Cedar Point announces Gatekeeper, a B&M wing roller coaster, for 2013

I dunno, Neuski, but the on-ride shows such a freakin near miss with the structure back there that I'm ok with it!
I can't wait for this ride, I think it's the best thing we've seen from CP in a long time.

Yeah. At first I thought that the return over the park entrance should have gone through some keyholes too, but the near misses there as seen in the videos look really cool.

And speaking of the videos... WOW! The animation looks really really great!

I am somewhat amused by the several comments about having seperate load/unload stations. People view it so simplistically, they don't take into account the additional costs of building an extra station, the daily fixed operational costs, the engineer and programming costs, etc. Do people have so little confidence in Cedar Point these days to not know what is going to be best operationally for this coaster?

Now that this is announced, I suppose it is ok to talk about the fact that this original place-holder contract with B&M was meant for the installation of another Leviathan-type coaster at a West Coast park and was cancelled, thus becoming Cedar Point's baby. I am kind of fascinated by what plans "Team Ouimet" might be brewing for competing with Disney on the West Coast!

mlnem4s said:

I am somewhat amused by the several comments about having seperate load/unload stations. People view it so simplistically, they don't take into account the additional costs of building an extra station, the daily fixed operational costs, the engineer and programming costs, etc. Do people have so little confidence in Cedar Point these days to not know what is going to be best operationally for this coaster?

As with any new product, those considerations are made and some are often compromised to keep costs down. Other features/functions that aren't necessary (but might be more attractive to the customer) are often included, but drive the cost up. It's a give and take process until a final product is reached. My confidence in Cedar Point knowing whatever is irrelevant to the questions I had about a dual station.

Besides, I mentioned both cost and space limitation as prohibitive factors...but maybe my comment wasn't included in the ones that amused you.

Vater, I actually was reading through some of the negative-nellie comments on other sites which I guess I should have been more clear that I was refering to those. Some of them are amusing in that I suspect it is kids just discovering their passion for theme parks and rollercoasters...I give them some slack. Others you can tell are clearly written by adults who simply need to get a life (or Prozac.)

I am kind of fascinated by what plans "Team Ouimet" might be brewing for competing with Disney on the West Coast!

You know, the Disneyland fanboys are already finding KBF to be on the upswing, despite the background music in certain sections of the park. For example:

http://micechat.com/8519-knotts-food/

CoasterDaddy said:

I have not ridden any wing riders yet so for those who have , how are the restraints and will Gatekeeper have the same ones?

I liked the restraints on Wild Eagle, and wish Intamin would have done something similar for Maverick, et al. The over-the-shoulder part on Maverick (as I understand it) isn't intended to actually keep a person "in" the ride, but rather to restrict intentional arm/body movement.

Wild Eagle's OTSR's go out at an angle rather than straight down -- fulfilling the purpose of restricting arm movement without the threat of head/neck-banging. Photo here.

(Edit: In that photo you'll also see a piece that wraps in front of the rider's left leg on the inside seat. IIRC those are only on the front row, and are kind of annoying on a ride where you're apt to swing your legs.)

I did learn, however, to push forward on the restraint while on the lift; otherwise it would lock down unnecessarily tight. My re-rides were much more comfortable and free-feeling when I did that.

@Brian, isn't it interesting how Team Ouimet is using specific individual parks as testing grounds for the rest of the chain? Last year it was Kings Island developing/testing FastLane (aren't they the test park for FunPerks this year?), now it seems Knott's is the focus park for reinventing the food experience. Both GM's seem to be falling under Ouimet's "development" wings for greater roles in the company and I am incredibly excited to see this type of leadership finally at Cedar Fair.

The rest of the announcements for 2013 are going to be interesting, though we know a few there could be a few surprises thrown in too!

I'm not convinced that it's necessarily a push from the top as much as it is that people around the company are now empowered to do as they see fit. When you trust people to do the right thing, and give them the room to do so, I think they will consistently surprise you.

My pick for name was Vulture. Intimidating bird, plus one of Snoopy's best impersonations is the vulture.

GateKeeper's ok. When I hear it I think of Ghostbusters with the Key Master and Gate Keeper meeting.

First hill already making me queasy, can't wait!

Is it me, or does anyone else picture the large inflatable Staypuff standing above the entrance between the tall columns? :)

The one thing on my wishlist for the new ride didn't happen. I was hoping for the ride to BELOW the entrance as well as above. Would have been cool to walk over big sections of plexiglass with the train roaring underneath!

Don't cross the streams.

I couldn't help it, it just popped in there!

Should have some sort of sweepstakes where 32 Keymasters get the first ride.

I am interested as to what Knotts is gonna do with PP's spot since its leaving. I hope all the parks get better food now that Dick is Done.

I'm not convinced that it's necessarily a push from the top as much as it is that people around the company are now empowered to do as they see fit. 

That's my guess, too. It's easy to assume that it has to come from on high, because that's how it always was done in the past. But, based only on reading some interviews with individual GMs, it really does seem as though they are more independent entrepreneurs than loyal soldiers.

It was hard to tell at the presentation, because it was such a large throng and I was a non-credentialed nobody at the periphery, but I didn't notice Mr. Ouimet as being present at the event. Which, if that was the case, speaks volumes about his perspective not only on empowering park management to determine the future course of the park, but also on letting them receive the primary credit and acknowledgement for undertakings such as this.

Neither did I spot Dick, which, even though I wouldn't have begrudged him coming and half expected to see him there, was very appropriate.

RollerCoasterGod said:

I REALLY like everything about this coaster except I don't understand one thing: Why have a mid course brake practically at the end of the ride? Most mid course breaks have quite a few elements after them. This almost seems like an ending break run. This ride has the mid course break, then does a 360 spin, small turn and then final breaks? Just seems like an odd placement.

You know, I watched that video, and I thought, "Hmmm...it looks like it peters out at the end a la Great Bear. I hope that is not the case".

I don't really care for the name, either, unless it would be in direct relation to Ghostbusters, but then I like the name Zuul better.

Ensign Smith said:

It was hard to tell at the presentation, because it was such a large throng and I was a non-credentialed nobody at the periphery, but I didn't notice Mr. Ouimet as being present at the event.

It's my understanding that he's only there a couple of days a week, if that. I guess he travels quite a bit to do chief executive stuff.

bunky: Interesting comparison. Looked both of them up, and was mystified. I don't understand how GK (4100' long, 170' tall) can have a ride duration 15 seconds shorter than GB (2800' long, 90' tall). Just the much longer chain lift ought to make the former significantly longer lasting than the latter.

Jeff: are you suggesting that Mr. Ouimet is the chief executive of a whole chain of amusement parks spread across the continent, and not merely the overseer/overlord of one property two hundred feet from his house?

I'm astounded.