Demon Drop 1983-2009

There's still a lot that gets done in the off season that never gets done during the operating season. Like the coaster trains being taken off the tracks, disassembled and worked on. I would think that like other year-round parks, they have scheduled down time for things like that.

^^True. So certain things will just have to be done more often, that makes sense.

djDaemon said:

Again, I never said it wasn't popular. But popularity is a relative term. If you have two equally-popular rides, and one costs $648/person and the other costs $4/person, which are they going to remove first?

Wood coasters are more expensive in the long run to maintain than steel coasters are. You have to replace sections of track and structure every year, as with a steel coaster, you do not. So it does cost them more per rider on mean streak.

Why not take out a ride like mean streak?

You mean, aside from the fact that they just did a bunch of work on it?

They do that work on it every year. It's part of the rides maintnance. It cost's a lot of money to keep this ride going every year. They also have to keep several full time(union) carpenters working on the ride as well. That is why I said that mean streak would be more likely to leave before disaster transport.It's a money pit. The cost's to keep disaster transport running are a heck of a lot less than mean streak. And disaster is still a very popular ride.....it has the numbers to prove it.. And besides all of that, they just put in the toy factory. Do you think they would go thrue all that work, just to rip it all out and start over again the next season?

I was bringing up the fact that mean streak does not have as many riders as disaster transport does.

Which means its 90% as popular as DT.

You can throw percentages around all you want....still does not change my point.

BlueStreak64 said:

dj, about that image where the Demon Drop and DT area was highlighted blue, there is at least one major problem/obstacle that remains in the highlighted area. It includes the main security gate, which is where several full size semis come in for deliveries on a very regular basis. There has to be both the height clearance and room for them to maneuver once they are inside that area, and its already rather limited as it is. Adding supports (especially for a wooden coaster) there would severely complicate if not make things impossible for full size trucks and subsequent deliveries.

You mean like this? And I never said I thought a wooden coaster was going there. Or that any coaster was going there. I was simply pointing out that the are is big enough for almost any coaster CP could want.

And I'm not saying I think DT is going anywhere. I just can't understand how the area's size is being so wildly misunderestimated.

There really is not as much as you think back there. You can look at it from a satilite all day, but you really don't get a feel for how tight it is back there unless you actualy walk thrue there yourself.

Well at least Demon Drop will not be hitting the scrap heap and it is being relocated instead.

Jason Hammond said:
There's still a lot that gets done in the off season that never gets done during the operating season. Like the coaster trains being taken off the tracks, disassembled and worked on. I would think that like other year-round parks, they have scheduled down time for things like that.

Well I have visited Knotts so... They will just take the ride offline for any work that needs done to it. Rarely does someone visit Knotts with all the attractions open. Heck, the park will open and the rides won't be running until at least 1/2 hour after opening. Totally different atmosphere vs. Cedar Point.

It is sad to see my old friend go, but we all knew it was coming. And at least I can visit it when I hit the OC.

crazy horse said:

There really is not as much as you think back there. You can look at it from a satilite all day, but you really don't get a feel for how tight it is back there unless you actualy walk thrue there yourself.

Wait, so the best way to get an over idea of how much area there is, I should forgo an overhead view in favor of walking "thrue" it? Yeah, 'cause that makes sense.

And I should add, you don't need to quote the entire post if you're: a) not responding to anything specific, and b) not even able to use the quote function.

Yes, you really do need to walk around back there to understand. When you have actualy been to a place, you get a better sense of what it's like.

Your making it sound like there is plenty of room, and that nothing will have to be moved to connect a coaster between disaster and demon. I have been back there several times. I used to work there, and I was just back there the other day as well.

You do not know what goes on back there. Delivery trucks, maitnance vehicals, parade storage and staging, halloweekends storage, securty, access point for large vehicals to get into the park, dumpster removal, games storage for stuffed animals, time clock...ect...ect. The list goes on.

In order to build anything back there, you are going to disrupt all of those things and much more.

What are you even talking about? If what you say is true, how do DT, Space Spiral and DD not interfere with all that stuff you mentioned? Clearly, because you say so, those rides cannot coexist up there with back-of-house stuff.

And I don't need to walk around or survey anything (and I'll be happy to send you a cookie, if that's what you're after). I'm not drawing up blueprints, man. I'm simply pointing out that, contrary to what you said, removing DT & DD offers up a ton of space that nearly any coaster could fit into.

Hmmm...Looking at http://www.pointbuzz.com/Photos/Photo.aspx?id=3228

It looks like Demon Drop is at least computerized (PLC in the 4th cabinet) but what are all those units in the 2nd and 3rd cabinets? They look like timers or time delay relays. The BIG contactor in the second cabinet is presumably the elevator motor control...but these days they could probably replace most of that stuff with black boxes...motor controls to drive the motors off of TTL commands instead of ginormous relays. That is, assuming they haven't done so already.

Based on what I know about Cedar Point, I am guessing that most if not all of the equipment pictured is still in service today. They could replace the elevator contactors with a VFD and probably save money on powering the ride without any need to reprogram anything...

Again, that's assuming they haven't done so already. :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

djDaemon said:
What are you even talking about? If what you say is true, how do DT, Space Spiral and DD not interfere with all that stuff you mentioned? Clearly, because you say so, those rides cannot coexist up there with back-of-house stuff.

And I don't need to walk around or survey anything (and I'll be happy to send you a cookie, if that's what you're after). I'm not drawing up blueprints, man. I'm simply pointing out that, contrary to what you said, removing DT & DD offers up a ton of space that nearly any coaster could fit into.

Because those rides are inside the actual park. I am talking about the limited "backstage" area. There is also a lot that goes on behind the scenes and behind/under disaster transport.

If they were removed, it would clear up a little bit of room......I get that. But it's connecting a new ride from point A(demon drop), to point B(disaster) is where the problem would be. It would have to run thru that area in one way or another, and that is what I am talking about.

Raptor manages to cross over the midway, as do MF, Corkscrew and Magnum. Where they cross has almost no impact on anything inside the park (well, that's certainly true in the case of Raptor, anyway).

If trucks need to get in & out, you simply ensure there's enough overhead clearance for that. The "width" of the overhead obstruction is totally irrelevant.

Overhead is just one of the issues,they would need to have footers as well.

There is heavy truck traffic back there. If a bunch of footers are all over the place, that's a problem.

I just found something a bit odd. Demon Drop was originally listed on Ital's site. The listing was removed a few months ago and the speculation began. I'm not sure how this slipped by me, and I'm not sure how long it's been listed there. But, this listing is on IRG's site. Has this been there all along? I don't know. Maybe it was listed in both places and IRG hasn't taken the listing down yet. The date of manufacture is 1983 which fits DD. It's possible, though unlikely) that it is a different Freefall for sale and they are using CP's photo. They did that a while ago with some Chaos rides that were for sale. But, there are only a couple of these around and as far as I know Demon Drop is the only one that would be sold in US dollars.

It could be the drop ride from magic mountain, or atlanta.

Yeah, I forgot about footers... Someone should tell the guys building Shoot the Rapids that the boat ain't gonna fit under that ride!!!

/sarcasm

Gridiron said:

. Heck, the park will open and the rides won't be running until at least 1/2 hour after opening. Totally different atmosphere vs. Cedar Point.

There was a time when that's exactly how Cedar Point operated. When I worked there in the 1970's the gates would open at 9:00 AM, games opened at 9:30 (after the playing of the National Anthem) and rides started promptly at 10:00.

In regards to the squabble about a coaster extending into a behind the scenes area, Sheikra seems to handle that challenge with ease:

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=np5ggc83y3...&encType=1

I know you guys are talking about a wooden coaster, but just thought I would throw that out there.

Jason Hammond said:
I just found something a bit odd. Demon Drop was originally listed on Ital's site. The listing was removed a few months ago and the speculation began. I'm not sure how this slipped by me, and I'm not sure how long it's been listed there. But, this listing is on IRG's site. Has this been there all along? I don't know. Maybe it was listed in both places and IRG hasn't taken the listing down yet. The date of manufacture is 1983 which fits DD. It's possible, though unlikely) that it is a different Freefall for sale and they are using CP's photo. They did that a while ago with some Chaos rides that were for sale. But, there are only a couple of these around and as far as I know Demon Drop is the only one that would be sold in US dollars.

This site is often very late in taking items down off the site. They still have the geauga lake skyscraper up for sale and it has been down for at least 2 months.

^It is? I know the Skycoaster is on the site. It is for sale for the 2nd or 3rd time now.

<edit to add>

Your right, It is still on there. But, it does say sold. Here is the Skycoaster.

crazy horse said:
If they were removed, it would clear up a little bit of room......I get that. But it's connecting a new ride from point A(demon drop), to point B(disaster) is where the problem would be. It would have to run thru that area in one way or another, and that is what I am talking about.

I don't think they will connect these 2 areas simply because it would be a hassle. It just seems simpler to eventually replace DT with something in the same footprint. Plus, even though they could do it, it would be so freakin' ugly. If you're going to go over top of something, make it an existing ride rather than some ugly tan buildings (see Mantis).

I won't be surprised if Demon Drop is replaced with some sort of building, with maybe a slim possibility of a flat.