Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

So I figured I’d spend a few hours on the park before driving home today. Dragster was down all day, somebody said it broke, but I have a feeling the crazy high winds played a part in its closing. GateKeeper and Raptor closed all day for wind. Anyone know why those two close for wind but many taller rides stay open? Found it a bit strange. Got on Millennium Force and Steel Vengeance today before leaving, SV running as amazing as usual and Millie seemed to be running faster than I’ve usually experienced.

^ They might valley more than others, it doesn't depend on the height, there's many other factors.

Those three coasters go down for high winds off the bay all the time. The entire first half of Gatekeeper would be taken directly into a headwind in these conditions and Raptor’s most valley prone point is approaching the middourse which is a direct headwind.

When the wind is off of the lake, Raptor and Gatekeeper usually run and Magnum goes down instead since it’s most valley prone point is the hill after the first drop. Right now they don’t care since it basically just has a tailwind.

Cedar Point is also really conservative with wind, they’re not “Fiesta Texas” strict but they’re pretty strict.

Those three coasters go down for high winds off the bay all the time. The entire first half of Gatekeeper would be taken directly into a headwind in these conditions and Raptor’s most valley prone point is approaching the middourse which is a direct headwind.

 

When the wind is off of the lake, Raptor and Gatekeeper usually run and Magnum goes down instead since it’s most valley prone point is the hill after the first drop. Right now they don’t care since it basically just has a tailwind.

 

Cedar Point is also really conservative with wind, they’re not “Fiesta Texas” strict but they’re pretty strict.

Now that I’m thinking of it, Manum was closed earlier in the day for an hour or two. Wind changed direction later in the day I assume, because it opened up around noon. So did Gemini as well.

Another thing I noticed: is WindSeeker ever open anymore? Yesterday the winds seemed fine, Sky Ride was open, yet WindSeeker was closed the whole day. Same thing all 3 days I was there last year.

It’s probably closed for staffing but I’m prepared to be wrong. I know Sky Ride was closed for staffing all last week.

Arrived last night for a 2.5 day trip. Was pouring when I rolled in so didn't head into the park until 6, but in the 2 hours I had I got in 4 rides on MF, 2 on SV, and 1 on Maverick. Waited 3 trains for a front row ride on MF, won't ever see that again.

Today I got a total of 10 rides in 11 hours. Park was packed with school groups and with a lot of coasters down at various points of the day, lots of long lines. Gatekeeper and Raptor never opened. TTD opened around 5:00. SV opened after 11. Got rides on Magnum, Wicked Twister, Gemini, Mine Ride, Skyhawk, Rougarou, Iron Dragon, Blue Streak, Valravn, and TTD.

Wish I bought FL+ today, but started the day thinking no one would be there, then once it was crowded I figured the school groups would be gone by 3, then when they didn't, it just got too late to justify buying one. SV and Valravn were consistently showing lines over 2 hours when they were open. MF, Maverick, and Blue Streak were 60+ mins all day and everything else was 30+ until after 6:00 so didn't get the dead Monday in May I was hoping for. Pet the Goats: The Ride had no wait though so that was nice.

Will be in the park 9-4 tomorrow, hoping for a better day line wise. Hopefully Raptor and Gatekeeper will be open (Raptor started testing at the end of the day today) and some of the other stuff has more uptime.

Raptor and Gatekeeper should be open tomorrow. The wind forecast looks much better.

Went to the park the last few days, and I'm slightly baffled/annoyed. Got on many great rides, Steel Vengeance was awesome.

However both days Gatekeeper & Raptor were closed the entire day due to winds, even though the wind directions were different both days.

-What irked me more, today Gatekeeper was running before the park opened at 10, but the attendant told us it closed as soon as the park opened. At 8pm on closing, they reopened it on the way out. Confused why they'd open it post closing, I asked the info desk what was up, and they said the individual ride operator decided at opening it wasn't safe, but decided it was again right before closing, but could only take premium tickets due to the late hour (the winds had died down for hours).

Is this a common occurrence, where they just close this ride and reopen for "premium", because it's obviously capable of running safely if they were later, and it seems very coincidental that winds were unacceptable just for the hours the park is open. Maybe they were short-staffed and just wouldn't admit it, but I'm upset as I travelled a long way and have never ridden a wing coaster (unless X2 counts).

I'd sue.

I'd sue.

definitely

Went to the park the last few days, and I'm slightly baffled/annoyed. Got on many great rides, Steel Vengeance was awesome.

 

However both days Gatekeeper & Raptor were closed the entire day due to winds, even though the wind directions were different both days.

-What irked me more, today Gatekeeper was running before the park opened at 10, but the attendant told us it closed as soon as the park opened. At 8pm on closing, they reopened it on the way out. Confused why they'd open it post closing, I asked the info desk what was up, and they said the individual ride operator decided at opening it wasn't safe, but decided it was again right before closing, but could only take premium tickets due to the late hour (the winds had died down for hours).

 

Is this a common occurrence, where they just close this ride and reopen for "premium", because it's obviously capable of running safely if they were later, and it seems very coincidental that winds were unacceptable just for the hours the park is open. Maybe they were short-staffed and just wouldn't admit it, but I'm upset as I travelled a long way and have never ridden a wing coaster (unless X2 counts).

GateKeeper is the most popular ride in the entire park, next to Millennium force. They wouldn’t close it because of staffing. It takes priority. They just run it with less staff when they need. GateKeeper has a wind meter at the top of the lift and it’s wired directly into the rides control panel. When the wind is too high at the top of the ride, it won’t let them run it. Seriously.

As for “premium,” I have zero idea what this means. Never heard of a “premium” ticket or premium riders.

Went to the park the last few days, and I'm slightly baffled/annoyed. Got on many great rides, Steel Vengeance was awesome.

 

However both days Gatekeeper & Raptor were closed the entire day due to winds, even though the wind directions were different both days.

-What irked me more, today Gatekeeper was running before the park opened at 10, but the attendant told us it closed as soon as the park opened. At 8pm on closing, they reopened it on the way out. Confused why they'd open it post closing, I asked the info desk what was up, and they said the individual ride operator decided at opening it wasn't safe, but decided it was again right before closing, but could only take premium tickets due to the late hour (the winds had died down for hours).

 

Is this a common occurrence, where they just close this ride and reopen for "premium", because it's obviously capable of running safely if they were later, and it seems very coincidental that winds were unacceptable just for the hours the park is open. Maybe they were short-staffed and just wouldn't admit it, but I'm upset as I travelled a long way and have never ridden a wing coaster (unless X2 counts).

First of all, if you've ridden X2 there's no reason you should be irked about missing Gatekeeper. Thing is a B&M sleeper and don't feel bad about missing it. I prefer intensity before any over-trimmed B&M, and would ride X2 any day over Gatekeeper.

Second, I guarantee you missing the ride had nothing to do about "premium" anything literally the rides are super sensitive to the wind and you just missed them because of that. I promise you, just dumb stupid luck. Winds were down in the AM, then up during the day, then down again in the PM. This gives those "open early" guests that slot to ride before the park does, and that "stay late" guests that slot to get it after it closed. I promise, Cedar Point is super legit in trying to get their guests on all the rides as much as they can. Don't take it personally.

^

What he said. They reopende TTD in July 2017 even after the official park closing. It had a breakdown one hour before and some people wanted to stay in line. We were on our way to Breakers and saw the ride testing. OPs let us in the line when it was already ten minutes after closing and we had four rides.

CP is great with trying to get rides open if there is a real chance and even it is only for a bunch of crazy people.

The rides were down because it was windy as sh*t. There’s no conspiracy here. Given their usual wind policies I’m impressed that they attempted to run them at all.

^From my observations the past few years, school groups generally seem to stay late now. On the days the park has 8pm closes it's very common for school groups to be there till 7pm or even till close.

Very different then when I was a kid going for school and we we're leaving around 4-5pm.

I just don't understand all the GP love for Gatekeeper. It's a mediocre ride. But maybe that's exactly the draw for GP: many of the other rides are too intense for them?

I kinda feel the same way for Valvarin. It's a great novelty the first time, but it's pretty much an overrated one trick pony, and I don't mind skipping either one when I visit CP.

Gatekeeper basically hangs you upsidedown 170 feet in the air with no track above or below you. Valravn dangles you over a 223 foot straight-down dive with stunningly gorgeous views of the park and the lake.

You really don't understand why people find that fun?

Some enthusiasts are jaded because they ride coasters all the time, but to a normal person those two scenarios that I just mentioned are f*cking batshit insane.

It's at the front of the park, looks awesome, and has its fun moments. Even I'm guilty of hitting it first (noob move, 0/10 would not recommend doing that) because my friends and I walk up to the gate and think "let's ride that one!" People that only go to the park once a year for their family vacation aren't going to think to run to Maverick or SV first, they're going to show up and do what looks fun. It's not a BAD ride, either. Definitely not one I'd skip when I visit.

I love Gatekeeper and Valravn, they're really fun. I've ridden them multiple times on every visit. I don't want relentless intensity; I'm at a theme park to relax. Roller coasters promise you danger and excitement, bring you right to the edge of it, and then set you down gently at the end without a scratch. Both Gatekeeper and Valravn deliver on that promise.

I also tried out the Ride Force app from this thread and got some decent result.

I don't know how I missed this but I'm really entertained (though not surprised) by the results... mainly the fact that Maverick is more forceful than Steel Vengeance so bow down, the fact that the app doesn't even realize that Iron Dragon is supposed to be a coaster and the fact that Raptor took the G Force app and broke it.

All of that sounds about right.

Well, I'm a little disappointed as I couldnt ride like half the rides. Steel Vengeance and Maverick were good for me, as well as some of the older ones, but so far MF, Valraven, Raptor, and Gatekeeper were no gos. I don't think amusement parks are for me anymore.

Hm.

I inferred the premium pass comment as something like the getting in early/late, or resort guest type thing. The people at the desk weren't very helpful. I guess I'm just a bit irked that it happened to re-open as the park closed, given that we were told it wasn't able to run due to safety. A part of me figured they just didn't plan on opening the ride that day, but made an exception later on for whatever reason for the stay-late guests. Regardless, just my bad luck I guess. Last time I visited Knotts Hangtime was closed too. >_<. Maybe next time.

Much less busy day today and everything was open other than regular breakdowns. Even Windseeker was testing, never even seen it run before. Skyride was also open.

Unfortunately SV was down until 11, so got the morning started with Maverick and MF laps. Moved down to Rougarou and then Gatekeeper and Maxair. Didn't wait in a single line all morning. Rougarou was riding like an arrow looper this morning after I had a better ride yesterday. Count me in to the group who doesn't quite understand the Gatekeeper love. I understand the marketability of it, but just seems to shuffle a lot and for some reason I just find it a little uncomfortable.

Headed to Raptor which was actually riding smoother than Gatekeeper and is still one of my favorite coasters (and favorite invert). Blasted through Power Tower, TTD, and Magnum in about 20 minutes, then with about an hour and a half till I had to leave for the airport, headed back for a now running SV.

Sign on the way in said 90 minutes and when I got in line only the first 4 switchbacks were filled so figured that wouldn't be an issue. For whatever reason, even with dispatch times looking normal, the line moved incredibly slow. After an hour I was only at the very beginning of the tunnel. Knowing I wasn't going to get on in the next 30 mins, I dejectedly got out of line. At least got a fun ride on Gemini on the way out but a bummer to have to get out of line.

Next trip, I plan on spending more than 2 days...don't want to rush around as much. Love just hanging around that park, especially Frontiertown. Just seems so peaceful compared to most parks.

^From my observations the past few years, school groups generally seem to stay late now. On the days the park has 8pm closes it's very common for school groups to be there till 7pm or even till close.

 

Very different then when I was a kid going for school and we we're leaving around 4-5pm.

When I was in school we would leave an hour before the park closed and it always pissed me off. Now that I run the trip for the school I teach at I have them meet at closing time. And I really don't expect to see all of them until all the rides are closed. For a lot of them it's the one and only time they will have ever been to CP so I let them get the most out of it.

^ You're a very nice teacher to let them do that.