Category Archives: Media

Cedar Point launches new mobile website and app

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – A trip to Cedar Point just got a whole lot easier as the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort has two new ways to help guests with a need to know. Cedar Point has recently launched a new and improved mobile website and an iPhone and Android app.

The Cedar Point MyPark™ App, available as a free download on iPhone- and Android-powered mobile phones, is the ideal tool to plan a trip and save time during a visit to the park. Users will be able to immediately find live shows and food outlets, plus restrooms, ATMs and lockers. The app will feature a map of the park and will designate the user’s location. As the guest moves, their location will change on the park map, taking advantage of the smartphones’ GPS location technology.

Mobile App Homescreen Mobile App Millennium Force

The new mobile website, found at mypark.cedarpoint.com, streamlines information on the full version of the website and caters to guests’ information needs whether they are inside or outside the park. Guests can easily find directions to the park, pricing information or check the day’s special activities and more.

“As mobile technologies have improved, more and more of our guests are using their phones to access information about the park. It was important to make sure they had a convenient and effective way to find the information they need, said Rebecca Baker, Cedar Point’s interactive marketing coordinator. “With the new mobile website and smartphone app, we have made it easier to find information, save time and make their visit to the park more enjoyable.”

Other features of the new app include a “Friend Finder” that will help guests locate other members of their party. There is also a listing of food menus and live show schedules. Users will also be able to purchase tickets and/or season passes or make reservations for overnight accommodations at a Cedar Point Resort Property.

The app will be useful to guests even after the park closes for the night. They can use the app to mark their car when they arrive and then can easily locate it at the end of the day.

Both the app and the new mobile website will also allow users to interact with Cedar Point through social media. They can connect to the user’s Facebook and/or Twitter accounts to send instant posts or photos and “like” Cedar Point rides. Guests can also instantly read Cedar Point’s posts tweets and blogs directly.

Information and photographs of the park’s rides are also available on both the app and mobile website.

For more information about the Cedar Point MyPark App, please visit cedarpoint.com or www.facebook.com/cedarpoint.

New Paint on Millennium Force

Millennium Force Repainting 2011 (Coaster-net.com)
Picture Copyright Carsten Anderson of COASTER-net.com, used with permission.

After 11 years, Millennium Force is finally being repainted.  It currently looks like the lift and queue line area of track has been painted so far.  Hopefully the whole ride will be sporting a new coat of paint by Opening Day. I would like thank Carsten Anderson of COASTER-net.com who allowed us to use his pictures.

Millennium Force Repainting 2011 (Coaster-net.com)
Picture Copyright Carsten Anderson of COASTER-net.com, used with permission.

The 2011 Park Map (Spoilers)

Thanks to the help of my friend, Christopher Huges (@chriswc11), I stumbled upon the 2011 park map.  It’s not the full map as it takes up half a page in the school group brochure, but it gives you an idea of what the map and park will be like next year.

WindSeeker

Starting off at Cedar Point’s new ride WindSeeker we find the the Beach Entrance is going to be placed on an angle and it looks like WindSeeker’s queue line will start by the Extrema Sports Stadium as shown in the animation.

Chaos

We all knew it was coming, it looks like Chaos is leaving and a 3-point challenge is going in it’s spot.  As seen in the next image, it looks like the Demon Drop 3-point challenge has vanished from the map.

Ocean Motion

Cedar Point’s other “new” ride for 2011 is Ocean Motion.  Moving from it old location where WindSeeker is going to the Demon Drop’s old site.  A pond will be placed next to it to add to the theme of the ride.  As you can see the 3-point challenge is no longer shown.

Cedar Point Off-Season (January 17, 2011)

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

For my first trip of the year, I had the opportunity to visit the park in the winter off-season. Mr. Innes was very nice and agreed to take myself and a few select CP Guide members on a tour of the main midway, wicked twister midway, and a small part of the wildcat midway.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Bay View

Cedar Point - Off-Season Toll Booths

To start we walked through the Hotel Breaker’s parking lot and saw the roller coaster cars awaiting a winter check-up.

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Then we moved on to the WindSeeker construction site.  They had just poured the foundation the Friday before and they were working on setting up the concert mold for the ride base.

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

The concert they used was special concrete that need to be done in one pour, the reason behind the giant concert pour.  The foundation is 60ft by 60ft and the ride will go down 6ft.

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

The ride is currently scheduled to open on opening day, but so was Shoot the Rapids, so we will have to see.

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Moving down the midway, we find Chaos, or the spot Chaos used to occupy.  Chaos is undergoing its off-season maintenance, but it doesn’t sound like it’s coming back.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Chaos Gone

Troika, like Chaos has been taken apart for its off-season maintenance, the rumor circulating is the Troika will go to Chaos’ spot and open up space for Disaster Transport to be replaced with a new coaster. Of course, this is just a rumor, and I don’t have any real facts to support it.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Troika

Cedar Point - Off-Season Troika

Throughout the park many rides have been shrink-wrapped; maXair is one of them as well as the test seat.

Cedar Point - Off-Season maXair

On the main midway, the games are all closed up as expected and Raptor was hibernating until May.

Cedar Point - Off-Season maXair Area

Cedar Point - Off-Season Johnny Rockets

Cedar Point - Off-Season Midway Games

Cedar Point - Off-Season Main Midway

Ocean Motion, on the other hand, will be getting a new home at the old Demon Drop location and it will be complemented with a pond when it opens in May. In the Blue Streak area, we find Calypso taken apart for its maintenance.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Calypso

Boo Hill has been reverted to its normal season look and the Blue Streak was nicely covered with snow.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Blue Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Blue Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Raptor

Moving onto the Wildcat Midway, we find that Dodgems has been enclosed so the floor doesn’t get ruined and Wildcat’s queue ramps have been taken apart for easy access to the track for car removal.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Corkscrew

Cedar Point - Off-Season Dodgems

Cedar Point - Off-Season Wildcat

Many of the fences around the park have also been removed for easier access to the rides.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Iron Dragon

The train cars for the CP and LE Railroad are at different parts of the track: one set back in Frontier Town and one is parked by the Mantis.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Train Cars

Moving on to Millennium Force, we find two cars left on the midway.  Of course we all went crazy taking pictures of it and the brand new wheels.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Car

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Wheels

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Wheels

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Car

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Car

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Wheels

Cedar Point - Off-Season Frontier Trail

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force

Ending the tour, we walked back down the Wildcat midway and by Scrambler and Matterhorn.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Skyride Station

Cedar Point - Off-Season Main Midway

Cedar Point - Off-Season Scrambler

Cedar Point - Off-Season Matterhorn

We passed Kinzel’s Castel and through the parking lot of coaster cars.

Cedar Point - Cedar Fair Corporate Offices

Cedar Point - Off-Season Power Tower

Cedar Point - Off-Season Top Thrill Dragster and Magnum XL-200

Cedar Point - Off-Season Hotel Breakers

On the way out I took some pictures of Mean Streak’s off-season track work and some views of the park from the road.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Challenge Racing

Cedar Point - Off-Season Mean Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Mean Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Blue Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Cadillac Cars

To finish the day I took a picture of me in front of the “Welcome to Cedar Point” sign.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

As you might expect, those were only a small chuck of the pictures we took, click here to view all 150 pictures on flickr.

Interview with Cedar Point Director of Maintenance & New Construction Ed Dangler

From WKZO.com

Coaster buffs like myself will enjoy a full 30 minutes with Ed Dangler, Director of Maintenance and New Construction at Cedar Point. Topics include various coaster wheel assembly arrangements, launch and restraint systems, how coasters and maintained and repaired, the process through which Cedar Point decides what to build and how to build it and much more!

Interview Highlights

  • No wooden coaster in the near future for Cedar Point, maybe after two more years. 16:12
  • Part of the WindSeeker’s foundation will be on the beach [like suggested by the construction stakes earlier this season].  18:10
  • WindSeeker Challenges  18:15
    • Winter Weather
    • Water Table
  • Process of Adding a Ride  20:32
    • Executive Planning Board to decide ride based on the need to offer guests something new and excited.
    • Ride manufacturing is in charge of the design.
      • TUV overseeing WindSeeker Construction.
  • Dick Kinzel decides if they want to be the first at something, such as the tallest and fastest roller coasters. 25:35
  • Nostalgia is a delicate decision at Cedar Point.  A long and thought out process to remove a ride. 26:00
  • Guest input is important. Cedar Point is good friends with ACEers.  They read and encourage comments.  Social media gives them instant feedback.  28:00