I decided to write about and share my coaster experience during my first ever trip to Cedar Point - and I am in my 40's! I am a self proclaimed Roller Coaster nerd. I love riding them, I love talking about them, and I love learning about them. In the enthusiast world, I am a newbie, but I've loved coasters as long as I can remember. As I was researching the ever present question of "Will I fit?", most sites I found said that the seats were not accommodating, but I was eager to find out if this was true for my body type. I also was highly turned off by the alarming amount of body shaming that other sites were doing - I just won't tolerate it. I hope to help others that may experience similar issues. I wholeheartedly understand that each individual is different, and by no means is this a final word on anything as things change constantly, this is just my experience.
On this particular day, the temperatures soared to what felt like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit pretty quickly and made for an uncomfortable start. On the day I visited, all of the coasters were operating at one point or another, with the exception being Top Thrill Dragster.
So my body type for reference:
I am considered obese due to my BMI, I weigh 270 pounds and am 5'6". I carry my weight in my hips, thighs, butt and stomach. I am a size 22W on the bottom and wear an XL - XXL on top for comfort. Hips at the widest measure are 59 inches, Bust is 49 inches and Waist is 46 inches. On the day I went, I wore a pair of jean shorts and t-shirt. On a personal note, I have never been happy with my body and this is taking a lot of courage for me to post, but if I can help even one person, it is worth it.
Getting right to it, I was with a group of friends who had been to CP before, and I’m not sure they had a plan of how they wanted to ride the coasters, I just followed. So nothing is in order of how it is found in the park. I'm just going to be random. I will also be adding some referencing from the Roller Coaster Database (RCDB). Some photos (if not taken by myself) are from RCDB.
I'll start with Gemini. Gemini is a Steel racing coaster that looks like it could be a wooden coaster. It has two tracks side by side and can accommodate several trains on each track according to RCDB. Made by Arrow, the coaster opened in 1978. There is no test seat for this coaster. I found the seats to be tight, but not unbearable for me, and the restraint is a seat belt and lap bar. I am told the seat belt is a recent addition, and had it not been there, I would have been fine. The webbing part of the seat belt was just too short to fit. This was my first "walk of shame", but one I was not expecting to have.
Next is Blue Streak. According to RCDB, Blue Streak is CP's oldest coaster. In fact, just days after my visit, ACE had a ceremony and named it an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, and now has a cool plaque at the entrance. It is a charming traditional out and back wooden coaster painted blue. Built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company, it opened in 1964. There are no test seats for this coaster. I found the seats to be okay. Like Gemini, snug, but bearable. Again, there is the addition of seat belts along with the individual lap bar. On this coaster, with a little help, I was able to get the seat belt buckled and was able to ride. I didn't feel too uncomfortable even though the seats were narrow.
Next we have "Millie" herself - Millennium Force. According to RCDB, Millennium Force is a Steel Giga Coaster over 300 feet tall! Built by Intamin and opened in 2000, it is one of the most popular coasters in the park. This coaster does have a test seat. The restraints are a seat belt and lap bar. I tried it, and to much disappointment, could not even get the seat belt on. However, the seat itself wasn't terribly uncomfortable. The seat belt is really short - something I don't understand with these multi-restraint trains, but I digress. I was warned ahead of time I may not fit on this coaster, but wanted to try anyway as this is a bucket list coaster for me. Hoping next visit I'll fit.
Another bucket list coaster for me, and unfortunately another heartbreaker is Steel Vengeance. "Steve", is a Rocky Mountain Construction designed Steel Hybrid Coaster that opened in 2018. Using a lot of the old Mean Streak bones, it is nothing like its predecessor. On RCDB, you can find all of the fun elements this huge coaster has, including several inversions. There is a test seat. The restraints include a seatbelt and a lap bar with shin guards. This time the lap bar was my nemesis. This is another I was warned about potentially not fitting on. Another I am hoping I'll fit by next visit.
Next is Corkscrew. RCDB says this coaster was built in 1976, and is a steel, sit down coaster. To me that SOUNDS boring, but it certainly wasn't a boring ride. On the day of my visit, it was running rather smoothly and very fast thanks to the heat. No complaints here! This is a great Arrow Corkscrew coaster that is so well-placed in the park. It was super cool that there are places on the midway where you feel like you can reach out and touch it! (You can’t, though.) The seat restraints are an over the shoulder harness, which I had no problems with. The seat was rather narrow, (at this point, I figured this was a common thing) so that made the ride slightly uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
Cedar Creek Mine Ride was a pretty neat ride. Although I am not sure why a "Mine Train" coaster is called "Mine Ride", but I digress. RCDB has all of the stats of course. (The photo is borrowed from the main CP site.) Built by Arrow in 1969, it's called a "hybrid" coaster, but to me, it looks like a steel coaster that looks like a wooden coaster. The restraints are a seat belt and lap bar. I struggled on this one. The seat belt was tight, but managed to buckle it and the seat was narrow. The thing that got me was the lap bar. I was able to ride, however the lap bar was so tight that by the end of the ride, I was feeling the loss of circulation in my left leg (that was just due to how I was sitting in the seat). Cute ride, but for me it was very uncomfortable.
Maverick is easily one of my favorites that I *could* ride. Good 'ole RCDB says that Maverick is a sit down steel coaster that was built in 2007 by Intamin. It had been described to me as a coaster that is trying to "buck" you out of your seat much like a Bucking Bronco. They weren't kidding, it was awesome! The restraint system is an over the shoulder that also looks like it has a built in lap bar which buckles between the legs. This is the most accommodating coaster in the whole park (in my opinion). I had absolutely no problems fitting in the seats, or using the restraint system.
Rougarou, my first thoughts were - how do you pronounce that? (Roo-gah-roo) and what a strange name for a coaster. I had to see what it meant, and in basic terms, it is a French version of a Werewolf. Check out RCDB for some interesting tidbits on this coaster, including different names, different train types and what it's original name was going to be. Built by B&M (Bolliger & Mabillard) in 1996, it is currently operating as a floorless, sit down steel coaster. There is a test seat. The restraint system is an over the shoulder harness that buckles between the legs. This coaster has "big boy seats" in the 4th row that has 2 buckles instead of one. The seats were snug for me, but not unbearable. I also had to have an assist to get the belts buckled, so I was not moving for the duration.
Raptor is a steel inverted coaster. I hadn't ridden one in a very long time, so having the track above my head was "fun", but I enjoyed the ride. RCDB has all of the stats for Raptor, like the fact that it has 6 inversions (love that). Raptor, like Rougarou, was built by B&M, and was built in 1994. There is a test seat for this ride. The seating and restraint systems are almost identical to Rougarou. It also has the "big boy" seating in the 4th row. Like Rougarou, I needed an assist to buckle the belts, and the seats were also slightly narrow for my body. It was a little bit uncomfortable, but not unbearable.
Oh Valravn... This would have been my first dive coaster. Again, RCDB is the place to go for the coaster stats. Valravn was built by B&M in 2016. It is a steel, floorless dive coaster. The restraints are an over the shoulder harness with a built in vest, and a belt that clips between the legs. There is a test seat for this ride. The seat itself seemed okay for me, maybe a bit tight, but it was the vest portion that was my undoing. I was not aware, or given the option of the "big boy" seats, which according to my research, each row has 1. Whether or not I would fit remains a mystery, but hopefully when I am able to return, it won't be an issue.
Iron Dragon was the first coaster of its type I have ever ridden. Naturally, I want another ride. RCDB has all the fun stats and really great photos. Iron Dragon was built by Arrow in 1987, and is a suspended, steel coaster. The restraint system is an over the shoulder harness, that I didn't have any fitting issues with. I had no issues fitting in the seat and it is the only coaster that you can have loose articles on IE: fanny packs, hats etc...
Gatekeeper is a steel wing coaster, meaning the seats are on either side of the track. According to RCDB Gatekeeper was built by B&M in 2013. For me, I feel like it was a missed opportunity. As I approached the test seat, the person working the front of the line didn't give me the chance to try, they said that the seats are similar, if not the same as Valravn. Also, in my "after the fact" research, I found out that there are "big boy" seats in the 4th row that I didn't get a chance to try. This would have been my first wing coaster. It‘s a slight disappointment that I wasn't given a chance to try.
My final coaster of the day. Magnum XL-200 or "Maggie". This was a bucket coaster for me that I (very narrowly) got to ride. I couldn't contain my excitement. If it wasn't right at closing, I would have gone again. This was easily my favorite coaster. RCDB has an interesting tidbit on the height. Magnum XL-200 was built by Arrow in 1989 and is a steel hyper coaster. The restraints are a seat belt and lap bar. I had to have a bit of help to get the seat belt buckled, and I wasn't going to let it defeat me. I don't remember the seat or the lap bar being terribly uncomfortable, but that may be due the my excitement level. Literally saved the best for last.
Lastly, I would be remissed if I didn't at least mention Top Thrill Dragster. This photo was the closest I got to it. Because it was closed, I didn't get to try the test seat. Speculations aside, I hope to see it running in the future. RCDB has TTD listed as SBNO (Standing but not operating) The stats are all still listed there for those interested. The restraints are a lap bar, and a seat belt.
I do hope to be able to ride this. However, we will have to wait and see what the future has in store.
Overall, not a bad first trip to Cedar Point. Are there things I would have liked to go differently? Of course! I would have loved a 2nd day that wasn't 115 degrees in the shade. I tried to have an open mind about my size and be real about what I would be able to ride and wouldn't. Having a friend that is very knowledgeable about the park and its coasters was a bonus. I was never mad, but it still hurt to not be able to ride due to size. The experience did open my eyes to my health and has motivated me to actually do something about it. I'll go back, hopefully healthier and with the ability to more comfortably ride the coasters I have already ridden and actually ride ones I have yet to.