Millennium Force

Millennium Force
The 310-foot (94 m) lift hill of Millennium Force
Location	Cedar Point
Coordinates	41°28′54″N 82°41′17″W / 41.48167°N 82.68806°W / 41.48167; -82.68806Coordinates: 41°28′54″N 82°41′17″W / 41.48167°N 82.68806°W / 41.48167; -82.68806
Status	Operating
Opened	May 12, 2000
Cost	US$ 25,000,000
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Intamin
Designer	Werner Stengel
Model	Giga coaster
Track layout	Out and Back
Lift/launch system	Cable lift hill
Height	310 ft (94 m)
Drop	300 ft (91 m)
Length	6,595 ft (2,010 m)
Max speed	93 mph (150 km/h)
Inversions	0
Duration	2:20[1]
Max vertical angle	80°
Capacity	1,600 riders per hour
Max G force	4.5
Height restriction	4 ft 0 in (122 cm)
Millennium Force at RCDB
Pictures of Millennium Force at RCDB
Amusement Parks Portal

Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster built by Intamin located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It is the fourteenth roller coaster built at the park since the Blue Streak opened in 1964. Standing 310 feet (95 m) tall at its highest point, the coaster overlooks Lake Erie.On a clear day you can see Canada from the top of the main hill. When built in 2000, it was the first roller coaster to exceed 300 feet (91 m) in height, and was briefly the tallest closed circuit roller coaster in the world, before being surpassed by Steel Dragon 2000, Cedar Point's own Top Thrill Dragster, and Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. Additionally, it is the second longest roller coaster in North America after The Beast at Kings Island.^[2] It is also the first roller coaster to utilize a cable lift system, rather than a traditional chain lift. A potential chain lift was considered too heavy considering that Magnum XL-200's chain was 7 short tons (6 t) and two-thirds as tall. The cable lift uses an 800-horsepower (600 kW) motor that turns a set of sprocket gears that pull the cable. Cable lifts were previously only used on smaller coasters in Europe. After the 2007 season, Millennium Force had given over twelve million rides total. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall to ride.

Millennium Force has been voted the number one steel roller coaster in the world in Amusement Today's Golden Ticket awards six times since the year 2001, and has never been ranked lower than number two since it opened in 2000.^[3] Millennium Force has switched the top position with Bizarro at Six Flags New England, a megacoaster of very similar construction, five times in the last ten years.

Today, Millennium Force is no longer the tallest or fastest roller coaster at Cedar Point, having been surpassed in height and speed by Top Thrill Dragster. Nonetheless, Millennium Force remains one of the tallest, fastest, and longest steel roller coasters in the world.^[4] Millennium Force's tagline is "The future is riding on it."

Ride layout

While the train is being loaded in the station, the catch car for the cable lift descends the lift and latches onto the middle car of the train. Once the train is cleared, the cable lift pulls the train up a 45 degree lift hill at 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) to a height of 310 feet (94 m). After reaching the top, the train drops 300 feet (91 m) down at an 80 degree angle and reaches a top speed of 96 miles per hour (154 km/h) at the bottom of the hill. It then climbs 169 feet (52 m) through a right overbanked turn at 122 degrees from the horizontal axis, then travels through a tunnel as it passes over the Frontier Trail midway. It then travels over a 182-foot (55 m) parabolic hill, which provides a moment of airtime (zero G-forces) as it passes over a lagoon and down onto Millennium Island. While on Millennium Island, the train completes a 105-foot (32 m), 360-degree, right-handed helix, followed by a left overbanked turn and then a small right-hand turn before traveling over another airtime hill to exit the island. After exiting the island, the train travels left through a second tunnel followed by a left turn and a small airtime hill, passing by the queue. Finally, the train travels 68 feet (21 m) high through another right overbanked turn over the queue and is brought to a stop by magnetic brakes. During Halloweekends, artificial fog from the Screamworks, Corn Stalkers, and Terror island attractions travels over the low-lying areas of the attraction. This causes the riders to have a "dream-like" ride, with moments of zero visibility and others with full "normal" evening visibility. Fans will tell you that this is the best time to ride in the evenings.

Statistics

Physical and speed dimensions

• Angle of lift hill: 45 degrees
• Angle of first drop: 80 degrees
• First hill height: 310 ft (94 m)
• Second hill height: 182 ft (55 m)
• Third hill height: 169 ft (52 m)
• Fourth hill height: 100 ft (30 m)
• Maximum speed: 93 mph (150 km/h)

Features

• Three overbanked turns
• Two tunnels
• Four hills

Vehicles

Millennium Force has three trains colored: red, blue, and yellow. Each train has nine four-passenger cars, allowing for a maximum capacity of thirty six people per train. The trains are stainless steel with stadium style seating. Each seat has an individual hydraulic T-shaped lap bar and seat belt across the rider's lap. The seat belt must be fastened before securing the lapbar.

World records

When it opened in May 2000, Millennium Force broke/helped break thirteen world records:

Coaster records

• First ever complete circuit roller coaster to top 300 feet (91 m)
• Tallest complete circuit roller coaster (310 feet (94 m))
• Longest drop on a complete circuit roller coaster (300 feet (91 m))
• Fastest complete circuit roller coaster (93 miles per hour (150 km/h))^[1]
• Steepest non-inversion banked turn on a roller coaster (122°) (Half Corkscrew)
• First roller coaster to utilize a cable lift system
• First roller coaster to feature magnetic braking system
• Most records broken by a roller coaster

Park records (May 2000/May 2010)

• Most rides at an amusement park (68/75)
• Most roller coasters at an amusement park (14/17)
• Most steel roller coasters at an amusement park (12/15)
• Most feet of roller coaster track at an amusement park (44,013 ft/53,963 ft)
• Most roller coasters over 200 feet (61 m) high at an amusement park (first park to have more than one) (2/4)

Rankings

Millennium Force has been ranked consistently high in coaster polls, and has won numerous awards:

Golden Ticket Awards: Top Steel Roller Coasters
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
Ranking	2[5]	1[6]	1[7]	2[8]	1[9]	1[10]	2[11]	2[12]	2[13][14]	2	1[15]	1[16]

Millennium Force and Bizarro have held the top spots for ten years.

Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best Steel-Tracked Roller Coaster
Year	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Ranking	n/a	2[17]	2[18]	1[19]	3[20]	2[21]	3[22]	4[23]	12[24]	10[25]

NAPHA Survey: Favorite Steel Roller Coaster
Year	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Ranking	1[26]	1[26]	1[26]	1[27]	1[27]

Gallery

• 

  310 foot lift

• 

  Lift hill

• 

  300 foot drop

• 

  Overbank

• 

  Lift hill and overbank

• 

  First and second airtime hills

• 

  Final airtime hill

• 

  Final overbank turn before brake

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Cedar Point — Millennium Force". Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/coasters/millennium_force/index.cfm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
2. ^ "Record Holders". Roller Coaster Database. 27 July 2009. http://rcdb.com/rhr.htm?statistic=3&type=1&location=1. Retrieved 27 July 2009. 
3. ^ "Cedar Point Wins Best Amusement Park Again!". The Point Online. 5 September 2007. http://www.thepointol.com/news/2007/90.html. Retrieved 20 December 2008. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Roller Coaster Records". Ultimate Roller Coaster. 2007. http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/records/steel_records.shtml. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
5. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2000". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2000. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
6. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2001". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2001. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
7. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2002". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2002. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
8. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2003". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2003. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
9. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2004". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2004. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
10. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2005". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2005. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
11. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2006". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2006. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
12. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2007". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2007. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
13. ^ "Golden Ticket Awards — Top 25 Steel/Wooden Roller Coasters - 2008". Coastergrotto.com. http://www.coastergrotto.com/golden-ticket-awards.jsp?frmYear=2008. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
14. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2008" (PDF). Amusement Today. http://www.amusementtoday.com/image/GoldenTicket8002.pdf. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
15. ^ "Amusement Today — Golden Ticket Winners 2010" (PDF). Amusement Today. http://www.goldenticketawards.com/PDF/GTA2010issue.pdf. Retrieved 12 September 2010. 
16. ^ Amusement Today 2011 Park and Ride Winners
17. ^ "FINAL RESULTS: 2001 Internet Steel Tracked Roller Coaster Poll". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/scprs01.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
18. ^ "FINAL RESULTS: 2002 Internet Steel Tracked Roller Coaster Poll". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/scprs02.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
19. ^ "FINAL RESULTS: 2003 Internet Steel Tracked Roller Coaster Poll". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/scprs03.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
20. ^ "Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2004". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2004.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
21. ^ "Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2005". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2005.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
22. ^ "Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2006". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2006.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
23. ^ "Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2007". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2007.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
24. ^ "Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2008". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2008.htm. Retrieved 20 December July 2010. 
25. ^ "Steel Roller Coaster Poll Results 2009". BestRollerCoasterPoll.com. http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2009.htm. Retrieved 20 July 2010. 
26. ^ ^{a b c} "NAPHA 2005, 2006, and 2007 Survey Results". National Amusement Park Historical Association. http://napha.org/nnn/LATESTINFO/Surveys/tabid/60/Default.aspx. Retrieved 20 December 2008. 
27. ^ ^{a b} "Millennium Force Takes Top Honor for Seventh Straight Year". The Point Online. http://www.thepointol.com/news/2009/32.html. Retrieved 4 June 2009. 

http://www.coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/180-millennium-force/

External links

• CedarPoint.com - Millennium Force Official Page
• Millennium Force Detailed Review

Preceded by Fujiyama	World's tallest complete circuit roller coaster May 2000–August 2000	Succeeded by Steel Dragon 2000
Preceded by Goliath	World's fastest complete circuit roller coaster May 2000 – August 2000	Succeeded by Steel Dragon 2000