Cedar Point's Skyhawk shutdown after less than a day after debut

http://www.nbc4i.com/entertainment/9175686/detail.html

It happens. I noticed it earlier on the Cedar Point website, I didn't realize the park was open during the week until Raptor roared across the webcam.

Yeah, tell me about it. My brother-in-law, a resident of Tampa, visited Cedar Point for the first time with his two teenage daughters yesterday. He told me that Dragster was shut down and he did not get to play on the new swingset.

That being said, he said the park was better than any in Orlando (really, Columbo?).

I'll bet that with the news that Dragster is already having issues, AND that the swing set is broken down, will not help Cedar Point in its venture to boost admission. The perception has already been ingrained into people that it costs a lot of money to go there, and why go if big rides are broken down? (Pre-edit: This is not my thought necessarily, but I just heard it from my mother-in-law in her response to his visit and our pending visit this summer).

Yeah I went sunday and Dragster, Skyhawk and Maxair were closed for the time I was there. 11:30-3:30 or so. Funny that the three latest rides at CP were all closed... Oh well. *** Edited 5/9/2006 12:20:45 AM UTC by SteveWoA***

Funny how the media (Fox 8) here in Cleveland are saying that even though Skyhawk is closed, Top Thrill Dragster has run pretty consistant since opening day with only minor delays. Sure glad I went to Holiday World and Beech Bend this weekend. They didn't seem to have any problem with their new rides.

Well, Dragster running most of the time is basically true. People said it was down "all of the time" on Saturday, but every time I looked over it was running.

We got message on what happened up there so we could check our ride.

If that's all there is to it, it should be back up soon.

Plenty more to do up there.

Even with it being down I still see the big version popping up at the parks in the chain that do not have one -- that and I see the small version at DP being moved to MiA and then they get the big version next year as well as WOF. I wonder if KBF would "upgrade"?

If they're making money off the small versions, I don't see why they'd take them out.

The main reason CP bought the bigger version was capacity. If it's a smaller park, it would make more sense to go with the 32-seater for a lot less $$$.

Knott's version sits empty most of the time. I suspect it'll either be upgraded to a free attraction with larger capacity or removed.

Well maybe they can ship the pay-for-play smaller versions to GL and MiA and then KBF, WoF and DP could all get the larger versions next season. I'm sure buying in bulk is cheaper. :)

On the same page, I wonder if WWK/DP, OOF, and Soak City will receive Tornado Slides from ProSlide next year as well since they are the only water parks in the chain that don't have one... well I guess there is that other Soak City USA in Cali that doesn't have one as well. But still, a possibility.

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kpjb said:
We got message on what happened up there so we could check our ride.

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Comments like this further demonstrate that Senator Markey needs to go find another pet issue. One of his big talking points has always been that there needs to be more tracking, but this shows it already happens.

Swing Shot was down briefly on Saturday afternoon, but it opened back up quickly. I don't know if that was related to whatever happened with Cedar Point's, though.

^It could have been related. If VF was open and their's was down too then I would say most definitely, but since there is only two rides of that style open then it is hard to tell if the thing was related.

CP's might be broke down but Kennywoods version "Swing Shot" is up and running minus the few minutes it was down on Sunday because a little kid tossed their cookies...... For those who haven't rode it, It's fun makes you want to Pump your legs and go higher :)

After riding the Knott's version a year ago, my mom was talking to the operator (the one at the gate, not actually running the ride), apparently the ride was alwas intended as a temporary ride. This may be b.s., but he told her it was loaned (or at rented I suppose) from S&S, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was gone in a year or so.

*** Edited 5/9/2006 12:52:16 PM UTC by Willh51***

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ophthodoc said:
I'll bet that with the news that Dragster is already having issues, AND that the swing set is broken down, will not help Cedar Point in its venture to boost admission. The perception has already been ingrained into people that it costs a lot of money to go there, and why go if big rides are broken down? (Pre-edit: This is not my thought necessarily, but I just heard it from my mother-in-law in her response to his visit and our pending visit this summer).

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Actually, the construction that has started for '07. That's what's keeping me away this year.

For what it is, upcharging the smaller version due to the low capacity SEEMS to be a losing proposition...space in a park that isn't MAKING money is, in effect, losing money. Even as a free attraction at WA, the line never seemed to get above 20 people, a wait of less than 10 minutes...

Worst part about Knott's SS? The blasted microphone!

edit: I'd wager heavily that the shutdowns WERE related...anyone remember the Chance Chaos? Parks DO talk, their livelihood depends on it. Of course, having "grandstanding" legislation to force parks to do what they ALREADY do out of self-interest......that's a valuable use of taxpayer dollars...NOT!

*** Edited 5/9/2006 2:22:39 PM UTC by rollergator***

That KBF spot would be a nice spot for flyers as I said a while back (right Moosh?) or a replacement for the haunted gold mine. This time, they could install a Sally dark ride. :)

By the way, kpjb, did the park call you, or the manufacturer?

A part has been ordered for Skyhawk, and it should be up within a week.

Pretty sad when a park needs to order a part for a ride in its first week of operation in order to keep it running.