Will Cedar Point get an 18th coaster to remain the coaster capital?

Magic Mountain is adding a new coaster this year and next year. That will put them at 17, tied with Cedar Point.

http://www.rcdb.com/pd1.htm
http://www.rcdb.com/pd4.htm

RCDB already lists them both at 17.

Does it matter? No. They don't compete. Most people who go to CP don't even know Magic Mountain exists. I know if I wasn't the coaster freak that I am I wouldn't know what MM is either.

Nobody but us care.

The better question is, whenever they build the 18th, will they tear down another coaster to make way for it, or will they keep all rides as they are?

SF isn't making a good move by adding one coaster this year and one next year at the same park. Arn't they trying to appeal to families now?

Who cares who has more coasters anymore??

^Uhh its called a family coaster. You can build a coaster that still appeals to families.

I agree with pretty much every other view. The coaster boom is over. No one really cares about who has the most coasters anymore. However if having the two extra coasters somehow takes away "The Greatest Amusement Park in the World" title then we may need to think about it.

I agree with others as well. Why is Six Flags putting so much money into one park when it is so obvious that other parks are suffering? Rides need paint jobs and serviced. I can't believe that they are adding two coasters in back to back years to the same park when parks in Kentucky and St. Louis need to be helped.

Ryan

Quality vs. quantity.

This topic gets brought up toooooo much on this forum...

They need another coaster in my opinion. I think for people who are travelling and do not come regularily being the "coaster capital" matters. They do have word of mouth and a pile of awards but if they do not do something they will not be as appealing in my opinion.

It is not really the passholders they make the most money off of. Sure they make it off food and people who stay on site but the people who come for day visits are the reason they make the funds. They come from farther for a shorter time period but these people can also likely choose just one park for vacation and Cedar Point is competing.

The new ads are good as they are trying to expand their demographic but I think they need to do something decent pretty soon.

No. CP needs to keep doing park improvements as they have done for 2009. I hope they do not stop now, because they're making really good progress.

The Coaster Wars are over at the current time..and probably will be for atleast the next 5-10 years. People who go to CP hardly know what SFMM is, and those who go to SFMM don't know CP. The two parks are too far apart to be any competition with each other.

And besides that, each park has it's higher-quality coasters. It comes down to costs and safety..

I agree with most arguements. CP is really making good progress with the improvements and what not, but at the end of the day it comes down to what the majority of people come to an amusement park for and that is roller coasters; it's not America's roller coast for nothing.

I think right now though, even when SFMM ties Cedar Point in 2010 (barring Cedar Point adding a new coaster in 2010), we still have the best quality of roller coasters in the nation. When you think about it every ride has it's own personality and with the exception of a few, you cannot find rides like them anywhere on the planet. This is why I love Cedar Point so much. In then end I don't think people are just going to give up on Cedar Point and start going to SFMM or any other park just because they don't have the most coasters anymore.

Ryan

I know that the coaster wars are over, but it still seems like they like to mention the fact that they have the most coasters. I agree with quality over quantity. I would rather remove a coaster and add a great coaster in its place than just add a mediocre coaster just for the sake of having the most.

I miss the coaster wars. :(

CP rush said:
I agree with most arguements. CP is really making good progress with the improvements and what not, but at the end of the day it comes down to what the majority of people come to an amusement park for and that is roller coasters; it's not America's roller coast for nothing.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I make this argument all the time but it never works. Although i believe that these updates are good and will improve the park, so would an 18th coaster. I would hands down choose a coaster over LED screens and lights. Cedar Point is not the LED capital of the world. Don't get me wrong i think it's great that the park is making improvements this off season because there are not any new rides, but to take 2 or 3 off-seasons to do this could be bad for this park. They don't have to necessarily compete with MM for the most rides, but thrills is what this park is about and it IS the "roller coaster capital of the world." Most people that visit the park once or twice a year that i know have no clue about these improvements and do not care about led lights, there one visit to the park per season is to RIDE ON and not to see the light show. In fact i get asked all the time why there isn't a new roller coaster. Enjoy the improvements this off-season because its back to the rides in 2010.

^ Amen! :)

Tell that to my parents, who we bring to the park with us, on what's becoming a once-a-year basis. My mom has horrible RA and can barely walk all day, and my dad has a slight heart condition in which he can ride some rides/coasters, but nothing too extreme.

When they go, they love to be out and about, and watch the shows, eat a meal, and just relax. Come to think of it, that's how I've been doing things lately. CP has 17 roller coasters, most other parks are doing fine with anywhere from 3-7. Hell, last week at KI, we rode Diamondback, The Beast, Backyard Grill Coaster, Top Flight, and Adventure Express - we could have rushed and done more, but why? We got our money's worth and had a great day.

As Adam says, I've got a PhD in this stuff.

edit: The very fact that the commercial everyone thinks is "lame" is portraying that there's more to do at CP than just the rides, should tell you the direction they're headed in. There's more to this business than pleasing the ZOMGXXXTREEEEEMMEEEE!11!@@ crowd, and the "enthusiasts". I'd much rather spend my day doing things like shows and eating, and lounging on the beach, than catching an extra 2 rides on Magnum.

Also: GET OFF MY LAWN!

I'd rather the park stay at 17 coasters and just replace DT and MS as their next two coaster installations. exit is right... there is a LOT more to the amusement park industry than pleasing the types of people that visit coaster sites.

It's very true that every coaster has a greater ROI than park improvements.

It's easily said that adding a coaster usually spikes attendance.

And if you had the most coasters at your park, why wouldn't you be bragging about it?

But lets say you don't add a coaster to CP's lineup for the next 3 years. Other parks like SFMM does. They might have better numbers coming in, but if we keep doing improvements like this, we'll better than in the longer run.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather be at a park with 10 coasters that is clean, has proper signs, is landscaped, nice hotel rooms, rather than going to a park with 18 coasters that have bad cleanliness, puke all over the place, bad hotels, and rusty signs..

Basically, the improvements will inspire people to keep coming. In a nutshell. ;)

SFMM is a densely packed (rides) park before adding these new coasters. Wonder where they are shoe horning these in? Personally, I find parks that try to cram too much into limited space less appealing. Sensory overload.

I agree that a new attraction (notice I didn't necessarily say coaster) can bring customers, but, unless the quality is there, they won't be back. You have to pay attention to both quality and new experiences for guests to try..