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Cedar Point: General Discussion

Phil Taylor, the greatest darts player of all time, is from Stoke. Imagine Towers getting a ride 'themed' around him! :p

I'd imagine they've chosen to name a ride after him mainly for publicity. It will help market a coaster that is new but not actually new.

:)
 
Statement from Cedar Point:
Cedar Point said:
Cedar Point Makes Good on Its Promise and Establishes Long-Term Partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation

It’s time to make good on a promise – and it’s bigger and better than expected.

Earlier this summer, the park sent out a now-famous tweet stating that it would rename one of its coasters “King James” if LeBron James returned to Ohio. That outcome is now known. But the “ball” was back in the park’s court.

Today, Cedar Point announces a joint decision with the LeBron James Family Foundation on a multi-year partnership which includes benefits that go far beyond renaming a coaster.

The highlight of this new partnership will take place next summer when Cedar Point hosts all of the kids who are actively involved in the foundation’s “Wheels for Education” program and Akron I PROMISE Network for a day of fun with their families in the program's annual "I PROMISE Family Reunion" event. Additionally, next spring, Cedar Point will hold a first ride auction with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the LeBron James Family Foundation.

“We are thrilled to have formed this partnership with LeBron and his foundation,” said Jason McClure, vice president and general manager for Cedar Point. “It’s great when two world-class organizations can come together for the benefit of kids, their education and their families.”

Based in LeBron's hometown of Akron, the LeBron James Family Foundation’s mission is to positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives. In 2011, in partnership with the Akron Public Schools, the Foundation began working on the high school dropout crisis facing the Akron community and launched the “Wheels for Education” program. Now serving nearly 800 Akron-area students, this groundbreaking initiative targets third graders and provides them with the programs, support and mentors they need for success in school.

"The Foundation is extremely excited about this new partnership because it's a long-term commitment that will have benefits for our kids and their families for years to come," said Michele Campbell, Executive Director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. "One of the fundamental goals of the Wheels for Education program and the Akron I PROMISE Network is to provide our students with opportunities and experiences they might not otherwise have access to, and this partnership with Cedar Point does exactly that."

Once Wheels for Education students reach middle school, they graduate into the Foundation's Akron I PROMISE Network, where they will continue to receive academic support and interventions until graduation. The first class of Wheels for Education students will graduate in 2021.
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Didn't realise there was some 'history' regarding this. I'd imagine Mantis will be re-named King James, although they are clearly waiting a tad longer to actually say that. Good to see that this LeBron James link is far more than just marketing and there are some good causes involved.

:)
 
If the floorless convert is the first of many, please, please god let Riddler's Revenge at Magic Mountain be next. One of the best layouts they've ever made.

EDIT: Unless of course Cedar Fair have exclusivity on converting stand-ups.
 
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I guess that's that confirmed then. Looks good in orange I suppose.
 
Indeed, great news! Will be interesting to see how it rides as a floorless. Mantis is not poplar at all with enthusiasts in the States.

:)
 
It will be better. The layout on Mantis was actually really quite good, it just had a nasty shake and bashed you about a bit.

Still, glad I did Mantis as a stand-up... those things are getting rarer.

One thing is for sure... the throughput will go up a LOT.
 
It is evident that Cedar Fair do not like stand up coasters and see them as not popular amoungst their guests. They're in the process of removing all their Togo stand ups and now they are converting one of their B&Ms. Will be interesting to see what they do with the other two B&M stand ups they own.

:)
 
Re-painting is progressing well already:

bypvv4sicae9jee.jpg


:)
 
Here's an aerial showing the full repaint of Mantis:

10387239_717640421662399_8071554825617709002_n.jpg

Credit: CP Rundown
 
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This has been posted on the Sandusky Register website:
Sandusky Register said:
Dive coaster coming to Cedar Point?

The Sandusky Register learned Monday details about what Cedar Point might be planning to build at the Good Time Theater location at the park.

A memo from Bolliger & Mabillard, based in Switzerland, appears to detail a new $15 million coaster tagged in the memo as The Dive Coaster.

Bollinger & Mabillard crafted The Dive Coaster, which simulates being in a Bomber that is diving straight down at breakneck speeds.

The Bollinger & Mabillard ride is one of many proposals Cedar Point is looking at for the 2016 season, said Bryan Edwards, spokesman for Cedar Point.

"Our focus is on the 2015 season and launching Rougarou as well as our newly transformed Hotel Breakers," Edwards said.

Bollinger & Mabillard built the Gatekeeper winged coaster, which opened in 2013.
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Interesting. I hope it's not true for many reasons. First I, along with many others it seems, do not think that a dive machine is something Cedar Point really need. Unless it had a fantastically unique layout it is not something that would make me want to go any more than I already do.

Secondly, Cedar Fair tend to give one of their parks a major coaster each year. Cedar Point got Gatekeeper in 2013. If they are next in line again to recieve a major coaster then that really is not fair. I know Cedar Point in the flagship park of Cedar Fair and they have a long rivalry with Magic Mountain in terms of coasters but there are other Cedar Fair parks that need a big new coaster more than Cedair Point. Valleyfair hasn't had a new coaster for a while and come 2016 Kings Dominion will be overdue a major new coaster.

:)
 
Rob said:
Valleyfair hasn't had a new coaster for a while
Click to expand...

Since 2007 to précise. Somewhat odd considering that Valleyfair is where Cedar Fair get part of their name from!

Other parks have it bad as well:

Worlds of Fun hasn't had a new coaster since 2009

Michigan's Adventure hasn't had a new installment since 2008, and that was a second hand SLC from Geuaga Lake.

Cedar Fair need to speared their investments out a bit bigger
 
I would have thought cedar point would get a dark ride like knotts next year, 2016 seems a bit quick for a new coaster. Canada's wonderland are meant to be getting a major coaster in 2016 to replace the Togo standup they removed. I expect it will be a B&M wing coaster.
 
Cedar Fair aren't going to give smaller, less visited parks the same frequency of investment as the bigger ones..

It often baffles me that Heide-Park and Thorpe Park get coasters as frequently as Gardaland and Alton Towers given how much smaller they are in terms of revenue.
 
Cedar Fair should be looking to give Kings Dominion a major coaster ASAP. With BGW suffering somewhat at the moment in terms of investment a huge coaster would potentially swing thing in favour of Kings Dominion in the region. And it may even force SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to get their act together.

Anyway, a few more details of the memo from the Sandusky Register:
  • The proposed Dive Coaster has three 24-passenger trains (three rows of eight)
  • It would feature four inversions
  • Layout: a vertical drop in a tunnel, an Immelmann, a 270-degree roll, a banked curve, a "looping," an Immelmann with a half-roll exit, a second drop, a camel back and a spiral
  • Lift hill would be 223ft tall
  • A length of 3,625 ft
  • Maximum speed of around 80mph
So if it is true and it does happen it sounds like it will be the biggest and best B&M Dive Machine to date. However is it me or does the cost of $15 million (just under £10 million) seem a little cheap for such a huge coaster? Maybe we are just too used to Merlin's dramatically inflated prices taking everything including marketing into account.

:)
 
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