All rides running!

I asked about the water park being closed because it is June. Jeez.

Yeah, but dude... Every other day you start something new about something you saw on a cam or whatever. I'm trying to be kind, but what you're doing is posting about trivial stuff on a site that's already about a trivial subject, and it's not adding anything to the conversation. As I tell my kid, it's great to be curious and observe things, but not everything in your head has to make it out into the world.

Ride availability seemed pretty good on Monday, June 15. MaxAir was still down I believe and Mine Ride was closed because it looked like a tree fell on it during the storms the previous day. Went in for early entry and did Siren's Curse and Millennium Force, both of which were ready at 9AM and made my way to the back. Steel Vengeance and Maverick both opened at 10. SV was running all three trains and the crew seemed to be doing very well as I got a fly by with the train coming down the lift as mine was on the finishing bunny hops. Also noticed Dragster's black train had finally made an appearance on the transfer track and Magnum's black train was sitting down below the storage track and looked like it was about to go back on. Skyhawk went down briefly after we sat down in the seat, but it reopened pretty quickly and we rode it after eating at Farmhouse.

The only negative I experienced in my six or so hour visit was at Maverick, the girl at crowd was letting like five Fastlane people in for every one regular. It was ridiculous. Also, the ride went down for a puker and they didn't bother to close off the Fastlane entrance. I cut them some slack for trying to clear some of that line, but even after they cleared it, she kept putting everyone that walked up the Fastlane stairs on immediately. Of course, when I used my single use Fastlane later on at TT2, it was nothing like this and I waited about 25 minutes and the ratio seemed to be about 50-50.

Maxair has been down all season. We have never had an "all rides running" moment this season.

I wonder if that is going to have to be retired as well, considering parts limitations.

Siren's Curse was off and on Monday, but I got a ride in early. Rougarou was down for most of Monday, but fine on Tuesday.

I noticed that lines were unusually long Monday for rides like Gemini and Magnum, which tend to be shorter most of the time.

^A New Point of View, I haven't been there in a couple weeks but on my 3 previous visits SkyHawk was only 1/2 operating. Is it still like that, or fully swingin'?

Skyhawk was running with both arms on Monday.

Why is the mine train coaster closed for a few days now?

Did you plan on riding the Cedar Creek Mine Ride in the next few days? If you didn't, why would you care? By the way, when was the last time you were even in the park?

There was damage from a storm.
I haven’t been either, but I got that from reading here.

I care because I care about the children.

I haven't been to the park for a few years. I have vertigo and motion sickness and there are about 4 rides that I can enjoy now because everything is being removed and not replaced.

And just like that all seems right in the Cedar Point world with return of MaxAir.

I'm feeling a Top Thrill 2 shutdown any minute now. Extreme 93 degree heat here now outside CLE and will be lasting for days. Calling it first just from past history at the park. Fingers crossed it doesn't.

Despite everything negative in relation to the Six Flags merger, operations have really hit a stride in the past few weeks. The park has genuinely felt like its old self and it has been so nice to see.

CPfan1976:

Extreme 93 degree heat

LULZ. Although in fairness, it's only gonna be 88 here today.

Meanwhile, in Ohio:

Cartwright.....I agree.

I was there Friday and Monday. They were hustling and make sure full trains were sent out. On Steel Vengeance I saw trains going doing the drop while I was on the bunny hills at the end. On Millennium Force I rolled into the unload station without stopping. Top Thrill 2 crew was great as usual.

That is great to hear indeed. I had doubts that we would ever see trains moving that quickly again. Kudos to the park if they are maintaining those intervals.

I must admit how wrong my take on how this season would unfold at Cedar Point has been so far. The park is not ridiculously crowded, you can still find a spot to relax in the VIP Lounge (or numerous benches and tables throughout the park- some even with umbrellas now!), Preferred Parking does not have hourly fights where crowds riot for a spot to park, 90% of rides haven't been closed due to maintenance staff shortages, half the bathroom aren't closed, the food is not microwaved, lines are not 16 hours long for the rides that are open and the beer is not warm.

Over the course of my first 20 visits of the season I have found the opposite to be true. Food lines move quicker than they have typically moved, same goes for the drink stand lines. Ride Ops seem to be better than the past 5 or so seasons, maintenance is on things as soon as they go down - even in the crazy heat we've had these past few days. There doesn't seem to be as much trash blowing around, the beach has been beautiful and well maintained in front of Breakers. And, most importantly I have seen a major difference in the staff. Traveling to other parks I was always shocked at how indifferent most CP employees were, just there to collect a check. This year it is different, there is much more enthusiasm from the staff and I can only attribute that to management. Attitude starts at the top so this one impresses me the most.

I have said in the past Cedar Point was soulless compared to other parks. I'm not talking places like Disney or Universal - just other parks like Kings Island, Knotts Berry Etc... Perhaps it is the change in attitude, maybe it could be the events - Barrels and Bites was incredible and very well executed IMO. The decorations and "vibe" this week with the 4th celebration is continuing that trend. Maybe its a combination of all of the above but for the first time in years I think Cedar Point feels "alive", like it found its soul again.

My wife and I walked out of the Grand Pavilion on Monday and there was a live show - "The Wild Mice" playing near the Wild Mouse. Some of them were interacting with the crowd, joking about some folks that just walked by oblivious to the performance. Between that and the overall ambiance of the moment it almost felt like I was a kid again with my parents at Walt Disney World or the Cedar Point I remember from years ago. I asked my wife, is it just me or does Cedar Point feel alive again for the first time in years. She responded that she has had more fun so far this year than since she was a kid as well.

Perhaps I have just been really really lucky these first 8 weeks but if management keeps the park headed in this direction Cedar Point just might be in good hands after all.

I've definitely noticed improvements this year too, especially last Sunday when everything really felt like it was in full season mode. Looking forward to this weekend for sure!

I think it's important to realized that the General Manager/Park President position has returned and it is held by someone that has 15 or so years of experience at the park and 30+ years of combined experience between Cedar Point and Geauga Lake.

Colleen is a rare holdover from the Kinzel era that has proven to be a leader that can adjust and adapt with changing guest needs. She was a full time manager in the Six Flags Worlds of Adventure era and Cedar Fair kept her on when they bought the park. She was Bill Spehn's number two during the ride years at Geauga Lake and was put in charge of making Wildwater Kingdom succeed after the PR disaster of closing the ride side. She somehow managed to make the waterpark a success during the 2008-2009 recession with the skeletons (and memories) of the (then very recently) closed ride side still very visible across the lake. A park she poured her heart into for many years, only to see it close.

Then she came to CP and worked under John Hildebrandt, Jason McClure and Carrie Boldman.

Last year she was put in charge and this year she was given actual autonomy to do some stuff. But when you think about it, she learned a lot from a lot of great names from the past. She learned dispatch times and efficiency from Bill Spehn, the importance of being a strong presence on the midway from Jason McClure, and attention to behind the scenes details from Carrie Boldman. Not to mention flexibility and dealing with wild changes from seeing the giant Six Flags Worlds of Adventure complex turn into the super small Wildwater Kingdom in less than five years.

On one hand you can say that there is no excuse for the park not to run like a well oiled machine with her in charge. But on the other hand, the fact that even though it was a rough May (both with weather and ride readiness), by early June she had the park firing on all cylinders despite all of the corporate nonsense going on is a testament to her leadership and the ability to keep the place going under the new Six Flags 2.0 regime.

I knew quite a few folks that worked with her at Geauga Lake and then Wildwater Kingdom. All had good things to say. I know a small handful of folks currently at CP and they are all thrilled she got the job.

Here's hoping I didn't just jinx the place.