Coastermania 2016 info release

It is awesome. But what makes it even better is the cause that it goes to.

I don't think it is the $30 that is keeping registration down. WCO was open to everybody. Everyone who attends CoasterMania must belong to a coaster club. You can no longer bring a nonmember guest. Guests made up half the CoasterMania attendance.

It is also the same weekend as Holliwood Nights. But I am surprised that the hotels went as quick as they did. Even alot of hotels in town are booked up that weekend. That is most likely due to Bike Week as well, which is probably also to blame for hotels being jacked up that week.

That's very possible Bluestreaker. I hadn't thought of that. I also think there will be some amount of people who show up on the day of the event thinking that they can either buy their tickets at the park, or possibly not knowing they need a ticket at all. I know that seems crazy to us, but I thought all of the particulars were advertised and communicated more than well enough last year and people still showed up not knowing what was going on. Hard to believe that won't happen again this year.

I was thinking about the crowd that would "just show up" as well. I wonder how Tony and crew are going deal with that?

Ohio Bike Week is huge and thats a big reason why hotels are full. I think there were close to 150,000 in attendance over the 2 week rally last year.

I hope the coaster clubs communicated the new rules very well. I know GOCC did it very well. That's not to say there will be some that will ignore it. For those that just show up, I'm hoping they don't let them in and tell them to come back at 10 when the park opens to the general public. If they make a scene about it, escort them off the premises.

I was under the impression they let the unregistered in last year. Is that true?

I heard they did, don't know if it's true or not. But they shouldn't have. That doesn't set a good example. You don't follow the rules, you don't participate, period.

I agree. Shouldn't enable the "entitlement" contingent of enthusiasts.

Ok so now having to pay $30 for a CoasterMania! ticket won't deter people, but shelling out $15-$50 for a coaster club membership will? But I see your logic... Never thought about the "bring-a-guest" factor.

Bike week is the reason area hotels are jacked up. The other campgrounds that I know about in the area (Bayshore KOA, Camp Sandusky, Camp Crystal Rock) all have 3 night minimum stays that time of year. Since we were able to snag Sandcastle Suites at the CM! promo rate, it was only $25 more than Lighthouse Point for those 2 nights. Factor in the gas savings and it was a no-brainer to leave the camper at home.

darkrider68 said:

I was under the impression they let the unregistered in last year. Is that true?

I specifically recall someone on the forum here explaining how they registered properly but arrived a few hours later than 6 A.M. By then, the park had already let so many unregistered guests in that all of the scheduled lunch times were filled up. They were still able to eat because the park scrambled to make an extra lunch time but they had already run out of the free giveaway items and Tony wasn't there to have a presentation or raffle off any prizes or anything during their lunch. The people who didn't even register ended up getting more out of it than some of those who did everything right.

I'm thankful that I was able to participate and all the events when they were all still at no cost (Coastermania!, Media Day, CoasterCampout). I know it's all to a great cause, but I feel like if you want to attend some of these events now, you'll have to empty out your wallet all at once before the season even starts.

Not that it's a huge factor in the hotels being sold out, but ColossalCon is that weekend too. And while they may not stay at Cedar Fair Properties, it's still more rooms over all being unavailable forcing other people to stay elsewhere.

Is there any actual to benefit to having Coastermania during Bike Week? I don't think that many participants will be doing both. But now that I think of it, it may be actually be smart for them to do so. They know finding a hotel will be difficult that week with most being booked full or the rates jacked up, so that gives CM participants a good incentive to stay at the resorts. And with the deals they offer, it looks really enticing. It was cheaper than my usual Comfort Inn (now Quality Inn) in Huron even with one of the nights being the season pass rate. I think I may have just answered my own question.

Ohio bike week, originally known as North Coast Thunder Rally & Ohio State H.O.G. Rally, didn't start until 1999. We were here first! ;-)

Yeah, I was going to say, don't they do CM on the same weekend every year? If they deviated, enthusiasts would lose their friggin' minds.

There were at least 3 years in which CoasterMania was not held on the first Friday in June.

The very first Coaster Mania was held on June 30, 1978

In 2004, ACE held its Convention in June at Cedar Point. CoasterMania was held on September 18th that year

In 2012, ACE held its Spring Conference in May at Cedar Point. CoasterMania was held on July 13th that year

I don't know about the availability of rooms having an effect in pushing people to resort properties, but I will say the atmosphere we experienced last year staying at the KOA led us to staying at Lighthouse Point for this year. Let's just say it was not a family friendly place for the weekend, and we made the decision last year that we would be staying on property for CM this year.

Yea, I'm at Knights Inn right next to KOA and a little paranoid that those "antics" might spill over. On the other hand, after the final ERT I'll probably be able to sleep through anything.