Valravn

Valravn
2016

Valravn opened in 2016 as Cedar Point's Dive Coaster. When it opened in 2016, it was the tallest, fastest, and longest coaster of its type in the world. Valravn is still the tallest Dive Coaster in the world.

Over the last decade, Cedar Point made some new additions to help round out the collection of what it had to offer the guest. In 2007, Cedar Point added the ground hugging Maverick. Maverick was located in the back of the park and is often considered one of the best rides in the park (second only to Millennium Force). In 2008 Planet Snoopy was added to the park, It came from Geauga Lake, that had closed the season prior. In 2009 Starlight Experience was added to the Frontier Trail. For Cedar Point's 140th anniversary in 2010, Shoot the Rapids was introduced. Shoot The Rapids was a thrilling family water ride that would eventually be removed after the 2015 season. In 2011 riders took to the sky on the new WindSeeker. WindSeeker is a 301-foot tall swing ride. Dick Kinzel, Cedar Fair's CEO, retired at the end of the 2011 season and was replaced with Matt Ouimet. In 2012 the family friendly Dinosaurs Alive was added to the new Adventure Island. After not adding a roller coaster for 5 years, GateKeeper opened in 2013 at the front of the park! In 2014 Cedar Point re-imagined the Gemini Midway adding 3 new rides to the midway. 2014 was the last season for Mantis as it was turned into the floorless style Rougarou in 2015.

With all this change in a relativity short amount of time, Cedar Point still needed a HUGE new addition for the 2016 season....

On November 24, 2014, Cedar Point announced it was going to remove its Good Time Theater from the park. The Theater opened in 1975 as The Cedar Point Cinema. In 2002 it was converted into the Good Time Theater that featured an ice skating show!

Through the Winter the park removed the theater from the park.

While the theater was being removed, Cedar Point removed the Turnpike Cars. Calypso was moved near Giant Wheel where it was renamed Tiki Twirl. Dodgem was moved near maXair!

With all of the land clearing Cedar Point did, speculation was everywhere on what Cedar Point would do next!

During the Summer of 2015, Cedar Point did a legacy timeline and put all of the roller coasters up on a wall near the former site of Dodgem.

In mid-August, Cedar Point announced that it would be making its announcement for what would be new in 2016 on September 9, 2015.

A few days after when Cedar Point gave the announcement day, ride parts started showing up in Sandusky.

Meanwhile, back in the park, the construction site started getting surveyed. The area started having construction flags and marks appear.

On September 9, 2015, Cedar Point announced Valravn would become Cedar Point's 18th roller coaster when it would open in the spring of 2016.

Valravn would be the tallest, fastest, longest and most inversions on a dive coaster! When it will open in 2016, it would set 10 world records! In 2016 Valravn would become the 3rd Dive Coaster in the United States of America and be the 100th coaster B&M to be built!

During the fall of 2015, Valravn's massive supports and the track had been arriving at the rides staging area near Cedar Point's Breakers Express!

Back at the construction site, crews began to dig holes in the ground.

Crews began pouring footers that would some day hold the massive ride's support columns!

The footers hold the foundations for this massive coaster!

In a months time, the construction of the ride was going very rapidly.

As the month of October went by, footers and ground work were being started and completed.

On October 12, 2015, Valravn went vertical when the first pieces of the support columns were put into place!

On October 13, the first piece of Track was put in place on Valravn. This piece of Track is the piece where the riders will get on the train in 2016!

Soon after the first piece of track was installed the transfer track started to be assembled.

Construction continued with the first turn and the beginning of the lift hill going in next!

Shortly after the park closed for the 2015 season, the Marina Gate was removed from the park to make way for the new ride! The Marina Gate was added to the park in 1970 when the park first started its ''pay one price'' system that is still used today.

A new Marina Gate will be built in 2016 to replace the old gate.

The construction crew continued to pour more footers for the ride.

While footers were being poured, more track work began to be continued. The bottom of the drop was soon installed.

The parts for the lift were then staged near the ride site so they could be lifted into place!

The lift hill started to rise in late November 2015.

Valravn's lift hill grew quickly to the top of the ride's 223-foot tall peak!

In order for construction crews to stabilize the drop on the ride, they had to build the drop up and connect it to the existing ride structure.

After the very top piece was connected, the highest point on the world's tallest Dive Coaster was now in place!

After completing the first drop, the first inversion was built!

The crew continued to build up Valravn by installing the curve up to the block brake and the second drop!

Crews contained to install the final inversion and airtime hill in early February.

On March 3, 2016, the final piece of Valravn's track was installed!

After the track work was completed, the trains were put on the track and testing started!

While testing was going on, everything getting ready for the ride to open was being completed. Midway work was being poured and beautified and the ride station was built.

The massive Valravn roller coaster opened in May 2016 to great crowds!

Valravn Ride Facts:
Opened: May 7, 2016
Height: 223 feet
Drop: 214 feet
Speed: 75 MPH
Length: 3,415 feet
Inversions: 3
Drops: 2
Type: Dive Coaster
Designer: Bolliger & Mabillard
Company: Bolliger & Mabillard
Capacity: 1,200 riders hour
Trains: 3

Ride Experience

Valravn begins with a left-hand turn out of the station.

Valravn's first turn is very forceful and has a slight shaking back and forth as it approaches the lift hill!

Valravn then ascends its lift hill at 47 degrees!. The lift hill is an amazing 223 feet tall that gives an amazing view of Cedar Point! The ride uses a chain to get to the top.

After reaching the top of the lift hill the ride then makes a 90-degree turn to the right and makes the riders face the front of the park and Lake Erie!

At the top of the ride, riders get an amazing few of Cedar Point and a chance to look down all the rides and coasters. Valravn is Cedar Point's 3rd tallest roller coaster!

Valravn riders are sent over the edge of the ride where they face the ground. The ride then pauses and holds you for four seconds while you have nothing to think about except for when you are going to drop! While at the top, riders are given an amazing view of the park. You get to look down on most attractions in the park.

After holding, riders are then dropped 214 feet at a 90-degree angle! While falling riders reach speeds of 75 MPH, making Valravn the tallest and fastest dive coaster in the world!

The drop is really cool on this ride! It is a free fall that can only be experienced on Dive Coasters!

After dropping 214 feet riders are then thrown into a giant 165 foot tall Immelmann loop. The Immelmann loop was the second tallest inversion in the world when the ride first opened.

This loop is so smooth. While going upside down it feels as if you are floating thru the air!

The ride then does a massive sweep to the right and heads 131 feet into the air!

The ride then goes thru the mid-course brake run and comes to an almost complete stop. While at the top of the mid-course break run you get an amazing view of the back of the park and can see all around you.

The ride then drops down 125 feet at an 87-degree angle.

After dropping 125 feet, riders are then sent into a dive loop that sends the coaster into a field that will then perform its next few stunts!

The dive loop is really cool because it gives some nice hang time while you are upside down! 2 other Cedar Point roller coasters feature dive loops, GateKeeper and Rougarou.

Riders then go into a 270-degree roll that flips riders upside down the 3rd time before sending them into a downward helix!

The Zero G Roll is really cool and has a lot of floating time!

Riders are quickly flung into the rides last element, an airtime hill!

After a quick turn to the left riders arrive at the final break run of the world record breaking Dive Coaster!

Valravn's Impact On The Roller Coaster Capital Of The World!

Valravn is a very good ride that gives riders a different type of experience that wasn't offered before. The track is very smooth and it helped Cedar Point break 10 world records when it opened in May 2016!

Valravn's world records!

Ever since Cedar Point started to introduce record-breaking roller coasters the park has made a tradition of adding record-breaking roller coasters including: Corkscrew (1976), Gemini (1978), Magnum XL-200 (1989), Mean Streak (1991 - 2016), Raptor (1994), Mantis (1996 - 2014), Millennium Force (2000), Wicked Twister (2002), Top Thrill Dragster (2003), GateKeeper (2013, and Steel Vengeance (2018).

Just like those 11 roller coasters, Valravn became Cedar Point's 12th record breaking roller coaster! Valravn broke the following records:

1. Tallest Dive Coaster. (223 Feet)
2. Fastest Dive Coaster. (75 MPH)
3. Longest Dive Coaster. (3,415 Feet)
4. Longest Drop. (214 Feet)
5. Most Inversions on a Dive Coaster. (3)
6. Highest Dive Coaster Inversion. (165 Feet)
7.Most Roller Coasters taller than 200 feet at one park! (5)
8. Most rides at one park. (71)
9. Most Steel Roller Coaster Track at one park. (52,125 Feet, 15.88 Miles)
10. Most Roller Coaster track of any park. (60,110 Feet, 18.32 Miles)

Valravn is a really fun ride to ride in both the night time and the day time! You get amazing views of ''The Roller Coaster Capital of the World!"

Something Cedar Point added in 2016 is the Sunrise Tour. It is only offered certain days but according to our fan Alex Gillman, he says its worth every penny!

What the Sun Rise Tour is, it starts early in the morning and you get to go to the top of Valravn and walk around at the top and get to watch the crew start up the ride and learn different stuff about the ride. Also included with the tour is a backstage tour of Millennium Force, Maverick, and Top Thrill Dragster as well as some other areas of the park.

Valravn is a very good ride for Cedar Point. It really sets a different pace for the park. Valravn is very exciting and thrilling as well as a beautiful ride and it's very fun to watch! When it opened it was Cedar Point's 18th roller coaster!

Valravn often has long wait times. Most of the time the line is 2 hours, sometimes longer, but the line is well worth the wait.

Valravn was a great addition for Cedar Point. Even after adding a huge ride like this, Cedar Point had more up its sleeves! After Valravn, Cedar Point would add: Cedar Point Shores Water Park (2017), Steel Vengeance (2018), Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island (2019), and Cedar Point's 150th Anniversary Celebration (2021).