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Dorney Park Announces "Stinger"


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EDIT: http://www.dorneypark.com/public/park/rides/roller_coasters/stinger.cfm

Dorney Park has officially announced "Stinger," the relocated Vekoma Inverted Boomerang from California's Great America. The ride is identical to our own "Invertigo."

Feel your heart pump with adrenaline after experiencing this scorpion's sting! Sit back and find yourself dangling from the scorpion tail seated face-to-face with your friends as you each sit witness to the others terror. You'll scream your face off as you are lifted up a 138-foot lift hill and then released to soar at speeds reaching 55 miles per hour through three inversions both forward and then backward.

The ride is being built on the former site of "Laser" next to their Intamin Twisted Impulse Coaster, "Possessed."

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ORIGINAL POST: News broke the other night that California's Great America is removing their "Invertigo" roller coaster (an exact copy of our own) to free up the space for "something new" in the coming years. Methinks it more than coincidence that the ride also stranded a train full of people on the lift hill for hours on end just last summer, and has likely developed a less than stellar reputation.

Then this morning, Great America's official website had the following to say:

After 12 years of service at California's Great America, Cedar Fair has decided to move the ride to another Cedar Fair park, and open up a new opportunity for Great America.

This is a business decision that is taking into consideration all of the Cedar Fair properties and allowing us to infuse capital into another park and opening up a great opportunity for a new attraction at Great America.

Although we do not discuss future plans that are not definate, our Corporate Design team has evaluated the location and plans are underway for the future of the location.

This is not unusual, in 2003 the ride Stealth was removed and relocated to Carowinds in Charlotte, N.C., to make way for what is now know as Boomerang Bay water park.

Stay tuned for more details as they are available!

http://www.cagreatam...fm?item_id=1069

Perhaps it's for the best. Great America's coaster count is dwindling, and there's no denying that this would be a cheap, but fun install for parks like Dorney. And, if we're being frank, Cedar Point doesn't have a boomerang coaster, it's plenty "gimmicky" with the face-to-face seating that they could slap a "record" on it, it's small enough that it wouldn't require too much land, and they are falling behind on the coaster count now, which oh so many people at CFHQ seem to think is unacceptable...

Also, I had to chuckle at the "this is not unusual" part... For Great America, it certainly is not... Such a shame, really. Remember when X-Flight was being removed to infuse capitol into another Cedar Fair park that was more in need of thrill rides than its original home? I do..

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Wow, this is my first post in quite a while, but I just hope that this little operation, while helping another CF park, does not turn into another Geauga Lake story. After all, if I'm not mistaken, I don't think that CF has installed any new rides at CGA since a year or two after aquiring PP. There is even the possibility that CF is planning some more investments into that park, possibly after a settlement with the entire statium situation. I know it's unlikely, but anything can happen. On a side note, although it would be cool, and boost the coaster count, I don't see why CF would want to install Invertigo at CP when there is an equal model of different colors at a sister park in the same state. However, we do have the WindSeekers.....

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I could see it going to 1 of 3 parks, Michigan's Adventure, Dorney, or Valleyfair. Of the 3, I believe it will go to Valleyfair the most of all. I really hope we don't see a Geauga Lake case with this park too. If so can we call their Flight Deck!? :rolleyes:

Don't know how many of you Guys have been to Dorney but I say its going there. Lazer was an awsome looper I was lucky enough to get to ride it back when I first visted the park in 2008 plus it will bring some life back to the area of the park. All thats back there is a Haunt they use and teh 2 Kiddie Coasters. So I think it will go on the site of ware Lazer Sat.

Looks like I have to Make A trip out there in the next few years they might pull a Geagua Lake Stunt Sry the word "business decision" scares me ;).

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What investment has Cedar Fair put into California`s Great America over the years? It certainly seems like it has been the "neglected step child" of the chain. Although, I suppose the turmoil over the future of the park, has resulted in Cedar Fair not wanting to invest too heavily in capital expenditures in the park. Could we eventually see this park turned into a water park only property? I mean, Paramount did remove Stealth to build a water park on its land.

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I don't think CGA is as neglected as a lot of you think. Ya it hasn't seen investments like Kings Island or Kings Dominion, but that's because the park is a third of the size. Its a smaller park, CF introduced FireFall a greatly themed top spin. In 2008 Halloween Haunt a new halloween experiance was introduced. In 2007 a 355,000 gallon wave pool added 2 ancres to Boomerang Bay. In 2009 new shows, in 2010 a new family experiance Planet Snoopy. Maybe its just me but for a smaller park, I think they are doing just okay.

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One of these years, I`d love to get out to California. I`d love to visit DisneyLand, Knott`s, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and California`s Great America. Heck, I`d even like to visit Vegas. Alas, currently money and time off do not allow for me to make a western trip. Don`t get me wrong, I have lots of $$ in the bank for a YP a few years out of college, but I am saving up to buy my first house, and then I will be poor.

I agree, that the parks which are most likely to receive this installation are Michigan`s Adventure (although that seems less likely since they just got Thunderhawk, a Vekoma SLC., back in 2008). So Dorney, and ValleyFair seem like logical choices. Are we expecting this ride to open at a Cedar Fair park in 2011? Or is this more a 2012 installation time line?

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One of these years, I`d love to get out to California. I`d love to visit DisneyLand, Knott`s, Six Flags Magic Mountain, and California`s Great America. Heck, I`d even like to visit Vegas. Alas, currently money and time off do not allow for me to make a western trip. Don`t get me wrong, I have lots of $$ in the bank for a YP a few years out of college, but I am saving up to buy my first house, and then I will be poor.

I agree, that the parks which are most likely to receive this installation are Michigan`s Adventure (although that seems less likely since they just got Thunderhawk, a Vekoma SLC., back in 2008). So Dorney, and ValleyFair seem like logical choices. Are we expecting this ride to open at a Cedar Fair park in 2011? Or is this more a 2012 installation time line?

I'd wager 2012. That would be a pretty quick turnover and announcement for a new ride, even one of smaller size.

Plus, this is the same company that is never quite sure which parks are getting which rides, decide on parks, then change their minds, then change the area within the park that they have ready for it, then change the color scheme, then decide to keep old rides...

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Not to mention several other, largely unrelated things:

a. This is already 2011...2012 is only a bit over a year away...even that is a bit short to get that thing relocated.

b. The new independent Chairman may have a different idea on how to run the company, and even more so:

c. The new CEO may have even more ideas, when s/he is installed next January (or before). Assuming management really changes...and this isn't just a paper switcheroo.

d. As you've clearly hinted, banks, unit holders, state regulators, park patron lashback (see Knott's, or not), all could change decisions that may or may not already be set in concrete.

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This ride could fit nicely in the spot where Demon Drop was at Cedar Point. Yes, Ocean Motion is going in there already, but there's still room. CP doesn't have a boom-a-rang and it would compliment Raptor, the other suspended coaster. ALSO it would give CP another number to add to their coaster count. (this ride could be reconstructed in a very short time - and there's plenty of time before May opening).

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But let's also consider the hourly capacity of a Vekoma inverted boomerang. Would you install one at a park with traffic like Cedar Point has? Would you place it right at the entrance? Would you give it a bright and attractive color scheme? These are the questions that one would have to ask. Because a bright, tall, loud roller coaster looming over the entrance to the park (and far more accessible from that entrance than our own) that probably averages on what, 700 riders an hour if that?

Our 12 year old one still has a 30 - 60 minute wait most days.. And that's not necessarily proof that it's a well-attended attraction...

Still quite a loss for Great America.

... But if it closes, can we call dibs on their Firefall, rockwork, music, water features, flames, and all?

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I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet, but does anyone remember in 2008 when CF announced Great America was getting this awesome new wooden rollercoaster from Great Coasters?

In case you don't: http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/californias-great-am-2402/

It was scheduled to open in 2009. Never happened.

Many people speculated that it was just Cedar Fair making noise about how they were supposedly still committed to the park, it seemed like they were posturing themselves as saying "Oh, we don't really wanna sell this park to the 49ers, see - we're investing in it, but if you give it to us for the right price.... ;) "

Seems like this Invertigo announcement is thinly veiled in the same light. They're moving it to another park, but they're gonna try to spin it as a positive thing regardless.

Get my drift?

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This ride could fit nicely in the spot where Demon Drop was at Cedar Point. Yes, Ocean Motion is going in there already, but there's still room. CP doesn't have a boom-a-rang and it would compliment Raptor, the other suspended coaster. ALSO it would give CP another number to add to their coaster count. (this ride could be reconstructed in a very short time - and there's plenty of time before May opening).

I know it's different mostly but CP already has a second (and older than Raptor even) suspended coaster...Iron Dragon. :P

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But let's also consider the hourly capacity of a Vekoma inverted boomerang. Would you install one at a park with traffic like Cedar Point has? Would you place it right at the entrance? Would you give it a bright and attractive color scheme? These are the questions that one would have to ask. Because a bright, tall, loud roller coaster looming over the entrance to the park (and far more accessible from that entrance than our own) that probably averages on what, 700 riders an hour if that?

Our 12 year old one still has a 30 - 60 minute wait most days.. And that's not necessarily proof that it's a well-attended attraction...

To that end, is the hourly capacity of an Intamin inverted shuttle coaster that much greater? I realize that Wicked Twister has 4 more riders per train than Invertigo, but still, they're similar in concept and WT was installed at CP (and not too terribly far from the entrance).

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From my observations alone, I feel like Wicked Twister loads a lot faster, and is checked much more quickly for whatever reason. Also, Wicked Twister definitely isn't longer than the cycle length of Invertigo. If anything, I'd wager that Wicked Twister's length is far less since it doesn't have to navigate two whole lift hills (one at the beginning, and one at the end, plus a little of one in between). But again, that's all observationally and really I don't even know why I'm defending it, because I absolutely see your point.

Just thought it was something worth considering!

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Location is a major factor there. There's a reason Cedar Point wisely put that ride off to the side of the midway, on the periphery of the park, where many don't even consider riding it. Even still, the first couple of seasons, that thing drew monster lines...For that matter, look where Face/Off aka Invertigo at Kings Island is....similar strategy, indeed.

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I always have mixed emotions when it comes to rides transferring to new parks. I am happy because the home park of the ride can get something sweet and the next park could get a ride they need to help boost attendance. I'm just a bit skeptical in this situation. To my knowledge, CGA hasn't been the most successful Cedar Fair park. Another coaster enthusiast and I had a conversation one night and we thought that CGA would be transferring rides to other CF parts and ultimately closing down. I hope this is not the case, but I could see it happening. I hope and pray that it doesn't because we all know Cedar Fair doesn't want another Geuaga Lake.

Just my two cents.

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First, from Cedar Fair itself:

http://www.cagreatam...fm?item_id=1069

Nice article with good backgrounder on park and its coasters:

http://www.latimes.c...1,2322443.story

ALSO includes THIS:

...While Great America has released no details on the 2012 project, officials confirmed the new attraction will NOT be the oft-delayed wooden roller coaster proposed in 2008 (which remains in limbo due to noise concerns)....

Terp, who doesn't discuss confidential information on or at Fridays (or on other days or in other places, for that matter). That being said, sometimes stated reasons may not be the actual reasons...

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This ride could fit nicely in the spot where Demon Drop was at Cedar Point. Yes, Ocean Motion is going in there already, but there's still room. CP doesn't have a boom-a-rang and it would compliment Raptor, the other suspended coaster. ALSO it would give CP another number to add to their coaster count. (this ride could be reconstructed in a very short time - and there's plenty of time before May opening).

I know it's different mostly but CP already has a second (and older than Raptor even) suspended coaster...Iron Dragon. :P

Just for your own peresonal information, Iron Dragon is a suspended coaster, not an inverted coaster.

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