Top Thrill Dragster 2022 Status

Jeff:

Then answer it with something that isn't the park's marketing or the meaningless AT poll. Also, how did this superiority affect other parks? And by extension, why does it mean they have to concentrate on roller coasters?

In Economics you know the only things that really change are where peoples allotment of funds are spent.

Cedar Point has to be chosen over Six Flags, Buch Gardens, Disney, Universal etc.

They need to compete. Its next to impossible for Cedar Fair to compete with 500M Dark Rides.

However, they can differentiate. They have marketed themselves as the thrill ride capital of the world. That is an avenue they can compete in to steel visits and market share from other parks.

The "local market" for the most part, is tapped out. Extending that reach and pulling from external markets will lead to growth.

Magnum Matt:

Sorry but don’t see Sandusky, Ohio as a vacation destination. Weekend getaway or couple day getaway maybe but vacation destination that’s a stretch. Have to have more to offer around the area to be a vacation destination and that isn’t happening in Sandusky, Ohio

Again, bigger picture. Yes you dont consider it an international vacation destination now.

But thats the dream, the end goal, that's what they are working towards making it.

-You have a beautiful Peninsula on a massive freshwater lake, with the best white sandy beaches in the state and summer temps in the 80s and 90s with a beach side resort.

-Cedar Point is building an E-Sports Arena

-Theres a Kalahari, which is definitely a world class facility.. AND Castaway Bay.. AND a Great Wolf Lodge.

-Theres a Safari Adventure park.

-Theres Arcades and Haunted Houses

I mean.. thats alot of attractions in one area and theyre continuing to invest. The whole Sandusky region is becoming essentially built on tourism.

MagnumMatt:

I guess if you don’t agree with others here your opinion doesn’t matter.

You know what they say about opinions. Obviously you feel strongly about yours or you wouldn't insist that it's right. There are people around you who have tried to explain the business to you and you continue to insist that your feelings should drive Cedar Point's decision making. If you can't handle your opinions being challenged, the Internet is not the place for you. If we didn't do that here, we'd be left with a bunch of threads about what our favorite colors are. That would be pretty boring.

NextGen89:
They need to compete.

With whom? You should read John H.'s book. It has the answer.

Master D:

I know plenty of non-enthusiasts and over the years the only times we really discuss CP is when new, premier coasters are built.

My coworker lived in NC when she got married. Her and her husband chose Cedar Point for their honeymoon because they had heard there entire lives that it was the best place to ride rollercoasters. They are not "Enthusiasts", just fans of thrill machines.

Valid points Jeff….

Anecdotes are anecdotal.

IMO this site is really cool….😁

Cedar Point might be the coaster amazement park in our lifetimes, but it wasn’t so long ago that their coasters were small and irrelevant and low in quantity. They may have even gone a few years without any coasters at all.

Kings Island reignited the interest in major coaster construction. This probably struck a cord with a young Dick.

However, bigger taller faster longer seemingly left the peninsula with Kinzel. The exception being SV. (But 205’ isn’t truly record breaking anymore)

as much as I love bigger taller faster longer I very much appreciate the infrastructure, accommodation, and culinary improvements more so.

FWIW I prefer Canada’s Wonderland’s total attraction package over CP any day. KI is quickly gaining ground.

Augustmueller:

FWIW I prefer Canada’s Wonderland’s total attraction package over CP any day. KI is quickly gaining ground.

Hard pass on preferring Kings Island to CP. I went there this Summer for the first time in ~10 years or so since they had multiple new coasters that I had never ridden. Orion, Banshee, Mystic Timbers. And while I enjoyed the new coasters and had a good day KI just doesn't do it for me the way CP always has! There are easily 4 or 5 CP coasters I like better than Kings Island's best coaster.

I have wanted to make it to Canada's Wonderland for a number of years so can't compare there. Maybe next Summer I will finally make it there!! Its the only one of the former Paramount parks I have never visited.

NextGen89:

You have a beautiful Peninsula on a massive freshwater lake, with the best white sandy beaches in the state and summer temps in the 80s and 90s with a beach side resort.

Wait...that's the best beach Ohio has? Bummer.

We don't have a ton of options on that front

Master D:

...premier roller coasters creates the most "buzz".

What's the conversion rate of "buzz" units to U.S. dollars?

MagnumMatt:
...if certain aspects work...

But these "certain aspects" - record breaking coaster installations every couple years - don't work, in that they don't result in meaningful increases in revenue. Hildebrandt covers this in his book, where he explains that while in the 90's they saw attendance and revenue increase with some additions, that tended not to hold true as the years went on. In other words, record breaking coasters were harder to justify from an ROI standpoint as their ride lineup matured.

As Josh said, CF is running a business, not playing RCT in sandbox mode.

I’m reading his book now! And love it so far!

Am I the only one that would rather see them figure out how to efficiently operate the coasters they have before building more? Operational efficiency and the weather policies are so terrible right now, I'd rather they focus on getting back to where they used to be (if that's even on their radar, for all I know the park sees nothing wrong with the current state of operations) before worrying about building more.

It would be nice. If they can get this Dragster 2.0 thing open in 2024 AND improve the up time of the other major coasters, it certainly helps. Our summer trip this year was heavily impacted by having no Dragster and no Valravn for the entire week, plus significant downtime for Maverick, Magnum and Raptor during that week. Spotty downtime for SV, Millennium and GateKeeper.

vwhoward:

NextGen89:

You have a beautiful Peninsula on a massive freshwater lake, with the best white sandy beaches in the state and summer temps in the 80s and 90s with a beach side resort.

Wait...that's the best beach Ohio has? Bummer.

As a yearly visitor and not a resident, I'm certainly not an expert on the beaches of Ohio, but as far as beaches go I always had more fun at Headlands State Park than Cedar Point.

Regarding operational efficiency, it seems like the park is happy to forgo efficiency to save money on insurance by following those IROC procedures...at least that's my understanding. With as litigious as society is now, I can't really see them backing off that position as long as there is a financial incentive (with the added "benefit" of driving fastlane sales). I wonder if there are any actual metrics showing that a guest who isn't waiting in line as long will end up spending more money on in park purchases.

They are still capable. The Raptor crew was great this year (a ride with bins) as was Magnum and SV. Saw a bad metal detection bottleneck two weeks ago on Sunday, but the station crew has been great.

Cartwright:

Am I the only one that would rather see them figure out how to efficiently operate the coasters they have before building more?

I mean, it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Drbyq9:

Regarding operational efficiency, it seems like the park is happy to forgo efficiency to save money on insurance by following those IROC procedures.

Does that include the current rain policy as well? None of the other Cedar Fair parks close rides for light rain like Cedar Point does, but they all contract with IROC

Apparently you've never been to Knott's Berry Farm. They will shutter when it's forecast the day before....