Magnum XL-200

Roller coaster in the United States
Watch the on-ride POV
Magnum XL-200
Magnum XL-200's lift hill
Cedar Point
Location Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Coordinates 41°29′08″N 82°41′10″W / 41.485454°N 82.686137°W / 41.485454; -82.686137
Park section Gemini Midway
Status Operating since May 6, 1989
Cost $8,000,000 USD
Rider height 48 inch minimum
Statistics
Manufacturer Arrow Dynamics
Product Hyper Coaster
Designer / calculations Ron Toomer
Type Steel - Hyper
Riders per train 36
Hourly capacity 2000
Propulsion Chain lift hill
Height 205 feet
Drop 194.7 feet
Top speed 72 mph
Length 5106 feet
Inversions 0
Drop angle 60°
Duration 2:00
HELP

Magnum XL-200 is a steel hyper roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, USA. Built by Arrow Dynamics, it opened on May 6, 1989 and was the first complete-circuit roller coaster to break the 200 foot barrier. It is considered to have started the roller coaster wars, in which amusement parks competed to build the tallest and fastest roller coasters. The coaster was voted Best Steel Coaster by the Golden Ticket Awards in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

History

On August 16, 1988, Cedar Point announced the addition of Magnum XL-200. Land clearing began around the same time as the announcement.[1]

Magnum XL-200 opened on May 6, 1989 as the second tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world behind Moonsault Scramble at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan. The coaster is located across from Top Thrill Dragster, in a shaded area of the park's midway section. It is the first ride one crosses when entering through the back entrance.

The ride's wait times are typically no more than 20 minutes as it has a high capacity.

Magnum is considered both a hyper coaster and an out and back roller coaster. The ride first ascends its 205 foot chain lift hill and drops 195 feet at a maximum speed of 72 mph. The train ascends another hill before dropping at a curve into a high-speed pretzel turn. The train then travels back through a series of small airtime hills and tunnels directly below the massive lift hill. An on-ride photo is taken in one of the tunnels before the train approaches the brake run and returns to the station. The coaster is praised for its long amounts of airtime, especially on its third hill, where airtime is said to reach up to 5 seconds. Parts of the ride travel through Cedar Point's waterpark, Cedar Point Shores, and its wave pool. The water slides are also visible throughout most of the ride.

Magnum celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019. To commemorate this event, the coaster received a new paint coat and special effects in the third tunnel.[2]

Design

Elements

Color scheme

Red track and white supports.

Trains

3 trains with 6 cars per train. In each car, riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows, for a total of 36 riders per train.

Rumors

An Ohio newspaper printed claims that Magnum XL-200 was sinking and was to be dismantled and sold. Despite being written as a joke, the rumor spread across the internet and was denounced by Cedar Point in 2002.[3]

Images

Queue line

Exterior

Layout

References

  1. "Cedar Point to claim tallest, fastest coaster". Northwest Herald. August 17, 1988. p. 18. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  2. "Cedar Point announces changes to 2 roller coasters: See what's in store for Magnum XL-200 and Cedar Creek Mine Ride in 2019".
  3. "Magnum XL-200". Cedar Point. Archived from the original on 2002-06-02. Retrieved 2021-06-04.

External links

The category Magnum XL-200 contains additional media.
Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster
May 1989 - May 1994
Preceded by
Great American Scream Machine
Tallest complete-circuit roller coaster
May 1989 - May 1994
Succeeded by
Pepsi Max Big One
Tallest roller coaster drop
May 1989 - May 1991
Preceded by
ShockWave

Great American Scream Machine

Tallest roller coaster drop
May 1989 - May 1991
Succeeded by
Steel Phantom

Desperado

Fastest roller coaster
May 1989 - May 1991
Preceded by
Bandit
Fastest roller coaster
May 1989 - May 1991
Succeeded by
Steel Phantom


Articles on Cedar Point