| A Ride Pride's CP Trip/Work Report (Really Long)
Hey guys, Im a long time lurker but I dont post very much on here. Anyways, my fraternity got to the point this year to volunteer for their Ride Pride program. I was placed on Gemini and I got to spiel for most of the weekend. The crew there is perhaps the nicest crew I have ever worked on, especially for being a volunteer. Having worked at MiA for two summers, I assured the supervisors that I would be a hard worker and begged and begged to get on a ride that I fit on and doesnt leave ridiculously late on Saturday (Dragster/Millenium/Maverick) It was absolutely a great experience. I got to spiel most of the weekend and had the crowd real excited most of the time.
If you are in an organization that can volunteer for CP, do it. Especially if you are an enthusiast. You have to be able to work hard for long hours without complaining - so drop everything at the door and just do it. Its the only way to survive working at the point. I worked at Gemini and it was just unbelieveable. I was so happy.
Anyways - I ended up getting about 5 or 6 hours ride time on Friday/Sunday and thought I would do my own personal opinionated review and grade each ride.
Friday, I did not get to ride anything, because I made a mad dash for Raptor and my shoulders are just too big for it, but at least I got to ride it two years ago. No biggie. I knew that everyone fits on Gemini and that I would most likely get a test ride, so I wasnt worried.
Saturday, I got five test rides - three on blue and two on red. I think the blue side is better - not because it always wins, but I think the helix is more comfortable than on the red side. A classic through and through - I give it a 9/10. Nah, Im making it a 10/10 since there is no way anyone can ever not fit on the ride. Im all about letting everyone fit on rides. Dragster and Millenium are hooey when it comes to thats tuff.
Sunday, I was cut at 4, so I had four hours to ride anything I wanted to. Plus I got 2 more test rides on the red side. Thats seven rides in 24 hours. Gotta love that.
After I left Gemini - I made a mad dash for Magnum with the increasing nervousness of "will I fit". and I did, no help needed. Gotta love that. It was chilly, a complete walk on. Seven other guests were in line at 4:15, so I assume that maybe the parade had something to do that. But isnt that ridiculous? It was great weather too. Anyways, the ride was amazing like it always has been - shorter than I remember. 10/10 for naming this ride and having the employees laugh when i said "This is the millenium force for fat guys".
After Magnum, I went to get my first ever credit on the CP corkscrew. There were two other people in line - a guy and his daughter in the front car who said I was the fifth single rider they saw today. Barely fit on that one - and its something that I will discuss in a bit but its a classic. Glad I did not wait for it. I give it an 7/10 - Its a classic, I got the credit. I think thats all you can really say. And the brake run is really long. Like really long. I liked the vertical loop too. Not riding this one again unless its a walk on.
After Corkscrew - I went to the right at the fork in the road - towards Iron Dragon and there were more people there than at Magnum! Im beginning to think that that ride gets a lot of riders because its a lot more gentle than the other coasters there. Going upside down is a big deal for some people. Love the restraints on this one. The ride however just doesnt do anything for me - its not thrilling. Its like going on a nice ride in your car. I like the ending and how it goes over water. Im giving it an 7/10, but its a higher 7 than the corkscrew.
Following Iron Dragon, I walked across towards Wildcat (never have ridden WildCat), and mildly thought about getting one of those brats and beer there, but passed when the brat which was probably going to be cold and nasty. Anyways, I walked toward WildCat, which actually had about a 10 minute wait. I was antsy, but I got on and it is a very, very solid wild mouse type coaster - and better than the only other wild mouse i have been on - Mad Mouse at MiA. Looks boring to operate though. Giving this one 9/10, it was so smooth!
After WildCat, went over to Mantis to give the restraints a shot because I knew that it was a walkon. I was about two inches away, so that was one of the worse ones, but not as bad as millenium was when it comes to that. Didnt even try the test seat on Millenium.
Walked through all of the mostly worthless halloween stuff and frontier trail, I got around to the Snake River Falls area and at least caught a peek at Maverick because I knew that I had no chance of fitting on. After that moment there, I went over to SkyHawk because I knew that I fit on it by the skin on my teeth because I had to go sweep because we were overstaffed so I thought Id sit in the test seat. The ride cycle kept up the CP tradition of having ridiculously short cycles and I was happy that I at least fit on. It just basically powered up and had two full swings and then quickly stopped. LAME. I give it a 5/10 on that alone. It was fun though. Just happy there was not a 2 hour wait.
After that I moseyed on over towards Maverick to see how everything worked and how they used WWL's old station. I got around on my way to go to Mean Streak and decided to at least try the test seat. I got in, it was close. Someone pushed on it, AND IT CLICKED! I was OMFG excited! Being the fat college student that I was, I immediately ran for the saloon across the way and bought an ice cold Coors Light. Stood in line for only 30 minutes, got a little nervous that the signs said that you had to be able to do the restraints yourself. Luckily my frat brother was doing bars and belts, so he helped out. I dont know how they usually are about that. Giving it 10/10 because its Maverick. A little surprised that the LIM tunnel was right underneath the station. Absolutely loved it.
After the godsend that was Maverick, I decided to grab my Mean Streak credit. I thought of the perfect analogy for this ride. Mean Streak is like the child of the coaster family that failed miserably in life and is now in jail. It was a walk on, got on Gold Train (only one running, I think, not sure), and then the crapfest began. Why the brakes on the first drop? The layout has potential, but with the rickety cars and track, its just not fun to ride, and I was so incredulous that I coined the phrase "Only at the Mean Streak" for whenever something just boggles your mind. 4/10.
Then I started the mad walk towards my baby, Dispatch Master Transport. I got tired around the Sky Ride, so I rode that and then annoyed the guy at the end asking him if hes ever been smashed by a car.
Went over to Disaster Transport, and phew, what can you say about this ride? You just walk in there and it can almost bring you to tears about everything on the ride. Maybe it was that it was at the end of the day. I dont like how they took away half the queues, but you didnt need them anyway because they dont help the theming any and it was a walk on all day. OMG does this ride need some help. Pretty much all of the theming is deader than a door nail. At least the robots are still working on the transport and the parts are moving slowly a little bit. The lights were on too bright in there too - makes the paint look really lame. Im glad someone was walking with me in line because those queues are eerily quiet and just scary. I originally planned on riding it until close (it was 720, close was at 8), but just seeing what it was, I felt so disappointed. I was appalled by everything on this ride - the glowey paint is almost campy - the theming is nearly non existent and in severe disrepair, ALL OF THE LIGHTS on the ride were off pretty much, so the sweet wreckage parts were nonexistant. I was sick to my stomach about how bad this ride has become. I LOVED this ride, loved the original theming. I don't even know this ride anymore. 1/10.
After that, I went to check on whether I fit on Wicked Twister, where it wasnt even close and on Power Tower, it was so unbeliveably close, but alas I did not fit on either. At least they were both walk-ons so I didnt have to wait the whole time.
I have other things to say, and I will put them on this thread if I can edit it or will start a new thread so I dont double post. But it was exactly what I wanted from the point.
__________________ If you see my name in the topic - chances are I am either talking about CP or Michigan's Adventure.
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