Shoot The Rapids, Now Open (June 26)

[PREMiERdrum]

From Facebook:

Shoot the Rapids will open on May 29. We apologize for the delay. Visit our news page for more information. We'll keep you updated on the progress and if it opens sooner.

LINK - OnPoint! Blog

Another new Intamin at the Point, and another delayed opening...

[RingMaster]

Did they find a spot on the ride that was deemed too intense for riders and opt to replace a part of the track at the last minute?

[Beast1979]

Listen, Cedar Point, we need to have a talk.

I know you guys are doing great. That's wonderful, I'm happy for you. But we have to talk about your addiction. Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about, you know darn well what it is. You're on Inta-Crack. It's an Intamin addiction. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. The problem is though, Cedar, that it's a bad thing to do. You know it's hurting you but you do it anyway! Top Thrill Dragster opening late, Maverick opening late, Shoot the Rapids opening late, the recent Millennium Force cable snap, Wicked Twister's back spike replacement, you know it's wrong, but why do you it? For some cheap thrill? We need to get you off this. Don't worry, I'm not calling cold turkey. Maybe, instead of every attraction, it can be every other attraction, then every third attraction, we can slowly break your addiction to this harmful manufacturer. There's other ways to get high, you know, without Inta-Crack. Have you tried B&M? It's a safe, mellow, reliable alternative. And it won't drive you broke with the constant costs.

I'm here to help, Cedar Point. Together, we can get over this!

[bkroz]

Did they find a spot on the ride that was deemed too intense for riders and opt to replace a part of the track at the last minute?

Yes! I hear that the underwater heartline roll was really doing some damage on the test dummies...

[KI Kevin]

^^Haaa good stuff. If only they'd build more B&M's.

[markr]

Its just as well that Shoot The Rapids will open at the end of May as it tends to get kind of chilly during the early weeks at CP. I would only want to ride it on a warm day anyway.

[PREMiERdrum]

Some of us Media-types were excited to attend Friday's media day, which, pending notification, is likely cancelled.

[bkroz]

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/news/news.cfm

It is cancelled. Sorry!

[PREMiERdrum]

http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/news/news.cfm

It is cancelled. Sorry!

Well, at least that will save me some gas money, which is good considering that I'm getting deep into work on my Falcon!

[CincyMan98]

Cedar Point IMO is going down. I heard it's not very clean - unless I've heard wrong. Demon Drop is gone. Their rides are always late. I wouldn't be surprised to see its attendance go down.

[Beast1979]

^Don't kid yourself, Firehawk. It's a Cedar Fair park, there's trash bins every 5 feet. It's VERY clean. It's spiffy, there's lots of diversity in rides, there's sit down restaurants, on site hotels, campgrounds, a beautiful location, it's still one of the best parks in the world.

And attendance has gone down, at a lot of parks. It's not the park itself, however, supposedly it's the economy.

[The Interpreter]

Cedar Point doesn't even open until Saturday. I'm sure the place will be spotless, as it always is.

Cedar Point...the Fun and Only!

[RingMaster]

^Don't kid yourself, Firehawk. It's a Cedar Fair park, there's trash bins every 5 feet. It's VERY clean.

Just because there's trash cans every five feet doesn't mean people will use them or it will automatically make it that much cleaner. You need a top of the line Ecology/Park Services crew to make the park sparkle and shine every day the park is open...something Kings Island specializes in and something Cedar Point lacks. I can't tell you how many times I've gone up to the Point and seen very few, if any, yellow shirts on the midways or in the bathrooms cleaning (and the yellow shirts/metal pans are supposed to make those associates stand out more than usual; it's kinda contradictory to not find any). You would think that, given the fact that it's the flagship park and their base of operations is in Sandusky, they would run a tighter ship in terms of cleanliness.

[BavarianBeatle]

Listen, Cedar Point, we need to have a talk.

I know you guys are doing great. That's wonderful, I'm happy for you. But we have to talk about your addiction. Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about, you know darn well what it is. You're on Inta-Crack. It's an Intamin addiction. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. The problem is though, Cedar, that it's a bad thing to do. You know it's hurting you but you do it anyway! Top Thrill Dragster opening late, Maverick opening late, Shoot the Rapids opening late, the recent Millennium Force cable snap, Wicked Twister's back spike replacement, you know it's wrong, but why do you it? For some cheap thrill? We need to get you off this. Don't worry, I'm not calling cold turkey. Maybe, instead of every attraction, it can be every other attraction, then every third attraction, we can slowly break your addiction to this harmful manufacturer. There's other ways to get high, you know, without Inta-Crack. Have you tried B&M? It's a safe, mellow, reliable alternative. And it won't drive you broke with the constant costs.

I'm here to help, Cedar Point. Together, we can get over this!

If you feel that Intamin is a "harmful manufacturer," I assume you do not ride Drop Tower or view KI from atop the Eiffel Tower....

[Dvo]

I think I may be the only person left who'll still take an Intamin over a B&M. Or remembers that CP gets one of the harshest winters of any park, making off-season construction rather difficult. But maybe that's just me. now back to your regularly scheduled Intamin bashing..

[bkroz]

If you feel that Intamin is a "harmful manufacturer," I assume you do not ride Drop Tower or view KI from atop the Eiffel Tower....

The problem is their prototypes. In all fairness, look at many of the rides they've created - sure they're all thought of fondly (Millennium, Volcano, Top Thrill) but honestly consider their history (some of this may be incorrect, mind you - this is just what I have heard & seen enough to believe is true)....

• Geauga Lake's Mr. Hyde's Nasty Fall fell down the lifting shaft when it was operating as The Edge.
  
• A 12-year old fell from Drop Zone at Great America and passed away, resulting in the closure and analysis of all Intamin Drop Towers around the world.
  
• Top Thrill Dragster & Xcellerator have had cables fray while guests were onboard, sending metallic shards flying at riders.
  
• Millennium Force's cable snapped during testing one morning, allegedly rocketing the train over the first hill.
  
• The back spike of Wicked Twister at Cedar Point had to be replaced(?)
  
• Superman: Tower of Power had a cable snap, severing a young girl's legs and bringing about the closure of all Intamin Drop Towers around the world... again.
  
• Kingda Ka has had its share of downtime for various reasons.
  
• In 2001, a woman fell from Knott's Perilous Plunge. Not sure who was to blame for that, but it still projects an image...
  
• Xcellerator at Knott's had to have additional bracing supports added to it once the structure was found to need more support than it was built with (and for a time, operating with).
  
• Volcano: The Blast Coaster at Kings Dominion had a very rocky start, closed more often than it was open during its initial years of operation.
  
• The back spike of Superman: Ultimate Escape (now Voodoo at Dorney Park) collapsed during the winter
  
• Maverick's opening was delayed due to an element that was exerting too much stress, unrecognized by the extensive and intensive computer calculations...
  
• Allegedly guests experience a little too much intensity on Intimidator 305, which may or may not result in magnetic breaks being added to the first hill.
  
• Now Shoot the Rapid's opening is delayed...
  

Again, that's not conclusive that Intamin's rides are safe or unsafe or anywhere in between... Just a way of looking at things that you certainly won't find for B&M or Vekoma. And, of course, with great innovation comes both errors (see above) and extraordinary success (launched coasters, pre-fab wooden coasters, giga-coasters, gyro drops, and more). Is it worth it?

[BavarianBeatle]

I prefer Intamins to B&M's... IMHO, B&M builds overly smooth coasters that are in no way thrilling or scary. But the point of my post was that Intamin is in no way "harmful," as claimed by the poster who I quoted.

[PREMiERdrum]

Just some corrections:

# The back spike of Wicked Twister at Cedar Point had to be replaced(?)

Additional bracing was added to the back spike, as a routine inspection discovered hairline cracks in the track that makes up the back spike.

# Superman: Tower of Power had a cable snap, severing a young girl's legs and bringing about the closure of all Intamin Drop Towers around the world... again.

The park was fined after it was discovered that the manufacturer's maintenance schedules and procedures had not been followed.

The back spike of Superman: Ultimate Escape (now Voodoo at Dorney Park) collapsed during the winter

Never heard this one... the only known incident from S:UE / SV occurred in 2006 when a slightly misaligned LIM caused serious damage to the train and took the ride out of service for the rest of the season. The incident happened during morning testing, when no guests were in the park.

While the company certainly has had more than their share of incidents, they are certainly the ones pushing the envelope in the amusement device industry, and you might say that it goes with the territory.

[bkroz]

While the company certainly has had more than their share of incidents, they are certainly the ones pushing the envelope in the amusement device industry, and you might say that it goes with the territory.

Yep! I can't agree more. And also, I'm sure some of those things are incorrect. Just what I'd heard (which, for all intents and purposes, is just as important as what really happened, because that tenfold is what the public hears before they board these machines).

I prefer Intamins to B&M's... IMHO, B&M builds overly smooth coasters that are in no way thrilling or scary. But the point of my post was that Intamin is in no way "harmful," as claimed by the poster who I quoted.

True. And in many ways, I agree. There's something about Maverick, Millennium and the like - they're unique, they're twisted, and they have unexpected launches and airtime. Does it make them more suceptible to break-downs? Yes. But there comes a point when the casual rider will simply feel "If you've ridden one B&M hypercoaster, you've ridden them all." Do you think casual park goers notice (or even care about) the differences between Behemoth, Nitro, Diamondback, Apollo's Chariot, etc. If they can even keep the names straight, they'll probably prefer some over others, but all are smooth-as-glass, up-and-down, out-and-back airtime hills with a helix here and there. They're fantastic coasters, but after a few re-rides they seem to lack that "oomph." At least for me.

Of course, that's saying nothing of B&M's other offerings - Inverts, stand-ups, multi-loopers, dueling coasters, flying coasters. They have some of the best rides in the business, but when it comes to just their hyper coasters, they do become a little "blah" for me. They lack the suspense, uniqueness, and re-ride-ability of Maverick, El Toro, Volcano, even Wicked Twister.

But for me, I've never had a bad ride on a Premier. I know that's like, the oddest company to favor. But I love their rides. Perhaps because they have a little bit of vibration to them, and most every single one I've been on has been at least moderately well themed, and I think that's something that Premier enjoys being part of. And I feel like, since they make smaller, more family-oriented installations, they put more care and effort into their rides than Intamin, who might crank out two huge coasters, a few smaller ones, flat rides, and observation towers all in one year.

[BavarianBeatle]

While the company certainly has had more than their share of incidents, they are certainly the ones pushing the envelope in the amusement device industry, and you might say that it goes with the territory.

Yep! I can't agree more. And also, I'm sure some of those things are incorrect. Just what I'd heard (which, for all intents and purposes, is just as important as what really happened, because that tenfold is what the public hears before they board these machines).

I prefer Intamins to B&M's... IMHO, B&M builds overly smooth coasters that are in no way thrilling or scary. But the point of my post was that Intamin is in no way "harmful," as claimed by the poster who I quoted.

True. And in many ways, I agree. There's something about Maverick, Millennium and the like - they're unique, they're twisted, and they have unexpected launches and airtime. Does it make them more suceptible to break-downs? Yes. But there comes a point when the casual rider will simply feel "If you've ridden one B&M hypercoaster, you've ridden them all." Do you think casual park goers notice (or even care about) the differences between Behemoth, Nitro, Diamondback, Apollo's Chariot, etc. If they can even keep the names straight, they'll probably prefer some over others, but all are smooth-as-glass, up-and-down, out-and-back airtime hills with a helix here and there. They're fantastic coasters, but after a few re-rides they seem to lack that "oomph." At least for me.

Of course, that's saying nothing of B&M's other offerings - Inverts, stand-ups, multi-loopers, dueling coasters, flying coasters. They have some of the best rides in the business, but when it comes to just their hyper coasters, they do become a little "blah" for me. They lack the suspense, uniqueness, and re-ride-ability of Maverick, El Toro, Volcano, even Wicked Twister.

But for me, I've never had a bad ride on a Premier. I know that's like, the oddest company to favor. But I love their rides. Perhaps because they have a little bit of vibration to them, and most every single one I've been on has been at least moderately well themed, and I think that's something that Premier enjoys being part of. And I feel like, since they make smaller, more family-oriented installations, they put more care and effort into their rides than Intamin, who might crank out two huge coasters, a few smaller ones, flat rides, and observation towers all in one year.

Yes. No B&M that I've ridden could offer a ride like Maverick under these conditions...

I must, once again, disagree with JacksonPKI who said that this is, to use his word, "harmful."

[PREMiERdrum]

While the company certainly has had more than their share of incidents, they are certainly the ones pushing the envelope in the amusement device industry, and you might say that it goes with the territory.

Yep! I can't agree more. And also, I'm sure some of those things are incorrect. Just what I'd heard (which, for all intents and purposes, is just as important as what really happened, because that tenfold is what the public hears before they board these machines).

I prefer Intamins to B&M's... IMHO, B&M builds overly smooth coasters that are in no way thrilling or scary. But the point of my post was that Intamin is in no way "harmful," as claimed by the poster who I quoted.

True. And in many ways, I agree. There's something about Maverick, Millennium and the like - they're unique, they're twisted, and they have unexpected launches and airtime. Does it make them more suceptible to break-downs? Yes. But there comes a point when the casual rider will simply feel "If you've ridden one B&M hypercoaster, you've ridden them all." Do you think casual park goers notice (or even care about) the differences between Behemoth, Nitro, Diamondback, Apollo's Chariot, etc. If they can even keep the names straight, they'll probably prefer some over others, but all are smooth-as-glass, up-and-down, out-and-back airtime hills with a helix here and there. They're fantastic coasters, but after a few re-rides they seem to lack that "oomph." At least for me.

Of course, that's saying nothing of B&M's other offerings - Inverts, stand-ups, multi-loopers, dueling coasters, flying coasters. They have some of the best rides in the business, but when it comes to just their hyper coasters, they do become a little "blah" for me. They lack the suspense, uniqueness, and re-ride-ability of Maverick, El Toro, Volcano, even Wicked Twister.

But for me, I've never had a bad ride on a Premier. I know that's like, the oddest company to favor. But I love their rides. Perhaps because they have a little bit of vibration to them, and most every single one I've been on has been at least moderately well themed, and I think that's something that Premier enjoys being part of. And I feel like, since they make smaller, more family-oriented installations, they put more care and effort into their rides than Intamin, who might crank out two huge coasters, a few smaller ones, flat rides, and observation towers all in one year.

Premier is going to be the one to watch going forward... they have some truly great concepts and seem to have the drive to get them installed. If some of the plans Premier has for the Busch parks ever come to fruition (they were paused during the sale), I think we're all in for a treat. If the Tampa park's 2011 project ends up being Premier (which I think it may - based on the groundplan, looks to me like a darkride / coaster), things could really get interesting. The work I've seen that was done for the SeaWorld darkride/coaster was simply incredible.

Edit: For the record, my screenname has nothing to do with Premier rides, rather, I'm a huge fan of England's PREMiER Drum and Percussion company.

[RingMaster]

Premier is going to be the one to watch going forward... they have some truly great concepts and seem to have the drive to get them installed. If some of the plans Premier has for the Busch parks ever come to fruition (they were paused during the sale), I think we're all in for a treat. If the Tampa park's 2011 project ends up being Premier (which I think it may - based on the groundplan, looks to me like a darkride / coaster), things could really get interesting. The work I've seen that was done for the SeaWorld darkride/coaster was simply incredible.

Edit: For the record, my screenname has nothing to do with Premier rides, rather, I'm a huge fan of England's PREMiER Drum and Percussion company.

The darkride/coaster you're referring to, Journey to Atlantis, was actually a Mack Rides production:

http://rcdb.com/1904.htm

But yeah, JTA was amazing and I wish that Kings Island had a ride like that. Actually, I wish KI had rides like:

• Curse of DarKastle - I wanted Tomb Raider: The Ride to be this considering the original press release made it sound almost exactly like what Spiderman's technology used (rocketing upwards to one thing and then plummeting towards another)
• Splash Mountain/Ripsaw Falls - One of the many ideas in my head was Nicktoons Falls which had two drops, the original and a newer 60-foot drop, and a Nickelodeon-themed Mt. Rushmore (Mt. Gakmore) with four major Nick character heads on it (Tommy, SpongeBob, Jimmy Neutron, and Cosmo & Wanda)
• Nemesis - A smaller Beemer invert that relies more on scenery and ingenuity/creativity than size and height
• Men In Black: Alien Attack - Another idea in my head was to have a zombie-themed shoot-em-up dark ride for grown-ups but with a 50s-styled take on it named Zompocalypse
• JAWS - Yet ANOTHER idea involving, not a giant shark, but a trek into the depths of a Louisiana swamp with giant crocodiles, deadly snakes, and crazy voodoo witch doctors called Black Bayou

[bkroz]

All of those sound great, and thanks to Busch Parks, we have proof that they can reasonably be added to seasonal parks... No more excuses about budget! DarKastle certainly didn't cost more than Diamondback, and would be an incredible and one-of-a-kind addition to the park.

But, I believe the ride is question is not Journey to Atlantis, but a true coaster / dark ride hybrid planned for SeaWorld San Diego. Click here and scroll down.

According to the associated rumors, think Revenge of the Mummy meets the sea. "Project: Reef Runner," as it had been referred, was supposed to be coming soon, but was delayed due to the Inbev transaction.

[Guest rcfreak339]

Go ahead and send a letter about how mad you are that a water ride is opening on a day when most water rides in the country opens. Let Intamin take their sweet time, I'd rather it be delayed by 4 park days then it open for a day and be shut down for even a longer time. Why honestly rush?

[Beast1979]

If you feel that Intamin is a "harmful manufacturer," I assume you do not ride Drop Tower or view KI from atop the Eiffel Tower....

It was a joke. I love Intamin rides, The Force, Dragster and Maverick are my #2, 3, and 4 steels, respectively. I've never felt as though any of the rides I've ridden (Aside from Son of Beast) have put me in danger. I used the term 'Harmful Manufacturer' as a refrence to people who use Harmful Drugs, hence the entire post. It was all satire to sound like a drug addiction. Intamin makes great rides, but the constant downtime and late openings and maintenance costs are a bit rediculous IMO.

I must, once again, disagree with JacksonPKI who said that this is, to use his word, "harmful."

Again, it was a joke. And who's JacksonPKI?

[Go Browns]

Little Update via the Sandusky Registrar

"Basically, we had trouble with the boats," Kinzel said Monday. "It's more of an engineering problem than a safety problem."

"The manufacturer made the flume, and he contracted out the boats," Kinzel said. "When the boats came together, the boats didn't fit the flumes."

[Browntggrr]

Why do some expect perfection?

I am happy with a delay of a ride, than not having it at all.

[PREMiERdrum]

Premier is going to be the one to watch going forward... they have some truly great concepts and seem to have the drive to get them installed. If some of the plans Premier has for the Busch parks ever come to fruition (they were paused during the sale), I think we're all in for a treat. If the Tampa park's 2011 project ends up being Premier (which I think it may - based on the groundplan, looks to me like a darkride / coaster), things could really get interesting. The work I've seen that was done for the SeaWorld darkride/coaster was simply incredible.

Edit: For the record, my screenname has nothing to do with Premier rides, rather, I'm a huge fan of England's PREMiER Drum and Percussion company.

The darkride/coaster you're referring to, Journey to Atlantis, was actually a Mack Rides production:

http://rcdb.com/1904.htm

But yeah, JTA was amazing and I wish that Kings Island had a ride like that. Actually, I wish KI had rides like:

• Curse of DarKastle - I wanted Tomb Raider: The Ride to be this considering the original press release made it sound almost exactly like what Spiderman's technology used (rocketing upwards to one thing and then plummeting towards another)
• Splash Mountain/Ripsaw Falls - One of the many ideas in my head was Nicktoons Falls which had two drops, the original and a newer 60-foot drop, and a Nickelodeon-themed Mt. Rushmore (Mt. Gakmore) with four major Nick character heads on it (Tommy, SpongeBob, Jimmy Neutron, and Cosmo & Wanda)
• Nemesis - A smaller Beemer invert that relies more on scenery and ingenuity/creativity than size and height
• Men In Black: Alien Attack - Another idea in my head was to have a zombie-themed shoot-em-up dark ride for grown-ups but with a 50s-styled take on it named Zompocalypse
• JAWS - Yet ANOTHER idea involving, not a giant shark, but a trek into the depths of a Louisiana swamp with giant crocodiles, deadly snakes, and crazy voodoo witch doctors called Black Bayou

All of those sound great, and thanks to Busch Parks, we have proof that they can reasonably be added to seasonal parks... No more excuses about budget! DarKastle certainly didn't cost more than Diamondback, and would be an incredible and one-of-a-kind addition to the park.

But, I believe the ride is question is not Journey to Atlantis, but a true coaster / dark ride hybrid planned for SeaWorld San Diego. Click here and scroll down.

According to the associated rumors, think Revenge of the Mummy meets the sea. "Project: Reef Runner," as it had been referred, was supposed to be coming soon, but was delayed due to the Inbev transaction.

GoodYellow is right, there was a true coaster/darkride planned for Sea World SD that, from all the art that I've seen, was incredible. JTA at SeaWorld Orlando is pretty good, but JTA at SeaWorld SD is pretty weak as far as story goes, while JTA at SeaWorld Texas is flat out lame, with no darkride elements at all. It's an outdoor flume with a turntable.

[shark6495]

so retrofitting these boats means? if they are too long you would have to shorten them, but wouldnt that mean ruining the integrity of the boat?

[CedarPointer]

Another Intamin, another delayed opening. Shoulda just gotten a coaster to go there...