New for 2015

godsonsafari said:
...Breakers will actually look kinda nice! Rejoice!

They do look amazing, I must say.

http://postimg.org/image/3tcu2qxgp/
http://postimg.org/image/6d8gwul0p/
http://postimg.org/image/9a03avg89/
http://postimg.org/image/qm0fwb9pl/
http://postimg.org/image/83rhyc2jt/

JuggaLotus said:
No, I got it. You grabbed some arbitrary dates from an unrelated construction project and used them to project some possible value onto DJ's admitted guesstimation in order to fulfill some Freudian need to prove him wrong.

facepalm.jpg

Those pictures look nice, but they are clearly CG renderings. I hope the actual renovations turn out that nice, most of the time they end up really close to renderings.

CoasterKyle1121 said:
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't TTDs announcement not until after the park closed? And I'm pretty sure they kept hush hush about it too and there were really no clues about what it was. People just slowly watched the tower go up.

January 9, 2003. It was originally set to be announced in the more traditional late summer/early fall timeframe. But thanks to the Internet, the speculation exploded and the park decided to roll with the passion from fans. Jeff and I were happy to play a prominent role in stoking that fire. :)

Top Thrill Dragster was the first attraction where rampant speculation took on a life of it's own. Now, frenzied guessing is a yearly tradition. :)

Walt said:
Jeff and I were happy to play a prominent role in stoking that fire. :)

Didn't you (and Pointbuzz) make an appearance on the news (or some type of TV show) just before the announcement was made?

^^ The last two links look like real photos (the interior room pictures). Aren't they real? Plus, the exterior (that is finished) so far looks just like the renderings. I'm really excited to stay overnight next year! I was blown away when I saw the ferris wheel artwork on the headboards!

I keep forgetting that we do indeed have some real 2015 information. I am looking forward to the completed renovations at Breakers as well. I know some do not like the new rooms but I sure do, I think it is a much needed update.

! said:
Didn't you (and Pointbuzz) make an appearance on the news (or some type of TV show) just before the announcement was made?

Those were the pre-PointBuzz days. I was running Virtual Midway and Jeff had Guide to the Point. We did lots of cross-promotion and I was a moderator on GTTP probably since near the beginning in 1998, but we were each doing our own thing. It was the website traffic onslaught of 2003 that started Jeff and I talking, so Dragster did play a role. PointBuzz was launched in 2004.

Not sure about Jeff, but I did several television, newspaper and radio interviews over that time period. Perhaps as many in that year for Dragster as I have total since.

Here's one that's on our YouTube channel. The Fox station in Toledo did this story the night before the announcement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1hrZi59w28

By then, enthusiasts had a pretty good idea of what it was. (Anyone remember "L-TH-B" ? :) ) I think by that interview, I knew the stats and the ride's name. I remember Janice and I discussing just before the interview not to accidentally give anything away. :)

Why can't we all just have fun speculating and discussing? This topic has had more interesting things going on in it than say what the next food item will be on the dining plan. Being an enthusiast and certainly a member of a theme park forum means that in mid summer speculation begins. The park loves the PR, the unofficial fan sites enjoy the increase in traffic, and we all enjoy having fun speculating.

I've been a member of this site for 10 years, and an avid reader since the site's inception. I have posted more in this forum than in my entire membership.

It's like Christmas. We all understand the "reality" of things like The North Pole, Flying Reindeer, and The Big Jolly man in red.... It's all about the spirit of the season.

The same can be said about what is taking place now.... the roller coaster tycoon kid comes out in all of us and we dream a little. Why can't we just have fun and "enjoy the ride!"?

Unless someone is proposing tearing down the whole park and turning it into a housing development, I don't get the constant arguing and yelling at people for their ideas.

Mantis is being re-named..... And re-worked..... Take that to the bank!

And, apparently, construction schedules are serious business here. You can also take THAT to the bank. :)

Sorry.. I use a credit union. Not sure what I would do with that at a bank. :(

When we think of announcements, the game has certainly changed. Twitter, Facebook, etc...I know there are actually some of you who cannot dream of a world without instant access to anything and everything news-worthy (or not worthy).

There are some of us who remember not knowing what was new at the park (we lived a 3-hour drive away in Defiance, OH) until a commercial popped up on the TV randomly in the summer, or sometimes not until we actually got to the park the next year.

Communication to the masses aside, the season for Cedar Point runs into early November, so there is a lot of time to play with here. Much more than even a decade ago.

Not to mention, let's say Rougarou is indeed the name of something coming. If that is the case, and seeing as how that appears to be some type of creature, wouldn't Halloweekends be the perfect setting to announce such a ride?

So I was at the park Saturday and had an interesting moment.
We were leaving the Pagoda gift shop and the cashier stopped me and asked if I wanted a free Mantis button. That is leaving me thinking that something will be happening in regards to Mantis, could be the renamed Lebron coaster or something more.

The girl running the "Guessing Game" asked if I wanted to play the other day, I don't think that's going anywhere.

But what if that guessing game becomes a floor-less guessing game named Rougarou next year?

Did you by chance check the back side of it to see if there was any new paint colors?

Guess how long the cartoon physics will last before you fall through the floor of the floorless scale?

I don't think anything will happen to Mean Streak next year because they have already started replacing some wood on it. Also, it is running with the trims off today.

They're always replacing wood on it as it needs it.

Last thing you want is to have an accident because you stopped doing standard maintenance and upkeep during it's final season.

That Guy said:
So I was at the park Saturday and had an interesting moment.
We were leaving the Pagoda gift shop and the cashier stopped me and asked if I wanted a free Mantis button. That is leaving me thinking that something will be happening in regards to Mantis, could be the renamed Lebron coaster or something more.

The same thing happened to me too in the Mantis Photo Booth! An employee had a whole garbage bag full of those buttons. He was giving them out for free to everyone who came by.

Maverick00 said:
The girl running the "Guessing Game" asked if I wanted to play the other day, I don't think that's going anywhere.

For free? That would be something. ;) The giving away of merchandise actually peaks my interest. That's not a common practice unless there will be no more need for it. I would think this lends credence to at least a name change.