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Raptor, which was built in 1994, is located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio,
one of the highest rated amusement parks in the United States. Cedar Point is home to
one of the largest coaster collections in the world.
Raptor was the first chance for designers Bolliger & Mabillard to go all out
with their inverted design. Instead of featuring a short layout designed to fit in a
compact space like Batman: The Ride, Raptor was designed with a unique 3,790-foot
layout.
When Raptor first opened, it became the world's tallest inverted coaster at
137-feet, the fastest at 57mph, and the longest. The ride contains six amazing
inversions - a vertical loop, an inline twist, a cobra roll (which turns riders upside down
twice) and two corkscrews. Raptor was the first inverted coaster in the world to
feature a cobra roll.
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Raptor is located near the front of the park. The ride features standard B&M
inverted trains with eight rows of 4-across seating.
The ride starts with a quick left hand turn into the 137-foot lift. From
the top, you head over a little dip, and then down the 119-foot drop, that features a 180
degree twist to the left. Raptor's drop is very fun and intense and in my opinion,
it surpasses that of Batman: The Ride.
From the bottom of the first drop, you immediately head into the vertical loop,
which offers high positive Gs. After the vertical loop, you head into an zero-g roll,
which is very fun and disorienting. Next up comes the cobra roll, which inverts riders
twice; another fun and disorienting inversion.
After the cobra roll, you head into an upward spiral and onto the mid-course
brake run, which barely slow you down. Coming off the brake run, you make a left-hand
dive down into the first of two corkscrews.
From here, you pass through a section of straight track and then make a banked
turn over the transition into the vertical loop. From this point, you drop down into
the second corkscrew, which is just as intense as the first. Next up comes an amazing
double helix that features very high g-forces; definitely one of the best elements on the
ride. Following the helix, you take one more quick turn and head back into the
station.
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Simply put, Raptor is an extraordinary coaster. It is definitely one of
the best rides at Cedar Point, and many consider it to be the best inverted coaster in the
world.
While it may not be as intense as compact models such as Batman: The Ride,
Raptor makes up for it with a wide variety of elements and wonderful pacing.
Definitely one that should not be missed.
Rating: 9/10
Pros:
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Wide variety of elements
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Excellent pacing
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Plenty of G-forces
Cons:
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