Mean Streak- Redone

With the number of amazing wooden or hybrid coasters out there being built, or already in existence, when will Cedar Point finally be embarassed by Mean Streak, so much so, that they will turn it into something they can brag about?

When people stop lining up to ride it. It's not as if CP doesn't keep a vigilant eye on their cost:ridership numbers. You preferring something different isn't a remotely strong business case for a new capital expenditure.

So, The New Texas Giant was not promotable because it is a former ride? If you only count the lines it gets during Halloweekends, then it must be a good ride. Oh, but wait, they have to shut it down before Halloweekends to re-do the track.

The point is that MS still provides a lot of rides during the season. When the cost-per-rider (in combination with whatever other metrics they use) reaches a certain point, CP will either RMC the ride, or replace it altogether. The decision has nothing to do with being able to "brag".

No it doesn't. Disaster Transport and Wild Cat always had longer lines than Mean Streak. If Cedar Point can spend $20 million on a lousy water ride that rarely had any lines, they can spend $10 million converting MS into a coaster worth bragging about that would actually have people saying that they need to go to Cedar Point to ride it. I remember waiting for close to 3 hours to get on MS. In the last several years, anytime I have gone, the line has not been longer than to the bottom of the stairs.

Zoug68 said:
Disaster Transport and Wild Cat always had longer lines than Mean Streak.

Your opinion of line length is not relevant.

If Cedar Point can spend $20 million on a lousy water ride that rarely had any lines...

When did CP spend that much on a water ride? The last water ride they installed was Shoot the Rapids, which cost $10.5 million.

...they can spend $10 million converting MS into a coaster worth bragging about that would actually have people saying that they need to go to Cedar Point to ride it.

Cedar Point is doing just fine, considering they've been setting revenue records the last couple years. And they just installed a brand new coaster that seems to be drawing crowds.

So, allow me to repeat: you wanting something different is not a remotely strong business case. Life is not like RCT.

Mean Streak needs the New Texas Giant treatment ASAP that ride is an embarrasment. I did ride it again last year and even though it was smoother it did not warrant a re-ride. Mind you that was the first time in 5 years I rode it. The time before that it REALLY hurt my back and I was in my 20's then. There is absolutley no sense of enjoyment from the staff there and the station has pretty much been a ghost town the last few seasons. Such a quiet load station that my brother and I were almost whispering since it felt like we were in a library. The last time I rode it I counted 6 people on my train when Maverick right next to it had a 1hr 45min wait time. Imagine the lift hill being extended up another 40 feet and actually having a Hyrbid coaster over 200 feet tall with a beyond 90 degree drop. Those two beautiful overbanked turns and some amazing new elements and features, Meanstreak has such a long track just imagine the possibilities. I like Gatekeeper but can in my own opinion state that it just didnt wow me as much as I hoped it would. A revised hybrid Meanstreak will be Maverick on Steroids.

How is updating the Gemini midway goin to raise cash? Based on your logic, Cedar Point never needs to lift a finger to improve their park because they are already making record profits. They didn't even need to build GK because last year was a record year and probably would have been one again this year without spendding all of that cash.

The problem with MS is that they ARE spending quite a bit of money maintaining it and it never gets better. It can't be what they had hoped it would be when it was built. The way it stands now, it's a big money pit that looks pretty but is nowhere near as fun as it used to be. If they want to keep putting money into it, do something worthwhile.

The busiest ride in the park drops you off at the entrance to it and it still can't build a line.

I read somewhere that Meanstreak is one of the most expensive rides at CP to maintain and it NEVER tops anyones "must ride" list in my group. I have heard lots of people just look at it and say "no way". It's not from word of mouth that they say no way, it is from personal experience that they refuse to ride it followed by some story about how rough and boring it was on their last ride.

IMO it would make sense for the park to spend $10 on a ride that will not only allow for much less maintenance, but would actually jump into most peoples' park top 5 coaster list, if not even top 3.

And honestly, are there actually any people who would rather have Mean Streak in its current rough, boring state over something like this or this?

^Yes, the accountants on the second floor, and the executives on the third floor of the Cedar Fair corporate building.

Zoug68 said:
How is updating the Gemini midway goin to raise cash?

Making that area more appealing to a wide demographic (especially families, who spend more per capita than enthusiasts and thrill-seekers), will entice people to return. Making that area more pleasant will make people less likely to speed walk through, and more likely to hang around and possibly buy stuff.

Based on your logic...

That's a ridiculous straw man.

clevelander said:
it NEVER tops anyones "must ride" list.

Never say never. It's always on my "must ride" list when I go. Some people prefer natural wooden coasters over hybrids. That won't change.

Go ride New Texas Giant or Outlaw Run if you want. Nobody is stopping you.

I worked at a fast food restaurant that did $500,000 in sales one year...the very next year, after rebuilding, they did over $2,000,000 in sales. Why is that considering they sold the same exact food? Do you know when we had our biggest sales? When we came out with a new or improved item or built a new building. Converting MS, in the next few years WILL help for them to keep increasing their record profits.

BTW, I do agree that the Gemini area rehab will also help for them to maintain their sales and profits, just as you do. While not every ride may be a hit, it still draws people in. I look forward to seeing any beautification being done in the park. I get irritated seeing cobwebs and burned out lights...lol.

MS is NOT a low cost, low maintenance ride. I do not believe it helps draw very many to the park. And I would venture to guess that not many who are drawn to CP by MS actually leave thinking that they can't wait to come back to ride it again.

Line length does not measure how popular a ride is.

If a coaster can handle, say, 1800 people per hour, 30 people per minute will not create a line. If a coaster can only handle 1200 people per hour, 25 people per minute will create a line.

Line length measures popularity AND capacity.

BTW, I question that anything short of a redesign & rebuild would turn Mean Streak into "a coaster worth bragging about," let alone "that would actually have people saying that they need to go to Cedar Point to ride it."

^Are you really comparing food sales to coaster changes? Come on man. Like Daemon said, this isn't Roller Coaster Tycoon

Jeremiah said:

clevelander said:
it NEVER tops anyones "must ride" list.

Never say never. It's always on my "must ride" list when I go. Some people prefer natural wooden coasters over hybrids. That won't change.

Go ride New Texas Giant or Outlaw Run if you want. Nobody is stopping you.

I actually said "NEVER tops anyones "must ride" list in my group.

If want to post an argument just to get your point accross, at least TRY to show the full facts rather than the snippet you choose.

Jeremiah, I would agree with you on leaving MS alone IF they didn't put a trim brake in the middle of the first hill. This coaster doesn't run anywhere near the way it did when it was new. You used to get bounced at the bottom of the first drop and slammed into those first 2 banked turns....now it feels like you are barely going to make it around them. The turn around that goes around and through the lift hill used to scare me because it felt like you were going to fly off the track. It makes me very sad to remember how much fun it was compared to how slow and boring it has become. The first time my 12 and 14 year old nephews got off of it they told me it was very boring. They were more afraid of Blue Steak.

TRY to be more realistic... how big is your group? 5? 10? Your random sample group speaks for everyone I guess