Cedar Point - Thoughts and Questions for Future Discussion

After an opening day visit to the park I got to thinking... (I must mention that the idea was first given to me by Joe21498)

As of this year the Splash diving show at the Aquatic stadium is no more. Now I am not sure if the stadium was just left in its winter state or if it had
been boarded up as part of a more perminent plan, but on opening day the stadium was definitly looking abandoned. This being the case and with the very unlikelyhood of any marine life returning to the point any time soon, that fairly large building is now being unused. This puts forth the idea of what to do with it.
In looking at aerials of the park, you basically have a fairly large area from wicked twister to the hotel in length (minus of course the temporary tents and a pirate ship) and from the midway to the water which is curently a kiddie area (BTW: is that still themed to Bearenstien Bear Country? If so, I am sorry that needs to go by the wayside with snoopy and the peanuts gang. I mean come on, I am 23 and I barely know who these characters are, let alone the 5 year old kids your trying to attract with these themes.).
So in the spirit of an enthusiast I would like to bring up the fact the CP has an incredibly lacking kids program and a few newly aquired Nick characters that should not go to waste. Would there be any objections to removing Aquatic stadium and B.B. Country in favor a much needed kiddie land update? If you section off the area in true kiddie land fashion (one way in one way out) and put in some Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob, I think you up the overall park experience tremendously. I do not even have kids and I can see this stuff taking off.

These are just some of my observations, I mean seriously what the heck do I or any of us arm chair CEOs know about this stuff. For all we know "they are going to put in a 500 footer," they are going to "move it to MiAdv," or who knows, the dolphins may even make a return. Only time will tell, but the kids area issue at CP needs some attention weather this is an idea or not. *** Edited 5/21/2007 2:08:48 AM UTC by Haz-Matt*** *** Edited 5/21/2007 2:10:39 AM UTC by Haz-Matt***

I could see them bringing in the nick stuff and dumping snoopy.

If you are saying that there is a lack of kiddy rides in the park, than I am going to have to disagree. They have the large area up next to maxair with about a dozen rides, there is camp snoopy with several rides, and there is the gemini childrens area with another 5 rides.

I agree that the area that is now peanuts playground, needs to be leveled and rebuilt. Perhaps a log flume like they have at knott's perhaps. Since wwl left the park, there has been a void in the park.

Speaking of the kiddie areas, am I the only one who think that Kiddy Kingdom is WAY outdated? Especially that god awful sign it looks as though we're in Robin Hood or something..

They dumped the log flume because they are building a new Intamin Aqua Trax coaster in the area you are talking about. Heard it Thursday from the Dippin Dots guy! ;)

My hope, if they want to continue the "family friendly" deal, would be removing DT somewhere down the road and installing a 3D dark ride (like "Spiderman" at IOA) in the building. If they get the rights from Paramount, Nick would be the PERFECT gimmick for it and it would attract a ton of kids. If not, maybe they can figure out something with Snoopy... =P

That's kinda disappointing that they would cease the high-dive show. The park lacks any good shows as-is, and to take away probably the best one at the park (Snoopy on ice is not that great)...

...it makes me sad on the inside. I hope they replace it with a new show or something. A ride in its place wouldn't be that great of an idea because although it's an amusement park... part of the 'amusement park experience' are the show offerings.

A "Nick" themed area would, however, be a good replacement for the kiddie section by maXair, however... that area just seems out-of-date and really could use some sprucing up.

I know for sure that they do not need any more kiddy rides. I've spent some time filling in at Gemini Children's area, and let me say that the area does not get a lot of riders sometimes. Even Camp Snoopy is lacking riders sometimes. Some circulars in Kiddy Kingdom usually have one ride op for two rides, with the ride op bouncing back and forth between each ride.

Hazz-Matt, your rant about Bearinstien Bear Country is funny. It's been Peanut's Playground for at least 10 years now.

I would love to see Kiddy kingdom totally redone. The whole thing stinks of the '70's.

...But I'll tell you all something you may not know about CP. They like to keep original colors and "themes" (term used very loosly in this context) so the rides and attractions look the same as the first year it opened. Even though it causes some attractions to look outdated, this helps with the nostalgia the park is trying to create.

Each ride's original color scheme and "theme" represents the era that it was built. It makes people realize that the park has been around for a long time and has grown slowly.

...And that is why we may never see kiddy Kingdom change.

...Or maybe you all already knew that.

Actually, the original kiddieland got a significant makeover, including the Kiddy Kingdom name and sign, circa 1981 with the installation of Kid Arthur's Court and later the little kiddie rapids ride. The ride selection hasn't changed much, but the overall look of the area changed. Then over the past few years all the fences got changed out, but that was a regulatory compliance thing.

Of course, the whole medieval thing kind of doesn't work anymore, since Kid Arthur's Court went away several years ago...

--Dave Althoff, Jr. (<-- Was 11 when KAC opened)

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dexter said:I'll tell you all something you may not know about CP. They like to keep original colors and "themes" (term used very loosly in this context) so the rides and attractions look the same as the first year it opened.

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Is that why Iron Dragon got painted to look almost identical to Dragster?

I actually like the Kiddie Kingdom. It's nice to see a kid's area that isn't in your face with flashing lights and really bold colors. I think that's why kids are so hyper now. The less stimulating areas could calm them down a little. :)

Well there are few exceptions (Like Gemini's newly painted and recolored station. Why wasn't it painted with a more modern color scheme?), but I still stand by what I say. Why do you think the signs in the parking lot are still 1970's orange and yellow? Each coaster represents a certain period of CP history.

I know this as fact. They try to keep original colors and themes, reason being they want to evoke memories and make people understand that the park has history. I don't know why they decided to recolor ID (it looks just awful).

I think the retheming of Kiddy Kingdom with Kid Arthur's Court was done before the park had such a design guideline. The guideline may not be in full force anymore either (ID), but other than cost, it is why we haven't seen total recoloring of old, outdated themes, with some exceptions.

*** Edited 5/21/2007 3:44:37 PM UTC by dexter***

You're absolutely right on the colors and station designs for the rides. Look at Raptor, for instance. If those colors and light poles don't scream early '90's, then I don't know what does. PLEASE DON'T CHANGE IT CP! Raptor's color scheme still happens to be my favorite in the park. I'd have to say Magnum's achitecture and colors would be second.

When I was told about this, I was in fact standing on Raptor's exit platform as an employee. I was waiting to ride with a whole group of other employees. (We were going to be "dead weight" on the ride because it was going to have to be stopped on the lift for a short period of time and they couldn't load guests but needed bodies in the train so it would make it back.)

...Anyways, it was taking a while for us to be loaded. Raptor was the first example given to me when hearing an explanation as to why the park chooses not to change outdated color schemes.

I just don't want to be one of those guys who sits here on CB and drops names. I was speaking to someone we all know of. We were having a conversation about the park and what was new. Gemini's new station paint job came up and I asked why they didn't change it to something more modern. I got a great reason that I thought I would share. This took place last year while I worked at the park.

If you go to the park with kids, you'll start to notice that the kiddie areas are really not all that bad. the kiddie kingdom area is both of my sons favorite because of the bright colors and the older rides.

They could definitly get rid of the snoopy theme though. My kids didn't even have a clue when snoopy came up to see them. We even went out and bought them a snoopy video for x-mas to help.

But the themeing and the area is really about the best in the park imo.

I thought Dave's timeline was a bit off when Kiddieland became Kiddie Kingdom. According to Pointbuzz's history section...

1993
• Cedar Point announces that it will expand Kiddieland and rename it Kiddy Kingdom. The area will have a new bumper boat ride and a medieval theme (January 20)

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Look at Raptor, for instance. If those colors and light poles don't scream early '90's, then I don't know what does.

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Yeah, it says loud and clear, "You cant touch this"

I actually think CP has plenty of kids rides now. There's only so much a little gal/guy can do. What more exactly would you want CP to have? The train, the boat, 2 big kids areas, lots of stuff in Soak City if they go there, 2 kids coasters...

Think of the parents. Cedar Point is also a chance for THEM to escape Dora and SpongeBob. As a new parent, I do not want them anywhere NEAR Cedar Point.

Kiddy Kingdom looks (and unfortunately, sounds) much the same as it did when I was 7 and now my 'baby' is 10.

Maybe it's just me...but the tears it brings to my eyes? Ain't from nostalgia!

-CO

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ShiveringTim said:1993
• Cedar Point announces that it will expand Kiddieland and rename it Kiddy Kingdom. The area will have a new bumper boat ride and a medieval theme (January 20)

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I really think that's wrong. Maybe 1983 is correct. I remember climbing on the ropes in Kid Arthur's Court when I was pretty young.

They already have a desent sized kid area. As for the now empty building I say dark ride. Or tare it down and get a huss top spin.

Even though Kid Arthur's Court opened in 1982, it wasn't until 1993 that Kiddieland was renamed Kiddy Kingdom.

Forget the kiddies, beachfront GCI!!!!

-Tambo