Cedar Point's Blog is teasing us!
How about they learned their lesson with Dragster and don't have a launched coaster to propel the train up that high? A cable lift up to 500 feet wouldn't have any more problems than it did up to 300 feet. Maybe they use a more reliable form of launching to those speeds. Maybe they don't launch to the max speed all at once.
It's not a valid comparison because you are claiming that the rides as a whole have problems, yet the only problems I know of (aside from SD2K's freak wheel failure) stem from their propulsion systems. Structurally we haven't seen any problems. The wheels of the Intamin coasters seem to hold up to the hear generated at those speeds.
You can't tell me that the only reason for MF's long line was because of poor capacity. Prior to it being built, Magnum had a steady 1-1.5 hour line a full 10 years after it's construction. Since 2000 that line doesn't get larger than 30-45 minutes. I wonder where all of those people ended up...
Thom25 said:
Ok, my turn to chime in (sorry).
6)Reliability? You are kidding right - there are 4 rides world wide over 310 feet one is SBNO and 2 are rockets - poor comparison imo.
7)Capacity - the lines for Magnum and MF their first two years of operation were 4 hours - come on - a 500 footer WILL bring the crowds.
The number 4 rides over 310' is incorrect.
MF has a capacity of 1296 rider per hour while TTD has had many up to 1150 riders per hour. How can you compare that to Raptor and Magnum which both have a much higher capacity?
CPgenius said:
Your arguments are poor.How about they learned their lesson with Dragster and don't have a launched coaster to propel the train up that high? A cable lift up to 500 feet wouldn't have any more problems than it did up to 300 feet. Maybe they use a more reliable form of launching to those speeds. Maybe they don't launch to the max speed all at once.
Your argument is poor also. Cedar Point learned when a $5 million launch system isn't enough. Scaling up from Xcelerator to TTD's hydraulic launch system made a world of difference in reliability. How can you conclusively state that the same won't hold true for Intamin's cable winch system from 310' to over 500'?
Name one launch that is both reliable and can be effectively applied to a launch system in a small plot of land. Other than hydraulic, there is pneumatic which is proprietary, low capacity and unrelaible at high speeds too. Linear electro-magnetic launch systems do not at this time have adaquate power capabilities. The others simply don't stand a chance at launching much weight very fast.
CPgenius said:
You can't tell me that the only reason for MF's long line was because of poor capacity. Prior to it being built, Magnum had a steady 1-1.5 hour line a full 10 years after it's construction. Since 2000 that line doesn't get larger than 30-45 minutes. I wonder where all of those people ended up...
What is your point? Magnum handles more than 600 riders per hour than Millennium Force when Millennium Force is actually hitting interval which rarely happens. If the number you stated were actually true, then they show that MF's popularity is going down much faster than Magnum's did..
The evolution of launch power (Xcelerator to TTD) I believe is different than adding exta cable to go from 310 to 500 - I think a cable lift would be just as reliable on Maverick as it is on MF.
And finally, just because the two 400 footers are "one trick ponys" doesn't mean the next coaster to beat the height record will be - we all know it's a function of money and space, which CP has a ton of.
Learning that the new "X" will be taller than the one at SFMM, leads me to think Maverick could be a 4D (don't know) - if it is that would be one GREAT addition to CP's line-up if it works reliably.
It's impossible to predict, and fun to speculate.
Tom
You have disturbed the forbidden temple, now-you-will-pay!!!
Olsor said:
But Psycho, if it's "clearly a money issue," then why is Cedar Point reducing the price of admission? You undercut your own argument.
If you knew something about economics there is an optimal point when items are priced in comparison to sold that makes the most money. IE if they drop the price 5 bucks and see a normal attendance jump of x amount of people, those x ammount of people will more than make up for the lost price at the 5 bucks in attendance lost. Now that the amount of the gate prices are the same, these new guests will still buy things.
CP isn't losing crap dropping attendance. Kinzel knows what he is doing. They have more than likely have had price vs attendance studies done and realize that they will make more money overall in the park.
Also, I never said I beleive they are building a 500 ft coaster so don't go on a high horse about how you are a coaster enthusiest legend etc etc etc. Also, why would Jeff comment on this thread when he knows whats going up? I mean he is just sitting back and laughing. I personally love speculation of whats going to be next. I mean isn't that the fun of it all? I mean clearly of a message board of thousands of people only a few actually have connections enough to know. EVERYONE else is just speculation, whether it is reasonable or unreasonable.
People didn't think that a 200, 300, 400 would be built. They were. But I won't be nieve enough to say that their next coaster will be 500 feet. Theres a ton of things I can see going in there. Flyer, 4d, Dive Machine etc etc... I don't think a 500 foot would unreasonable as some people think. But Im am DEF. not betting any money on that.
After all I never said that they were building a 500 ft. I just said it wasn't unrealistic as many think, and it wouldn't have near as many problems as dragster. After all launching something places way more pressure on a ride than the traditional lift. Less shock and strain. Also, a ride that size would probably be able to use an additional train.
And clearly im not a janitor or ride op so don't have the inside connections :( lol..
Personally I would love to see a nice woodie, or dive machine.
I would wet my pants if it was a 500 hundred foot coaster. Whoever says they wouldn't be excited to ride something like that is full of crap, will more than likely be the first ones to be in line.
Also, don't take any of my posts as a personal attack, or any attack at all.
Man I can't wait!
LdScotsman said:
CP found John Miller's lost plans for a 300 foot wooden inverted 4D coaster and has hired Knoebels in house construction crew to build it for them. A high-ranking CP official told me this as well as their plans to re-theme Camp Snoopy into Camp Dilbert.
Your on some (bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep).....
PsychoMonkey61 said:I would wet my pants if it was a 500 hundred foot coaster. Whoever says they wouldn't be excited to ride something like that is full of crap, will more than likely be the first ones to be in line.
Actually there are a few vocal people here that really would not be excited by a ride like that. The problem is that they don't realize they are the wierd ones.
You have disturbed the forbidden temple, now-you-will-pay!!!
If Dragster wasn't enough to get me to fly from Los Angeles to Sandusky certainly a 500-footer won't. I have not been to CP since Millie opened and nothing they've built since rocks my world. Count me in as one of the "few vocal people" who would rather see a new themed area with a new flume, some flats, and a mid-sized wooden coaster. THAT would be something I'd make the trip for!
Mamoosh said:If Dragster wasn't enough to get me to fly from Los Angeles to Sandusky certainly a 500-footer won't. I have not been to CP since Millie opened and nothing they've built since rocks my world. Count me in as one of the "few vocal people" who would rather see a new themed area with a new flume, some flats, and a mid-sized wooden coaster. THAT would be something I'd make the trip for!
You said it brother. I have no desire to ever ride TTD, Kingda Ka or Millennium Force ever again. I've done it, and it was fun. But these rides don't have the lasting appeal of coasters like Raven, Legend or even Raptor imo. Yeah they're big and they garner lots of attention, so what? It's just boring are unimaginative imo.
I like your idea of a new themed area with all sorts of rides. That would keep me coming back again and again, rather than just once(if that) to see what all the 500ft hoopla is all about. CP still doesn't have a kids section worth squat, and without that, my family would rather go to PKI.
Parks like CP and SFMM have become less about adventure and wonder, and more about being giant coaster cess pools.
*** Edited 3/9/2006 6:40:01 AM UTC by DWeaver*** *** Edited 3/9/2006 6:49:48 AM UTC by DWeaver*** *** Edited 3/9/2006 6:50:32 AM UTC by DWeaver***
CP has gone big with their coasters for the last 3 installations. If they were to do anything less, I feel that the regulars would be somewhat disappointed in the park. I would be willing to bet that those of you across the country who want a whole new themed area to get you to come back, are in the smallest of minorities compared to those that would flock to the park to ride another behemoth with an actual layout.
Cedar Point isn't trying to draw people in from that far away anyway, are they? I mean, that would contradict the long argued point that CP and SFMM are not, and never were in competition with each other. ;)
You must be logged in to post
