Mean Streak?

Captain Hawkeye said:
Why do people think CF would use RMC? So far they have always used GCI

After seeing the markings over opening weekend, I was debating with my other coaster friends what could be happening and GCI came to mind. And considering what they are currently doing with GhostRider, I think CP going with them for some kind of project is very possible. It'd be interesting to see what they could do. Something like a serious retrack with a slightly altered (and more superior) layout with new Millennium Flyer trains.

Cartwright said:

I think we all need to take a collective breath here...

I agree in a sense, but what threads like this tap into is our collective excitement over something...anything...finally happening with Mean Streak. Could it be much ado about nothing? Indeed. That said, there are reasons for some tempered enthusiasm; 1) the markings are somewhat unprecedented, I believe, from what we have seen in the past, even when it was partially re-tracked a few years ago. 2) the park seems pretty apathetic about this ride altogether. Close it early in the season, open it later in the day, open it later in the season...it's like a collective shrug 'o the shoulders, and 3) the current administration's track-record for turd removal (as mentioned previously).

And I agree with Adam. With GCI doing work on Ghostrider, it seems likely that they would also do work for Mean Streak, but that's as much of a guess as anything.

Mean Streak, as I see it, needs structural reinforcement before anything else. The ride has the potential to be great with minimal alteration to the current ride. The brake on that first drop is hardly doing any favors.

Is it in danger of falling down?

TTD 120mph said:

It'd be interesting to see what they could do. Something like a serious retrack with a slightly altered (and more superior) layout with new Millennium Flyer trains.

I would think that GCI would be looking at a way to rehab current wooden coasters like RMC is doing in order to keep things fresh for business. That said I would personally like to see their first huge rehab be Mean Streak with what Adam said above and not RMC coming in and doing it. I love the look of how large Mean Streak is as it sits out at the end of the peninsula. I know that is a large plot of land that could hold more attractions but I would miss seeing Mean Streak on the skyline. I would love to see the main lift structure, drop, and first turn kept but the rest changed to a new layout that is tighter, thus freeing up more land around the ride for future use.

Jeff said:
Is it in danger of falling down?

No, but it would open up the option to remove the brake from the drop. The cost of such an effort would have to make sense, and from an immediate investment perspective, it doesn't.

^^It's also worth noting the new elements they're adding to The Legend at Holiday World along with the new type of wood they are using for the retracking. It's proof that they definitely have the ability to do something significant.

Love the tributes. To put it in perspective this is what Cedar Point had at the time Mean Streak was built.

Blue Streak, Cedar Creek Mine Ride, Avalanche Run, Wildcat, Gemini, Corkscrew, Gemini Jr., Iron Dragon, and Magnum. Also had Mill Race, White Water Falls, Thunder Canyon, and Snake River Falls.

Wouldn't be to much to think that Magnum and Mean Streak were #1 and #2 on the list.

Now add in Rougaroo, Raptor, Millenium, Wicked Twister, Top Thrill Dragster, Maverick, Gatekeeper, and Valrayvn. That's 8 more in the last 25 years.

Okay now Mean Streak is no longer the biggest draw. But it doesn't make it any less of a coaster than it was. And given that the location of the ride will never have the foot traffic regardless of what is back there. I don't see it going anywhere. I do see it being less of a priority. That it's not open early season since crowd levels are lower than the summer months. Or being open before 11 on any day. It is being prepped for opening soon. It will be running this season.

As for next season if you are thinking that there will be more than a water park expansion your getting your hopes up for no reason. And more than a dark ride or 4d cinema for the year after. All you have to do is look at what the other parks get during the offseason and you'll see a pattern. None of the parks get huge investments every year. The next 2 years are gonna be good for Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, and Knott's Berry Farm. Or Kings Island, Carowinds and World's of Fun. They only have 1 or 2 huge capital investments each year.

I believe you mean White Water Landing. And no, Snake River Falls was not present when Mean Streak was built. That ride came into being two years later. 1993, if my memory is correct.

Per the park website Snake River Falls opened in 1993.

I don't understand the thought process behind "Mean Streak isn't going anywhere because that part of the park is dead". The Mean Streak area doesn't get a lot of foot traffic - not because of its location - but because there's nothing down there except a giant turd of a ride. Guests know that the only thing down there is said turd, and have no reason to cross the train tracks. Replace MS with that year's new superdooper RMC or whathaveyou, and the area would explode with foot traffic.

I don't disagree with that at all. But the point is simply that you can have the biggest turd of a ride in the park, and if it is located where Raptor currently stands, it's going to be packed every morning. Location isn't everything, people will find their way to the rides they want to ride. But location isn't nothing either.

There's a reason Demon Drop would quickly build to a 45-60 minute wait many mornings even when the park wasn't that busy and it was far from the biggest or best thing in the park. People walk in, see a ride, and get in line. We just don't notice it as much with Raptor because it is a solid ride.

Augustmueller said:

kylepark said:
Back on topic, more tributes to MS:

Link delete

I would love to ride 1991/1992 Mean StreaK again

Edited for much better coverage

shoulder pads ;)

TTD 120mph said:

^^It's also worth noting the new elements they're adding to The Legend at Holiday World along with the new type of wood they are using for the retracking. It's proof that they definitely have the ability to do something significant.

That's a very bad comparison. Using Mitch's poll, The Legend has been (for 7 years up until 2013) ranked anywhere between 31-45 worldwide. Mean Streak has been between 150-171 worldwide over that same time span. MS ranks far closer to Son of Beast than to The Legend. Apples and tambourines.

Investing in retracking of a coaster in the top 50 makes a hell of a lot more sense than doing so with one ranked outside the top 150. Maybe an RMC conversion makes sense, but I don't see how any amount of retracking would be a wise investment.

CPVet said:

...but because there's nothing down there except a giant turd of a ride. Guests know that the only thing down there is said turd, and have no reason to cross the train tracks.

Its location is out of the way, though. It's as far away from the main gate as it's possible to get, guests have to intermittently wait for trains to pass to access the ride, and unlike where CP&LE crosses the Million Dollar Midway, there's nothing to do but stand there and wait for the train to pass.

You can call it a giant turd. I call it a ride I enjoy riding. And the vast majority of guests in the park couldn't tell you the difference between a steel and a wood coaster, and don't care. They ride the ride and go about their day in the park.

For me, common sense tells me that if Mean Streak is an unpopular ride taking up valuable acreage, Cedar Fair would tear it down and put the space to better use. Each year the ride remains suggests it's doing its job.

It took me a while, but I found the article I was looking for

http://www.coaster101.com/2015/06/17/states-for-rocky-mountains-nex...-revealed/

So if there is even a chance of RMC Mean Streak we will know in about a month, probably just water park expansion next year tho

djDaemon said:

Using Mitch's poll, The Legend has been (for 7 years up until 2013) ranked anywhere between 31-45 worldwide. Mean Streak has been between 150-171 worldwide over that same time span. MS ranks far closer to Son of Beast than to The Legend. Apples and tambourines.

Investing in retracking of a coaster in the top 50 makes a hell of a lot more sense than doing so with one ranked outside the top 150. Maybe an RMC conversion makes sense, but I don't see how any amount of retracking would be a wise investment.

I'm curious how Texas Giant, Rattler, Colossus, SFNE Cyclone, and Roar West rated on that poll before they were RMC-ed and how they would rate after... I'll have to find time to check that out.

I know I am in the huge minority here, but I personally really like Mean streak! Therefore I ride it a lot. With that said, there were many times last summer where I had at least a 30 min. wait with 3 trains operating.

Therefore, I think it is safe to say that it does have enough ridership to support its remaining for a bit longer.

At any rate, Cedar Fair definitely knows their numbers, and the one thing they love is new and innovative ways to make money. I really think they would not have sent the trains out for refurb if they had any intention of tearing it down any time soon.

Texas Giant's rankings from 1994-2011 are:

2, 8, 9t, 6, 10, 14, 20, 20, 20, 24, 38, 34, 50, 69, 79, 99, 89, closed

In comparison to Mean Streak, Texas Giant was ranked well ahead (Mean Streak in the mid-150's), even in the years where it really fell.

CP Maverick said:

Jeff said:
Is it in danger of falling down?

No, but it would open up the option to remove the brake from the drop. The cost of such an effort would have to make sense, and from an immediate investment perspective, it doesn't.

You're assuming that the brake is there because of structural issues and not something else. And I think that assumption is wrong.