Cypress Gardens wood coaster

Does anyone know anything about this coaster? Have any construction pics? I'm curious about the ride but it seems as though info is hard to come by!

The coaster is so far unmaned, but the belief is that it will be named "Hurricane Charley" or something Hurricane related. It will have a single train with 5 cars (4 per car). It's a Martin & Vleminckx Group family wooden coaster 1365' in length, 40' in height, 32 mph top speed, with a 50 second ride time and 2.5 maximum g. ALL this information is from RCDB where they also have a few construction pictures. The Cypress Gardens web site also has one recent picture of the coaster.

Hope that helps...

It does help... thanks!

Funny how you mention this, as I just visited my uncle who lives close to the park. I took a walkby the other day when I was there and the park doesn't even look close to being done. There was no station and some of the track pieces were missing to the family Vekoma suspended coaster and I didn't see a midway. There was dirt everywhere with three random freshly painted coasters (didn't see the fourth) and some older rides that they kept from the park before it closed. When I visited, they were working on the parking lot, which looked to be fairly big for the size of the park. Oh yeah, the wooden coaster actually looks extremely fun, and looks to be the highlight of the park in terms of rides so far.

Rob, Rob, Rob...I can't believe you broke rule#1: check RCDB.com first!

cdrpointcrazy44 - of course the park isn't close to being done...they just went thru three hurricanes!!!!

mOOSH

I went through *one* Mooshing this weekend and I'm *well done*. ;)

+Danny

I did break rule #1... I'll admit it. But in my defense, I keep on checking the "new for 2005" list, not even remembering that this is a "new for 2004" coaster. Out of sight, out of mind.

But you're right... I did break a rule. Shame on me!

*** Edited 10/12/2004 4:35:44 AM UTC by Rob Ascough***

What about the other Cypress woodie? If I remember correctly, there was another coaster, S&S this time, that was also in the plans. I don't see anything for '05 on rcdb. Is it set for '06, or is the park putting those plans off for now?

No one seems to be sure of what happened with that ride. As I understand it, ECC's First Drop announced that both coasters would be S&S coasters but now there only seems to be one wood coaster on the horizon (the junior coaster now being built) and that isn't an S&S ride.

As a Floridian I would prefer that they not name the coaster after a specific hurricane. Not that I think "Hurricane" in the name is wrong. I do like the Dania Beach Hurricane.

But, there are plenty of people who were truly and deeply affected by these storms and it would be ignorant to name an amusement ride after something specific that caused much pain and even death.

I thought it was questionable when someone told me that the coaster might be named Hurricane Charley. Sounds a little inappropriate if you ask me.

Moosh, yeah there was a lot of hurricane damage in the area, especially in the town of Sebring, where I stayed the night. I helped out with the cleanup in that town, and it was pretty devastating. Signs, trees, flooding, you name it, they got it.

I think it would be bad from a guest relations standpoint to name the coaster directly after Charley, especially so soon after the fact. It would be a unique name, with a history behind it, but people are sensative. This kind of reminds me of the big debates after 9/11- some movies that included footage of the towers removed them, some didn't, There was also much controversy regarding the site of the towers, and how to develop it.

How about holding a poll to name the coaster (Hershey style) and including Hurricane Charley as one of the possible names? The people most affected would be able to choose for themselves.

*** Edited 10/12/2004 8:07:09 PM UTC by BullGuy***

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Rob Ascough said:
Have any construction pics?

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This one is up on the site itself. . .

http://www.cypressgardens.com/images/photos/Cypress10-09%20032.jpg