Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

Last 10 years they have had some big additions. Max air, skyhawk, new Gemini midway, new Wicket twister midway, windseeker. None are small

Does anyone know why this ride is following so closely after Gatekeeper? Just curious. The last two coasters were six years apart, before that they were four years apart. Now these two are only three years apart.

I think Gatekeeper was just somewhat of a fluke or a long pause for coasters after Maverick. If you look back at Cedar Point's history, since the 80's they've built new/record breaking coasters every few years. Magnum, Mean Streak, Rapor, Mantis, Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, and Top Thrill Dragster (plus a kiddie coaster in there) were all built in a time frame of four years max in between (Mantis and Millennium Force).

After Maverick, and acquiring the Paramount parks, they wanted to focus on other parks, and re-imagine the image of Cedar Point being more well rounded (not that it wasn't already). So, they took a five year break (2008-12) at Cedar Point, then got right back on track with Gatekeeper.

Two years of pretty minor investments relative to the parks history (excluding the Breakers renovation which was funded from a waterpark sale) and you have another great opportunity to re imagine the Marina gate for what is presumably much more affordable than Gatekeeper.

Anyways, that just my theory. It's not that this was particularly sped up, it's just the period of time between Maverick and Gatekeeper was a sign of change for the company.

I agree.

Most CF parks, pre Paramount buyout, have taken the back burner as the newly acquired parks have seen the most capital invested into them. When you spend a billion on something, you need to invest everything you can to ensure the maximum return. The post-Paramount parks have seen at least one, sometimes two, 20+ million dollar investments since the buyout. CF does this every time they acquire new parks, WOF, VF, and ever DP saw some of their largest investments soon after CF acquired them.

However I don't find GK to be a fluke, at all. Regardless of capacity the ride still puts through more people than MF (the parks star coaster). If the ride was in any form "bad" those numbers would be much less as people wouldn't bother riding it.

Despite whatever the enthusiast may say, GK has been quite the success. With the addition of last years family rides, CP has gained (at minimum) $19.8 million dollars worth of additional revenue, compared to the two previous years before its installation.

^I never said Gatekeeper was a fluke in terms of being "lesser" than the other star coasters built at Cedar Point. If you go back and read the rest of my sentence...

I think Gatekeeper was just somewhat of a fluke or a long pause for coasters after Maverick...since the 80's they've built new/record breaking coasters every few years.

...you'll see that what I was referring to as "fluky" was the amount of time between Maverick and Gatekeeper, not the ride itself in any way.

In before everyone freaks because Robb posts something that they believe is related to a new attraction.

^I never said Gatekeeper was a fluke in terms of being "lesser" than the other star coasters built at Cedar Point. If you go back and read the rest of my sentence...

I think Gatekeeper was just somewhat of a fluke or a long pause for coasters after Maverick...since the 80's they've built new/record breaking coasters every few years.

...you'll see that what I was referring to as "fluky" was the amount of time between Maverick and Gatekeeper, not the ride itself in any way.

Well, that clears that issue up.

So I received something in the mail today from Cedar Point...

Let's open it, shall we?

What could this be? Looks like maybe a DVD or something???

Aha, it's an announcement invite! Made out of cardboard that comes apart...hmm...

There are instructions!

And following the instructions I now have sort of a box!

But look! It's not just a box! It's a VR headset for my iPhone!

"All will come into view..."

Hmm... so I think with some of the leaks we get an idea of what this is going to be...but could there be more than we are SEEING yet? I know we've seen a lot of tests done with things like Oculus Rift headsets, and Cedar Point sure is making a big deal with this VR thing. Is it a marketing angle or are we looking at quite possibly the first coaster to actually incorporate this technology?

I guess we'll find out on the 18th!

Maybe it was a fan creation which had gone viral.

As I understood it this came from a official app from CP them self. If that's true then I wonder how they got hands on a fan creation before someone posted it online himself. You see that doesn't make much sense to me for them to get this all handed from a fan.

^There's also NL2, where it really doesn't cost much to make a layout in.

That white on black lay-out maybe, it still is missing it's joints something I see in every NL2, but that other 3D rendering (the colored one on the google earth) must have been a really bad version of NL to look like that, So I believe that must be another program.

Wow, I don't think that "viewer box" thing is just a coincidence, I'm guessing we're about to see some kind of full VR coaster. I'm still not totally sold on the concept but it could be really cool if done properly and would certianly open up a world of possibilities across the property (and all the other parks).

I don't believe this will be a VR coaster. It's a marketing scheme so you can "try" the coaster before it's built on your phone.

Putting on a smelly sweaty headset never sounded fun on a coaster

I don't believe this will be a VR coaster. It's a marketing scheme so you can "try" the coaster before it's built on your phone.

This. I can't imagine CF going full regard and trying to make people wear VR headsets while on a coaster. I think this is just so we can ride it before it is built.

Oculus Rift Dive Coaster FTW OMG

With the idea of testing VR on a coaster in the future, what are your thoughts? To make this successful? Do you think it would be an up charge?

A while back I remember seeing testing of VR done on another B&M (Goliath at La Ronde). It got me thinking... Maybe B&M is making these "forceless" designs on uprpose? Maybe it's all leading to something like this new Dive Coaster at CP. if it works here, I have a feeling they'd possibly be able to implement their VR tech on pre existing coasters.

Just a wild guess, but who knows.

With the idea of testing VR on a coaster in the future, what are your thoughts? To make this successful? Do you think it would be an up charge?

-As long as it doesn't touch my face I think it could be a really crazy awesome idea.

-An upcharge coaster would be terrilble

-If this coaster is a dive coaster with a VR tie in, I could imagine being in a VR world where you dive over a cliff, or are on some mission and have to jump out of a plane with a jet pack, having a VR world that syncs with a coaster could be awesome

-imagine taking i305 and syncing the layout to something like a futuristic VR racing track

I don't know the specifics of how it would work, but I think the idea certainly has promise, and if it does get implement I expect opinions to be dived.

This isn't going to be some kind of VR coaster... This is just going to be a way to watch the promotional videos the park releases in the coming week. It will be a 360° video viewer. The technology is already in use by a lot of companies. It was used (quite stunningly) in a teaser for a World of Warcraft film

Whenever the link is available to download the app, you will be able to watch the promo material in "virtual reality." This is a really neat way to announce a coaster, but in no way to I believe VR is going to be used on whatever ride they are going to announce.

I could see something like this happening at a Disney or Universal park, maybe Busch, too. Cedar Fair? Hope it's just a gimmicky way to announce their slightly taller and longer version of Griffon.

Maybe Cedar Point isn't even building a new coaster for next year. They are building the world's largest VR Theater. Kind of like the 4D Shows at Universal... but better...ish.

I'm pretty convinced, given the size of the area that has been cleared, that some sort of moving attraction is being constructed. More than likely it is the dive coaster that has been posted around this thread. If you are cedar point, why would you want to cover the eyes of riders that are already 200+ feet in the air? You have one of the more unique settings for a park in America, it just wouldn't make sense. So again, this is just a tease for the app, utilizing new technology that they want everyone to try out.

Don't be that person that gets suckered into the "everything is a clue" mentality.

This isn't going to be some kind of VR coaster... This is just going to be a way to watch the promotional videos the park releases in the coming week. It will be a 360° video viewer. The technology is already in use by a lot of companies. It was used (quite stunningly) in a teaser for a World of Warcraft film

. If you watch that video on your phone or motion enabled device, you are able to look around the scene, making for a very immersive experience.

 

Whenever the link is available to download the app, you will be able to watch the promo material in "virtual reality." This is a really neat way to announce a coaster, but in no way to I believe VR is going to be used on whatever ride they are going to announce.

Key words: **Wheb the App Becomes available**.... Anybody have a jailbrokrn phone/leaked app?

The Google cardboard vr headset has been popping up a lot as a marketing thing and it's definitely interesting. Conan used it during his Comic-Con shows for Conan 360 summer, giving it to all of his audience members. This will be a great way to see the animation, fly around and other promo video when it's announced.

This isn't going to be some kind of VR coaster... This is just going to be a way to watch the promotional videos the park releases in the coming week. It will be a 360° video viewer. The technology is already in use by a lot of companies. It was used (quite stunningly) in a teaser for a World of Warcraft film

. If you watch that video on your phone or motion enabled device, you are able to look around the scene, making for a very immersive experience.

 

Whenever the link is available to download the app, you will be able to watch the promo material in "virtual reality." This is a really neat way to announce a coaster, but in no way to I believe VR is going to be used on whatever ride they are going to announce.

Key words: **Wheb the App Becomes available**.... Anybody have a jailbrokrn phone/leaked app?

On android I just downloaded the APK file and now have it on my phone. However, for the moment it just shows a countdown timer in VR mode.

Emailed the park last week about the MF Nanocoaster and they are selling fast but an employee by the name of Andrew (Merchandise Manager) was nice enough to put one aside and ship it to me! Excellent customer service! I know how the rest of my workday will be spent......

^308' tall? Cedar Point touts the height of Millennium Force all the time, and its *always* been 310 feet.

Maybe it's shrinking? Or sinking like Magnum!!

Oh but wait. Do you have to be "Invited" to the announcement? Or can anyone in the park go to the announcement..? I was planning on going, but maybe not depending on how this is looking