Let's Remember Disaster Transport!

What rides don't have their lights? All of Frontier Town and the trail are a theme. Heck Camp Snoopy has a loose theme too. Looks to me like they're sticking with it.

what is all this talk about "NO THEMEING!!!" like jeff said, they are doing a fine job with themeing. The Dragster sign is fine, Frontier town looks great, Frontier trail looks great, Gemini is still a great race, and motion ocean still looks okay to me. What really stumps me is what you said about lights? last time I checked they worked. They even find ways to keep the main miday looking better then ever. Don't even get me started about Halloweekends.

When I was there at night (the night before opening day) the lights on MF did not work properly and there is a light out on Power Tower.

Gemini runs two trains when it's convenient, motion ocean does not even exist ;) and 4 weekends out of the year barely counts as an effort. (Halloweekends)

I hardly call trees and buildings on the trail "sticking with it." When they can't even keep a 6lb plastic engine bolted down to a train, I don't see how they can keep any serious theming. Maverick must be old west because it has wood in the station.
*** Edited 6/26/2007 1:21:37 PM UTC by Coastern3rd***

Back to the topic of the thread, I do remember some extra things.

The slogan was "At Dipatch Master Transport we get you there on time, or we do not get you there at all." Which always seemed ironic after an hour wait in line.

The ride goes to Alaska because as the old pictures in the first waiting room pointed out all of the other travel spots had meet natural disasters. My favorite poster was a Disney World one that said "The Magic is gone." I would've liked to hang that on my wall at home. There is still a faded mention of Alaska on the large sign in the exit platform.

One of the lights on Maverick's lift was burned out during media day. LOL!! It's not really a big deal, but it's also not a big deal to send someone up there to replace a single bulb.

Isn't there a Cedar Point Fact, on their web site, about how many lights burn out and need replaced each day on the Giant Wheel?

So now the lighting has to be right before the park even opens for the season? Are you kidding? The MF lights look fine to me. And so one light is burned out on Power Tower. That equates to disregard for theme? Whatever.

And let's not forget that the entire park is given a theme treatment the last seven weeks of the year.

As for Avalanche Run/Disaster Transport (has there ever been a more appropriate name for a ride?) I remember it being one of the first costers that I and many others roundly boo'd after standing forever for the inaugural ride. I was like, "hey...is that it?"

The only other CP ride I have had a similar reaction on was Iron Dragon.

I've been told by people who "probably know" but...I'm not convinced know...that Cedar Point execs were instrumental in the mediocreness of both rides. As for Disaster...I'm told that CP officials were quite worried about capacity and, as such, mandated that the passenger vehicles be longer than those found on similar rides. There is no doubt that the vehicles do not ride with the same "freeness" as on similar coasters I've ridden. I think their length keeps them from moving up and down more in the trough.

As for the Dragon I'm not sure I can explain what I've been told but I'll try. I'm told that the beams leading from the columns horizontally...that end up holding the track...are shorter than on similar coasters. This being the result of the insistence that the ride be placed where it is and the engineering not allowing for the traditional structure. It was this that required the mechanisms that don't permit the cars to swing more freely. That too would make sense if it is accurate.

Either way, those are two rides that disappointed and it had nothing to do with themeing for me. I do believe that Cedar Point is not committed to taking care of animation. I suspect this is strictly a product of the budget process as I KNOW there are talented people at CP who could do more if given the resources to do it.

Of course, Snake River Falls is neither a river or a falls but the early renderings were pretty impressive of a mountain that would have been in Frontier Town. And, of course, the detail of Maverick has largely been reduced. I've come to expect that though.

Jeff said:
So now the lighting has to be right before the park even opens for the season? Are you kidding? The MF lights look fine to me. And so one light is burned out on Power Tower. That equates to disregard for theme? Whatever.

And let's not forget that the entire park is given a theme treatment the last seven weeks of the year.

The night before would be nice. It's not like I was there in February.

As was said earlier

It's not really a big deal, but it's also not a big deal to send someone up there to replace a single bulb.

This equates to disregard for a lot of things. In the restaurant business if you have a light burned out in your restaurant it makes people what other little things you neglect.

I mentioned Halloweekends in my previous post. Just because Cedar Point dresses up for 7 weeks does not make up for all the other things they neglect which I have listed.

All I'm saying is that I am willing to bet current and future themed rides from Cedar Point will go the way of TTD and DT.
*** Edited 6/26/2007 6:32:43 PM UTC by Coastern3rd***

Chief Wahoo said:
I'm told that the beams leading from the columns horizontally...that end up holding the track...are shorter than on similar coasters. This being the result of the insistence that the ride be placed where it is and the engineering not allowing for the traditional structure. It was this that required the mechanisms that don't permit the cars to swing more freely.

I don't think I'd buy that. None of the supports look that short, and if in fact they were and something caused the train to stop (like a wheel falling off, however unlikely), the train would smash into the columns. That would be bad. Besides, remember that on all of the suspended Arrow coasters that the track generally angles out in the direction the cars swing, with the only true exception being where in the transitions and in the "landing" areas before the station and second lift.

I actually think that ID is a pretty good ride for being on flat land. Big Bad Wolf, and the better engineered Top Gun are better because of the terrain, something CP doesn't have. Besides, the kids love it.

That is why I was suspicious of the information but the person who told me about it was generally more right than wrong. The Avalanche Run thing does make more sense.

And, I'm not saying I don't appreciate what Iron Dragon is today. I do like the fact that it is a coaster my wife, father-in-law and soon...my kids are all able to ride.

But, at the time it was being touted as something much more than that and, on opening weekend while standing in 2-3 hour lines the boos that were raining down periodically should have been a warning sign to me. I wouldn't wait more than 10 minutes for the ride on my own today. But, I'd still wait 20-30 minutes for Blue Streak, Gemini and even the Mine Ride.

I always thought ID was somewhat "tame" due to the problems which had been had with The Bat at KI. It made sense to me that over the years (with Top Gun in '93) the Arrow suspended coasters got a bit faster and faster with a higher swinging motion due to adjustments made so that it didn't destroy the trains in the process. Of course, that's not anything more than personal speculation.

Regarding DT, it was only 5 years after Avalanche Run opened that they enclosed it. Was this due to a disappointment with the ride as it was? A filler year after Magnum opened?

Perhaps the experience has changed, as the foliage has matured in the area, but my initial experience on Top Gun, in 1993, was one of disappointment. Its been a while, but I seem to recall there not being much landscaping or terrain. Does anyone have any recent pics?

I'll have to get back down to KI one of these days. :)

There isn't much in terms of landscaping but the terrain certain lends itself to a better ride (ala Big Bad Wolf...but not that good) than the relative piano top that Cedar Point coasters rest on.

My only complaint about Top Gun was that it was too short. But, riding BBW will spoil any future suspended coaster ride. I don't think that can be topped.

I did find some current pics, and I certainly don't recall there being nearly that much vegetation there in '93, though I could very well be mistaken.

Coastern3rd said:

When I was there at night (the night before opening day) the lights on MF did not work properly and there is a light out on Power Tower.

Gemini runs two trains when it's convenient, motion ocean does not even exist and 4 weekends out of the year barely counts as an effort. (Halloweekends)

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it sounds like you can't point out any major things about Cedar Points poor themeing. one light really doesn't matter. If they see 4 or 5 lights out all around the same area then yeah they would go and fix it. And weather you like it or not, Frontier Trail and Frontier Town are themed very good. The buildings all have their own unique look. It's themed western. The main midway has a classic look to the buildings, and Gemini almost always has both trains running. The only time MF lights don't work is when they don't turn them on. I will admit that Cedar Point has poor themeing when you point out something BIG that people will NOTICE.

DISASTER TRANSPORT.

Is that big enough for ya?

no. Themeing is actually one of the only good things about DT. The line anyways. The coaster is dark which I think is cool. The ride itself sucks. If it is bad themeing then it's the only bad themeing Cedar Point has.

It all starts with just one light. Let that go, and it turns into 5, then 10, then 100. When a light burns out in my house I replace it. I don't wait until a handful burn out and then replace them all at once. That's just ridiculous.

http://www.kiextreme.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=53

There are some TOPGUN pictures ;)