Go Karts Disappearing at Cedar Fair Parks

[Mrlittle]

I would love it if all theme parks got rid of go karts. Just so much room you can build other things. I'm already thinking about all the room it make for SFFT in that corner. Plus I hardly ever see people use go karts at theme parks.

[Vtafro]

I would love it if all theme parks got rid of go karts. Just so much room you can build other things. I'm already thinking about all the room it make for SFFT in that corner. Plus I hardly ever see people use go karts at theme parks.

 

Always enjoy room, as long as they use it.

[thrillrider]

I'm not sad at all about them disappearing. One has to wonder if high gas prices had anything to do with it. It can't be cheap to keep 50 or so go carts full of gas and running all day. Not to mention the staff and amount of room they take up.

[YoshiFan]

The go karts at Dorney were never popular. It was rare to see more than 2 or 3 people using them at once and many times when I walked past them or saw them from Steel Force they were empty waiting for riders. They also used the track for a Haunt the past few years.

 

I know it's not Cedar Fair but the go karts at Great Adventure seem more popular than at some other parks. They have deals running throughout the season and offer a season pass for them at I think $60 which probably helps increase rider numbers. If someone goes to the park a lot and really likes go karts it's a good deal since its $8 or $9 for a single ride.

[11slataus]

I am fine with the Go Carts disappearing, although I do hope at least one of Cedar Point's tracks remain. They are actually decently interesting and fit in with Challenge Park.

 

What's surprising to me is that Six Flags hasn't started to do the same. At 6F Great America, they moved the carts from their out-of-the-way location to what used to be the shadiest, nicest area of the park! Seems like a lot of work for something that doesn't generate much revenue. Maybe Six Flags just has better ridership on theirs?

[LoneRider92]

Like other members here, I feel the go-kart tracks at larger/corporate theme parks are not much more than a noisy waste of space. The tracks are often very generic and uninteresting, and they also very rarely seem to bring in much business at all. The go-karts at Mt. Olympus, however, I do really enjoy because there is a variety of unique tracks. My main complaint is that the fleet has not been updated in quite some time. I'm not a huge fan of sitting in the vehicle waiting to be dispatched and having exhaust blasted in my face, or having your car putter along and choke climbing slight inclines.

 

I would be really curious to see if there were manufacturers in the market today offering faster, more efficient, and environmentally friendly karts. I think it would really help make them more exciting and perhaps create a bit of resurgence of them. Being an upcharge attraction, however, really hurts them IMO.

[Philrad71]

I am fine with the Go Carts disappearing, although I do hope at least one of Cedar Point's tracks remain. They are actually decently interesting and fit in with Challenge Park.

 

What's surprising to me is that Six Flags hasn't started to do the same. At 6F Great America, they moved the carts from their out-of-the-way location to what used to be the shadiest, nicest area of the park! Seems like a lot of work for something that doesn't generate much revenue. Maybe Six Flags just has better ridership on theirs?

 

As I mentioned in the CP thread, the Go Karts at Challenge Park looked to be SBNO when I was there last fall. I wonder if they are indeed removing them and putting the Sling Shot right next to Magnum's lift hill by the SkyScraper and RipCord?

[Jew]

^I think the difference is Cedar Fair leased the space to a 3rd party operator in their parks.

[kidcoaster 2]

^I think the difference is Cedar Fair leased the space to a 3rd party operator in their parks.

 

I don't know about the other parks but for Cedar Point Cedar Fair operates those tracks.

 

 

Interesting though, I guess this year the challenge park dept is being merged into rides at the point.

Edited February 6, 2014 by kidcoaster 2

[montezooma]

I used to own and operate the Thunder Raceway go-karts at California’s Great America, Kings Dominion and Carowinds when they were Paramount Parks. We operated and maintained the ride and did a revenue split with the parks. They were actually quite profitable, but a huge headache to operate. When Cedar Fair purchased the parks they bought me out of the lease and now operate them themselves.

[boughtontroy]

I'm predicting that KD's version will be next.

[CPSFMMCW]

^ that could be a possibilty. Its sits close enough to Grizzly that if they decided to tear down grizzly and the go carts, they could use that large area of land for a nice big GCI woodie. Or they could just keep grizzly and build a cool flat ride there instead.