New for 2015

Well not for sure what's happening Tuesday but we are heading to the park in the morning for some rides on Mean Streak and Mantis. Want to get some photos as well just in case something does change. I love looking back at old photos to note how things used to look.

I have never heard that Gatekeeper wasn't part of their plans and was just an "extra addition". Where did you hear this? I don't think spending $30 million is just an extra addition that wasn't in their plans.

I have heard this numerous times from several places. Most notably I think was the From Dreams to Screams documentary. A comment was made that timing was just right for GK, they (CF execs) were at a trade show and the opportunity arose for GK. they specifically mentioned how the plan was actually put together at the last minute, at least by their standards. A new entrance plaza and beach view were high on the list for execs at CF.

Interesting. Well even if that is true that GK was a last minute project and they already had coaster plans for another year (2015, 2016), that doesn't necessarily mean that they can continue on with their plans as if they didn't spend $30 million dollars on GK. However, part of me thinks they might be announcing something to do with a new coaster or a refurbishment of a coaster. If they announced something to do with Lebron James as their "Huge announcement" I would be very disappointed as I'm sure many other people would be too.

If something "major" is coming I think it will be a muti-year project that will involve different phases including demolition and possibly, some relocation, maybe a ride refurb, etc. That'll be the 2015 changes - areas will be under construction. Some part of it might be complete and open to the public (ex: moving a ride or refreshing a certain area) but the overall project will take more time. It could span and affect many different areas and that's why it will need to happen in phases.

If they really had something big that would be ready for 2015 I think they would have announced it at some point during the regular operating season so they could generate more excitement. Instead they basically waited until summer was over and everyone left. Yes, they still have Halloweekends but it's not quite the same.

If however they have something planned that won't be fully completed until, say 2016, then announcing during the regular season might have been too early. I think they intentionally waited until the last possible minute and that starting next month we're going to see some changes.

Now that I think about Gatekeeper being a last minute plan, (and yeah, I remember Tony teasing the 2015 plans in winter 2013 in the Christmas video), then that means their plans on how much money they would need for it work out somehow. I mean, think about it. Gatekeeper was a last minute project, that means that they have to have some extra money to spend while saving up for the big 2016 (or 2015) plans. I don't know if that made any sense (at all) but I hope you know what I'm getting at.

There is no evidence to support the claim the GateKeeper was a last minute decision.

Maybe the big announcement is that they are going to reveal their plans for the next 5 years to renovate most areas of the park? But you would think something this big would have a press conference.

None of this makes sense, but I'm sure we will all understand on Tuesday.

WishfulThinker83 said:
I'm new on here and just wanted to point out a few things that I've noticed! I'm a big CF fan and have been following all of their parks.. This year I was all about the rumored Giga coaster for Carowinds! I'm gonna post a link below for Cedar Fair Roller Coaster Construction Facebook page and if anybody wants, look at their photos which recently seemed to be based around the specualation of Carowinds' 2015 addition!

When you look at the section you will see that there are more pics of a certain track then any other! It's the large Leviathan Blue track, with one pic with it to the right of Fury325's track! Now this track has recently been written off as the track for Acrobat the new B&M flyer clone, which is almost identical to Sea World Orlando's Manta Flyer! My point is.... when you compare the track to any of Manta's track, it does not match any! Not size, shape, type, length, no twists etc etc!

This track is not for a flyer!! NO way! It is for a MASSIVE B&M non-looping coaster! Where is it going is my question?? No International park has announced anything close to this! NO smaller American park is getting it and Six Flags already confirmed what they're getting!!? I don't want to be that guy but it only leaves the #1 company in CF, which has a thing going on with B&M and recently one-upped by a huge margin to their flagship coaster Millennium Force! At CF's flagship park!? All this in the year that Orlando announced the polar coaster for 2016 as the world's tallest coaster! Notice they didn't say it was the first to reach the pinnacle of 500'? How much does CF care about their bragging rights to the title of being the first to conquer all of the major height parameters (200'/300'/400')?

Next what is considered a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT for CP? What does high noon mean, which is linked to multiple CP social media outlets? What is considered a thrill ride for teens and other hardcore thrillsters? Well I know what major is and from what I read... High noon is western theme, which to me says Frontier Land! Does high mean anything??

I would bet my life that there is no RMC makeover for Mean Streak this year, it would have been done already IMO and RMC is stupid busy with Six Flags this year! CF is all about Steel and nowadays B&M! Either way here is the link and hope I didn't upset anybody with this comment! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cedar-Fair-Roller-Coaster-Construction/528819877202301?sk=photos_stream

so you are telling me that cedar point will get a 2015 b and m coaster it would be nice but there is no construction going on in the park if it were a coaster there would have to be some type of construction or teaser going on and there is nothing like that currently going on. like I said it would be very nice but VERY unlikely for 2015 but it could happen 2016 or 2017.

MagnumForce14 said:
Now that I think about Gatekeeper being a last minute plan, (and yeah, I remember Tony teasing the 2015 plans in winter 2013 in the Christmas video), then that means their plans on how much money they would need for it work out somehow. I mean, think about it. Gatekeeper was a last minute project, that means that they have to have some extra money to spend while saving up for the big 2016 (or 2015) plans. I don't know if that made any sense (at all) but I hope you know what I'm getting at.

he was in the mantis station in the music video maybe that means mantis goes floorless 2015. but then again it could mean nothing just a thought

Let's just assume they are adding a roller coaster to the arsenal, what are we thinking they will name it?

Chuck Wagon said:
There is no evidence to support the claim the GateKeeper was a last minute decision.

That depends upon ones definition of "last minute". Rob Decker stated that Gatekeeper was born at the November 2011 trade show during a conversation he had with Bollinger. Gatekeeper was announced less than a year later and gave its first rides less than 2 years later.

Chuck Wagon said:
There is no evidence to support the claim the GateKeeper was a last minute decision.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/g4p3uwUpZlo?autoplay=1

Fairly good evidence. Rob Decker says IAAPA 2011. That's less than a year before destruction of major rides and construction began. Year and a half until opening. Fairly well out of the "five year plan". Very good documentary loaded with tons of info.

I think this years addition has been in the pipeline though. But no one really knows except those involved with project haha

WishfulThinker83 said:
Either way here is the link and hope I didn't upset anybody with this comment! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cedar-Fair-Roller-Coaster-Construction/528819877202301?sk=photos_stream

Are you pointing out the green track or the red track? Since the pictures were posted before Carowind's announcement, wouldn't the green track be for Fury 325 (before the neon green sections were painted)?

By the way, thank you for sharing your pictures, and welcome to PointBuzz!

I have been reading everyones speculation for a while, and I would like to speculate a little myself before the announcement.

First off, if Rocky Mountain does work on Mean Streak, perhaps they could give it some topper track (the type of track Outlaw Run utilizes), rather than I-box track. All they would have to do is install some topper track in the corners and other high stress points, which would reduce wear and tear on the ride, allowing for the removal of the first drop trims. Of course, they could install topper track to the entire length of the ride and add some steep banking.
Although inversions could be added, I think it would probably be best leaving the layout fairly unchanged. After all, it is a good layout, just a bit too rough. Plus, by using topper track, the park would be left with a large "wooden" coaster.

Technically, topper track is a hybrid track, since it is a wood stack, with a steel box on top, whereas a I-box track is just a steel track put onto wooden supports, kinda like Gemini. (Coasters that have received the Iron Horse treatment are steel coasters, not hybrids!)

Perhaps if the park is doing a Blue Streak midway ramp-up, perhaps the park will do some work on Blue Streak itself? The following is a wish list of what the park should do to Blue Streak:
1. Give the coaster her buzz bars back. You cannot enjoy the airtime properly with ratcheting bars.
2. Get rid of the seatbelts. A seatbelt has never stopped anyone from standing up (see the button that says "push"). Although the ride does produce a good amount of airtime, I would not be concerned about falling out in the case of lap bar failure. (Has a properly maintained PTC lap bar ever been documented as failing?)
3. Get rid of the fin brakes and install skids, I know Cedar Fair expresses safety concerns about skids during inclement weather (i.e. when wet), but this is easily solved by removing the second train while it is raining.
4. I doubt they will never do this one, but I will dream that this ride will run without seat dividers again. It really wont affect capacity because strangers generally do not ride next to each other anyways on this ride, and the ride does not produce any strong lateral G's like anyone who has ridden Thunderbolt at Kennywood can testify.

Even tough I would like to see another epic coaster as much as everybody else, the park can make some real progress improving what they already have, especially since tweaking what is already there leaves a nostalgic factor, a feeling that a fifty million dollar ride cannot replace. Hopefully over the next few years the park will give us the best of both worlds. Cedar Point please do not disappoint me, and DO NOT touch the Cedar Downs.

Marek2011 said:
So Tony kept saying "Aquatrax" as a joke on twitter and we would just chuckle at it thinking there is no war that is what is coming in 2015. But what if it really is Aquatrax...

Tony Clark would be fired already if he said aquatrax on twitter and that is what is coming so do not expect them for 2015

They would wait to fire him so they don't give it away ;)

well whatever it is the has NEVER done it before that what I was told by a person in marketing

I'd be surprised if any coaster is named after LeBron James at this point. Publicity-wise, that ship has sailed. Announcing in September that a coaster would be named after him in 2015 would be anti-climactic.

Six Flags seems to be saying that RMC makeovers are exclusive to Six Flags, so a Mean Streak make over also seems unlikely.

Although Six Flags may have a exclusivity clause in their contract with RMC, exclusivity clauses generally expire. I am sure RMC will take money from anyone.

TopThrillDragsterRollback said:
Tony Clark would be fired already if he said aquatrax on twitter and that is what is coming so do not expect them for 2015

*sigh*...he's still there...

https://twitter.com/TonyClarkCP/status/495043905906573313

...and he also says it in this blog post!
https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog-article/online-fun/Thanks-For-The-Fun

Does anyone really believe its that? Not really...