Farewell, Wildcat.

I think the only thing that's still bothering me at this point is the supposed "illogic" that Dave suggests. That and the fact that you frankly really can't look at the phrase "ruthlessly and deliberately" and not have it conjure up something conspiratorial and ominous.

I really don't think this is a conspiracy. The ride had high-matinence costs and low ridership. Despite that, out of respect for the fans, they planned Luminosity around it. Unfortunately, the ride has also become a safety concern. If another accident happened or it didn't pass an inspection, they probably sat down and said; "we can spend the large amounts of money to fix this but is it really worth if someone could potentially get hurt?" Couple that with the fact that they could really use that space for Luminosity and the decision was made.

The removal of Paddlewheel Excursions and WildCat this season has only widened the gap between Cedar Point's big thrills and multi-generational family attractions. Matt is now probably more determined then ever to bring in some new family attractions.

djDaemon said:

RideMan said:
...ruthlessly and deliberately...

This "emotional" language is what makes me wonder whether your take on the situation is accurate, or whether there's some selective hearing going on.

Though I should probably know better than to question you. :)

Actually my primary reason for choosing those words was to emphasize the fact that according to the intelligence I have received so far, the only mechanical damage to the ride done so far has been intentional (i.e. "dismantling") and *not* accidental (i.e. "purple car landed in Sandusky Bay"). Editorializing that I am not happy with the decision is a secondary effect. :)

And you're entitled to question me all you want. I might even answer! :)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Ffej said:
Ugh, while it was my gut feeling all along, I really don't want to hear what RideMan and Pete are saying. It makes this news much more difficult to take, and it really makes me question the new management style.

I don't think it's really our place to judge their style. These people that are in charge now (Ouimet, etc.) did not just get this job on a whim. He does have a good track record

So, then you're agreeing it was a good idea to build a $6 million show around Wild Cat, and then rip Wild Cat out after, just days before the start of the season? You don't think that maybe deciding to remove Wild Cat would come first, and then they should start with a clean slate for the $6 million show?

I think anyone has the right to question that decision making.

^No I believe it was coming out at the end of this season but in testing something led them to decide to take it out now.

For those that apparently know the potentially illogical truth, what's stopping you from saying what you know and at least somewhat attempting to clear things up? I doubt CP is planning on making a follow-up press release, and what we don't know will just probably cause us to think up something worse than whatever the (illogical, mundane, what have you) truth could actually be.

Sause said:
^No I believe it was coming out at the end of this season but in testing something led them to decide to take it out now.

And you still think that's a sound decision? Build a $6 million show around Wild Cat as an obstacle, and then remove Wild Cat after 6 months? I think I have every right to question that, regardless of management's past decision making.

Ffej said:
it really makes me question the new management style.

Yeah! Because the old management style was so much better! *rolls eyes*

It's my belief that they knew in the long run Wildcat would be gone; but for the first year they would have the ride there. After the show took off as a success Wildcat would be gone and they could do more in that area. Plus the dorms will probably be moving soon. They probably planned to take out the dorms and Wildcat at the same time but they had to play their hand because of something mechanical that wasn't worth fixing.

Jason Hammond said:

Ffej said:
it really makes me question the new management style.

Yeah! Because the old management style was so much better! *rolls eyes*

Your sarcasm doesn't work. Did I ever say the old management style was better, no? I'm questioning the new decision-making, plain and simple. Both generations can have poor decision making.

And to be fair, all the decisions from the new era were being nailed. We were all happier than ever. But, this decision just seems really off and poorly planned.

tcgolfer said:
This whole thing just reeks of a snap judgement that shouldn't have been made so quickly. If you don't want to repair it right away, fine. I think they owed it to the fans to consider all options instead of just scraping the thing.

This post signifies what is wrong with many people's opinions here. Yes, it is the mission of CP (or any CF park....any amusement park for that matter) to provide top of the line entertainment, but the idea of the park "owing" fans something is just absurd. Its a business, and any business' priority is profitability. The idea that a business would just throw away money in expenditures that won't create further revenue just because the "fans" want it is absurd.

Long and short of it tho, they removed an okay ride. It was decently fun but not terribly great. It's not like they ripped out Blue Streak suddenly

Tennessee_CP_Fan said:

tcgolfer said:
This whole thing just reeks of a snap judgement that shouldn't have been made so quickly. If you don't want to repair it right away, fine. I think they owed it to the fans to consider all options instead of just scraping the thing.

This post signifies what is wrong with many people's opinions here. Yes, it is the mission of CP (or any CF park....any amusement park for that matter) to provide top of the line entertainment, but the idea of the park "owing" fans something is just absurd. Its a business, and any business' priority is profitability. The idea that a business would just throw away money in expenditures that won't create further revenue just because the "fans" want it is absurd.

How do you know it wouldn't have created any more revenue? The ride almost always had a line last year and the capacity was up by a solid percentage. Not to mention they could have done another auction for last rides like they did for Paddle Wheel last year.

I can also say that this decision isn't resonating very well with families.

***EDIT***
Furthermore we are the customer. We are who they should be pandering to so that we will spend future money in their parks. You're right, they don't 'technically' 'owe' us anything.

Again, all emotion about the ride aside, Luminosity was a huge investment, and if Wild Cat was to soon be removed, then they should have started the project with a clean slate from the start. That's what many of us are having issue with in particular.

You can question the "decision making process" of management all you want. I'm pretty sure they have taken into account all the negative reactions to their "decision making process" and still concluded this was the best possible route to take.

I for one and extremely happy with the direction the company is headed, and actually intend to give them the benefit of the doubt, since they actually work in the industry, and I am just an armchair QB.

In the end, if the numbers are up at the end of the year, and I believe they will, is all that really matters, because it means people are happy with the product.

^^^Aren't last ride auctions always for charity? No revenue there....

Just because it always had a line doesn't mean it was profitable....it was a low capacity ride and I highly doubt there is any one out there saying, "I am not going to Cedar Point this year because they removed Wildcat...."

The ride is done, unfortunately. It's not even salvageable.

If you really want your opinions heard, nothing beats a good old fashioned letter.

The old Wildcat is gone; the only possibility to ride it again is if they purchase a brand new direct from the factory. Can that happen? Of course it can. Maybe they can buy 2 of them, for increased capacity. That would make a lot of folks happy.

Is it likely to happen? I have no clue. But I wouldn't spend my time arguing about it on an online coaster forum where your opinion doesn't matter. Write a letter to the park.

***If they decide to ask Gerstlauer (who works out of the Schwarzkopf factory, and employs some of the same folks) to build a new one from scratch, how cool would that be? Same *exact* track and cars, but a new modern system, modern magnetic brakes and a modern chain lift. Marketing strategies are just begging for it.

If that happens - they you can say you did your *little* part. If it doesn't, at least you have let your feelings/desires known to people that actually matter.

Others have said they're upset by the suddenness of the removal. While I would've loved to get a last ride on this very well designed Schwarzkopf, I'm impressed by Ouimet's dedication to get many things done in a short time span. He's not wasting any time setting out to reach his vision of the park.

WildCat was a pretty awesome little coaster, but the capacity turned me off from it many times and I think we're going to see some pretty exciting things in the future that will make us forget about it eventually. It happens with all rides. Bryan Edwards mentioned during a tour that people were upset about Mill Race's removal, but how many people still talk about it today with Raptor as a replacement?

Same with White Water Landing. These rides can be missed but it's ok when there is an upgrade. And that doesn't necessarily mean a coaster in that exact spot.

Or a coaster at all