New for 2014

I am beginning to believe what others have stated - it will be an expansion on the Gemini Midway. It will be a Camp Snoopy expansion. Removal of the Junior Gemini kids area including Junior Gemini and the games area. Now, what could go there - anyones guess. My guess - a wild mouse coaster like the one added at Knotts, a couple of those "new" kiddie rides that people envy at other Planet Snoopy expansions - maybe even a Peanuts themed dark ride (improbable unless they shift the Gemini Midway over toward the coaster and remove/relocate Monster). You may also see, in addition to this, something over on the Blue Streak Midway(?).

I cannot see them removing Jr. Gemini. A lot of kids still ride that. Now I can see them maybe relocating it somewhere else in Camp Snoopy.

Matt Ouimet has stated he wants to invest in Cedar Point and he also stated that there would be $100 million in capital expenditures across all the Ohio parks the next three years. Now that includes WWK but that is quite a bit of money. Matt Ouimet knows what he wants to do and I don't think having a major coaster the year prior would stop him. Although, I don't think it's going to be anything too major. It's either going to have to do with a Boardwalk or combining Kiddy Kingdom with Planet Snoopy to make one big Planet Snoopy. That seems to be the latest trend in the Cedar Fair chain.

$100m over 3 years is $33.3m per year. The new coaster at KI will take up most of that this year.

Also, isn't $60m of the $100m going to the CP hotels? If so, that leaves $40 over 3 years for ALL the Ohio parks. Subtract what will be spent on the new KI coaster and that leaves perhaps $15-20m TOTAL for 3 years. Not enough for a "major" coaster.

wait so what your saying is for the next 3 years cedar point has 15-20 million to spend each year for 2014, 2015 and 2016?

Here's what I can see happening to the Gemini/Camp Snoopy area:
I can see them renaming it something else, probably they could use the name Point Snoopy perhaps. Should that happen, the log cabin looks to the buildings and entrances will be replaced or taken out completely.
The Monster could easily be replaced with a new ride for the new expanded area and I believe it would have enough room to be at where the basketball game across from Wicked Twister and that could be moved elsewhere or removed. We can live with minus one basketball game right?
The little water fall could easily be replaced with another ride.
The following buildings would still stand if remodeled: restrooms, Charlie Brown's Cookout, Camp Snoopy Photos, and Camp Snoopy Theater. All other buildings would be removed.
The Lolli-Swing would have a full remodel and become Charlie Brown's Wind Up.
The Camp Bus would probably no longer be called that and instead get remodeled to become Sally's Sea Plane, and maybe add a background behind it featuring some of the Peanuts characters.
Camp Snoopy Theater would have a complete makeover. It would be renamed something else such as Peanuts Playhouse and would look almost like the theater in the Planet Snoopy at Dorney Park but still keep the doghouse and Lucy stand. Also, for the sake of the people in the Peanuts costumes (it gets really hot inside), they would finally get a cover over top the theater to keep everyone cool on a hot summers day.
Camp Snoopy Photos would get renamed Woodstock Express photos and maybe even a different color for the track of this roller coaster such as red.
We don't need a lot of Snoopy stores in the park, so Beagle Bay Outfitters would be gone and be replaced perhaps with a station for a new overview ride like at Kings Island to take you around the expanded area.
If they could make a new Snoopy Bounce with Snoopy sitting or standing on top without camp gear, they could still keep it, but if not, replace it with a new ride.
Gemini Children's Area: all rides except for Jr. Gemini will be gone and/or replaced with new rides. The Jr. Gemini could be renamed either Lucy's Crabbie Cabbie or The Great Pumpkin Coaster and be repainted based off of the name.
Finally, the Gemini games area would be gone and replaced with a smaller yet similar coaster to the Great Pumpkin Coaster at Kings Island. Whatever name of the two Jr. Gemini doesn't takes that coaster gets.
Should something replace Kiddy Kingdom some year, the Carousel (which is marked a historic landmark) could move over to the new expanded area as there would still be plenty of room. That is, if they want to build like a Wild Mouse or something. Now I'm having different thoughts about that area. Give me a minute to think things through, and I'll be back with part two. Meantime, what do you think so far? I'm not saying that it would absolutely happen, but could any of what I said can be done?

sounds good and there is only a little room to expanded planet snoopy in the front but there is a good amout of room to expanded planet snoopy if they get rid of the gemini childrens area and the arcade games

Part 2?!?!?!
Will that include art renderings?
Wow, you have playing RTC for way too long!

I don't really see the point in getting rid of "Camp" Snoopy as a theme. If they threw some mulch or a low ground cover planting under Woodstock Express it would look a whole lot nicer. I don't spend much time in this area anymore because the kids are bigger but once in a while we end up there and I don't think it needs any major work.

anthony battaglia said:
sounds good and there is only a little room to expanded planet snoopy in the front but there is a good amout of room to expanded planet snoopy if they get rid of the gemini childrens area and the arcade games

The Arcade is still a big hit for Cedar Point. Especially on rainy days. Heck me and my buddy spent some time in there because it wouldn't stop raining on Labor day. Don't worry, I'm just giving advice. ;)

If they were to expand Planet Snoopy (here comes part two), they can do it in the back. I surmise from looking at Google Maps that they could expand the area in the back, Use the back area to build that Snoopy Surfer thing like a Kings Island as well as some smaller surrounding , and take out half of Kiddy Kingdom (the front). That half would become the roller coaster, Flying Ace Ariel Chase, while the other half would get a slight makeover, yet keeping the Carousel where it's at. Now you know that means finding yet a different spot for the Monster if possible or else get rid of it, but that would be how, in the long run, how they could expand Planet Snoopy if Cedar Point wanted to.

And I'll stop here and focus on what could be for next year.

Captain Hawkeye said:

Also, isn't $60m of the $100m going to the CP hotels? If so, that leaves $40 over 3 years for ALL the Ohio parks. Subtract what will be spent on the new KI coaster and that leaves perhaps $15-20m TOTAL for 3 years. Not enough for a "major" coaster.

No, the hotel investment is separate from the $100 million.

anthony battaglia said:
wait so what your saying is for the next 3 years cedar point has 15-20 million to spend each year for 2014, 2015 and 2016?

I'll rephrase it. Over three parks (Cedar Point, Kings Island, Wildwater Kingdom), there is $100 million to spend over three years (2014, 2015, 2016). Who knows if WWK is even involved in that. Even if they are, they're not going to receive anything huge. If you leave WWK out, that leaves about $17 million Kings Island and Cedar Point will spend each year separately. Obviously you gotta give and take some money for major attractions but that is quite a bit to spend annually.

I'm not getting my hopes up at all and I'm not even thinking about what it could be, but honestly I think CP's next coaster will come sooner than a lot of people may think. I know a lot of people are saying it's gonna be a long time since we just had GK open this past year and I'd be fine if we didn't get another one for a while, but I just have this feeling that we'll find markers indicating a new coaster several years earlier than some people might expect.

Again, I'm not getting my hopes up that we'll see a new coaster next year or even the year after, but I feel that after that anything's fair game.

Actually, Ouimet stated Cedar Fair will invest $100 million in Ohio over the next 3 years (2013, 14 and 15).

In other words, there will be over $100 million of capital spending at Kings Island and Cedar Point in 2013, 14 and 15.

This includes the resorts renovation/upgrades.

What I think you're getting confused with is that the resorts renovation/upgrades will not take away from any planned Cedar Point cap ex. Essentially, whatever Cedar Point was planning for 2014 and 2015 will continue in addition to the capital spend on the resorts.

And it's not $60 million on Cedar Point hotels alone. Cedar Fair announced an additional $60 million in capital spending (outside of their normal 9% of revenue per year) over the next 3 years (2013, 14 and 15) to improve the IT infrastructure and new POS systems/terminals at the 5 remaining parks which didn't have them, which happened in 2015, and the remaining to go towards resort renovations and updgrades and new/renovation employee housing at Cedar Point in 2014 and 15.

And it makes sense. $100 million over 3 years. $25 million for 2013 Gatekeeper, $25 million for new coaster at KI in 2014. Appx. $40 million for resort renovation/upgrades and employee housing over 2014 and 15 and then over $10 million for CP's 2014 addition and 2015 for KI and CP (which you'd assume would be years with little cap spend for both with Gatekeeper in 13, KI's new coaster in 14 and CP's likely family addition in 14).

then what happens in 2016 because that is the likely year of cedar point next major coaster, would they 3 year 100 million thing happen again starting in 2016?

I think you guys are reading way too much into this.

I can't remember exactly, but it was more of an off-the-cuff remark Ouimet made about how he was encouraging lawmakers to spend more money promoting tourism in Ohio, as they have done in Michigan. And how excited and optimistic he was about Ohio and continued by stating CF plans to invest over $100m in Ohio over the next 3 years.

SteveH said:
...Finally, a stripe down the midway indicates something will be done to one of the busiest sections.

Are you talking abut the parade strips? Those stripes are painted on the midway every year at this time. They are there for the Halloweekends Parade (which is going to be new this year) and have nothing to do with 2014.

Unless I missed something and you're talking about another stripe down the midway.

Rcoaster10 said:
I've created another boardwalk idea. This isn't likely to happen this year but it's still cool to see the ideas. The 2 green circles would be 2 spinning flat rides. I would like one of them to be a giant flying scooter ride. The other one I don't really care. The square is a small drop tower. (Demon Drop Size) This isn't really likely to happen because we have Power Tower but this would actually be freefall and probably more thrilling than PT. Windseeker would also be right there. The first coaster is a wild mouse, but it could be whatever. I just feel that would make most sense. The other coaster is a Jr. Gemini type coaster that would fit in between the 2 kiddie lands. I think this needs to happen. The restaurant would be a sit-down restaurant with outdoor seating as well as indoor seating. I feel like this might eventually happen as Matt Ouimet said the first year he was here that he wanted to use the beach more and get more people on the beach. Anyway, this is practically the same as the one I posted yesterday, just bigger and in a different location.

http://s18.postimg.org/6tlq9l0jr/Cedar_Point_Boardwalk.png

I see only one problem - the Coral Courtyard won't be going anywhere soon IMO. It's one of the only things that gives businesses and other organizations an incentive to host their outings at the park. (Although we do have the Coral Dining Room...) Additionally, as much as I hate to say it, I don't think we'll be seeing any major rides or improvements to the park itself. Of course, the hotel renovations will continue, and it'll be nice for the maintenance crews to have a season to focus solely on the restoration/renovation of smaller things throughout the park. I could be wrong, and I hope I'm wrong, but KI is definitely the park Cedar Fair will be focusing on for the 2014 season.

I've been discussing this adnauseum with a few friends and I'll stick with my original ideas. I don't see an expansion of any current kids areas, not even by the Gemini area. Typically when you see utility marks/stripes on a midway (ie Tony's comments, ala past windseeker & gatekeeper), it's for new construction (taking into account for digging by existing utilities). Thus I stick with my original idea about the Turnpike cars, Cadillacs, and old IMAX theater (current ice skating)area for new construction and tearing down of old. If Cedar Point is to expand with a new big ride (probably in 2015) it would make the most sense to have it tie into together with 2014's plans to start generating crowds to that area of the park (thus the next 2 years attraction areas). My gut's telling me that because of that area of the park not being touched for 50+years! (Cadillac Cars 1958, turnpikes 1959)that the Ice Skating arena, as well as these other attractions days are numbered and the Cedars will fall with them. Sorry if you love some of these. Just my 2c.

What I want to really see happen for 2014 is getting Skyhawk fixed along with Shoot the Rapids. Get those rides fixed and I'd be happy.