Ideas on Future Expansion

First thing Dinosaurs Alive is a terrible idea. I have no clue how much KI has made off of their investment in it, but too put it in another close park is stupid. Why not make it safari island and get an act like jungle larry. Second to get rid of PWE one of the last rides not too mention attraction, that many of us in our late twenties have fond memories of as a kid and didn't take up any true real estate is just one more dumb move by the current regime.

Now as we all know the park itself if very crowded with its current rides. Other then continously destroying what is left of the natrual habitat and one of the things I like of the park I had a few ideas. First purchase all those junked out buildings and some of the farm land from the otherside of Cleveland Rd. Turn that area into parking lots then run a tran service like Disney, If it works for the biggest game in the business it can work for CP. You now have all of that property to be used for additional rides. You will have to leave the parking lots for the hotels, but you now would have all soak city lot and just leave a portion of the main lot for employee parking along the beach, and also space for the drop off area and main gate around the area of tolls.

Im certain several ppl have mentioned ideas like this before. Yes I know it will cost alot of money but you have to spend money to make money. I rather invest that million from DA into this idea. I also believe they should spent that on fixing the lights and many other basic asthetic improvments. People might not think lights really matter but they do as asthetics play a major part in overall happiness.

How about a second level? That would double the size except where the rides pop through. It would also help whe it rains!! Or you could drain the lake and go from there.

That be sweet if financially and physically possible, but sure would make the park dark.

I don't think DA is terrible. If you are a kid, it's cool, and the "upcharge" is less than a beer. It has been crazy profitable for KI, and KI is not a competitor for CP. Different market.

I'm half with you on Paddlewheel. Yes, it's sad to see it go, but it is 1/10 the Paddlewheel it used to be. I have a strong feeling that folks will not be disappointed in the near future when it comes to family-oriented attractions (and real family attractions...not kddie rides that adults can ride).

I understand where your coming from but the similiarity of a beer being more, would be used if you expected (1) legally drinking age adult to enter go see animatronic dinosaurs. Not sure how many of those are going to paying to walk around by themselves. Paddlewheel simply needed some improvments and should have just reinstated the old winnebago which is now used in the bay.

KI isn't a competitor in sense that it is owned by the same company yes. The question is how many people that live in between go to KI instead of CP so in hence it is a competitor for the entity that is CP. This affects the employees at CP I've been one for five years. When our attendance is low it affects us. It doesn't matter how well any other park is doing we are all seperate in that sense. Believe me I wish their were more family attractions and rides that everyone can part-take in. I actually meant it when I said they should make it safari island also I wish Oceana was back.

But mainly I was talking about the actual expansion of the park in this thread. Just trying to get a feel for what other ideas people had for improving the park.

I would like to see a year that the park does improvements everywhere. Add more signage for some things, repaint things that need repainted, (maxair is starting to look bad), replace old lights and tables, add more queues to rides that need it (maxair) and take some away from rides that don't (mean streak), update the rest rooms, add theming to parts of the park that make sense with the signage and the rides, add those bird stick things to top of rides (raptor), o and that area by Gemini always seems hot. Maybe that's cause of the blacktop but they should replace, it looks bad. The brick looks very nice by windseeker and all the brick at Coney Mall at KI looks nice too. I get very picky with things, such as the pink and yellow supports in raptors station, where'd the pink and yellow come from? Repaint that.

Very little things can go a long way. It would be nice to see an improvement year that just modernizes things around the park.

I hear ya. Three words: family oriented attractions.

Maverick00 said:
I get very picky with things, such as the pink and yellow supports in raptors station, where'd the pink and yellow come from? Repaint that.

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Not 100% but I do not think Raptor has ever been repainted since it opened. Recall that paint scheme from many years ago and it was popular for a short period in the mid 1990's. The pepsi road house near where I live was built at this time and has a very similar style and paint scheme that I think simply looks terrible.

Also I agree a year of nothing more than overall park improvements to already exsisting things would be great. Mavericks water bombs, DT's interior in general, lighting through out the park, I love how they revamped the games area on the main midway it totally brought new life to it IMO, also seeing ocean motions theme improvements from its move was very pleasant to me.

An odd improvement I would like to see isnt even in the park proper. I would like to see some dredging done around Castaway Bay. I remember back when it was the Radison I used to be able to go on my families boat almost up to where TGI is now and I recall large boats docked along the hotel there. The last time I went in that area was 08 on my waverunner and it grounded! I was told that since CP took all that over it has not been dredged at all. I know its an odd request but I would love to be able to go in there dock my boat and go to TGI without having to pull into that marina especially since being tied up right there would also make it much easier to head back out towards the park.

menecer24 said:
That be sweet if financially and physically possible, but sure would make the park dark.

You could have a lot of lights there and there would be another reason for an "up" charge!!! The upstairs would be open air. the original park on the lower level could be heated and open year round and that would help to other businesses in the area!!

I know this has been said before but I personally think that the elimination of paddlewheel is step 1 in filling portions of the lagoon to add for extra midway space. You could really create a whole inner path from paddlewheels old loading station all the way to mine ride or further. I like the idea of bussing people into the park and I think in my lifetime that will eventually need to come to pass because of limited space for expansion.

As for general improvements, the giant wheel is #1 on my book. An LED upgrade would look very nice to Windseekers presentation.

BTW, I love Raptors ugly station colors!! To me the "nest" doesnt have to be the same color as the bird!

Huh. Theming the station as a nest would have been a cool idea.

Do you remember the lights on Milennium Force and Power Tower back when they were new? They were gorgeous and added an aesthetic charm to the park. Wouldn't it be great to see them restored to their former beauty? Windseeker is also fantastic at night. Here's hoping they don't let it fall into a like state of disrepair.

Not 100% but I do not think Raptor has ever been repainted since it opened. Recall that paint scheme from many years ago and it was popular for a short period in the mid 1990's. The pepsi road house near where I live was built at this time and has a very similar style and paint scheme that I think simply looks terrible.

Raptor was repainted for the 2002 season. Originally the track was silver and was then repainted dark green to match the supports. The pinkish color I think was only around the station area.

Maybe I have a foggy memory on this but I do not remember Raptors track being a sliver. The only part that had a grey color was the rail part of the track. They were not painted though because at the time, B&M had some restriction on the rails being painted.

I didn't remember Raptor having silver track either, but I only went to the park a handful of times in the '90s. Follies is right though.

Most B&Ms have steel non painted rails. Not sure if its a safety thing or just asthetic but painted rails are the exception (and usually done by the park post installation). Id love to see the millenium and power tower lights restored as well!

Neglegence said:
Not 100% but I do not think Raptor has ever been repainted since it opened. Recall that paint scheme from many years ago and it was popular for a short period in the mid 1990's.

Raptor was repainted once, same color as when it opened however, so it may not be that noticable now. The original paint faded alot however, so the year to year difference when it was repainted was dramatic.

I know its an odd request but I would love to be able to go in there dock my boat and go to TGI without having to pull into that marina especially since being tied up right there would also make it much easier to head back out towards the park.

It is safe to go to TGIFriday's at Castaway by boat when the lake water is at a normal level. Avoid going in the fall when the water level falls. To get to the dock, line up your bow with the right edge of TGIFriday's dock as you enter the lagoon, but keeping to the left of the red bouys if they are installed. DO NOT cross in the center of the lagoon, keep your bow lined up with the right edge of the dock until you are close to the dock. The center of the lagoon has a submerged upstruction that you, of course, want to avoid.

If you follow those instructions you will be fine, I've taken my boat (30' express crusier with about a 4' draft) over there a number of times this summer without a problem.

Pete Said

It is safe to go to TGIFriday's at Castaway by boat when the lake water is at a normal level. Avoid going in the fall when the water level falls. To get to the dock, line up your bow with the right edge of TGIFriday's dock as you enter the lagoon, but keeping to the left of the red bouys if they are installed. DO NOT cross in the center of the lagoon, keep your bow lined up with the right edge of the dock until you are close to the dock. The center of the lagoon has a submerged upstruction that you, of course, want to avoid.

If you follow those instructions you will be fine, I've taken my boat (30' express crusier with about a 4' draft) over there a number of times this summer without a problem.

Thanks Pete I will try it when I grounded a few years back it was in late July not sure if lake levels are low then or not

Neglegence said:

Pete Said

It is safe to go to TGIFriday's at Castaway by boat when the lake water is at a normal level. Avoid going in the fall when the water level falls. To get to the dock, line up your bow with the right edge of TGIFriday's dock as you enter the lagoon, but keeping to the left of the red bouys if they are installed. DO NOT cross in the center of the lagoon, keep your bow lined up with the right edge of the dock until you are close to the dock. The center of the lagoon has a submerged upstruction that you, of course, want to avoid.

If you follow those instructions you will be fine, I've taken my boat (30' express crusier with about a 4' draft) over there a number of times this summer without a problem.

Thanks Pete I will try it when I grounded a few years back it was in late July not sure if lake levels are low then or not

The water levels were the highest in 2011 as they have been in years. Getting back to TGI Fridays wasn't too much of a problem this summer, but you do need to know what your doing and where you are going. As for dredging responsibility.... Cedar Point is not responsible for dredging that area or channel, even if they wanted to, most likely the request would be denied. That area as well as the channel getting there is maintained by the East Bay Channel Association.. of which Cedar Point is a member, but so are the Condo owners and all the marinas along Pipe creek and 5th street. Getting the U.S Corp of Engineers to approve a dredging project and then getting the Association to cover the costs (I would guess $1M to do it properly) would be near impossible.If you do go back there, just be careful, or better yet you can dock for free at the Castaway Bay Marina transient docks for a few hours to go to Friday's. A 3 minute walk could save you a prop or two.

CP&LE man said:
Do you remember the lights on Milennium Force and Power Tower back when they were new? They were gorgeous and added an aesthetic charm to the park. Wouldn't it be great to see them restored to their former beauty? Windseeker is also fantastic at night. Here's hoping they don't let it fall into a like state of disrepair.

I miss this! My last trip to the park was a Sunday during Halloweekends, we parked in the Gemini lot, as we were driving out of the park (it had closed at this point) we came around the curve toward Millennium Force....the bases of the supports were lit fairly well, the colors are more washed out now. In all honesty they need to add the LED lights that are on Windseeker both at the top and bottom of the tower.

But yes, CP&LE man I'd love to see these additions back.