Mantis Preys on Riders, Gives an Uncomfortable Ride
I never thought I’d see the day I would give a Bolliger & Mabillard designed coaster such a low rating. I like, if not love, all of their installations. Their coasters offer the smoothest rides while still delivering thrilling and innovative manuevers. Well, now I have to say that I love “almost all” of their coasters.
The Mantis opens with a straight 130 foot drop. Next you enter a massive vertical loop that offers some g-forces, but nothing too intense. The dive loop is pretty smooth then you rise up and swoop back down for the inclined loop. That’s where things go wrong. The rest of the ride there was this pressure in my legs and feet that was pretty painful. Add to that some pretty substantial headbang on turns and in the last inversion (corkscrew). For the last two-thirds of the ride I was just waiting for it to end. A feeling I’ve never had on a B&M coaster.
Even the older B&M’s and the stand-ups like the Georgia Scorcher at Six Flags Over Georgia and even Vortex at Carowinds didn’t beat me up or leave me with such a negative impression. Maybe a different seat would’ve offered a better ride, but this was by far one of my worst experiences on a steel coaster. Luckily Scorcher and Chang make the case for fun stand-up coasters. Because after you
feel that pain in your legs you wonder why they don’t just through some sitdown trains on that track. The look of the ride, location, and the relatively fun opening third save Mantis from an inconceivable ’3′. Final Rating – 4.0 (Below Average)
Check out the rest of my rating scale here. Here’s a professional POV video of Mantis:
For safety reasons, please DO NOT take a camera on a roller coaster.
What’s Your Take?
Did you have a similar experience on Mantis? Leave a comment below.
October 1, 2011 at 22:36
I live near Cedar Point and have been going every year as far back as I can remember. I've always had the rule, "Never ride the Mantis," but today I decided to break that rule, as it has been many years since I've ridden it.
So I rode the Mantis today, and let me tell you, I will NEVER ride this roller coaster ever again. The pain in my calves was unbearable on this ride. It was like having two of the most excruciating charlie horses / cramps in my legs I've ever had. I just wanted off this ride. With every loop and turn, my calves felt like they were just being stretched and twisted. After getting off the ride, I could barely walk. I had to sit for a while before I could even hobble around the rest of the park. It's hours later, and I still have pain in my calves. The same happened to my friend riding with me.
Now I remember why I had that rule. I will NEVER ride The Mantis as long as I live.
I love Cedar Point, but unless you want a world of hurt, don't ride The Mantis.
-Carl
May 24, 2012 at 16:36
I should have listened to you coaster critic, this was the worst rollercoaster at cedar point. It hurt soooo much
June 28, 2012 at 03:34
We rode everything in the park and had a great great day…however….The Mantis was the WORST ride we have ever been on….we had 5 of us and it hurt ALL of us….it makes you smack your head on the turns, it's extremely rough and 4 out of 5 of us came off the mantis with headaches after…..WILL NEVER, EVER RIDE THAT RIDE AGAIN…BIG DISAPPOINTMENT…IT SHOULD BE MODIFIED OR TAKEN DOWN BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT…. double thumbs down on this ride.
July 6, 2012 at 19:45
when i rode the mantis it was all fun untill after the loop i started feeling like my legs really hurt i had to actually put my feet on the coaster head to relax tem it almost made me wanna get of it granted i was hanging from the bike like seat because they put me to high off the ground which did not help my private regions but the ride is definently something to do but do it at the end of the day so u not walking around feeling like ur legs r on fire
August 3, 2012 at 14:30
I rode this with my son two days ago. I walked for a solid five minutes seeing "stars" around my head from the ricochet effect. Two days later, and I still have an intense headache. My son is fine and a total adrenaline junkie, but even he was disappointed with the coaster and described it as "lame." Never again.
August 3, 2012 at 15:22
I must have not ridden Mantis correctly. It didn't bother me at all, even my wife had no problems with it. It is not that great of a ride as far as thrills but the pain thing seems to be missing for me. We actually rode it twice.
August 6, 2012 at 11:02
First time i rode I was excited because It looked like Chang, but it did hurt my legs and left me disapointed. Second time tho a few years later i found it much more enjoyable. Still not somthing i would die for, but i would give it a low 7 the second time around.
August 7, 2012 at 23:16
I had very low expectations for this ride when I rode it, my only previous experience with a stand-up coaster being the Shockwave at Kings Dominion. After riding it, I liked it a lot; I think it deserves at least a 6. I heard bad things about it being rough and even painful, but I found it incredibly smooth and I enjoyed the inversions and other elements. I find it comparable to a stand-up version of the Dominator at Kings Dominion, both being B&M rides with interlocking corkscrews.
May 10, 2013 at 23:15
Hello,
I am going to Cedar Point on May 18 & my daughter has just recently reached 54″. She is 11 years old and is a huge coaster fan. She has ridden all the coasters at Cedar Point except for Mantis, Raptor, TTD, & Wicked Twister.
What I am asking is:
What will this ride be like for a 54″ girl? Will it hurt her legs in any way?
If it helps, she doesn’t mind head-banging. It doesn’t bother her.
Thank you.
~Esther