At age 55, Paul Ruben, former editor of Roller Coaster! magazine, has logged nearly 3,000 miles of track. His idea of a good ride is one that creates a sense of flying and being out of control. ”Not everyone can be a race car driver or sky diver, but roller coasters create the same thrill without the danger.”
Many people thrive on these kinds of thrills. They may be responding to a biochemical need for excitement, some experts say. Staring terror in the face, may bring people closer to their ”inner selves,” others say.
And I thought it was just kind of fun to go fast.
Whatever the reason, roller coasters consistently climb to the top of the list when amusement-parkgoers are asked to name their favorite rides. With 10 coasters, representing nearly every style and design, Sandusky, Ohio`s Cedar Point Park is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the largest collection.
Roller coasters and Cedar Point have been a pair since 1892, when the park`s first, the Switchback Railway, plunged riders from a height of 25 feet at hair-raising speeds of up to 10 miles per hour.
Coasters have come a long way in 100 years to quench American`s need for speed. Cedar Point`s mega-coasters-the steel Magnum XL-200 and the nostalgia- laden wooden Mean Streak-are 205 feet and 161 feet high respectively, putting them among the tallest in the world. Reaching speeds of 72 and 65 miles per hour, they are also among the fastest. With a first drop of 194 feet, the Magnum also tops the Guinness list of drops.
The climb up alone lasted long enough for me to wonder again why it was I think such things are fun. For a moment, as I remained suspended at the top, the wide-angle view of Lake Erie broke the spell. After that all I really remember was the feeling of pure speed.
Different thrills greet riders on the Corkscrew: Riders are hurled through a 360-degree head-over-heels loop and two mindbending corkscrew turns. If that`s not enough, the Iron Dragon, whose cars hang from an overhead track, sends its harnessed-in riders weightlessly swaying from side to side, skimming tree tops, swooping over a lagoon and finally flings them twisting into a pretzel loop.
Wooden wonders
A collection of wooden coasters also puts the park at the top for purists. So-called ”woodies” like the 14-year-old twin-tracked Gemini, the 28-year-old Blue Streak as well as the stomach-in-the-throat Mean Streak have a fervent following among the 1,200 members of the American Coaster Enthusiasts.
Generally preferring the rickety sounds of wood and the bend and sway of such coasters` construction, group members say ”woodies” give a more thrilling ride. These coasters also promise more ”air time,” as Ruben calls it, as negative gravity pulls riders up out of their seats.
Cedar Point`s collection of scream machines also includes Disaster Transport, which is really more an outer-space adventure complete with laser shows and a slew of props; the Cedar Creek Mine Ride`s spiraling track; and the quick, sharp-turning Wildcat. Under the shadow of its giant namesake, the Jr. Gemini is a good introductory coaster as it tops out at 6 miles an hour after a 19-foot first drop.
True, not everyone likes to ride roller coasters. And only a few hardy souls can ride them all day long. The prime challenge, according to park officials, is keeping a wide range of ages amused-and coming back.
For families with younger children, there have been major additions in amusements. Based on the children`s book series created by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Berenstain Bears have been featured at the park for several years. Designed to re-create a storybook forest home, youngsters here have free rein (and parents can take a rest). There are simple science projects and a library for storytelling. New this year are a three-story tree house, a schoolhouse with outdoor playground and an area for water play.
In the child-ride category, Sir Rub-A-Dub Tubs, a parent/child flume ride, is another good first choice-especially as it allows parents to hold younger children who may be a bit awed by their surroundings. This year, ticket prices for children under 48 inches tall were $4.95, $7 less than last year`s price.
Back on the ground
For people who want to keep their feet on the ground there are four stages of musical theater, three animal complexes including a dolphin show and a small animal petting farm as well as an IMAX theater.
Non-coaster rides include Thunder Canyon, which ranks among the wettest. Riders board rafts and careen through waterfalls and rapids. The Demon Drop takes riders up nine stories (131 feet) in just over 10 seconds and then drops them in a sort of free-falling elevator straight down at 55 miles an hour
For the history buff and anyone in a nostalgic search for a more peaceful pastime, five vintage carousels-including the Midway Carousel, built in 1912- are on display. Thought to be one of the few remaining ones completed by carver Daniel C. Muller, the Midway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A designer who worked from 1903 to 1928, Muller produced carousels with such signature touches as full, layered manes and colorful military and circus horses.
From the late 1800s to the early 1930s, the carousel reigned as the premier amusement ride. Since coasters took over, carousels have been on the decline. Fewer than 250 of the country`s more than 1,000 hand-carved wooden carousels have survived.
Signs remain of the park`s beginnings. Built on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie, between Toledo and Cleveland, the park originally drew visitors with its long, narrow band of sandy beach. A simple bath house was put up 122 summers ago. The landmark Hotel Breakers, now renovated, opened its doors as a luxurious beachfront resort in 1905.
It makes sense then, as Lake Erie continues to make a comeback, that the beach is growing as a major attraction. Near the hotel, parasailing, paddleboats, kayaks and sailboards are available. (Bring your own towels, chairs and umbrellas.)
Challenge Park, entirely separate from Cedar Point, includes Soak City`s pools and flumes, a go-cart speedway and miniature golf course. Each attraction sports its own admission price.
Before you go
With all the choices, spending an afternoon or evening here is an easy lesson in confusion. And, of the more than 600 theme and amusement parks across the country, Cedar Point consistently ranks in the top 10, regularly pulling in 3 million visitors a season. All the more reason to come prepared. While regular admission is $22.95, junior tickets for children 4 and up, under 48 inches tall, are now $4.95. (Kids under 3 are free.) Seniors get in for $12.50, as can anyone after 5 p.m.
If you`re planning on spending the weekend, go for the $34.95 two-day pass or a $42.95 two-day combination ticket that includes unlimited use of Soak City. (Challenge Park`s go-carts and golf course are pay-as-you-play.)
The park is built on 364 acres. There are 54 rides, more than any other park in the country. The park is open daily through Labor Day; after Labor Day through Oct. 4, it`s open Saturdays and Sundays. For complete hours, call 419-627-2350.
If you are looking for convenience, consider staying on the grounds. Sandcastle Suites Hotel, a 187-unit, all-suites hotel, gives guests access to a private beach and swimming pool just north of the park on the beachfront;
the landmark 400-room Hotel Breakers is also on the beach and has a pool. For campers, a 400-site Camper Village RV park is also on the grounds. For rates at Sandcastle and Hotel Breakers, call 419-627-2106; for rates at the Camper Village, call 419-627-2162.
For a first-time visitor, the lines here can be as shocking as the rides. To board the most popular coasters, such as the Magnum and Gemini, determined riders regularly face a wait of an hour or more. Sound intolerable? Try to come midweek, when crowds are thinner. Or come in the early evening and enjoy the park after dark-smaller children are typically gone and everything takes on a different character in the starlight.
The best bet is to come earlier or later in the summer. The season lasts through Labor Day as well as weekends in September and October.
For savvy summer weekend visitors, crowd-evasion tactics include taking lunch and dinner breaks early or late and facing thinner crowds at the eateries and the rides. (To avoid feeling trapped, there is also the option of keeping a well-stocked cooler in the car. A hand stamp allows in-and-out park privileges and the entrance is flanked by picnic tables.)
Park officials will send information about area lodgings, campgrounds and park facilities. Call 419-627-2350, or write Cedar Point, Marketing Department, Box 5006, Sandusky, Ohio 44871-8006. –
