Would you ride a coaster in the winter, in snow?

I envy you, Mr Noble.

MrScott

Brian Noble said:
No.

If I need a winter coaster ride, I get on an airplane that takes me somewhere warm.

Speaking of which, two weeks from RIGHT NOW I'll be entereing Epcot's gates...

I would opt for your version of a winter coaster any day, but it won't be happening this winter. Have a safe and fun trip!

I went back and it looks like 7 definite yes' and 5 definite no's and a few maybes and comments, so probably a 50/50 split. I ran out of fingers and had to type with my toes, so if I counted wrong... Anyhow, if you haven't seen the pictures from Nasu Highland Park, check them out, I was pretty amazed that the rides were able to run in those conditions and wondered if this was for real. Seeing the staff shoveling snow for guests was pretty funny too. I don't stop bike riding, going to the zoo, hiking in the park, bird watching and many other of my favorite outdoor activities unless it is really cold out and if CP was a Nasu Highlands, I'd be out there today.

Alexandersco said:
CP this time of year? Don't be ridiculous if you like CP enough to read/post messages on a CP fan website in the middle of winter I think everyone here would be up for it... not to many others tho... oh well.

Completely Agreed!!!!!!!!!

No, I would not go to Cedar Point to ride coasters in the winter. Winter is all about skiing for me, something I enjoy at least as much as riding coasters.

Is it technically possible to run coasters in the winter? Yes, parks in Japan run coasters in the winter. Would enough people be hard core enough to come to CP in the winter to make it worthwhile. Not even close.

I love being at CP in the summer sun, when it is warm. Everything has it's time and place. When the snow melts in March and spring is around the corner, that is when I'm thinking of that first spring coaster ride.

"Yes, parks in Japan run coasters in the winter."

They also don't re-open 318 foot, $50,000,000 coasters on superstitious grounds when the real reason is because they dont want to keep up on its maintenance!
Just goes to show ya, Japan sure is odd when it comes to coasters and amusement parks.:)

yay! 1300th post

*** Edited 2/12/2006 3:12:52 AM UTC by TTD 120mph***

^Where did you get the information? I've never heard whole maintenance thing before. Are you sure that is true?

Japan is rich in religion and having a ride crash doesn't sit well with them.

Well (if you don’t know already) I'm talking about Steel Dragon 2000. It derailed back in 2003 and has been down since!!! Investigation found out that the park was not performing any maintenance checks on the trains. They wouldn’t check the trains for weeks on end!! And that's why one of the trains derailed (had to do with the wheel assembly). The park stated, back in 04, that they believe the ride brought bad luck and they don’t feel safe reopening it for superstitious reasons.
I find that funny because it was their fault and they don’t want to acknowledge it. They’re covering it up with their religious backgrounds (not that there's anything wrong with their beliefs).

I made serveral drawings where I made a 5,000 ft tall glass building to enclose CP so that rain, snow or anything wouldn't shut down cp with lots of height for tall coasters. In the summertime some of the windows can be change out for screens or just use air conditioning. In the winter the furnances would be turned on. Then we won't have to worry about Cedar Point being closed from November till May it can be open all year. No more rain showers. No bugs hitting you in the face at 120 mph. At night just turn on the lights so CP could be open 24 hours.

cp kid said:
I made serveral drawings where I made a 5,000 ft tall glass building to enclose CP so that rain, snow or anything wouldn't shut down cp with lots of height for tall coasters. In the summertime some of the windows can be change out for screens or just use air conditioning. In the winter the furnances would be turned on. Then we won't have to worry about Cedar Point being closed from November till May it can be open all year. No more rain showers. No bugs hitting you in the face at 120 mph. At night just turn on the lights so CP could be open 24 hours.

No dont turn on the lights that the dark gives the great feeling at being at the park at night with lights there is no dark LOL! And 2. Cedar point supposedly had to fight to allow TTD because of height restrictions so a 5,000 ft tall structure wouldnt go ove very well especially if they hard a hard time getting a 400ish foot coaster

cp kid said:
I made serveral drawings where I made a 5,000 ft tall glass building to enclose CP so that rain, snow or anything wouldn't shut down cp with lots of height for tall coasters. In the summertime some of the windows can be change out for screens or just use air conditioning. In the winter the furnances would be turned on. Then we won't have to worry about Cedar Point being closed from November till May it can be open all year. No more rain showers. No bugs hitting you in the face at 120 mph. At night just turn on the lights so CP could be open 24 hours.

Why don't you enclose the bay too, keep the boating season all year, add a few few casinos, and turn power tower into a christmas tree for a CP winterfest and it just might work and.

We were at Dollywood a year ago after Thanksgiving during a freakish cold spell and rode all the coasters with the temperature hovering in the low 40s. We had a blast!
I know at that park, if the temperature dips below 40 degrees they don't run the coasters.
TTD120mph I don't believe what you said about SD2K...the Japanese are known for going overboard when it comes to safety. *** Edited 2/12/2006 4:09:57 PM UTC by macho nachos***

Of course I would ride in the winter. I would definitely make a bunch of trips to Cedar Point in the winter if they were open I would love it. I would love the glass dome too I think it would be awesome
*** Edited 2/12/2006 4:57:42 PM UTC by Browns and the Force***

macho nachos said:TTD120mph I don't believe what you said about SD2K...

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/2003-29-397199.htm

Top two stories.

You can believe him now.

99er I am familiar with those news items. I believe the problem stemmed from faulty bolts and/or wheels. I doubt the incident had anything to do with lack of maintenance or inspections, in my opinion.

I would and did ride a coaster in the snow. It was Shockwave at SF Great America. It started snowing when we were going up the lifthill.We got stuck for 30 min in the snow and then the ride resumed. It was snowing pretty good by then.This was all during the last weekend of Fright fest,years ago. I would do it Again anytime(also a bad case of windburn occurred). Last season on Raging bull it started hailing bad as we were going up the lifthill and that was something I wouldnt want to repeat. Speed plus hail equals pain. Thank god it was opening weekend and still cold so I had a hooded jacket on.

I doubt the incident had anything to do with lack of maintenance or inspections, in my opinion.

A quick morning inspection would/should have found those loose bolts. I don't think those bolts, in fact all bolts on any type of 200+ tall coasters, can come loose within hours. With a coaster that goes 90+mph, the bolts should be fastened quite tight. Those line markers they make on the bolt and the wheel assembly would make it quite obvious that the bolt has moved. That is if they even have those on their bolts. I just don’t see how a quick inspection would miss something like that. If they’re so keen on inspecting their rides they would have seen the faulty bolt.

^Sorry, now that I think of it, I remember reading that on CoasterBuzz a while back.