The Evolution of Cedar Point's Roller Coasters

[Music] america's roller coaster three words that perfectly sum up cedar point amusement park in sandusky ohio for over a hundred and fifty years this incredible destination has become the mecca for thrill seekers around the world throughout its history this park has built one incredible roller coaster after another and to this day it has what is often considered to be the world's greatest coaster lineup the park's journey from point a to point b not only reflects its own evolution but it perfectly encapsulates the gradual innovation of the amusement industry as a whole but how did the park grow into what it is today well sit back and grab some snacks because we're going to go over the evolution of cedar points roller coasters our story begins in the late 1800s when ohio's cedar point peninsula was emerging as a top middle class tourist destination in the area by the 1870s a german immigrant and entrepreneur named luis estelle had begun transporting locals to the peninsula for 25 cents per person he had previously transported confederate civil war prisoners to the nearby johnson's island but after the war ended he repurposed his boats as local ferries through the use of ferry boats and railroads this local fishing destination saw rapid development over time this mostly unknown plot of land would become an acclaimed summertime destination for relaxation cedar point wasn't without its competition though as other resorts would soon open in nearby communities officials knew they had to make new investments to stand out from the competition so along with the sizable grand pavilion the park would open up a new fangled thrill ride right next to it on july 10 1892 the park would open its first ever roller coaster the switchback railway designed by lamarcus adna thompson this was the first roller coaster specifically designed for american amusement parks this manually powered coaster stood at a mere 25 feet tall and reached a top speed of just 10 miles per hour the layout consisted of a straight course of hills and dips there were no breaks no lift hills no turns and not even any seat belts the cars would just go from one end to the other with the ride attendants having to physically push them back to the starting position despite the coaster being revolutionary for its time it didn't lead to a massive attendance boost for cedar point in fact the park would struggle throughout the mid-1890s the park's outlook was not looking so good but things would turn around in 1897 when indiana businessman george arthur beckling would become general manager beckling's tenure as manager would be defined as the turning point where cedar point went from a local picnic resort to a nationally recognized summertime destination beckling's first order of business was to seriously improve the park's infrastructure these improvements included repainted buildings repainted boardwalks new flower gardens and a brand new roller coaster by the early 1900s the roller coaster developed significantly from the old switchback railway newer models would feature lift hills to send the vehicles higher and side friction wheels to allow for turns so after closing the switchback railway in 1901 the very next year would see the park's next roller coaster open this coaster named loop the loop was also known as the three-way figure-eight roller toboggan this new coaster would stand almost twice as tall as the switchback railway and was reportedly able to run 11 cars on the track this ride among others would provide thrill seekers with a rush of adrenaline as for the park as a whole it would continue to grow throughout the 1900s beckling saw even more potential in the park so the year after opening the historic hotel breakers he would introduce an all-new midway in 1906 and with that it was official cedar point had become a true amusement park the new midway would prove to be incredibly popular and it would continue to grow with several new attractions one of which was the park's third roller coaster the scenic railway this ride was massive at a reported 4 200 feet long this terrain coaster would take guests on a sprawling journey through the trees the scope of this coaster was way ahead of its time and for the first time ever the park had two roller coasters meanwhile though loop the loop would not stay unchanged in 1909 the ride was closed to make way for a new bathhouse which was said to be the largest in the world at the time but instead of completely scrapping the attraction the coaster was moved down the beach and rebuilt as the racer this new incarnation was actually quite different from its predecessor as it was redesigned to feature two side-by-side tracks this allowed passengers to race each other adding some exciting friendly competition to an already thrilling ride but the park didn't stop renovating there in 1912 yet another roller coaster was added bringing the park's lineup to three this ride named leap the dips consisted of an out and back layout with several air time moments the emphasis on thrill rides would continue in 1918 that was the year the scenic railway was refurbished being transformed into the leapfrog railway this new incarnation was over twice as tall as its predecessor standing at a reported 70 feet tall the most defining feature of this ride was its jubilant triple down drop which was also way ahead of its time unfortunately 1918 was also a difficult year for the park world war one had somewhat hampered the park's operations coal shortages limited steamboat service to the peninsula and wartime rations limited the park's food service despite these setbacks though the park would continue to prosper throughout the war and the succeeding roaring 20s business was booming and the park's attractions kept evolving in 1929 the racer would be replaced by the much more imposing cyclone built by harry g traver the cyclone would prove to be an instant success and it was especially popular with thrill-seeking teenagers indeed the park was doing well and nothing seemed to stop its momentum unfortunately the end of the 20s would bring two tragedies that would test the park's fortitude the great depression and the death of george beckling beckling's death left the park without a leader and families around the country were unable to afford vacations in spite of these hard times though park officials wanted to carry on beckling's legacy of fulfilling the park's potential so in addition to a new tumblebug ride in 1934 the leapfrog railway was refurbished and renamed as high frolics not much is known about the specifics of this renovation but the ride was said to be around five feet taller and would stand as the tallest roller coaster at the park sadly though right after this renovation took place leap the dips was torn down for good in 1935 despite the perseverance of beckling's successors the reality of the 30s was catching up to them and attendance would plummet throughout the decade revenue had tanked across the board and park officials couldn't even afford general park maintenance needless to say big new attractions were out of the question for the time being the park most certainly would have closed down had it not been for the decision to renovate the dance hall and draw popular musical acts to perform there cedar point would continue chugging along throughout the 1940s and despite the closure of high frolics in 1940 there were still plenty of rides to entertain park goers but yet another problem was on the horizon while cedar point managed to stay in business throughout the 1940s the 1950s would test the park's resilience yet again attendance had plummeted at the start of the decade and the disrepair and rot of the cyclone would cause it to close down for the first time in decades this left cedar point without a major roller coaster while the park did get another coaster after cyclone's closure it was a small kitty coaster that was nowhere near as thrilling this coaster named little dipper was part of the park's new kiddie land designed for the littlest park goers the model has since been proven to be quite resilient and according to the rollercoaster database 20 of them are still in operation to this day as for the one at cedar point it was actually rented on a one-year deal apparently the little dipper was such a success that cedar point decided to purchase a permanent installation the very next year this ride named supercoaster was the exact same model as the little dipper it would end up being sold to bowling green ohio's volmars park sometime around 1964 and is now located at tuscora park in new philadelphia ohio sadly though the kitty land edition did nothing to help cedar point's struggles and the park was on the verge of a complete shutdown even worse a real estate syndicate had purchased the park in 1956 and had planned to tear down the resort and turn it into a housing development this news outraged the public and even some local government officials syndicate head george roos along with businessman emil legross would eventually have a change of heart about the housing project instead they plan to turn the park into the disneyland of the midwest following in the footsteps of the legendary california park's success in family entertainment the duo would end up reviving the park with major investments including a new shorter causeway and a midway expansion in 1959 this expanded midway would bring the park its first new roller coaster in seven years wild mouse this then revolutionary roller coaster was built by ba schiff and consisted of small cars navigating a fast-paced course filled with hairpin turns and thrilling dips shortly thereafter roos and legross would announce a 16 million dollar investment to expand and renovate cedar point part of the plan was a slurry of brand new attractions this started in 1962 with the addition of yet another wild mouse coaster model this time named scamper although this coaster is unlike the park's first wild mouse not much else is known about scamper but just two years later in 1964 a roller coaster opened that would leave a lasting impact on the park's lineup this was the start of blue streak this moderately sized wooden coaster would feature an out and back layout much like leap the dips and was even said to use the exact same plot of land while the coaster is currently well known for its sky blue color scheme it actually opened with completely unpainted track and supports it wouldn't be until 1967 that it would receive its iconic blue paint job the ride is generally praised today for both its fun-filled layout and for being accessible for those who aren't looking for something too frightening to this day it continues to operate at cedar point with absolutely no signs of it being removed anytime soon sometimes you just can't go wrong with the classics 1964 would see another new roller coaster as well a partially indoor ride named broadway trip however that was yet another one-year concession and it was removed from the park at the end of the season as such photos of this ride are extremely rare but in 1969 yet another roller coaster would make its debut the cedar creek mine ride built by american manufacturer aero development this family coaster consisted of steel track and wooden supports built to resemble a runaway western mine train the layout is surrounded by scenery one of its most defining features is a section of track that goes directly over the park's lagoon while it may not blow away thrill seekers it's a perfect attraction for the whole family to enjoy and its addition only further cemented cedar point status as a major amusement park in the meantime the very concept of the roller coaster was undergoing the start of a revolution companies like aerodynamics and german manufacturer schwarzkopf were making major waves in the amusement industry both had started building state-of-the-art steel coasters that were capable of doing so much more than wooden coasters at the time could and with cedar points still massively expanding the emergence of new coaster innovations would prove to be the perfect storm of success with wild mouse closing in 1963 and scamper closing in 1969 it was time for the park to modernize its lineup the year after cedar creek mine ride open cedar point would open its first ever schwarzkopf coaster a wildcat model named well wildcat this coaster featured a figure 8 style layout with an emphasis on dips and bank turns much like the little dipper it was also an extremely successful model in the industry it was a compact thrilling coaster that could fit in a small space and it was affordable to parks both large and small cedar creek mine ride and wildcat would usher in a new coaster holic area one where roller coaster after roller coaster would be placed inside the park two years after wildcat would bring yet another schwarzkopf coaster the impressive jumbo jet this was yet another roller coaster directly named after the ride model this one was much larger than the wildcat and its spiral lift gave a visually impressive appearance and many consider it to be the park's first major steel coaster like the wildcat the layout was packed with stomach lifting drops and forceful bank turns the jumbo jet though had higher capacity trains and was much more intense but if park guests were blown away by the jumbo jet they were about to be shocked out of their socks just a few years later shortly after the death of emil legross in 1975 robert munger jr was elected to be the park's chairman of the board also around this time richard kinzel who worked in the parks food services department would become the new director of park operations kinzel's first order of business was to find a new and exciting roller coaster for the park's lineup during his search for a new attraction kinzel would visit opryland theme park in nashville tennessee there he would be impressed with their star attraction though bash cannonball this was among two of aerodevelopment's prototype corkscrew models the model completely revolutionized the roller coaster industry being the first ever steel coaster to take riders upside down the super short layout featured a drop and two back-to-back corkscrews but while it was impressive for the time cedar point officials wanted to go even bigger so they would get in contact with aerodevelopment's president and chief ride engineer ron tumer tumor was contracted to build a bigger better version of the corkscrew model and after months of construction cedar point's corkscrew would finally open to the public on may 15 1976. unlike the standard corkscrew model this coaster would feature an airtime hill and a vertical loop in addition to the double corkscrew this would make it the first roller coaster in history to go upside down three times the coaster absolutely dominated the midway and guests at the time widely praised its unique ride experience corkscrew would end up being a massive hit for the park with park attendants topping 3 million people for the first time in history the success of corkscrew would lead park officials to contact ron toomer for yet another record-breaking coaster though technically it would be two coasters scheduled to open in may 1978 this new attraction named gemini would be a racing coaster experience it had been 50 years since the racer closed and now riders will get another opportunity for some friendly competition and as if the racing aspect weren't enough this coaster was planned to be both the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth with a top height of 125.3 feet and a top speed of 60 miles per hour unfortunately for cedar point it would never actually get to hold these records unbeknownst to the park screaming eagle at missouri's sixth flag st louis was two miles per hour faster than the proposed attraction and while the height record did still seem possible a severe blizzard would bring gemini's construction to a grinding halt this delayed the ride's opening from may to june and in that lost time the loch ness monster would open at virginia's busch gardens williamsburg this coaster was around five feet taller at 130 feet denying gemini the overall height record though its drop was shorter than gemini's robert munger was reportedly furious at gemini's delay record or no record though the park still advertised gemini as the tallest and fastest coaster in the world and the ride itself was yet another hit for the park the excitement of dueling tracks still holds up to today's thrill seekers and gemini's airtime packed layout remains a timeless classic in addition to gemini's opening 1978 would see the park bid farewell to their jumbo jet coaster the coaster would end up being relocated a whopping five times surprisingly enough it still stands today in belarus 1978 also saw the park's wildcat roller coaster closed down cedar point had acquired minnesota's valley fair amusement park that year and they would end up sending their wildcat there in order to give it a new attraction along with the park's old wild cat richard kinzel would be transferred to valley fair serving as the park's manager for the time being likely not wanting to lose another coaster though cedar point would open yet another wildcat in 1979 it was the exact same coaster model though so many didn't even know it was technically new 1979 not only saw the new wildcat open but a kid-friendly companion to gemini would make its debut as well then known as junior gemini this coaster was installed by a relatively new swiss ride company this company named intimate would end up playing a major role in cedar point's development for the time being though junior gemini would serve as a minuscule family-friendly attraction for the littlest park goers nowadays the ride is known as wilderness run and young coaster enthusiasts in the making continued to enjoy it at the dawn of the 1980s the park's evolution was fully underway in 1983 cedar point would organize the company as the newly named cedar fair with its name combining both cedar point and valley fair during this corporate reorganizing though no new coasters were added to cedar point and it wouldn't be until 1985 that another one would be installed but this one will be a coaster unlike any installed so far on the former spot of the jumbo jet a new coaster named avalanche run would be constructed this was the park's second roller coaster provided by intamin and its model was known as a swiss bob this particular model was vastly different from the park's other installations known as a bobsled coaster this type of roller coaster uses a half pipe style track instead of the standard rails this allows the train to freely swing side to side with the lateral forces much like an olympic-style bobsled unfortunately the installation was not without its flaws the ride had an issue with sand blowing inside the track and cleaning it out was both costly and time-consuming still though it was a fun ride that added an original exciting attraction to the park's lineup cedar point's evolution was moving ahead at full steam and the next year would mark the start of a new era in park management the year after avalanche run premiered robert munger jr would step down as park president due to health issues this would lead to richard kinsel returning to ohio and being named the new president of cedar fair in 1986. kinzel had ambitious plans for the park and much like the late george beckling he wanted to see it reach its full potential the year after he took over kinzel would oversee the debut of the park's newest roller coaster in 1987 the ride's name was iron dragon this would be yet another roller coaster by arrow development in keeping with the park's tradition of adding variety to their layout this new coaster would be a fairly new suspended coaster model something that hadn't been seen before in the park's history this model consisted of trains that hung below the track with each car being able to swing with the ride's lateral forces cedar point would install the coaster over the lake making for a visually stunning layout despite its small size the coaster was both scenic and thrilling the way it dips down towards the water gives guests the sensation they're about to dive in and it's arguably just as much fun to watch as it is to ride as the end of the 1980s approached both of the decades coaster editions had been moderate thrill rides looking back on the success of gemini and corkscrew kinzell knew the time had come to add an all-new a-list attraction it had been over a decade since the park sought the height and speed record and after viewing footage of the roller coaster bandit at japan's yomiuri land kinzel immediately liked what he saw while it didn't have any inversions kinzel was impressed by the height speed and smoothness of the attraction he figured that something like bandit would be an excellent addition to cedar point while cedar point had reportedly contacted bandit's manufacturer togo the proposed project would be far too expensive for the park instead cedar point again turned to aero development ron tumer would agree to the project and two years of development and construction would follow soon enough the 1989 season would arrive and with it an enormous first of its kind hyper coaster named magnum xl200 this remarkable attraction was the first full circuit roller coaster on earth to surpass the 200 foot mark at an astounding 205 feet tall and 72 miles per hour this would open as the tallest and fastest full circuit roller coaster on earth in addition to an imposing gut-busting drop and a picturesque view of lake erie the layout itself was jam-packed with air time moments needless to say the ride was a triumphant success for cedar point magnum was critically acclaimed for its airtime and guests would wait up to three hours in line just to get a ride on it furthermore the return on investment was so impressive that the coaster would make back its 8 million price tag in just one season it is widely considered to be the start of the industry's coaster wars which pitted parks and manufacturers against each other in an effort to build longer taller and faster the coaster's legacy is so impressive that it has ranked among amusement today's top 25 steel coasters every year since 1998. it's pretty much the big mac of cedar point a long time timeless classic with a loyal fan base over 30 years later it remains among the park's top attractions and it shows no sign of closing anytime soon after magnum's opening kinzel would plan his next strategy during his time at valley fair he would observe the walt disney company's theme parks months before iron dragon's opening california's disneyland would open star tours a motion simulator attraction based on the blockbuster star wars franchise kinzel saw the success of this ride and was interested in adding more intricately themed attractions to cedar point in many ways he was following in the footsteps of roofs and legross he wanted cedar point to be the disneyland of the midwest however he understood that while cedar point was a thriving amusement park it had nowhere near the capital that disney did so he was going to have to work with a much tighter budget if he wanted to bring a disney level attraction to ohio instead of building an all-new attraction though he planned to renovate an existing ride with a substantial amount of new theming fortunately the problematic avalanche run would give him that opportunity with the help of itec productions avalanche run would receive a four million dollar makeover after the 1989 season a ride building was constructed around it with sections of its track being enclosed the new building would not only protect the ride's track from sand but it would also allow for a new sci-fi theme in 1990 avalanche run would reopen as disaster transport this new ride experience took avalanche run's bobsled theme and reworked it to be more like star tours the premise of the ride would take guests on an out of control rocket ride to alaska lights and decor would fill the queue area and there was even an animatronic robot the coaster itself was the exact same ride but it now featured all new special effects colored lights mock planets a mock spaceship and even more effects were dispersed throughout the layout initially the ride seemed to be a hit with guests waiting around 90 minutes in line to get on however the effects would deteriorate shortly after opening due to a lack of upkeep even worse it was unable to operate in the rain despite being indoors this was due to the roof leaking and water pooling inside the bobsled track while kinzel's intentions were noble many consider disaster transport to be a misstep in his decorated career kinzel himself once stated that disaster transport was his biggest mistake ever saying quote i put a big box around a junk ride and we ended up with a junk ride inside a big box the same year disaster transport opened cedar point had sought to break yet another height record it had been over 25 years since blue streak opened and kinzel wanted a new wooden coaster soon enough it was decided to build the tallest wooden coaster on earth for this project the park contacted charles din who was most famous for his work on the wildly popular beast at king's island din agreed to the project and almost 2 million feet of lumber later mean streak would open to the public on may 11 1991 at 161 feet it would stand as the tallest wooden coaster on earth unfortunately despite breaking a new record the coaster would be nowhere near the success of magnum almost immediately the coaster faced maintenance issues and it was constantly refurbished throughout its lifetime according to the book dick kinzel water hoses had to be turned onto the wooden structure to prevent it from expanding contracting and splitting over the years it would be roundly criticized for being a rough ride with the trains constantly shaking and jackhammering along the track still though the ride did have its fans due to its formidable size and scale with mean streak in the books many wonder what the park's next roller coaster would be how could they add more variety to their already impressive lineup before long though this question was answered by a fresh-on-the-scene swiss manufacturer named balaguer and mabillard aka bnm after splitting from swiss manufacturer joe vanolla bnm had been making a splash in the coaster market throughout the early 1990s after getting their start with three stand-up coasters b m would introduce a new coaster model that would take the amusement industry by storm the inverted coaster first opening at illinois six flags great america in 1992 this new attraction would be named batman a ride the design was similar to cedar point's iron dragon with the trains hanging below the track however instead of swinging cars this coaster type would feature floorless stationary trains this allowed passengers feet to freely dangle throughout the ride experience adding an extra sense of danger to the coaster kinzel was intrigued by the design and after getting a chance to ride it he decided that an inverted coaster was cedar point's next major attraction on the other hand while he was impressed with the coaster's intensity he felt the layout's elements were too close together instead of installing an exact clone of batman kinzell wanted to customize batman's layup making it longer with more space between the elements and during its development a cobra roll element was added to the layout as well this new coaster would make its debut in the 1994 season its name was raptor at over 11 million dollars this green screen machine would take the park's lineup into the next generation parkgoers were amazed at the ride experience the strength of the elements combined with the open feeling of the seats had never before been seen inside the park and that year park attendance reached 3.6 million people a record that would stand undefeated for over 20 years kinzel was so impressed by the quality of b m's work he would soon contact them again for another coaster wanting to keep up the tradition of each coaster edition being unique he went for the company's stand-up coaster model and of course it had to be the tallest and fastest stand-up coaster out there park officials originally announced the coaster as banshee but after discovering that a banshee was a spear associated with foretelling death kinsel did not want the name associated with an amusement ride that was supposed to be safe the name would be changed to mantis though cedar fair would later use the name banshee for inverted coaster at king's island with a new name in place mantis would debut in 1996. this new stand-up coaster would feature a 3 900 foot long layout with the addition of both a dive loop and an incline loop instead of a focus on open floorless seats this ride focused on keeping your feet on the floor this led many to criticize the coaster for its uncomfortable ride experience still though it served its purpose in beefing up the park's coaster lineup even further after mantis cedar point took some time off building massive coasters to focus on smaller family attractions to help diversify their lineup a 48 million dollar capital improvement was scheduled for 19.99 this edition included a brand new themed area named camp snoopy themed to the peanuts comic strip the new land would feature the park's first family coaster in decades built by dutch manufacturer of akoma the new coaster named woodstock express would provide accessible entertainment for small children and parents alike its charming appearance and use of a bell on the train helped it stand out from the park's recent coaster additions however it wouldn't be long before cedar point's next major attraction took shape at the turn of the new millennium something was out there a higher intelligence a mysterious force of work an all-new intimate coaster that was nothing like junior gemini in fact there was nothing junior about this coaster at all say hello to millennium force known as the first ever giga coaster millennium force would be the first full circuit coaster on earth to break through the 300 foot barrier it would shatter the world record of being the tallest and fastest complete circuit coaster on earth it was so intimidating that some industry observers were concerned it would be too intense for thrill seekers perched on the shore of lake erie its massive lift till and drop have since become known as one of the most iconic sections of track in all of roller coaster history with its fast-paced and satisfying layout the ride remains a favorite among coaster enthusiasts and it has been ranked as amusement today's number one steel coaster in the world 10 times millennium force was an undeniable success and its legacy continues to resonate over 20 years later cedar point was in full-on coaster fever mode and dick kinsel would begin planning the next coaster his plants were so big though that the park's next coaster would be more of an appetizer of what was to come but much like mozzarella sticks this appetizer was filling in its own right in 2002 the park would debut a new type of roller coaster the ride named wicked twister would be one of intimate's impulse models an inverted shuttle coaster design that would launch guests forwards and backwards on a u-shaped section of track but just like with raptor and mantis kinsel wanted to go even bigger than the usual so instead of one street spike and one twisting spike both sides of the track would twist moreover it was made significantly taller at 215 feet despite its notable stats though it was still considered to be a holdover attraction by park officials and what the park had planned next was going to blow everyone away construction was closely followed by both park fans and the media the site of enormous yellow supports paved the way for tons of speculation kinzel enjoyed the sense of mystery and excitement the park was generating he even once jokingly dismissed the supports as the world's largest mcdonald's arches online coaster fans closely followed construction updates with some of them being rather interesting to say the least the mystery was fueled by the park and it wouldn't be until january 2003 that they would announce their newest attraction top thrill dragster this new coaster would not only be the tallest and fastest full circuit coaster but it would be the tallest and fastest coaster period the pure size and power of this monster machine would amaze the industry a 120 mile per hour launch would rocket guests up a behemoth 420 foot tall top hat after an unbelievable view from the top guests would plummet down a spiral drop before hitting the brake run as short as it was the sheer intensity of this ride still makes it one of the park's top attractions in spite of its popularity though the ride was considered to be a mistake by kinzel when it first opened dragster would face constant technical difficulties and the cost of maintaining it was pretty much through the roof because of this kinzel has since referred to top thrill draxer as his dumbest decision as ceo even today it's said to face significantly more downtime than the rest of cedar point's coasters but the incredible popularity of this coaster means it likely won't be going anywhere for a while the problems with dragster would cause kinsel to shy away from breaking records and the next few years would see non-coaster installations like max air and skyhawk make their debuts but kinsel understood just how important coasters were for the park so four years after draxter's debut intimate would strike back with another high class attraction this time kinzel would hearken back to the old west with maverick the ride took its name from the 1950s western show of the same name which kinzel was a huge fan of construction would start in 2005 with a may 2007 opening in mind unfortunately construction crews would face a large setback along the line a heartland role in version was found to be way too intense putting excessive stress on the trains and potential riders the removal of this inversion led to the coaster's opening being delayed by two weeks finally on may 26th maverick would ride into the spotlight the coaster itself took a back seat from breaking records in favor of an overall solid ride experience the low to the ground layout made great use of the terrain and its fast pace made the elements especially intense with multiple launches a first of its kind twisted horseshoe roll and an eye-popping section over the water it received widespread critical acclaim some consider it to be even better than millennium force arguing that maverick's compact intensity was more fun than the former's more sweeping layout of course this is all just a matter of opinion while maverick struck gold with riders it would sadly be the last coaster kinzel would open as ceo after maverick's opening and assessing the recent acquisition of paramount parks kinsell's last years in the company were extremely difficult the global recession combined with cedar fair's increasing debt would put the company's coaster heavy focus on hold for the time being the purchase of paramount parks proved to be incredibly challenging and the debt would haunt kinzel throughout the rest of his tenure though he had planned to retire for a while he wasn't exactly leaving on a high note in 2011 former disneyland president matt weiman was positioned to replace kinsel as ceo and the next year he would fully take over kinzel's position kinzel would miss his job but his incredible tenure would forever be remembered for making cedar point the coaster destination it is today the same year matt weiman took over cedar point would remove roller coasters for the first time in over 30 years wildcats closure was announced at the beginning of the 2012 season while disaster transport would close towards the end of the season while wildcat had reached the end of its service life disaster transport was removed due to its outdated nature and neglected effects demolition would begin soon afterwards with a new attraction planned for its spot we met sought to further modernize the park and renovate its infrastructure to add to the guest experience and after 5 years of not adding a new coaster the time was right for a brand new attraction this new plan came in the form of an updated park entrance but this gate would be far from ordinary because directly above it would be the park's newest major roller coaster 17 years after mantis bnm would make a triumphant return to cedar point with another new coaster model this model known as a wing coaster would seat passengers above the sides of the track with their feet freely dangling the new attraction named gatekeeper was set to break the records as the longest and fastest wing coaster on earth in that regard we met was channeling kinzel's habit of going big opening in 2013 this ride would replace disaster transport providing yet another standout attraction to the park's skyline in addition to a disorienting wing over drop the main feature of this coaster was front and center at the park's entrance two towering structures known as keyholes would provide terrifying near-miss elements to riders passengers would feel like their heads and feet would slam into the structures it stands as an aesthetically beautiful coaster and it serves as a front gate statement on the fun times the park has in store in terms of roller coasters we met would run the park similar to how kinzell did with a new roller coaster experience coming out every few years two years after gatekeeper he would turn one of the park's major attractions into an all-new type of thrill ride in recent years the stand-up coaster fad of the 90s had died out and there hadn't been a new one installed in over a decade the popularity of mantis had been steadily declining but instead of giving up on it cedar point decided to spruce it up in 2015 mantis was repainted and renamed to ruguru now themed to a werewolf the stand-up trains were replaced with sit-down floorless ones this made the ride significantly more comfortable and many would praise it as a substantial improvement to its predecessor of course it wouldn't be long after this makeover until a new ground-up coaster was introduced in 2016 cedar point would collaborate with b m for a fifth time to open a brand spanking new record breaker this coaster named valraven would be a b m dive coaster this model is notable for its signature 90 degree drop straight down at the time of its opening val raven will be the tallest ride of its kind ever built standing at 223 feet towering over the midway this coaster hangs guests over its mammoth drop before plunging them downwards at 75 miles per hour with an immelman a dive loop and a zero g roll thrown in for good measure this coaster would be a massive draw for the park but just when you thought the park would take a break from giant coasters it would be less than a year for another one to begin construction the same season that valravn opened the park would close mean streak after years of rough rides and plummeting popularity it was time for something new to take its place but in the spirit of mantis and avalanche run it wasn't completely torn down speculation ran wild on what would replace mean streak of course the most common hypothesis could be summed up in three letters rmc american manufacturer rocky mountain construction had taken the industry by storm rmc had made a name for themselves taking old wooden roller coasters and bulking them up with larger elements new steel eye box track and even inversions in less than a decade the idaho based manufacturer had struck diamonds with coaster enthusiasts and many considered mean streak to be a perfect candidate for a makeover it wouldn't be long before the company's signature eibach's track was spotted on site the height for this coaster was truly something to behold the days of closely watching top thrill dragster's construction were relived by rmc's mean streak soon enough the ride would officially be announced on august 16th 2017. its name was steel vengeance this gargantuan ride was to stand as the tallest fastest and longest hybrid coaster on earth with four inversions and a record-setting 27.2 seconds of air time it truly was a testament to how the hybrid coaster evolved since the cedar creek mine ride suffice to say enthusiasts from all over the world were absolutely stoked for this coaster to come out after almost two years of construction steel vengeance would make its debut on may 5th 2018. the coaster would be universally acclaimed across the board it was widely considered to be not only the best coaster at cedar point but the greatest roller coaster of all time its element packed layout would feature an incredible 200 foot drop facing 90 degrees straight down following this was a constant onslaught of mind-bending inversions and insane out of your seat airtime moments it was an enthusiast dream come true and it remains among the most popular attractions in the park's history in the year since steel vengeance the park has seemingly taken a break on massive roller coasters the most recent development saw wicked twister being closed after 20 seasons of operation but regardless of what comes next the evolution of cedar point is truly something to marvel from humble beginnings to world-class thrills cedar point continues to be a top destination for adrenaline seekers across the globe for the foreseeable future it will stand as perhaps the greatest amusement park on the planet long live cedar point before we wrap things up check out my merchandise shop for theme park crazy merchandise take a photo wearing one of my shirts at a park and feel free to send it to me at themeparkcrazy1992 gmail.com your photo may be featured on my instagram page and also i want to give a special shout out to my newest patreon supporters verbal shout out start at the gold tier so if you don't hear your name it will be listed at the end of the video here's a special shout out to megan belcher thank you all so much and if you want to support me on patreon you can do so once again at the link in the description thanks for watching everyone feel free to like share and subscribe you can follow me on social media on twitter instagram and facebook or you can check out my website at themeparkcrazy.com this is theme park crazy and i'll see you all next time [Music] you

Channel: Theme Park Crazy

Views: 486,343

Keywords: amusement parks, roller coaster, coasters, rollercoaster, cedar point, millennium force, steel vengeance, maverick, top thrill dragster, gemini, ohio, arrow dynamics, arrow, ride, thrill, defunct, past, dead, removed, closed, former, history

Id: OBL4FnFeIDI

Length: 41min 29sec (2489 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 12 2021