Raptor at Cedar Point (RCDB #1)

Raptor at Cedar Point is an inverted roller coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard. It originally opened on May 7th, 1994.

= HISTORY =

The plot Raptor sits on was originally an Arrow Dynamics log flume known as "Mill Chute", which would close after the 1993 season due to dwindling popularity from other water attractions at the park. Raptor would be announced in late 1993 for a 1994 opening date. In 2002, the ride was repainted from having green track and silver rails to simply having green track and rails. The coaster has been repainted several times since, due to sun fading, rust, and seagull droppings engulfing the coaster on the regular.

= DETAILS =

• Location - Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio, USA)
• Opening Date - May 7th, 1994
• Material - Steel
• Genre - Inverted
• Thrill Level - Extreme
• Make - Bolliger & Mabillard
• Model - Inverted Coaster "Raptor/Orochi" layout
• Length - 3,790 feet
• Height - 137 feet
• Drop - 119 feet
• Speed - 57 miles per hour
• Inversions - 6
• Vertical Angle - 45 degrees
• Duration - 2 minutes, 16 seconds
• Elements - Chain Lift, Loop (100 feet), Zero G Roll, Cobra Roll, Mid-Course Block Brake, Dual Corkscrew
• Trains - 3
• Cars per Train - 8
• Riders Across - 4
• Rows per Car - 1
• Riders per Train - 32
• Restraints - Over the Shoulder
• Cost - $11,500,000 ($23,720,961.54 in today's money)
• Capacity - 1,600 riders per hour
• Designer - Werner Stengel (for Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH)
• Theme - Birds of prey

= MY EXPERIENCE =

I have ridden it near the back on the morning of Opening Day 2021 (during ERT, since me, my dad and my sister stayed at the Cedar Point Express Hotel).

= MY THOUGHTS =

• PROS - Intense layout, good pacing and an overall freestyle experience.
• CONS - Very rough in the back row.
• Rating - 7.5/10
• Do I Recommend? - Yes.
• Recommended Row - As close to the front as possible

= FACTS =

• In 2016, a rider entered a restricted area to retrieve his phone, he was fatally hit by a train soon after.
• This ride, contrary to popular belief, is not based on the velociraptor species, but rather birds of prey.

= OFFICIAL POV =