Mantis removal or transformation?

When i rode millennium this sunday, i saw a bunch of green stuff that was the same shade as the paint on mantis. It was located outside of that storage thing inside the first over banked turn. Is it paint? If somebody could ride it this weekend and look that would be great

JUnderhill said:
Mantis will not simply be re-located as is at Cedar Point, why do some even feel that is a possibility? They stated plain as day, that Mantis will no longer be in operation at Cedar Point after Oct. 19th... how did we get from that statement to Mantis being moved into the parking lot or over by the beach?

I agree and I sort of feel the same way about the idea that Mantis is being torn down to make way for a new coaster in the next year or two. There was a 6 year gap between Maverick and Gatekeeper. If you look at some of the other parks owned by Cedar Fair they seem to be getting new coasters about every 5 years. So why is CP going to get a new coaster just 2 or 3 years after Gatekeeper?

At this point a conversion seems most likely. Either that or they're going to rip Mantis out and stick a flat ride in that area.

That area is too large and valuable just to place a flat ride there.

My guess with Mantis is still a floorless conversion with a remodification of the track in some areas, along with a new paint job and name. Besides, when I see the park make statements such as "Mantis will no longer be in operation at Cedar Point after Oct. 19th", I think they're still playing around with us. Correct, Mantis won't be in operation after Oct. 19th, but it will be in operation come 2015 as a remodified ride.

I would agree, though there is the possibility that things were worded that way simply to give the impression you described.

^ Of course. The park is intentionally being vague to let the speculation run rampant. Which it is.

TwistedWicker77 said:
That area is too large and valuable just to place a flat ride there.

My guess with Mantis is still a floorless conversion with a remodification of the track in some areas, along with a new paint job and name. Besides, when I see the park make statements such as "Mantis will no longer be in operation at Cedar Point after Oct. 19th", I think they're still playing around with us. Correct, Mantis won't be in operation after Oct. 19th, but it will be in operation come 2015 as a remodified ride.

It isn't that the area is too large for a flat ride, it's that CP is not gonna close a coaster and only give the park a flat ride! CP also does not need another flat ride, they're the shortest lines in the park and they just added 3 to the park last year...

My thoughts on the possibility of a conversion.... IMO the conversion of Mantis to a sit-down version, is about 5-10 years too late and would be a very basic ride for CP to introduce after a $50 million renovation to the Breakers. If you look at the aerial view of the site, Mantis seems to be in the way of a destined and new midway taking you onto the swampy Millennium Island... Not saying it's going to happen for 2015, but draw a midway through Mi all the way to the current entrance of Dinosaurs Alive and imagine the possibilities?

Regardless IMO, CP will still have 16 roller coasters in 2015 and that excites me no matter what! Can't say that I've never wondered what it'd be like to ride Mantis sitting down... I believe it would be a much better ride and overall attraction as a sit-down version if it were to be converted... But all in all, I believe the excitement will only last that first year and eventually being just a basic 90's B&M twister!? Will CF recycle one of CP's coasters within the same park?? I'd say no, unless the layout of that coaster is upgraded as well (ex..RMC makeover).

WishfulThinker83 said:

topthrilldragster4lyf said:
^ Of course. The park is intentionally being vague to let the speculation run rampant. Which it is.

Yes your right, they know where the speculation is gonna go with their teasers!

The problem is, we're in this weird age of marketing where sarcasm, trickery and misdirection mix up like a bad dirty martini on things like Twitter, blogs, etc. Short of an official press release, nothing can truly be taken at face value. And even then, stuff happens which can change that also.

TwistedWicker77 said:
That area is too large and valuable just to place a flat ride there.

Ok, 2 big flat rides, a smaller family ride, a Coke Refresh stand, and couple other things. :)

I could be wrong but I don't think they'd rip Mantis out and let the ground sit vacant for the next 3 years waiting for another coaster. What would be the point...unless Mantis has some sort of a safety issue that would prevent the ride from operating?

If you look at the land use pattern within the park, this area is really the only spot where you have coasters that are clustered so closely together. I personally like this since you can hit one after the other, but if you look at some of their most recent projects CP seems to be focused on spreading their coasters throughout the park. That gives them the opportunity to have pockets of other uses (food, flat rides, games, etc.) around each "major" attraction.

I could see them diversifying the area somewhat by adding something other than a coaster - if they plan to rip Mantis out. They could put in that so-called ride aimed at teens and other thrill seekers (remember, that doesn't automatically mean coaster) and also throw in some other amenities.

But again, I don't think Mantis is being removed. I'm just trying to say that those who think that Mantis is going to be replaced with some giant new record breaking coaster might be in for a disappointment. If I had to guess the next big coaster probably won't happen until closer to their 150th anniversary.

The 150th Anniversary needs to be epic. Celebrated like nothing the park has seen in living history. That also means making sure the park looks good and we see that is obviously happening.

My sense is that the new park director has an eye for things and a focus on polishing the park. No knock on his predecessor, but the new guy has fresh eyes and energy and it seems to show. There are a lot of things one can see being done that would need a few years to make happen. Not everything can be "off season" or just one-year in duration. They could have a long-term plan, which we are told has changed already, that requires larger scale, longer term transition.

Removed (sent to a different park)..

200...310....420...530???

Any chance the new "Mantis" gets some of that new B&M launch technology? hmm... might make for a much different experience. Not that CP is short on launched coasters....

Of course there's a chance. There's also a chance that Mantis is replaced with the first ever B&M launched flying coaster. Not a very high one, mind you. Also, there's nothing to indicate either as a likely possibility. That doesn't mean it's not their plans, just that we have no reason to think so. We know nothing, and they know that. :P

jsmith7300 said:

I agree and I sort of feel the same way about the idea that Mantis is being torn down to make way for a new coaster in the next year or two. There was a 6 year gap between Maverick and Gatekeeper. If you look at some of the other parks owned by Cedar Fair they seem to be getting new coasters about every 5 years. So why is CP going to get a new coaster just 2 or 3 years after Gatekeeper?

At this point a conversion seems most likely. Either that or they're going to rip Mantis out and stick a flat ride in that area.

I agree that at this time a conversion of Mantis does indeed seem to be he most likely outcome.

The number of years ago that GK opened needs to be thrown out the window, Cedar Fair will build a new coaster at any of their parks when they think it makes the most financial sense. That could be coasters in back to back years, or it could be well over 5 years. I can guarantee no execs at CF are saying, we really need to build this new coaster at CP right now but can't for at least another 2 years due to GK...

I'll agree with part of this statement and that is that I don't think any exec is saying that they "need" a new coaster. Strongly desire, maybe, but need? That would imply that the park can't survive without it.

None of us really knows what CP is planning, this is just a guessing game. I'm basing my guesses on past performance knowing full well that they could surprise all of us, however unlikely it may seem.

djDaemon said:
Your opinion of and observations regarding Mantis are completely and totally irrelevant to how the park values the attraction. Asking others if they've seen a line is equally irrelevant, as I've seen Gatekeeper, Raptor, Magnum, Skyhawk, and other rides as walk-ons on numerous occasions, and all at times when other rides had waits. So if you seeing no wait for Mantis means it should be removed, then the same is true for many other rides and attractions throughout the park.

Maybe my non anecdotal observations were somehow relevant on how the park values the ride after all. :)

Why does everyone think that dinosaurs alive is just a temperary thing? Is there any evidence or just a random rumor? I personally think it'll stay for another 10 years or so unless someone shows actual evidence of it.

coasterJay said:
Maybe my anecdotal observations were somehow coincidental on how the park values the ride after all. :)

Fixed it for you.

CoasterKyle1121 said:
Why does everyone think that dinosaurs alive is just a temperary thing? Is there any evidence or just a random rumor? I personally think it'll stay for another 10 years or so unless someone shows actual evidence of it.

I think the large swath of land occupied by water often makes people ponder what could be built in that space. However I do recall there being a great deal of give-and-take between Cedar Fair and the army corps of engineers or department of wildlife over filling any more space within CP. This dates back to when they finally closed the lagoon off from Lake Erie entirely. If they filled more space in for building, they would have to create space someplace else. Not as easy to do given development in the area.

I think Dinosaurs Alive is a fun attraction and they leveraged it to good effect as another Platinum Pass perk. My kids and I walk through it almost every trip now.
Yet I would agree that looking at all of the space it leaves me wondering if something more couldn't be done with the water. Another boat attraction? Premium dinning option? We delve deep into hyper speculative thinking....as though that is new to online forums.

How about pedestrian bridges to aid in traffic across the park? What about alterations to the CP&LE RR?

What exactly is land occupied by water?