You’re at Cedar Point Park, Ohio, and you’ve been waiting to ride the Magnum XL-200 for more than an hour. Another 15 minutes later and you are next in line. You take a breath and muster your confidence. You anxiously climb into the cart. The cart lurches forward and takes off. But, as you get to the tallest drop at an incredible 205 feet, the cart stops suddenly, pitching you forward and showcasing the terrifying drop. That is what one group of riders experienced when their ride on the Magnum XL-200 stopped in the middle of the drop on August 4th, 2023.
Roughly a dozen people were forced to evacuate the ride. The park’s director of communications told Fox News that they couldn’t restart the ride, as the steel beams had become stuck, forcing the riders to walk down the ride. Fortunately, none of the riders were injured during the process. The incident is the latest in a string of roller coaster malfunctions that made the headlines in the U.S. this summer.
When the Magnum XL-200 performed in public for the first time in 1989, it was awarded a Guinness World Record for the tallest roller coaster, the first to be taller than 200 feet. Cedar Point, which claims to be the Roller Coaster Capital, had beaten their own record with roller coaster Top Thrill Dragster at 420 feet! Top Thrill Dragster has since closed down due to injuring a woman while she was waiting in line on August 15, 2021.
The Magnum XL-200’s steep plunge propels the coaster through a series of hills and tunnels, twists, and turns, culminating in a “”pretzel turnaround,” which the park describes as its “signature” move.
For example, just days earlier, the Fury 325, a roller coaster in North Carolina was closed and currently is under repair after visitors reported seeing a crevice in one of its steel support pillars. The Associated Press reported the inspectors later detected a second structural issue with the ride and declined to issue a certificate of operation.
Cedar Point’s “Wild Mouse” also unexpectedly stopped twice during a test run. Luckily, none of the passengers were injured, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Is the heat doing sorcery on the materials of the roller coasters, or is someone sabotaging these prestigious roller coasters?
Roughly a dozen people were forced to evacuate the ride. The park’s director of communications told Fox News that they couldn’t restart the ride, as the steel beams had become stuck, forcing the riders to walk down the ride. Fortunately, none of the riders were injured during the process. The incident is the latest in a string of roller coaster malfunctions that made the headlines in the U.S. this summer.
When the Magnum XL-200 performed in public for the first time in 1989, it was awarded a Guinness World Record for the tallest roller coaster, the first to be taller than 200 feet. Cedar Point, which claims to be the Roller Coaster Capital, had beaten their own record with roller coaster Top Thrill Dragster at 420 feet! Top Thrill Dragster has since closed down due to injuring a woman while she was waiting in line on August 15, 2021.
The Magnum XL-200’s steep plunge propels the coaster through a series of hills and tunnels, twists, and turns, culminating in a “”pretzel turnaround,” which the park describes as its “signature” move.
For example, just days earlier, the Fury 325, a roller coaster in North Carolina was closed and currently is under repair after visitors reported seeing a crevice in one of its steel support pillars. The Associated Press reported the inspectors later detected a second structural issue with the ride and declined to issue a certificate of operation.
Cedar Point’s “Wild Mouse” also unexpectedly stopped twice during a test run. Luckily, none of the passengers were injured, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Is the heat doing sorcery on the materials of the roller coasters, or is someone sabotaging these prestigious roller coasters?
