Valravn (roller coaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Valravn |
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Valravn in May 2016
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| Cedar Point | |
| Location | Cedar Point |
| Coordinates | 41°28′53″N 82°41′02″W / 41.481298°N 82.683970°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Soft opening date | May 6, 2016 |
| Opening date | May 7, 2016 |
| Replaced | Good Time Theatre Turnpike Cars |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Dive Coaster |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Dive Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 223 ft (68 m) |
| Drop | 214 ft (65 m) |
| Length | 3,415 ft (1,041 m) |
| Speed | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| Inversions | 3 |
| Duration | 2:23 |
| Max vertical angle | 90° |
| Capacity | 1,200 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 52–78 in (132–198 cm) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 8 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train. |
 Fast Lane and Fast Lane Plus available |
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| Valravn at RCDB | |
Valravn is an amazing steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. It was built by a famous company called Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). When Valravn opened on May 7, 2016, it was the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster of its kind in the world!
Valravn is still one of the tallest "Dive Coasters" around. It shares its height record with another awesome ride called Yukon Striker in Canada. This coaster was also the first "Dive Coaster" to use special vest-style safety restraints. These restraints are like a comfy vest that holds you in safely. Valravn was the 100th roller coaster ever built by B&M since they started in 1988!
Just like another Cedar Point ride called Rougarou, Valravn gets its name from old stories. The ride's theme comes from a mythical bird in Danish folklore called the valravn. This name means "raven of the slain."
Contents
How Valravn Was Built
Building a giant roller coaster like Valravn takes a lot of planning! In early 2015, people started hearing rumors about a new record-breaking "Dive Coaster" coming to Cedar Point. The park was thinking about putting the new ride where the Good Time Theatre used to be.
Work began in late 2014. Some other rides were moved to make space. The old Good Time Theatre and Turnpike Cars were taken down in early 2015. People got really excited in May 2015 when Cedar Point officially claimed the name Valravn. This name, as we learned, comes from a cool mythological bird.
Later that year, pictures of the new roller coaster's layout and logo accidentally appeared on the park's smartphone app. Cedar Point quickly turned off the app and said they would share all the details on September 9, 2015. Soon, people started seeing pieces of the new roller coaster track arriving at the park.
On September 9, 2015, Cedar Point officially announced all the exciting plans for Valravn!
Building the Ride's Features
Valravn is a "Dive Coaster" model from B&M, and it's their 100th roller coaster! Its trains were the first on this type of coaster to use the "vest" style over-the-shoulder restraints. These are similar to the ones on Cedar Point's GateKeeper.
Each train has three cars, and each car holds eight riders in a single row. This means 24 people can ride at once! The last piece of track for Valravn was put into place on March 2, 2016. Soon after, videos of the ride being tested were released in April 2016. If you look at the coaster track from certain angles, it even spells out "Ohio"!
What It's Like to Ride Valravn
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Get ready for an amazing adventure! After leaving the station, your train makes a big turn to the left. Then, it starts climbing the 223 feet (68 m)-tall chain lift hill.
When you reach the very top, the train turns right and pauses for a few seconds. You'll be hanging right over the edge of the first drop, looking straight down! Then, suddenly, you're released! You plunge 214 feet (65 m) straight down at a 90-degree angle, reaching a super fast speed of 75 mph (121 km/h).
Right after that thrilling drop, you zoom into a 165 feet (50 m)-tall Immelmann loop. This loop flips you upside down and then right side up again! Next, you go up into a mid-course brake run where the train slows down a bit.
But the fun isn't over! The train then drops 131 feet (40 m) and enters a dive loop. This is another cool inversion! After that, you'll experience a third and final inversion: a 270-degree zero-g roll, which makes you feel weightless. Finally, you go over an airtime hill, turn left, and enter the final brake run. What a ride!
Valravn's Cool Features
Where to Find Valravn
Valravn is located in a new area of the park. This area stretches from the Blue Streak ride to near Celebration Plaza. You can also get to it from behind the cobra roll of the Raptor coaster. Valravn is like the main attraction of the newly designed Marina entrance area.
Who Made Valravn?
Valravn is a "Dive Coaster" model made by the Swiss company Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). This ride is special because it's the 100th roller coaster B&M has ever built! It's also the fourth B&M coaster at Cedar Point, joining Raptor, GateKeeper, and Rougarou. Valravn is the 10th "Dive Coaster" in the world and the third in the United States.
The Ride's Trains
Valravn uses three trains, and each train is made of steel and fiberglass. They have open-air seating arranged in tiers. Each train has three cars, and each car holds eight seats. So, a total of 24 riders can go on the ride at once! Valravn can give about 1,200 rides per hour.
Riders are kept safe by flexible over-the-shoulder restraints and interlocking seat belts. To ride Valravn, you need to be between 52 inches (130 cm) and 78 inches (200 cm) tall. Valravn's trains are the widest in the park! They are also the first "Dive Coaster" in the world to use B&M's newer restraint system, which you can also find on Cedar Point's GateKeeper roller coaster.
The Track Design
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The steel track of Valravn is 3,415 feet (1,041 m) long, and the lift hill is about 223 feet (68 m) high. The track itself is a cool copper and silver color, and the supports that hold it up are a regal blue.
There are 103 pieces of track in total! The heaviest piece weighs a massive 17,000 pounds (7,700 kg). The track is 6.5 feet (2.0 m) wide, making it the widest track in the entire park. A total of 51 supports hold the track firmly in place. The track and supports were made by Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia, Ohio.
Valravn's Records
When Valravn opened in 2016, it broke six "Dive Coaster" records! It also helped Cedar Point break four overall amusement park records. Later, in 2018, another "Dive Coaster" called Yukon Striker opened in Canada. It shares Valravn's height record of 223 feet (68 m), but it's even faster, has a longer drop, longer track, and more inversions!
Dive Coaster Records Valravn Held
When Valravn first opened, it was the:
- Tallest Dive Coaster (223 feet (68 m))
- Fastest Dive Coaster (75 miles per hour (121 km/h))
- Longest Dive Coaster (3,415 feet (1,041 m))
- Longest drop on a Dive Coaster (214 feet (65 m))
- Most inversions on a Dive Coaster (3)
- Highest inversion on a Dive Coaster (165 feet (50 m))
Cedar Point Park Records Valravn Helped Set
Thanks to Valravn, Cedar Point holds records for:
- Most roller coasters taller than (200 feet (61 m)) at one park (6)
- Most rides at one park (71)
- Most steel roller coaster track at one park (52,125 feet (15,888 m))
- Most roller coaster track at one park (60,110 feet (18,320 m))
