Cedar Point – Voted Best Amusement Park in the World!!

What makes Cedar Point the best amusement park in the world?? Nightwire ventured off to Cedar Point for answers and here’s what we found!

Cedar Point offers something for everyone from tiny tots to older adults. They have the most roller coasters and thrill rides of any amusement park on this planet! We had the opportunity to experience the thrills and all the excitement first hand. So, we are going to break it down for you! The overall Nightwire’s top three thrill rides at Cedar Point according to our staff are:
– Gatekeeper – Top Thrill Dragster – Millennium Force!

Let’s start with Gatekeeper, Cedar Point’s newest thrill ride addition. This ride is the tallest, fastest and longest wing roller coaster in the world! Aboard Gatekeeper you will soar on the wings of the guardian of the front gate as you climb 170 feet and perform a wing-over drop maneuver, sending you on a 2-minute, 20 second unbelievable adrenaline rush! You will literally fly through acrobatic turns and rolls. Gatekeeper lets you experience free fall and sense of what it might feel like to actually fly!

Gatekeeper breaks seven world records:
*Longest wing coaster – 4,164 feet
*Fastest non-launched wing coaster at 67 mph
*Tallest inversion on any roller coaster – 170 feet
*Longest drop on a wing coaster – 164 feet
*Most inversions on a wing coaster – 6
*Most roller coaster track at one park – 56,702 feet
*Most rides at one park – 72

Top Thrill Dragster as it name implies is definitely a top thrill ride! The ride takes you from zero to 120 MPH in less than 4 seconds. A few seconds later, you’re 420 feet in the air. In the race for pure adrenaline thrills, there is one winner: Top Thrill Dragster. Nothing else compares to this high-horsepower shot into the sky. From a standing start you’re launched forward, then straight up, then straight down and back to the finish line. The ride may be over in 17 seconds, but it’ll stay with you forever.

Millennium Force is definitely the big star of the show and a true Giant among coasters. So huge, it created a whole new coaster category – the giga-coaster. Welcome to Millennium Force, the 310 foot, 93 MPH record-breaking monster of a thrill ride. The first hill features an elevator cable lift system to get you to the top faster, then it’s an 80-degree drop to start the coaster ride of your life! Voted the Best Steel Roller Coaster on the Planet! You can’t beat the thrill of plummeting down a 300′ drop at speeds reaching 93 mph. This coaster provides a huge adrenaline rush and once you ride it… you will definitely know why. It’s smooth, fast, with huge drops and turns and will make your heart pound. Trust us this is a ride not to be missed.

Magnum XL-200 – this ride is still a favorite among coaster enthusiasts from around the world, still the ultimate ride. The Nightwire staff couldn’t help but to reminisce about how in its day, this was the one, the ride of all rides and now some 25+ years later it is still standing tall and proud amongst the newest and latest state of the art thrill rides like Millennium Force at 310 feet, 93 MPH. Magnum holds the honor of being the first coaster ever to top 200 feet – situated on Lake Erie you can still see Canada on a clear day. Accelerating down its incredible first hill, Magnum reaches a top speed of 72 MPH, while rocketing you over multiple hills, 3 tunnels, and a signature “pretzel” turnaround. Magnum promises not to disappoint! Not too shabby for a golden oldie!

Maverick – As it name implies this themed western ride will remind you of the Wild West. It’s a coaster for riders that want to experience a one-of-a-kind thrill beyond the big hills. You’ll have to saddle up and get ready for more twists, turns and airtime than a rodeo. Maverick takes you through a “twisted horseshoe roll” and 400-foot-long speed launch at 70 mph through a pitch black tunnel, be sure to hold on as it is definitely a wild ride.

Raptor – Are you ready to catch some big air? When you ride Raptor the only thing under your feet is sky. As you fly through the air you really feel like you were snatched up by a bird of prey as the Raptor takes you wherever it pleases, turning you upside down six different times before returning you safely to solid ground. This ride is smooth, fast and thrilling and it all starts when you hear, “There goes the floor, you’re out the door – enjoy your ride on Raptor!”

Wicked Twister – Just steps from the Cedar Point Beach, this ride definitely lives up to its name. On Wicked Twister you are launched into a spiraling scream-fest! This is not just a coaster, it’s a double-twisting wickedly wild double-twisting coaster. Wicked Twister is one of the tallest–and fastest–in the world. You’ll be rocked, rolled and launched into two 450-degree spirals at each end of the tracks. You will definitely be twisted wickedly, definitely wild and wicked! What a rush!

Gemini – At 60 mph there is nothing more exciting than a wild racing roller coaster that broke height and speed records when it was introduced. Well with the Gemini you get a second coaster train racing along a parallel track! You’re either Blue or Red, and the race is on, over tracks that promise drops, twists, turns, airtime and a big finish. No matter the result, Gemini is a real winner of a coaster!

Mean Streak – This roller coaster has quite possibly the most wood you’ll ever see in one place. The Mean Streak is 1.7 million board feet of southern yellow pine with an attitude. It’s beautiful to look at, but climb aboard and other words soon come to mind as you rocket through the hills and turns, in and out of the structure itself. This world-record breaker is everything you love about wooden coasters, just a lot more of it to love.

Cedar Point has added two new rides and more family fun than ever for 2014. The newly-enhanced Gemini Midway has been overhauled and looks amazing! They have added the Pipe Scream thrill ride that rocks and rolls you on over 302 feet of track, flying 43 feet above the midway at 43 mph! Twist and spin on what’s being called “the best of a roller coaster and a flat ride in one.” Pipe Scream is a great ride for all the family.

Across from Pipe Scream, you can take flight on Lake Erie Eagles! This unique experience is an updated version of a classic thrill ride. Riders sit in one of eight “eagles” suspended from arms 28 feet in the air. As the ride spins, the eagles swing outward – and riders have the unique opportunity to control their flight experience from mild to wild!

Cedar Point is where you will find the very best collection of roller coasters on the planet, four unique kids’ areas, fantastic food options, entertaining live shows, beach-front resorts and so much more. Cedar Point has something to offer for everyone from grand kids to grand parents. At Cedar Point, guest and ride safety is their number one priority and let me tell you they have an amazing safety record, so go enjoy and be secure in knowing Cedar Point will take care of the rest. Check out everything they have to offer – after all, Cedar Point wasn’t voted the Best Amusement Park in the World for nothing. Plus, if you are looking for a way to beat the lines and get on your favorite rides faster, then check out Cedar Point’s new Fast Pass and Fast Pass Plus. They also offer parent swap, which allows one parent to ride while the other waits with their child and then they swap and the other parent can ride. In addition, for those of you looking for the rock star ultimate experience be sure and check out their VIP tours. For more information on the park, tours and accommodations visit cedarpoint.com