Finally...I got the chance to ride stand up coaster. It’s about the only B&M type I haven’t ridden (accept for flying) and from afar it looks so awesome. Mantis is a really good coaster because of the stand-up restraints and they really enhance the experience and the design to a whole other level. For example, you can see everything around you turn upside down when you go through an inversion. I can’t imagine any other type of trains. And that’s because while it looks SO good at first glance, it really isn’t all that intense. If they weren’t there, this coaster would just be a gimmick that looks good but doesn’t deliver. Don’t listen to the recording that’s played throughout the queue and station that says Mantis “is one of the most intense experiences ever created by man” (or something like that) because it really isn’t all that bad after the drop and vertical loop (this is why 1 pt. was taken off). One part of the ride that could be considered “intense” is the 1st drop which, hands down, beats almost any coaster I’ve ever ridden…accept for a few. As you drop straight down, you can feel your legs being pulled up off the floor and it is really unlike anything else. What a great decision for B&M to venture off from their trademark spiral drop on Mantis because it really makes for a great start. The enormous vertical loop that follows is really is a sight to see. It’s so tall and pictures don’t give it justice. And when you go through it, the feeling is excellent. The trim on the drop provide some good hangtime as well and didn’t knock off any intensity whatsoever, for me. The last thing would be some heavy G forces that are so powerful, they actually can make your legs sore for the rest of the day (and the chance of that happening is unpredictable). The ride trackage itself, apart from the features listed above, though, isn’t all that exciting. Just fun. A lot of people just bash this coaster to do so. It’s not really all that rough. I only had 1 ride out of my 4 that I could consider rough…and that was at night…so maybe that’s why. It could have been the train or maybe something else but my only night ride did have more headbanging than the others. Besides that time, the headbanging was absolutely tolerable. Now, I don’t consider Mantis “smooth” because on every one of my rides there was some choppiness (this is why the other pt. was taken off), but it’s not as serious as say an SLC, and the Gs DO NOT…I repeat…Do Not always hurt your legs. It was just a little tingling, at most. I could just go on and on about the complaints that have been made regarding the ride. All that matters is that standing up is so thrilling, so different and improved a coaster that could have been just mediocre. They are now a rarity and it’s really great Cedar Point has one that they call home. Bottom line is Mantis is a pretty good coaster.
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