Cedar Point announces Wicked Twister will close in September

My 11-year-old daughter got to ride this for the first time just last month, and she took this news really hard. Like, sobbing.

Aw man, that's a bummer...sorry to hear. I was about to reply that I never got to ride it but I'm not at all disappointed that I never will...but out of respect for your daughter, I won't do that.

I appreciate your restraint.

I look for more ride removals without replacement in their parks given their bad financial status. Their parks are overcrowded and yet they remove rides. Cedar Fair is becoming a bad experience but one gets what one pays for.

I'm trying to figure out what they gain by doing this. They don't lose much; the ride is low capacity, has a spotty operating schedule, does not appear to be very popular (is this because it isn't popular, or because it is donnikered?) and is quite possibly the least accommodating ride in the park.

But its entire footprint lies outside the boundaries of the park, and almost all of the ride is fronted by other attractions (Giant Wheel, Tiki Twirl, GateKeeper). The only thing Cedar Point gains by removing this ride is the ability to fill some space along the Boredwalk.

I think this is almost entirely about what some other park is going to get next season.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

It may not be what they gain but what they lose. I imagine they will lose one of the most expensive roller coasters in the park to operate that the majority of guests are largely indifferent about. I remember several years ago at a Winter Chill Out when they talked about how expensive each Dragster launch is. The difference there is that almost 20 years later, Dragster is still a huge guest satisfaction winner for the park (when it's open) and still packs the bleachers for spectators. Meanwhile, Wicked Twister was a filler coaster Kinzel likely built to get the coaster count higher and to have a bigger version of what was then a truly unique and innovative coaster down the road at Worlds of Adventure.

I did mention to a friend earlier today that I'm at the age (and the internet is at the age) now where parks are removing coasters and attractions that I'm old enough to remember being built as a geeky teenager on the internet.

I had much love for Wicked Twister when it opened. Looking down into the spiral from the back seat after the second backward launch was quite the unique view. With that being said I haven't been on the ride in over 10 years.

super7* said:

I look for more ride removals without replacement in their parks given their bad financial status. Their parks are overcrowded and yet they remove rides. Cedar Fair is becoming a bad experience but one gets what one pays for.

Let's be honest, Wicked Twister was doing very little to ease Cedar Point's crowding. Even if it was more popular than it has been, it never had the capacity to really make much of a difference.

Although they certainly did themselves no favors by shortening the belts for seemingly no reason. Hard to be sad about a ride leaving that I had little chance of ever being able to ride again entirely because of their own arbitrary decision-making.

My prediction. With all of the latest efforts on the beach, entertainment, etc, they will move the stage from the awkward location in front of Draggin Iron and make this midway the evening party midway.

That would make sense. Better area for it.

More or less what Brett said. Removing Wicked Twister is not exactly going to put a dent in how crowded the park feels on a given day; especially relative to when Gatekeeper, Steel Vengeance, etc. are not functioning.

I'll miss it, and condolences to your daughter, Chris.

I get what you're saying, Dave, but they've worked really hard to clean up the whole beach view, if you will; getting rid of the warehouse (DT), removing the eyesore of a stadium. Wicked Twister really opens it up combined with that green space they used for the Fire and Ice show in recent years (now a VIP area).

A few random thoughts:

-This thing has to be near end of service life… Weren’t they reinforcing with extra supports/welding it at year 2? The one at Dorney is rumored on the chopping block too. If that’s the case, this makes me fear for Dragster.

-Kind of a glossy marketing piece for just a ride removal. With a bit of hype too… This isn’t how they announced the removal of Vortex.

-Then again, 4:30 on a Friday is trying to bury the lead.

-If they weren’t replacing it with something that required construction. Why not run it thru busy Halloweekends? ...Maybe staffing.

-The video shows two different times a specific page out of that 150th glossy book they sell. Both times she is pointing to the sidebar. That specific page of the book references 18 roller coasters. It also tell the story of a kid going from PA to OH… GCI? Remember the twister on the beach rumors that was as old as Mantis being converted... I can dream about a Mystic Timbers esque ride.

Either way, I’m glad I got one last ride on Wicked Twister earlier this summer.

Kstr 737 said:

-Then again, 4:30 on a Friday is trying to bury the lead.

I don't think removing Wicked Twister is a story they are trying to bury the lead on. How many people in Northeast Ohio could even tell you what Wicked Twister is? Heck, my dad has been on the ride and couldn't tell you what it was if it came on the news.

this makes me fear for Dragster.

Dragster provides a ROI that makes the money spent to increase service life worth it. Wicked Twister does not. Same reason why so many Arrow loopers aren't around but a ride like Magnum gets the love it needs to extend the service life.

It should have been Magnum.

But seriously, as mentioned above this is most certainly for a 'beach' expansion of sorts. I am sure whatever the park has in works will be great. I liked WT, but rode it once every few years at best. So no real loss (for me!).

I'm sure I'm among the minority here, but for me Wicked Twister was one of my favourite coasters at Cedar Point – and I genuinely mean that. I really enjoy the sensations, and will be sorry to see it go.

I agree it doesn’t make much of a dent in your total park capacity, but it’s one less good ride you can get on if the park is slammed. There has been some awful operations on some of the “B list” rides this year, but WT has actually managed good capacity for a shuttle this year and has a great crew (hell, their 3 minute intervals better than your average Gemini 4-5 minute intervals this year)

The launch is solid and I’ve always felt the 2nd pass back in the back seats is still one of the best elements/ moments in the park. Quirky yes, but I’ll be sad to see it go.

RideMan said:

I think this is almost entirely about what some other park is going to get next season.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

But Dorney already has an impulse.

Maybe Michigan's Adventure? They haven't had a new coaster since Thunderhawk in 2008, unless you count the kiddie coaster they got this year. Maybe Worlds of Adventure? They haven't had a new coaster since Prowler in 2009.

The kiddie coaster at Michigan's Adventure wasn't even new. Just relocated within the park and painted I think.

I'm not sure whether the September 6 closing is an indication that they want to get it somewhere else to be installed by a certain date or possibly just that they know staffing is going to be tough for weekends and it might not have been operating anyway. I'd like to see it at Michigan's Adventure. My daughter just hit 48" and was sad when she realized she wouldn't get to ride it. Maybe she will after all if it goes elsewhere.