Another nice article in the LA Times concerning Cedar Fair with an Interview with CEO Matt Ouimet. Topic is Roller Coasters in the park chain. (Same source for the search for flat rides in Europe article).
Some Highlights from the article: (Full link at the bottom)
Gate Coasters.
" "So can we expect a gate coaster at every Cedar Fair park?"
"Now, if I could rewind history, would I do them at the front of every Cedar Fair park?" Ouimet said. "Probably. But it’s not going to happen."
While several parks with beautiful promenade entrances like Canada’s Wonderland and Kings Island will never get gate coasters, Ouimet said a couple more Cedar Fair parks will eventually get "Deckerated." "
Sounds like a front gate coaster might not happen for Kings Dominion. We have a slightly smaller/different version of Kings Island's park entrance. The closest we have to something on that order is Dominator. (The "Deckerated" pun is on Rob Decker who is in charge of attraction planning/design at Cedar Fair).
Coaster Intensity.
" Paramount for Ouimet is making sure major new coasters are comfortable for riders and non-riders alike. That means adding plenty of shade and seating for parents and grandparents who might not want to climb aboard a 95-mph beast like Fury 325 while also stretching out the elements to make the G-forces more manageable for the coaster-inclined.
"I don’t want you to be so scared that you don’t want to ride it again," Ouimet said. "
I don't think we are going to see another coaster like I-305 anytime soon (intensity wise).
Coaster Conversions.
Stand-up to Floor-less.
" This summer, Ohio’s Cedar Point converted the 1996 Mantis stand-up coaster into a floorless coaster known as Rougarou. The relatively rare conversion raised the obvious question: Which Cedar Fair coaster is next?
"We have a couple more we could do and I suspect you’ll see that happen,” Ouimet said. “But unfortunately it’s not one of those things you can play out in 10 different places." "
California's Great America and Carowinds, here they come.
Park Chain Coaster Relocations.
" Cedar Fair’s Dorney Park in Pennsylvania is home to a couple relocated rides: a 1998 Vekoma Invertigo shuttle coaster from California’s Great America and a 2000 Intamin Impulse launched shuttle coaster from Ohio’s Geauga Lake.
But Ouimet doesn’t see coaster relocations as a viable business model.
"If a ride is really popular, you don’t want to take it out," Ouimet said. "And if it’s not, then it’s probably outlived its longevity anyway." "
I guess Dorney Park is breathing a sigh of relief!
Wooden Coasters
Maintenance and overhaul.
" One of the biggest challenges amusement parks face is maintaining aging wooden coasters. In recent years, Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction has solved the problem with wooden coaster renovations that turn existing rides into wood-steel hybrids with looping inversions.
"The revitalization or rejuvenation of wooden coasters is probably a card that gets played for the next 10 years,"Ouimet said. "We are obviously looking at our whole portfolio just to decide what we do with it." "
" "The industry has developed some very good, solid players these days," Ouimet said. "Rocky Mountain is a good example, GCI is a good example. We’ll probably work with all of them before we’re done." "
Digital (Virtual Reality).
" Looking forward, the future of Cedar Fair coasters could be digital. In 2014, Canada’s Wonderland introduced the Wonder Mountain Guardian coaster-dark ride combo that added interactive gaming and digital screens to the traditional coaster experience. Ouimet said more digital coaster experiences are on the way this fall.
"We’re going to continue to invest in this digital world and they won’t all be rides," Ouimet said. "It is clear to me that the integration of this digital entertainment world with the amusement park world is going to work." "
Coasters, Dark Rides, and Other????
LINK:
LA Times Article - Cedar Fair and Coasters
Some Highlights from the article: (Full link at the bottom)
Gate Coasters.
" "So can we expect a gate coaster at every Cedar Fair park?"
"Now, if I could rewind history, would I do them at the front of every Cedar Fair park?" Ouimet said. "Probably. But it’s not going to happen."
While several parks with beautiful promenade entrances like Canada’s Wonderland and Kings Island will never get gate coasters, Ouimet said a couple more Cedar Fair parks will eventually get "Deckerated." "
Sounds like a front gate coaster might not happen for Kings Dominion. We have a slightly smaller/different version of Kings Island's park entrance. The closest we have to something on that order is Dominator. (The "Deckerated" pun is on Rob Decker who is in charge of attraction planning/design at Cedar Fair).
Coaster Intensity.
" Paramount for Ouimet is making sure major new coasters are comfortable for riders and non-riders alike. That means adding plenty of shade and seating for parents and grandparents who might not want to climb aboard a 95-mph beast like Fury 325 while also stretching out the elements to make the G-forces more manageable for the coaster-inclined.
"I don’t want you to be so scared that you don’t want to ride it again," Ouimet said. "
I don't think we are going to see another coaster like I-305 anytime soon (intensity wise).
Coaster Conversions.
Stand-up to Floor-less.
" This summer, Ohio’s Cedar Point converted the 1996 Mantis stand-up coaster into a floorless coaster known as Rougarou. The relatively rare conversion raised the obvious question: Which Cedar Fair coaster is next?
"We have a couple more we could do and I suspect you’ll see that happen,” Ouimet said. “But unfortunately it’s not one of those things you can play out in 10 different places." "
California's Great America and Carowinds, here they come.
Park Chain Coaster Relocations.
" Cedar Fair’s Dorney Park in Pennsylvania is home to a couple relocated rides: a 1998 Vekoma Invertigo shuttle coaster from California’s Great America and a 2000 Intamin Impulse launched shuttle coaster from Ohio’s Geauga Lake.
But Ouimet doesn’t see coaster relocations as a viable business model.
"If a ride is really popular, you don’t want to take it out," Ouimet said. "And if it’s not, then it’s probably outlived its longevity anyway." "
I guess Dorney Park is breathing a sigh of relief!
Wooden Coasters
Maintenance and overhaul.
" One of the biggest challenges amusement parks face is maintaining aging wooden coasters. In recent years, Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction has solved the problem with wooden coaster renovations that turn existing rides into wood-steel hybrids with looping inversions.
"The revitalization or rejuvenation of wooden coasters is probably a card that gets played for the next 10 years,"Ouimet said. "We are obviously looking at our whole portfolio just to decide what we do with it." "
" "The industry has developed some very good, solid players these days," Ouimet said. "Rocky Mountain is a good example, GCI is a good example. We’ll probably work with all of them before we’re done." "
Digital (Virtual Reality).
" Looking forward, the future of Cedar Fair coasters could be digital. In 2014, Canada’s Wonderland introduced the Wonder Mountain Guardian coaster-dark ride combo that added interactive gaming and digital screens to the traditional coaster experience. Ouimet said more digital coaster experiences are on the way this fall.
"We’re going to continue to invest in this digital world and they won’t all be rides," Ouimet said. "It is clear to me that the integration of this digital entertainment world with the amusement park world is going to work." "
Coasters, Dark Rides, and Other????
LINK:
LA Times Article - Cedar Fair and Coasters
