New for 2006 - Skyhawk

I like the addition. For the naysayers you will probably get your wish in 2007, what do you think the big piece of land WWL sat on is for? I don't think Skyhawk will take up that complete area. Unfortunately my guess is a big record breaker coaster in the WWL area in 2007. Back to Intamin with a guestimate (sp) of $40-50Mil in 2007. That's my guess on what their doing.

Walt said:

but they picked the wrong year to hype the new attraction with a brand new blog

Listen real close. Big, shocking secret ahead. At least it seems to be a secret, because it appears that no one understands .... OnPoint!, Cedar Point's official blog, was not created for the purpose of hyping a new ride! Let's say it again, so it sinks in: the blog was not created to hype a new ride. The blog exists to give you an insider's look at Cedar Point. An insider's look at Cedar Point does include talking about new rides. But it also includes so much more, as has already been demonstrated.

Yes, I understand that's how Holiday World used their blog. But when Holiday World did their blog, they did not lock in mold that every amusement park must follow. Is the thinking around here so unoriginal that when a new blog is announced, you just assume that it will be the same as HW's - and continue to assume that when it's shown over and over to be different?

Do they seriously think people look forward to Gemini repairs?

Yes. Lots of park fans enjoy hearing about what it takes to keep the world's best amusement park up and running. I honestly enjoy reading each and every new blog entry, and I know I'm not alone. To Tony and Tyler (if you make it down this far), please accept a sincere "thank you" for the wonderful job you guys are doing.

If they did not create the blog for hype, then why are they using it that way? Showing a picture of a stack of wood, using the word wood in the title of that blog as a pun for would just like HW did, and teasing us when they know the wood is being used for repairs, is just pointless and stupid teasing. If it was just for a behind the scenes look like you say, they could have just showed the wood and talked about the repairs that were scheduled.

They have had mulitple teasing posts, and when this is the first time they have done that, you would expect something big by CP standards. While I like the ride and I don't have a problem with smaller additions some years, CP has a lot to learn about over promising and under delivering. And if you think they did not over promise because they were not specific, you don't know a thing about sales. In the world of marketing, hype is a promise, and the more hype you offer, the more you have to deliver. If they just announced the ride without the hype, there would be less anticpointment.

As for being interested in Gemini repair, of course I want to know what is going on in the park. I just don't need to be teased like a major new attraction is coming and then find out is repairs. Some news just should be announced. We don't need teasers months in advance for some paint job or retracking. The fact that they were teasing with that stack of wood shows they don't know how to market properly.

And yes, regardless what you might think, OnPoint is a poor copycat of the Holiblog.

Walt said:

An insider's look at Cedar Point does include talking about new rides.

As Walt clearly pointed out, creating hype is just one of the functions of the blog.

If T&T ignored the deliveries to the parking lot, people would have freaked out at CP for not giving them info. So, they tried to keep us interested until the official announcement. Those that have been paying attention have known what the ride was since the "blue tarp" day.

In the world of marketing, hype is a promise, and the more hype you offer, the more you have to deliver. If they just announced the ride without the hype, there would be less anticpointment.

First of all, that word is getting annoying. Its not even a word, really.

Second, its not like millions of people read the d*** blog! Its mostly enthusiasts like us, who SHOULD KNOW BETTER than to assume anything prematurely. here are some wise words to live by:

>>> It aint official until its official. <<<

If you were psyched about that new woodie, you DESERVE to be disappointed. If you assumed there was something more, no one feels sorry for you for being let down. After all, it was YOUR anticistupidity that led you to believe there was a lot more going on than the Skyhawk.

.

*** Edited 10/31/2005 8:58:17 PM UTC by djDaemon***

Walt: You are my new Idol.

I knew what it was, but there was also the chance of two rides. Honestly, I am not surprised by the announcment at all. I am just surprised that they hyped it the way that they did. I was only expecting one swing till I went back and reviewed the blog and decided there was no way any competent marketing department could hype a swing at CP that much. Maybe this is all part of the tease and the 2007 announcment will come sooner than expected.

In the original tease thread for HW before the announcment, there was speculation that there might be a smaller ride. Some people accurately pointed out that HW would not tease that much for a normal addition, and Paula herself came out and said she knew better than to get involved in a publicity nightmare. She knew what she was doing.

I am just surprised that they hyped it the way that they did.

Well, if something that took place over two months surprised you that much, I would hate to see what would happen to you if you were surprised by something that took only few seconds... like a really loud fart.

It wasn't like they were really teasing that much. On Point was probably unknown to most people, and not once did they tease outside of the blog. HW used theirs as a way of media relations CP never did that. They never once tried to inform the media about what was going on with OnPoint! Just because it's a blog does not mean that it is going to be run just like Holiblog. HW teased a lot more than CP ever did. Holiday world made it obvious that they were making a HUGE addition CP never did that.
HW's blog was created simply to promote their large addition; CP was created to give guests a fun way to look behind the scenes of the park. It was not till September that they even mentioned the construction, and still the majority of the entries for ON Point have nothing to do with a new ride. What T&T did I would hardly call hype, what HW did was hype and it was intended to be. Stop taking things so seriously, and start understanding T&T were having a little fun, and never was it taken that serious, and they never intended it to be taken as serious as you took it.

I rode a small version of the Screamin Swing in Pigeon Forge. I thought it was downright scary- S&S has developed a great, comfortable, adjustable lap bar that holds you in securely, without the over the shoulder harness. I felt like I was just sitting in a chair with nothing much to hold on to. The swing is fast and wastes no time getting to the top. I promise you folks will love it.

I was one of the ones who said C.P. would never install another large swing ride in the park. But when I think about it, historically C.P. has "doubled up" flats of similar style or concept. Calypso/Tiki Twirl, Schwabinchen/Trabant, Earthquake/Pirate Ride, Wild Mouse/Scamper, Dodgem I/II, Sky Ride/Frontier Lift, Zugspitz/Super Himalaya, Cadillacs/Antiques. There are probably more.

maXair and Skyhawk are similar, but different enough and far enough apart that they will each be enjoyed by everybody. I love the location. The color scheme is a bit odd for Frontier Town, but I doubt it signals the end of anything!

Be happy. Some major parks go without a new ride every year, and some parks are closing all together. We're still the luckiest people on the planet, 136 years in a row!

Like djDaemon said, generating buzz for a new ride is just one of the functions of the blog.

there was no way any competent marketing department could hype a swing at CP that much

I count 54 blog entries since the start. Of those, a whopping seven (13%) were about the new ride. I'm confused at how you consider that excessive hype.

OnPoint is a poor copycat of the Holiblog

I know enthusiasts are "fall over themselves" in love with Holiday World, but that's like saying Millennium Force is a poor copycat of Magnum. Different styles, different audiences, different purposes.

*** Edited 10/31/2005 9:23:34 PM UTC by Walt***

^^^You have no clue what you are talking about. Go read the holiblog before you try to charactorize it.

*** Edited 10/31/2005 9:22:58 PM UTC by Front Seat Rider***

I am now going to complain...

I can't believe that Cedar Point has announced a new ride for next year but doesn't have on there banner at cedarpoint.com. This is very upsetting to me, it should be on there!

...I'm done now.

What part of my post gives you the idea that I have no clue? You disagree that the blogs have different styles with different purposes targeted to different audiences?

I like this addition and will be there to ride it opening weekend.

I was surprised at the comment by CPcylone about loops...

Let's see...Raptor, Mantis, Corkscrew....

I guess three looping coasters isn't enough? Not to mention all the people I hear saying "I'm not going on that because it loops", or even the family who was at CP for the first time and in line for Magnum asking "This coaster doesn't loop does it? We don't like loops".

If you make one person happy, someone else will complain. :)

Not to mention that Raptor is still one of the best rides of its type, regardless of how many inversions it has.

Quantity is not the end-all-be-all in coaster design. Disaster Transport has more turns that Magnum...

.
*** Edited 10/31/2005 9:29:49 PM UTC by djDaemon***

I happen to really like the name, and its a great addition to the park IMO, its a different ride than MaXair.

Why bash it? Its a new ride, and a thrill ride at that.

Walt said:
What part of my post gives you the idea that I have no clue? You disagree that the blogs have different styles with different purposes targeted to different audiences?

The posts came up too fast. The edit with the three "^^^" should tell you I was answering the third post up.

I still disagree with you though. Go work out the percentages on the HW hype posts if you think that really matters. The real point is this is the first time CP chose to hype a ride like this and this is the smallest major addtion they have had in a long time. I guess you need a background in sales and/or marketing to understand what a major mistake that is. I have that experience and apparently you don't.

I personally love the colors. Red, White, and Blue baby! Other than doing some kinda brass/bronze color, a patriotic look for it in FrontierTown is a great choice.

Well obviously you’re confused, because CP has hyped a ride this way. What do you call dragster? Cp sent out press releases and tried to get everyone’s attention that they were building a big new ride whose identity they would not tell. They did not do that this time. They did not make an effort to bring attention to the fact they were adding a ride, or you would have seen press releases. Maybe you just need to think clearly instead of talking about your marketing degree. I don't see anyone except YOU saying it was a mistake. If it was actually a horrible marketing plan then we would be reading about it from others besides you.

Are they not allowed to put a little bit of hype into a non-roller coaster? Not ONCE did they infer anything about the ride as far as how big, good, or thrilling it would be only that there would be one. HW inferred to the fact that they were adding something HUGE CP never did that. Just because they mention they are adding something doesn’t mean it has to be huge. And to reiterate they have hyped a ride before announcing what it was, and that was Dragster.