I was really happy when Cedar Point decided to build Maverick...for once they were building a coaster to be good instead of just breaking records. What they built was the best coaster Ive ridden to date. The first time drop is small, but it gives you this weird head-over-heels sensation that is really unique. All the low to the ground turns in the first half are great, fast with very quick tranistions. The second half is where the ride really hits its stride, with the amazing launch and two stengel dives, which are one of the best elments you can find on a steel coaster. This is a rare example of a coaster that gets better as it goes. I could babble on more, but I think you get the idea, Maverick is great!

Maverick was an exceptional coaster and it proves that coasters dont always have to be 200ft tall to be thrilling. The first drop was unreal as it lived up to the hype and gave some major ejector air. Then came some fast turns that were followed by an incredible air time hill. Then came Mavericks two inversions and they were very smooth and intense. Next was the insane second launch through the cool tunnel which pinned me to my seat, and it was followed by yet another great air time hill. Then there was the fast-paced finale which also had some air time hills and great overbanked turns.

The best coaster at Cedar Point. Period.

The Maverick is probably my favourite roller coaster. The ride packs non-stop fun. My favourites before riding it were the Millenium Force and the Magnum, and I didnt come in expecting it to top those two. It did. I prefer airtime to lots of twists, and the Maverick surpassed my expectations with its airtime. All the elements of the coaster work really nicely together. The tunnel launch is such an awesome thrill. Id definitely recommend it to anyone who like coasters. Its not too intense, too rough, or anything. Everythings just right!

Finally on my third trip to CP on August 28 i had the opportunity to ride. My unfortune from the replacement of the track notice a week before my first visit which i couldnt cancel, last week it went down for mechanical problems then poured down rain the rest of the evening and the next day . As the gate opened at 10:00 AM i ran as fast as i could until i ran out of steam at the dragster midway. Upon entering the que line the waiting time was 45 Minutes. The line moved steady and it was different listening to the music which reminded me of a country and western movie saloon. I decided on riding the front seat which was a short wait. The OTS restraints felt comfortable when they locked in. The LIM driven lift hill was smooth as it powered you toward the top the fastest ive been on a lift hill going up. I wondered if it would slow down any before you crest the hill which it did. Looking down right before it lets you go the height isnt enough to scare you, but as soon as 95 degrees is reached you are falling with some serious airtime like a free fall. As you quickly enter the banked turns its like one, two, three and your through them. Next the infamous camel back provides floater and ejector air combined. If you werent stapled in and had some room for your body to move up trust me you would be coming out of your seat. The horse shoe rolls were smooth, less intense and sort of gave me a break before the tunnel because as soon as the train entered it seemed like a few seconds then bang the launch turns up the juice big time.
The exit from the tunnel was quick and you were up and over the brief hill heading towards the water and then you were on your way back. The S curve had a smooth transition before the Stengel Dives. The first Stengel was quick like most of the ride and the second one was very radical being the highlight after the tunnel launch before the brake run. One more airtime hill and it ends with a stunning performance. CP needed this ride bad. Height and speed only go so far. And my thinking before they went to the drawing board they may have been tired of hearing many critics rate their current coasters with a lack of elements. Folks, this one has enough to keep your attention.

As a 2 day resort guest at Cedar Point, one has to drive the utterly incredible Perimeter Road (apologies to PhantomNik if it seems Im using similar wording in comparison to his statement), in which you pass the many beauties along the road, all the way up to that impressive beast called Millennium Force. Truly, MF is the most stunning beauty, and for me, the one that gets your heart pumping and your legs restless in the car. However, further down the drive, you approach a beautifully - constructed, yet modest creation in comparison to the other giants in the park which is Maverick. Upon first glance, the ride truly had me curious. The footprint is rather small, but seems wickedly twisted and packed densely with elements.

My first ride on Maverick was in the dark. At approximately 9:30, my friend and I decided to attempt to hop in line and join the others waiting in hopes of receiving a mystical, blackened experience on this new Mustang of the Wild West. While the lights are shining, the queue is beautifully illuminated, highlighting the lagoon below and the shaded (though it didnt matter at 9:30PM)waiting area, which from a previous review, must have utilized an old previous attractions building. After around an hour of waiting, as the rest of the park was closed and the midway behind us was entirely empty and lacked any sort of activity, the queue of Maverick still contained many excited patrons behind us completely unaware that everything around them was no longer active. They only had one thing in mind: conquer and tame the new stallion.

It then became time to enter the small, short line of people in front of us on the stairway, which meant we were only what seemed to be several minutes away from experiencing one of Americas hottest new attractions. The wait was much shorter, as our understated group of two had the opportunity to meander our way to the front of the herd of hot, sweaty, tired amusement patrons looking for their last bit of excitement of the day. Little did they know, this would be the HIGHLIGHT of their ENTIRE day.

As we made our way aboard the small train, and pulled the orange OTSR over our heads, I realized they still actually smelled new. Rather cool sensation that was. As the OP gave the "clear" command, we were moved quickly up the hill by the LSM propulsion system. In the very back, the train quickly propelled over the top of the lift, providing outstanding airtime, and without even having an opportunity to think, is plummeting downward on the 95 degree slope. The first half of Maverick does not disappoint, and while it is considerably slower than the second half, is so tightly packed with intensity that it is a definite A+. The tunnel is a surprise that one can not prepare for. A sudden, but smoothe stop is abruptly interrupted by an intense launch to the top speed of 70 MPH. This is, Im sure, one of only a few attractions where the second half is even more intense than the first.

The next morning, I used my early entry pass to re - experience what sent me to bed speechless the previous night. This is the parks new shining star, and she cannot be tamed.

Oh my god. Seeing the Cedar Point skyline you cant find this coaster unless you really search for it. As you enter the park you hear everyone saying "We have to run to Maverick," "Mavericks the best ride here," etc. You run with the crowd through the whole park, all of its other coasters tempting you, but you follow the other guests to the hidden gem in Frontiertown: Maverick.

You already find a long line, sometimes stretching past the enterence. But you promise to stick the line out no matter the wait. As you walk into the shaded queue line you hear the screams of riders in the twisted horseshoe roll and the rumble in the tunnel. Along the line you pass a lake, and wheelbarrow wheels. Next you enter a full saloon of riders anticipating their ride. After a while you head up the stairs and can finally see the lift hill and the 95 degree first drop. After the ride attendant guides you to your row you can see Maverick in the background navigating its twisted course. The gates open and you strap yourself in for the ride of your life.

VROOM. You fly up the hill. You werent expecting this and you wonder how you can prepare yourself for the drop. Well the fact of the matter is, even if it was the slowest lift ever, you still couldnt prepare yourself! It slows ever so slightly, and you FLY down the impossibly steep drop. You slam against the restraints and before you know it, your twisted along its course. Pure happiness sets in as you think nothing but the track in front of you. You see a hill and think "Were gonna fly off it!" And you would if there wasnt any restraints. You pause a little at the top, then SLAM back down, giving screams from every rider. A turn later, and the twisted horseshoe roll. Coupled perfectly with speed and hangtime, you cant help but shout with delight. Next comes the best part: the tunnel. You slow down to catch your breath, thinking that cant be any more intense. You wont be thinking that when you blast off with lights in your face. This was the single best adrenaline rush I ever got, better then the drop on MF and the launch on TTD. Its just pure madness with the screams and the lights. You zoom out into the outside world (There was an outside world?) Trim brakes that dont really slow you down occur, and you turn over the lake with water bombs in your face. A smooth S-bend later, and youre approaching another insane element: The Stengel Dive. You get THROWN to the side! And theres not one but 2 of these! And the second one is even more intense! Another airtime hill follows and then, unfortanutely, the brakes. You cant help but smile.

You need to be clinically insane if you dont like this ride. It is just the perfect ride, with speed, inversions, airtime, theming, I could go on and on! Height does not make a good coaster. The overall ambience and the atmosphere it creates makes a good ride a great ride. And Mavrick delivers this in spades.

I was debating whether to make it 5 years in a row and travel to Cedar Point this year. But when I heard the announcement of Maverick, nothing was going to keep me from going again. This ride works its way to my number 3 spot the first time I rode it. Then after a few more rides it is now my second favorite coaster behind MF. This ride does not look too intense when you look at it. Considering most of the ride is under 75 ft. But the turns and the first drop make this ride extremely fun. The launch tunnel is also amazing. Each time your train launches differently and by differently I mean by time. The first time I rode Maverick we launched right when we got in there. The second time we eeked forward slowly until she finally shot us off into oblivion. Its awesome to see Cedar Point put aside the "amazement" part of there name and go with something smaller that is better than most of the rides in the park. Congrats Cedar Point on yet another amazing creation.

Ratings based on RCT rating system:

Excitement: 10
Intensity: 8
Nausea: 6.5

Well, what in tarnation? Looks like one of them thar Cedar Point "fanboys" is writing a review for that thar new cowpoke on the block. You know, that sidewindin’ untamed critter they call Maverick! Shoot, I reckon thar be many a folk who wonder if that fella gives a wild, rootin’-tootin’ ride through them thar canyons and such. That gallopin’ stallion looks like it goes runnin’ rough-shot through them thar Frontier plains we knew so well. It ain’t no mild and tame lookin’ pony, that’s for dang sure! What say we pull up a stump and take a listen to what this here coaster "enthusiast" has to say ‘bout this critter!

Joking aside, Maverick was the one new coaster for 2007 that intrigued me more than any other. We all know about Cedar Point and its rabid following, and although many may tend to christen anything they build as flawless, I like to think that I don’t quite fall into that category. I love the park and feel it’s a mecca for coaster aficionados, yet I’m not so blinded by my fanaticism that I simply felt this was great because it was being built there. No, no, as it turns out, what intrigued me about this coaster the most is that it was almost anti-Cedar Point by design. For years, and I give them credit for it, Cedar Point has prided itself in being the place to go to usually find the tallest and fastest coaster in the world. They’ve accomplished the feat many times, so it was to be expected that many thought "500 Footer!!" when support fillings showed up last year. But as the signs at the construction site foretold, they were indeed going in a whole new direction. Hallelujah! A unique, themed, multi-dimensional coaster at Cedar Point that actually wasn’t hell-bent on rewriting the record books?!? Yeeeee-haw!

To be perfectly honest, the coaster itself looks stunning. When we drove around Perimeter Road to head back to Hotel Breakers and first saw it, everyone in the car was impressed. For a park that doesn’t usually focus or concentrate on theming a ride, the folks at Cedar Point did an amazing job with the ride and its whole surrounding area. This thing literally looks like it has been there for years, as it fits in perfectly with the Frontier Town atmosphere. I ended up with only 2 rides on this wild steed while I was there, once in the second row and once in the back. (EDIT - I have now added a front row ride to the resume, and let me say now that a front row ride on this bronco is heavenly!) As is typical with Cedar Point and their ride crews, the line moved very quickly, and they were cycling 6 trains while I was there. The whole queue area is gorgeously done, and the use of the old WWL station is a neat touch. It’s also nice that so much of the ride’s line is in the shade. Lines were long, no mistake about it, but they moved at a brisk pace and in a little over an hour each time we were walking up to the station to hop aboard. Once you board the compact train and saddle up, then it’s time to experience a coaster that fits its name oh so well! Giddy-up!!

As Maverick’s train left the station and then surged towards the hill, I was startled how quickly it galloped up the LSM lift hill! If you think Millennium’s lift hill is fast, then you ain’t seen nothing yet! The first drop is nothing short of incredible. For such a modest drop, this horse really punctuates the beginning in style! The airtime felt is amazing, and in the back it is unreal! The 95 degree plummet, though brief, is a unique sensation that is really amplified the further towards the front you sit. (EDIT - In the front seat, the visuals through this initial drop, and throughout the entire ride for that matter, are spectacular!) After the initial drop, Maverick is wild and untamed as it tears through the first half of the ride. I found this to be my favorite half of the coaster. The directional changes are sharp and crisp as the train whizzes through the canyon walls, and the speed feels a lot faster than the posted 57<

This ride succeeds in lots of areas. The first drop gives amazing airtime. The rides quantity and variety of elements is top notch, especially when coupled with relentless speed. The ride feels like it is over in the blink of an eye, even though the track is not extremely short, but it is a very exhilarating blink, with no boring spots in the track like most coasters have. There is the brief pause in the tunnel, but you almost need the break to catch your breath from the first half of the ride. Unfortunately, I was only able to get a couple of rides in. One in the front left seat and one in the back left seat, so I cant say if there is a difference in ride quality between the left and right sides. However, I enjoyed the added airtime in the back, compared to my ride in the front. So, for me this is definitely a back seat coaster. The only real problem that I have with Maverick is the restraints which cause some noticeable head banging due to the quantity and speed at which the acrobatic moves are taken at on this coaster. You get roughed up a little more at the back than at the front, but you still get roughed up in the front. The theming is well done and the coaster has some sections where you can look out onto Lake Erie. Overall, this is a very good coaster, but I still enjoy Millenium Force a bit more. If not for being roughed up a bit I would have given this coaster a 10. Instead, I give it a 9.5.