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Raptor is a steel inverted roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, Raptor opened in 1994 and was first inverted roller coaster to feature a "Cobra Roll". Still beloved more than a decade after it's debut, Amusement Today [1] ranked Raptor the 14th best steel roller coaster in the world in 2006. When it was built, Raptor was the world's tallest and fastest inverted coaster. It is the 12th roller coaster (since Blue Streak opened in 1964) to be built at Cedar Point. This giant green coaster stands tall over the main midway, and is the first coaster park guests see upon entering the park through the main entrance. The name comes from the sense meaning bird of prey, not the dinosaur.
[edit] Ride Elements
[edit] Trivia & Fun Facts
- Each train weighs 16,000 pounds empty.
- If the platform crew is working efficiently, a train should leave the station every 45 seconds.
- If maximum capacity is being utilized, each train should travel the circuit 19 times an hour.
- Raptor opened with a ride time of 2 minutes and 16 seconds. In the late 90s, the ride duration was extended to 2 minutes and 32 seconds, after the ride maintenance department slowed down the chain speed of the lift hill (the stats on the official Cedar Point web site still reflect the opening statistics).
- 1,645,189 = the number of riders in 2006. 2,189,873 = the number of riders who flew with Raptor in 1994, the debut season.
- There are five "blocks" or five sections of track that a train will move through during the ride. Each one of these blocks is monitored by a complex computer system that uses photo eye sensors and proximity switches to ensure trains stay a safe distance from each other (keep an open eye out for the bright green boxes attached to the track. These are the proximity switches that sense the presence of a moving train and then report the car's location to the ride computer).
- The Raptor will not operate in winds stronger than 30 mph.
- How tall is Raptor's first drop? Seven feet! When trains leave the station, riders descend 7 feet before engaging Raptor's 137-foot tall lift.
- A special control panel outside of the operator's booth allows a ride host to shuttle the trains BACKWARDS when transfering trains on and off the main track.
- Early plans planned for the train storage area to be totally enclosed. This would have allowed for off-season train storage on the tracks, rather than removing the trains (During the winter of 1994-'95, the train storage area was wrapped in a large, green tarp with the trains remaining on the track).
- Best time to ride Raptor with the shortest wait can be found in the mid-late afternoon, but before Cedar Point's Starlight admission discounted ticket kicks in at 5 p.m.
- Each night after closing, loose change found under the Raptor is collected and deposited in a charity fund benefiting several Erie County, Ohio non-profit organizations. Following Raptor's first year of operation, $12,269 was donated to Sandusky's Ontario School (at the time, 7 Macintosh computers were purchased). Another $1,000 was donated to Sandusky's Osborne School.
- There are actually two cameras on this ride to snap on-ride photos, one for the right and one for the left side of the train. They are just before the second corkscrew and just after the helix, respectively.
- Best place to watch the ride can be found inside the "Game Day Grille" table service restaurant during a meal.
- Raptor crews are known thoughout the amusement industry to have the best live platform spiels. More than 2 dozen creative announcements have been created and passed down year after year among the seasonal employees.
- Raptor's station has a clone! When the inverted coaster "Talon" opened at Dorney Park in Allentown, Pa in 2001, the same station design and architecture were duplicated at this Cedar Fair, L.P. park. While Raptor's station sports a Yellow and Pink color scheme, Talon sports a yellow and blue look. Plus, Talon has a traditional elevator attached to it's station (Raptor continues to provide access to the boarding platform for guests with disabilities using an enclosed lift platform. The change was made to the Pennsylvania desing after guests complained the Raptor lift chamber was extremely hot and uncomfortable, after baking in the summer sun). Talon's logo also shares some of the same features as Raptor's logo.
- Meantime, Raptor has a twin! "Orochi" is an inverted roller coaster by B&M that features the same track layout. Yet, a pale pink track and white support columns are the colors of this dragon themed ride. "Orochi" can be found at EXPOLAND in Japan|[2]. The park first opened during the International Exposition in 1970, while Orochi opened after Raptor's May 1994 debut. Also different: Raptor's station sits on top of a service garage, while Orochi's platform sits atop a store similar to a gas station mini-mart.
[edit] Construction Data
- 300 steel support columns are anchored by a cement footer, much of which is hiding 6 to 8 feet underground.
- 88 pieces of track make up Raptor's 3,790 feet of "electric green" rails.
- Although the ride was designed in Europe, 80% of the ride structure was made outside of Cincinnati by Southern Ohio Fabricators, a third party vendor who B&M contracts North American fabrication work to (this is the same company who made the track for Mantis).
- However, the rails which Raptor's wheels ride upon were bent in Italy and then shipped to Southern Ohio Fabricators to be welded to the track's box beams.
- During Raptor's construction, crews found discarded bowling balls and bottles while digging the foundation according to the Sandusky Register on Jan, 25, 1994.
- Construction began following Labor Day 1993, with the retirement of the Mill Race, the nation's second log flume ride created by Arrow Dynamics (Raptor also sits on a site also formally occupied by the Wild Mouse Roller Coaster and Cedar Point Monorail).
- Look close, hiding under the platform at the base of the lift hill is an "emergency evacuation cart." Since Raptor's trains do not have floors, if a rider evacuation is deemed necessary, riders could not access the steps on the lift. Therefore, a member of the ride maintenance department will drive this gas powered cart up the lift and position a mobile platform under the feet of riders. Once their shoulder harnesses are manually releasaed, they can stand-up and walk over to the steps. Riders will always be evacuated from row 8 to row 1. Raptor is one of the few B&M coasters to feature this cart.
- The price tag of Raptor was estimated at $12 million. That figure was later revised to $11.5 million after a design revision. Originally, the Raptor transfer track and train storage bay was to be enclosed. This would allow Raptor's trains to remain on the track in the winter, preventing the need to remove them and giving maintenance personnel a warm place to work. During the winter of 1994-1995, Raptor's trains did remain on the track, with the storage bay wrapped up in a dark green tarp.
- The majority of the queue line for Raptor was originally planned to snake around in the shade of the Point Pavillion picnic shelter directly across from Raptor's exit. This plan was revised to prevent a loss of picnic shelter square footage and thus, the catered events held in the picnic shelter.
- The current queue line structure can hold an hour worth of riders.
- Both the ride's track and supports were stored and painted in the Cedar Point parking lot.
- The final bolt to connect the last piece of track to the first piece of track was painted gold.
- Testing began in March 1994.
- Half of the "Turnpike Cars" ride was retired and relocated to Dorney Park in Allentown, PA. The ride reopened as "Road Rally."
- The Caylpso circular ride was relocated to a grass lot next to the Blue Streak boarding station. This was also the site of the "Star Jets" ride, removed following the 1986 season.
- The oldest ride at Cedar Point, the Midway Carousel, was relocated to the front of the park following the 1993 season to make way for Raptor. A new pavilion now houses the merry go round.
- Following a robust debut in 1994, an on-ride photo location was added in 1995, along with a live queue-line DJ who entertained waiting riders.
Overall track layout, from Giant Wheel
[edit] Awards
| Golden Ticket Awards: Best Steel Coaster |
| Year |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
| Ranking |
10
|
10
|
11
|
14
|
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket2006.pdf
- ^ http://www.expoland.co.jp/eng/ride1.html
[edit] External links
