Are We Looking At This Track Wrong?

I only started going to CP this season (only arrived in the USA last year!), but here's an observation that struck me on my first trip to the park: the wait lines are surrounded by the track. I have always thought that this is a great touch by the management, because you stand in line watching the coaster go past, and it keeps the anticipation going while you hang about doing nothing for an hour (or whatever).

Raptor : you stand right next to that helix at the end, under the station.

MF : in the area surrounded by that great little "last-gasp" 60mph turn.

Mean Streak : the line is right under the ride, and in the middle of it if it gets to be more than 15 mins.

Mantis : nuff said...sorry, NUFF SAID ;-)

Wicked Twister : you stand underneath that wonderful swaying tower...hee hee hee how many people have *you* seen leave the line after they noticed it was moving in the breeze?

A notable exception to this "line in amongst the track" rule is the Magnum XL - and I have to be honest and say I've only done this ride once, and have not been tempted to do it again on subsequent visits.

It's never occurred to me that the track that we can already see could be anything other than directly after the station, and that the waiting area would be between the midway and this track, right underneath where the traing returning from the hill would come flying by.

Later

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Steve

Found the Point in 2002 and love it!

Actually, you make some good points. Now my own two cents. I think that it the placement of the loading dock will depend on what the coaster will be. If it is a L-TH-B, then it will definately be on the midway side. But if it is more (as i am hoping) i think that the station will be on the far side of the midway.

What CP could do is relocate the entire midway to go between the launch track and whatever is opposite to it! They may tear up that entire midway area and build the post top hat elements there, if there will be any. Then, they could have the midway just go through the middle of the current construction area then veer off under the pullout on the right (looking from Iron Dragon). This would of course explain the delay in the construction of that side of the tower.

So, there are still quite a few people who haven't thrown out the idea of L-TH-B. Hmm, we'll see, I suppose.

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BTS Cedar Point
http://www.btscedarpoint.tk

I don't think CP will do a L-TH-B type of ride. that has never been their style. it may not get the world record for the longest ride in the world, but they won't have it that short.

like it has already been said, they won't invest in having the shortest ride in the world.

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If your not having fun, what are you having?

If Intamin follows their normal track design the launch will be next to the midway...Explaination follows:

Looking at intamin track and comparing this particular ride to Xcelerator, their is a metal strip that runs down(within) the tracks leading up to the final turn, the final turn and into the station...The metal strip is slightly to the right on the intamin track...Being that is the case, the curved track that will be used before the station will turn to the left on CP's attraction...Meaning the coaster will arrive on the far side curve to the left into the station...Leaving the launch area next the the midway...Also, looking at the track which curves, than straightens and than curves again leads me to believe it will be at least a three train operation....

Good observation. It's true, the rail that they mount prox switches and such is always on the right, so given those curved track pieces, that makes sense to me. Has to be a left turn.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP
"There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, when it's all in your mind. You gotta let go." - Ghetto, Supreme Beings of Leisure

I don't know for sure, but i think that someone said that Xcellerator's launch is right on the midway, but tell me if I'm wrong.

Yes, Xcelerator's launch is right on the midway. You can literally get about 10' from the train when it launches.

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Scott W. Short, Rail Junkie
mailto:scott@midwestcoastercentral.com
http://www.midwestcoastercentral.com

You can get even closer at the end of the exit before you walk into the the "picture viewing" area. Maybe it just seems closer but I swear that its like 5' from the beginning of the lauch. Its pretty cool, you feel like you can reach out and touch it. When I was there, i was standing in line and some kid was sitting in the front seat gettting ready to be lauched and one of his friends was by this fence that is very close to the track. Once the traine launched the kid standing threw a baseball cap @ his friend riding Xcel. He didnt catch it to the disappointment to the crowd but the kid had a hell of a time trying to get his hat back, some kid actually jumped the fence and got the hat and jumped back. Im still puzzled as to how they didnt get caught but im getting pretty off topic so I'll stop now since you got the idea. ;)

tubs023 said:
The metal strip is slightly to the right on the intamin track...Being that is the case, the curved track that will be used before the station will turn to the left on CP's attraction...Meaning the coaster will arrive on the far side curve to the left into the station

Wow. Stupendous. Astounding! Concrete evidence. We actually know *something* about this beast now. Kudos!

-albert

really i think it would be better against the midway i kinda wish that mf station and first hill were against the midway

Then we'd need signs on the midway saying, "Please keep walking" ;)

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Tommy Penner - Variable X
Cedar Point FanBoy since 2001. || Cruiser Boy since 2002.
"Pessimistic people are the happiest people on the planet. They're either right or pleasantly surprised."

Thinking about this more, if there is more to the layout than a simple oval, then it is possible that the launch could be the far side. No conclusions :(

I think what I hate most about the L-TH-B theory is that I can't find any holes in it. Every time I see pictures or go to the park it seems more and more likely that we are in for a very short ride. Short in time that is. Remember Occam's Razor? "The simplest explanation is probably the right explanation."

All signs lead to a L-TH-B, but I am still hoping for something more.

The ride is going to be short(in time)no matter what, because of the speed it will be going. So, wheather there's a couple over-banked turns, or just L-TH-B, I would'nt expect the time of the ride to go over 30 sec.

Right, Obviously. But what I am saying is that there is nothing to support more than just L-TH-B yet. And a L-TH-B design would be the shortest possible. Unless anything starts to happen soon in the way of footers and additional track pieces I am convinced that there will be no additional elements. Not because I want it that way, but because its the only explanation for what can be seen right now!

Even if there are no additional elements, it will still be one hell of a ride. I don't really care if it has more elements, just the launch and that incredible top hat will be enough. I even wonder if CP will consider it a coaster, since they called it a thrill ride in the news letter.

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Florida may have Disneyworld and Key West,
but Ohio has Cedar Point and Put-In-Bay.
It's great to live in Ohio!

They also called MF a thrill ride in the promo video..."Greatest Thrill Ride Ever" I think they said that in the letter just to try to mask that it is indeed a coaster. They don't want to let everything out of the bag before they announce the ride.

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June 28th: LocoBazooka Tour (Sevendust headlining)
July 11th: Korn, Puddle of Mudd, and Deadsy