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Cedar Fair Parks

Jul 27, 2014
475
375
Hulk's Queue
This is for all things related to amusement parks in the Cedar Fair chain, excluding Cedar Point, which already has a thread.
Today, the Cedar Fair parks have announced an entire slate of new attractions for 2017. The list of new attractions at each park is below.

California's Great America @CAGreatAmerica
  • Patriot (The park's Vortex stand-up coaster will be converted into a floorless coaster)
Carowinds @Carowinds
  • The New County Fair, featuring 4 new rides: Electro-Spin, Zephyr, Rock n' Roller, and Do-Si-Do
Dorney Park @DorneyParkPR
  • Two flat rides: Dodgem and Kaliedoscope and a new show, Cirque Imagine
Kings Island @KingsIslandPR
  • Mystic Timbers, a GCI wooden coaster
Knott's Berry Farm @knotts
  • Knott's Soak City is receiving two new water slides
Valleyfair @ValleyfairMN
  • Northstar, a 230ft Starflyer
Worlds of Fun @worldsoffun
  • Two new flat rides called Falcon's Flight and Mustang Runner and a redesigned front entrance.

Just wanted for everybody be in the loop about other park's future additions.
 
Kings Island @KingsIslandPR
  • Mystic Timbers, a GCI wooden coaster
So, the mystery of the "shed" has been solved. As the coaster enters, it is dropped, raised, dropped, and raised back to its initial setting. Sadly, I'm joking on that part. From the reviews, it is as anticlimactic as the end of Adventure Express.

The coaster enters the shed and music starts playing ("Maneater" by Hall & Oates was on in the video I saw). Lights flash and then, after a few moments, the coaster moves forward. There is a video of the ivy going wild that shows briefly. Finally, the coaster exits the Shed and into the station. So, no drop. In looking at the Shed as it was being built, I always figured that it wouldn't drop, unless it was raised back to its original level, as the track height never varied. Then, as it was finalized, the webcams showed no machinery to support a drop. That is it. Please don't roast me for giving away the ending.
 
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Not sure this needs tags, but to be safe... The song that plays is variable. One of the Channel 9 anchors posted a reverse POV as well and it was a different song. I think it was another 80's song so that may be a theme. Was hard to tell if the video was the same. Overall, i'd say for all the hype it's a letdown. The ride sounds spectacular though.
 
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Not sure this needs tags, but to be safe... The song that plays is variable. One of the Channel 9 anchors posted a reverse POV as well and it was a different song. I think it was another 80's song so that may be a theme. Was hard to tell if the video was the same. Overall, i'd say for all the hype it's a letdown. The ride sounds spectacular though.

I was tired last night and couldn't figure out how to toggle it. It was very frustrating.
 
Not sure this needs tags, but to be safe... The song that plays is variable. One of the Channel 9 anchors posted a reverse POV as well and it was a different song. I think it was another 80's song so that may be a theme. Was hard to tell if the video was the same. Overall, i'd say for all the hype it's a letdown. The ride sounds spectacular though.


So, I looked in the general information and you had this wonderful explanation to set spoilers. So, I updated and appreciate your help. Although, I felt pretty stupid when I saw that you had that explanation right there in front of me.
 
Hi, I rode it Thursday night 8 times during the first rider auction. First things first, the ride is amazing. It wastes no speed and hits with tons of positive and negative Gs. It's like the Maverick of wooden coasters; it's the anti Son of Beast.

The Shed (heavy spoilers)

The shed has three sections.

First section is the transfer track. On the right is the stored (or not stored) trains. On the left is scenic props and lighting. There's a light blue hazy light shining at the riders that shines on the tracks and out the shed.

Second section is a small hallway. The train parks here and after a pregnant pause a random song plays off of a boombox that springs to life. We heard at least three different songs. Once the train is dispatched from the load station the music dramatically shuts off and blacklight highlights writing all around you about not going into the shed. Haunted Mansion like eyes are seen in several locations.

Third section is a larger show scene and right hand turn into the load station. This is "the shed" portion. There are two large screens: one in front and another to the right. Both are oddly shaped to match window, door, and other objects. There are several props like saws, a locker, and Pepsi machine that are rattled by unseen forces. This is where things get interesting, there are three different endings at this point. One ending is of bats flying around, attacking on the right hand screen. As the train turns right a giant bat drops down onto the screen in front and attacks the train. Another ending is of snakes, but I only saw this one once in the far back. It's basically a lot of snakes and the usual snake lunging at you effect on the front screen. There is also a super rare, what I heard one out of twelve times occurring, scene. This one has the shed completely still and closed up but then the giant tree from the logo busts open the shed door and attacks.

I hope this explains what's inside the shed. It's much better to see it in person than to read about it.

(light spoilers/general review of Shed parts)

The prop work and lighting are very good for a regional park. Projections are very crisp and high quality, on par with Gringotts. The moving props add a lot and are cool. The ride gets an A- while the shed gets a B.

This ending is way better than the ending to Adventure Express.
 
Hi, I rode it Thursday night 8 times during the first rider auction. First things first, the ride is amazing. It wastes no speed and hits with tons of positive and negative Gs. It's like the Maverick of wooden coasters; it's the anti Son of Beast.

The Shed (heavy spoilers)

The shed has three sections.

First section is the transfer track. On the right is the stored (or not stored) trains. On the left is scenic props and lighting. There's a light blue hazy light shining at the riders that shines on the tracks and out the shed.

Second section is a small hallway. The train parks here and after a pregnant pause a random song plays off of a boombox that springs to life. We heard at least three different songs. Once the train is dispatched from the load station the music dramatically shuts off and blacklight highlights writing all around you about not going into the shed. Haunted Mansion like eyes are seen in several locations.

Third section is a larger show scene and right hand turn into the load station. This is "the shed" portion. There are two large screens: one in front and another to the right. Both are oddly shaped to match window, door, and other objects. There are several props like saws, a locker, and Pepsi machine that are rattled by unseen forces. This is where things get interesting, there are three different endings at this point. One ending is of bats flying around, attacking on the right hand screen. As the train turns right a giant bat drops down onto the screen in front and attacks the train. Another ending is of snakes, but I only saw this one once in the far back. It's basically a lot of snakes and the usual snake lunging at you effect on the front screen. There is also a super rare, what I heard one out of twelve times occurring, scene. This one has the shed completely still and closed up but then the giant tree from the logo busts open the shed door and attacks.

I hope this explains what's inside the shed. It's much better to see it in person than to read about it.

(light spoilers/general review of Shed parts)

The prop work and lighting are very good for a regional park. Projections are very crisp and high quality, on par with Gringotts. The moving props add a lot and are cool. The ride gets an A- while the shed gets a B.

This ending is way better than the ending to Adventure Express.

Thanks for a great review. I am glad to hear that you thought it better than Adv Express. That ride has the most disappointing ending of any ride that I have experienced. I am looking forward to Mystic Timbers (for the coaster itself more so than the Shed) and hope to ride it in May.

I like the comment "anti-SOB". SOB wasted so much speed and opportunity. Stupid coaster who beat me to nearly to death.
 
Thanks for a great review. I am glad to hear that you thought it better than Adv Express. That ride has the most disappointing ending of any ride that I have experienced. I am looking forward to Mystic Timbers (for the coaster itself more so than the Shed) and hope to ride it in May.

I like the comment "anti-SOB". SOB wasted so much speed and opportunity. Stupid coaster who beat me to nearly to death.
I think it's safe to say that any ending for a ride is better than Adventure Express.

"YOOOOUUUU WILLLL PAYYYYYYYY!!" "Thanks for riding! Exit to your right and gather all of your personal belongings!"
 
Melt at Cedar Point opened today. If you've never been and have the chance GO! It's the best food on property now. Plus it's a full scale, full service restaurant with tons of craft beer and mixed drinks! I will be at that bar!

 
Melt at Cedar Point opened today. If you've never been and have the chance GO! It's the best food on property now. Plus it's a full scale, full service restaurant with tons of craft beer and mixed drinks! I will be at that bar!


Where in the park is this?
 
Melt at Cedar Point opened today. If you've never been and have the chance GO! It's the best food on property now. Plus it's a full scale, full service restaurant with tons of craft beer and mixed drinks! I will be at that bar!


We have like three or four different grilled cheese places around Orlando now, they're really becoming a thing.
 
Looks like a decent lineup of new stuff, but nothing announced for KD, KI, MA, Dorney. Even Great America is getting some "new" stuff.
 
Looks like a decent lineup of new stuff, but nothing announced for KD, KI, MA, Dorney. Even Great America is getting some "new" stuff.

I expect Kings Island to be quiet for 2023 with the next big coaster coming in 2024, probably on Vortex''s old plot. Just a guess but I've not seen anything remotely resembling land prep at the park.
 
Cedar Fair just reported their Q2 and saw similar numbers to SeaWorld Parks with a small drop in attendance compared to LY:
  • Net revenues totaled $501 million, a decrease of $9 million, or 2%, from the second quarter of 2022.
  • Net income was $54 million, an increase of $3 million, or 5%, from the second quarter of 2022. Net income per diluted LP unit increased to $1.04, up 17%, or $0.15, from the second quarter of 2022.
  • Adjusted EBITDA(1) totaled $151 million, a decrease of $19 million, or 11%, from the second quarter of 2022.
  • Attendance totaled 7.4 million guests, a decrease of 6%, or 0.4 million guests, from the second quarter of 2022.
  • In-park per capita spending(2) was $61.46, a 3% increase from the second quarter of 2022, driven by higher levels of guest spending on admissions and food and beverage.
  • Out-of-park revenues(2) totaled $62 million, representing a $3 million, or 5%, increase from the second quarter of 2022.
 
(10/25/2023) Cedar Fair has changed their mind about offering year-round operations at three of their parks after just switching over to weekend operations during the colder months just last year. This list would include Carowinds, California’s Great America and Kings Dominion.

The official word would seem to be that all three parks failed to attract enough attendance on those new dates, which are mostly weekends in January, February and some of March. However, based on guest reactions from those who did attend on those dates, guests frequently reported encountering those parks with what appeared to be a limited staff, a good number of rides unable to operate (due to a mix of limited staffing or maintenance closures) and a couple of days where the weather was just too iffy and the parks opted to close early for the day.

Of course, all of these reasons were also anticipated to happen when Cedar Fair first announced that these parks would be switching to year-round operations, so I’m not entirely surprised by this move. After all, even in Los Angeles where competitor Six Flags operates Magic Mountain year-round, but only on weekends in the colder months of the year, that park also suffers from many of these same issues, but in an environment that typically offers better weather.

Now if any Cedar Fair park was going to have a good go at it, I’d give the nod to California’s Great America, but the park’s attendance numbers have always been a little limited, and some potential guests may be less likely to visit with a pending permanent closure looming by 2033, limiting the number of new attractions we might see added there. Carowinds stood a chance as well of making it happen, but as I live in the region, the off-season weather can be a little fickle… sunny and warm one day and freezing cold, feeling like snow is about to fall the next. So the success of off-season weekends at Carowinds would definitely be something that varied from year to year. Kings Dominion in Virginia is a bit further North and East from Carowinds, so I’d expect even colder weather with a greater possibility of snow.

So according to the park schedules posted for the months after WinterFest, look for Carowinds to open for the 2024 season on March 9 where it will begin Fri/Sat/Sunday operations, and California’s Great America and Kings Dominion will begin weekend operations two weeks later on March 23rd.

Source: Screamscape
 
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