Save Cedar Point

When I look back at cedar point and all the new coasters and rides they have put in, I try and remember what that certain are of the park was like before it was given a huge new ride.

Before Top Thrill Dragster and the removal of Dodgem 1. My fovorite area in the park was the gemini midway between "Coasters Drive In" and Camp Snoopy. I Just loved walking right up next to the lagoon and watching the fish and looking at the scenery. It just had that type of magical feel to it. It was also home to two great flat rides. Troika and Chaos just seemed to fit there. Chaos was right on the water and it didnt have that carnival feel that it does now. And Troika was also absent of its now present carnival feel (do to its new location). This area of the park felt like my special place.
But when Top Thrill Dragster was built this area was forever lost. TTD may be one of my alltime favorite coasters but it is still bittersweet because it ruined one of Cedar Points best landscape.
So Im just wondering what part of Cedar Point they miss the most because a new ride was built in its place, and or what place you would least like to see a new major ride because it would ruin the sorounding area.

I really dont care about those type of things. Sure, it was nice looking before Top Thrill, but I don't go to theme parks to sit down and take in the beautiful scenery and look at fish and relax, I go to ride coasters and get myself pumped. Anyways, I very much like what they have done to the midway. Now where your tired, theres still grass and trees and scenery to watch, it just so happens that it is now the worlds tallest and fastest roller coaster, and a fun to watch coaster.

That area looked even nicer before Power Tower replaced the old Jungle Larry area. Before Iron Dragon ruined that end of the lagoon (along with the Frontier lift and Paddlewheel).

I like the lagoons and always thought they were a unique element of Cedar Point. Nowadays it seems like they are just in the way.

You can't please all of the people all of the time.

Yah, they should have just built TTD over the water. ;)

Seriously though, landscape has a lot to do with the overall experience. Lakes, rivers, and trees make it feel more like a park than a carnival. Unfortunately, intangibles like that are hard to plaster all over the media and get an instant ROI.

I really like what was done with the Gemini Midway. It seemed to open and wide before. Now it looks like the rest of the park. ;)

Ill have to agree with JanFredrick. There is nothing i like more than a roller coaster and I mean nothing, and im not complaning about cedar point building them. Im sayin i wish that when they put them in they ruin some of the experience. I know Cedar Point has some of the best coasters in the world, and lots of other parks have coasters very similar with the acception of some. But when you get right down to it. The landscape which a park is on is one thing that makes the park truely different from the rest.

I find it very ironic that people always want to see "another coaster" at CP, and then complain because the "midway is changed".

We can go back even further, Millrace, to when the ONLY way to get to Fontier Town was either by the train or Frontier Lift...before there was a GEMINI midway.

The only way to "save" Cedar Point is to stop building, and frankly, people would complain about that as well.

Cedar Points DOES have a space problem.....a greenspace problem. Every current addition takes away trees and natural landscaping for concrete and steel.

Carnivals are for rides. Amusement parks are for rides AND atmosphere. I have to agree that Cedar Point loses some atmosphere and starts to look more like a huge carnival with each recent addition.

They have chosen to target one type of customer recently, those looking for extreme rides. Their parks have never really been about atmosphere or theming anyhow. Its a profitable approach for them so it will continue.

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CPLady said:
I find it very ironic that people always want to see "another coaster" at CP, and then complain because the "midway is changed".

We can go back even further, Millrace, to when the ONLY way to get to Fontier Town was either by the train or Frontier Lift...before there was a GEMINI midway.

The only way to "save" Cedar Point is to stop building, and frankly, people would complain about that as well.

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You make a very good point (no pun intended!) CPLady. There are certain scenic features I miss at the park, but have adapted to those changes. However, I will add one of my lost favorites as well. Millennium Force is great, but ripping through Frontier Trail really killed that Yesteryear mood. Paddlewheel Excursions has seen better days. It's nothing more than a boat ride surrounded with coaster track instead of the former wilderness.

I miss those kind of things too, as well as Jungle Larry's (loved the amazon parrot that would scream everytime Corkscrew would go), the aquarium, the Western Cruise, the Earthquake ride, the Pirate Ride, etc. Those things were always part of CP for me, but, change can be good too :)

The biggest shame in my opinion would be the loss of the trail area. It has already been pretty well encroached upon by MF and Mantis. That is one area of the park I would like to see preserved. It would also be nice to be able to see the lake from somewhere inside the park. One of the park's most unique assets is fairly well hidden from those not staying in the on-point hotels.

I have also thought that it would be nice if the lake were more visible from the ride portion of the park. While I like Wicked Twister, I don't like its location. I would have rather seen that stretch of beach visible from the park. Some seating and trees could have been placed there and it would have been a nice place for people to sit. Wicked Twister could have been placed farther back without hurting the ride experience.

It would be even better if they tore down Disaster Transport and opened up that section to the lake.

It's all part of getting older--both the park and ourselves. It's going to happen. I watched Kings Dominion grow from the late 70s into what it is today, and there are many aspects of the old park that I miss dearly. I don't have a problem accepting the changes, however, because I completely understand why old attractions or scenery--whether I liked them or not--have to be replaced.

The interesting thing to think about, however, is that 10, 20, 30 years from now the kids of today will probably miss the way the parks look now.

There are a few issues impeding the ability to open up the lake. I actually like Wicked Twister and the Wheel being beachside.

I agree with the idea on Disaster Transport. Wrong ride in the wrong place. The other obstacles are the Merchandise warehouse and offices as well as the Cash Control offices.

The back of the games would be unsightly so they would have to be screened in some way. That just seems to be some prime land that is not accessible right now.

I'd like to see them do more back around Mean Steak. Add some shops and a nice little lounging area where the run off Q for Mean Streak is. I've never been to the park and seen the Q that filled before. So its pretty much wasted space. Removing them and make a nice sitting area to look at the bay with some trees and a snack shop or something would be really nice.

Back before Oceana was built and the warehouse was built around the bobsled coaster, that area of the park had a nice seaside feel. Those 2 huge structures did a lot to take away from that. When Wildcat was by the skytower, i thought the ride itself even had a nicer feel to it.

Where's all the ROI people now? You want Cedar Point to stay open correct? Now let's compare the attendance jump from 100 trees and 30 beach-front benches to the attendance jump from something so "un-Pointy" as a boomerang with it's cobra roll extended over the water. Now, which are you going to choose?

As was said before, people don't come to the park to sit and watch life pass them by, they come to ride the extreme rides. If that's not your cup o' tea, there are many parks out there that offer that kind of atmosphere (for a lot less money too). Don't come to a thrill/constant family entertainment park and complain becuse its not picturesque (sp?) and serene ... in the same light, why aren't you complaining about Holiday World's lack of 4D coaster and B&M Floorless? (/sarcasm)

Anyone who wants to complain about CP's shrinking greenspace should have a look at what CF has done with Knotts and *especially* Dorney. Those parks are quickly becoming concrete jungles.

mOOSH

Shrinking is relative. I don't like them cutting down trees either, but the only thing I can really fault them for is not replacing the trees with adult trees.

When White Water Landing was built you could see the entire ride. When Magnum was built you could see the station (another reason why the queue entrance needs a sign fit for Magnum). I've noticed that even the trees around the Millennium Force queue are starting to fill in.

Haven't been to Knott's, but Dorney's main midway is pretty ugly, and is in dire need of trees.

Jeff - I probably overstated it a bit.

Other than the Boardwalk, which is virtually devoid of trees, and the new plaza near La Revolution Cedar Fair has left the rest of the park as-is and tree-filled. But I worry about the area near the old Church where the new B&M is going. I hope they keep a lot of the trees there.

You're right about Dorney, tho.

mOOSH