why has CP survived as long as it has?

I hesitate to say never, but I'm not sure Universal will ever be able to top Disney. And I'm not sure they need to.

In the world of amusement/theme park specific fan sites, the only sites larger than PointBuzz are some of the WDW ones. Those people (and there are a lot) make a Cedar Point enthusiast look like the general public. :) That devotion and the "Disney" experience will keep them as top dog in Orlando for a long time.

The size of the resort and the options available make it an "escape your reality" vacation that isn't equaled anywhere. Not to mention the value of Mickey, the characters, the films, their media properties, etc.

*** Edited 5/19/2006 4:43:05 PM UTC by Walt***

has CP got anything like the "Men in Black " ride? Ever see them getting something like it if not?

I'm with Walt and Josh on this one about WDW. I could spend weeks... nay... MONTHS there. I'd require a side trip to IOA to avoid the cuteness overload after a while, but I'd still take a day at EPCOT (it's still caps to me, damnit!) over a day at any thrill park on the planet.

I'm a bigger Disney parks fan than I am a coaster fan or even Cedar Point junkie.

*** Edited 5/19/2006 4:43:40 PM UTC by Michael Darling***

Is it one of the dark ride "shooters"? I rode Buzz Lightyear at Disney, and if MIB is anything like that, then no Cedar Point will never be getting something like that. At least not without a major attitude change towards dark rides.

Michael Darling said:
I'm a bigger Disney parks fan than I am a coaster fan.

I'll second that. I could very easily spend more than a week at a time there.

*** Edited 5/19/2006 4:44:11 PM UTC by JuggaLotus***

walt..Disney could survive on foreign visitors alone I think*s*. Their characters definitely have contributed to the parks longevity.

michael....I could spend more time at Epcot than the Kingdom. Love the new "ride" with the sideways IMAX screen and the miniature train track outside of the stage..more of the Disney detail!

jugg..yeah..MIB is a dark ride shooter. Why doesn't CP like those?

I actually "ran" into our own Brian Noble at WDWMagic.com, and it's nice to see so many other Cedar Point fans who are also WDW fans.

You didn't hear this from me, but rumor has it someone recently registered WDWInFocus.com. ;) Sounds like a potential WDW photo web site if you ask me. As if that person needs another web site to maintain. :)

*** Edited 5/19/2006 4:57:27 PM UTC by Walt***

Would I be generalizing too much to say that CP has grown /survived well by being good at mostly one thing? Coasters, While Disney has done it with characters,detail and fantasy? Each has a niche it meets, I'm not trying to be sexist with this question..but do you think men are more drawn to CP and women to Disney? I know my wife will ride a few of the rides at CP with me(daughter will ride ALL of them probably) but likes the shows much better. To a large degree she is going to CP because she wants to see me happy.She would never go on her own . Seems like for a park to keep going it would have to appeal to both somehow.

Roller coasters have only been a significant part of Cedar Point for, say, the last 30 years. I think it's all about location. The setting on a Lake Erie peninsula is unmatched anywhere. The beach, the Hotel Breakers and the Coliseum can all take a lot of credit for where Cedar Point is today.

Coasters get CP press and continue to bring the young crowd in. I believe that's the only reason they're there.

Most people (including myself) overlook the great live entertainment at the park. I might be wrong, but doesn't CP win awards year after year for their shows.

CP's main draw is its rides (due to their ads and news stories about them), but CP has so much more to offer then a ride on a roller coaster.
*** Edited 5/19/2006 7:03:20 PM UTC by Gomez***

Gomez is exactly right. In the past 3 years I have always overlooked CP's other things it has to offer. I am usually all about the riding. This year I plan on doing a lot more than that. I love Frontier Town and plan to check out some shows this year. As much as the rides are awesome, the atmosphere and other attractions are just as good.

Darn domains by proxy, registering random domain names. ;)

When I go to CP for my first time June 21-22, I'm gonna ride all the thrill rides. I won't have times to relax and stuff. It will probably be the only time until I'm 18 I go to CP. It's a 8-10 hour drive from South NJ and my dad probably wont feel like doing that again next year with these gas prices.

Chaulk me up as a another huge Disney / CP fan. While I don't see the two with a lot in common, they both share one thing - the ability to create tradition. My parents took me to both while I was young, and sure enough, we took our kids as soon as they were big enough. My kids are now in their 20's, and they're still going to both. When they have kids, they're sure to share both places with them.

The draw is the mix of remembering what was while being anxious to see what's next - and having someone to pass it along to.

Walt are you hinting at creating a WDW site?

On the whole WDW subject. I've been there twice in the last year and I absolutly love the place. I found somthing new each time I went to the parks. I spent more time outside of the Magic Kingdom then in it. I know I spent alot of time at the Animal Kingdom back in March riding Expedition Everest. (Great ride btw).

I know Jeff is pretty enthousiastic about Universal. He would say Universal tops Disney.

I finally got down to Islands of Adventure this spring break, and I can't wait to go back (whenever that is). I loved their attention to detail and overall submersion throughout the park. Thei themeing of the Dueling Dragons queue was so cool. Spiderman was definitely a one of a kind ride too.

I haven't been to Disney though. I suspect I won't make it there for some time either. It all just seems a bit pricey for a college kid...

I'm finally going to Florida in December this year. I'm looking foreward to Disney and Universal both. I find Expedition Everest amazing. I'm very excited to see Animal Kingdom (the detail and the fact that they turned a swap into a African plain is very cool).

I find so many people from Orlando that want to visit Cedar Point. There are some amazing attractions in Orlando, but none of them can compare to the rush of a really amazing coaster. There are a handful of great ones (Fire & Ice, Kraken, Busch Gardens in Tampa has a few - Ride Sheikra!) but I give credit to Cedar Point for not dressing up these coasters much more then their raw form and present them for exactly what they are - great coasters.

On the flip side - the entertainment value in orlando parks is far better. It's more of a "Wow - wasn't that cool" instead of "Wow - that was so fast!". I hope everyone can enjoy both kinds of park experiences. Just don't come down expecting a Millenium Force. That and don't forget your wallet.

Walt said:
I think it's all about location. The setting on a Lake Erie peninsula is unmatched anywhere.

Exactly. I always imagined what if there was almost an exact same setting and peninsula in Sandusky somewhere else in the country or world. It could be pertfect for a new Disney park, with a Magic Kingdom surrounded by water on three sides.

Anyways, I'm heading to that special park in Anaheim this August and can't wait! :) Sometimes I wish CP would have built their own interactive walk-thru attraction, like Tom Sawyer Island, in the center of Paddelwheel Excursions years ago. When I was younger, I considered the Jungle Larry area to be the "Adventureland."