How Scary Is Millennium Force at Cedar Point?

We absolutely love Cedar Point! It took me over 30 years to finally make it after a series of weird events held me back, and it was worth the wait. We’ve visited many theme parks around the world, and we can confidently say that this one is among the best. If you’ve made your way there (lucky you!), you might find yourself searching “how scary is Millennium Force at Cedar Point?”

There are so many reasons why people who have a fear of roller coasters might feel intimidated by this ride. This post contains information about Millennium Force to help you make the most informed decision about whether to get in line. If you decide to sit this one out, no one will blame you. This is a big one!

Millennium Force at Cedar Point

To ride Millennium Force you’ll need to head to Sandusky, Ohio. While there are several airports in the area, Cleveland (CLE) is the closest (about a one-hour drive). We like to make our lives more difficult, so we flew into Columbus (CMH). From there, you’ll need to drive 2.5 hours north to Sandusky.

It’s an easy drive, but we landed in Columbus after 10 pm and we were exhausted. After grabbing a quick bite from Mikey’s Late Night Slice, we headed up to the Cedar Point Express Hotel (check out our short YouTube review). Our stay was really great and we got early access to the park. Only certain rides operate before the park officially opens, which spoiled my goal of riding Top Thrill Dragster first since it wasn’t open. So, we pivoted and headed to the second name on our Cedar Point bucket list.

Is Millennium Force a Roller Coaster?

Yes, without any doubt Millennium Force is a roller coaster. In fact, it’s a legend! As the Cedar Point website explains, when it debuted in 2000, it changed “coaster history forever.” Why? Because it’s was the first roller coaster to top 300 feet, making it the original giga-coaster. It’s one of only two gigas built by Intamin, the other is Intimidator 305 at King’s Dominion.

Maybe that’s why, with jelly legs and a pounding heart, I got in line for Millennium Force that early morning. In our video review of the park, my face looks so ashen and pale when I first realize that’s what we’re riding first. I can just hear my voice quivering!

I’m gonna be so real with you guys — this is one of the few roller coasters that really made me feel weak in the knees from just seeing it. It had been a long time since I had felt so nervous before a ride, so if you feel the same way, don’t feel bad. I think it’s pretty normal!

Here are some quick facts about Millennium Force:

Opening date: May 11, 2000
Length: 6,595 ft (2,010 m)
Height: 310 ft (94 m)
Drop: 300 ft (91 m)
Max vertical angle: 80°
Duration: 2:20
Inversions: 0
Lift/launch system: Cable lift hill
Max speed: 93 mph (150 km/h)
Ride Height Requirement: Between 48\” and 78\”
Trains: There are three trains with nine cars. You’ll be sitting two across in two rows. There is a maximum capacity of 36 riders per train.

Queue Area

There is nothing special or unique about the queue area for Millennium Force. I’ll say, though, that Cedar Point does a spectacular job of maintaining the park.

Ride queue at Millennium Force at Cedar Point\

There’s a cool landscaped sign for this ride before you get in line. That’s about it. This is a standard roller coaster queue area.

Loading Area, Seats & Restraints

The restraints on Millennium Force consist of t-bars and a seat belt. Yep, that’s it — lap restraints on this mammoth beast!

This is one of those things that might leave people wondering, \”how scary is Millennium Force?\”

Is Millennium Force at Cedar Point Scary?

Yes, this is a very intense ride. Let’s look at a few elements on this roller coaster to help you determine whether you’re ready for Millennium Force.

Restraints

My friends, if you’re scared about riding Millennium Force, the little lap restraints probably won’t do much to ease your mind. They are small, especially if you’re fuller-figured (like me!) and they look like they’ve been through a lot.

Seat restraint on Millennium Force at Cedar Point\

Vertical Lift

There is no chill to the vertical lift on Millennium Force. It’s so tall, so looking up at it from the loading area is insane. In. Sane. You look over the left side and see cars driving on a road between the track and Lake Erie (Cedar Point is located on a peninsula!). Then the speed picks up.

You won’t have time to think about much before you reach the top. As someone who lives with anxiety, I use this time to do some deep breaths and affirmations. I remind myself that I’ve done the research and that I’ve worked hard to overcome my fear of roller coasters!

Drop

Remember all that deep breathing I did? It was to prepare me for this moment. How big is the drop on Millennium Force? About 300 feet at an 80° angle! There are many rides where I can reassure you that the drop is more tolerable than it looks — this is not one of them.

For me, screaming as soon as a drop begins helps my stomach feel less gross. It also gives me an outlet for my anxiety. I cannot tell you how the bottom of this drop felt, because I passed out. That had never happened to me before! The next day, I did brown out a bit on Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland, but I think it’s because I hadn’t fully recovered from Millennium Force!

Speed

If you’ve read any of my other roller coaster reviews, you’ll know that I tend to downplay speed. Once a ride gets going, I find that you don’t notice the speed as much. Friends, that’s not the case on Millennium Force. It’s got a max speed of 93mph and that’s what it feels like. Forever. The elements on this ride are designed to maintain this speed and allows you to feel every bit of it, even on that intense overbanked turn.

Age

Cedar Point does an incredible job of maintaining its rides, so at 21 years old Millennium Force is in the best condition possible. Still, roller coaster design has come a long way since 2000, so the exact same ride (basically, Leviathan at Canada’s Wonderland) built more recently may be less likely to cause brownouts or the feeling of intense pressure on the drop.

Best Things About Millennium Force

It may seem like I’ve spent this entire article talking you out of riding Millennium Force, but nothing could be further from the truth. This website is all about learning to travel with anxiety. In order to do that, I believe being informed is important. Anxiety can come from feeling out of control or unexpectedly surprised by something. Having the details and knowing what to expect can really take the fear out of things.

On-ride picture how scary is Millennium Force?\

That being said, Millennium Force is so exciting! It’s smooth, fast, and designed to give you the thrill of a lifetime. It’s also really cool to know that it’s the original giga-coaster, which lets you walk away with bragging rights (which makes overcoming the fear even more worth it)!

Here are some helpful links for your next trip to Cedar Point: