So Mrs. solost and I went to Cedar Point yesterday. Her family took her every year when she was a kid and she’s a big coaster junkie who describes CP as her “happy place”. We’ve gone many times in the past but haven’t been for several years because of life, Covid, etc.
So I was kind of dreading it. At almost 58 and 20 or 30 lbs overweight, the thought of all that walking around the park in the hot sun, waiting in line for an hour at a time for a 30 second ride, walking up stairs to rides, was exhausting just thinking about it.
When I was a kid, I didn’t get to the Point as often as she did, but when I did It was awesome. I loved the big coasters (though as a kid the biggest baddest coaster was the Gemini, which is very old and tame now).
It was a good day. We picked a perfect time- after the kids are back in school but the weather was perfect. Too good in fact- literally not a cloud in the sky all day so we baked in the hot sun. But we slathered the sunscreen on. The lines were short and we hit every major coaster and a bunch of lesser rides.
But… I’m just kind of over it. I did fine endurance-wise; even as old and overweight as I am I get a fair amount of exercise so that wasn’t an issue. And I hate waiting in lines but as mentioned there wasn’t much of a wait except for a couple rides. I’ve always had a bit of an issue with heights but when younger it didn’t apply to roller coasters. Now it does more. I think “how well are these things maintained? Very well their reputation depends on it. Still it maybe takes just one sheared bolt or cracked roller to send the whole thing off the rails…? And how often does that happen - amusement park ride accidents are pretty rare- statistically it’s probably as safe as flying in a plane. But still why did I let myself get locked into this contraption and I hope I secured my wallet and phone well enough and are we almost at the damn top yet if it gets stuck at the top hells no am I walking down any emergency stairs” all that obsessive back and forth is pretty much my internal monologue as the cars click-click-click slowly up the first hill high into the sky. Then, when the first high-speed plunge begins my brain gives in to the thrill of the ride and it’s a blast.
And it was also all worth it to see Mrs. solost so happy. Although, she even admitted at one point “I may be getting a bit old for this” and she’s a few years younger than me.
Yeah, they’re not for everyone, Mrs. solost hoped our boys (now 19 and 16) would love the big coasters as much as she does, but they don’t at all, much to her disappointment.
I love good roller coasters, and we have Six Flags Great Adventure nearby. It’s got several of the top roller coasters on the rankings lists. I used to go once a year, invest in the “Flash Pass” and be good. I finally took a break, since the thrill just wasn’t there any more. Sure, the rides are still exhilarating, but you start losing that “high”.
Then COVID hit, so I just went back recently for the first time in 5 years. I thought with such a long time period, the thrill would be back. Nope. I think maybe our brains don’t ever get the same rush as we retain the memory of our prior rides. I think I need to venture to another coaster park. I was in Florida last winter, but only had time to do NASA.
So, kind of like a junkie needing a bigger fix, eh?
Speaking of trying to get the thrill back from coasters and NASA, there’s a ride at Cedar Point called Top Thrill Dragster that’s several years old now but we’ve only been on it twice since the lines were always insane and it was buggy, kept breaking down constantly. It was not even open yesterday, either due to maintenance issues, lack of staffing, or both. It shoots you from 0-120mph in 4 seconds up a 400+ ft loop and back. It’s been compared to astronaut training and is a brain-melter. There are similar rides in other parks. Ever been on one of those? It might get through your coaster ennui.
Yeah, I’ve heard some people prefer the woodies for their creaky real appeal, but Cedar Point has a fine steel coaster called Millennium Force. 20 years old now, but smooth and fast. A fine classic (gravity only) coaster. My favorite classic coaster that I’ve ridden.
We did MF and then right after the Blue Streak coaster- which, built in ‘64, is as old as you and me. Quite the contrast. It’s a pretty janky ride compared to MF, but still fun. The nostalgia value might be part of it.
The Six Flags park that is nearest to me uses something like a linear magnetic accelerator to launch their steel-framed Mr. Freeze coaster. It basically fires you out of a railgun. Backward.
Not at all. As I get older, my tendency for motion sickness gets worse and worse.
Too bad because this sounds cool:
Even a fast elevator can make me nauseous. One of the worst is the dock leveler at work which is a little mechanical drawbridge that goes between the shipping/receiving floor and the truck. When you step on it without a truck, the springs under it make it sort of bob and makes me sick.
Was at Knott’s Berry Farm a few years ago. Got lucky and there were maybe 20 other people there. They didn’t even make you get off the rides. Wanna go again? Sure, just stay put. Ain’t no line.
They had one that would scare me to near death EVERY SINGLE TIME! Shot like a cannon, then you went straight up, curled over backwards…
Oh yeah, I love coasters. It has been a while though since I’ve been to a coaster park. I was at Disneyland and Universal Studios recently, and while I enjoyed those too, they just don’t have the big drop coasters that less-themed parks do.
I went to Cedar Point a few times as a kid and loved it. The Magnum XL-200 was the biggest one they had at the time, which I liked a lot.
I haven’t yet been on any of the big linear induction motor rides. Those sound fun.
I’m 44 and think I have more endurance than when I was 8. We’ll see how the next few decades go. Though maybe I’ll get a chance to upgrade to a ride in space, or at least a Vomit Comet.
Generally not. I do still love Disney, and there are a couple of thrill coaster type attractions I still do. But now I just love the ambiance, the food, and the more scenic attractions. Tiki Room, Pirates, etc.
Truthfully, the only way I’m getting on a coaster that’s not at a Disney/Universal-branded park is if I ever get that book contract/win the lottery and get to embark on my tour around the country, during which I’ll visit every roadside stand, every theme park, every tourist attraction, every restaurant ever mentioned on Diners Drive-Ins & Dives, Man vs. Food, etc. etc.
I love roller coasters, but like others here, as I’ve gotten older I’ve had less and less interest in dealing with parks and lines and all that. If there were like a teleport + fast pass, I’d go riding all the time…
