The lift hill crests at 223 feet, the train rolls to the brink, and then — nothing. For roughly four seconds you’re face-down above Lake Erie, dangling over the midway, watching the ground below do absolutely nothing to reassure you. That pause is the whole point of Valravn: Cedar Point’s flagship dive coaster doesn’t just drop you, it makes you dread it first.
Built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard and opened on May 7, 2016, Valravn was the 100th roller coaster B&M ever constructed — and they made it count. At debut it set six world records in the dive coaster category at a construction cost of $25 million. A decade on, it remains one of the most complete and intense ride experiences on the Cedar Point midway.
Quick Answer
Valravn is a B&M dive coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio: 223 feet tall, 214-foot first drop at 90 degrees, top speed of 75 mph, three inversions, and 3,415 feet of track. It opened in 2016, set six dive coaster world records at launch, and requires a minimum height of 52 inches.
What Makes Valravn a Dive Coaster
Dive coasters are built around a single dramatic concept: a near-vertical drop that you see coming the whole way. Unlike a traditional coaster where the crest leads straight into freefall, a dive coaster rolls the train to the lip of the lift hill and stops — holding riders face-down over empty air before releasing. Valravn runs that format at maximum scale.
The trains run eight riders across, making them among the widest roller coaster cars in any major park. Three trains, each with three cars and 24 riders, give Valravn a capacity of roughly 1,200 riders per hour. Notably, Valravn was the first dive coaster to use B&M’s vest-style over-the-shoulder restraints — a design borrowed from wing coasters like Cedar Point’s own GateKeeper. The vest wraps across the chest rather than clamping from above, leaving the ride feel unusually open and unencumbered.
The name comes from Danish folklore: a valravn is a raven that feeds on the slain and gains supernatural powers — a fitting identity for a coaster designed to unsettle you before it moves. Cedar Point introduced Valravn as B&M’s centennial installation, the manufacturer’s 100th coaster worldwide, and the fourth B&M built at Cedar Point after Raptor, GateKeeper, and Rougarou.
Six World Records Set at Opening
When Valravn debuted in May 2016, it set six world records in the dive coaster category: tallest at 223 feet; fastest at 75 mph; longest at 3,415 feet of track; longest drop at 214 feet; most inversions at three; and highest inversion with a 165-foot Immelmann loop.
Some of those benchmarks have since been matched by newer builds. The 223-foot height record is now shared with Yukon Striker, which opened at Canada’s Wonderland in 2019. Even so, the six-record haul at launch reflects the scale of the original ambition — Valravn was designed to redefine the category across every measurable dimension at once, not just clear one benchmark by a narrow margin.
The Full Ride Layout
The chain lift takes long enough to open up views across Sandusky Bay and the Cedar Point peninsula. Valravn sits near the front of the park, which puts the Lake Erie shoreline directly in sightline from the summit — a detail that makes the hold feel even more exposed, because there is genuinely nothing between you and the horizon.
At the top, the train rolls to the lip and pauses for approximately four seconds. There is no countdown. You’re tilted forward at 90 degrees with a vest restraint and 214 feet of air beneath you, and then the brakes release. The first drop accelerates riders to 75 mph and feeds immediately into the Immelmann loop — a 165-foot inversion where the train arcs up and over before reversing direction. It is one of the tallest inversions at Cedar Point.
After the Immelmann, the track delivers a second drop from 131 feet, then a dive loop, and closes with a 270-degree zero-g roll — a sustained lateral spin that sends riders through more than three-quarters of a full rotation before returning to the brake run. Total track: 3,415 feet. Total run time: 2 minutes and 23 seconds. The three-inversion sequence is what separates Valravn from most dive coasters, which stop at one or two inversions and end after the initial drop. Here the opening plunge is just the beginning.
Planning Your Visit: Practical Tips
Valravn sits near Cedar Point’s main entrance, directly adjacent to Raptor. That front-gate placement means it draws early crowds — guests walking in often see it first and queue immediately. It also means it empties out later in the day as visitors push deeper into the park.
Best time to ride: Go at rope drop or in the final 90 minutes before close. On busy summer Saturdays, midday waits can exceed two hours; late evening, the line frequently drops to near walk-on. Cedar Point’s Flash Pass (the park’s skip-the-line program) is available for Valravn and is worth considering on high-attendance days.
Seat selection: Outside seats — positions 1 and 8 in each eight-across row — give the most open exposure during the hold and the inversions, with no adjacent rider blocking the view. Front row offers the clearest sightline over the first drop. Both require a short additional wait within the station. Height requirement is 52 inches (4 feet 4 inches) minimum.
Loose items: Small cubbies are provided at the station for phones, sunglasses, and keys. Bags and larger loose articles must go into park lockers before entering the queue — Cedar Point enforces this strictly on Valravn.
Valravn FAQs
How tall is Valravn and how far does it drop?
Valravn stands 223 feet tall. The first drop is 214 feet at a 90-degree angle, accelerating riders to a top speed of 75 mph at the bottom.
How many inversions does Valravn have?
Three: a 165-foot Immelmann loop immediately after the first drop, a dive loop following the second drop, and a 270-degree zero-g roll to close the layout.
What world records did Valravn set?
At its 2016 opening, Valravn set six dive coaster world records: tallest (223 feet), fastest (75 mph), longest (3,415 feet of track), longest drop (214 feet), most inversions (three), and highest inversion (165-foot Immelmann). The height record is now shared with Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland.
What is the minimum height to ride Valravn?
Riders must be at least 52 inches tall — that’s 4 feet 4 inches.
How long does the Valravn ride last?
From the start of the lift hill to the final brake run, Valravn runs approximately 2 minutes and 23 seconds.
Which seats are best on Valravn?
The outside seats (positions 1 and 8 in each row) offer the most open, unobstructed experience during the hold and through the inversions. Front row gives the clearest view straight down the first drop. Both seat choices require a short additional wait beyond the main queue.
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