When Cedar Point was in need of another attraction to keep them ahead in the coaster race,
they called upon Intamin of Switzerland, the creators of Millennium Force, to design Wicked
Twister.
Wicked Twister is the world's first double twisting Impulse Coaster; the heartlines of
both ends of the towers are designed with 450-degree vertical twists. But that is not
the only trait that sets the ride apart from the rest -- at 215-feet tall, Wicked Twister is
the world's tallest Impulse Coaster.
This unique launched roller coaster uses LIMs (Linear Induction Motors) to propel riders up
to its maximum speed of 72 mph. Wicked Twister features a fairly uncommon color
scheme; it carries teal supports with sunburst yellow track. The trains have a
dark blue frame, magenta seats and wheel covers, and yellow shoulder restraints.
Outside of the entrance, Cedar Point offers a fairly simple line management system; you walk
up to the booth and there is a listed time to return. Your hand is then stamped
with the return time. The only con I found in this system was that the ink quickly flushes
from your hand due to the high humidity and temperature. But Wicked Twister does
not have the huge lines found on some of the park's other coasters, such as Millennium
Force and Mantis. On the days I went, wait times were relatively short.
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Once the air-gates open, you climb into the heavily elevated seats. People barely meeting the
height requirement will have a very tough time climbing into the seats, and may require
assistance. The ride is equipped with over the shoulder restraints and seat
belts. Unlike most Bolliger & Mabillard Inverted Coaster where the seat belt
is located between your legs, Wicked Twister's seat belts are located to the side.
Once your restraint and seat belt are checked, the ride operators clear for dispatch, and you
are quickly launched from 0 to 50 mph. The train then climbs the first twisted
tower, which is very disorienting. From here, riders plummet back through the
station, accelerating to 63mph and heading towards the rear twisted tower.
The rear tower is a lot more disorienting than the first, as you are twisting in reverse. From
the top of the tower, the train falls forward and heads back through the station and is
propelled forward at 69 mph. This time around, you travel much further up the
front spiral, nearly reaching the top. You then blast backwards through the
station once again and accelerate to the ride's maximum speed of 72 mph. There
are very high positive Gs as you climb the rear spiral. But on the contrary, as
you are twisting backwards, a massive amount of airtime is offered.
Coming back down the tower, you travel through the station once again and hit the front
spiral at 63 mph. From this point, you come back down the tower, the brakes kick
in, and you slowly head back into the station.
............
Wicked Twister offers a very unique and thrilling experience and has easily made its way into
my 'top ten coasters' list. The ride is a lot different than the 'standard'
Impulse Coasters; it's amazing how much of a difference the added height, speed, and
twisting rear tower make. If you are planning on visiting Cedar Point in the
future, you have another great coaster to look forward to.
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Very disorienting
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Airtime/Hangtime
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Intense
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Fast dispatch times
-Adam Black
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