This might sound like a strange edition of Coaster Questions, but after some comments I read about evening rides on Millennium Force, it’s not as weird as you may think.
Leave it to the Pros & Those with Permission
I’m a long-standing objector of sneaking cameras on roller coasters. Other than the fact that there already plenty of other good coaster videos out there, you can create a projectile that could fly out of your hand and injure someone. Case in point, we now have Dueling Dragons that no longer Duel as the dueling inverted coaster now called Dragon’s Challenge. Here’s more:
Instead of launching the vehicles together so they come very close to each other, the vehicles will be set in motion alternately.
The move was made last Thursday, on the same day that a park visitor was injured by something that struck him in the face and on his lower leg.
Officials said visitor Carlos Montalvo was struck in the right eye, leaving him mostly blind.
“As we continue to study these incidents, we will operate both coasters as separate experiences without their usual intersect points,” Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said.
But hinting that the injuries may be the result of objects flying from the hands of riders, Universal said, “We will continue our long-standing policy of advising guests to safely secure personal items before riding.”
Attack of the Bugs?
Okay, so there’s my public service announcement. On a different note, I’ve gotten a few rides under my belt over the years, but I can’t say that I remember experiencing anything like John did. Here’s his comment on my Millennium Force review:
I rode this at around 8:30 PM on August 7, 2012 and found out the hard way it wasn’t the best time to ride. I was bombarded by bugs! I could barely keep my eyes open throughout the ride. I definitely couldn’t open my mouth! When I got off the ride a veteran rider looked at me as I brushed the hundreds of bug carcasses off of my shirt and asked me, “Did you get them all?”
Great ride, but make sure to go when the bugs are asleep!
This hilarious and horrifying comment made me wonder if others have been hit by anything while riding. Living or otherwise. Share your experiences below.
November 26, 2012 at 05:35
I love riding MF and TTD at night. Of course, I don’t mind slightly reducing the bug population while going 90 – 120 mph. It’s actually kind of amusing to get off the ride and see people get all grossed out by the dead bugs. I think it’s awesome. But I’m strange that way. Other than bugs, I haven’t been hit by anything. Now Fabio, on the other hand…
I’m still irked about the Dragons. If it was some careless or malevolent rider, I’d like to thank the —— for ruining the best part of those coasters. Fortunately I got to duel on them in 2008.
I’ve been stopped on coasters because of idiots using cameras. It happened on the second lift of the Beast once.
November 26, 2012 at 09:41
The bugs at Cedar Point are half the fun especially when the Mayflies are out in late spring. I think it is funny to see the front row with crazy hair and wiping the bugs off them self after a good ride on Millennium force. I personal have only been hit by an ear ring about a year ago. But that was nothing compared to the cold, wind, and rain for my closing day trip to Cedar Point. B.T.W. rain hurts at around 60mph and up.
November 26, 2012 at 10:25
Yea, the bugs are Cedar Point on MF are hilarious! Also had an interesting experience on Volcano at Kings Dominion while it was raining, the vertical section coming out of the volcano with rain coming straight down on your face at 50MPH is a little uncomfortable…
Also I was on the Magnum at Cedar Point with my brother, and someone at the front of the train lost a hat, which my brother caught and returned to the owner following the ride hahaha
November 26, 2012 at 16:17
I wish they didn't stop the dueling of Dragon Challenge because I've read so many comments that it was amazing; especially when you were being hurtled toward the other train. Why couldn't they put a sign that says no loose articles and give a list of examples of what isn't permitted on the ride and can go in the lockers at the entrance?
Anyway I haven't had any experience with bugs or objects hitting me at theme parks. Though I have seen videos of people dropping cell phones off the ride,or the Hulk hitting a bird perched on the track !!!!!
November 26, 2012 at 16:32
I have had a long history with mid-flight collisions. Millennium Force's rain and bugs just kill. They almost ruin the ride because your trying to protect your face. On Mean Streak someone with a camera dropped it and it went straight into my face. Its not a pleasant feeling as you can probably imagine. This is why I hate it when people take videos on rides. Another incident was on El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure. We were being THROWN (Those who have rode El Toro know what I'm talking about) over the second hill and a man with a baseball cap dropped his hat and it hit me in the face at 70 mph! Later (That same day!) I was waiting on line for El Toro where the flash pass connects with the non-flash pass riders and someone's cell phone fly's out of the train on the second hill and clocks me in the forehead. El Toro and me have some pretty awesome and pretty lousy experiences. Note: Do not take anything on El Toro. PLEASE, I don't want to have more bruises. The next thing that will happen is I'll get hit by a bird on Kingda Ka. I hope I didn't jinx that. Thanks Coaster Critic for bringing up this topic. BTW, I'm sorry you had to read an essay but this is a memorable topic for me.
November 28, 2012 at 00:46
Great comment James. With El Toro's insane airtime it's no wonder that it's often launching things from its trains. That's crazy that you had two things hit you on the same day.
November 26, 2012 at 17:37
I rode MF at Cedar Point at around 9pm during July and experienced no bugs at all. Hmm…
November 26, 2012 at 18:09
bugs on TTD, and SooperDooperLooper
November 26, 2012 at 18:21
Was down there this past weekend. Depressing riding the non-dueling dragons. Fire and Ice. Yes they will always be Fire and Ice. But I got a big picture earlier Saturday morning when riding Hulk. A young man was holding up row 8 from boarding. He kept reaching over the back of the train for a string. Turns out the string was attached to his headphones. Not those small iPodish types. No these were well "Hulk" size. Hulk dragged the headphones around the course. Luckily they did not turn into a projectile and injury someone in the park.
November 26, 2012 at 19:02
I was hit once on a coaster but I'm not sure what it was. I think it was a piece of candy or gum. Also i believe i've been hit with spit a couple of times which is the worst. On Nitro someone's cell phone floated up in the air and right over my row and a person in the row behind me caught it. It was pretty impressive.
November 26, 2012 at 21:56
One disgusting memory of riding Goliath at Six Flags Over Georgia of having a glob a saliva nail me in the chest from a rider in a row in front of me…
November 26, 2012 at 22:13
While it wasn't a coaster I was on the Demon Drop at Cedar Point (a first generation Intamin droptower that does have a track at least) and I was allowed to take my backpack onto the ride. I had the great idea of putting it on the floor with my feet planted between the straps, this was probably in 1990-1991. Yeah, it slammed me in the face when we dropped. Bad idea…
November 27, 2012 at 02:51
Bugs at Cedar Point.
200 kph bugs.
I've said it before and I'll say it again – wearing glasses, even clear safety glasses (with a strap) is recommended for high speed coasters, especially if you're being launched on TTD into bugs.
Diamondback at Kings Island has a clear box displaying smashed cell phones the park has collected below the coaster. I think every big coaster should do something similar. That might be the shock needed to persuade the clueless that their loose object might get damaged. Given the number of people who are addicted to texting while driving (that still boggles my mind) merely carrying it onto a coaster where you are passive seems like nothing.
November 28, 2012 at 00:35
I agree Mark. Six Flags Great America has a similar box with smashed cell phones that I meant to get a picture of, but never did. It was a jarring visual.
November 30, 2012 at 05:10
Where is the box? I went there in 2010 and 2011 but didn't see it. Is it at X-Flight (which I obviously have not ridden yet)?
December 9, 2012 at 17:53
It is in the line of Raging Bull. You will see it right before you enter the first turnstile.
November 27, 2012 at 11:28
We were walking through the frontier trail, and we were walking under a section of MF. Next thing we know, a phone crashes down a few feet from us. Glad we didn't get hit, cas that would hurt.
November 27, 2012 at 17:37
My experience was also on Millenium Force, but it involved me getting hit in the face with a disposable camera … I guess one of the hazards of being a backseat rider. Many parks seem to be mounting their own cameras on lift hills and when a culprit pulls out an electronic device, the ascent is halted and the ride ops make the climb to retrieve it. I've also seen them hold trains prior to entering the loading areas in order to wait for security guards to arrive.
November 28, 2012 at 23:04
I know, I have some serious bad luck. My luck is even worse when it comes to breakdowns. I always seem to be a step away from riding when the ride breaks down. In a day that someone gets 30 rides I probably get 10 all because of breakdowns. I hope Gatekeeper is reliable.
November 29, 2012 at 17:56
I can definitely relate to the Millennium Force bugs. I don't remember exactly when i rode it during the day, but I was in the front row and bugs bombarded me in the face. I didn't care though, because it was such an awesome ride. But I even saw a pov of it and bugs were splatting and sticking to the camera, and it was a professional pov too cause it was on a tv show. Maybe CP just has a lot of bugs because of its location out on the water.
November 30, 2012 at 14:48
Skyrush at 10:00pm you get some bugs but not as bad as CP. When at Kings Dominion i rode I-305 during the day about 7x in the rain(Which hurts but its awsome!) During one ride a kids shoe flew off and almost hit me in the back row.
November 30, 2012 at 16:33
With the exception of the one time on Kingda Ka when I was struck in the face by dirt from someone elses jacket, I've never been hit by anything on a ride. I do not intend to ever break this streak.
December 6, 2012 at 14:10
On a recent trip with my friend to SFA (in MD), I became "that guy who chewed gum on Roar, and it flew out of his mouth and hit someone". It was as I was going down the first drop, had my mouth open screaming and FLOOP….my gum flew out of my mouth and hit someone.
On behalf of all roller-coaster gum-chewers everywhere, I'd like to say sorry.
December 8, 2012 at 11:24
Just hundreds of Lake Erie nats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1