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 Review of Magnum XL-200 @ Cedar Point
3 Rating Posted by: Timberman on 5/9/2006 1:05:00 PM
If Top Thrill Dragster is like Axel Rose -- showing up briefly or not at all, capable of blowing your mind but more likely to leave you angry and disappointed by its inability to perform -- then Magnum XL-200 is like Alice Cooper: revolutionary in its day, now sturdy and dependable, often imitated but rarely equaled, and blessedly free of the prima donna histrionics that plague its descendents.

Magnum combines the best of whats old and whats new. Its bread and butter are the classic three chords of the roller coaster experience: steep drops, ferocious airtime, and relentless pacing. Its genius, however, is melding these elements with the height, speed, twisting dives, and swooping directional changes that only steel can deliver. The result is a hybrid that defies easy characterization. Its a steel coaster that traditionalists can love, while giving generation B&M a taste of the hard-rocking past without leaving them too traumatized to enjoy the rest of their day. While most modern hypers glide, Magnum barrels. It tracks flawlessly but puts you in touch with the wheels beneath you, pinging and echoing up its long, shallow lift hill and rumbling resonantly over more than 5,000 feet of track. Tunnels have become sort of a cheap diversion on many roller coasters, but here, they are deployed to their maximum psychological effect. To say more would be spoiling the fun for the uninitiated. Also deserving of special mention is Magnums archly retro rolling stock: big, boxy, shockingly white, and hilariously appointed with a front windscreen and steel discipline bars, with which your thighs will become very familiar. I suggest starting in the very front seat to take in the amazing views of Lake Erie and the surrounding park, and then moving to the very back, where the increased sensations of speed and airtime will make you feel like youre on an entirely different ride.

Im happy to report that as of opening day 2006, Magnum had a fresh coat of bright orange paint and was running with its customary, untamed vigor. Thanks to its temperamental brethren down the midway, the lines for any seat on Magnum rarely exceed 15 to 20 minutes. By all means, roll the dice on Top Thrill Dragster. Youre at least guaranteed a suntan and lengthy conversation. But when you tire of the on-again, off-again theatrics of the billion dollar babies and youre ready to raise your fist and yell, you cant do better at Cedar Point then Magnum XL-200.
 

Review Comments

hrrytraver on 5/13/2006 5:53:11 PM said:
good one timberman! an apt metaphor opens your review into simple but insightful look on one of the most important rides in coasterdom. from what ive read, the new "voyage" in holidayworld is a ride that really considers the coaster enthusiast as its primary customer, and its assumed that the designers felt that once it is measured up to that standard than the general public will follow behind and be appreciative. the hype surrounding the size captures the popular imagination as well. i feel that the same idea followed the creation of magnum. it feels like toomer and arrow were thinking about wood, and its fervent devotees. arrow took the height and speed race of the eighties into a a whole new concept with magnum. wheres the otsrs? there aint none. its beautiful. only crazy turns and drops that were intended to push your sense of safety aside, speed that rips tears from your eyes, and endless dynamic shifts to take the wind out of you. in others words magnum provides everything that the great early coasters were meant to provide, only done in outlandishly big strokes. a perfect marriage of hype, grandeur, and genuine coaster design genius meant to reward the rider with a long, thrilling mindf**k of a ride. if you want to meet up at holiday world to sample this new connoisseurs monstrosity anytime this summer, lemme know....im ready to try it...
Timberman on 5/15/2006 12:52:08 AM said:
Thanks for the comments, ht. Ive been looking forward to a Holiday World pilgrimmage for some time, and if we could sync up our schedules, so much the better. I think Indiana Beach and Cornball express deserve a place on the itinerary as well.
hrrytraver on 5/15/2006 10:46:08 AM said:
right, gotta hit cornball express (an unfairly maligned name for a coaster, i think) too. im leaving the country for a few weeks, but after i return ill no doubt need a bunch of righteous wood coasters to pull me out of my inevitable july slump i go into every year.
Fedor on 5/15/2006 7:34:11 PM said:
Pretty corny review. "TTD is like Axel Rose, blah blah, Magnum is like Alice Cooper, often impersonated but never duplicated". HAHA, sorry, but thats really lame sounding. But, this ride is one Ive always wanted to go on and I want to go to Cedar Point. But realistically, I cant afford to go there.
hrrytraver on 5/16/2006 10:35:24 AM said:
fedor- here ive prepared a less "corny" review using more familiar TPC language. im sure sure everyone here would benefit from more of this-----"TTD needs to be melted down and turned into a new nitro or a 4D or something. man, i drove all the way there with my mom and dad last weekend, and it was closed down again! i ran right from the front entrance right to TTD, and somebody said that sparks were just shooting out of it like a hundred feet high. it sucked!!! the same thing happend to me last summer when me and the peeps went to GAdv for KK! whats the deal?!! so anyway i went to magnum cause i heard it was a cool classic by arrow. i was not very impressed by the looks of it. once i got on the lift, i was especially not impressed. it was so slow! it is only a 200 feet lift, but it took like five minutes or something to get to the top. the first drop was pretty good though. i was surprised. it was really fast. the turn around was kind of weird though. i guess arrow didnt know how to do a hammerhead turn. the bunny hills going back to the station had some killer air! wow! it hurt really bad, but if you only do it once or twice while at the point youre okay. not as good as MF, but then again, is anything? a classic hyper for sure."
Timberman on 5/16/2006 10:36:34 AM said:
Fedor, we all do what we can to capture the ride experience. Some critics use analogies, others try to invoke the senses. Does this ring a bell? "Man, the air smells so fresh when you go through the leafy forest area." Good luck getting to Cedar Point. Im sure it wont disappoint you. Let us all know what Lake Erie smells like when you get back.
Fedor on 5/16/2006 10:56:16 PM said:
Oh, alright, LOL. Yeah, I guess it could sound like an analogy to you. For me, I just typed how I felt and wasnt trying to sound descriptive at all. In fact, I think its pretty cool some people can take that sentence that way. Personally, it did sound like you were trying too hard with that Axel Rose and Alice Cooper stuff. Just how it looked when I read it.
larrygator on 5/16/2006 11:23:37 PM said:
great review as usual Timberman
detroit_jc on 8/14/2008 7:16:50 PM said:
anyone that is a fan of great rock music can easily understand the metaphors that timberman used in his review. and might i add that i think it works wonderfully here. that is called writing. not corny at all. i also agree with timber if i understand what he might be getting at, that magnum is a woodie in steel clothing.
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