DILinator

Nice TR, and pictures! Along with BGW and CP, Hersheypark is in my top 3 parks! I love the place! I definitely agree abut Storm Runner! A very excellent and underrated coaster indeed! Glad you had such a good time!

I'm right there with you on all this! I still think some of that could be a part of Valravn, since what we've seen doesn't seem to include any non coaster details. One can hope, right? On a related note has anybody seen that article that purports strongly that this is all a ruse, orchestrated by CP, and they're actually getting the dark ride? I forget what site ran it, and I'm not sure what TPR policy is regarding linking to other sites, but I could track it down again. This possibility is exactly why I've tried to maintain an open mind regarding the veracity of these "leaks", and the expectation of a coaster next year...

Call me stubborn, but I haven't ruled anything out for this announcement (though I hope it's what we've seen here - with an enclosed drop one of the two drops!)

^ Thanks for the detailed response! I assume the two projects you mentioned are housing developments? That would definitely appear to limit any further expansion those directions, especially for a noisy coaster. Still, if SFMM needs to expand much more, they definitely have plenty of room in park, as others have pointed out.

The inclusion of the water in the teaser makes more sense too, when you consider Valravn's proximity to the Marina, and the Marina gate!

I believe, September 3rd!

Thanks for clearing that up! I've wondered about that for a while... I would definitely love to see more coasters there utilize terrain, like Tatsu! While FT still looks fun, I woulda have loved to see even better usage of that area's terrain. Like you said, though, there's definitely more room on the "mountain" to expand!

Hey, I love GateKeeper, so it looks good to me!

I've often wondered... Does SFMM own any of that land to the South of the park, behind Viper and Roaring Rapids? Or any of the land to the East of the park, behind Apocalypse and Riddler's Revenge? If they do, those could be potential expansion spots as well...

It depends on what you define as a "Home Park." If by that you mean whichever park is closest to me, MiA is my "Home" park, which is certainly not my favorite. I've gone since it was Deer Park Funland in the 80's, have many memories there as a kid, and feel a sense of fondness for it. But all that is true about Cedar Point, too (except for it being called Deer Park Funland in the 80's !) CP is narrowly my favorite park, in spite of its deficiencies (and yes, it isn't perfect), and I have gone there more than any other park by far. My second and third favorite parks are places I've only been to twice apiece, however: Bush Gardens Williamsburg, and Hersheypark. So it isn't always about frequency, or familiarity for me. In the end, though, Cedar Point just has so many of the thrills I love, coupled with the deep nostalgia that comes from growing up with it as the pinnacle of my youthful desire, for it not to be my favorite park!

^ It definitely gives off that vibe of being to the West side of the peninsula, what GateKeeper is to the East, and Main Gate! It will be crazy photogenic when you're driving up to The Point on the causeway!

^ Sounds pretty good to me... I guess I'm a little less trusting than you are at taking everything CF management says at their word is all! Regardless, we still have MiA, it's better than it was in some infrastructure ways, and I've actually cone to be content with it being what it is. That other subject just still gets in my bonnet like a bee, sometimes!

That's no way for a 12-year old to talk!

Well, I showed my 11 year old son (who will be 12 by the time Valravn opens next year) the logo and layout for the coaster earlier, and he seemed pretty excited about it, and he rode GateKeeper earlier this year! Different strokes for different folks, I guess...

The problem with getting a B&M is that they're flip-shizzing expensive! WoF and Dorney were uber lucky to have received theirs before the Paramount parks purchase, and the massive debt load that incurred, because the days of B&M's at the smaller CF parks are probably over, at least for a while...

First off, I think you guys will have a blast! I took my 11 year old son to CP earlier this year, and he rode everything except TTD! He loved the park! With two days, regardless of crowds, you should be able to ride everything. I recommend riding most of the coasters, and definitely maXair, and SkyHawk, among the flat rides! As for must-skip rides? I don't think there are any, with the possible exception of Corkscrew. It is pretty rough these days, and doesn't offer much that you probably haven't already ridden somewhere else. However, if you have time, and the line is short, I could see doing it anyway! I'd enter at the main gates the first day, just for the spectacular view with GateKeeper there now, but then head to the back of the park and hit Maverick! It's arguably the best ride in the park, but also is a good "starter" ride for your young son, to get him warmed up. Also, since you haven't ridden it, it'll be new to you. And thirdly, it'll have the shortest line of the day at entry as well. (If you're staying on-site at the Breakers, however, you'll enter from there anyway, and be close to Maverick, so you'll just want to head there, and catch the main gate view later in the day.) You may want to give TTD a try (if your son is willing) second, just because the line gets long, and the threat of a break-down is always there. Better to get your ride on it early, while it's still running (hopefully.) MF is a must-ride (obviously), but it always has a longer line. You may want to wait until the end of your first day to ride it, as hopefully the early-leavers from the crowd will be gone, and the line should be shorter. Plus, it'll be dark at that point, and night rides on MF are crazy good! Raptor's line is the lowest in the late afternoon, and I suspect, GateKeeper's will be lower then as well. Definitely make sure to get rides on both sides of that, as they offer different experiences, and also in the front and back on each side too! Must eat? At CP? Unless you don't have Chick-fil-A in Missouri, there is no such thing at CP! Midway Market is decent food, but pricey. And it's nothing mind-blowing quality-wise. Famous Dave's is a chain, but it's also really good BBQ, and would qualify as better than anything in the park (it's located at the marina.) I've never been to the Bay Harbor Inn (also at the Marina), but it's supposed to be "upscale" dining, so I have to assume it's pretty good. I highly doubt schools will be back in session in Sandusky, as I know there aren't any back in session here, except for the ones with that funky year round schedule. Have a safe trip up, and a great time! Be sure to let us know how it went afterward!

Hey! There's an idea! Or maybe CF can just start a ride relocation program, like Six Flags used to have!

^I don't know WHERE in Michigan you live, but in Central and Eastern Michigan, places I've spent a lot of time in, mingling with many, many GP over my many years of life, Six Flags is barely even known about, and Cedar Point IS BY FAR the amusement park most in competition with MiA for Michiganders (not that it's much of a competition at this point.) I should clarify that I don't think MiA and GL were in identical situations, because they clearly were not. I mean, MiA is still here, so that proves that! However, I firmly believe CF's intent in purchasing both parks was essentially the same, which was to protect CP's dominance in the region. Barring leaked tapes of CF's brainstorming sessions coming public, neither of us has any tangible evidence to support our belief about intent, so we'll just have to agree to disagree about that matter...

Wow! I think that's an excellent mock-up of where the coaster will go! So, if I'm reading it right, you're suggesting that it'll drop down in the middle of the split pathway from from the Marina entrance? I'm really hoping there's a themed rock tunnel it drops into there, but if it were to be a below grade "ditch", between those pathways (including maybe going under a walkway connecting them, similar to what Griffon does), that would be incredibly visually stunning! Then the Dive Loop sticks right out into the main midway... Thanks for taking the time to do that, as it really helps excite me for this coaster even more, seeing it in context, and visualizing how it will fit in with the park! I imagine the station entrance will be where the Turnpike Cars entrance was, and a themed queue (similar to Banshee's) will go back from there, be in the middle of the Valravn track and Raptor cobra roll, before going up to the station which will be up against Perimeter Rd., overlooking the Marina (which will provide a great view from the other side of the peninsula going up the lift hill!)

This was my post in this thread on July 15... Nailed it! I honestly can't imagine anything SF is going to announce will top Lightning Rod, and assuming all this Valravn stuff is correct, that doesn't top it. So, yeah... I'll stick with my initial gut feeling and go with Dollywood's forthcoming gem!

This same sentiment is either overtly, or subtly, laced through many posts in the threads for Dorney Park, Valleyfair, and Michigan's Adventure as well. So you are very much not alone with your frustration. I used to be a bit of a CF fanboy until their purchase of the Paramount parks and closure of Geagua Lake. Now, I am one of their harshest critics. It is what it is, however, and I'm not saying I don't see it from their perspective as well. I'm just saying it stinks to be one of the little kids who were forgotten in favor of the new and more exciting kids... But at least we weren't the kid that was murdered by its parents! We can at least be happy for that!

You have NO idea how happy inside it makes me to hear you say that, and see it written out! I know it's a taboo thing to say in various circles, but I commend you for putting it out there. I don't care what any CF shills say: they could convince me my name is Suzy easier than convince me that this^ isn't true...

Well, I get busy for a day, don't access the boards at all, and look what I come back to! I'm not sure what else to add, that hasn't already been said... One thing that bothers me, is that it seems we are all expected to LOVE THIS or we're bad enthusiasts, who need to get a life... I don't agree with that attitude being given at all! There is nothing wrong with being a little disappointed with this coaster, compared to what hopes may have been for it. Admittedly, I find it to be a bit lackluster, from what I've seen, at least compared to what I was expecting based on this being Cedar Point we're talking about here. However, I haven't seen any official renderings, stats, or anything else, so I also haven't given it much serious thought yet. When the official announcement drops, I'll form my official opinion. Right now, all this still feels like a form of advanced speculation... Now, don't get me wrong... I enjoyed ShieKra, and really want to ride Griffon, and have always wanted there to be more Dive Machines (I'm still old school with the name) in the US. So, I'm not at all disappointed with the ride from that perspective! I'll still be there either on a Media Day, Opening Day, or shortly therewith. I'm just a little surprised that the coaster isn't taller, faster, or have one more inversion. But regardless of that, I know it's going to be an awesome coaster, that I will greatly enjoy, and may surpass GateKeeper to join MF and Maverick in my Top 3 at the park! Yes, you read that right: GateKeeper is my 3rd favorite coaster at the park. I am definitely NOT in the crowd that thinks it is forceless, or disappointing (though the second half is, admittedly, nowhere near as good as the first half.) So that right there should tell you that I am not going to be unhappy with Valravn! (Okay, I HATE orange, and HATE that it's used so much at CP, but I'll still be happy with the coaster itself! ) The one thing that I'll potentially be disappointed with, which can't be definitively discerned from the stripped-bare images we've seen, is if there is no drop into a tunnel, or at least an enclosure of some sort (I'm not sure CP can really tunnel underground there, so close to the water). To me, that is a signature move for a Dive Machine, and part of what made ShieKra so cool to me! I don't care about the lack of a water splashdown element, but I will be a little bummed if there is no cool themed tunnel that Valravn drops into... However, I don't think those white layout pictures show any non-essential theming or elements, so I still think we'll find out there is something that it dives into when the official announcement is made. If there isn't though, my disappointment doesn't reflect negatively on me at all, nor does it really reflect negatively on CP. It just is a natural feeling that humans experience for various reasons, and it won't keep me from going to CP and enjoying the ride! Regarding this whole leak just being CP trolling us... I think that'd be hilarious! I'm not saying it is just that, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it was, either! Also, that logo is awesome! That is all.

NO, NO, NO! This is simply NOT a valid reason for a park not to make regular, capital investments in a park! It's lazy, greedy, and worst of all, disrespectful to the fans of the park! (And I'm not defining "fans of the park" here as being enthusiasts - simply local people who care about the park, which would include virtually everybody I know outside of boards like this and my enthusiast friends I've acquired over the years.) Note, MIAfan88, I'm not saying that you are wrong, that that's what MiA's and CF's attitude towards MiA is - I'm just saying it's a WRONG attitude for a park to have. You'd never see a well-run park like Holiday World, Kennywood, or Knoebels say something like that. Especially when CF and MiA management know darn well that what I said above is true, that they have a built in cash cow in the park, simply based on its prime vacation location. People go year after year, and in increasing numbers. But I know many non-enthusiasts who are bored with the park and want to see more of a reason to go here. We're talking again about locals, who would potentially go every year, not the tourists who are driving these attendance numbers. I have a whole lot else to say on the matter, especially about what's at the root of this line of thinking as far as CF is concerned, but I'm not going to bother putting it out there just to get flamed by anybody who thinks CF management is far more altruistic than they actually are... (And yes, I know CF is a business. But there is no reason altruism, and good business practice, have to be mututally exclusive!) I guess why this attitude being condoned on enthusiast boards bothers me so much, is because it essentially gives the park a "get out of jail free" card, instead of holding their feet to the fire, and insisting they put a little more effort into their product than what they've done for the past 15 years.

That's like saying we have too much air to breathe! Thanks for the feedback, guys! I know that was a bear to read through, but I appreciate that you took the time to do it! Yes, priority #1 for me, if they make me GM tomorrow, is creating a nice concrete midway/path where that service road is. It makes SO much sense, it hurts the head trying to fathom why they haven't done it yet! You could even put shops and flats there, or a new coaster, or even the Planet Snoopy that many seem to think MiA needs (not sure I agree on that last one, as the whole park feels a little "Planet Snoopy-ish..."). Seriously: if MiA were to ONLY put a concrete walkway there for 2016, and put NOTHING on it, I would be very happy! It's simply not asking for much... And yes, grsupercity, I should have mentioned that in my TR, but the one other thing I would do thisfast if I were to be made GM, is install a belt, or some kind of system to get those tubes up that hill. In my attempt to breeze through the Wild Water Adventure part of my TR, I neglected to mention the absolute joke that was trying to get that tube up the hill, with only two little kids to help me! I've been leading the charge for a new coaster at MiA longer than some posters on TPR have been alive, but even so, I would definitely consider both of those "infrastructure" additions to be more critical to adequate viability than a new coaster! I really do think the park has potential to be a LOT better than what it is - heck, I've felt this potential since the turn of the century! But sadly, I don't think those running it, be it Cedar Fair, or the GM, share a vision where the park is anything better than what it is now. Which is a shame, because it certainly could be better, if proper attention was given to things like I just mentioned, as well as regular, excitement building, capital investments (and when I say regular, I mean every 5 years or so - nothing unreasonable for a park its size!) It'll never be Holiday World in terms of overall park experience, and it'll never have the history of a Kennywood or a Knoebels. However, it could be a LOT closer to those parks (the latter two, at least) than it is currently, with some TLC, and vision, and it pains me to see it wasted under the current regime... Regarding the crowds, it really does go back to the improving economy here in Michigan, as well as the excellent tourist machine that Lake Michigan and the West coast has turned into! GR is thriving, and it's a fairly large city, I think some people (out of staters, who chime in regarding MiA as if they would truly have a clue compared to us locals) don't realize that, fail to grasp all of the factors surrounding MiA's success year after year when haughtily saying it's out of the way and not a "destination park." Well, very few amusement parks are "destination parks", in the true sense of the concept, and the FACT of the matter is that the Lake Michigan shoreline IS very much a destination for not just Michiganders, but those in the surrounding states as well! That has had the effect of making MiA a place that people can quickly bop over to, when they're visiting South Haven, Grand Haven, or even heading up to Traverse City. It has a MUCH more built-in local base than a park like Holiday World does, so putting people through the turnstiles should never be a problem for it. But as I experienced Tuesday, and have experienced most of my visits to Wildwater Adventure, the park isn't big enough for the crowds it's generating, and is crying out to expand, even if it's only a new midway connecting the sides of the park, and a new major coaster. Ok, this post got much longer than I intended it to be, so I'll shut up now. It's just I've been going to this place since it was Deer Park Funland, so there's a lot of built in passion for the park that is pretty deep-seeded, in spite of trying to be ambivalent about it as of late...