A great example of bigger not always being better.
I had a short 20 minute or so wait on a rainy, dreary day in May. I was looking forward to my trip to the 'Coaster Capital' (Cedar Point)
for a number of reasons, including riding my 100th new coaster. As I arrived at Cedar Point I was drawn to Millennium Force like a magnet. It was to be number 100. The ultra-steep lift hill was very intimidating even for a seasoned vet like me. Luckily, I was able to draw on the courage of the pre-teens I rode with. The quiet, speedy lift doesn't help to settle your nerves as you quickly rise high into the air and feel like your basically over Lake Erie. And then, the BEST and most intense drop I've ever experienced. I fought the urge to pull my hands down and hold on as we plummeted down the longest drop of my life. I figured that if the kid half my age could keep his hands up so could I.
Finally, we reached the bottom, and we were being pelted with a light rain at 90+ miles per hour. Next, we're thrown into the huge over-banked turn. It reminded me of the Superman: Ride of Steel (@ Six Flags New England) only much larger. After the over-bank MF let me down. The rest of the ride was very fast and relatively smooth, but not all that thrilling. And for me, the hills offered NO airtime.
None. Well, the small hill right next to the station offered a little lift, but nothing to write home about. Where Superman: Ride of Steel (again I'm referring to the SFNE version) offers a thrilling opening and a near flawless middle and finale, Millennium Force doesn't do much with it's layout. It didn't bore me by any means, but it definitely didn't wow me either.
Also, the theming was lackluster and almost non-existent. But how do you theme something called Millennium Force? I guess Cedar Point needed a name that meant: big, high tech, and opening at the start of the new millennium. Never mind the fact that the real start of the millennium was 2001. I admit that I may be a bit too critical of coaster names.
Millennium Force offers an exhilarating ride, but by no means is it a classic. For one of those see that shorter, slower, older red coaster on the other side of the isle. This is a great coaster,
but I think it gets more credit than it deserves. The points here are for the unique lift, breath-taking drop, smoothness, setting, and the speed which is unparalleled for a coaster of this length. Final Rating - 9.0 (Excellent)
Wondering how good a 9.0 is? Check out the CCCS to find out. Also, watch this roller coaster video of Millennium Force to get a taste of what it's like.
What do you think about Millennium Force? Leave a comment below.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Millennium Force @ Cedar Point | Coaster Reviews
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8 comments:
dude this ride is the best!! The hills have great air time!!
i love this ride too. its da bomb
This is the reason why I was paralyzed by fear of coasters for basically my whole life until very recently. My wonderful father took me on this coaster as my very first when I was barely tall enough to ride; as over-analytical as I can be, that was not a good choice. I just got over my fear about a month ago and now the only thing that makes me weary of coasters is roughness (hola, Arrow and Vekoma)... and I'm so PO'd about the countless family trips to Cedar Point, etc. where I skipped out on the bigger coasters. ><
When I re-ride this coaster, I vow to buy a tee shirt, something I consider somewhat tacky.
BTW, great site. It's cool that you're from about the same area as me, so I get to see reviews of more local stuff. I can't wait for you to make more theme park reviews.
The reason many people are disapointed with the Millennium Force is that they expect a huge amount of airtime or major ejector airtime. It only has 4 hills. Only 1 hill has has near zero airtime though. The first drop does have the best drop on any roller coaster. The second hill, which is right after the first tunnel, is the only hill without much airtime. The next hill has very good airtime and so does the bunny hop. I have not been on Superman Ride of Steel, but the Magnum comes in with an extremely close second place behind the Millennium Force for me.
One of the most insane and best coasters out there! A must ride! My number 1
Hey there CoasterCritic , I would like to know if the Millenium Force has a scarier drop than El Toro's. Thx
Millennium's drop was probably the most intimidating I've ever experienced. Even though Kingda Ka's and Top Thrill Dragster's drops are taller, MF's drop was insane. At 80 degrees and 300' it's both steeper and a lot taller than El Toro's drop. Although for a woodie, El Toro's drop is nothing to sneeze at.
Emma, I know how you feel I used to skip coasters before I became an enthusiast. I even skipped Space Mountain at Disney World when I was a kid!
Anonymous, I DO remember a bit of air on that bunny hop like you mentioned. I just wish it offered more air.
I have been on 200+ foot coasters, and I fully intend on riding Millenium Force this year, but I am scared to death. This review does not help my fear. :) I have a feeling I might wuss out of this, but I'm going to try not to. Kingda KA and Top Thrill still scare me more, but this ride makes me nervous just looking at it, just like KK and TTD. I hope it's good and not just frightening.
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