Banchee?

Hall - I have no doubt that it was already designed and ready to be manufactured, but I find it hard to believe that it was already cut, painted and ready to be mounted before the heavy construction on the site had really begun.

But it makes sense to have shirts, pins and other merchandise already manufactured? I would guess that it takes longer to make a ride sign than it does to make a t-shirt.

Keep in mind these coasters are designed (and in most cases manufactured) well in advance of their install date. Cedar Fair could've easily just used the design for Steel Force's sign from the concept art done for Banshee just because it was already done. But, from looking at the everything out there, its most plausible to me that the sign was already made and they just modified it.

I was under the impression that the ride was meant to sound like it was howling much like a banshee. Also the character on the SP sign looks an awful lot like the character on Josh M's Banshee shirt. I also heard about the name being protested.

I've known this for about a year , but I still find it hilarious, it sounds as if they didn't know it's definition before they announced it.

"Hey, what's a Banshee?"
"I don't know, but it sounds cool."
"Okay, lets name that new stand-up we have in planning Banshee!"

(and so they preceded to make many other dumb mistakes, which I'm sure others can name.)

Much of the merchandise that was made was given out to season pass holders for the 1996 season. The shirts even say "1996 Season Pass Holder" on them (at least mine does that I bought on Ebay). My guess is, all the shirts, pins, etc. was manufactured to be given out as an incentive for people to buy their 1996 season passes in the fall of 1995.

Like I said, some of the merchandise was given out and/or kept by the park, while other things were given to employees. But, I do know someone who has worked at the park for more than 30 years, who himself has a lot of the merchandise (the park gave it to him), and personally witnessed the destruction of much of the merchandise and other logo-based products that were already produced.

Sorry-I was guilty of not reading through every single post in the thread. :) I'll do a better job next time.

I thought it was Banshee.

I thought it was Banshee.

halltd said:
But it makes sense to have shirts, pins and other merchandise already manufactured? I would guess that it takes longer to make a ride sign than it does to make a t-shirt.

But shirts can be manufactured quickly and cheaply. A sign is a one shot deal thats not all that cheap.

It probably would have been cheaper to actually rebuild the sign and melt-down the "Banshee" one than to take it apart and rebuild as a Steel Force sign. Of course, that would explain why "Steel Force" just doesn't seem to look right in that sign.

I was there at the time. We were given out shirts/buttons at the hotels for staff to wear. I think there were some Kinko's type signs in the lobby as well...nothing fancy.

I think we had the stuff about a week when the announcement came that they were going with Mantis. They asked everyone to turn in what they had. Some did, some didn't. They took the Banshee shirts, put a Ghostbusters type circle/ on them and then put the Mantis logo on to save a buck or two.

Somewhere I have a couple of the shirts with all my other junk.

Banshee...bad. Demon Drop...good. I never quite got that.

There are folks who mentioned that when Demon Drop was announced it was referred to as "Demon's Drop." Can anyone confirm/deny?

I don't remember that being in any of the articles Walt posted in his Demon Drop tribute. They were from the early 83 season and I didn't see the "'s".

Apparently the "s" may have been used in a pre-season radio spot.

I have the t-shirt and pin for the ride.

I've got 2 pins and 2 tshirts.

I wear one of them once in awhile, and the other is kept in a safe-ish place.

I'm somewhat glad that Banshee wasn't used, because now, the art for it is used on one of my favorite coasters, Steel Force. It's hard to imagine what Steel Force would have been called otherwise if Mantis stayed as Banshee... Mantis just wouldn't have worked for Steel Force, and I also wouldn't have my Steel Force shirt with the phantom on it if Banshee weren't changed to Mantis. ;)

It is somewhat odd though that they'd keep Demon Drop and get rid of Banshee. Anyway, Banshee is a name more fit for a Six Flags park, where you actually could die on the ride. ;)

Announcement. This just in! It is in fact possible to delete double posts!

My dad always talks to me about his history at Cedar Point, because he's probably the only...general public person that realizes that I'm very serious about Cedar Point, and roller coasters in general.

It's not uncommon for him to walk by me singing the Demon Drop song.

Demon drop, Demon Drop, Demon, Demon Drop, Demon Drop, Demon etc.

That's probably why Demon Drop is on of my three favorite Cedar Point flat rides. ;)

Demon Drop is flat?

-Tambo

Eh, I call it a flat ride. It's not a roller coaster, and to say it's my favorite dropping ride, well, that wouldn't say much since I've only ridden around four.