Ride Removals: What's Next?

It seems s though there are rumors floating around that Cedar Fair is not yet done with ride removals at Geauga Lake.

If these rumors are true, which I think they are, I was curious as to what other rides may be removed prior to the 2008 season.

I think Skyscraper is most likely on the chopping block, and in terms of coasters, Head Spin seems to be the most logical choice.

-Sam

Im guessing since they already took out two of the coasters that Six Flags put in that more of the newer ones will be gone. Ive heard rumors that Dominator will be next. But guess we'll find out soon enough in the off season what will happen next

In the Plain Dealer it said something where they will make more money by tearing down the ride side of the park and build condos on the later and also Cedar Fair is going to be focusing on the water side of the park.

Is there any need to tear down any more rides? How about adding some.

If they're not making a profit. My money is on Dominator.

That is really sad then if that's the case. Sounds like they need to learn how to run a business.

I don't think they can handle having more than just a park or 2, not like 10 or so.

It just goes to show that Cedar Point is really doing something wrong. Maybe they did bite off more than they can chew with Paramount Parks.

They better watch out. They might just run themselves right into the ground if they aren't careful.

Im thinking that dominator should get moved to Michigan's adventure. Just a thought, but they could use a good steel coaster.

If Dominator leaves then I'm not sure if I'll go back to Geauga Lake. I can easily go to Kings Island for a better water park, or just hop on over to Cedar Point for a better ride selection, or even Kings Island again.

Sure, Geauga Lake has a nice big wave pool and a few cool slides, but thats about it. Dominator is a nice coaster that doesn't bang or jostle you around too much, like most other rides there do. Sure, Villian and Big Dipper are fun, but thats really about it now. You can go ride the Hang and Bang, the Sit and Bang, or DeRailment: The Ride.

Unless they expand the water park some more, I can't see myself going there if they remove more coasters.

Kings Island for a better water park??? Are you kidding me? I thought their water park sucked last week.

They don't even have a lazy river. Their wave pool is like a wave pool for non-swimmers, and it reminds me of the wave pool they had at Wet 'N' Wild in Las Vegas before it closed up. It was lame!

The cool thing, however, about KI water park is the surfing machine. Besides that, and the big funnel slide, their water park needs some major attractions. I can definitely see why it's included with admission.

I could see both Dominator and Head Spin going, though I'm not sure if the ride side of the park could ever recover from another body blow like that. It occurred to me just the other day that, even with X-Flight gone, Geauga Lake still has FOUR inverting coasters. That's a lot of upside down.

I can't imagine where in the CF chain they'd ship Head Spin to, but I could definitely see Dominator acquiring a Canadian accent . . . Le Dominator.

For me, GL is increasingly about the woodies. Villain is a much better ride this year, and is an actual draw for me now. Big Dipper is still a nice, classic ride. And if CF would ever pick up a couple mechanics and drop them off in the vicinity of RWB's exit queue, we'd be in business.

"Im thinking that dominator should get moved to Michigan's adventure. Just a thought, but they could use a good steel coaster."

GL draws 700,000 in a bad year, MiA draws 600,000 in a good one. Why would they move a coaster from the higher drawing park to the lower drawing park?

Because GL is a jumble of steel that was loosely thrown together by a 10 year old playing RCT3. Moving a ride from there to another park is much cheaper than investing in a ground-up new development for the receiving park. I'm not sure that MiAdv would get it, but they could use a good steel coaster.

I doubt Dominater could be easily or cheaply moved. It is more of a terrain coaster and you would have to match the terrain pretty closly to get it to fit. Also if it does leave there is NO WAY it is going to MiAdv - so keep dreaming!

Putting what would be a $15 million coaster today at Michigan's Adventure is a really silly idea.

I didn't say it was likely, but I can dream can't I?

Why is putting a new coaster in at MIA a silly idea? It seems like attendance has been on the up swing the past few years. They have the available land ready to go. They need to put a resort style hotel in the area that would be a huge kick in the butt for attendance for sure.

^ Why would a hotel increase park attendance? Is there a room shortage in the Muskegon area now? Do people say "I'd go to MiA instead of CP or SFGAm if only there was a resort-style hotel instead of of a Motel 6?"

A hotel would capture more of the guests $$$, but I doubt it'd drive up attendance in and of itself. There simply isn't the population in the area--and CP will draw the crowds from central & eastern Michigan. MiA's attendance may be on the upswing, but its best year attendancewise is worse than GL's worst year. *** Edited 8/16/2007 6:46:01 PM UTC by Captain Hawkeye***

JTaylor said:
Why is putting a new coaster in at MIA a silly idea?

I dont think anyone said putting a new coaster at MiAdv would be a silly idea. I think the point was that Dominator, or any 15 million dollar high capacity ride would be a silly idea at a park that right now could not support it.

Porting over what I've said at Coasterbuzz...

Sky Scraper, Head Spin, the upcharge go-karts. It just occurs to me that this area of the park is huge, and could be made smaller and more coherent by doing this. Clean up that front section and the old water park in one swoop by throwing in a Music Express, Chance Revolution, Rock'N'Tug, and a spinning coaster. I wouldn't even mind seeing the park's Carousel moved into the current "Central Park" area (replacing it with a Wave Swinger where the Carousel currently is), as long as the whole area's getting an overhaul. Just make that area a lot tighter, and make it feel like an actual midway (see also: Dorney Park's upper midway). As long as I could get away with it, I'd also move the Merrie Oldies over to this area to create more room for picnic areas back there by Double Loop/Villain.

While I'm removing one upcharge, might as well remove the Turbobungie from the park, too. I just plain hate thoes things. Rockwalls and skycoasters don't bother me, just glorified trampolines do. Put the Starfish back in that spot.

I would also remove Grizzly Run (which I've yet to see in action, even after three visits to the park) and work in a train loop that goes from that area by RWB and stops at the Happy Harbor area. Removing Grizzly Run would open up the pathway back there a little more, but more importantly, could free up land for more family flats and maybe even a dark ride.

Dominator... I honestly wouldn't touch, knowing full well a 3-train B&M floorless coaster isn't really well suited for the clientèle GL's trying to attract. Nevertheless, it's already there, and I think it's absence would cause more damage than X-Flight and Steel Venom combined. It's a ride that would be better suited in, well, any of the flagship parks in the chain; but at GL, it looks nice, and it can hold it's own against most of the other big Ohio parks' coasters. Plus, it's the park's signature steel coaster, so it stays.

As for the waterpark, I'd take out the aquatic stadium and expand over there. Maybe that's a good place for Flying Super Saturator from Carowinds? I'd fall in line with Thunderhawk and Dominator, another coaster bordering the lake... I don't know, either way, that stadium is kind of an eyesore where it is right now, especially that it's not in use... and with that bridge there, it makes me think it's not going to be used as an entertainment venue anytime soon.

Wow, those sure are a lot of changes. I don't think the park could afford to do all that.

A full sized train looping around from GL to WWK is a great idea, I think. They need a better form of transportation from one side to the other since they quit running the ferry boats.

Why touch Grizzly Run? That is a great ride. Of all the times I've been there, it's been running except for only once I think.

As far as the stadium goes, I think they should bring back the old water skiing show. That would be a nice, different form of entertainment.

We all have ideas. Some good, some bad. I'd really hate to see them remove more rides. It would break my heart.