Cedar Point's 2011 ride will target thrill seekers

^who needs an iPhone when you can have an Android ;) Maybe that mondial would be cool. They could possibly have 4 seats on each arm, maybe back to back. If you could ride it forwards or backwards it may be more appealing.

Ffej said:
Anyway, I'd rather Cedar Point have gone with the original Funtime Starflyer...what gave the ride all its scariness was the very structure-less simple seats with chains...and they're reliable, right?

The entire reason, at least purportedly, for going with the solid linkage version over the chain version is so that the ride can operate in windy conditions. And CP certainly has their share of wind, especially at 400 feet in the air on the edge of the beach.

Minime15834 said:
...it could be that cedar point possibly paid the register to write this story just to cause some crazy buzz...

Joe2899 said:
every stop and think maybe cedar point okay'd the story to be released cause that went another route. they were trying to kill the starflyer rumor and windseeker rumor. maybe it will be a coaster from years past cause i do not see a swing ride as bringing back memories to the older generation that have been to cedar point.

OKSIRYDOC said:
Is it legal for a reputable publisher to publish a completely fake article?

It's downright hilarious (and not in a good way) that, as predicted, there's talk of this being some sort of clever conspiracy to throw us off the scent of next year's "real" new ride. :)

TTD 120mph said:
Well jeeze Sandusky Register, way to ruin the mood! Couldn't this have waited a week?

CanadianPointKid said:
...they are asses for ruining it for the people who would have enjoyed unravelling and debating the clues for another week.

C'mon now, guys. If you really just wanted to dissect the clues and be legitimately surprised by next week's announcement, you shouldn't have been hanging around a CP enthusiast forum specifically dedicated to trying to uncover exactly what next year's attraction is going to be.

And what's with the hate toward the Register? It's being suggested that this news organization should have catered to a corporation's interests over that of their readers. Think for a minute about what you're suggesting, and how completely absurd such a suggestion is. Should ABC check with BP before it posts stories about the gulf spill to make sure BP is OK with what is being reported?

If Funtime really blew Cedar Point's reveal on the new ride, they just got themselves blacklisted. EVERYONE they (hoped to) do business with will remember that for a very long time. Very unprofessional IMO. Who will even want to talk to them about a new ride now, knowing their secret could be out of the bag if Funtime doesn't get the job?

BTW, I applaud the Register for running the article. I don't see any blame there - they just reported the story as they should. The blame is clearly on Funtime's shoulders, and IMO Cedar Fair should countersue them. Funtime just did MAJOR damage to their marketing build-up.

Maybe the next Facebook clue will be a picture of a gavel.

Here is Mondial version if it has not been posted already http://www.parkworld-online.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1596/Mondial...eeker.html

I don't blame Cedar Point for choosing a different company, and I don't blame the paper for running the story. I do blame Funtime for blowing the lid off of it prematurely. They should have aloud CP to announce it and then let the wheels of justice to turn if there is grounds for a lawsuit.

They can't just take it upon themselves to announce what CP is getting. Not cool.

Well, without a contract, they're probably not bound by any NDA, so there's no legal reason for Funtime to keep their mouths shut. But as was noted on CBuzz, Funtime basically just committed industry suicide. Brilliant!

I'm sure Cedar Fair requires non-disclosure agreements with everyone BEFORE discussing a new ride or concept (contract or no). Assuming that ND agreement is written competently, I can already smell the countersuit. There's no way anyone in discussions for a new ride should be able to reveal the concept for the park prior to the park's announcement.

I'm still interested to see how tall it's going to be. It sounds like CP did indeed want to make it 400 ft when they were talking with funtime. I have to wonder if the first Wind Seeker is really going to want to take it that high.

You mean when Cedar Fair execs were at a ride expo and perusing the offerings from Funtime they made them sign an NDA before discussing the specs on the ride with the booth attendant?

I doubt it.

Guys, things in that Register article just don't add up for me...

First of all, the CEO of Funtime states that they are going to sue Cedar Point for copyright infringment...if they would be suing anyone wouldn't they either be suing Mondial or Cedar Fair, not Cedar Point, as Cedar Fair was the one to purchase the ride? And for what reason would they have to sue Cedar (Fair?) for copyright infringment? Basically the CEO is saying that Cedar (Fair?) will get sued because they wanted a StarFlyer, but Funtime was not willing to provide some of the needed features (i.e. being able to run in higher winds) so Cedar Fair took their buisness to Mondial, who would provide those features. The only similarities that I see between the two rides are that they both assend a tall spire and rotate...the rest is completely re-engineered.

Here is my analogy to what appears to be happening. You go into a Toyota dealership and test drive a model or two, but you want a sunroof and Toyota will not allow that on the particular model you want. You then go to a Honda dealership and buy a comprable model to the Toyota, but get the sunroof. Toyota then sues you for buying a car from Honda that does the same thing that the Toyota model does (drives) even though you were not under any obligation to purchase the Toyota model in the first place.

I know that it has been discredited, but I honestly believe that the Register was told to run this story. I seriously have a hard time believing that a company would create industry suicide that badly, and with such a childish reason...

@Juggs: Even if there were an NDA agreement it wouldn't prevent them from suing any/everyone for patent infringement. It is the way they have gone about this, whether legal or not, that is disgusting. Wait for the announcement, then sue. If you are trying to threaten CP, do so behind closed doors. Send them a document saying if they go forth with the Wind Seeker you will sue based on X, Y, and Z.

Don't blow the lid off their announcement for the world to see by doing an interview with the SR.

I love that there are people still saying "this is all just to throw us off that they are building..."

Reality is calling... it wants your attention back!

The part that I'm now concerned about is that CF is choosing to buy another prototype ride a year after the whole Shoot the Rapids debacle... and from a much less established manufacturer, who's entire ride portfolio is basically stolen from Huss or Funtime.

AND they somehow managed to agree to purchase from one company before changing their minds... and are now being sued...

It makes you wonder who is THAT asleep at the switch... and why they still have a job.

As for the Sandusky Register... it is their job to report this story- it is the definition of NEWS. Providing information to the public... it's what they are supposed to do. We've just become so accoustomed to the entertainment journalism that you see on Fox News that when ACTUAL journalism happens people wonder aloud "HEY! Can they do that?"

We are getting another prototype ride that will appeal to about 1/5 of the parks visitors. Hopefully it will work more reliably than STR.

You can tell I'm excited.

Kyle - don't disagree with any of that.

This sounds like someone is upset they lost the contract bid and rather than lick their wounds and try to get the next one has decided to shoot themselves in the head.

in_eden said:
I love that there are people still saying "this is all just to throw us off that they are building..."

Reality is calling... it wants your attention back!

It never had it in the first place.

in_eden said:
AND they somehow managed to agree to purchase from one company before changing their minds... and are now being sued...

It makes you wonder who is THAT asleep at the switch... and why they still have a job.

Where do we see that they had any kind of agreement? From all I can tell, they were in talks with Funtime, but never signed any kind of purchase order or contract stating they would purchase a ride.

Plus the lawsuit won't go very far. I'm calling it now, Funtime loses and pays CFs legal fees.

I agree too. In the Funtime vs Wind Seeker lawsuit I still see Funtime losing. It sounds like the Wind Seeker corrects the single biggest flaw with the Star Flyer. Isn't that why engineers are paid so much? Kudos to them for figuring out how to make it bigger/higher/sturdier.

Just strange, I thought they had a 4-5 year plan for new rides, not "a few month back"

Not quite.

If I take a Toyota Camry, make the brakes work, and then try to manufacture it as a Chevy Cobalt, I'm still probably going to lose a patent lawsuit. That one change isn't enough to protect me.

However, the only similarities I can see are that they both spin and are both towers. Beyond that, they are 2 different rides.

I don't see Funtime winning their lawsuit... unless there was a signed agreement that CF backed out of...

If CF went to Funtime and asked them to engineer a variant of a starflyer that could operate in higer wind speeds... say while residing beside lake erie... and they said NO... CF should be free to contact another manufacturer about using the design. This isn't the first time something like this happened...

In 1993, B&M had worked with Busch Gardens to design a pair of multiple inverting coasters. One was installed at BG Tampa called Kumba, the other was pushed back a year because B&M had too many instalations to do it that year. Not wanting to wait, BG took the plans to Arrow who re-engineered the ride to use their componentry, and Drachen Fire came. (one of the biggest coaster screw ups ever) No suit was filed, and the event seemed to only strengthen the relationship between BG and B&M as the Busch parks have built almost nothing but B&M coasters since.

So in my mind (as well as most of yours) it seems childish of Funtime to publicly whine like this... Considering that in the world of flats, nothing is truly unique... everyone seems to copy everyone else's rides... Mondial seems to NEED to be sued... by Huss... they have copied pretty much everything Huss makes... but cheapened it and "carnivalized it".

The only way a Funtime lawsuit would stand is if Cedar Fair signed an agreement for the deveopment of this ride (possibly rides if one is going to Canada as well) and the products of that development were turned over to Mondial following a disagreement.

Time will tell...