From wkyc.com…
SANDUSKY — There’s a lot of buzz brewing up along the shores of Lake Erie, and it’s all because of a pair of white, haunting eyes.
The animalistic stare is the first official tease from Cedar Point regarding its new attraction for 2013.
Cedar Point posted the image on its blog Saturday with the following tease: You didn’t think we would give away 2013 THAT easy did you? Watch out for inversions and (!%!@@!#%(!@!!^
The day before unleashing that teaser, Cedar Point announced on its Facebook page that two rides were being removed to make room for a new attraction. “Something big is happening,” the post declares. “Disaster Transport and Space Spiral will be dismantled this season to make space for @!!$!(*%%. We’re sad to see them go, but are excited as we fly into the future. Stay tuned for more!”
Park spokesperson Annie Zelm says neither ride will be moved to another location after being dismantled.
A press release says the rides are being removed “to make better use of prime space in the front of the park and enhance the overall appearance of that corridor.”
But this news comes as no surprise. Back in May we told you about the potential removal of those rides after a memo was leaked regarding a new attraction for 2013 — a wing-style roller coaster that’s said to have the biggest drop, fastest speed and longest run of any similar ride.
A wing coaster takes riders on a journey without a visible track above or beneath them. That sensation is created since riders are seated on each side of the track with their feet dangling in the air.
Dollywood in Tennessee and Six Flags Great America in Chicago each debuted a wing coaster this year (see video below to watch one in action).
If the new ride is in a fact a roller coaster as the memo indicated, it will be the first one built at Cedar Point since the park unleashed Maverick in 2007.
As a result of the new attraction, Cedar Point says Disaster Transport will make its final run on Sunday, July 29 before screeching to a halt forever.
“I think fans of the park who really want it to be special have felt for a long time that Disaster Transport was a hideous warehouse-looking structure blocking views of the lake,” says Jeff Putz of CoasterBuzz.com. “While some people may be sentimental about the ride, especially if it was one of their first as a young child, it certainly isn’t very exciting. Once they see the replacement, I doubt anyone will give it a second thought.”
The ride first made its debut along the edge of Lake Erie in 1985 as Avalanche Run — an outdoor bobsled-style coaster. In 1990, the ride was re-named Disaster Transport, enclosed and refurbished with a new outer space theme.
The two-minute ride takes 10-person trains along the dark track at speeds up to 40 mph.
Cedar Point says more than 30 million people have experienced the ride since it made its debut.
Distater Transport’s building also housed a special indoor haunted attraction each Halloween season for HalloWeekends — most recently Happy Jack’s Toy Factory. But as a result of the building’s removal, Zelm says that Happy Jack’s Toy Factory will not be returning for this year’s HalloWeekends. Instead, Zelm says the park will introduce a new HalloWeekends attraction for the 2012 spooky season. That attraction has not yet been revealed.
Those who want to be the final riders on Disaster Transport can participate in an online auction to benefit Give Kids The World. For a $20 registration fee and a $50 minimum donation, anybody can enjoy a private party and exclusive ride time on Disaster Transport after the coaster closes to the public. The fundraisers with the highest totals will earn the privilege of choosing their seats on the last train while riding with the lights on.
This marks the second roller coaster to be placed in the Cedar Point graveyard this year because the park removed the WildCat prior to opening day to make room for Luminosity, a new night-time show.
The park has not yet announced a final operating day for Space Spiral, but officials say the ride will be closed forever before the end of the season.
The 330-foot rotating observation tower opened in 1965 and has been an icon of the park’s skyline ever since.
Zelm says Cedar Point has not yet set a firm date on when they will officially unveil the new attraction for 2013, but they are looking at unleashing the news in mid August.