Cedar Point Removing WildCat

http://www.cedarpoint.com/celebration-plaza-expansion

Looks like WildCat is heading to the scrap yard. I will say it was the coaster I went on the least.

I understand that the location isn't ideal, but the coaster almost always had a decent line, and was a favorite of many (including me). I think there's going to be a lot of backlash, similar to BGW pulling out the Wolf (an all-ages ride without inversions that the young ones could take grandpa on)...

the coaster almost always had a decent line

In part because the capacity is miserable. True, it was a family-friendly coaster, but there are several others (Draggin' Iron, CCMR, Woodstock, etc.)

But, they are the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World"! It's not right!

Just another example of the "Disney-ification" of CP. Not good!

</sarcasm>

Based on the FB posts, this is not popular among the vocal minority. It doesn't bother me to see it go, but then again, I like progress.

Seems too close to the start of the season for news like this. Think this just got decided in the past few weeks?

I liked the Wild Cat but I rarely rode it because the line was so slow. Was there a more deceptive line in the park? You looked and would think it would be a 15 minute wait and get in line and it was 40 minutes.

Since Celebration Plaza was announced, I have found myself looking at this image a few times. I figured this was the final year anyway. I'm only surprised by the timing.

Not surprised at this announcement since I called it 3 weeks ago in another post. However, it does call into question the planning and execution of Luminosity and who is in charge of making critical decisions related to it. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know the plaza was WAY too small for this type of show that, my understanding is, was never intended to be as big as it has become today.

I had hoped with a new year and a new CEO we wouldn't be seeing silly mistakes like this yet there are still issues at the core of planning and execution at the park. Time to get your act together CP.

Ha ha. I don't know if it's really that dramatic. I am bummed about it being removed but understand why.

tambo said:

Based on the FB posts, this is not popular among the vocal minority. It doesn't bother me to see it go, but then again, I like progress.

They would receive the same backlash if they were to remove the Helicopters in Kiddy Kingdom. Most of those comments are down right ridiculous, especially the one that said they should have removed Corkscrew instead.

Brian Noble said:True, it was a family-friendly coaster, but there are several others (Draggin' Iron, CCMR, Woodstock, etc.)

I don't know if I would consider WildCat family-friendly, in the sense that it would not be a coaster I would let a younger child ride as one of their first rides. It has a lot of G's, and the ending is rather violent.

I am sad to see it go. My wide never understands why I want to ride it every time we are at CP, but its a fun little ride you don't find at big parks anymore.

I was eating lunch and thought to myself parks like Kennywood, Knoebels, etc. must get a nice chuckle out of the "end of service life" excuses corporate parks always use.

Count me amongst the disappointed and saddened. I loved Wildcat and almost never failed to give it a spin or two every time I visited the park. And honestly, for the last few years I've been looking suspiciously over my shoulder at it wondering just when this was gonna happen. I suppose it's labor intensive in a couple of ways, it's probably the most "manual" of the coasters there, and it has made the news occasionally for the wrong reasons as well.

The shame is we lose a ride that is becoming increasingly rare. Besides being a Schwartzkopf, it's the best model of a portable small steel coaster you can find. The Galaxies and Zyclons you see out there nowadays just don't compare.

I suppose the desire was to fit Luminosity into the most central area of the midway as possible, the goal seems to be to fill the the main drag with as much nighttime revelry as possible. All I see is a rotting hulk of an Oceana over there on the beach that might've made the ideal location for a big party.

This is strange timing indeed. Did I just this week receive printed material from Cedar Point bragging about 17 coasters? I'd better check...

They should ship it to a park that has not gotten anything new in a while. I think Michigan's Adventure would welcome the Wildcat. Or even better, how about the new Geauga Lake Amusement Park!!! Don't scrap a classic!!!

I would guess that, rather than deciding at the last minute to just eliminate Wildcat, management had anticipated this possibility from the beginning of the planning process and tried to do everything possible to be able to incorporate the new show and keep Wildcat. But, as it got closer to project completion, they finally realized that there was no feasible way to keep both, so they made the final decision.

mlnem4s said:

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know the plaza was WAY too small for this type of show that, my understanding is, was never intended to be as big as it has become today.

Really? Have you stood on that midway since they poured the stage and moved the control booths? I have, and I think it was adequate. The shape of the stage is such that you don't need to be in front of it to see it. The bypass along the back, under the control booth, was just as wide as the bypass for the old light shows on the Iron Dragon side.

There is another possibility here in that maybe something catastrophic happened with WIldcat while testing. For example, maybe the ride was testing this spring for an intended opening and something beyond normal repair to the ride failed (or maybe something was discovered in testing, such as metal fatigue, etc.). This problem may have prevented the ride from passing annual inspection, and therefore, being able to operate. It is an older ride, and parts may not readily be available for this type of ride.

Gemini said:

Since Celebration Plaza was announced, I have found myself looking at this image a few times. I figured this was the final year anyway. I'm only surprised by the timing.

Cedars is next!

While I remember this being a fun little coaster (it's been many years, so my memory is fuzzy), I find it a little entertaining just HOW worked up people are getting over this on the web. It's a shame it's going, but not worth quite the buzz it's getting in my opinion.

I've always loved Wildcat, whether it was a long wait or not. :) Walt definitely has a point, though. Then again I can only hope it will be relocated to another CF park.

Regardless of what happens, it will be missed!

-Tina