Speculation swirls over Cedar Point's next big ride

kpjb -

Funny too, since somehow I don't think I'll notice or care about the "missing" feet when I'm on Kennywood's less-than-$6 million variant next year.

For the record, I actually adore the whole "those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know" shtick. I think it's awesome that park employees trust some enthusiasts enough to let them in on goings-on a little early, and I think that those enthusiasts have every right to sit back and laugh at every ridiculous rumor or "fact" parroted by some enthusiast who is so sure of their dubious (read: imaginary) source. I know that 99% of the time I'm not "in the know" but I don't mind that at all. Idle speculation is kinda fun if you're intelligent about it... like a good mystery that gets a new, equally intriguing chapter every time a park I care about installs something new. I know I'll continue to speculate with the rest whenever there's interesting developments in the corners of the amusement industry that I care about (in fact there's a good chunk of land behind my local park that I've already got my own theories about), and if I ever happen to become "in the know", great. If not... well, great!

- BB

*** This post was edited by BBSpeed26 2/23/2006 1:07:03 AM ***

I don't understand how people could have such little confidence in the enthusiasts who talk about what ride is possibly being built at the moment. I heard about Dragster from fellow employees at Cedar Point two years before it was built. I heard about Wicked Twister earlier as well. This does not even take into account the rumors of Millennium Force, which I practically had a correct rumor-based data sheet on before it was officially announced. This is not to say I believe much that the Dippin' Dots guy has to say. As a matter of fact, I don't believe most of the people who claim to have the facts. I didn't believe the rumor about Dragster two years before there was even hype started over it. I've been surprised way too many times in the validity of rumors to write them all off entirely. Somewhere this information has leaked in the past and I could see a bit more leaking again. I think it's just a matter of mixing common sense with the rumors. Most of the time when little information is given, people tend to fill in the gaps by themselves.

When it comes to rumors on this ride, I think it's interesting that I read something about CP using existing parts of White Water Landing for a new attraction. While the ride itself is completely gone, the station was intentionally left in tact for some reason. My guess is it will be used for part of the line for the new ride. It blends in with the surroundings and gives CP an excuse to disregard much other added theming in whatever new ride they plan on building. Something is telling me that this new ride will be something similar to Storm Runner at Hershey Park. I haven't really heard any rumors to back this up, but CP has a bit of a history in adding attractions that are different than the current trends in the amusement industry. They don't have what one would call a mega looper and I could see Itimin throwing in enough spirals and twists to make the ride stand out instead of just being another Kumba with a few extra loops. Other than that, think it's interesting that one of the people at CP said problems with Dragster would effect future plans for the park. This tells me they had plans to work with Intimin again. The fact that at least four years would have gone by between new coasters at the park once a new one is built, I think they have been holding off on an existing idea. Assuming they plan on going with Intimin, that would narrow down the mystery to whatever kind of rides they build that CP would choose them for over other companies. They clearly seem to like their launch systems and megacoasters. For some reason, it's just hard for me to believe that the first thing CP would plan on doing after Dragster would be to put up an even taller ride. That's the same trick they used after Millennium Force. From a marketing standpoint, using the same concept for every new ride just doesn't seem very smart.

What would be more interesting to me is if CP decided to look to Intimin for a new wooden coaster..possibly with a steel structure... I could see them successfully puling off a pretty tall and twisted layout.

So who is Kinzel gonna bang in 2007? :)

-Tambo

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I don't understand how people could have such little confidence in the enthusiasts who talk about what ride is possibly being built at the moment.

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Read Screamscape and you'll understand. Sure, even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

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has hit newspaper status

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I think you mean "newspaper".

Why is it that park companies like Disney will announce their new rides 2-3 years in advance, while Cedar Fair only ever announces stuff 6-9 months ahead? Do they really think that if they announce a coaster for 2007 that people are not going to go to the park in 2006?

As a side note, it said in the article that a building permit had not been issued yet...would (has) Sandusky ever denied Cedar Point from building something? I know other parks have things like height restrictions, but I was wondering if other places really have to worry much about not getting accepted for permits and such.

Because Disney takes 2-3 years to BUILD their major rides. DCA's Tower of Terror and Everest all took at least 2 years if not more.

I think part of the Disney early announcement thing has to do with the distance a lot of people travel to get to the park. I personally don't make sudden plans for a trip to Orlando because I suddenly hear a new ride is coming out. If I know it's going to be up in a couple years, I will consider not going to other places and taking the extra bit of effort to get out there in the opening season. There's just usually a lot of small trips I like to take throughout the summer and if I'm going to hit Orlando, I want to give myself more time. Maybe it depends on how old you are, though. When I was a kid, I would visit practically every summer.

It might also keep the excitement building for a longer period of time. It seems like Cedar Point has been hyping their rides a bit more than usual. In the past, I remember hearing about new attractions toward the end of each season. Now we're hearing stuff about an attraction for 2007 when the 2006 season hasn't even started. Regardless I still think it's harder to build up as much anticipation for a regular roller coaster compared to a ride like Expedition Everest. With Everest, they could play off the legend and images much more because it's not so straight forward. When you get into stuff like Dragster, it's more of a latest and greatest thing than a one of a kind experience into the forbidden lair of yeti.

More to the point, if they announced something today, people might be inclined to say, "We'll go next year."

More from The Morning Journal.

Cedar Point is a park built on hype every year. I like the rest of the enthusiast public love it just as much as anyone. The thing is that jeff is completely right on this whole subject, he makes the valid point that we would want to go there if they added a new coaster. Im sure many people were still going there this past year and will go this year. The main thing is cedar point is absolutely known for coasters, and each new one is to see how cedar point can change the ideas of coastering with their records or whatnot. So the record discussion always builds their hype. When was the last time cedar point didnt have a coaster known for something as a record or something that it did. correct this list i throw out here

2003 - Dragster-tallest and fastest in the world

2002- wicked twister tallest and likely the fastest impulse and dual twists

2000-Millennium force-tallest and fastest

1996- Mantis-Tallest and fastest standup when it debuted also might have had the largest loop then at the time

1994-raptor tallest and fastest invert(check that one)- still to this day my favorite ride as a family in the inaugeral year of it

1991-consider this a technicality over the enclosure of disaster transport as well, but mean streak was tallest and fastest when it opened on wood

1989-magnum - no secrets there either

then go on to the iron dragon- which was a relitavelty novel idea at the time and but i think the length was topped by big bad wolf and iron dragon opened in 1987 so therefore its been a long time since that they havent tried to top a record in some way.

Hype surrounds them for the reason that they try to top the industry every year its just that simple. So we watch them more than any other park out there, and by the way which had longer threads for the speculation: TTD or KK. Then we can prove this point to a degree, i would probably think top thrill dragster just because it was at cedar point.

I like the rest of the enthusiast public love it just as much as anyone.

Like MOST of the enthusiast public, you mean. The last ride Cedar Point opened that made me say, "WOW! I have to fly from Los Angeles to Sandusky to ride that!" was Millie. Dragster? Wicket Twister? Delirium? Meh...I'll pass, thanks.

Now if CP were to build a new wooden coaster -- and I'm talking any size not just a record breaker here -- I'd be there in a heartbeat! ;)

Hello everyone

I'm a newbie here and I just wanted to say hello to everybody.. I have a few questions as well.

First is what would be your guess as to what there getting?

Second is how much land do you think they have to work with over there by WWL since they demolished it and moved the train tracks farther out???

I know as a employee of cedar point (Architectural engineer) what is going on at the site of white water landing but i'm sorry, were not aloud to give away info on the 2007 project. I can tell you that they have enough land for the new attraction.

I know as a employee of cedar point (Architectural engineer) what is going on at the site of white water landing but i'm sorry, were not aloud to give away info on the 2007 project. I can tell you that they have enough land for the new attraction.