Intamin Playground

I haven't been on El Toro yet. When I went to Great Adventure this year, it hadn't opened yet. It opened like three days later - grrrrrrrrr. But, the ride is beautifully constructed. From reading the reviews and watching the videos, it looks like a GREAT ride. I would love to see one of those at CP. I remember reading an interview with CP executives that said they were interested to see how El Toro pans out. So, I think thats good news for an Intamin woodie sometime in CPs future. When? Who knows?

As soon as avelanche ...er dispatch mas.....er disaster transport is removed making more room along the beach up front, that's when. :)

DBCP, you make a good point, but it seems that the Intamins built at CP are bigger renditions of exisiting "test products" at other parks. So if we include halltd's logic, that would mean a bigger and badder woodie from Intamin may be down the road.

I also remember them saying that they were interested to see how El Toro pans out. I do think however that the earliest we might see something like El Toro is probably 3 years. I get the feeling that they weren't going to plan something like this coaster until it opened and they could get a feel for how it is received and how it operates. Hopefully I will get on El Toro before the year is out.

Kevinj, I think it is intersting how Intamin has sort of shaped the CP we know today. I think the "Coaster capital of the world" would have been very differant if CP had have gone with someone other than Intamin for recent projects.

Er, just for reference, consider Cedar Point's coaster collection by manufacturer--

Philadelphia Toboggan:
01. Blue Streak

Arrow [Development|Huss|Dynamics]:
02. Cedar Creek Mine Ride
04. Corkscrew
05. Gemini
08. Iron Dragon
09. Magnum XL-200

Anton Schwarzkopf:
03. Wildcat

Intamin:
06. Jr. Gemini
07. Disaster Transport
14. Millennium Force
15. Wicked Twister
16. Top Thrill Dragster
17. ????????

Curtis D. Summers/Dinn Corp.:
10. Mean Streak

Bolliger & Mabillard:
11. Raptor
12. Mantis:TCFKAB

Vekoma:
13. Woodstock Express

So Cedar Point does have five Arrow coasters, and it is worth noting that Arrow also built the park two flumes, four car rides and a Shoot-the-Chute for a total of twelve attractions. Intamin is apparently working on their sixth coaster, but they can also be credited with the Freefall and the Rapids Ride, making a total of eight attractions. They also were the sales agent for the Wildcat, Giant Wheel, and Bayern Kurve, but those three rides are more accurately credited to Anton Schwarzkopf.

How odd is it that the Roller Coaster Capital of the World would have only 2 coasters from B&M, and 0 coasters each from CCI, GCI, and Premier Rides?

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I really like Intamin's products. They show creativity, and they have a knack for creating rides that are fun to ride and fun to look at.

Dave, you illustrated my point very well. As Top Thrill 182 reitterated, Intamin has single-handedly re-shaped the Cedar Point landscape, as those products (aside from Jr. Gemini) have come one after another.

ok so yah why not a b&m i like those rides back when they were building millenium i was hoping that it was gonna be a floorless or flying coaster floorless are fun i like them what they need to do is get rid of that ****ing mean streak it hurts and everytime i ride when i do ride it i never have to wait NEVER so that means nobody really rides it they can take that away

Was their a period in that whole paragraph?

So how many woodies has Intamin built so far?
Just because El Toro might be good, does this anoint Intamin as a top wood coaster maker?
How many other coaster makers have made a decent woodie and then had a number of duds?

Seems most of the higher rated woodies tend to be a longer type out and back and this could be a harder fit for CP.
(Unless you ran it back alone part of the beach or into the parking lot.) *** Edited 8/25/2006 7:41:52 PM UTC by Headrush***

Pete said:
I really like Intamin's products. They show creativity, and they have a knack for creating rides that are fun to ride and fun to look at.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Headrush said:
So how many woodies has Intamin built so far?

9 (and El Toro isnt the biggest one)

The first one was in 1981 so its not like its a recent development.

American Eagle 1981, Pegasus 1991, Jupiter 1992, White Cyclone 1995, Asaka 1998, Elf 2001, Colossos 2001, Balder 2003, El Toro 2006
*** Edited 8/25/2006 9:15:36 PM UTC by j2k95sunfire***

I too agree that Intamin makes the better rides, and that the company has literally made Cedar Point what it is today, but I just think they need to take a break from Intamin steel coasters and focus on another company for a coaster or focus on other rides.

I'm not saying I prefer B&M over Intamin, cause I don't, I'm merely saying they need to mix things up a bit.

Although, does the GP know the difference? I doubt it. They might see visual similarities, but for a family that only goes to CP (like my family), they never think anything of it.

I agree MrInk, I don't think the GP really knows the differance between coasters in terms of manufacturers. Many people I know would have no clue what you were talking about if you mentioned Intamin or B&M. What matters to the GP is the ride experience, and that is why in my opinion we have the number of Intamins we do.

Although El Toro isnt the first wooden coaster they built, I believe that it is the first to use their prefabricated track, giving it a very unique ride experience.

And no, I dont think the general public knows, or cares, or else I would attempted to have this conversation with the general public ;)

*** Edited 8/25/2006 10:01:33 PM UTC by Kevinj***

TT182,

Well said. I've had people laugh at me when I tell them that Mine Ride & Gemini are steel rollercoasters. If they can't tell the difference between steel or wood, that should remind us how much we know that the GP doesn't.

That's not intended to be a 'enthusiasts are way cooler than GP' remark either. My wife is GP, lol and she's way cooler than me :)

I think I read somewhere awhile back that Cedar Point actually contacted B&M about building Millennium Force and they said they would not go that high for some reason. So I think Intamin is more of a extreme thrill risk taker esque company. Basically, they are willing to do anything that Bolliger and Mabilliard isn't. Though I do like B&M's design style with their rides, tight twists, (Mantis, etc)

Kevinj.....El Toro is the third prefabricated track wood coaster that they have built.

Balder and Colossos are the other two.

Balder: http://www.rcdb.com/id1562.htm

Colossos: http://www.rcdb.com/id988.htm

Colossos is the largest of the three at 196 ft tall. El Toro however is the first to use a cable lift like MF
*** Edited 8/25/2006 10:19:02 PM UTC by j2k95sunfire***

Kevinj said:
Although El Toro isnt the first wooden coaster they built, I believe that it is the first to use their prefabricated track

Intamin has build two other pre-fab track wooden coasters before El Toro. None of them were in the US though. So, El Toro is the first US coaster to be constructed in that manner.

Chief Wahoo said:
Or, forget the coasters all together for a few years and put in some decent dark rides that the entire family can enjoy.

<GASP> Did anyone pass out when they read that?

They coooould do that and a coaster in the same year. ;)

I know a park that did recently, and I thought the Gobbler Getaway was the best interactive dark ride I've been on.

I don't really care for the interactive thing though, give us something to relax on, inside. ;)

It really wouldn't make sense to though, as a marketing plan.