Cedar Point Open All Night Long...

Let me start off by saying that I love CP at night. Everything seems much more fun to me--all roller coasters come to life, especially those like Magnum, MF, Raptor, and Mean Streak. And even simple things like getting food or playing games have a new charm at night. The lighting and everything just transforms the park into an awesome atmosphere. The bad thing is that there are only a couple hours in a daily visit, if that, where people can experience the transformed CP.

So logically, I've always hoped and dreamt of CP keeping the park open all night long (all adult rides, limited food/concessions) for one day in the season. I feel the yearly event could be a huge success with proper advertisement. This would be such a unique experience that no other parks (to my knowledge) offer, and I can only imagine how news/media would love to hype up this event.

While I originally thought of this scenario: After the park closes at 8, 10, or 11PM, the all-night event would begin and end by 6AM (Everyone would have to pay $25 for a wrist band to attend). But, like Millennium Mania, this type of event might draw a small crowd.

Therefore, this would be a better scenario: Everyone in the park on a Friday would be welcome to stay until 6AM for the all-night event. Guests staying in a CP resort/hotel would be welcomed into the park from 10PM-6AM, free of charge. All season pass holders would be allowed to enter the park at any time for all-night fun. Lastly, everyone else could only come for the event from 10PM-6AM for $25. With all these people, the all-night adventure could surely draw enough participants to make it a success.

I can only imagine daily attendance would increase on that Friday, CP resorts would fill up, CP could create publicity for the park, odd-shift workers and people who love night life would pay the $25 admission, and CP could gather large amounts of money for food, games, etc.

While this probably won't ever happen, it seems like it'd really work, and it'd be a night I'd look forward to every year.
*** This post was edited by Ffej 8/6/2003 5:41:38 AM ***

"But, like Millennium Mania, this type of event might draw a small crowd."

Exactly, which is why it wouldn't been done.

Interesting idea though.

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Eric Morrison (Coast)
Drag Races: 6
*** This post was edited by Etrain 8/6/2003 8:27:06 AM ***

The Disney parks to corporate buy-outs in this manner. During the off-season when the parks close at 8:00 they might reduce the closing time to 6:00.

Then, the company that bought out the park might get access from 8:00pm-1am. When I grew up in California my dad's company did this annually at Disneyland. I have great memories of running around Disneyland all night long. Some years were more crowded than others.

The biggest issue is one of staffing a park for those unusual hours.

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No matter where you go, there you are.

Yes, I think for like a one time a year and planning all that out very well with staffing and stuff that it would work. I know I would enjoy it. :)

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2003 Stats: Top Thrill Dragster: 9
Magnum XL-200: 47
28 trips to the Point

I wish Cedar Point would do a Grad Nights thing like Disneyland. Oh well...

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"I can't make a movie or write a song either, but that doesn't mean I'm not entitled to think they suck."
-Jeff

Dragster: 3 Force: 8 Twister: 9 Raptor: 9 Magnum: 16

Has the park thought of it. I'm sure it has, would the park love to do it? Sure. Why it won't happen!

1.) Staffing, the crews really can't handle working longer shifts than they already do. Look at this past Coastermania they gave us the ERT on MF in the morning but took it away at night to accomadate the crew.

2.) Maintenance, every ride needs to be checked out and several maintenance men have to inspect several rides each every night!

3.) If the park was open til like 6am it wouldn't really help out resorts becuse people would probably go home because they couldn't get a room if they had to check out by 10 or 11am.

4.) Safety, even if you could get a crew to run the ride, if they didn't get enough sleep, they wouldn't be alert as they need to be to run the rides.

5.) General park operations wouldn't be able to be completed on time for the park to open the following day. All of the trash cans need to be changed, the midways need to be cleaned, painters need to touch things up, and maintenance trucks are everywhere on the midway at night.

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Dan Haverlock
magnum 2430 * TTD 12
"get a job man!"

That's a very cool idea, but I'm sure it won't happen. The closest you can get to this is a Halloweekends Saturday when the park is open until Midnight. It gets dark around 6 or 6:30, then you have 6 hours to explore the park after dark. I've done this several times, and it is awesome to spend that much time there after dark.

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-Chris Woodard
"We got pop and Gatorade over here for $100 a bottle, so have your credit card ready. Seriously, the food here is so expensive, I just eat the condiments because I can't afford a meal." - MF que DJ 6/16/03

Unless the park was only open from that time period it would be too hard to do.

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http://said.uc.edu/students/oakleysd/cp/CP.jpg
Now tell me Cedar Point is running out of space.

Logistically, it could be done. The maintenance might have to be scaled back for the one night, and other tasks could be done in a workaround fashion while the crowds are there.

Hersheypark was wildly successful with one of these last spring.

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/2003-29-775811.htm

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Duane Cahill
http://www.RavensSuck.com
The only thing other than CP that Steelers and Browns fans agree on

True Daune, but this is one thing CP doesn't want to touch with a ten foot pole. WAY TOO many opportunities for problems.

Etrain: Let's remember that Millenium Mania was at least tried a couple years. But most importantly, I developed the new scenario because CP didn't make money off MM; if they got enough people in the park by the above methods, it could be a success.

Dan: 1. I have no clue how many employees and shifts CP has, but couldn't they rest a whole shift just for the event? 2. As for maintenance, that was configured in from 6am-10am; if that's not enough time, close at 5am or so. 3. By helping out the resorts, I meant that people would book them before for Friday, as they'd get into the event for free. 4. True, but most of the rides have computers doing the work, and again, rest up a shift? 5. This was worked into the 6am-10am time, and if that isn't enough, certain things could be overlooked for just one day. You bring up some good points, but it just seems like they could work around these types of things.

As for Hershey Park doing this, well that's awesome; they must think like me. Was Hershey Park open to everyone that night? This just proves that it can be done.
*** This post was edited by Ffej 8/6/2003 3:03:27 PM ***

Something to remember about maintenance...it is 24/7. They don't just come in at 6a.m. to get the park started. Next time you leave the park at closing time look around I am sure you'll see a mechanic or two working on some of the small rides. They start the minute the park closes and run right up to opening each day.

Hmmmm...I know CP being open all night would be hazardous in the long run; that's why I limited to one night. Would leaving rides open an extra several hours be so dangerous? I can't imagine Raptor is just going to break down or shed its bolts after a 12-hour day. The high maintenance Mean Streak could be open for only 3 hours extra or so; though I watched a special that said maintenance on Mean Streak began at sunrise.

Money, folks, it's all about the bottom line. If they can make a profit on something (like this idea) they will make it happen. There are many reasons listed in this thread suggesting that staying open later, or all night, would not make money...in fact, it would cost them.

Our economy now dictates cost savings everywhere. Open All Night is doubtful. Not enough peeps there to spend.

All of this IMHO, of course.

MrScott

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"If we go any faster, she'll blow apart for sure!"

I've often thought how awesome it would be to spend a night at the park, but I do realize the things that stand in the way of it happening. After seeing that CP documentary on Discovery channel a year or 2 ago, I realized how much they do in just one night and it definitely couldn't be squeazed into a few hours. I do think that they would be able to get away with it for one night though if they were sure they'd get a good turn out.

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CP 2K3: 15
"What are you, a dentist? Or a hippie? Or some kind of hippie dentist?" - Strongbad

I am back from living in London for the summer! Did you miss me? Anyway, to make this all night event work, It would need to be planned for a night where the park hadn't been open during the day. That way, maintenence would not have to be hurried, and employees would not have been working all day long. The key is definately advertisement though, and having the event on a non-school night would be crucial to it's success. Maybe have it as a launch party for the first operating day of the year on a Friday in early May, or the last operating day of the year. Bring in a few bands as well for good measure! Those are my suggestions anyway. Cedar Point has yet to understand that putting a commercial on TV with the 7 pm news doesn't make a complete marketing campaign. The advertisement for this event especially would have to reach the high school/ college age crowd, as well as coaster enthusiasts. The normal CP commercial wouldn't cut it.

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ONE freeway stamp a day... ONE

Why not just do it on like a friday night when halloweekends is going on?

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TTD Laps-5
July 4th, 2003-7:37 p.m...... I reopened Dragster.
GOCC Member #729

I think an all-nighter could be a money maker if...1) you only did once or twice a season, 2) Promoted it very heavily in lots of areas, not just locally, 3) Incorporate other nightime activities in the park like dance floors (temporary clubs, i.e. the Ballroom, or the old Pirate ride location for instance)...hire a well known DJ or DJ's to create a club(s) to make it a truly unique experience, 4) Heavy security - just in case 'something' were to happen, 5) Lots of pre-planning on CP's part to get the usual overnight preparations taken care of. I don't believe an 'all-nighter' would necessitate using the entire park. Obviously the kiddie sections would not be used. There's lot of ways that the usual overnight preparations could continue while an all nighter occured.

I think the best times would be when it's warmer outside at night, not during Halloweekends as someone mentioned before. I think around Memorial Day and Labor Day would be perfect. If all the above happened, I'm certain that guests would come specifically for the nighttime event.

It would be an awesome idea, I would love to attend, but don't they have coaster nights for the crew of CP. I read on the website for employees that they have late night coaster riding events. So they already do it with the employees why not the people.

If any CP officials are reading this, please make this idea a reality in the future. ;) It's worth a try!

Just talking about an all-night CP adventure makes me excited. Let's not forget that those who are less tolerant of staying up could leave at 2am or whatever time they prefer. CP would encourage that participants stay in hotels/resorts so that they could stay for the whole event without worrying about driving.

While I still really don't see why this couldn't work on a warm July night, if maintenance/preparation is a huge problem, then take the other route people have mentioned. This event could take place as a preview night (Fri. or Sat.), the day before the official opening of the park for the season. Tell me that people wouldn't have come this year, getting early rides on TTD...

This could definitely be a success if CP officials wanted it to be. For example, how about gathering 1,000 or more forced participants. CP could team up with local area high schools for senior after-prom (what an awesome after-prom that would have been). Also target the college crowd, of which many stay out all night at clubs anyway. Like mentioned, CP could set up a temporary club area...anything needed to make it work and keep operating costs low. I'd like to see new things like this to keep CP fresh.