Cedar Point 2021 Discussion

[King Ding Dong]

Reports on pointbuzz indicate the storm was bad.  LHP pier has been severely damaged and some flooding in the park.

[disco2000]

13 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

Reports on pointbuzz indicate the storm was bad.  LHP pier has been severely damaged and some flooding in the park.

They will be closed tomorrow due to a staffing shortage  oh wait wrong park...

[King Ding Dong]

Seems communications are a bit off at both parks.

 

[disco2000]

Change pen to computer and you get the idea (this commercial is a little old LOL)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlhFwFxi2Do

(in case anyone doesn't get the humor - CF only has one computer for social media so they cannot get to everything as the Twitter employee didn't get their turn due to the email employee crafting an email )

[BoddaH1994]

On 5/28/2021 at 10:01 PM, disco2000 said:

Change pen to computer and you get the idea (this commercial is a little old LOL)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlhFwFxi2Do

(in case anyone doesn't get the humor - CF only has one computer for social media so they cannot get to everything as the Twitter employee didn't get their turn due to the email employee crafting an email )

Wait. What? 

[KIghostguy]

I rode Snake River Expedition both today and yesterday! Very fun and clever ride; something really different than anything else at Cedar Point. Great theming all throughout too, complete with an IMAScore soundtrack! I’m really surprised I haven’t seen more people talking about this ride on the interwebs.

[BeeastFarmer]

Just saw on Facebook that the lift hill chain snapped on GateKeeper today while a train was ascending.  No injuries.  Cedar Point Connisuers Facebook group for pictures and commentary.

 

[KIghostguy]

Little preview of the new parade, which is debuting this weekend: 

 

[KIghostguy]

Sorry for the double post, but here is the new parade. Looks great! 

 

[CoastersRZ]

Looks like a really great parade!  

Was the park operating when the parade was happening?  I didn`t see a single ride running from Valravn, to Power Tower, to Top Thrill or even Corkscrew the entire length of the parade.

[Kenban]

Officially the parade does not start for two more days.  Pretty sure the park took advantage of the days they were closed to the public due to staffing issues and had a full dress rehearsal during the day.  It’s not just the rides not operating the other side of the midway is empty.

The parade once it starts is scheduled for 8:45 PM.

[CoastersRZ]

Which makes sense why I saw lights on the floats.

[disco2000]

Effective July 1st, reservations are not needed for Cedar Point, but will still be required for Cedar Point Shores.

They also added operating days in August.

[Chris63]

Has anyone been to Cedar Point recently?

Is the Front car (only) line still Available? Or do they make you sit where you fall into line ?

[BoddaH1994]

45 minutes ago, Chris63 said:

Has anyone been to Cedar Point recently?

Is the Front car (only) line still Available? Or do they make you sit where you fall into line ?

I was there yesterday. They were sorting most coasters. We asked for the front or back with several, and they were kind enough to let us sit where we wanted. 

[silver2005]

I offer to wait an extra cycle if they're on the stingier side about assigning seats if there's a certain seat I want.

[Chris63]

19 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I was there yesterday. They were sorting most coasters. We asked for the front or back with several, and they were kind enough to let us sit where we wanted. 

Thanks!  I Only like the front, I have waited extra 1/2 hr for. I'll check with CP when closer to time I will go to see how things are goinv. Thanks again.

 

18 hours ago, silver2005 said:

I offer to wait an extra cycle if they're on the stingier side about assigning seats if there's a certain seat I want.

Thanks. 

[DiamondbackFan]

Has anyone heard anything about Skyhawk being sold to another park?

[Browntggrr]

On 7/3/2021 at 12:37 PM, DiamondbackFan said:

Has anyone heard anything about Skyhawk being sold to another park?

Yes, at least one person.

[BoddaH1994]

3 hours ago, Browntggrr said:

Yes, at least one person.

I heard two guys talking about it.

 

[King Ding Dong]

Wow.  CP is expanding Haunt to Thursday nights 6-12 and Fridays 11-12.  

 

Anyone think KI might do something similar?

[Benjamin22]

11 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

Wow.  CP is expanding Haunt to Thursday nights 6-12 and Fridays 11-12.  

 

Anyone think KI might do something similar?

One can only hope for however I’d be surprised if Thursday nights are actually popular enough to justify being open.

[BoddaH1994]

2 hours ago, King Ding Dong said:

Wow.  CP is expanding Haunt to Thursday nights 6-12 and Fridays 11-12.  

 

Anyone think KI might do something similar?

They tried Thursdays and Sundays years ago and it flopped. It’s been quite some time but I feel like KI is in the business of cutting hours this year rather than adding them.

[malem]

At Cedar Point, the expanded calendar is keeping resorts open Thursday night through Sunday night, up from just Friday and Saturday nights in 2019. At the prices they're able to command for Hotel Breakers (well over $500 for a standard room with 2 queen beds Friday/Saturday), this will not be an insignificant amount of revenue.

As an aside, it looks like Cedar Point gold passes are slated to cost $109 this fall, based on the HalloWeekends Hotel Breakers room/ticket combo prices.

[medford]

Some questions about Cedar Point,

 

Took the kids there this past week, it had been roughly 15 years since I last visited that park.  Kids loved it, many great experiences, but there were a few that left me scratching my head a bit.

First day, there were some early morning rain and storms in the area that had a bunch of rids down (never rained too hard in the park so we just sat under some table umbrellas and waited it out.  We were just outside of MF, right next to the lift hills for Iron Dragon and Ragouru (or however that is spelled).  Ragouru started running so my wife and son jumped on.  Fairly quick turnaround once things got going, however, right next to it, Iron Dragon was sitting on the lift hill not cycling or testing or anything.  Didn't think too much about it, but eventually came back.  My daughter, who is shall we say roller coaster hesitant, decided that she would brave Iron Dragon.  Line was 45 min, but to get her on a new ride and help her overcome that fear, that was a small price to pay.  However, they were only cycling 1 train while the 2nd just stood on the side.  Could have trimmed that 45 min wait to 30 or less by running the 2nd train.  Why only run 1?  Wait times were fairly short 2 days later, I assume they were running both, but not sure if running 1 is standard.

Later, while finishing up lunch, we saw that the app said Steel Vengance was a 30 min wait.  Great, my son and I headed over there.  When we got there, the wait indicator in the front said it was a 60 min wait, in actuality, it took about 90 min.  Meanwhile, the app updated while in line and eventually came up to a 2 hour wait as we were still in the early stages.  Seems like a pretty wide gap, enough not to feel like I could trust the app, is that normal?  SV was well worth the 90 min wait however, what an awesome ride.

2nd day, we went to the water park.  Kids all enjoyed it, were wiped out by the end, but thought it was interesting that they closed the water park at 6:00.  Is it always that early, or is that a Covid/staffing thing?

3rd day, my wife and son headed over to wait in line for SV right at the open; we got into the park right around 9:30 and figured waiting in line for it to open would have been the easiest route to ensure my wife got to experience it.  I had the 2 younger kids over by Camp Snoopy and while they were riding the Monster, I noticed at 10:15 or so, a train was still parked on the lift hill for SV.  They eventually started cycyling, but were still running empty trains around 10:30 or so, and eventually had a regular flow of packed trains around 10:45.  Gemini never cycled any trains until 10:30, then stayed closed until around 11:30.  Looking at the app, there were several other coasters that were also listed as "closed" until after 10:30.  Gate keeper tested some on Tuesday (lift chain issues I think I read somewhere), but I never did see it carry any passengers.  Dragster was dead tuesday and wednesday, eventually started testing on Thursday, then started running full trains around 1200 on thursday.  I realize Gate keeper had/has issues with his chain, and dragster is often down, but so many other rides were starting significantly later than 10:00, plus I'm not sure Maverick, which was supposed to be on ERT was open prior to 10:00 either.  Is that Covid-staffing issues, or is that normal?  For a place that likes to pride itself as the Roller Coaster capital of the world, seems like they need more ride open and running as the park fully opens up to guests.

On the plus side, since my youngest is tall enough to ride pipe scream, we did that on thursday morning, walked over to get in line around 9:55 knowing it wasn't supposed to open for a few more minutes, but the kid working the gate opened things up and started early.   2 youngest enjoyed the frontier trail adventure thing they did on the island, theming and acting were great, but overall it seems like the setup could have been much better; it feels like a forgotten area of the park that has a lot more potential with a little more thought behind the setup.

 

And to the question above, they did let someone wait an extra cycle to get front row seats on Maverick so I assume they would do that elsewhere if you ask and are willing to wait.

[King Ding Dong]

CP notoriously has the strictest rain policy of any park and while they will run some coasters in a drizzle most go down to one or two train ops. Someone posted once that the Magnum trains bumping once in the rain was the impetus.  Wind speeds at the ground and aloft shut things down as well and the gust speeds are important as well.  
 

Gemini hasn’t been scheduled to open until 11 for at least several years and even then it often would start with only one side. Steel Vengeance is just cantankerous and very slow to open.  One would think the park would then start opening procedures an hour earlier on their premier attraction but they don’t. 
 

CPS used to be open until 7 but changed to 6 last year I believe.  CP also started trimming night hours in 2019 pre-COVID from 11 to 10 presumedly as a cost cutting measure. I think the weekend midnight closures in July were eliminated as well.  Generally by 10 guests were leaving so most coasters were a walk on or nearly so.  Earlier this year they were even cutting the ride lines off well before scheduled close due to staffing but that seems to be over now.  
 

Ride wait times are not consistently or accurately updated on the app, but KI has the same issue and at least CP makes an attempt at posting the approximate wait times at most ride entrances something KI can’t even be bothered to do.  Frequent guests can look at the queues and have a pretty good idea, but not so much the daily ticket guests.  

[silver2005]

9 minutes ago, King Ding Dong said:

CP notoriously has the strictest rain policy of any park

Kennywood- hold my beer. 

[King Ding Dong]

1 minute ago, silver2005 said:

Kennywood- hold my beer. 

Lordy, I will keep that in mind if I ever venture that way.  

[silver2005]

Compared to CP where at least there's the semblance of the park being open or at least will do so practically during rain and will probably keep open during a drizzle, Kennywood seemingly goes into lockdown if they see a speck of H2O.

Also, CP is simply a much better run park in other aspects than Kennywood IMO. 

[Kenban]

Steel Vengeance is actually better about it’s opening time then it used to be.  It is a very large and aggressive coaster with a wooden support structure.  The ride needs a lot of inspections every morning and likely maintenance had not signed off on operations that morning.