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Coasters You Rode Before Opening to the Public

Jarrett

Jarrett

Most Obnoxious Member 2016
Title says it all. Riding a ride in its opening season is great in itself, but how many coasters have you ridden before they even had their official public opening? The ones you got on before the date the park advertised as the ride’s first day open for any park guest to come ride. Which did you ride, how did you get to, and how was your first ride?

I have four!

Banshee- Got into media day as my first and last event with TPR. First ride was taken in the pre-dawn darkness in -10 degree wind chill, it was brutal but the perfect first ride on my favorite invert.

Mystic Timbers- Kings Island was cool enough to invite ACE to Media day for this GCI masterpiece. Like Banshee, took my first ride in the predawn darkness, but with just enough light to see how low the main layout rode to the ground in relation to all the speed we hit it with, I knew I was in for something awesome out of that first turn! Rode with my ACE rep Kat first, we both went into the infamous shed unaware of what was about to happen.

Steel Vengeance- Broke down and participated in a first rider event for it. I went on with the deliberate intention to rank it fairly, not just because I’m an RMC fanboy but also an RMC fanboy from Ohio that likes CP. First ride I rode up front and ranked it at #4, then I rode in the back and both my riding buddy and I put it at #1.

Twisted Cyclone- What do you do when there’s an ACE media day opportunity in Atlanta that morning but the Survivor’s finale is that night? In one of the most mental trips I’ve done I drove down one day, got my pass, and the next day woke up at 3 to go ride another new for 2018 RMC. First ride was delayed a bit by rain but we managed to get it running and got on before the sun came up! Of course a ride called Twisted Cyclone should be ridden in the rain so naturally, we got poured on, but our first ride was taken on live TV in Knoxville in a steady shower. I was also the first public rider ever to ride in the back! Afterwards I had a drive home go seriously wrong and what should have taken 8 hours took 11 and I ended up getting home starved and practically inhaled my wings and cocktail over Survivor but the two events that day made it the best hellish day ever!
 
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Zero. It’s probably cool to go to those events, but I just wanna ride it, don’t care too much about when

EDIT: One actually, Jimmy Fallon is unfunny: The Ride
 
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Also zero here.
Unless you're a Social Media person for theme parks, get them as added perks of being an annual pass holder or just know the right people at parks, I don't think that's a common thing someone can say they've done, even as an enthusiast.
 
I have two: Saw at Thorpe Park when they had the annual passholders day the day before it officially opened and The Swarm - I went for friends and family day as one of my friends worked for Merlin at the time.
 
I've got a few between soft openings, media days, and employee previews.
Rode the second ever public train on Mako it's first day of soft openings. Would have been on train #1 but I wanted the front seat.
Got to ride Manta about a month before it opened to the public during a soft opening. They opened the queue for an hour or so unannounced and I got 4 rides in.
Got to do Cheetah Hunt during it's media day. The ride went down for like....8 hours.... But anyone who stuck around got to stay for the VIP after party where they did get the ride up and running
And at Disney I've been able to do Test and Adjust for both Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash well before their public openings
 
So, there are technicalities. Cedar Point has been doing Ohio State Day for a few years now, where they open a day before Opening Day and their regular calendar operation. Including this, I've ridden Steel Vengeance, Gatekeeper, and Valravn before the public.

For media days, I have only been able to ride Gatekeeper. This was a blast of a media day, as CP began operation early in the morning for better TV coverage, and had to run the ride for virtually 12 hours non-stop; a very fun event to be a part of!
 
Not a coaster but I helped get Ninjago at Legoland ready the night before it opened which included a full ride then a half ride before being evacuated for training purposes. I spent most of the night with a big team cleaning the ride area to get it looking perfect for the next morning but all in all it was a pretty fun evening.
 
I mean, I rode the Jimmy Fallon ride while in technical rehearsal...while not "officially open," anyone could ride it...

That's all I got. :rolleyes:
 
Three.

Outlaw Run @ SDC - went with CF for it's Media Day (only media, no general guests) and rode it with Jerry a number of times the next day doing the same thing with general guests.
Maverick @ CP- was one of the first riders (3rd train officially). Went around a few times before jumping in line ahead of the ENORMOUS line that started during our riding. Beat a number of CFers, most notably Hyde, who was waiting as well. :D
Sky Rocket @ Kennywood - went with CF as before for it's Media Day with Jerry. Good times! :)

So two I kinda cheated as I went with CF and one I paid to be before everyone else.
 
Just Swarm at the Friends&Family day a few days ahead of normal opening - same as Lucy then, different friends I would think tho' ;)
 
Steel Vengeance! It went straight to #1, but it wasn't by much at the time. Now it really sets itself apart from the other coasters I've ridden!
 
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