Coaster Battle? Going too Far?

CpThrills said
"I mean us enthusiasts will ride anything. The GP will only go so far before they start asking questions about being safe."

I tend to disagree with that statement. To me, X looks like a pretty crazy ride that would scare away a lot of people. However, I read in other threads that the wait at times was approacing 5 hours. Granted it may not be a full capacity, but that still is a very long line. Personally, I would have no second thought about riding X, but I think that more people feel that way instead of being scared.

Sure, the parks aren't in direct competition in terms of money or park visitors, but I definitely think that both CP and SFMM want to have the most coasters. How else can you explain both parks continually opening new coasters each year. It's almost like their dueling in a sense (think about Goliath and then Millennium Force).

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06/11/02
Photos from Six Flags Worlds Of Adventure were added plus some other small updates:
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme2/rollercoaster2/index.html

rctthemepark36, you could not be more wrong. This "most coasters" thing is a marketing tool used to get more people thru the gate. If you have the most, your going to advertise it, but decisions to build 14-15 million dollars investment require more reasoning than, "we want the most". That's a very weak selling point to investors.

When SFMM made the decision to add a new marketing wrinkle to their arsenal, it didn't matter if timbuctoo had the most coasters, they needed it to go up against the new So-Cal park, DCA. It had nothing to do with Cedar Point, trust me, I do this for a living.

When Japan builds the world's largest, fastest coasters, are they competing with Cedar Point too? I don't think so...

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

I think that the competition between CP and SFMM is a friendly competition like two mayors of rival football cities having a bet. CP never bad mouth's other parks. Neither does SFWOA or Kennywood. I would suspect that SFMM does not bad mouth other parks either. They just hype up what they have and try to draw in the local public. How many people really travel from Ohio to go to SFMM or California to CP.

Another idea is the winner of the bragging rights gets a lot of free air time from shows like Discovery and Travel Cannel. Discovery had a whole hour on CP. This really draws in the crowds from areas a few hours drive away.

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The worst day at Cedar Point is better than the best day at work.

Neither does SFWOA? Have you seen or heard their commercials this season? "Six Flags is way better than Cedar Point" is a direct quote I believe.

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Welcome "aboard" Wicked Twister. Please keep your hands and arms inside the midway at all times.

Both parks have a great coaster collection. But sorry guys, I'm going to have to say that Goliath Jr WAS in fact a cheap shot to get 15 coasters. No offense to Six Flags or MM, but I just think it's true, considering they just built a kiddy coaster just a few years before.

We weren't even close, sorry. I don't mean to be difficult but your not hearing what I'm saying. Marketing is NOT park specific. In other words, Cedar Point does not make decisions based on what Magic Mountain does. Marketing is a TOTALLY different animal that is played to the media. It has nothing to do with lashing out at a park 2,000 plus miles away.

Otherwise their slogan would be, "we have more coasters than Magic Mountain". Thing about that for a moment, wouldn't most people say, "Magic who"? Parks wants bragging rights no matter who owns them, it's not a competition between specific parks, unless they affect the park's bottomline.

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

While the parks clearly don't compete for guests or revenue, it's obvious they are competing for the "Most Coasters" record. It's a great record to have that's sure to lure in visitors or perhaps persuade a family that can't decide to traveling to CP or SFMM.

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.:| Brandon Rodriguez |:.
http://www.coasters2k.com

I'll say it again till I'm blue in the face.......Cedar Point is only in competition with that other Six Flags park down the road.

Outkast, once again, I have absolutely no idea where your coming from. Both of the parks want to have the most coasters to use as a marketing tool. Not once did in my post did I say anything about it being park specific. End of story.

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"Just dream about it, pulling up to Cedar Point and seeing a 650 ft. tall coaster! "

I think the G-Forces would kill you..or you would be seriously brain damaged...

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http://www.thegrooveplace.com

CoasterMom, not really. Read the CP Wildcat vs. The Force paragraph in Jeff's Ed Markey editorial.

Anyway, these records are overrated and don't mean squat to enthusiasts; Holiday World seems to do fine without the most coasters, they actually go for *gasp* the best quality park and wood coaster experience.

Family parks set the example, not the bigger themer chains.

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Off with the trims!
My fellow Americans; Let's Roll!
Woodencoaster.com

Mamoosh said:

I live in LA. I just got back from my SRM trip where I visited Cedar Point. Without fail, every time someone asks me what parks I visited and I mention CP they ask "Where's that?"
EXACTLY!! When my friend and I were out on our California coaster exodus in 2001, we talked to a few SoCal people who had no clue what Cedar Point was. This so called "coaster war" is an enthusiast driven thing. The GP could care less.
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SFWoA: An Unofficial Guide
http://sfohio.tripod.com

I think that this battle is going to far being evident that CP wont demolish Corkscrew and SF wont destroy Flashback. Both of these rides are unpopular and often painful to ride. CP also might need to demolish a few of their older coasters to make room for a newer breed of coasters.

Both parks have a great coaster collection. But sorry guys, I'm going to have to say that Goliath Jr WAS in fact a cheap shot to get 15 coasters. No offense to Six Flags or MM, but I just think it's true, considering they just built a kiddy coaster just a few years before.

But CP put in Woodstock Express in 99. What was that if Goliath Jr was a cheap shot?

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The Beast and Night, They go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

I think they had the record, and weren't trying to tie with SFMM. But both parks need to cater to all different age riders, so they have to put small coasters in as well to.

The only guests CP & SFMM "compete" for are us the coaster enthusiasts and each park will do just fine if we never go though the gates. Claiming worlds records for number of coasters is just advertising CP doesn't state in their ads "we have more than SFMM"

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JOHN
RCT INSOMNIACS
KIMBERLY LAKE INC.

*** This post was edited by john13601 on 7/11/2002. ***

John13601 gets it! Thank you. end of story. ;)

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"Escuse me, can you tell me where the heck the Mystery Lodge is"?

If any coaster is a cheap shot to vie for the record it would have to be Flashback. Placed where it cannot operate due to its location. Please, if they didn't just want the record it would be moved to another park where they could actually get some return on investment.

Adding Flashback was a cheap shot? At whom? It was the park's 6th coaster, added in 1992 after being part of Six Flag's ride rotation program. Since then the park has added nine more coasters. Do you honestly think CP cared that SFMM added Flashback?

Please...explain why you think adding it was a cheap shot?

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"There's nothing sweeter than a bowling ball with a liquid center" - Homer Simpson