Building New Rides vs Updating Old Ones

I believe it has been documented in these forums that Magnum has received new track pieces in various sections over the years already. They just haven't done a complete re-build like Hulk or Nemesis. And there's no problem with Magnum's popularity, nor with its layout/design. It's perfect as-is. :)

In regard to smooth family coasters, Iron Dragon and Wild Mouse get no love?

^^As for Mine Ride, and the proposition of relocating it to another park, I just can't make my mind understand how that would even remotely work out. I mean, my eyeball engineering tells me that the layout of it at CP is unique to the ride and to move it would require a whole new support structure and track configuration. Who wants to do all that? Sounds overly expensive. Just build your own new, improved Mine Ride. One that doesn't take ten minutes to load, one that accomidates some "larger sized" parents to ride with kids, one that might have a few more features & thrills.

I just got back from Kings Island. Racer is so much nicer to ride since the retracking. Smooth with a lot of airtime.

Would like to see that done to Blue Streak.

Chris,

"I realize everyone on this chat are CP regulars that all have season passes like myself" is not true. I do not have a season pass.

Well there has never been a better time to get one tor a super low price!

IMO Corkscrew and Mine Ride will be the next coasters on the removal/replacement list. Both aren't great and a simple re-tracking won't make them any better.

There's a lot of space and activity going on by the Town Hall. I know there's speculation of an S&S coaster being built due to the snake and sunflower logos, but I doubt that'll happen (especially the rumored single rail). Mainly due to capacity issues. Maybe a dueling single rail with two levels of intensity like YOY at Walabi Holland might work because it offers a higher capacity and broader appeal. The space is there, but the cost is a a significant drawback.

A family launch coaster like Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood would be the best option. It seems like most parks are heading that direction and I can see why. Coasters that are fun for the whole family are a great investment, even if it's a significant upfront cost. Also, If they built it back by Maverick and Steel Vengeance there'd be three world class coasters all in one part of the park.

Whatever management decides, I doubt we'll see it until '27 at the earliest. We've had a new coaster every year for the past three years. I could be wrong, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I guess I don't see the point of removing Corkscrew. It seems to be a mostly reliable ride with low operation cost and its not really like removing it would open some huge swath of land for expansion. It's pretty hemmed in there.

TheDCJason:

Both aren't great and a simple re-tracking won't make them any better.

Is that assessment based on your ride engineering experience?

How would retracking either of those coasters help them?

Retracking corkscrew would make it run significantly smoother. A more modern train could help as well.

My whole thing with corkscrew is that it takes up almost no room. If you remove it, you're going to remove it for what, exactly? There's almost nothing you could put in its place. That's the biggest reason I can think of for not removing it. What is the benefit of doing so? I really can't think of a better way to use that tiny plot of land.

Mine ride on the other hand takes up a large plot and there are MANY other things that you could do with that land. For what you would spend on retracking Mine Ride, you could put that towards a new family coaster that will deliver a MUCH better experience.

Something like Big Bad Wolf's Revenge or Big Bear Mountain, or Firechaser Express, an RMC Wild Moose that would pair really well with SteVe, Intamin's family LSM coaster. There are SO MANY great options for a world class family coaster out there right now.

liebevision:

Something like Big Bad Wolf's Revenge or Big Bear Mountain, or Firechaser Express, an RMC Wild Moose that would pair really well with SteVe, Intamin's family LSM coaster. There are SO MANY great options for a world class family coaster out there right now.

Putting in a Big Bad Wolf's Revenge style coaster (a B&M family invert) is a bad idea to me right now. Putting one in would likely mean getting rid of Iron Dragon, as the ride experience is similar, based on what I felt.

A Wild Moose is small scale and could be put in many different places. Honestly, a Mine Ride replacement for me should be either a Firechaser or Big Bear type when it comes to those options.

liebevision:

Retracking corkscrew would make it run significantly smoother

Maybe you mean reprofiling? New track by itself on Corkscrew won’t help the non-smooth transitions.

A New Point of View:

A Wild Moose is small scale and could be put in many different places.

This seems like a ride more suited for a park like Walley World.

The retrack of the Great Nor'Easter, the SLC at Morey's Piers in New Jersey took it from a rough hang and bang to a smooth incredible coaster. If you can do that to an SLC I don't see why an arrow looper should be any different.

From my understanding, retracking the steel coasters has less to do with making them smooth and more to do with extending the service life. The Hulk has just as much head banging as before the retracking.

Hypothetically, if they were to retrack corkscrew it would still be corkscrew. A boring layout with one cool element (upside-down over the midway.) Corkscrew is better to experience off the ride than on the ride. If they got rid of it and replaced it with a Family Coaster that would be awesome.

Speaking of Hulk, ive always wondered exactly why the track needed replacement.

Corrosion? A large number of welds weakened?

I dont understand exactly why steel track didnt last an eternity, regardless of the heat, humidity, and year round operation.

I would think that if they kept the track painted to prevent rust, it would last almost forever.

If anyone has factual information about this, id appreciate being enlightened.

Hulk smash…your head

I’m starting to think the poor publicity, power tower incident and the six flags merger drama, it only keeps showing more and more that cedar point should be spending less time building new and more time refurbishing rides and extending the life span another 15-20 years.

They need to get through this rocky period by spending less.

that’s assuming it’s cheaper to refurbish…..

anyone know if it is?

I would assume so. Less demo, less land prep work and foundation work (since using the existing), less material, less labor. Should lead to savings.

Going back to CCMR, I love the layout it offers. Just needs a little more “mine” theming and needs a better profiled track and new trains and it could be one of the most popular rides in the park for families. And I assume it would cost a lot less to have a company (say vekoma) to come and put their track on the existing structure than it would be to tear it down and build a new big bear style coaster.

I wish Cedar Point does this more in the next 10-20 years than going ground up.

Enclose the Mine Ride, slow it down and make it a dark ride attraction. Maybe another Boneville. Make the enclosure look like a mountain. The train could even pass through a mountain tunnel.