Article: A winged prayer coming to Cedar Point

[Katie]

You can view the page at http://www.thrillnetwork.com/content...to-Cedar-Point

[Joe R]

If this is true, and not just a very publicized rumor, the main layout I can see happening here would be very Leviathan-escque. Especially with how it is being described in the paper itself. A few other layouts that pop into my mind would be pretty intense, but less plausible coming from B&M.

As much of a traditional park Cedar Point is (outside of breaking the height and speed barrier, none of their rides have anything special about them that seperates them from the rest), this would be an interesting move

Now, the con of this whole thing is that Raptor was said to have had Vibration issues, as well as Swarm and Eagle unfortunately. The prime example comes from their main competition, Intamin, in the form of Furius Baco. Speed causes an issue with these style of rides, amd when you go higher, you go faster, which would increase the risk of having an infamous vibration issue.

Dont get me wrong, I am glad CP could possibly be testing the boundaries of a new ride type. I just dont want to see it be known for a rough experience.

[Dollywood Pete]

Wild Eagle is not having the vibration issues you mentioned. It tracks better if the train is full and heavy but there are no significant issues with vibration. Our park guests - and enthusiasts - have said WE is one of the smoothest coasters they have ever been on. I have to agree and my count is at 400. I will say I thought it was an egregious error to not include WE in the story. It has received the most publicity and notariety as a WE in the US.

[Joe R]

Ah, my bad. Sorry about that. I had heard it was the smoothest of them. I may have mixed reviews up in my head.

[coasterstar]

Dollywood Pete

My family was at the park weekend before last. Everyone rode WE and loved it. Many of my family stopped riding coasters years ago but they all wanted to try this one. My count is now 109 on WE. I did, on 1 ride feel more of a bounce than a rattle, but like I said that one ride so I guessed it was a off balanced load. I have never been to CP but I do love the news of a coaster that is the style of my new favorite ride WE. See you at Coaster Con.

[Antoine]

Raptor was actually glassy smooth when I rode it. One of the smoothest roller coasters I had been on before. My main problem with the ride is that it was uneventful. I mean I enjoyed it, but it was a forgettable roller coaster too. Now I did ride Raptor when it was only a few weeks old too though so that could have been a major factor. I rode Krake a week after it opened and it showed that same exact glassy smoothness to it. However, none of these wing coasters should go at an excessive speed. Furius Baco is extremely rough because of the speed. Every bump on the ride is exaggerated for those on the outer seats. The inner seats are smoother, but not by much. So if this rumor is true of CP, if it is record breaking, I sure hope they are not trying to break the bank on speed. 55 MPH is just fine in my book.

[Steven]

Cedar Point's now getting into parking lot coasters... yay!

[Leo C]

Cedar Fair's Tatsu sized winged parking lot coaster coming.

The B&M collection seemed incomplete there when you go from Raptor to Mantis. They needed something else as well.

[Wes]

If this is true, then the coaster wars are over. Wildcat is gone, and Disaster Transport gone too. (Magic Mountain does a jig).

First, my 2 cents... Wild Eagle was smooth as glass, of the probably 50 B&M's I've been on, it's probably one of the smoothest.

Also, if this is true, then I'm assuming that green track that was seen at the plant will be for CP. I think it's a good family coaster choice, although WE wasn't what I'd call intense, it's extremely fun and a good overall coaster for everyone, not just families. Course I'm a hyper fanboy, so I was hoping for one, but WE is a good coaster.

X Flight (without having ridden it) looks like it may be more intense, but the location of the riders I think on the wing coasters, may actually just automatically reduce the forces on the riders anyway.

Either way, I'm happy if the Point is getting this, it would be a much higher capacity ride I believe than Maverick, and I'm not a Maverick fan anyway, so a B&M would be ok in my book.

[APE]

My friends reaction to this made me lol. He said "so you are telling me they are removing the one air conditioned ride they have."

I like disaster transport so in a way this makes me sad but im also happy to see cedar point making another huge addition to the park.

[Wes]

Diaster Transport was so confusing to me. As I had never ridden it before it was boxed, I had no idea what to expect. So when it just came up a lift hill and it was over, I was like what the?!?

[gad198]

X Flight (without having ridden it) looks like it may be more intense, but the location of the riders I think on the wing coasters, may actually just automatically reduce the forces on the riders anyway.

X Flight and Wild Eagle are both good, solid coasters with a nice mix of positive Gs and the graceful motions of the inversion. The wider trains really force the coaster to be more graceful through the inversions. That takes away a bit of the snap I love on some of the elements, particularly the zero-g roll. I also believe that wing riders are MUCH better in the very front row or very back row. I actually prefer Wild Eagle slightly to X Flight because of the location of each ride but they're both good coasters in their own right.

It'll be interesting to see how they incorporate the ride into that area of the park. I'm looking forward to the ride but I'm probably looking more forward to the new views that area of the park will offer. I'm sure that area will be 1000x nicer next year than it is currently. The new ride will also alleviate some of the lines for the big 3 which is always a plus.

[coasterlove]

Very excited to hear this! The one problem I have with X-Flight and I'm sure all the other wing riders to this point seem to have the problem, shortness. If this turns out to be true and is the longest so far and also the biggest drop, etc, even better. I don't get the color choice of green since it'll be just a couple hundred feet from Raptor but that's not a big deal.

As for roughness or bounces or whatever, X-Flight is easily one of the absolute smoothest coasters I've ever been on. I'm sure some of that might be to be brand new but it was amazing how gentle (in a good way) it was considering the elements it performs. I'm just not as big into any roughness on a coaster. I can still tolerate a little of it but after a few rides of it, it just becomes unenjoyable.

Sad to see Disaster Transport go because it is something unique nowadays and does offer some air conditioning and more importantly, shade from the sun. Nothing ruins the day more than a sunburn. I always try to ride DT during the peak sunlight times of the day to help ward off getting burnt. And with Wildcat gone, they definitely are losing some of their older coasters quick. I'd like to see them add another medium sized coaster as well in the near future not just because of the coaster count but also to add variety.

[KY_THRILLBILLY]

This news it kinda premature. Theirs no official announcement yet, but if it is indeed true, then this would be a very good addition. Its no surprise that Cedar Point wants to out do everyone, they always have to build the biggest and fastest, but thats just their nature. I think its time that Cedar Point start replacing some of their older attractions, because lets face it, nobody particularly cares for their older rides. I think rides likes Corkscrew, Mean Streak, and even Blue Streak need to be replaced. Then they need to invest money in conditioning rides that are starting to show their age, such as Mantis and Magnum, which are both good coasters, but can be a little rough at times.

[Wes]

To throw out something, do you think the park would try to save Disaster Transport and send it to another park as a standard bobsled?

[KY_THRILLBILLY]

I dont think its worth the investment. To dismantle it, ship it, reassemble it, then promote it. It would just cost too much, and while I think its a decent little coaster, its not really gonna give them that bang for their buck. They'll just scrap it. Its days are numbered. Who really wants an old bobsled anyway?

[Wes]

I'd take it, put it in my back yard.

[coasterlove]

I think rides likes Corkscrew, Mean Streak, and even Blue Streak need to be replaced. Then they need to invest money in conditioning rides that are starting to show their age, such as Mantis and Magnum, which are both good coasters, but can be a little rough at times.

Totally agree about Mean Streak. It is a horrible ride and takes up a lot of space. Blue Streak and Corkscrew take up a fairly small amount of space in cramped areas of the park. You couldn't fit too much else in the areas they're each located in. This is especially true for Corkscrew and it features a nice element of the corkscrews going over the midway. Also, they're both nice mid level coasters for those who may not be ready for mega coasters.

[KY_THRILLBILLY]

We shouldn't just save rides because they look nice, and while Corkscrew may be a beautiful ride over the midway, thats really all it has to offer, because it truely is not that great of a ride. Cedar Point needs rides that are enjoyable and what people want to ride. Corkscrew isn't that. I think in the future that it needs to be replaced, maybe not within the next year or two, but definately sometime down the road. I think it should be replaced with a roller coaster of a similar size and footprint, which can also have the iconic corkscrews over the midway. This way your bring more higher quality rides to park and have a ride people actually want to ride. Cedar Point has a nice collection of coasters but it can be better, and they should look at replacing some of their older coasters that are not very popular.

[coasterlove]

Look at some satellite service offered such as Google Maps or Bing and you'll see what I'm talking about as far as space goes. Corkscrew takes up so little space that even if another coaster fit into that spot, it would also be very small and be a short ride which typically Cedar Point doesn't do other than TTD obviously. They usually have a MCBR to allow for a third train and higher capacity. I don't think a coaster like that could fit well into that space. I'd also argue about the quality or popularity of the ride. Sure, it doesn't come close to their newer coasters or coasters at other parks but a lot of people still do ride Corkscrew including a lot of younger kids due to it's lower height restriction. So for a lot of people, it becomes one of their first "thrill" coasters.

If Cedar Point has interest in getting a coaster small enough to fit into that space, they could find plenty of other places it could go. I don't see them getting rid of Corkscrew anytime soon and could easily see it there for at least another ten years if not far longer.

[Austin]

Awesome! I'm hearing talk at my church of the older youth taking a 2 or 3 day trip to Cedar Point for 2013. This is just what we need to get them to go for sure haha. Downside is the loss of Disaster, which isn't bad. Unless you need to have special 3-D glasses to ride the new coaster. But wouldn't this be a fairly small/compact coaster? Unless they are planning it to be over the water.

[coasterlove]

From the sound of it, it will also extend into the midway. In the article, it said something along the lines of soaring over park guests as they enter. Since they're also getting rid of the space spiral, there is a fair amount of space there. I can see them easily fitting 4,000+ feet of track in that spot. I look at X-Flight at SFGAM and how they fit 3,000 feet of track in a very small compact space and the coaster looks great.

[Wes]

My two cents: Cedar Point has about 5 or 6 outstanding rides, and a bunch of mediocre/average rides.

Mean Streak would be my first on the list to go, I don't know why the park seems to want to save it but on my hit list at the park, it would be #1 to go. Bonfire anyone?

That being said, Wildcat would've probably been #2 for me, didn't like it. Looks like the park is going to plan for the future, with quality investments instead of just duking it out with Magic Mountain to have the most coasters.

I'm still surprised the stadium hasn't been taken down yet for a new attraction.

[KY_THRILLBILLY]

You don't have to have the most coasters to be the best amusement park. Cedar Point can still be the roller coaster capitasl without having the most, because to me they can retain that title by having the best. I say get rid of all the bad/mediocre coasters and start replacing them with more modern, smoother, more enjoyable rides. I say replace Blue Streak with another modern out and back wood coaster, something with alot of airtime, something like a gravity group or GCI. Obviously, Mean Streak needs to go to. That coaster is garbage and is not enjoyable in any way, except when it comes to a stop. That area can easily be used to build another wood coaster, maybe a small steel coaster, or a few flat rides. Its a pretty big area. Like I said, Corkscrew needs to go to, its not that great of a ride, and even on busy days no one seems to want to ride it. Yeah, its a small coaster but you can easily fit another small coaster into that spot, and they can incorporate the iconic corkscrews over the midway into the coaster. I also think something needs to be done with Magnum and Mantis. First off, I think Cedar Point should invest in changing Mantis into a floorless coaster, because standups are just a gimmick, and their not very friendly on the nuts. They also have some rough spots, but I'm sure that their are ways to smoothen them out, to make the ride more enjoyable, so they are around for many more years to come.

[Austin]

Removing Blue Streak would be like replacing Racer at Kings Island with a few flat rides. I don't see a reason that Blue Streak should be going anywhere. I don't believe that Mantis can be converted. B&M designs off heartline, and if your heart line is at one point standing, its at an entirely different location sitting.

[Wes]

Blue Streak is a good, classic woodie and their only old coaster, I say keep it.

[Austin]

Historical significance and age is important.

[Leo C]

There's no touching of Blue Streak. I had fun on it.

I wonder if the ride will have a straight drop or an inline twist and dive first drop. I haven't looked up any kind of renderings.

So Disaster Transport is not going to the new Cedar Fair Astroworld: Dorney?

[coasterlove]

I wonder if the ride will have a straight drop or an inline twist and dive first drop. I haven't looked up any kind of renderings.

Why not have both? Like many of their coasters, I'd expect it to have a MCBR so the first drop off the lift can be one way and the drop from the MCBR can be the other. I don't think there are any renderings in the public as this coaster has yet to be confirmed that I know of. It can be only a very short matter of time before some obvious signs of something since they will have to remove Disaster Transport and the Space Spiral very soon for construction to begin. If it's to be as big as rumored, I would think major construction would have to begin by October or November at the latest. So by August or September, we would see the old rides coming down. Just a couple months now. That is, if there is any truth to this.

[Rick B]

When I was there in June of 2011, Blue Streak gave us a great ride and lots of air time. I can't see that coaster going anywhere any time soon. Wildcat had an accident a couple of days after I was there and we were watching the team members have to help stop the cars by hand when we rode.

Personally I'd like to see Disaster Transport turned back into a bobsled and put in another park. The avalanche at KI is a decent coaster.