Millennium Force

Millennium Force
2000
25th Anniversary Edition

The 1990's was a great decade for Cedar Point. During the 1990's the water park was expanded 3 times, and the park added 5 new roller coasters. In 1990, the year after Magnum XL-200 made world news, Cedar Point enclosed Avalanche Run into Disaster Transport. In 1991 Mean Streak became the world's tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster. Challenge Park opened in 1992. In 1993, Snake River Falls became the world's tallest and fastest water ride. Raptor changed the look of Cedar Point's main midway in 1994. 1995 saw Cedar Point celebrating its 125th anniversary. Mantis broke world records in 1996 when riders would stand up to their fear. Soak City was expanded in 1997 and the Cedar Point received Chaos. The skyline was changed in 1998 with Power Tower. In 1999, Camp Snoopy became the park's new children's area. With all these great new attractions, 2000 would be another big year for Cedar Point.

The story of Millennium Force begins back on May 6, 1989.

Magnum XL-200 opened on May 6, 1989 as the world's tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster on earth. Magnum wold be very popular for Cedar Point. It then launched what was known as the roller coaster wars, a race to build the world's tallest roller coaster and break all the records. By 1999, Cedar Point had already added 5 more roller coasters after Magnum XL-200 opened. 3 of those rides would be the tallest and fastest of their kinds. Magnum was the world's tallest roller coaster until 1994, and it would be the tallest at Cedar Point until Millennium Force opened in 2000.

Magnum XL-200 was very successful for Cedar Point. The decision to build Millennium Force wasn't easy. After talking to several manufactures, Cedar Point decided to use Intamin because of its unique way to get the train up the hill.

Construction on Millennium Force began in late 1998. The park began cleaning land shortly after, ride parts arrived at the park. Thru the 1999 season construction continued on the new mystery coaster.

On July 22, 1999, Cedar Point announced that Millennium Force would be built. Millennium Force would be the world's tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster!

Cedar Point stunned the roller coaster world with its new roller coaster.

To make room for Millennium Force, Giant Wheel was relocated to the former site of Kid Arthur's Court near Disaster Transport. The new location gave riders a great view of the lake!

On The Frontier Trail, the Petting Farm was redesigned to make room the roller coasters large turn. The Petting Farm was moved closer to Thunder Canyon.

Many trees were also removed to make room for the ride.

Construction of Millennium Force continued into the fall of 1999 and thru the winter. .

Millennium Force was a huge construction project for Cedar Point. The ride covered more land then any other ride built before it.

25 years later, Millennium Force is still Cedar Point's largest construction project ever taken. The ride is very big and takes a lot of room.

Millennium Force was topped off on Wednesday, December 29, 1999. At 310 feet, Millennium Force was the tallest roller coaster at Cedar Point. Only one ride in the park was taller, Space Spiral.

After the lift hill was completed, the construction crews continued to put together the track and support for the ride.

The final piece of track was placed on February 23, 2000. The future was certainly on its way!

After the track was completed, the park did a pull-through test to ensure the ride had its designed clearance.

The park had a lot of work to do after February 23 to get the ride ready. In the next few weeks, they put the trains on the track, but the station and queues for the ride, and tested the ride.

It takes a lot to build a new roller coaster. In 1999, Cedar Point started a construction blog. Millennium Force was one of the first roller coasters in the world to have a construction blog on the internet.

Millennium Force shattered world records when it opened on May 13, 2000!

Millennium Force stuns the roller coaster world!

Millennium Force opened to great reviews on May 13, 2000! Millennium Force would be the first ride since Gemini opened to have an 8 hour wait on opening day!

World Records
When Millennium Force opened in 2000, it was Cedar Point's 7th world record breaking roller coaster.

Coaster Records:
1. Tallest roller coaster in the world. (310 feet)
2. Longest drop on any roller coaster. (300 feet)
3. Fastest roller coaster in the world. (93 MPH)
4. First full circuit roller coaster over 300 feet.
5. Steepest non-inverted turn. (122 degrees)
6. First roller coaster to use magnetic braking.

Park Records:
1. Most rides at any amusement park. (68)
2. Most roller coasters at any amusement park. (14)
3. Most roller coasters over 200 feet. (2)
4. Most steel roller coasters at any park. (12)'
5. Most feet of roller coaster track. (44,013 feet)

* This is a list of records from when the ride opened in 2000.

Records change each time a taller and faster ride is built. But no park can take the title of ''world's first" from any other park. Millennium Force was the world's first Giga Coaster. As of 2020, there are 7 Giga coasters! A Giga Coaster is a roller coaster 300-399 feet. 5 of them have been built at Cedar Fair Entertainment Company's parks.

Giga Coasters:

1. Millennium Force 2000 Cedar Point
2. Steel Dragon 2000 2000 Nagashima Spa Land
3. Intamiador 305 2010 Kings Dominion
4. Leviathan 2012 Canada's Wonderland
5. Fury 325 2015 Carowinds
6. Red Force 2017 Ferrari Land
7. Orion 2020 Kings Island

Millennium Force would join Gemini (1978) and Magnum XL-200 (1989) as the third Cedar Point roller coaster to be the world's tallest upon opening!

Millennium Force took the title of tallest roller coaster from Fujiyama ,in Japan. Millennium was the worlds tallest roller coaster from May until Steel Dragon 2000 (located in Japan) opened in August 2000.

Millennium Force wasn't just another roller coaster, it would be the one that took the roller coaster war to a new height!

Millennium Force Ride Facts:
Opened: May 13, 2000
Manufacturer: Intamin AG of Switzerland
Designer: Werner Stengel
Type: Giga Roller Coaster
Height: 310 feet
Drop: 300 feet
Speed: 93 MPH
Hills: 4
Inversions: 0
Capacity: 1,300/HR
Number of Coaster at that time: 14
Cost: 25 million
Cedar Point's 8th oldest roller coaster

Millennium Force was deigned by Werner Stengel. Werner has designed more roller coasters then any other person.

Millennium Force was built by Intamin AG from Switzerland. Intamin had built several other rides for cedar point over the years. Intamin built Jr. Gemini in 1979. Jr. Gemini was Intaimin's very first roller coaster ever built. In 1983, Demon Drop because Cedar Point's first free fall ride. Intamin returned in 1985 to build Avalanche Run. Avalanche Run was a bobsled roller coaster. In 1986 Thunder Canyon became the wildest rafting ride around. Avalanche Run was enclosed to Disaster Transport in 1990.

Intamin would later return to Cedar Point to build: Wicked Twister (2002), Top Thrill Dragster (2003), Maverick (2007) and Shoot the Rapids (2010). In 2014 Cedar Point painted and re-themed Jr. Gemini to Wilderness Run.

Millennium Force's Entrance

The Millennium Force entrance is located on Millennium Force Midway. The entrance is marked with a giant Millennium Force logo.

Ride Experience

The Millennium Force ride experience beings with riders boarding 1 of 3 trains. The trains are red, white, and blue and feature a seat belt and a lap bar.

While riders are loading in the train, the elevator cable comes down from the lift and connects to the train.

Once the ride starts, the elevator cable lift system pulls the train to the top of lift. Millennium Force was the first roller coaster in the world to have this system on a ride.

When Cedar Point planned the Millennium Force, they wanted something huge, stunning, and a record breaking roller coaster. Cedar Point did not use a chain for this ride because of the space needed for it, Intamin had the best system at the time, a cable lift. The cable lift provided 5 things for Cedar Point.

1. A much quieter lift compared to the chain lift.

2. The lift hill could be steeper.

3. It allows the ride to go higher, meaning Cedar Point could have the world's tallest roller coaster again.
4. The Cable lift takes riders up the lift hill much faster than a chain lift could possibly take the train up the lift hill.
5. The hill would take less room.

Millennium Force has one of the fastest lift hills in the world. It takes just 30 seconds to get to the top! On the way up, riders get great views of the Sandusky Bay on the left, and Cedar Point on the right. The ride up is very sooth. You really feel like you are really high in the air, but its just so cool! Millennium Force takes its riders up 310 feet! From the top, you can see Canada!

Once you get to the top, you only get a second to look at the view before dropping 300 feet at an 80 degree angle!

While you drop, riders float getting the amazing sensation of airtime!

Riders are then flung into a 169 foot over bank turn. The turn is taken at 122 degrees. When looking at this turn from the ground, it appears to be virtually upside down.

Millennium Force then makes a wide turn to the left into a dark tunnel.

After coming out of the tunnel, Riders are flung into a huge 182 foot airtime hill! This hill was so big, it was taller then every first hill on all the other roller coasters in the park, except Magnum XL-200. It was the 3rd tallest hill in the park, with Millennium Force's first hill being the first and Magnum's first hill being the second!

This hill is so cool because you get a great view of Adventure Island and the back of the park! This hill takes you onto Adventure Island.

This hill is filled with floater airtime as you float over the hill!

Millennium Force sends riders into a smaller over banked turn.

Millennium Force flies thru Adventure Island.

Riders then go into a third over banked turn.

Millennium Force then heads to the right to go into the next major element.

Riders then go over an ejector airtime hill. The airtime on this hill is very good!

This airtime hill is used to get the ride off Adventure Island.

The train then dives into a tight tunnel. It is inside this tunnel that your picture is taken!

Riders are pinned to their seats as they fly through the tunnel!

Millennium Force is a very fun ride to experience with friends!

After coming out of the tunnel, the ride banks and turns to the left and heads towards the station!

Millennium Force sends riders over another small ejector air time hill. This hill is great!

After the airtime hill, the train then banks to the left to connect with the final element.

Riders then go thru the final over-banked turn. This turn is huge and is taken really fast!

The train the arrives in the brake run and waits to go into the station!

With a top speed of 93 MPH, Millennium Force is a very fast roller coaster. As of 2020, Millennium Force is the 7th fastest roller coaster in the world! This roller coaster just flies thru its course! Millennium Force sure does a great job of keeping up its speed!

If you like fast roller coasters that have great views, then this is the roller coaster for you!

The Future Is Riding On It

Millennium Force opened in 2000 to great reviews. It was very well liked by guest who ride it.

Millennium Force has been very highly ranked with people who ride it. It is often ranked as people's favorite ride.

Every year Amusement Today list the best roller coasters in the world. Over the years Amusement Today has listed Millennium Fore as:

Year Rank
2000 2
2001 1
2002 1
2003 2
2004 1
2005 1
2006 2
2007 2
2008 2
2009 2
2010 1
2011 1
2012 1
2013 1
2014 1
2015 1
2016 2
2017 2
2018 2
2019 2
2021 2
2022 3
2023 2
2024 4

The success of Millennium Force was very important. Millennium Force was the first full circuit roller coaster in the world to reach 300 feet. With all of the speed, Millennium Force would need a lot of length to kill the speed of the ride. Millennium Force was the 4th longest roller coaster in the world when it opened in 2000. Today Millennium Force is the 6th longest. If Millennium Force would have been a flop, the park would not have been conferrable with building the taller and faster, Top Thrill Dragster.