Sky scraper and go karts leaving

Sandusky proper is a complete ghost town outside of the Cedar Point operating season. The 250 corridor is a draw from the surrounding communities as there are not many retail areas for a good distance in many directions. Outside of Castaway Bay (weekends only) I can't think of any tourist spots including the hotels, that remain open year round in Sandusky.

Kalahari, Great Wolf and I believe Maui Shores are open year round in addition to Castaway Bay.

Pete said:

It certainly can happen on the Peninsula, if it ever happens. It would actually make more sense to have it on Point as you have a large captive audience staying on Point that would be able to walk to the venue.

I'm not sure about that. I think the important thing to consider is the real size and demographics that make up that audience. As much as I complain about there not being enough to do after dark, any effort to address that has to be right-sized. Disney Springs attracts more people in a day than Cedar Point does at times. You can't really use that as a reference point.

I was talking about the City of Sandusky itself, the main part of the 250 corridor is outside of Sandusky, Great Wolf and Kalahari included. Perhaps the city limits are a technicality but that can't change my opinion that Sandusky proper is a dump outside of the chausse and immediate area of Cedar Point.

You haven't been downtown recently, then. There's a lot of energy and excitement in Sandusky.

https://vimeo.com/135834479

https://vimeo.com/148304302

I particularly like the plans for the marina that won't happen for like 10+ years.

I think Cedar Point could support a "Disney Springs Lite" area: a couple of chain restaurants, a few shops, maybe?

It's worth remembering that both CityWalks, Downtown Disney in CA and Disney Springs operate year round. Any such attraction at Cedar Point would be closed for quite a few months each year, and that limits the number of businesses that might be interested.

Kalahari might be booked year round, but those guests would be passing Olive Garden and Panera and Longhorn and Chili's and Outback long before they'd get to the Thirsty Pony.

No, certainly not something in the size of a Disney Springs. I don't know if the original suggestion was about something of that scope, but that certainly couldn't be sustainable. If something like an entertainment area happens where challenge park is, it would be something much smaller, like a beach bar and grill, maybe an additional family restaurant and a gift shop or two. Something aimed at guests from all the accommodations plus some day trippers. A facility of that size could easily work and would give the area much more of a resort feel than Challenge Park has now.

What Pete said.

If they are removed for MAIN PARK expansion, they would have to find a way to make it feel more connected. As it is, Challenge Park and Soak City seem very cut off from the rest of the park (I'm sure it's meant to be like that as they ARE separate areas).

I could see something like that working at Cedar Point during the operating season. I had thought the talk was about something off peninsula that'd be open year round. That is the plan I think would be doomed to fail and the basis of my comments about Sandusky. The city of Sandusky has a difficult time supporting itself 7 months out of the year and the area demographics themselves seem to suggest that any such plans outside of tourist season would not succeed

That. Cedar Point is many wonderful things, but it is not Walt Disney World and it is not Universal, and any such addition would have to be scaled to the park's operating season.

People seem to forget that the population of Orlando has 10 times the population of San dusky, That and the Orlando Metro area has more than 2 million people in it.

I hope to see challenge park incorporated into the park with a complete redo of the entrance to Soak City and the park entrance by Magnum. Every single entrance except for that one has been redone now. I think it is pretty logical to assume that that one will be redone in the next year or so.

Soak City just seems like it is completely separated from the park and I think if it were made to be designed so that it draws more attention that it would bring in more guests. That and a seasonal entertainment venue.

The people in Orlando do not, generally, hang out in the same places as the tourists. I'm not saying there is no overlap, but I don't imagine a lot of tourists are hanging out at Lake Eola and partying on Church Street.

We usually go by Lake Eola on our way to Beefy King before an afternoon of thrift stores ... but we're not typical tourists :-)

It's interesting: the original version of what is now Disney Springs was developed to draw locals into the resort, but Disney Springs is, I think, one more way to keep as many people as possible on property.

And as many locals as possible away from it.

I only go there for movies if they aren't playing anywhere else and the occasional dinner at The Boathouse.

Well then, after 14 years, I guess it's time to retire the go-kart spiel I have in my head.....

As people are getting on the ride:

"Welcome, riders, to the Grand Prix racetrack. For your safety and the safety of all other riders, please listen carefully to the following instructions. Please step into your assigned go-kart, pull the shoulder harness over your head onto to both shoulders and connect it to the buckle between your legs. For a proper fit the shoulder harness straps are adjustable. If you need assistance, please raise your hand and a ride host will assist you. The pedal on the right is the gas, the pedal on the left is the brake. Please do not step on the gas pedal until you are instructed to do so. While on the course, please do not bump or ram the go-karts. Bumping, ramming, and reckless driving will result in your immediate removal from the ride with no refund. Those riders with a two-consecutive ride ticket, please remain seated after returning to the station and hold up that 2nd ticket for the ride host to collect. While on the course, please observe and obey the traffic signal lights. When the light is green you may go, when the light is yellow, slow down and carefully return to the station, and when the light is red stop your go-karts immediately by pressing the brake pedal on your left and wait for instructions from a ride host. In just one moment we'll begin dispatching your go-karts. Once again, please do not step on the gas pedal until you are instructed to do so. Thank you and enjoy your ride on the Grand Prix Race Track."

As they are returning to the station:

Welcome back riders. Please enter the station slowly and carefully making sure not to bump the go-kart in front of you. Please remain seated in your go-kart until all go-karts have entered the station and you've been instructed to exit by a ride host.

After all go carts have returned:

At this time, you may now exit your go-kart, follow the blue lines to the front of the station and exit through the white gate marked exit on your left. Thank you for riding and enjoy the rest of your day here at Cedar Point.

Light system:

Red Light: Riders on the grand prix track, you're light is red. Please STOP your go-karts. Once again your light is red, please stop your go-karts.

Yellow Light: Riders on the grand prix track, you're light is yellow. Please slow down and carefully return to the station. Once again your light is yellow, please slow down and return to the station.

Green Light: Riders on the grand prix track, you're light is green go. You're light is green, GO!!!

Assigned go-kart? I don't remember ever being assigned...

I rode Magnum alot the last few years, maybe 50 or so times each year. Looking down to the Go-Kart track while on the lift hill the go-karts were very often idle, I do not mean being loaded at the time, I mean no riders present. You could always see the ride crew milling about. (I am not meaning to insult the crew, just observing ridership) Occasionally there would be as many as 4 cars at the most running the track.

I am quite sure "assigning" a car was never difficult as there were plenty of empties.

The putt-putt course always looked like a ghost-town. The course at Memphis Kiddie-Park does great business.

The reason we would occasionally assign go karts was because every once in a while, you'd get the idiots who would pick go-karts in the middle of the "pack" when there clearly weren't enough riders to occupy the karts in front of them.