Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[Koasterking48]

Getting a but off-topic, here's some official POVs that Tony's been posting

 

Wicked Twister

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

Windseeker

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

Witches' Wheel

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

Gatekeeper (Newer POV)

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

Edit: I'm pretty sure there is going to be more to come. I'll try to add them as they are released

Edited July 26, 2013 by Koasterking48

[singemfrc]

Getting a but off-topic, here's some official POVs that Tony's been posting

Wicked Twister

I LOVE YOU

[SFOGdude25]

Just got back from a FANTASTIC birthday trip to the Point. I finally decided to spend the extra dough on Fast Lane and man oh man is it worth it!! We were getting on rides left and right like it was a dead day.

 

I really enjoyed GateKeeper! Sure it may not be quick and intense, but that's not what wing coasters are supposed to be. GK offers a very unique and cool experience almost like flying, espesially in the front seat! I found front left to be the best ride. CP really needs to fix those restraints though. My collar bones still hurt. I prefer this to Wild Eagle.

 

Oh, and say what you want about Millennium Force. This is one amazing coaster, and even though Maverick just barely beats it for me, I thoroughly enjoyed every single ride I had on Big Blue. The raw speed is relentless, and the airtime, while there's not much of it, hits just the right spot. A good ride doesn't always have to rely on airtime. It's the whole package that counts, and Millennium Force offers one good package of thrills.

 

There was absolutely NO action at all around Shoot The Rapids. Hopefully it will open later this season.

 

I just love this park to death. Everywhere you look, there's a ride towering over you. The whole place is just so colorful and loud and in-your-face, which is why I call it the NYC of amusement parks. If you haven't been yet, GO.

[JWAddington]

Great quick trip report! Glad you had a great time and ride the coasters for what they are! You gotta have a good mix of coasters and CP definitely has a great variety....and one good woodie!

 

I can't wait to hit up Kings Island next year with Fast Lane and experience what everyone has with all the riding! I know CP well enough to know the pattern of when and what to ride...so i don't get it there.

[angryemobeaver]

The POV video of Witches Wheel made me think of what the future of Cedar Point holds. I understand the season is only half over and we should all just enjoy Gatekeeper, but I like to speculate of what may be next. With Gatekeeper, CP refreshed the park entrance and the area surrounding GK. With Maverick/Skyhawk/Shoot The Raids, they updated the Frontier and Frontier Trail areas. One area of Cedar Point that it the most bland and outdated is the Gemini plaza. I think in the next few years we will see a new attraction or two be placed in the nearby area between Magnum-XL200 and Gemini. That area only features a few major rides. I could see the smaller rides such as the Frog Hop and Bumper Boats being relocated to the kids area, or just removing them entirely.

[2012jarrett]

Okay, I pull this thread up and the GateKeeper commercial comes on. Weird...

 

So after a disa-Cedar Point-ing visit on opening weekend that got borked by lake effect, my cousin Brittany and I decided to hit Cedar Point again in hopes of cleaning the park out of credits for me and getting Brit on her first wing coaster. I also got to see how Shoot the Rapids has done since the accident last Friday.

 

 

What we rode:

 

*GateKeeper (Left Side)- We got to the park at 9:15 even though it opened at 10. There was a plinko game set up outside the entrance that gave out mostly coupons for shops, but had two slots for early entry and two slots for GateKeeper queue jump passes. We won junk prizes on the first three but on the last one, I actually got it into the slot for GateKeeper queue jump! I flipped out! When the park opened we got to skip the GateKeeper queue (3 hours long) and go directly to station wait! We rode in the front on the left side and it blew me away! Wild Eagle was more forceful but GateKeeper ultimately blew it away. The Thorpe Park Inversion is amazing and you get so much hang time on it, and the keyholes were awesome!

*Magnum XL 200- It was Brittany's favorite coaster but I was pretty disappointed. We rode in the back and it didn't seem to have the graceful aspect it seems to offride, and those last bunny hills; while filled with airtime; felt so robotic and mechanical I really couldn't get into it. Disa-Cedar Point-ed with this one. At least it didn't waste our time, though. It spent the morning down but we were by it when it opened up and we were the first people on it that day without any wait. But I still don't know what Molly Orange is.

*Gemini (Red)- I had ridden Gemini on the blue side (while my friend Andrew got sick and threw up while it was moving, leaving a trail of vomit on the catwalks) so I knew what to expect, but it was fun. Only notable thing I saw was that they went as far as to mess with the synchronized ride sequence and stop the red train on the lift to confiscate somebody's camera.

*Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad- I love theme park railroads and this was no exception! Both halves are awesome and I loved the zombie town theming just as much as I loved going between the coasters and the lake. See my video here:

*Jr. Gemini- I had to get special permission to ride it without a kid but I was an enthusiast counting credits and they understood. I hated how rickety it felt and some of those little kiddie hops were pretty painful, but I got the cred even though it was credit whoring!

*Iron Dragon ***70TH COASTER CREDIT***- It was my second Arrow suspended and the first half was pretty lame, but that finale over the water...whoa! It looks tame and graceful from afar but was much more thrilling when you were actually on it. I still like Flight Deck better but it was fun! Liked the view of Dragster too.

*Skyride- We took the skyride down the midway and back on our way to and from the lockers to put our stuff back. I had never ridden this before because I thought it was pointless to have such a small skyride but I was wrong! It's so beautiful up there and you can see all of GateKeeper's layout as well as coming close to Raptor. See my video here:

*Top Thrill Dragster- I am no longer a rocket coaster OR stratocoaster virgin! It was terrified stepping on it after a very unpleasant queueing experience (this lady in front of us was SO rude when we tried to help her!) but I was blown away! I expected it to go from zero to six acceleration Gs instantly and get my head bashed into the headrest but it was gradual yet SO intense! The turn up the top hat was a bit rough but the top and spiral down rocked! My ears popped up there, I was totally not prepared for that. Plus you can see everything!

*Power Tower (Shot)- We rode this just to see the sunset and HOLY CRAP it was pretty! I wish I could have brought a camera just to photograph what we saw of the sun going down into the lake!

*Millennium Force- My favorite coaster was down most of the day but it opened up around 8:30. We got in line and ended up riding at night and HOLY COW. Best coaster experience to date and I hope to do it again really soon. Cedar Point at night is beautiful and the drop is so fun because you can't really see where the ground is from the top.

 

Picture time!

 

Me as the park opened standing in front of GateKeeper!

 

The park was CROWDED. An hour wait for an Arrow Looper? This shocked me, especially for one as small as Corkscrew.

 

A while ago I posted a thread in Q&A about my possibility of being too large for Cheetah Hunt. We didn't ride Maverick, but I had been trying to lose weight so that I would guarantee a fit into the coaster. When we went in May I had to push really hard to get the buckle down. Look how much slack I have now!

 

Ready for Dragster!

 

Mine Ride and Dragster. And a new game; Where's Millennium?

 

Didn't ride either of them but I got a good shot!

 

Dragster's unloading platform!

 

Dragster desperately needs repainted. The track was a faded rusty color and the white had yellowed to more of a creme. The supports are drastically faded as well, they almost look green-yellow.

 

Me being artsy...

 

Iron Dragon station, Power Tower, and Mantis

 

How on earth will they still sell these this season? :? (Yes, I did see Shoot the Rapids, it's coming!)

 

Raptor's cobra roll from Skyride!

 

Cedar Point Boardwalk from Skyride!

 

Midway Sunset

 

Iron Dragon's misters weren't on, it made me sad!

 

Brittany and I after Dragster with our picture!

 

GateKeeper at night!

 

Brittany and I on Dragster!

 

SHOOT THE RAPIDS UPDATE:

 

We took the train through it (video link in a bit) and it was so sad. The entire flume was drained and I only saw one boat in the concrete channel. Didn't see the boat that flipped but I didn't see any workers or anybody in there. It was a ghost town.

 

Videos:

 

Music Video:

Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad POV:

Skyride POV:

Me Credit Whoring Jr. Gemini:

Vlogs: (COMING SOON)

 

So that's my fun with my cousin at Cedar Point. We had a great time and I have GOT to bring my dad so he can ride Dragster (he races cars, he'll love it!). I thought GateKeeper was better than Wild Eagle but I do get to get back on Wild Eagle in three weeks so I'll be able to make a more accurate decision after that. You can see what this trip did to my top 10 adding GateKeeper and Top Thrill Dragster below. Have a nice day! I'll do one of these again for Dollywood with my friend and one more for Busch Gardens Tampa this October!

 

My top 10:

Millennium Force|Maverick|Top Thrill Dragster | Intimidator 305| GateKeeper | Diamondback|Wild Eagle|Intimidator|Thunderhead|The Beast

[cmullin]

Nice TR! Were the lines really bad all day or just in the afternoon?

[NAMTABSFGAm]

Any idea or update on any new ride for 2014? Like the rumored dark ride in the Coliseum?

[StLCPfan]

Just as Millennium Force is cobalt blue for the element cobalt, molybdenum orange is that dark red orange that they paint Magnum.

[cal1br3tto]

I just love this park to death. Everywhere you look, there's a ride towering over you. The whole place is just so colorful and loud and in-your-face, which is why I call it the NYC of amusement parks. If you haven't been yet, GO.

Good point. I love NYC and Cedar Point, so I getcha.

 

Really like Millennium Force too, though Maverick easily beats it for me.

[JWAddington]

2012jarrett....good job on the weight loss! Such a great feeling when you sit in the seat and feel the difference from all the hardwork you put in to get yourself there!

 

Great trip report!

[palmerleeberry]

robbalvey said:

More proof for why we strongly recommend Fast Lane for anyone visiting a park from out of town. If you has Fast Lane, not only would you not have missed Millennium Force, but you probably could have ridden it 3-4 times in the two hours before it broke down.

 

And then he asked:

 

I'll simply never understand why people don't take more advantage of these systems.

 

Well, when my friend and I went to Cedar Point and saw how much Fast Pass and Fast Pass Plus cost, we decided that we weren't willing to spend all that money so we could get to the ride station quicker. In short, we didn't have that amount of money on hand. Besides, I had the platinum pass and my friend had a two day ride and slide ticket, thus we [thought] had plenty of time to do everything ( which we didn't because my friend got worn out by the late afternoon of the second day, so we ended up going back to the motel ). I believe that is why most people don't take advantage of the Fast Pass system, because of low money issues.

 

So when we go to a different amusment park next year ( it might be Six Flags Magic Mountain since we are planning to go to California) we'll be sure to get their Fast Lane so we can ride tons of coasters and still have time to watch some shows and visit their gift shops.

[singemfrc]

^ I think it's implied that he meant he doesn't understand why people who can afford to do so don't take advantage. Obviously if you can't afford it, it's not an option.

[larrygator]

Well, when my friend and I went to Cedar Point and saw how much Fast Pass and Fast Pass Plus cost, we decided that we weren't willing to spend all that money so we could get to the ride station quicker. In short, we didn't have that amount of money on hand. Besides, I had the platinum pass and my friend had a two day ride and slide ticket, thus we [thought] had plenty of time to do everything ( which we didn't because my friend got worn out by the late afternoon of the second day, so we ended up going back to the motel ). I believe that is why most people don't take advantage of the Fast Pass system, because of low money issues.

 

It's called the law of supply and demand. A very basic concept.

[zachclarke2]

Nice TR!

 

I was at the park Wednesday & Thursday, and it was pretty freaking crowded both days. I am currently working on pictures and video, that should be finished sometime in the near future.

 

My mom won Tony's Thursday tweetup while I was shooting video in the parking lot, so I ended up with one of the coins. They're pretty cool, especially since they're limited edition. Has anybody else on here gotten one?

Coin #42 of 500.

[trj820]

Just as Millennium Force is cobalt blue for the element cobalt, molybdenum orange is that dark red orange that they paint Magnum.

Except that Molybdenum isn't orange.

[bottom_feeder_13]

^ Cobalt isn't blue either, and cadmium isn't yellow, the colors are usually derived from oxides of their respective elements.

[2012jarrett]

The only explanation to the Molly Orange question I've been able to think of is that there is a type of tropical aquarium fish called a Molly that can come in a reddish-orange color. However, it's a bit more orange than Magnum's track, and honestly, why would Arrow have been so obvious that the color came from a fish?

[TunaSled]

Nice TR!

 

I was at the park Wednesday & Thursday, and it was pretty freaking crowded both days. I am currently working on pictures and video, that should be finished sometime in the near future.

 

My mom won Tony's Thursday tweetup while I was shooting video in the parking lot, so I ended up with one of the coins. They're pretty cool, especially since they're limited edition. Has anybody else on here gotten one?

Wow! Very cool.

[zachclarke2]

I finally finished all of my Cedar Point stuff, if anybody's interested.

 

Clicky here for my pictures. There's a ton, so I'm not going to crowd the thread with all of them. They're worth a gander, it's mostly just pictures of the coasters.

 

Videos (watch in HD)

Corkscrew

Iron Dragon

Gatekeeper

Magnum XL-200 (I'm not sure why this one if so wavy, so sorry about that)

Maverick

[AndrewRnR]

The only explanation to the Molly Orange question I've been able to think of is that there is a type of tropical aquarium fish called a Molly that can come in a reddish-orange color. However, it's a bit more orange than Magnum's track, and honestly, why would Arrow have been so obvious that the color came from a fish?

 

Molly Orange is a color that has been around well before Magnum. It is a "real color" (in the sense it wasn't invented for Magnum) and is actually frequently used for hot rod cars and is readily available (in the process of my guitar getting painted it was even listed as one of the options).

 

Going back to Magnum I would have to guess Arrow didn't pick the color - Cedar Point did. I remember reading (and probably have it saved somewhere) an article when Mantis was under construction with the guy who picks all the colors of park and he joked he should've picked different colors for Raptor because green would've suited Mantis better.

[singemfrc]

^ Doesnt that kind of not make sense since Mantis wasn't originally called Mantis, it was Banshee (at least it would have been when they were originally picking colors for the first time right?) I mean at the point that they were switching the name, it would have already been the current colors...I guess at the next coat of paint they could have switched it if Raptor wasn't already green.

[BBparks57]

Hey guys...I saw this pop up a few other places on the web so I thought I'd share it here too! Some great information on what it takes for Cedar Point to build something like this! Great documentary!

[AndrewRnR]

^ Doesnt that kind of not make sense since Mantis wasn't originally called Mantis, it was Banshee (at least it would have been when they were originally picking colors for the first time right?) I mean at the point that they were switching the name, it would have already been the current colors...I guess at the next coat of paint they could have switched it if Raptor wasn't already green.

 

Makes sense or not that, it is what the story said - I'm sure as a designer at the park when marketing switches a ride name you wish you had the money to go back and switch colors but I think his point was even if there was money they wouldn't have switched because of Raptor.

 

In other news... it has been announced GM and VP John Hildebrandt is retiring at the end of the year. Great guy who had Cedar Point in his blood. He has worked at the park since the 60s and his passion always showed if you ever had a chance to talk to him. Many years ago when I lived up north he was a great mentor to me and would always invite me up to his office to talk the industry despite me just being some teenage at the time. His replacement will be Dorney's current GM - Jason McClure.

[DJeXeL]

Amazing photos!! Thanks for sharing.