Not-To-Miss Roller Coasters at Cedar Point

Any roller coaster enthusiast can tell you that Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is, hands down, the best amusement park in the world. With seventeen bigger-than-life roller coasters, and another handful of heart-in-your-throat thrill rides, this is the pleasure capital of amusement parks for thrill-seekers and fanatics. There are so many huge, fast, steep, and curvy coasters on-site at Cedar Point that even the most expert park attendee may be at a loss as to where to begin to explore the vast world of award-winning slow climbs and rapid descents. If you only plan to get to Cedar Point once in your lifetime and have a limited amount of time to get the most out of your trip, these are the three roller coasters the experts agree are not to be missed.

The Millennium Force, built in 2000, still cleans up in the roller coaster awards categories year after year, and is still Cedar Point's top-rated coaster. This coaster was named as the number two steel roller coaster in the world in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. Theme Parks Magazine, CoasterBuzz.com, and the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) all agree that it is the number one coaster in this category. Number one or number two, at a height of three hundred and ten feet at its highest point and reaching speeds of ninety-three miles per hour, a ride on the Millennium Force is a completely unforgettable experience for any pleasure-seeker.

Like the Millennium Force, when the Magnum XL-200 opened up in 1989, it broke all kinds of world records. At the time, the Magnum XL was the tallest and the fastest roller coaster ever constructed. Today, its highest hill at two hundred and five feet, and its top speed of seventy-two miles per hour seems paltry compared to the Millennium Force's awesome power, but the Magnum still comes in on "best steel roller coaster" lists all over. It took the number three spot in the Golden Ticket Awards, number four with Theme Parks Magazine and CoasterBuzz.com, and number two with NAPHA.

The third most critically acclaimed coaster at the world's best-loved coaster park is Top Thrill Dragster. You say you'd like to take a steady climb to a height of four hundred and twenty feet only to come back down at a ninety degree angle at a top speed of one hundred and twenty miles per hour? Well, you can. Not for the faint of heart, as evidenced by the ride statistics, the Top Thrill Dragster caters to only about half the number of riders as the Millennium Force and the Magnum yearly. That hasn't stopped it from coming in as the number ten steel coaster in the Golden Ticket Awards or at number two with Theme Parks Magazine and CoasterBuzz.com.

While the Millennium Force, the Magnum XL-200, and Top Thrill Dragster are the most highly-praised, they are only three of the seventeen diverse roller coasters at Cedar Point just waiting to test riders' nerves, including the new for the 2007 season Maverick, which is sure to gain some fans of its own. If you love roller coasters and you are planning a day at Cedar Point, you really might want to consider planning two. It's nearly impossible to get through them all in one day, and there is bound to be at least one that you will have to go back and ride "just one more time."

Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio, which is about midway between Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio. Ticket prices vary depending on height and age, and range from $11.95 to $69.95. Operating hours vay, but can be found on the website at www.cedarpoint.com or by calling the info line at 419-627-2350.