Project 2007 Blog Update

With any new technology such as Millennium and Top Thrill Dragster you're going to have problems. Sure, not taking the risks would likely result in fewer problems, but would Cedar Point be where it is today if it didn't take risks?

Saying MF is a peice of crap is simply flaming. No one actually believes that, and no ones fooled.

B&M's are all very good rides, but they don't offer any unique that would stand out if CP were to build one.

CP likes to build rides that turn heads and make you interested. MF, WT, and TTD all do this very well. Intamin builds them cheap ($25 million still is very cheap for what they got) and they build them completely custom for the most part.

When CP was looking to build a ride over 300', Intamin was the only one to design a new lift system. CP was interested in the Impulse coasters being built across the country and Intamin was able to make theirs a little more special. CP wanted something very tall and very fast that featured a dragster type theme, Intamin delivered a ride that was considered ahead of its time.

The problems they had are something you can't overlook, but a quick look at the reviews the rides get and where MF took CP is truly remarkable. MF was built during the year that many places were building big new things, and the ride climb up to #1 and placed CP at the top just as the new millennium was upon us.

I know I am rambling on, but I don't think CP is disappointed with TTD as a whole. When its running people love the ride and it gives the rider the experience they were going for when they designed it. The downtime is the bummer, but 2006 is looking promising.

With regards to Wicked Twister, when they wanted something a little more special...does that something special include a structurally flawed ride? ;)

Seriously, how does Intamin overlook the fact that an extra car added to the train will change the center of gravity of the train, and increase the distance the train climbs the towers (and in turn change the stress applied to each tower)? The same amount of unsupported track that is structurally ok for 7 cars does not automatically equate to being ok for 8 cars. Hence the welding of the towers and new supports.

This is one major example of poor design/engineering. What we don't know (and probably will never know) is if the other problems on the other Intamins are due to similar engineering flaws or just bad luck.

There has got to be a point in which the park just gets fed up with all of the problematic rides built by Intamin. I bet this is the reason of the "here we go again!" sign. They are just anticpating a problematic ride from Intamin again. ;)

Hopefully this ride won't be plagued with problems, but that will probably be dependent upon what generates the speed on the ride. If there is a standard lift hill I bet there will be no problems whatsoever. If they used LIM's, problems will be nearly a given.

All the other impulses have gotten a few added supports as well. But I was implying to the two twist and extra height.

Im sorry to bring up the BT thing again, but I was thinking about it last night and it hit me like two dueling coasters racing at eachother. : ) I couldn't believe how obvious it was. The new signs might have given it away. "Back up bronco" and "Hold on to your spurs" could mean that one side could be named Bull or Bronco. "The winds are a changin'" could mean that the other side could be called Tornado or Twister. Its logical, but it might not be true. Its a thought though.

Yeah, I think you may have something here. Maybe not all of it, but the signs are sort of strange. I noticed a sign said "We're going in a whole new direction." I figured that maybe it would be going backwards or something. I dont know. We will probably find out later that none of these signs meant anything. lol. This is like the "Kinzel Code" or somehting.

Gomez said:
The downtime is the bummer, but 2006 is looking promising.

And at this point, so did 2005. And 04 and 03. I'll believe it can run consistently without major problems when I see it. Its track record isn't too promising though.

I can't say I agree with the piece of crap statement though. Millennium is probably the only one that doesn't fit that description in some way. It has some down time, but its not that bad. WT and TTD still experience way too much to have completely escaped that, and I love WT but it is always down with someone working on it for some portion of each trip.

Edit: retarded use of two/to/too

*** Edited 5/11/2006 11:40:51 AM UTC by JuggaLotus***

Thanks John.

And, Gomez, you are forbidden from making any more comments about how good TTD is going to run this year based on anything less than 5 months of reliable operation.

You cannot make a prediction based on 5% of the season. Its just silly, to put it nicely. I hope as much as anyone that it does run great, but c'mon, turn down the fanboy control just a wee bit. Please.

I didn't make a prediction. And I'm not forbidden to say TTD is having a good year so far, because it is. If its 5% of the season today it'll be 10% very soon. All I'm being is positive and it seems as though your glass is half empty. I don't appreciate being told that I'm forbidden to do anything. The whole reason I'm getting into TTD's uptime is to show everyone that the ride is doing well.

TTD will work and will haul a$$ throughout the entire summer and Halloweekends.

---

Starting the season off to a great start.

I could probably find a bunch of others, but I'm lazy. I'm glad that you're being positive, but between you and TTD 120mph, there is nothing but positive things to say about its upcoming season, with no evidence to support it. Its one thing to be positive, its another to make unrealistic predictions ad nauseum.

I guess I should offer an apology, because a lot of my irritation comes from the perpetual dislike shown for everything that's not TTD, while almost blindly endorsing the slightest glimmer of possible hope for TTD having anything less than a dismal season. A great example would be the post in the "best part of Maggie" thread, where your comments are 20% good about Maggie, 80% good about TTD. Its just tiring, because while everyone has their favorite ride, it seems that only the fanboys of TTD spout endless, almost cult-like reverence for the ride, tending to almost completely ignore the rest of the park in the process. And its not that I dislike the ride. In fact, I think its great, but there are 15 other coasters in the park, last time I checked. Okay, maybe 15.5. ;)

Gomez, are you suggesting that TTD's price tag of $25 million was a bargain?

$25 million is a bargain for something as large as Millenium Force, but TTD? Cedar Point got bent over on that one. That's not factoring all the down time this thing has.

Indeed:

MF = $180,000/second of ride time

TTD = $1,470,000/second of ride time

djDaemon said:

TTD will work and will haul a$$ throughout the entire summer and Halloweekends.

---

Starting the season off to a great start.

I could probably find a bunch of others, but I'm lazy. I'm glad that you're being positive, but between you and TTD 120mph, there is nothing but positive things to say about its upcoming season, with no evidence to support it. Its one thing to be positive, its another to make unrealistic predictions ad nauseum.

The last few days have been evidence. I never said anything bad about Magnum. It's a great ride, but I just said I don't see what is so special about it. And again, I never made a prediction, just a comment.

My point is, you went out of your way to go into a thread about a not-TTD ride and comment on how much better TTD is. That's the kind of thing that seems to happen moreso with the TTD group, which I find strange.

And how is:

TTD will work and will haul a$$ throughout the entire summer and Halloweekends.

not a prediction? You even bolded out "will" both times, further implying the 'prediction-ness' of your statement.

dj's got your number Gomez, can't deny it! ;)

So kids, back to the TOPIC, ahem...the quad-sided track would seem to suggest a sit down, since from what I could see the suspendeds use triangular track. And as for the "enthusiasts may be disappointed" thing, that would seem to rule out any kind of an X-coaster or other problematic design. I think it may be that CP has just elected to go in a "new (non-experimental) direction" and get a coaster that works well and provides thrills and airtime and leave it at that. I'm thinking "Storm Rider," what d'ya think?

p.s. djDaemon, you didn't do cost per ridership, above. Wha'dya think THAT works out to? ;)

That would make TTD look much, much worse.

I don't see how you say it is off to a good start. Opening day was horid.

Just because rides have downtime its not the end of the world. It happens, ride host hate downtime as much as you guys do. I wish you guys were in the ride host shoes for once and see how much crap they have to go threw each season. So quit crying about all the downtime and just go to the park and enjoy what rides that are not down.

All your thoughts about 2007 are all good but let me tell you it will be a shocker to all of us.
*** Edited 5/11/2006 6:59:12 PM UTC by Coasterfan82***

djDaemon said:
My point is, you went out of your way to go into a thread about a not-TTD ride and comment on how much better TTD is. That's the kind of thing that seems to happen moreso with the TTD group, which I find strange.

And how is:

TTD will work and will haul a$$ throughout the entire summer and Halloweekends.

not a prediction? You even bolded out "will" both times, further implying the 'prediction-ness' of your statement.

You're quoting a post that wasn't even in this thread. I find it absurd that you're being this touchy on this and the fact that you quoted only half of my post. I said I was looking at at with the glass half full (another way of looking at things with a positive perspective). The only reason I said that was when someone said they hope TTD is open in June and found that a bit negative, so I encouraged them not to think that way.

The other forum was about your favorite part of Magnum and I answered the question and just said I don't see what everyone else sees in the ride. I never once said I hated the ride or anyone else should hate the ride.

Again, don't forbid me from doing nothing wrong.

Looking back at what I said in the Magnum thread had nothing to do with TTD being better. Just the fact that MF and TTD out size it and it doesn't feel as tall as it would have back before 2000.

Although I don't see what makes Magnum so great, I do like the pretzel turn the most. There's nothing about the ride that totally sticks out as being over-the-top awesome. Maybe it's because I wasn't on it before MF and TTD totally changed the way people look at the ride, but it's still a great ride though.

The airtime usually hurts my legs at one point or another. Blue Streak's airtime always strikes me as the best.

Then Coaster Devil said this in the TTD forum:

Im going on the third too. Lets pray that it is working and the lines are short.

And I said:

^No need to pray. TTD will work and will haul a$$ throughout the entire summer and Halloweekends.

My glass is always half full. :)

I wouldn't be arguing this if I thought I did something wrong. *** Edited 5/11/2006 7:06:04 PM UTC by Gomez***