A Sign of Things to Come? Is MS next?

Well, I'm sure way more maintenance goes into Mean Streak, as it's over twice as long and high, and probably contains 5X as much wood (If anyone has more accurate statistics, feel free to chime in). In other words, maintaining one Mean Streak is probably like maintaining 5 Blue Streaks. Yes, Mean Streak's maintenance costs are extreme, but they should have realized this before building it.

Did anyone else notice that one of CP's newest coasters, Mantis, will not be open for Friday Halloweekends this year? Not a good sign, Mantis fans. This seems to be proof that the ride is lacking a large audience, just like Mean Streak.
*** This post was edited by Ffej 9/9/2003 6:54:34 PM ***

Mean Streak is not as bad as portrayed. It just lacks air. And many have a problem with that.

MrScott

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"If we go any faster, she'll blow apart for sure!"

I would be sadly dissapointed if mean streak were to go. My girlfriend loves this ride, it's probably her favorite in the park that she can ride. (she's unable to fit on MF or TTD) In fact, she gets more hurt riding Magnum than she does riding Mean Streak. We both rode it trim free recently and absoutely loved it, I lost my breath screaming TRIM FREEEEEEE!!! the whole way through the first half of the ride, you should have seen the on ride photo. Anyway, I'm babbleing so I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

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Arms down.....Arms down.....Arms down.......Arms down.....Arms down....Arms down...(you think they would get it the first time?!)

TTD-9 Rollbacks-1

Now do ya think that CP will tare down the building for DT? And take out all the themeing and carpit and props( besides what would they do with it)?

Mantis is great especially in the front. Watch remindes me back in July 8, 2003 me and my dad were 3nd. and 4th. in line for Mantis witch two Cp empeoyees were standing in front of us. They were off work for now. One was a man he had the whole day off while his wife or girlfriend(I don't remember) had to work at 1 or 2 or 3. We all stood in the front car for the first ride of the day, it was amazing. If one of you are on this site please respont and let me know who you are.

MS I could care less.

Maybe take it down and make a recreation of Sivering Timbers in a compact space.

Sorry for any spelling mistakes
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"Welcome back riders, how was your ride?"
*** This post was edited by twisterII 9/11/2003 10:29:30 PM ***

Ok, tearing MS down for a flat spinning ride? NO.... Tearing MS for a new B&M flyer? NO... leave it be...

Its an awesome ride, I love it. Tearing it down would be a shame...

I would only give up for is 2-3 new coasters in its place, and an extension off the midway...

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TTD: 6 (Rollbacks seen: 24)
MF: 20
WT: 9

Ffej: Concerning Mantis not being open on Friday nights, that's the one thing I'm not going to like about Halloweekends. I don't quite understand it as Mantis surely draws a decent crow, which is evident (combined with it's not so great capacity) in the good amount of people who are usually in line for it. I think it'd be an excellent ride to have open with its central location, right across from MF, but apparently CP thinks otherwise and that's all that really matters I guess.

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CP 2K3: 17
"No for real, the poopsmith is a good guy. He's just got a crappy job..." -homestar runner

My understanding is that it's all about staffing, not popularity. With the addition of TTD, some other ride has to remain unstaffed, unless management can attract more employees to work Friday nights.

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It's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.

I don't think Mantis will be going anywhere. Mantis always has a large crowd. I wait longer for Mantis than MF! Mean Streak will probably not go either. It is a great ride. I don't think it is too rough. It does lack air, though. If you ride near the front, the ride is much smoother.

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Race For The Sky!

Ok one question who here is going to be crying when cp tears down ms and makes a 500' coaster that would be the most fun you ever had? Come on are you going to be complaning after you rode the most amazing ride of your life? I dont think that one person would care that MS is gone. Would you care?

I really don't want to see MS go. I don't find it that exciting. But I don't think it should go just for the room.

There is plenty of room at CP to build without touching MS. If there really was a space problem then yeah tear it down. But until that happens I say leave it be.

I think a better option would be to build a woody on the beach next to WT and DT. Or anywhere on the island.

And besides, MS is simple one of the best looking rides at night, with the exception of maybe MF and Power Tower.

MS will be torn down eventually. After all, it is sinking into Lake Erie just like the Magnum!

But seriously, MS is not THAT bad and I'd be sad to see it go. Attendance for MS would probably increase if there was some other attraction (be it another coaster or a good flat ride) built close to the Mean Streak.

MS tip: hold onto the headrest with both hands as you enter the brake areas---helps prevent whiplash.

If CP builds another woodie, then I sure hope it's similar in design to the Comet at SF Great Escape. The Comet is not the highest or fastest, but sure is fun!!
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2003 stats: (as of 9/10/03)
Magnum - 1,888
Everything else - 94

I think MagnumRobert is right on. The Comet is the only way to go. It's probobly the best woody I have ever been on. I like TTD but I thought that the Comet would of looked great right where TTD is now. That was my fantasy before I hered about TTD.

Mean Streak is my favorite CP coaster. I know that I'm not in the majority. I would certainly like it better without the brakes, but even with the brakes it is still my favorite. I guess I just love wood coasters. I like the great variety of coasters at CP. I would be just as disappointed if Iron Dragon or Disaster Tranport was torn out. I only get to CP once or twice a year b/c I live over 600 miles away. It's nice to have the Worlds of Fun season pass when I go. It's only been $59.00 the last two years. By the way, I met Magnum Dan back in May working at the Magnum. It was nice to meet you. Come see in Missouri sometime. Worlds of Fun is no Cedar Point but it's not without its charm.

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I think one of em was from Arkansas. Get it?

I think CP needs to sit down, listen to everyone's complaints about Mean Streak, and alter the ride to classic status. If they tear it down, it'll likely never be replaced with its type. Furthermore, if a new wooden coaster was to be built, how do we know it wouldn't be a Son of Beast? Do you honestly think PKI was thinking, "Hey, this is going to be a terrible ride; let's build it!" No, they thought it was going to be the best, which is why they made it a sequel to a favorite, Beast. People have ridden Mean Streak; it's not a terrible ride; the mistakes can be corrected to make it a great ride.

Let's face it. Mean Streak was not intended to be run in this way. Any ride that has strong brakes on a hill needs to be redesigned. The ride needs new smooth track technology. The trains need to become more comfortable/padded. The midcourse and end brakes need to become smooth like MF or TTD. No brakes on the hill or unecessarily strong midcourse brakes. Alter certain elements in the ride to produce more air time. More speed needed through the wooden tunnel part.

Correcting these problems could make the ride mass pleasing. CP could promote the improvements, make it the year's new attraction, and slap on a new name, possibly temporarily, like "The New Mean Streak" ( or "Son of Mean Streak" :) )

I think the same should be done about any ride that has repeated complaints (Mantis?). King's Island improved Flight of Fear drastically. It was a neat ride, but people were hating it because of the painful headbanging on the shoulder restraints. The trains were redesigned and converted to lap bars. It is one of my favorite coasters now, and the increased lines must mean people agree.

They should tear it down and add a 4-D coaster like X!

Mean Streak just takes up space. I don't mind the fact that it doesn't have air, but that it just runs so damn slow. Besides, with the amount of space that it takes up, you could easily put a Huss "Land of the Giants" in there, and you migth be able to add a moderate sized wooden coaster too.

Yesh yesh, that'd be nice.

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AKA Cobraroller on Cbuzz

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Ffej said:
Think about it...yes, bigger does not seem better for wooden coasters at all, but how marketable is a new 125-foot wood coaster for the general public?

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VERY. All CP needs to do is announce they were going to put in a ride very similar to Shivering Timbers and then just watch the people flock back to CP to ride it.

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cyberdman

I can't agree with you, cyberdman. The key term was "general public." The roller coaster enthusiasts would flock to the new ride and get all hyped about it, but that's it. I'm VERY confident that the general public has not heard of Shivering Timbers, excluding those living near the park.

I think the reaction would be, especially from young adults, "125 feet!?!?! That sux! Wasnt the last one over like 400?? Man, the economy must REALLY be bad."

TTD was a ride created for the masses and the world's attention. Wicked Twister was a great ride, but look at the attention it has gotten? I remember opening day my friend was like "This thing looks so lame; wasn't the last one (MF) way bigger?" Now just think of a 125 foot wooden coaster for the mass public...little excitement will be created. Regardless of the type of roller coaster...wood, inverted, suspended, the general public seems to compare them on the same scale. That's why I believe the wooden roller coaster is becoming extinct.

Ffej - you obviously haven't been on ST. Even though it isn't that tall, just me even looking at it - or anyone that has the slightest fondness for coasters - would jump for joy in sheer delight in the view of hill, after hill, after hill of absolute fun! There is a reason that ST has been rated so high in the list of top wooden coasters ever since it's debut. You don't need extreme height to get an airtime-filled, extremely fun, enjoyable coaster.

Personally I think the mystique and arguement about massive height hill coasters only lends itself to steel coasters. I would have to argue that the rest of the "GP", as you put it, would think so too.

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cyberdman
*** This post was edited by cyberdman 9/14/2003 8:40:42 PM ***

Cyberdman, no I haven't been on Shivering Timbers. I'd never heard of the ride until reading through this board I believe. Don't get me wrong, I have heard of many favorite wooden coasters like Thunderbolt and Cyclone.

I've already stated that the biggest coasters are not necessarily best and that you don't need the highest height for a great wooden coaster (you actually quoted me saying that), so I agree entirely. But, I was strictly talking about how marketable a new 125 ft.wooden coaster would be.

Wooden roller coasters require high maintenance and they give rougher rides. Cedar Point wood have to make an absolute perfect wooden coaster, it could get attention as the best, and then maybe it'd find an audience (but how likely is that?). Still, I don't think the lines for it would ever rival TTD or MF, two coasters that are smooth steel and have the highest heights. Compare the waits for Blue/Mean Streak to Raptor, MF, and TTD; see where the masses are?

So, I still think you're confusing the coaster enthusiast with the casual nature of the general public. The masses are drawn to the largest heights, the most extreme features, and the steel coasters. A smaller wooden coaster defies all of these elements. I don't see CP doing this any time soon; they need an investment that's really going to pay off and increase attendance.

Look at parks all across the world; sadly, wooden coasters are becoming a thing of the past. To draw in the masses, the parks have tried to compromise by providing wooden coasters that have the highest height or first-looping element, etc. But, it's been a failure...I think that means the future will be overwhelmingly steel.

Everyone, feel free to offer your thoughts on this.