Future Expansion Idea

I feel as if this has already been thought of, but I'll just share my idea anyway. Here's a link to the picture I made up. Maybe I'm a genius, but I'm pretty sure there is a logical reason as to why a parking deck cannot and has not been built already. If there is, I'm curious.

If this was some how feasible, that would open up a lot of new area for expansion. It would probably have to happen in phases, because I imagine the capital required would be huge to do it all at once.

I like the idea of expanding the park by using parking lot space, however I would not like the idea of a 5 story parking garage next to the park. It would be ugly. Parking could be moved to the mainland with some sort of tramway or monorail to shuttle guests.

The amount of traffic on July 4th and Labor Day weekends and then a good chunk of Halloweekends leads me to believe a large chunk of the parking lot will never be taken away, until there is some efficient system put into place to shuttle guests to the park in large enough numbers.

A monorail or lightrail train would do a good job of that. Or while they are at it a moving walkway like you see at the airport could work ;) hahahaha

People always talk about both taking away the existing employee dorms on the peninsula AND moving parking on the mainland, but I'm really not sure where you'd put -that- either. You can't take away the employee dorms at the start of the causeway too and keep moving your seasonals further and further away.

I'm just really not sure where there'd be room on the mainland for some Universal Orlando-sized parking ramps. (And if you've been there, you know how absurdly huge they are) Because you'd have to have some pretty well-sized parking ramps to cover for the lack of the surface lot.

MichaelB said:
I feel as if this has already been thought of, but I'll just share my idea anyway. Here's a link to the picture I made up. Maybe I'm a genius, but I'm pretty sure there is a logical reason as to why a parking deck cannot and has not been built already. If there is, I'm curious.

If this was some how feasible, that would open up a lot of new area for expansion. It would probably have to happen in phases, because I imagine the capital required would be huge to do it all at once.

I asked this same question at Coastermania a few years ago.I was told that building a parking structure was cost prohibitive (Cost vs. Number of Spaces).

A parking structure is also not as efficient in getting a lot of vehicles out at one time,like when the park closes.

If they were to remove the toll boths and all of the lane approaches entirely, they would reclaim (at the very least) the square footage lost to project 2013!

Not to mention how horrible it would be to get out of the parking lot.

I've always thought a single level deck over half of the parking lot would be a feasible option. That would free up half of the parking lot and seems like it wouldn't be as cost prohibitive or difficult to get in and out of.

So the rough rectangle in the middle from the entrance to the causeway would be a 2 level (ground + 1) parking lot. Then the parking lot between the houses and disaster transport can be for coasters or rides. The edge of the parking lot by the houses could be employee housing to replace the horrible Cedar dorms and then that gives another area to put a coaster accessed from the new celebration plaza.

Cedar Point has "needed the room" since before I started this site in 1998. Genius indeed.

Moving parking off the point will never happen. People like to have access to their cars. What about all of the people that eat lunch and/or dinner in their cars? Are they going to want to make the round trip just to eat out of their car?

Wait! That's it! You've cracked CP's master plan to move parking off Point to force people to eat inside the park! Genius! Pure genius!

;)

With the use of a monorail or some kind of tram system from the front entrance to the parking area, I don't think it would be that big of a bitch to get to your car if they moved parking off point.

Jeff said:
Cedar Point has "needed the room" since before I started this site in 1998. Genius indeed.

To be honest, I'm willing to bet Cedar Point has "needed the room" ever since Frontier Trail and the Gemini Midway formed the modern park layout. Especially well before easily accessible aerial pictures.

Just made a quick sketch of the tram idea. Check it out here, or just use your imagination. The area lost in the main lot is nearly identical to the area that would be gained.

Essentially, it would be just an overflow lot for busy days. No sense in having it open and running shuttles if everyone can park in the main lot. Just have something letting people know if they need to park in the overflow lot.

Jeff said:
Cedar Point has "needed the room" since before I started this site in 1998. Genius indeed.

On the other hand, if they didn't currently need the room, I'm not sure why they would have to (a) remove two existing attractions and (2) build out into the parking lot to make the new coaster fit.

I have been to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando more times than I care to try and count. I've never once thought to myself..."oh crap, I need to get to my car."

That said, I don't think there will be mainland parking for Cedar Point in my lifetime. By and large the rides aren't "stacked" at Cedar Point. You want to see creative use of space? Check out the map for Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Now, one thing that you may see in my lifetime is a single resort parking structure for Breakers, Sandcastle and maybe even day visitors to Soak City/Challenge Park. There was some discussion when I worked at the Point of a single level parking structure when Breakers East was built.

I will be stunned if Cedars and Gold dorms are standing a decade from now. (Stunned and disappointed.) I've heard that the housing situation is an embarassment to Ouimet. Take out those structures alone and you start to open up space. The HR/Purchasing building would likely be torn down when Cedars comes down as those functions don't need to be on Point. Planning and Zoning doesn't need to be where it is for that matter. The Island still has potential once the Dinos are extinct.

Can we put the "no room" topics to rest at least for a decade or so?

The motivation to drop existing rides from the roster is more about cost than it is needing the room. That they can't overhaul all of the rides within the confines of the off-season is pretty telling.

telling of what?

Too many rides?
Season starting too early?
Too few maintenance people?

all three?

Or season ending to late.

Considering CP doesn't even provide shuttle service for those (over) paying for their off peninsula hotels, I wouldn't expect them to build a transport system & incur the long term fixed costs of operating it.

A new idea for golds; instead of razing it, could the structure be re-purposed to serve as office space? One can move HR, R&D, purchasing etc., etc, freeing up those department's formal locations for attractions. The space opened up between Gemini & Mean Streak in particular would suit a dark ride quite nicely. I would imagine having virtually all critical park functions in the same area as maintenance and corporate would have some efficiency benefits as well.