Dad finally gets his roller coaster buddy: Cleveland Remembers National Parents Center

Dad finally gets his roller coaster buddy: Cleveland Remembers

June 28, 2011 – 6:35 am

Dad finally gets his roller coaster buddy: Cleveland Remembers The Magnum at Cedar Point in 1994.

When I was about 8 years old, my family went to Cedar Point for the first time.

I had two sisters, one older and one younger. I was known in the family as the adventurous one of the girls, and my dad was so excited to have a coaster riding buddy!

The Magnum was the newer coaster at the time, fastest and tallest… to me, it looked like an impossible ride.

Looking up at something like that is both scary and exciting. My dad tried and tried to convince me to go on with him, but even after offering a brand new bike, I just couldn’t do it.

Part of me wanted to so badly, but I just couldn’t do it!

A few years later, I went on the ride and had the time of my life, and my dad finally got his coaster riding buddy.

I’m now 32, and recently visited Cedar Point, and rode the Millennium Force. While waiting in line, a little girl, who said she was 7 years old, was also waiting to ride it for the first time with her dad. I watched her nerves and excitement build all the way to the ride and watched her scream and laugh through the entire thing.

I had to give her a high five after for being so brave, and told her the story about when I was her age.

Amazing, she had it in her to try regardless of how scared she was on a coaster WAY bigger and faster than the Magnum. No matter what your age, when you go to Cedar Point you can still feel like a kid!

– Amy Thompson, Michigan

National Parents Center