Cedar Point announces Shoot The Rapids for 2010
Posted
[Ed. note: The following is an unedited press release. -J]
Grab your paddles and climb aboard the newest river-ride adventure this side of the Appalachians! Shoot the Rapids, an all-new family water ride, will rise above Cedar Point’s rustic Frontier Trail when it makes a splash on Opening Day 2010.
During the 2,100-foot-long journey, adventurers will travel through a wooded area and around an illegal still used for brewing sweet-tasting elixir, all while encountering surprise water elements and special effects. Guests will navigate the waters aboard a 10-passenger boat. Riders will be seated in five rows of two and will be secured by individual over-the-head lap bars.
The excitement builds when the boats ascend one of two lift hills. The first and largest hill will be 85 feet tall and will drop riders down onto Millennium Island at a 45-degree angle. The second hill will be 49 feet tall and will end with a dramatic “shoot” through water rapids and rockwork.
Guests on the Frontier Trail can keep their feet planted on dry land and watch as riders complete their wet and wild trek down the final drop.
“Shoot the Rapids will instantly become a family favorite,” said John Hildebrandt, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Our guests wanted another option to cool off on warm summer days. We listened, and Shoot the Rapids will deliver the perfect combination of refreshment, thrills and new memories at Cedar Point.”
Shoot the Rapids will cost more than $10.5 million to build and will be the most expensive water ride ever built at Cedar Point. It will have a capacity of approximately 1,200 riders per hour. The ride will last three minutes. A rider height requirement has not yet been determined and will be released at a later date. The ride was designed and manufactured by IntaRide LLC of Glen Burnie, Md., the same company that built the Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force roller coasters and the Thunder Canyon river-rafting ride.
Visit the official Cedar Point site.
Related parks
Then I ask again, if you don't have a problem with the ride, then how can you have a problem with the way they announced it?
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
djDaemon said:
Still, though, you're the only one responsible for being misled. Its not like they put out a press release stating they were going to build a coaster.
See THAT would have been really funny!
I'm sheriff of this here rollercoaster.
Looks like a pretty darn cool flume to me. My two real concerns are the soakness factor, and assuming that they do dial down the effects in May, Sept and October Im all for it and the fact that its another Intamin. If this thing opens on opening day Ill ride it, no matter how cold it is but my bet is that we will be lucky to see this thing operating by Memorial Day. Name me one Intamin attraction that has opened on time since 2000. There may be one out there, but I cant think of one.
Carrie M. said:
I guess I'm not really understanding the significance of being misled in the first place... especially from folks who keep indicating they have no problem with the ride that was announced. If you were fooled in a playful way and ended up getting a ride you are ok with, then what's the problem?
I think the only reason I went down this path with my initial post was that some people on here (not me) were disappointed in this announcement, and others were giving them a hard time and accusing them of just whining and complaining and building up their own unreasonable expectations. The problem was that I did not think that was quite fair, as a "reasonable" person could have been led (or misled) to believe a coaster "might" be coming due to the way it was teased by Cedar Point (many here have stated that that was exactly what they were trying to do - have fun at the expense of some of their audience). That's all I was trying to say.
Carrie M. said:
Then I ask again, if you don't have a problem with the ride, then how can you have a problem with the way they announced it?
Personally, I don't have any issue with the way they announced it and never said I did (others may have). My concern was with people on here who were criticizing those who did think this might be a coaster - I did not quite think that was fair to them. You can't fault someone for thinking this could be a coaster when the park marketing was trying to fool them into thinking that. The park did nothing wrong - their job was to market their product and they did so.
They didn't have a water ride on their poll, and everything they posted online made it look like it would be a coaster. They announced it after two big rides and usually the best is saved for last. Also, they are known for big rides. So based on all of that I along with other people thought it would be something big. It's just annoying when a company builds you up for something then gives you something else. I think they should have handled the anouncement differently.
I mean the build up to the announcement.
Da Bears
It's not with the announcement itself or the fact that not a coaster. It's with the build up before it. They just could have managed expectations better IMO.
BDesvignes said:
They didn't have a water ride on their poll, and everything they posted online made it look like it would be a coaster. They announced it after two big rides and usually the best is saved for last. Also, they are known for big rides. So based on all of that I along with other people thought it would be something big. It's just annoying when a company builds you up for something then gives you something else. I think they should have handled the anouncement differently.
When I read that, it sounds to me like you got played in every conceivable way. You bought into it and now you're pissed.
I suppose it's a matter of perspective because nothing they posted made me think it was going to be a roller coaster. Couple that with the discussion around here and how anyone who reads this site thought it was a going to be a roller coaster is beyond me.
Its Cedar Point, everyone expects every new attraction to be a coaster, and when it isnt people get pissed no matter what the park does. Im thrilled the park is getting a flume. I also really hope a dark ride goes in next before another coaster.
eightdotthree said:
If their mission was to over hype an average attraction then yeah, they did a fine job in my opinion.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around what "over hype" is. If you're a marketer, I'm not sure there is such a thing. I mean, if you can sell a pile of rubber dog crap as the crown jewels, that's some pretty good marketing (not suggesting this case is quite of that quality difference ;)). And if you can do it via means that cost you almost nothing, even better.
Jeff - Editor - CoasterBuzz.com - My Blog
BDesvignes, Ha ha, I forgot about the poll. Family ride isn't even an option.
Jeff said:
I'm still trying to wrap my head around what "over hype" is. If you're a marketer, I'm not sure there is such a thing.
You remember when Apple announced iPod socks and the HiFi?
mdb, I understand. You don't really have a problem with the announcement, marketing, or the ride itself. You have an issue with the way people were seemingly being criticized unjustly for drawing the wrong conclusion about what the ride would be. That makes sense to me and I appreciate your willingness to explain.
BD, I really don't understand where you are coming from. You seem to clearly have an issue with the way the announcement was marketed because the ride didn't meet the measure.
The problem is, though, (at least in my mind) that they weren't marketing the ride yet with all of those posts. They were marketing the announcement. There's a difference.
They did an excellent job of stirring up interest in the announcement itself. That's what they were supposed to have done. Now, and only now, does the marketing for the ride itself begin.
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
I'm still trying to wrap my head around what "over hype" is.
The Segway is a good example of over-hype.
Da Bears
It's a good ride for Frontier Trail and I just can't see a flume fitting in any other section of the park. The rustic theming of Shoot the Rapids fits Frontier Land perfectly. Kinzel's klan has been trying to bring more visitors to the back the last three rides added are in Frontier Land. Not going to lie, I was totally bummed yesterday, but I've realized that it just makes sense. They make plans for rides years in advance. It's not like they just figured out at the last minute that they were putting a flume in. They probably made that decision before White Water Landing was removed. Another coaster will come, and Cedar Point is not running out of land as so many say. It's a 364 acre park which is a lot bigger than most. Rides get replaced at every park. Something will probably get pulled for the next coaster and it's announcement will be here within a year.
Carrie M. said:
BD, I really don't understand where you are coming from. You seem to clearly have an issue with the way the announcement was marketed because the ride didn't meet the measure.
The problem is, though, (at least in my mind) that they weren't marketing the ride yet with all of those posts. They were marketing the announcement. There's a difference.
They did an excellent job of stirring up interest in the announcement itself. That's what they were supposed to have done. Now, and only now, does the marketing for the ride itself begin.
Yes but they marketed the announcement to be something else and didn't meet expectations. I think that a park known for big rides should manage expectations when they aren't anouncing a big ride. I'm not going to boycott the park or go there less because of this. I'm just a little miffed.
Da Bears
Lord Gonchar said:
New PointCast - Shoot The RapidsNothing is more awesome than 1:13. :)
PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Tony, Tony, Tony : )
BDesvignes said:The Segway is a good example of over-hype.
Good one!
Carrie M. said:
They did an excellent job of stirring up interest in the announcement itself. That's what they were supposed to have done.
They did, they stirred up excitement for something really big. Then they announced "joe log flume."
eightdotthree said:
They did, they stirred up excitement for something really big. Then they announced "joe log flume."
Did they really stir up excitement for something really big...
...or did they just stir up excitement?
BDesvignes said:
Yes but they marketed the announcement to be something else and didn't meet expectations. I think that a park known for big rides should manage expectations when they aren't anouncing a big ride. I'm not going to boycott the park or go there less because of this. I'm just a little miffed.
They didn't market the announcement to be anything other than an announcement. I think that's what Gonch is saying in his post, too. They didn't stir up excitement in anything specific. They were just playing around in the interest of getting people talking.
And as far as meeting expectations, they have surveys that suggest that the majority of their guests wanted a log flume. They met their expectations.
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." --- Benjamin Franklin
I hope that Magic Mountain builds a sligtly bigger flume the year after and starts a whole round of cross-country flume wars. ;)
- Eric, pround member of Flumebuzz.com. ;)
Anyway, since everyone really is complaining about this, I'll add mine. I kind of like the conveyor belt lifts on the old style flumes. Those loud anti-rollbacks are cool: Duck duck duck duck.....
Closed topic.
