Cedar Point: Cookie Cutter or Still Unique?

An observation:

I was looking through the different Cedar Fair parks websites to see what various parks in the Cedar Fair chain had to offer and also to maximize my Platinum Pass for 2016. Looking through the various parks that are owned by Cedar Fair such as Michigan's Adventure, ValleyFair, Knott's Berry Farm, Worlds of fun,etc.) got me to thinking about this topic. There are alot of similarities between my home park (CP) and some of these others that I've checked out. Do you think the trend now is to have similar experiences in all of the parks owned by Cedar Fair? I've noticed All Wheels Extreme at other CF parks, Power Tower type rides, and alot of Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles type ride additions over many CF parks in the last few years. Does this start turning our park (Cedar Point) into a "cookie cutter" type park with similar experiences elsewhere?

I've noticed that some of the nostalgia from my home park (Cedar Point) has changed quite a bit during the last 40 years of my going. An example would be the removal of Paddlewheel Excursions (something not offered at the other CF parks) and some of the unique food stands being incorporated into Coca-Cola freestyle stations (how much soda do we really need?) or little restaurants such as Aunt Em's turning into corporate giants such Panda Express, Pink's etc. While I'm grateful to have such unique offerings still such as Last Chance Saloon, the Frontier Inn, etc., I feel as though the giants are starting to outnumber the unique.

Some unique things that I've noted about Cedar Point compared to other parks is our Frontier Trail with its glassblowing, blacksmith,etc that I didn't notice at the other parks. Also the Lake Erie and bay/marina surroundings not found at the other parks. The Cedar Downs and our great coliseum/arcade are other examples. However, looking at some of the other websites that I mentioned makes me wonder if we are going to get a dark ride like Iron Reef or Guardian here or even a decent family mad mouse type coaster ala Knotts,Valleyfair, and MI adventure? Are the parks all getting the same additions staggered over a few years and could this be the trend for Cedar Point also?

What are your thoughts on Cedar Point, are you scared the park is developing into a "cookie cutter" type park similar to parks elsewhere or do you still find it unique enough compared to others when traveling?

I've noticed a bit throughout the chain. Especially with the new entrance at Carowinds. But Cedar Point still has a different feel to the park than the other ones IMO

What is unique with CP is the location, the resorts, the beach, the scope and size of the park and the unique buildings like the Coliseum. Most big coasters at CF parks are custom rides so those are unique even if the type is the same. Of course the company will duplicate entertainment that is crowd pleasing in all the parks. You want someone going to, let's say, Carowinds to have a fun and entertaining day also. Nothing wrong with installing duplicate attractions, that is actually how it should be for CF to be as successful as possible.

Exactly. And I mean, I'm sure Cedar Point will still hold the coaster crown and thrills.

Only four parks have steam locomotives, but we are the only one in the chain that burns coal.

Staying on point makes CP unique and amazing.

Anyone that has not stayed on point really needs to try it.

Having been to 5 of the parks (KI, Carowinds, KD, DP, CP) in one trip back in 2014, I will tell you that things got a little repetitive. Some of that had to do with Paramount with a lot of their rides being the same from that era. Some of it was Cedar Fair, like having Windseekers at multiple parks for example.

However, I still felt that each park had its own unique style to how they did things. Carowinds has a lot of Carolina-based theming around the park that gives you that Southern flavor. KD has a unique ride selection and very beautiful areas of the park. I'd say they have the most beautiful park of the non-CP parks.

Cedar Point is a lot like an older sibling, setting the trends for the younger siblings. And if it works at one of the best parks on the planet, a similar idea will usually work in a different market. So I don't think cookie-cutter is the right phrase for it.

Will I say that all the parks in the chain are unique? Absolutely not. But regardless of the similar additions, they all have their unique flavor that gives them that special feel.

CPfan1976 said:

I've noticed All Wheels Extreme at other CF parks, Power Tower type rides, and alot of Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles type ride additions over many CF parks in the last few years.

As Pete notes, it makes sense to add popular entertainment and rides to other of the company's parks.

Does this start turning our park (Cedar Point) into a "cookie cutter" type park with similar experiences elsewhere?

I'd say no. For one thing, only a small portion of the park's attendance will have visited other CF parks, and of those that have, only a small portion will be paying attention to how many parks have AWE or Pipe Screams, so most people won't notice any "cookie cutter" attractions.

And -- and this may sound silly -- but an amusement park is a bit like a recipe. You can use oregano, thyme, cumin and coriander in a broad range of recipes, coming up with different dishes, and you can use Pipe Screams and Power Towers and Tilt A Whirls to "spice up" different parks without making them the same "dish."

....Coca-Cola freestyle stations (how much soda do we really need?)

Soda costs pennies to supply and dollars to drink, so the bottom line is saying "as much as possible" :-)

...or little restaurants such as Aunt Em's turning into corporate giants such Panda Express...

The purist in me misses the unique places, and the business nerd in me understands that Cedar Fair has Pandas and Subways and so on because people like to know what they're getting. Brands brings consistency and consistency can bring dollars -- "Oh, Martha, look, a Panda Express! We always like eating that authentic Chinese food at the mall!"

Pink's etc.

They appear to have only four locations east of the Mississippi, so I think Pink's can still be considered unique rather than a corporate chain.

...if we are going to get a dark ride like Iron Reef or Guardian here...

Mr Ouimet has said in interviews that dark rides are coming to more Cedar Fair parks; and they have trademarked the "Amusement Dark" name.

Two things:

wall-E

Buy N Large

nuff said

"...or little restaurants such as Aunt Em's turning into corporate giants such Panda Express..."

I think it is refreshing that Chick-fil-A is gone and the location will be Frontier Inn again with CP's own fresh breaded chicken. I was never a fan of food chains in the park, too pedestrian and every day for an amusement park that aims to take people away from their day to day grind.

CF and SF are regional parks that primarily draw regional crowds. Only a small percentage of Platinum Pass holders typically venture to multiple parks. So it honestly doesn't surprise me to see similar attractions in the parks. SF tends to annoy me slightly more due to the fact they clone so many of their coasters, but when it comes to flats there really are only so many viable options. Of course you'll see a set of flying scooters, pipe scream, drop towers in every park. There is still that enthusiast favorite theory of chains buying rides in packages. Why not buy 7 sets of Larson flying scooters if you get a better deal on them?

I'm okay with seeing flat ride clones up in each of the chains parks. I do get annoyed at see cloned coasters pop up. I get it from a business stand point it just sucks, especially since most cloned rides aren't that great, looking at you non-Disney Vekoma rides!

Aside from the branding consistency, I have yet to think to myself that I am having some type of cookie-cutter experience. To be clear, this includes trips to Kings Island, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, and Dorney Park, so including the Point that makes five; not too shabby to form an opinion.

I think Cedar Fair has done an excellent job of improving the parks that were a little low on the thrill-factor, and while there are similar ride experiences (CP and KI each have a "MaxAir"), the geography, environment, and layout of each park is very different.

At the end of the day, I think we would find that the parks are vastly more different than they are alike.

Where else can you get that view? A Hotel Breakers? The beach? The causeway? Mean Streak Henry?

:)

Honestly, you would have to look at the parks through a very jaded, very specific enthusiast lens to claim everything is cookie cutter.

Yes, there could be a little more creativity in differentiating rides like Windseekers throughout parks, but it's not like the Windseekers are all giving you the same view. And as has been pointed out already, the proportion of people that actually travel to multiple parks in the space of one year, let alone all of the same chain, is pretty slim. Though that being said, I'm sure there are people out there complaining that the new Shanghai Disneyland has a castle as the centerpiece because it's cookie-cutter.

Actually, Shanghai is the least cookie-cutter of the Disney Castle parks, starting with Main Street replaced with Mickey Avenue. Even the castle is larger and has more attractions, shops etc inside than the other castles.

That Crazy Dan said:

Honestly, you would have to look at the parks through a very jaded, very specific enthusiast lens to claim everything is cookie cutter.

By the end of my Cedar Fair + Knoebels trip last season, I had a hard time differentiating the B&M inverts that I went on. There were a lot of cookie cutter aspects to the parks, for sure. One of the reasons Knoebels stands out is because it's completely different.

Cedar Point is the least cookie cutter of them all, though. I don't see it ever becoming cookie cutter. Even on the years where they add similar attractions, they still update an entire Midway to look unique (Gemini)

XS NightClub said:

Staying on point makes CP unique and amazing.

Anyone that has not stayed on point really needs to try it.

Interesting point. Living so close to the park (about a half hour away) never makes this justifiable to me, especially now at the Breakers $300 price point (for a group of 4) in July, for a few hours of sleep after the park closes. However, I've given the cabins of Lighthouse Point some thought in the past if friends were to split the cost maybe. I do love the overhaul of the Hotel however (especially the firepits in back) and can see why the convenience of staying on Point is a draw for alot of travelers.

As others, including myself, have touched on, the Lake, beach, and Hotel Breakers might be what sets Cedar Point apart from the other CF parks. The world class lineup of coasters doesn't hurt either.

When making this post (and checking out the other CF parks), I felt as though there wasn't much to make me want to take a trip up to Valleyfair (MN), even if I were visiting Minneapolis at the time; however some of the stuff that Knott's offered (the Stagecoach, Coast Rider, Voyage to Iron Reef,etc.) might be worth a look if I were traveling to LA to visit relatives anyhow and are things that I hope CP does get in the future, well maybe not the stagecoach again.

Renegade said:

"One of the reasons Knoebels stands out is because it's completely different."

I would say the same for Kennywood also, maybe because it's not in the CF chain.

I did realize, as stated previously, that I miss the "charm" (there's that word) of my childhood Cedar Point (you know, The Earthquake, Pirate Ride, Sky Slide, Upside Down Funhouse, Western Cruise,Mill Race; the things that used to set CP apart from other parks) but realize that the park needs to grow and change with the times. Overall, I do feel as though CP is still unique in its own way and am excited what's in store each following year with every August announcement. My 2c.

I've been harping on this for years. That said, if they ever get rid of the bay, marina, beach and lake, I am cancelling my pass.

CPfan1976 said:

Renegade said:

"One of the reasons Knoebels stands out is because it's completely different."

I would say the same for Kennywood also, maybe because it's not in the CF chain.

But it is in the Palace Entertainment chain. Are their parks becoming more cookie-cutter, he asks, half seriously? Kennywood is a treasured favorite, and I've had the pleasure of Idlewild and Lake Compounce, one time each; I'm not a fan of water parks. I can see their websites are all the same in appearance, don't know if they parks themselves are homogenizing in any way.

... that I miss the "charm" (there's that word) of my childhood Cedar Point (you know, The Earthquake, Pirate Ride, Sky Slide, Upside Down Funhouse, Western Cruise,Mill Race...

That is the Cedar Point of my youth. May I add Jumbo Jet, Sky Wheel and the original Shoot The Rapids?

Still, I appreciate that the Cedar Point of my youth wasn't the Cedar Point of a youth in the 1950s, when the Midway ended at where Corkscrew is today, and that wasn't the Cedar Point of a youth in the 1930s, when the park's coaster collection included Cyclone and High Frolics.

The park has always been changing and evolving.

The park has to change and evolve. The kids of today will look back 30 years from now and reminisce about the charm of the park from their youth.

Granted I'm not as well traveled as some, but I would say Cedar Point is the most unique, least cookie-cutter park I've been to outside of Orlando. The location, the coasters & rides, Frontier Trail & Town, etc. Just an amazing park...