Mean Streak is All Bark and No Bite
The Mean Streak was probably the biggest letdown of my trip to Cedar Point. This massive wooden coaster that’s 161 feet tall (16 stories) and over 5,000 feet long amazingly amounts to almost no thrills. I will say that it was fairly smooth for its size and age, but what a snoozer! It’s nothing but turns and short forgettable drops. I don’t recall any airtime whatsoever. Just what amounted to a long tour ride around a huge wooden structure. It’s even lacking in speed, probably because you spend a lot of the ride at higher elevations. At least Mean Streak won’t beat you up. My ride in the middle of the train wasn’t very rough at all.
It sounds like Mean Streak was neutered for lack of a better word. It had a great few years when it opened and then for some reason Cedar Point re-profiled the layout and added trim brakes to the first hill. Unfortunately, I never got to ride Mean Streak during it’s better
years. All that’s left now is the ‘Not So Nice Streak’. After riding, I recognized a major chink in Cedar Point’s armor. The park doesn’t have a solid woodie to speak of. Final Rating – 5.0 (Average)
Want to know how good a 5.0 is? Check out the CCCS. Also, check out this onride roller coaster video of Mean Streak.
For safety reasons, please DO NOT take a camera on a roller coaster.
What’s Your Take?
Have you ridden Mean Streak? What’d you think? Leave a comment below.
June 21, 2008 at 09:38
this is the worst ride I have ever been on. the best way to describe it would be FRUSTRATING in every possible aspect. A huge trim brake on the first drop (!!!) set the tone for the whole ride-zero airtime and terribly paced. It really makes you appreciate other woodies like the Beast and Son of Beast. Next time you go to Cedar Point, you have to try Maverick. It's probably my favorite coaster there and has an awesome layout-the front row's the best.
February 15, 2009 at 18:39
There was nothing great about this ride and nothing bad, pretty smooth but just flat out boring. I hope that Cedar Point invests in a re-profiling of this ride next year, because it really has the potential to be a great ride, everything just needs to be lowered in height (except the first lift of course.
November 14, 2010 at 12:37
Every negative review about Mean Streak is dead on. I wouldn't mind the roughness if the pacing of the ride wasn't so uneventful. To be honest though, I don't think it would be all that great without the trims on the 1st drop either just because the profile of the ride is very drawn out, there's no rapid changes in direction up, down, left, or right. This ride would be an absolute perfect candidate for a complete reprofile, even from a marketability standpoint. I'm not talking about making it into a steel coaster like Six Flags is doing with Texas Giant either because Cedar Point is loaded with great steel coasters. It would be worthwile because of the ride's beauty and location, and would be less expensive than a whole new coaster. It probably won't happen though, because Six Flags Magic Mountain is going to surpass them in number of coasters next year, so I'm sure they will be more focused on re-claiming the record. I'm hoping though that maybe they are focusing on how successful the Timberliner trains will be, as well as how GCI's Millenium Flyers perform on a larger coaster(new GCI in China) and just maybe if they turn out well they will make the decision to reprofile.
February 15, 2009 at 19:22
There was news that Mean Streak was getting some rehab though I'm not sure as to the extent of the changes that will made. It's not like it was rough. Just boring.
I agree though Connor, if they lowered the ride it would be much more intense and fun. The ride could actually use all that speed built up from the first drop and do something with it.
February 17, 2009 at 03:57
I thought that it was the most overrated coaster I have ever been on. My 11 year old was not impressed either…he kept saying "why are all these brakes on here?" A coaster with the specs of Mean Streak should have been alot more effective. Cedar Point is one of those parks that you have to time what you are going to ride and I would suggest skipping this one if you are on a schedule…I know that I will in the future.
May 29, 2009 at 14:33
Rode this coaster last week. Worst roller coaster experience of my life. Extremely rough, I don't know what people are talking about it being smooth. I have been on countless wooden coasters throughout the years and this is by far the bumpiest most painful expeirence. I had a spliting headache for the rest of the day. Terrible ride
July 22, 2009 at 04:35
I agree with Mike. I was there yesterday and the ride was very rough. Really the only thing worth remembering about this ride was how rough it was. Tore me up to the point of promising myself that I would never ride it again.
July 25, 2009 at 19:34
I was just at Cedar Point for the first time on Monday, and I absolutely agree. I LOVE wooden coasters, and I dragged my sister and friend on Mean Streak with high expectations. I figured I'd get a good laugh because my sister isn't too fond of the ricketiness and sway of woodens. It was even more enticing to me because while we were waiting on line, the gold train got stuck.
But man, this mother was downright painful. In hindsight, thinking of the three brake sections the train goes through, had it not been slowed down, there could be some serious injury. The dip at the bottom of the main lift (after the first brake) was so harsh, it jammed my back and shoulder bad, and I seriously thought I had dislocated something. Had the track been in better shape, which would eliminate the need for the brakes (from what I understand, the brakes were added a couple years ago due to the harshness of the track) and up the enjoyment factor.
It was quite comical though, that as the train stopped at the holding platform while the next train was being loaded and launched, two people in the car in front of me hurled over the side. Neither of them was my sister, but I got slugged when she caught me!
August 10, 2009 at 05:08
I don't know why this coaster is allowed to stay open. Went there yesterday, knowing that I'd vowed never to ride it again after a bad experience IN THE MID-1990s! Saw there was no line and said 'what the heck.' There's a reason there's no line: It was 2 minutes of intense pain. My 11-year-old also complained, as did everyone getting off. I've never been on a coaster and kept thinking 'when will this end?' Please, please, please put this real estate to better use.
August 26, 2009 at 04:06
This ride should be shut down for the customers safety. I rode it August 24, 2009 and I still have a headache from it. I really believe that I have a concussion from the brain jarring "straight-aways" that simply rattle your brain from front to back. This ride was nothing but pure pain and I will be contacting Cedar Point about this ride. I have been on this ride in the past and it was a very rugged ride at that time; now it is simply painful. It NEEDS to be demolished and I am NOT joking about this. I should have taken the hint since NO ONE was in line for this ride.
August 26, 2009 at 15:43
I love wooden roller coasters and have ridden a few over the years. I agree with Dave Y. this ride should be shut down immediately. It was not the least bit enjoyable, except for when it ended. I was glad to walk away without any serious injury. The ten-year old boy next to me probably had never heard the unpoetic tapestry of profanity I let fly. Sorry about that, kid. The kid also said it was no fun for him and was painful. I am sure there are some who will say that these coasters are meant to be rickety and rough, and to get over it. I understand the concept, but this is way beyond a rough ride. I believe someone will experience serious injury if this ride is not shut down. I would urge CP to re-evaluate this coaster immediately. I rode this coater August 25, 2009.
August 27, 2009 at 20:12
i just returned from cedar pointe today. i have enjoyed the mean streak in the past- however today's ride was pure misery! it bounces and bashes you and rattles your brains. i experienced sharp pains in my side and low back due to the unrelentingly harsh ride. i have never been so afraid on a coaster- i thought it must be coming apart and that i would be seriously injured. it felt like a train wreck. i will never ride this again and cedar point should fix this before someone is seriously injured.
August 30, 2009 at 19:31
Another rough ride to add to the list. Of course I happened to ride the roughest seat in the house, the very last two seats. No coaster should be this painful. From the moment we reached the bottom of the first hill, I wanted off. I think being run over by a bus, several times, that was on fire, and having it blow up on its last time running me over, would be far less painful than riding this coaster. They need to have a big party at the end of the season and set this thing on fire, be the coolest bonfire ever, and then the ride would have finally been put to good use. By the way, I rode this ride with about 4 more hours left of being there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ride anything else after my horrific experience on meansuck. My whole body was just in pain. I hope they build a good wooden in the near future, they need it.
September 20, 2009 at 11:40
I agree, extremely rough. (but that's what makes it fun)
December 2, 2009 at 11:49
This ride was a LET DOWN. The roughness made the drop feel like nothing. I don't remember the ride and heck, I rode it 4 months ago. I remember rides from 4 YEARS ago and this one was just bad.
April 5, 2010 at 15:07
I agree with the people who said it was rough, especially the very end, when they stop you. I had a headache, and my neck hurt for about a day or two. This was the worst wooden roller coaster I've ever been on.
Nevertheless, it is a pretty good ride, and the wait time is awesome – almost no line at all! We only rode once.
Another funny thing – While I was on the ride, I happened to notice how much the lap-bar came up while they were locked. I asked, "Sir, is this supposed to happen?" While moving the lap-bar up and down.
Then, he says.. "Yeah, but you have a seat belt, so you're fine."
I was like.. :O
June 21, 2010 at 02:07
whow. i can imagine that, a ride op saying in a realy happy and energetic voice: "fasten your seatbelts, our your gonna die!"
April 21, 2010 at 06:04
I'm really sorry to hear about what has happened to Mean Streak. I was a grad student in Cleveland when it first opened an remember it as being a great ride. Several of us played hooky from school early in the season to go to Cedar Point before it got too busy and we rode Mean Streak, Magnum, and a couple others practically non-stop. Sounds like they should left well enough alone.
May 19, 2010 at 09:51
i rode the mean streak yesterday and man, my headache is almost gone. any potential enjoyment this ride might offer is completely overshadowed by how incredibly painful it is to ride. i seriously can't understand how the management can let paying customers go on this ride in its current state. seriously, i feel like i just paid money to be beaten up. ugh.
May 28, 2010 at 06:54
Just got back from my first CP trip and it was all amazing.. Except for the general woodie letdown. While I have to give blue streak credit for being old and fun, it's big brother SUCKS! Never have I had to brace myself in a coaster seat as to not break a rib. If you like riding with your hands up, expect to leave with some sort of internal injuries because the mean streak will toss you around like a ragdoll. I still think one of my fillings got rattled out haha. IMO CP should demo this hunk of junk and snooze-fest Gemini and build a couple memorable woodies. Wish I could have ridden this years ago to see what she's really made of. Oh well, at least the line for dragster was only 15 minutes. Helped me forget about this waste of space coaster until reading these reviews. Hopefully other first timers won't waste their time, energy, or good health on mean streak.
June 20, 2010 at 17:52
Hey everyone, I just rode this roller coaster and it was the worst ever besides The Son of Beast at Kings Island! which by the way, they just shut down because of complaints and injuries. I think the Mean Streak was worse-not a damn thing smooth about it! if it wasn't so rough and beat the crap out of you, it would be fun-I vote for an over haul! ps the BEAST at Kings Island is still the best wooden coaster in the world and holds all the records-go there!! Mason Ohio.Paramount sold them to Cedar Fair a couple years ago…Enjoy
June 21, 2010 at 02:11
no offense christy, but most of us already knew all of that.
July 30, 2010 at 12:03
I don't think I've ever been on a rougher coaster. Kind of interesting how the ride weaved in and out of itself, but it was not worth the physical pain,