to Johnny Rocket's for lunch.

At Johnny Rockets, we were presented with a limited version of the Johnny Rockets menu, which was good practice for them and good food for us.

After lunch I got another ride, then it was time to shut the ride down for the afternoon. I said my goodbyes and headed home, knowing I'd be back at Cedar Point only days later. Cedar Point is open Sunday, then opens for the season next weekend.