Cedar Point 2013

Wild Eagle is 3127 feet long, came with an gorgeously designed, multi-tiered ride station, features an impressive entrance plaza and has some of the most unique ride trains I've ever seen, all for $20 million.

Even Leviathan, which is almost 5500 feet long, and will more than likely turn out to be over 100ft taller than this new ride, features a relatively nice entry plaza (with the fountain etc) and only cost $28 million, only $3 million more than MF did 12 years earlier.

It seems unlikely (although I could be wrong) that CP would theme the ride/build a similarly decadent station/merch building/entrance plaza for this new coaster as Wild Eagle. As well, it's reasonable to estimate that this new ride's length will fall somewhere in between Wild Eagle's and Leviathan's....

Therefore, it seems very plausible to me that the $25 million expenditure could cover the slightly longer and taller ride AND the DT/SS demolition AND whatever new entrance/plaza/midway they may build.

djDaemon said:

TwistedWicker77 said:
reworked and rerouted midways, yes. New midways, I doubt it.

You actually have it backwards.

When a new ride is built, all the concrete in the surrounding area is removed and replaced once the ride is complete. That often includes utility modifications and/or replacement. All that removal of material costs money.

If you were building a new midway somewhere, it would actually be cheaper (generally speaking), as all you need to do is prep the site and pour concrete.

Right! So when DT and SS are removed, what you're saying is that ALL of the concrete in that corner is going to need to be removed along with other utility modifications to the surrounding sites to make way for the new coaster? On top of that, concrete is going to have to be poured again for a new midway? And all of this is going to fit in that $25 million budget? Hmmm I'm amazed.

Other than the iconic MF sign that is placed next to the last overbank turn just sitting alongside the midway, and the actual entrance to the ride, it seems to me that MF lacks an entrance plaza.

You're failing to tell me things that I already don't know. I know the RR was modified to accommodate MF. And a Ferris Wheel (a circular collapsible gondola with 4 surrounding supports that already have detachable buckets) was relocated. Yes I know. It's almost the same thing as demolishing a 330 foot tall tower, demolition of a huge building, and digging out the bottom of SS. Which brings me to....

As for my understanding, SS's footer is atleast 30 feet underground, therefore the bedrock can't be that shallow. Same goes for Windseeker.

I would say a footer for a singular tower would have to be deeper than a coaster with multiple supports. I would say a lot of the newer coasters, including the wingriders recently installed, cost less then MF. Leviathon cost $3 mil more last year and its a comparable ride. How much has inflation really raised the price of things in the last decade? I would bet another MF somewhere else wouldn't cost much more today than it did in 2000.

TwistedWicker77 said:
...all of this is going to fit in that $25 million budget? Hmmm I'm amazed.

Well, it was once known as The Amazement Park.

Other than the iconic MF sign that is placed next to the last overbank turn just sitting alongside the midway, and the actual entrance to the ride, it seems to me that MF lacks an entrance plaza.

Entrance, sign, on-ride photo booth, lockers, seating, landscaping... that's the entrance plaza. None of it was there before MF.

CanadianPointKid said:
Wild Eagle is 3127 feet long, came with an gorgeously designed, multi-tiered ride station, features an impressive entrance plaza and has some of the most unique ride trains I've ever seen, all for $20 million.

Yes it is all very nice. But the "unique trains" are the typical wing rider trains with eagle heads and wings mounted on them. There were no extra fees for that I'm assuming. Also, two large ride demolition was not required to make way for Wild Eagle.

Even Leviathan, which is almost 5500 feet long, and will more than likely turn out to be over 100ft taller than this new ride, features a relatively nice entry plaza (with the fountain etc) and only cost $28 million, only $3 million more than MF did 12 years earlier.

Yes, it is a very nice ride with a great layout and definitely is taller than what our somewhat proposed coaster is going to be next year. However, once again, two large ride demolition was not required to make way for it either.

It seems unlikely (although I could be wrong) that CP would theme the ride/build a similarly decadent station/merch building/entrance plaza for this new coaster as Wild Eagle. As well, it's reasonable to estimate that this new ride's length will fall somewhere in between Wild Eagle's and Leviathan's....

New CEO, new changes. You never know.

CanadianPointKid said:

It seems unlikely (although I could be wrong) that CP would theme the ride/build a similarly decadent station/merch building/entrance plaza for this new coaster as Wild Eagle. As well, it's reasonable to estimate that this new ride's length will fall somewhere in between Wild Eagle's and Leviathan's....

I really like the idea of a "decadent" station.

You also have to account for the money cost of the possible new main park gate plaza. Nothing is for sure, but if they are in fact having the coaster go over the main gate, I would assume they would be tearing up a lot of ground in the area. The main gate is old and could use a gate that you don't have to crank open by hand. What better time to renovate the main entrance than at the same time you would already be tearing up the space around it? Anyone know about how much it would cost them to renovate the main entrance?

djDaemon said:
Well, it was once known as The Amazement Park.

And there's a reason why it isn't anymore.

Entrance, sign, on-ride photo booth, lockers, seating, landscaping... that's the entrance plaza. None of it was there before MF.

Entrance and sign were already mentioned. Ride photo booth: ok; lockers: ok; (although both are fairly spaced out and not typically in a "plaza" type layout) seating: was already available pre Millennium Force. ie: Mantis' original entrance was once in that vicinity. Landscaping: All of a sudden CP has landscaping around their rides?

I agree with you on that SSL488. I would like to see the main gate get some kind of make over. I really liked the style of Geauga Lake's main gate.

If you don't consider the area surrounding MF's entrance an entrance plaza, what is?

That seating existed prior doesn't mean the new seating installed in MF's plaza was free. The same goes for the landscaping around the plaza and queue.

Wicked Twister for example has an entrance plaza. Flags and a ground cutout dedicated for the ride. I never once said MF doesn't have an entrance plaza. I said it lacks of one; aka deficiency. But back to the original topic at hand...

Indeed, only 4 more days till we do or do not find out what's up CP's sleeves! Who is (or isn't) excited?

Personally, I can't wait to find out how open the view will be. ;)

Where do you get 4 days?

Me neither actually :)

I sure hope the announcement contains legally binding definitions of "open view" and "entrance plaza."

For god sakes man, you forgot a smiley at the end of that! Don't you know the damage that can be done when one doesn't use them properly? ;)

CPboy77 said:
Where do you get 4 days?

Well, a long time ago in elementary school, I was taught the days of the week and how to count. Over the years, I've developed a keen sense of knowing how many days it is till a particular other day. In this case, 4 days from now till Friday.

Though if you want to be MORE precise about it, it's 3 days, 19 hours and 19 minutes.

How do you know something will be revaled in 4 days?

Break Trims said:
I sure hope the announcement contains legally binding definitions of "open view" and "entrance plaza."

ME TOO!

Maverick00 said:
Does anyone have any pictures of the Millennium Force area before construction?

I actually do in my CP album. My last ones digital date stamp on the photo is dated 10/8/99 of the Ferris wheel sitting behind the train station (where the last banked turn of MF currently is). On the same date, I have another from a view sitting inside the Ferris Wheel (facing down) of the MF footers starting to be poured along the railroad tracks and perimeter road (about where the current unloading station is. I've got alot of other construction/ old lost ride photos also. Let me know.

Justin Delbert said:
How do you know something will be revaled in 4 days?

I don't know. My remark was "do or do not", intending that it's up in the air. The idea is that the date for Coastermania was picked far enough in the month that they would/could release information of the new ride. And what better time than at an event for fans of the park and coasters. Fueling the hope is the statement that a mid summer announcement was planned. Of course, statistically speaking, July 13th isn't the middle of summer, but it certainly sounds like a good time to release info.

Again, it's mere speculation so don't get your hopes up too much.

I think some of you are also hoping for a line by line cost report spreadsheet, detailing just how they are able to spend "only" 25 million dollars and complete a project, the likes of which, I would gently remind everyone, no one knows even one detail about (beyond some general facts about the coaster).

I don't get all the fuss. None of us will ever know exactly how much money they spent, and on exactly what they spent that money. You'll get a general cost of the project/coaster. So since you'll never know, what's the point of all the arguing about this?

I do think, WickedTwister (sorry I don't know your name), that you are overestimating a bit how much ride demo costs. If it is not being saved for sale or move, I can't imagine demo of both attractions being that much.