Commercial Shoot: Dragster May Be Down

I agree James. Getting 5 trains running with all 16 seats per train was more important then shooting commercials last week.

Why do they need 5 trains with 16 seats per train to shoot commercials?

I have a idea, lets film the commercials on Saturday so we can tick off the maximm amount of customers.
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Cedar Point can not be responsible for any thing lost or dammaged.
*** This post was edited by Shankomatic 5/13/2003 11:54:13 PM ***
*** This post was edited by Shankomatic 5/13/2003 11:55:08 PM ***

Why not 7 to 10? Sounds like they are starting at 5 am already. I doubt it was possible to shoot commercials last week when they were adding the other two trains and all the other cars.
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Thats right Virginia, I am Santa Claus.

I could only imagine how upset I'd be if my trip to CP was threatened by the chance of not being able to ride TTD. On-the-other-hand, WE pay CP's bills. Understand they will do nothing short of everything to have the ride safe and open for the public to experience. Believe that. The last thing they want to do is make us mad.

They do not need 5 trains with 16 seats for comericals, but it is better getting these bugs worked out when the park is closed then having the ride down all day when the park is open working out these bugs. Remember the park is all about rider capacity at the end of the day.

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MF Circuts=325
TTD Launches=7
Launch that sucker...Yeah!

You do realize that you need people to shoot commercials right? Not to mention there is also mantinence to do on the ride every morning, and it probably will have to do a few test runs before the park opens. Do you think they can get all of this done between 7-10? I dont think so. I was there today, and I will say, seeing the ride down until 2:30-3 wasn't the greatest. But it was fun watching them shoot the commercial. And once the ride opened I waited only 20 minutes to ride!!
*** This post was edited by BadInfluence 5/14/2003 12:39:23 AM ***

How can you run the ride while you have cranes and such all over adding cars to trains? I woudl think that took at a least a couple days to do last week. And then I am sure they had to test the trains for another day at least.

There is 3 days out of 4 last week.

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Thats right Virginia, I am Santa Claus.

They're shooting the commercials... for whatever reasons. Maybe they wanted the trees to have some green on them, or maybe they wanted all the seats on the trains before filming, or maybe they just felt like doing it when the GP could be on film. Whatever the reasons, it's happening NOW, and nothing can/will change that, unless they decide to.

I will say, though, that I was there on 5/13... when Dragster finally opened around 3ish, with the line being so long, we decided to wait until 6:50 to get in line, and at that time there was such a delay between pairs of launches that we all decided to forget it, despite really wanting to ride it (Estimated wait time was 5 ~ 6 hours). What'd we get over the whole day? 5 rides on Mangun, 5 on Millennium Force, 1 on Raptor, Gemini, Mine Ride, Iron Dragon, Wicked Twister, and one helluva time.

I'll take all that, especially the helluva time (rare) over 1 ride on Dragster. I rode it once, and I'd like to ride it again, but it'll be there all summer... I'll come back and ride it another day.

So what if Dragster's down? You're going to Cedar Point! That should be fun in itself! Yes, it may be slightly disappointing if Dragster's closed, but that doesn't mean you won't have a great time.

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18 straight years of real thrills and counting...

As others have mentioned, one of the problems with shooting commercials last week was that the trees weren't filled in (you need it to look sufficiently like "summer," not "Ohio Craptacular Spring"); not to mention the much more important fact that bugs needed to be worked out of the ride.

Film between 7 and 10 A.M.? Have you ever tried shooting anything with natural light when it isn't mid-afternoon to dusk? The morning is an awful time to shoot, considering the shots I would imagine they're looking to get (i.e., bright and colorful, clear, y'know ... summery).

Don't plan your trip around a single ride that's been open only two weeks.

ETA: It's 'should have' not 'should of,' people. Come on.
*** This post was edited by mk468zz 5/14/2003 6:49:54 AM ***

I agree with Jeff, and this is after not being able to ride the damn thing until 3 yesterday. It's the slowest week of the year, and the current commercials are weak. The trains looked really cool with all the high-tech cameras on them, and I bet money the commercials will look great.

-Mikey

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Drag Races: 4

loriu said:
olympic10086 - I would call Park Operations but I live 3 hours away and they don't open until 9 am, I'll be an hour from the park at that point so what good is that going to me.

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I'M OUT OF ESTROGEN AND I HAVE A GUN

What's the matter? Won't your phone work the day before you leave? Can you only call while you are already driving?

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tambo

Why dont they do that stuff on the days the park isn't open?

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Gas for drive to Cedar Point: $25
Ticket to Cedar Point: $43
Drink while in line for ride: $3
Travel 420 feet in the air: Priceless

because the park is now open DAILY.... and last week they were fixing bugs, as people have already stated...

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"it's like eating in the kitchen of a delightful italian stereotype!"
Dragster: 3
Millennium Force: 41
Raptor: 30
Wicked Twister: 12

It's not like this is an unusual situation. I recall making my first trip of the season to CP to ride Mantis, only to find they were shooting a commercial. Same with Raptor, although both opened later in the day.

And yes, I am married, have a kid, and a job. I understand scheduling dilemas. I also understand there is no guarantee that all rides will be open or that the weather will be nice when I plan a trip weeks in advance. It's just a chance you take.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead
http://www.webtechnik.com/ebony/CPLady.htm

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Shankomatic said:
Like I said in my post, do the photo shoots in the early morning. If it takes a few more days so be it.

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Have you ever shot a commercial? I have. It's not like whipping out your camcorder and going at it. You can't even get good light until 9 or 10 without drawing huge shadows.

I've also been involved with media shoots at the park, and I can assure you that they do not close the ride any longer than they have to. Getting the crew out and public on the ride is their highest priority.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

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Why is it nobody will ever admit to CP ever making a mistake

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Skank, you need to sharpen your reading comprehension skills. I never said it wasn't a mistake. I said that it if you go to a park with the sole intenion of riding exactly one ride, you are bound to be disappointed. Example: I spent three hours at SFA a few weeks ago. Obviously, I was hoping to ride S:ROS. Naturally, it was down for almost the entire time I was there. Despite this, I managed to enjoy the park's fine collection of "lesser" coasters and have a great time.

Yes, it would be better if the commercial had already been shot. However, it's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.
*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 5/14/2003 10:40:39 AM ***

I think it is easy for alot of you to dismiss it being shut down as no big deal if you are a local and can go on a whim. For those of us that have to drive 4 hours or more it is a big deal. What will be my primary reason for going to CP this year? TTD. Will I be disappointed if I dont get to ride it? Definately. Do I have a right as a customer to become upset with CP for shutting it down for a commercial? Yes. So I dont quite get the argument that if you are going to CP to ride primarily one thing you are bound to be disappointed. I can tell you in 2000 my primary reason for going was to ride M. Force. Got on it twice and I was very pleased, it was about all I rode that day because the wait was so long. I would have been extremely disappointed if I had not had the oppurtunity to ride it that day. You know for alot of people TTD is the main reason they are going to CP. So what is this shock that people would actually be upset at CP for it? There is nothing wrong with that considering the reason for the shut down. Would I still have fun at CP? If M. Force is running, yes. But I would still be very disappointed that I didnt get to ride TTD especially considering the reason.

Now, that being said. At least TTD has been operational on all days where weather didnt play a factor. So, if you REALLY wanted to ride it and wait a long time you could. So they are at least making the effort to give the people the oppurtunity to ride. They are just decreasing those oppurtunities by having it closed half the day to shoot a commmercial which isnt tremendous customer service. But the almighty dollar always is the driving factor. They obviously feel they can generate more capital by having a live commericial of the new ride and feel the sacrifice of some customer service during these days is worth it. Doesnt mean those paying customers cannot be ticked about it though. CP can make mistakes and they are not perfect. But they are the best at what they do. People also have the right to expect the ride to be running and if CP is intentionally shutting it down for non mechanical/weather reasons they have a right to be upset. I think most people should be able to understand that disappointment.

*** This post was edited by CPTwister 5/14/2003 1:13:28 PM ***

Does anyone remember the opening month of that other big Intamin ride? Millennium Force did not open till later in the day for the ENTIRE month of May pretty much (sans OD and maybe a few others). Still it operated every day and if you went to the park that day, you would get a chance to ride. Same will apply with Dragster, baring any unforeseen circumstances. Also I wouldn’t be surprised if they are working on getting the ride in tip top shape during these shoots.

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needless quotation removed. think about it... why would you quote the previous post? we all read it once, we don't need a recap. -J

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Yes, but I dont remember them shutting it down half the day every day in may to shoot commericials. Mechanical reasons are expected. It is the intentional shutdown and reason for it that would upset me as a customer if I was there. As coaster nuts we are more familiar with the problems of a new ride like this. So we expect mechanical problems. Look at it from the perspective of the general public. They could care less about that. All they know is that you advertised this huge ride to get me to come and I get here and you have it shut down. If you dont think that is going to make people mad, you are dreaming. All the rationalization in the world about isnt going to change that.
*** This post was edited by Jeff 5/14/2003 2:18:12 PM ***

I got the real skinny. The ride opens at noon today and tomorrow. Given the ridiculously light crowds the first operational week, who cares? Bummer, two less hours on a day where the crowd is likely under 15,000. Everything else is a walk-on, give that stuff a try.

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

Well, if you really want to have a bad day at the park, I guess I won't stop you. As you've said, it is your right to be upset. Me, I'd rather have a good time with what's available. Shockingly, I've been to the park twice this season without riding Dragster, Millennium, Raptor, Mantis, or Wicked Twister. Had great fun both times. You might, too, if you let yourself.

If Dragster were so important to me that my day would be ruined if I didn't ride it, and I was only going to the park once, I'd wait until it had been operating a while to plan a trip. This is particularly true given Xcelerator's first-year track record, which has been anything but stellar.

Edit: Jeff's advice on walk-ons is worth listening to. Yesterday, we rode things I'd normally just walk by because it was just as easy to walk on.

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It's not war, famine, or pestilence; it's only downtime.
*** This post was edited by Brian Noble 5/14/2003 2:37:34 PM ***