Cedar Point & Other Parks News/Discussion Thread

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http://screamscape.com/html/cedar_point.htm
http://screamscape.com/html/carowinds.htm
http://screamscape.com/html/kings_dominion.htm
http://screamscape.com/html/kings_island.htm
http://screamscape.com/html/canada-s_wonderland.htm

Some stuff for everyone to enjoy. It wont be updated every day, just when i can be asked to look stuff up lol

Cedar Point
2015 - Rougarou - Confirmed - (5/12/15)

Rougarou Lives! The Point’s latest roller coaster experience opened over the weekend and you can see a video of it in action below.

[video=youtube;RuweAtyeUuU]

2016 - New Coaster / VALRAVN - Rumor - (5/2/15)

An interesting new trademark was sent my way this way for VALRAVN, which was filed for my Cedar Point itself on April 17th. An interesting name, for what could end up being an interesting new coaster, if the rumors about a new B&M Dive Machine end up being true. It is worth pointing out that the trademark applicant was Cedar Point itself and not Cedar Fair, which is normally the case for rides going elsewhere in the company.

Kings Dominion
2015 - Soak City Expansion - Confirmed - (5/28/15)

In The Loop checks out the Soak City waterpark expansion at Kings Dominion this week. Check out the video below.

[video=youtube;Pq4WZAl-noI]

2016/2017 - New Coaster / New Entrance - Rumor - (5/7/15)

The latest Kings Dominion video report from In The Loop reports on rumors for a possible 2016/2017 project and the possible removal of a coaster from the park. Yep... people have been waiting for this one to happen, but they believe that Shockwave could be removed at the end of the season, as the last standing TOGO Stand-Up Coaster on the continent.

It's about time for Kings Dominion to get a major new coaster, and according to their line of thought, King Dominion may be looking at getting a large new B&M coaster, along with a new main entrance, following along with what we've seen Cedar Fair do to both Cedar Point for Gatekeeper and Carowinds for Fury 325 this year. Watch the video and check out the graphic they sent along with it that shows off the possible location of where such a big new ride may go.

Carowinds
Park News - (5/23/15)

The news is now official... Carowinds announced on Twitter less than an hour ago that Thunder Road will “give its last race on July 26.” RIP - THUNDER ROAD

I’ve actually been warning everyone this would come for the past few months and now it has been confirmed.... though while the actual verbage of the announcement really only says it will “give its last race”, I wouldn’t go reading too much into that, though Colossus also gave its last race at Six Flags Magic Mountain last summer and look how it was transformed and reopened this weekend as Twisted Colossus. Just saying... but I highly doubt this is the case. Going back to the original rumors I was sent, Thunder Road will be removed to allow the park to recover that property as well as the far back un-used section of the parking lot in order to allow for a huge expansion to the waterpark.

Canada's Wonderland
2016/2017 - New Coaster / New Attraction - Land Clearing - (5/23/15)

One of our local readers has reported in from Canada's Wonderland this week, sending in a series of photos showing off an area of activity next to the Canadian Minebuster where there are red stakes in the ground and some land clearing starting to happen.

While this is likely for whatever the park has planned for 2016, the overall area could be used for new expansions over 2016 and 2017 as well, depending on what the park has in mind. Typically though, to start work this early in the season usually means they have something big in mind for next year. We'll have to wait and see.

 

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Cedar Point
2016 - New Coaster / VALRAVN - Rumor - (8/20/15)

While Cedar Point has delayed the official announcement for their new coaster in the wake of the death at the park last week, the first pieces of track for the huge new Dive Machine have arrived. A Twitter user posted a picture of a piece being unloaded into a fenced off area next to the Breakers Express.

Kings Dominion
2016 - Delirium - Confirmed - (8/25/15)

I'm told that instead of being a Huss Super Frisbee, the new Delirium ride going into Kings Dominion is expected to be the similar Mondial Revolution ride.
http://mondialrides.com/rides/parkrides/revolution

Kings Island
2016 - Tropical Plunge - (8/20/15)

Kings Island has announced their expansion plans for 2016... a little something called Tropical Plunge that will add a new seven-story tall, six-slide attraction tower. This looks to be similar to what we've seen added to other Cedar Fair parks in the past couple of years, including Kings Dominion last year, and Carowinds is rumored to get the same in 2016 as well. Three of the slides will be new body-slides that will start off your ride inside a drop-pod, where you wait for a trap-door to open under your feet. The other three slides will be tube slides, including one that will feature several high-g spiraling drops. Kings Island will also open a new bigger parking lot entrance on the north side of the parking lot with 13 entrance lanes. This new entrance will replace the current North and South toll plazas.

Canada's Wonderland
2016 - Skyhawk & Flying Eagles - Confirmed - (8/25/15)

Canada's Wonderland will open two new rides for 2016:

Skyhawk - A 135 foot tall Gerstlauer Sky Fly, where riders will flying and spin upsidedown in their own mini flight pod. I'm told that this ride will go across from Windseeker, next to the Slingshot.

Flying Eagles - A Larson Flying Scooters which may go into Kidzville where A-Mazing Adventure is.

 

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Cedar Point
Park News - (7/18/21)

Good news for Cedar Point fans, as a reader just sent in word first thing Sunday morning that Gatekeeper is now open to guests once again, after completing the replacement of the broken lift hill chain.

In other news Cedar Point has confirmed that the haunted HalloWeekends events will return this fall, with expanded hours that will see it open on Thursdays as well as Fridays. This is welcome news after HalloWeekends was canceled in 2020. The exact details are still to come about what will be offered but the basic plan right now for the new fall schedule is starting Sunday, Oct 3 through Oct. 31, 2021 the park will be open from 6pm to Midnight on Thursdays, and will be open from 11am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and open 11am to 10pm on Sundays, with the HalloWeekends fun set to start on Sept. 17th each Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, and then expand into the Thursday night hours in October. More Haunt means more fun, so stay tuned for more details as they are released.

 

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Cedar Point

Park News - (8/7/21) Cedar Point made a surprise announcement on Friday afternoon, complete with a dramatic but slightly strange video to go along with it. So what was the big news?

Wicked Twister is leaving Cedar Point, with the “last launch” to take place on September 6, 2021 (Labor Day). The only reason stated was that it was leaving “as we prepare for future park improvements.” Take that for what you will, as the departure of Wicked Twister will open up a huge plot of land along the beach that could be re-purposed for any number of new ideas, though if they want to put in a new coaster here, it would likely have to fit into the same narrow foot-print, as Wicked Twister is now blocked in on either side by Windseeker to the north and Gatekeeper to the south, with the Giant Wheel to the side, and the beach on the opposite side. I’m just not seeing Cedar Point putting in a SkyRocket II style coaster from Premier or any of the other manufacturers have are also trying similar design concepts (S&S, Zamperla, etc..) so we’ll have to wait and see what they put in Wicked Twister’s location going forward.

As for the fate of Wicked Twister, nothing was also revealed, though I can’t help but think that we’ll see it show up again a fellow Cedar Fair park in 2022 or 2023. With a long but narrow footprint, it would be easy to fit it into most of their park’s somewhere and after the past two seasons, several of their parks are in need of a new coaster. I can see California’s Great America, Carowinds, Michigan’s Adventure or Worlds of Fun being the most likely for various reasons.

 

[Back!Elbow!Shoulders!]

Cedar Point

Not too sad to see that one go. It’ll be interesting to see how that space gets used.

 

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Kings Dominion

2022 - Tumbili and Jungle X-Pedition - Confirmed - (8/13/21)

Kings Dominion announced that the jungle area of the park would be rebranded as Jungle X-Pedition and themed as an exotic archeological dig site and research facility. Guests can visit the base camp and eat at a new signature restaurant, shop in an immersive retail location and take on the park’s latest roller coaster, Tumbili. Tumbili is the name for the S&S 4D Free Spin coaster that we saw pieces for in the parking lot several months ago.

Forgive me for not realizing it, but this layout is actually slightly different from the version that the Six Flags parks have been installing. The version most of us have seen so far is referred to by S&S as the ‘110’ version, of which nine have been produced so far around the world. Tumbili will actually be the second of the newer “106” version, with Dragon Slayer at Adventureland that opened earlier this summer being the first.

I don’t know the actual stats to directly compare the 106 to the 110, but visually it appears that the top run of track is a bit shorter and only has one hump between the lift hill and drop down at the end, while the 110 version has two humps. The track curves for the lower half of the ride as also a bit different with the final drop to the ground being one giant curve with the flat braked section before the final braked drop.

 

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Cedar Point

(11/6/21) For those still hoping that Wicked Twister at Cedar Point might reappear at another park elsewhere in the chain, or world, this will not be happening. An official statement from Cedar Point’s Tony Clark confirms that full demolition on Wicked Twister will begin in the next week or two and that the coaster is “being disposed of”.

“For clarity, Wicked Twister is not being reincarnated as a new ride at any of our sister parks; it’s not coming back to life as a climbing structure (although, wouldn’t that be amazing to climb the spike like we used to do as kids when playgrounds had big climbing structures??); it’s not being inserted into Maverick’s layout to bring back the heartline roll.

It’s being disposed of. Not coming back, anywhere.”

 

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Kings Dominion

Tumbili | New Roller Coaster in 2022 | Kings Dominion

Take a wild, tumbling ride on Tumbili, Virginia’s first 4D spin coaster and the newest ride at Kings Dominion! Learn more & buy your 2022 Season Pass today!

www.kingsdominion.com

 

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Source: Screamscape

Cedar Point is finding itself the target of an interesting new lawsuit from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the story posted by Fox8, the lawsuit claims Cedar Fair is violating the “Age Discrimination in Employment Act” because they do not allow seasonal workers age 40 and older to stay in employee housing.

Now when you think about “employee housing” offered by select theme parks, you think of it as as something that was traditionally run more as a program to bring in College students and those from other countries on work visas to work at the park for the busy summer season. As Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio it isn’t like they have a huge local population base to hire from, and with the price of gas being what it is these days, it’s not like many would offer to drive in daily from Cleveland. So for decades, Cedar Fair has offered low-priced housing in dorm style buildings for their seasonal workers.

According to the story, in 2021 Cedar Fair changed their company policy regarding employee housing that now prevents most employees, age 30 and up, from staying in employee housing. According to the lawsuit, many older out-of-town workers were unable to resume their seasonal jobs at Cedar Point because of this. According to the US Department of Labor, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act “protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment.”

Cedar Point

screamscape.com

 

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(10/25/2023) Cedar Fair has changed their mind about offering year-round operations at three of their parks after just switching over to weekend operations during the colder months just last year. This list would include Carowinds, California’s Great America and Kings Dominion.

The official word would seem to be that all three parks failed to attract enough attendance on those new dates, which are mostly weekends in January, February and some of March. However, based on guest reactions from those who did attend on those dates, guests frequently reported encountering those parks with what appeared to be a limited staff, a good number of rides unable to operate (due to a mix of limited staffing or maintenance closures) and a couple of days where the weather was just too iffy and the parks opted to close early for the day.

Of course, all of these reasons were also anticipated to happen when Cedar Fair first announced that these parks would be switching to year-round operations, so I’m not entirely surprised by this move. After all, even in Los Angeles where competitor Six Flags operates Magic Mountain year-round, but only on weekends in the colder months of the year, that park also suffers from many of these same issues, but in an environment that typically offers better weather.

Now if any Cedar Fair park was going to have a good go at it, I’d give the nod to California’s Great America, but the park’s attendance numbers have always been a little limited, and some potential guests may be less likely to visit with a pending permanent closure looming by 2033, limiting the number of new attractions we might see added there. Carowinds stood a chance as well of making it happen, but as I live in the region, the off-season weather can be a little fickle… sunny and warm one day and freezing cold, feeling like snow is about to fall the next. So the success of off-season weekends at Carowinds would definitely be something that varied from year to year. Kings Dominion in Virginia is a bit further North and East from Carowinds, so I’d expect even colder weather with a greater possibility of snow.

So according to the park schedules posted for the months after WinterFest, look for Carowinds to open for the 2024 season on March 9 where it will begin Fri/Sat/Sunday operations, and California’s Great America and Kings Dominion will begin weekend operations two weeks later on March 23rd.

Source: Screamscape

 

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Top Thrill 2 | New Coaster Opening in 2024 | Cedar Point

Coming in Summer 2024 -- Experience Cedar Point's newest coaster Top Thrill 2, the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster!

www.cedarpoint.com

Cedar Point has released a new set of restrictions on guests in order to ride the new Top Thrill 2 coaster this summer. For starters, if the line is long, be prepared to talk to your neighbors in the line, because no loose objects will be permitted into the queue. This includes cell phones as well as any and all other objects, even those in zippered pockets. All guests wanting to ride will have to pass through a metal detection scan before being allowed into the queue, and all loose objects must be stored in lockers or left with a non-rider.

This includes “any type of prosthesis” unless you can ensure it is properly secured and will remain in place during the ride experience. Other objects not allowed include glasses (unless secured with an athletic strap), as well as “loose fitting shoes without a strap or back”... so no flip flops or slides kids.

Source: Screamscape

 

[high plains drifter]

Top Thrill 2 | New Coaster Opening in 2024 | Cedar Point

Coming in Summer 2024 -- Experience Cedar Point's newest coaster Top Thrill 2, the world’s tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster!

www.cedarpoint.com

Cedar Point has released a new set of restrictions on guests in order to ride the new Top Thrill 2 coaster this summer. For starters, if the line is long, be prepared to talk to your neighbors in the line, because no loose objects will be permitted into the queue. This includes cell phones as well as any and all other objects, even those in zippered pockets. All guests wanting to ride will have to pass through a metal detection scan before being allowed into the queue, and all loose objects must be stored in lockers or left with a non-rider.

This includes “any type of prosthesis” unless you can ensure it is properly secured and will remain in place during the ride experience. Other objects not allowed include glasses (unless secured with an athletic strap), as well as “loose fitting shoes without a strap or back”... so no flip flops or slides kids.

Source: Screamscape

Sounds like it will be similar to the set-up at Steel Vengeance.