Magnum, Raptor, and Millennium definitely.  The others are irrelevant.

Not bad for a state in the "rust belt" :clap:

 

Kings Island, Cedar Point ranked among top theme parks

Business Courier of Cincinnati - 9:32 AM EDT Monday, August 6, 2007

 

Two Ohio theme parks made the ranks of the 10 best amusement parks in the nation.

 

Needham, Mass.-based online travel site TripAdvisor LLC ranked Cedar Point and Kings Island third and seventh, respectively, in its list of the best amusement parks. The ranking doesn't include Disney World or other theme parks in Orlando, Fla.

 

http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/08/06/daily1.html

Cedar Point's Gemini marks 30th anniversary

| Monday June 16 2008, 4:37pm

 

SANDUSKY - Thirty years ago this week, Cedar Point was making headline news around the world.

 

On June 17, 1978, the Sandusky amusement park introduced the Gemini double-racing coaster, the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coaster in the world...

 

Post edited 9-5-09 to comply with terms of use.

 

http://www.norwalkreflector.com/articles/2008/06/16/front/iq_570181.txt

Cedar Point coasts to another No. 1 ranking

Steve Fogarty | The Chronicle-Telegram

 

SANDUSKY — For the 11th-straight year, readers of Amusement Today, a Texas-based periodical covering the amusement and water park business, have crowned Cedar Point the best amusement park in the world.

 

http://www.chroniclet.com/2008/09/09/cedar-point-coasts-to-another-no-1-ranking_122/

 

as if there was any doubt!  :clap:

WOW!!!

Memphis Kiddie Park is the 5th best in the world????

CRAZY!!!

^Childrens park.  And I believe it still has the oldest steel coaster in the world.

Who knew? I thought the Memphis Kiddie Park closed years ago.

I thought it did, too! If the website is still any indication, it doesn't look like it's changed AT ALL since I was little. Crazy.

 

However, I find it hard to believe it's tied for 5th place with Sesame Place??

Memphis Park is a fantastic children's park and rightfully deserves to be on that list.

We take our kids to Memphis kiddie park, and I must say it is very nice, clean, cheap and fun.  To go there every Sunday afternoon for an hour really doesn't cost much at all.  The article said it's in Cleveland, but isn't that still Brooklyn.

yup. It's Brooklyn.

OSHA cites Cedar Point and Castaway Bay, proposes $185,000 in penalties

 

"SANDUSKY-- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed $185,000 in fines against Cedar Fair, a limited partnership doing business as Cedar Point, and its waterpark-hotel, Castaway Bay, here.

 

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=98349&catid=3

Cedar Point Announces Newest Ride Being Built

Shoot The Rapids Is Most Expensive Water Ride Built At Park

 

Cedar Point's new attraction for next year will leave riders all wet.

 

The amusement park in Sandusky said it's adding a family water ride that will have two drops of 85 and 49 feet.

 

http://www.newsnet5.com/entertainment/20704922/detail.html

A very much need family addition to Cedar Point. Its been a long time since they put this much investment into a 'family' oriented ride. It should be interesting to see what the height limit turns out to be, 85 foot drop is fairly large. They even said there will be special effects and theming. For Cedar Fair that would be a big WOW!!!

Agreed.  They needed that; wise investment.

Cross-posted in Cincinnati: Kings Island News & Info

 

Top investor balks at Cedar Fair sale

Business First of Columbus

Friday, January 22, 2010

 

A month after the operator of the Cedar Point and King’s Island amusement parks in Ohio revealed plans to be acquired for $2 billion, the company’s largest shareholder says it plans to cast a “no” vote on the purchase.  Fort Worth, Texas-based Q Funding III LP, a unit of Q Investments, said Friday it thinks New York investor Apollo Management’s $11.50-a-share offer for Sandusky-based Cedar Fair LP (NYSE:FUN) isn’t “indicative of the true value of the company.”  Q Funding has a nearly 10 percent stake in Cedar Fair’s operating units.

 

When Apollo offered in late December to buy Cedar Fair, its share offer was a 28 percent premium over the company’s market close the day before the proposal was disclosed.  Cedar Fair’s stock closed Friday at $12.66, up about 40 percent since then.  Cedar Fair needs holders of two-thirds of its stock to OK the transaction.

 

Full article at http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/01/18/daily42.html

Ceder Point's last few new rides have had small footprints maybe highlighting the lack of open space available after 50+ years of coaster construction. I wonder why they don't develop that huge surface parking lot occupying half the isthmus/Peninsula into structured parking so they could have more land to build the next 500 foot hyper coaster or whatever, in addition to maybe some more attractions catering to those who want to go on a family outing but can't handle Millennium Force and the like.

I think right now they are focusing on big thrill rides because in the past they couldn't really compete with other parks on that aspect. Now with the Skyhawk and MaXair, Power tower, and next year with the addition of Windseeker they will have a lot to offer for a person seeking thrill rides. And taking up less space and being far cheaper doesn't hurt.

It's a recession and Cedar Fair isn't immune.  That's why the three most popular parks in the chain (Kings Island, Cedar Point, and Canada's Wonderland) all got the same ride.  Much like Demon Drop moving to Dorney Park, it's about how to save money.  I expect the year after a larger roller coaster to be built at either of the three for the sake of interest.

The removal of The Demon Drop and the Public Pavilion will open up space for a ride. Probably a thrill ride based on the footprint

I think so.  The Ocean Motion (or whatever it's called) is gone due to this new ride so the removal of the Demon Drop may hint at a coaster using the beach?  I'm hoping a B&M flyer!  After all, Six Flags Magic Mountain is still in the bid for "most coasters on the planet."

how would the demon drop hint a coaster using the beach.  There is a large parking lot in between the site of the demon drop and the beach

 

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qxcy1383938w&scene=17346880&lvl=1&sty=b&where1=Cedar%20Point%2C%20OH

With a B&M Flyer, all you need are supports and the station would be at the old Demon Drop site.  And there are plenty of examples where sections of parking lots have been taken out for new coasters (Scream at SFMM; Superman at SFGAm).

Yeah i could see them removing it for a roller coaster since thats almost like extra parking. It would be like the old days when the X-flight was in the front of the park at Geauga Lake

Basically.  And as someone alluded to earlier, Cedar Point could easily build a garage ala Universal Studios/Disneyland and add more space.

Cedar Point reportedly building new roller coaster next year

 

 

SANDUSKY — A $25 million investment in Cedar Point is a lock for a major new rollercoaster that would be the park’s 17th such thrill ride.

 

Park officials did not confirm any new ride, but an industry observer said today that the new ride sounds as if it will be an X-flight-style ride similar to ones at Chicago’s Six Flags Great America park and Dollywood Park in Tenneesee.

 

“Anytime you announce an investment of $25 million, its not for new singage out front,” Gary Slade, publisher of Amusement Today said. “That kind of money lends itself to a major rollercoaster.”

 

More below:

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/05/30/cedar-point-reportedly-building-new-roller-coaster-next-year/

Anybody see the new roller coaster they are adding to Cedar Point in 2013?

 

Gatekeeper

 

Larger Version in article below

 

 

 

NEW in 2013: GateKeeper

 

 

And an article from Cleveland.com

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/cedar_point_announces.html

I haven't been to CP in a few years (I've been on a mini-boycott since Cedar Fair questionably shut down Geauga Lake), but this thing looks like a lot of fun and might be worth the trip.  I know that technically Six Flags Magic Mountain in California has more overall coasters, but I think that CP has a stronger variety of unique and record-setting thrill rides.

Count means something, but not too much. You could build a ton of small, wildcat like roller coasters and claim that title. I think, like you said, that Cedar Point has done a good job building a variety of rollercoaster types, many record setting at the time they were built.

I haven't been to CP in a few years (I've been on a mini-boycott since Cedar Fair questionably shut down Geauga Lake), but this thing looks like a lot of fun and might be worth the trip.  I know that technically Six Flags Magic Mountain in California has more overall coasters, but I think that CP has a stronger variety of unique and record-setting thrill rides.

 

I'd argue Magic Mountain and CP are about equal in terms of unique or record-setting.  Just different sides of the country.  For example, there is no Tatsu or X2 at CP; likewise, there's no TTD or Gatekeeper at SFMM.  The winner, really, is Six Flags Great Adventure.  Probably the best mega-wooden in the country, one of the best hypers, a taller Top Thrill Dragster, etc.  That said, Gatekeeper should be, well, a "keeper" once it's all said and done.  I'm kinda sad to see Disaster Transport and the Space Spiral going but whatever, times change.

Yeah it's pretty close.  I just give the edge to CP because of Millennium Force and Maverick, both of which are one of a kind and highly-rated.  I think that flying coasters (Tatsu) aren't that unique anymore, not really fun, and even painful.  I've never been on a 4D coaster like X2, but it is pretty unique and highly-rated (though I still think Maverick wins out in a head-to-head battle with X2). 

 

Although winged coasters are pretty rare right now, I do expect them to become more and more common and I doubt that GateKeeper will be a record-holder or remain all that unique by the latter half of the 2010s.  I imagine that it will be similar to the way Raptor and Mantis both held various records and were trailer-blazers in their respective coaster types in their early days but were later passed by faster, larger versions.  Additionally the wing coaster concept looks like one of the better ones to be created in recent years (superior to both the stand-up and the flyer, and really an improved version of the floorless), so I think it should be a popular coaster model that will be repeated nationwide.

 

SFGA has a few solid coasters including Nitro, Kingda Ka, and El Toro, but I don't think it has the "depth" beyond those three to really compete with CP or SFMM.  In fairness I've never been there so I can't really say for certain.

 

Oh and I agree with you about being sad to see Disaster Transport go.  Although it wasn't that great of a ride, I do remember being intimidated by it as a younger child, but also really enjoying riding it with the family on our yearly trips to CP.  It had the nostalgia factor for me.

I like the look of Gatekeeper, I look forward to being able to ride it.  I didn't see what the big deal was about Maverick until I rode it.  It's awesome.

 

I'll miss disaster transport (alaska run in a box), and that weird clanking of the lift hill from outside of the building.  It was the best on hot days.

SFGA has a few solid coasters including Nitro, Kingda Ka, and El Toro, but I don't think it has the "depth" beyond those three to really compete with CP or SFMM.  In fairness I've never been there so I can't really say for certain.

 

To be honest, Cedar Point doesn't really have the "depth" either except for Maverick, TTD, perhaps MF (I'm not a big fan of it; just a one-drop coaster, really), and Raptor.  Mantis, Magnum, Mean Streak, Iron Dragon, etc are all quite abysmal in these times.  SFGAdv at least has some steady coasters (Medusa, or whatever it's called now; Rolling Thunder, a better Gemini, etc).  Overall, the "depth" chart to me still goes to SFMM (Tatsu, Green Lantern, Apocalypse, Riddler, Goliath, Scream, revamped Superman, X2, even Ninja > Iron Dragon).  Tatsu is surprisingly comfortable, BTW.  It isn't like the Vekoma models like those at Kings Island (and/or the former Geauga Lake).

 

though I still think Maverick wins out in a head-to-head battle with X2

 

Meh, it's a wash.  Maverick has more surprises; X2 is more disorienting.

 

Although winged coasters are pretty rare right now, I do expect them to become more and more common and I doubt that GateKeeper will be a record-holder or remain all that unique by the latter half of the 2010s.  I imagine that it will be similar to the way Raptor and Mantis both held various records and were trailer-blazers in their respective coaster types in their early days but were later passed by faster, larger versions.

 

Pretty much.  I was surprised CP didn't go for the 200 foot mark on this one.  You know SFMM or SFGAdv are going to beat this eventually.  CP should've set the bar a little higher.

I wonder why CP doesnt turn half the parking lot into parking garages, which would open up acres for new large attractions. Expensive maybe, but could be worth the expense when all is said and done.

They probably will when it's all said and done.  If they were smart, they'd pull a Magic Kingdom with parking on the "mainland" and have a monorail, shuttle, ferry, whatever to the gate, thus opening up 40% more of the land.

Pretty much.  I was surprised CP didn't go for the 200 foot mark on this one.  You know SFMM or SFGAdv are going to beat this eventually.  CP should've set the bar a little higher.

 

That's what I was hoping for, too, when I read about the rumors a month or two back.

 

FYI, just for fun:

 

Cedar Point 2011 Golden Ticket Awards (Top Roller Coasters):

-Millenium Force #1 Steel

-Top Thrill Dragster #9 Steel

-Magnum #10 Steel

-Raptor #18 Steel

-Maverick #21 Steel

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain Golden Ticket Awards (Top Roller Coasters):

-X2 #16 Steel

-Goliath #40 Steel

 

Six Flags Great Adventure Golden Ticket Awards (Top Roller Coasters):

-Nitro #3 Steel

-Kingda Ka #33 Steel

-El Toro #3 Wood

 

So based on that, CP is not only stronger at the top but also deeper.  In fairness, these types of awards seem to have a bias towards Cedar Point for whatever reason.  It also should be noted that the 2012 rankings aren't released for another month or so, meaning 2011 additions to parks obviously haven't been included yet.  You also won't find a lot of flying or stand-up coasters on the list and there are only a limited number of "traditional" floorless.  The only "gimmicky" ride designs that are highly-rated are inverteds (like Raptor), but I'm wondering if the new wing coasters might be able to get some love?

They probably will when it's all said and done.  If they were smart, they'd pull a Magic Kingdom with parking on the "mainland" and have a monorail, shuttle, ferry, whatever to the gate, thus opening up 40% more of the land.

 

Yea I hope they move in that direction. With its natural setting on top of its thrill ride reputation they really could set the bar much higher when it comes to Amusement parks in the entire North Central/North East region of the US. That said if they used more themes and had more attractions for people who don't like 300 foot roller coasters it could attract a bigger crowd. Universal Studios in Orlando would be a good example I think. Maybe with a few less of the corny attractions though :)

That's what I was hoping for, too, when I read about the rumors a month or two back.

 

FYI, just for fun:

 

Cedar Point 2011 Golden Ticket Awards (Top Roller Coasters):

-Millenium Force #1 Steel

-Top Thrill Dragster #9 Steel

-Magnum #10 Steel

-Raptor #18 Steel

-Maverick #21 Steel

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain Golden Ticket Awards (Top Roller Coasters):

-X2 #16 Steel

-Goliath #40 Steel

 

Six Flags Great Adventure Golden Ticket Awards (Top Roller Coasters):

-Nitro #3 Steel

-Kingda Ka #33 Steel

-El Toro #3 Wood

 

So based on that, CP is not only stronger at the top but also deeper.  In fairness, these types of awards seem to have a bias towards Cedar Point for whatever reason.  It also should be noted that the 2012 rankings aren't released for another month or so, meaning 2011 additions to parks obviously haven't been included yet.  You also won't find a lot of flying or stand-up coasters on the list and there are only a limited number of "traditional" floorless.  The only "gimmicky" ride designs that are highly-rated are inverteds (like Raptor), but I'm wondering if the new wing coasters might be able to get some love?

 

The fact the Golden Ticket Awards gave the Magnum the #10 slot is already laughable.  Maverick is easily Cedar Point's best roller coaster while Diamondback at KI is the state's best hyper.  As you said, it's more sentimental if anything for those awards.  Like the Oscars giving Kevin Spacey the Best Actor award over, say, Denzel.

 

Mov2Ohio, agreed.  I think dark rides can be just as effective as roller coasters.  There's a reason why IOA in Orlando received record-breaking crowds and it didn't have anything to do with a roller coaster: Harry Potter (and that excellent dark ride).  If Cedar Fair had any sort of sense for ANY of their parks (even Michigan's Adventure!), they'd install some kickass dark rides to compliment the coaster counts.

The fact the Golden Ticket Awards gave the Magnum the #10 slot is already laughable.  Maverick is easily Cedar Point's best roller coaster while Diamondback at KI is the state's best hyper.  As you said, it's more sentimental if anything for those awards.  Like the Oscars giving Kevin Spacey the Best Actor award over, say, Denzel.

 

While putting the Magnum at #10 may be quite a stretch, it's still a very good ride, one that has definitely stood the test of time.  In regards to your comment about Maverick and Diamondback, I guess that's your opinion, but give me MF over both.

 

Another interesting coaster rankings list, the Mitch Hawker Coaster Poll:

 

Cedar Point:

-Millennium Force #8 Steel

-Maverick #13 Steel

-Top Thrill Dragster #33 Steel

-Raptor #50 Steel

-Magnum #58 Steel

-Blue Streak #67 Wood

 

Six Flags Magic Mountain:

-Apocalypse #30 Wood

-X2 #32 Steel

-Tatsu #35 Steel

-Goliath #70 Steel

-Riddler's Revenge #90 Steel

 

Six Flags Great Adventure:

-El Toro #1 Wood

-Nitro #18 Steel

-Kingda Ka #65 Steel

-Bizzaro #72 Steel

I love Blue Streak and all but it ain't top 100 wooden, that's for sure.  That list is only slightly better.  Millennium being #8 is still insane.  Maverick has the great "bones" of a coaster; Millennium is like the Raleigh of coasters; one-trick and that's it.  Diamondback has that trick + far more airtime on several hills + interesting ending element.  Even though TTD is one-trick (literally), it's at least a satisfying one compared to MF.  I can't even see how Kingda Ka would be #65 and TTD would be #33 except for obvious Cedar Point bias by MHCP.  It's the same ride but improved!  Christ, the more I think about it, what a terrible list!  Magnum over Goliath and Kingda Ka? 

 

Oy, the life of a coaster junkie.

Sure, Millenium Force has only one trick, but it does that trick well.  It's still my favorite coaster at CP.  Different coasters do different things, I like that Milennium Force is just a tall, high speed version of a traditional roller coaster.  For me at least, it gets the adrenaline pumping more than any other coaster.

I know this nitpicky and weird but I hate the font/logo/graphic design/marketing/whatever Cedar Fair uses.  The logo for CP and Kings Island both look amateurish to me with that cartoonish lettering and the little flag dotting the "I"s.  I think these mighty parks deserve better marketing and graphic design, it just looks too over-the-top childish (small time park) to me...Paramounts Kings Island logo (before Cedar Fair) just looked classier IMO.  Anyway, back to roller coaster wars.... 

Sit in the back seat of the Blue Streak. Its the most intense/scariest/fun ride there. And there is hardly any wait.

 

Im not kidding either. I do love the newer rides, even though Mavericks support bars hurt my neck, but sitting in the back seat of the Blue Streak is intense the last few years.

Adding the seatbelts always ruined Blue Streak for me.  That, and the airtime pops aren't what they used to be.  But Cedar Fair has a history of trimming and ruining older roller coasters (like pretty much all of them in this state). 

 

I know this nitpicky and weird but I hate the font/logo/graphic design/marketing/whatever Cedar Fair uses.  The logo for CP and Kings Island both look amateurish to me with that cartoonish lettering and the little flag dotting the "I"s.  I think these mighty parks deserve better marketing and graphic design, it just looks too over-the-top childish (small time park) to me...Paramounts Kings Island logo (before Cedar Fair) just looked classier IMO.  Anyway, back to roller coaster wars.... 

 

Totally agreed.  Though this was awesomely retro:

 

One week from the the "big announcement" and once again a new CP ride is leaked. But boy-oh-boy.... this is a good one. When I heard there was an announcement coming and it is being held on 8/18, I knew it was going to be a new coaster - they have 17 of them already. Made sense to me.

 

Of course this is all speculative. And since it it is still mostly in design phase, there could be many changes

 

The first pic is supposed to be the invite for the press and the second pic includes some sort of VR element to it.

 

What do you think:

I am not sure of the reliability of the Google Earth overlay

 

 

Here is a POV video that is most likely fam made:

 

 

0wMszR-4gNs

Possible records that will be broken:

 

 

So, records.

Longest dive coaster

• Longest drop on a dive coaster
  
• Fastest dive coaster
  
• Most inversions on a dive coaster (3)
  
• Most coaster track at one park
  
• Most rides at one park
  
• Tallest inversion on any roller coaster
  
• Most bird-themed attractions at one park
  
• Park with most coasters over 200 ft. (5)
  

Looks like a good ride. The only dive coaster I have ridden is Griffon at Busch Gardens Willimasburgh which was fun. Not top 10 worthy, but a solid ride that the crowds loved. This looks like it will fit nicely into Cedar Point's lineup. B&M has been a little lackluster in recent years with their rides but they're still people movers that the general public loves so this seems like a wise investment.

 

I'm more interested in when the hell they're going to call up Rocky Mountain Construction to redo Mean Streak. It's a terrible coaster that is a waste of a forest's worth of material. When I see rides like Lightning Rod at Dollywood being announced it just makes me question why they wouldn't use this company to do their magic to create an amazing ride out of a structure they already have. Everything RMC does is perfect and I need one that's closer to home so I can ride more often. Basically I'm just being selfish.

I really like Banshee a lot, but not many of the new B&Ms have wowed me the way Kumba and Montu did when I went to Busch Gardens years ago. I've yet to ride a Rocky Mountain coaster (hopefully next year when the one opens at Kentucky Kingdom), but honestly it only makes sense to do something with Mean Streak. Beautiful to look at, boring to ride.