CoasterMania! 2009

BuckeyeCoasterFreak said:
Had you been at the Maverick line at around 11:30, you might have gotten some different opinions buddy. I chatted with quite a few people and I wasn't even remotely the only person disappointed with the new format.

Well, "buddy," that's precisely where I was, and the people I met up with were having a good time.

And I've been to many a Coastermania, and the only ride I ever took spins on that I didn't have to wait for was Mean Streak, circa 2000.

Im not saying that i didnt have atleast somewhat of a good time. Nor am I saying that I think there should be no wait at all.

What I am saying is that I felt 45 minutes was a bit ridiculous for an ERT. But that's just my opinion.

DanLinden said:
Having a big enthusiast event and then having only one ride open at a time really defeats the purpose of ERT. Why pay extra to go to a CP event when you can go to Holiday Nights and ride any of the 3 rides 15 times in a row?

It didn't cost me anything extra - I have a season pass. On top of not paying anything I got a free t-shirt, a neat looking badge, free food and the chance to ride the rides for a longer period of time. In fact CoasterMania is one of the few events (or so it seems based on the flyers I get) that doesn't charge you extra if you have a season pass.

As others touched on part of the fun of CoasterMania is catching up and chatting with people you might not see often. Sure, ERT wasn't very exclusive on Maverick but I waited 30 mins which was a heck of a lot better than waiting in the hour plus line the ride routinely has. (And for what its worth ERT this morning was top-notch. The park set out coffee and donuts and many people were able to score 15+ rides on Millennium Force thanks to the special access gate on the unload platform being open. Dragster's line also was never really much past the ramp.)

Kudos to the park. It is always a good time.

Also, I just now noticed Jeff's reply about hotels.

I used to work at a choice hotels property (Choice is: Quality, Comfort, Sleep, Clarion inns as well as rodeway and econolodge). It was well known to us employees at the time that Cedar Fair was buying out all of the Choice properties in sandusky and the surrounding areas, so they could all jack up the prices during the summer. Talk was that CF was going to do the same with every hotel they could get their hands on. Maybe that never quite happened, but I would still imagine that CF owns many of the hotels in that area.

You would imagine wrong my friend. As stated before CP only owns the properties on Point and Causeway Dr. Two families own a good portion of the rest in town. One family controls most of the hotels on 250, and the other most of Cleveland road properties.

The reason the prices are so high is because the season is short and people pay what they ask, simple as that.

Did anyone get video of Toomer's talk yesterday? I wasn't able to make it up there this year.

It is already up on YouTube.

BuckeyeCoasterFreak said:
Had you been at the Maverick line at around 11:30, you might have gotten some different opinions buddy.

Listen, "buddy." No matter what you say or how you try to spin it, you come off as a whiny enthusiass. No one will miss you at CoasterMania 2010.

robotfactory said:
Did anyone get video of Toomer's talk yesterday? I wasn't able to make it up there this year.

The complete presentation is available as an MP3 download at PointBuzz.

Since I didn't make it to the presentation, I enjoyed watching video of it.

Also, I was just voicing what I experienced, not whining about anything.

I do apoligize if I came across as "cocky" in my earlier reply to you. That really wasn't my intent.

It seems to me that ERT should be more exclusive than a 45 minute wait. If this is what was experienced, than I say Bucky has the right to complain.

But where I come from, I am gracious for everything that I get. Be happy that you got to go to Cedar Point. I have to wait until I have enough cash to get my Explorer is fixed.

I'll repeat it...be gracious.

I may not have been forthcoming in stating this at first, but, I DID have a good time yesterday. And I was planning on posting about it more in a trip report.

I just thought i would state my honest opinion about the new format for CM... The wait for maverick was atleast very close to 45 minutes... although I am glad I atleast got to take a spin on Maverick last night, as well as two additional ones on Maggie during ERT.

Coastermania is essentially the price of a discount ticket if you don't have a season pass. Admission is $36 per day day and you get lunch on Saturday, when a ticket into Cedar Point is $43.99. It's free if you have a season pass. Stop complaining and go ride some coasters. Wish I was there but the Penguins are in the Stanley Cup finals!

The park is asking for our feedback, at lunch they mentioned that the CM! website will have a poll later today.

Magnum ERT was great last night, especially when all the people flocked to Maverick. Unlike last year, the trims were off the whole night (sweet) too. Maverick was a little disapointing to find a long line, we only got one ride in (we stayed on Magnum till the end) but made up for that this morning by grabbing a quick double ride at the start of resort ERT.

This morning ERT was as stated great, MF and TTD were running well (no rollbacks the whole morning.)

However after that, we had what had to be the deadest day I have ever seen in the park on a Saturday that closes at 11. Lines were not over an hour most of the day on most of the rides (even Maverick) Im personally worried about CP's finances if this continues. Due to the fact that the lines were so light my group was done at 11pm, no need to stay for Raptor. The crowds looked very light so Im sure the folks who stayed had an epic ERT section.

As for my preference, I think I prefer the 1 day event. Im way too tired right now, and even if the lines were long I doubt (even with a Soak City nap today) I would have made it till the end of ERT tonight. Also, bunching the coasters together makes for shorter lines everywhere, but dont see this as whining, it was still a whole lot of fun, and thanks CP for hosting us!

I don't know how many people were there this year, but I know in previous years it has been as high as 2,000. Do the math on that one... the "E" in ERT just ain't that exclusive. I figured everyone knew that going in.

well..... I guess I'll take the blame for being a "dumb rookie"....

I still had a good time and I DO look forward to BooBuzz later in the year. I'm sure you'll have details on that soon enough.

Lord Gonchar said:

Raven-Phile said:
I'm a member of a coaster club. I deserve ERT. I deserve it now, and often.

Give us ERT now!

I still don't understand why parks put up with enthusiasts.

Me neither. ;) LOVE the shirt, though!

-Tina

Andrew and Gemini- Thanks for the links!

The whole "but it's supposed to be exclusive ride time!" whining at Coastermania is getting so, so old. It's never been an "exclusive" event and the lines have never been non-existent.

This is a case of "you get what you pay for" which is actually still quite a bitchin' deal.

If you think of Coastermania ERT as "Extended ride time" you'll leave happier. That is unless you're a whiny enthusiass.

Touchdown said:

Magnum ERT was great last night, especially when all the people flocked to Maverick. Unlike last year, the trims were off the whole night (sweet) too.

Actually, after me and my dad had a trimless ride, my friends in the train after us had the trims on. We found out the next day that the supervisors came and they had to turn them on for a bit. Tho we had it made up the next day when they turned them off for our ride!

The best way to get around the complaining, is to take my approach to CM. Don't go! I've never been to a CM, and haven't had a single complaint in all those years.