S:ROS (SFNE) vs. Millennium Force

My apologies if this has been dicussed before, but what do you like better, Millennium Force, or Superman : Ride of Steel.

Personally I haven't been on Supes at SFNE, but seeing the layout, I would assume that it is an airtime machine! But, can it stand up to Millennium's Beastly hill and wicked speed??

MF will win most popularity polls for two reasons-

a)It is at Cedar Point
b)It is a very rideable machine, yet offers riders a sense of accomplishment for conquering what looks to be a nearly impossible first hill.

I have personally never seen what most do in MF. It was surely engineered to perfection, and was surely the ride CP wanted, and was also surely the best $25 million investment that the park ever made (especially compared to their 2003 installation).

But what gets me is that the first drop doesn't deliver nearly what it is trying to sell you- mainly due to a long lead in and long pull out (meaning you get a slight float, but in a very controlled manner). The rest of the ride is for speed demons. It's got lots of track that is swallowed up by flat, featureless moments and four overbanked turns (of which only the first one really does anything interesting).

In the end, it feels very much as though Anton Schwarzkopf was called upon to design a 300 ft Jet Star. Not that this is a bad thing, mind you. Just that when it constantly has 1-1.5 hour average wait times, it isn't something that offers enough payback for the amount of time waiting in line. Bottom line is it doesn't really matter what I personally think. The public have spoken, and save for the Space Mountains of the world, CP has easily the world's most popular steel roller coaster in MF, just not the best IMO.

SFNE's SROS has always been the steel coaster design that comes closest to perfection in my mind. It's greatest attribute is diversity. The ride serves up more abrubt drops than MF- leading to more "yank" than "float", and throws in just enough from each school of design to create one amazing ride experience. One effective overbanked turn, low speed sections, endless changes in direction, two helices in opposing directions, and a great ending.

In the end, the two rides are from very different schools of design, so which one is better is really all about what you personally prefer.

-mark

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Well put, Mark.

MF disappoints not, it does what it does extremely well.
On my not frequent visits to CP, I will always want to ride it, and often. Just wish the lines weren't always so long!
The only real issue I have with MF is the lift hill. Too damn fast! I want more time to appreciate the view.

But, as you described so well, the full ride experience of S:ROS is one of a kind, and one which I prefer.

I rode S:ROS yesterday a number of times.
My third visit this season.

Perhaps it's due to my aging (56 is less than a month away), but it seems to me like it is delivering "more" throughout its course.

Airtime, laterals, all seemed to have increased intensity.
I was blown away.
It's as if some re-profiling had occured in season!
Which we know is not true, so what was it?

It could be me, but other experienced riders had that "Holy Crap" reaction as well.

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> Perhaps it's due to my aging (56 is less than a month away)
> "Holy Crap"
... I thought there was at least one person on this board my own age. Since Ed seems to have disappeared, I guess that makes me the URC geezer.

S:RoS has plenty of airtime---almost violently so, which this Momma just does not like. It in no way bests MF imho.

MF delivers exactly what I love in a coaster: visuals (nothing like that tall, skinny structure - right next to the water no doubt), a one-of-a-kind lift (in that it's f-a-s-t and immediately starts climbing right out of the station), forceful, yet floater air, and speed, baby, speed!

MF will *always* win out over S:RoS in my book, but that is my personal choice. Nothing so far in my travels has beat out that ultimate first drop of MF. Nothing.

As others scratch their heads wondering why we like MF so much, believe me, we are doing some head-scratching too wondering why they don't embrace MF as much as we do.

To each his own.

~MommaBeast
And no, roblec...you are NOT the resident geezer lol!!

airtime is not a huge priority to me. i have never rode SROS but millenium force looks like it 10 times better than SROS.

I may have romanticized S:ROS, but it's my #1 steel. I used that phrase because I only rode it once, in '06. It blew me away, but maybe it's better in my memories than MF. MF is my favorite steel among those I have multiple rides on and can recall the experience much more vividly.

Mike

Solid analysis.

Well I literally just got back in my house 10 minutes ago from Six Flags New England, and I got to ride Superman Twice today, I rode in the seat that I was told was the "best" and my final result is ................................

While The ride has now moved up my top 10 to about #6 or #5 ..... it does not beat millenium force, or maverick or el toro. The thing is, The ride does not deliver this "Violent Airtime" to me it's much the same as Millenium Force, with both delivering the same amount of air time and the same type of air, this idea of "violent" airtime as Mommabeast said is something I have not experienced, and I went today to JUST ride Superman ...... again, after giving it a shot last May.

You see the only 2 rides I can truly say gave me the type of airtime that I LOVED, were El Toro and Maverick. You see they deliver violent air time. I guess the way I can put it is ...... On the first drop of each ...... it feels like your weightless for like a second/second and a half, and then the ride just PULLS you down the hill, like FORCEFULLY, and thats how the rest of the ride feels......... To put it another way ...... Both of those rides feel out of control, and like they are TRYING to throw you off of the ride, and the only reason you get back to your seat is because the ride THROWS you there ....... where as Superman and B + M's and most other coasters I've been on lifted you up, and then "set" you down, much more gentle.

Other people might think differently but I have yet to feel it, and have rode it plenty of times in different seats at different times of the day.

> You see the only 2 rides I can truly say gave me the type
> of airtime that I LOVED, were El Toro and Maverick. You see
> they deliver violent air time.

This has also been discussed here ad nauseum... I don't see where Maverick has that much airtime. I suppose your characterization of "a second or half a second" might be accurate.

Admittedly I "only" rode Mavie maybe 10-12 times last year, and in just about every seat and probably in every car, and there were only a couple quick pops of air. I could almost say that SOB has as much (which everyone knows has nil). But Mavie does separate your your butt from the seat a couple times because the train is essentially vertical.

On the other hand, Millennium Force does have sustained air, on each and every hill, 3-4 seconds easily. I just can't figure out why some folks (and not necessarily you my friend) say Mavie has it and Millie doesn't. (walks away shaking head)

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I haven't ridden Supe yet; Im kinda curious about a "Nitro V. Supe comparasion"; Is it THAT much better than Nitro? It (Supe) does have a good tunnel from what I hear. :)

Rob I'll admit I've only been on Maverick Once, and that was last year, but I remember the entire first drop was just awesome, like one big drop of airtime, and then the constant changes on the ground, and the "fullness" of the ride, it just felt like the ride went on forever (even though it didn't), and felt out of control. I don't know I really really want to go back to CP to ride Mavvie again, but I doubt I will this year ........... or next year just because the money's better spent to travel to parks that I haven't been too (Like ALL of the florida parks, or To go try out The Voyage), Although I will say my aunt lives in cleveland so there is a small possibility of me going back to ride it again soon.

> I have personally never seen what most do in MF.

> the ride is
> for speed demons. It's got lots of track that is swallowed
> up by flat, featureless moments and four overbanked turns
> (of which only the first one really does anything
> interesting).

I agree. For a 300 footer there should be copious amounts of airtime. I can only remember 3 mediocre floats throughout the entire course. Yes, I did enjoy the overbanks and the speed, but it felt lacking to me. It's a great ride - in my top ten - but just short of being really top-notch.

> SFNE's SROS has always been the steel coaster design that
> comes closest to perfection in my mind. It's greatest
> attribute is diversity. The ride serves up more abrubt
> drops than MF- leading to more "yank" than
> "float", and throws in just enough from each
> school of design to create one amazing ride experience. One
> effective overbanked turn, low speed sections, endless
> changes in direction, two helices in opposing directions,
> and a great ending.

This sums up my thoughts of Superman as well. It's so diverse and covers all kinds of territory - all while sticking true to the hypercoaster format of repeated airtime. I have yet to ride a steelie that can touch it.

> In the end, the two rides are from very different schools
> of design, so which one is better is really all about what
> you personally prefer.

No question. And of course the Cedar Point fanboys will pick their favorite...and there's plenty of them.

However, if I'm not mistaken, Superman has edged MF in Mitch's poll the past several years so clearly Sparky, MABrider, and myself aren't the only ones who feel this way...

> It (Supe) does have a good tunnel from
> what I hear. :)

S:ROS at SFNE has two tunnels.
First one at bottom of first drop, goes below grade to make the drop 225' feet from a 208' lift hill height.
Second is at the end of the ride, a swooping curve into the final three bunny hops.

The second has mist, enough to cause blurry vision through your eye or sunglasses (I put my hands over them). Feels good on a warm day.

First used to have mist...but not anymore, since a couple or three years.

Mike B.

I have never been on Superman:ROS, but it looks amazing for sure. What I don't understand in any way shape or form is how people can have such a HUGE variation in airtime on coasters. Some say Millie has no air, yet some say it has great air (a group that I am a part of). Some say Mavvie has no air, yet most say it has a ton (also, a group of which I am a part). Now someone says that S:ROS has blah-air, while almost everyone I've known says S:ROS has ejector air throughout the whole ride.

Millie, while it is fairly tame air, definitely has it to me. My butt leaves the seat VERY nicely on those hills. On Mavie, I get air on almost every element! Even transitions in the turns pop me out of my seat. The stengel dives offer air by making like it's dumping you over the side, and finally those two amazing bunny-hops.

How is it that others do not get the same effects? Is it physicaly different, is it mentally different, or it it purely what people define as airtime?

-Josh

> How is it that others do not get the same effects? Is it
> physicaly different, is it mentally different, or it it
> purely what people define as airtime?

Tis quite strange indeed. I've often come away with other peoples' differing dissertations very puzzled.

To me, Magnum 3.1 has violent air. Don't know of anyone who would argue that (but since we're on this subject, someone prolly would, lol). S:RoS has pockets of airtime that remind me of Maggie's violent thrusts from seat 3.1. I don't consider that fun per se, but rather, quite un-fun and sometimes painful.

Floater air, though, like beautiful Nitro rides and magnificent Millie rides are elements this Momma can handle---gleefully so.

However, back to your question --good one that it is-- I don't know how totally different ride experiences can be had by individual riders. Boggles the mind. I'm sure physics (and physiques, lol) come into play, but I'm wondering if there are so many variables (pre-set notions, mood at the time of riding, you know, intangibles) that it would be hard to *explain* the differences.

Obstinance I'm sure explains away some of the vastly differing opinions as I'm sure you've come across those stubborn, dyed-in-the-wool fanboys or antifanboys as it were of Ride X.

Anyway, while this really didn't answer your question, perhaps there's enough to ponder for a little while.

~MommaBeast

^ ^
Bottom line, ya just gotta ride for yourself.

Ya likes what ya likes.

I ride coasters and feel things you don't.

What I feel I may enjoy, while you may not.
What I feel I may not enjoy, while you do.

It ain't really worth wasting breath (typing) debating ad nauseam.

MF? Great coaster.
S:ROS? Great coaster.
Nitro? Great coaster.
Etc., etc., etc.
Just go ride 'em!

Mike B.

^^^Tell em' Mike!

I have never been to SFNE. However, hill 3 of SFA's Superman has more airtime than any hill I have been on - PERIOD. MF also has some but not as impressive as Supes.

I am kind of with Mommabeast, in that airtime is not the only thing that I like on a coaster. My favorite coasters are Millennium Force, Volcano, and Superman (SFA). Superman has the best airtime I have been on, great helicies, and I even really like the straight speed track. Volcano has no airtime, but amazing acceleration, great loops, and great theming (getting blown out of a volcano). MF has the best first hill I have been on, tunnels, overbanked turns, beautiful views, etc.

I seem to really like Intamin, I guess.

MarathonRunner

MF definatly