originally posted on 9/9/2022 1:35:00 AM
All images courtesy of Cedar Point. View full-sized image.
Coasters and Cedar Point go hand in hand. The park spent
decades building record-breaking coasters. With the announcement of The
Boardwalk for 2023, the Sandusky, Ohio, park accents the rethemed area with a
new coaster that fills a void in the family lineup.
Wild Mouse is the anchor ride to the reimagined area.
Supplied by Zamperla, it will be the park’s first spinning coaster, as well as
its first coaster from that manufacturer.
While completely different from the Wild Mouse that
operated from 1959 to 1963 (a B.A. Schiff & Associates two-seater), the
park is pleased how it pays homage.
The original Wild Mouse operated from 1959 to 1963.
View full-sized image.
“I am really looking forward to sharing a new experience
with our guests that honors the past but doing it in a nontraditional way,”
said Tony Clark, director of communications. “Instead of reintroducing the same
things with new names, we are introducing new [additions] that are actually
modern in the sense of guest throughput and guest experience.”
Zamperla makes three styles of spinning coasters. The
classic spinning Twister coaster is the company’s most popular model (such as
the new Sidewinder Safari at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo,
California). Zamperla also offers a compact spinning coaster (such as the
recent addition at TusenFryd in Norway) and the Super Twister. Adam Sandy, roller
coaster sales and marketing director, Zamperla, said, “The Cedar Point model is
a ‘Twister Freeform.’ It also utilizes newer vehicles with an updated seat and
restraint similar to the vehicles used on the trains on our Super Twister.”
Of the seven cars, six will be themed to mice, and one
whimsically will look like cheese. The seating on this Zamperla model will also
be different, as the commonly seen angled seats are replaced with straight
seating.
As a “freeform” design, Sandy said Cedar Point wanted more
than the typical switchback design and offered some freedom to let the
engineers have fun in the supplied footprint. “It has a twisting first drop,
two wild mouse turns that act as a nice throwback, a diving helix that leads
into an Immelmann turn, figure-eight helix and magnetic brakes. Cedar Point
wanted an experience that felt familiar, like the park’s old Schiff Wild Mouse,
but delivered a modern experience and amenities,” he said.
View full-sized image.
The new Boardwalk area gives a complete refresh to that
midway of Cedar Point. Following the removal of Wicked Twister in 2021,
the stretch of land will now be more open to the beach. A Grand Pavilion will provide
not only food offerings but a second-story bar that offers great views of Lake
Erie. The renderings are quite elegant. Both the Matterhorn and Scrambler will
be relocated from the main midway and round out refreshed offerings in the
area. The Boardwalk is geared toward families, and the ride selections bring a
“tween” lineup for those who have graduated from the adjacent Kiddie Kingdom.
The new two-story Grand Pavilion will offer great views of Lake Erie and The Boardwalk.
View full-sized image.
“We’re known for innovating in coasters and thrill rides,
but we’re also known as a place for families to visit. We can’t always build
giant roller coasters,” said Clark. “There are only a handful that small
children can enjoy, and this is a way to not only give a little nod to the past
but also bring it into the modern era with technology that currently exists.
Zamperla has this spinning, twisting coaster and has a 42-inch height
requirement [when riding] with a responsible person. That height requirement is
what’s important to us.”
When announced, the release said it would bring the park’s
coaster count to 18. Fans were quick to point out that to reach that number
would require counting Pipe Scream, a Zamperla Disk’O Coaster, and Top
Thrill Dragster. The park didn’t confirm anything on the operational status
of the 420-foot Intamin launched coaster. It simply noted that the website had
17 as the coaster count before and they increased it by one. Since then, the park
has announced that Top Thrill Dragster “as you know it” is being retired but also
that the ride is being “reimagined.” Hm. This is interesting — and intriguing!
— news, but no further details were offered.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
#ACENews