As a 2 day resort guest at Cedar Point, one has to drive the utterly incredible Perimeter Road (apologies to PhantomNik if it seems Im using similar wording in comparison to his statement), in which you pass the many beauties along the road, all the way up to that impressive beast called Millennium Force. Truly, MF is the most stunning beauty, and for me, the one that gets your heart pumping and your legs restless in the car. However, further down the drive, you approach a beautifully - constructed, yet modest creation in comparison to the other giants in the park which is Maverick. Upon first glance, the ride truly had me curious. The footprint is rather small, but seems wickedly twisted and packed densely with elements.
My first ride on Maverick was in the dark. At approximately 9:30, my friend and I decided to attempt to hop in line and join the others waiting in hopes of receiving a mystical, blackened experience on this new Mustang of the Wild West. While the lights are shining, the queue is beautifully illuminated, highlighting the lagoon below and the shaded (though it didnt matter at 9:30PM)waiting area, which from a previous review, must have utilized an old previous attractions building. After around an hour of waiting, as the rest of the park was closed and the midway behind us was entirely empty and lacked any sort of activity, the queue of Maverick still contained many excited patrons behind us completely unaware that everything around them was no longer active. They only had one thing in mind: conquer and tame the new stallion.
It then became time to enter the small, short line of people in front of us on the stairway, which meant we were only what seemed to be several minutes away from experiencing one of Americas hottest new attractions. The wait was much shorter, as our understated group of two had the opportunity to meander our way to the front of the herd of hot, sweaty, tired amusement patrons looking for their last bit of excitement of the day. Little did they know, this would be the HIGHLIGHT of their ENTIRE day.
As we made our way aboard the small train, and pulled the orange OTSR over our heads, I realized they still actually smelled new. Rather cool sensation that was. As the OP gave the "clear" command, we were moved quickly up the hill by the LSM propulsion system. In the very back, the train quickly propelled over the top of the lift, providing outstanding airtime, and without even having an opportunity to think, is plummeting downward on the 95 degree slope. The first half of Maverick does not disappoint, and while it is considerably slower than the second half, is so tightly packed with intensity that it is a definite A+. The tunnel is a surprise that one can not prepare for. A sudden, but smoothe stop is abruptly interrupted by an intense launch to the top speed of 70 MPH. This is, Im sure, one of only a few attractions where the second half is even more intense than the first.
The next morning, I used my early entry pass to re - experience what sent me to bed speechless the previous night. This is the parks new shining star, and she cannot be tamed.
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