Top Thrill 2 Announced for Cedar Point's 2024 Season

© Cedar Point

After a veeeery long period of fan speculation, Cedar Point has announced that Top Thrill 2 will be joining the park's lineup of scream machines when it opens for guests in 2024.  The reimagined Top Thrill Dragster roller coaster will reopen as the "world's tallest and fastest triple-launch strata-coaster" with the addition of a brand new, 420 foot tall spike along the ride's layout.

© Cedar Point

Here's the grand view of the coaster, with the new spike on the left and the existing tower down the track to the right.  The new tower will be the exact same height as the original tower, and the entire ride will feature dark gray supports and mostly white track with some red accent track pieces up high.  A new switch track piece will allow the ride's three trains to make their way around the layout.  The ride's existing station will be reused (with modifications) and the queue will be covered and located in the same place as it was previously.

© Cedar Point

Riders will be seated in the trains (which seat 20 riders total) and first launch forward at 74 miles per hour.  The trains will move up the original tower some, then fall backward and hit another launch to a speed of 101 miles per hour.  At this point they will head up the new, 420 foot tall spike tower that's angled at 90 degrees from the ground below.

© Cedar Point

After the trains plummet down that spike they will hit a final launch that sends the trains to 120 miles per hour and up and over the top hat.  The track layout of the top hat and the remainder of the ride will remain the same.  The total track length covered will be 3,422 feet and Top Thrill 2 will have a 52 inch height requirement.

Top Thrill 2 is being created for Cedar Point by Zamperla, which is showing its expanded roller coaster capabilities with this and other future projects.  The company will use their new Lightning trains on Top Thrill 2, which utilize lightweight aluminum bodies and no welds at all to allow for lower maintenance and operating costs - and in the case of this ride better launch capabilities.  And on that note, Top Thrill 2 will utilize a newly installed LSM launch system when it opens next year.

 

Below is a great off-ride animation of the Top Thrill 2 experience, check it out!

Cedar Fair Announces Frist Phase of ESports Development at CP Sports Center

© Cedar Fair

The first phase of the planned Esports arena has been announced to open this coming May at the Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky, near Cedar Point.  The initial phase is greatly scaled back from the original plans that were released in 2021, but also note that they say this is just a first phase.  Perhaps they need to test the waters to see if interest is there for the larger project first.

The development opening in May will consist of a 1,000 square foot space in the existing building, not any type of actual physical expansion of the center.  Known as Cedar Point Esports, it will feature 32 "competative gaming setups against the backdrop of multimedia video displays that have the flexibility to connect for larger events."  The equipment will be "top-tier" professional and will allow for "practice, competition and extra-curricular play."  The plan is to create Northern Ohio's "premier immersive gaming experience for leagues, camps and clinics."

“Cedar Fair’s long-term strategy is focused on delivering immersive entertainment experiences that differentiate our parks and create an environment where guests want to come back again and again,” said Richard A. Zimmerman, president and chief executive officer. 

 

Cedar Fair is partnering with North Coast Entertainment to develop and run the facility as an amenity for the Cedar Point Sports Center.  It will be open to visitors and the public as well.  Cedar Fair does note that this first phase will "serve as the gateway from the existing Cedar Point Sports Center to the upcoming larger Phase II expansion.  Future plans for the development are likely to include food, beverage and a larger competitive space."

Cedar Point Confirms Top Thrill to Reopen as Something New in 2024

© Cedar Point

While we already knew that the park was reimagining Top Thrill Dragster into a new attraction, it was never clear whether this would be a 2023, 2024 or heck even a 2025 project.  Cedar Point has now confirmed that the attraction formerly known as Top Thrill Dragster will reopen in 2024, and for now are just calling it the park's "2024 Coaster."

 

Looks like for a while the news of a reopening year is pretty much all we have to keep us satisfied.  The park has reintroduced the ride onto their website, noting that their "legacy of roller coaster innovation continues with a one-of-a-kind addition to the park’s world-renowned ride lineup, coming in 2024.  Our entire team is hard at work, creating a new formula for thrills.  Stay tuned for more details on this exciting new coaster coming to The Roller Coaster Capital of the World^®. We can’t wait for you to experience it!"

 

The use of the word "formula" is already causing rumors of a retheme to Formula 1 racing being involved, and perhaps it is.   If the rumors are true and the ride receives new trains and an updated launch system it might be hard to really honestly call this a "new coaster coming" to the park... but marketing is just marketing at the end of the day.  Maybe we will get an air-time hill at the end like Kingda Ka after all!

A new teaser for the ride was also revealed with the announcement, embedded below.

Cedar Point Makes Major Progress on Wild Mouse Coaster + The Boardwalk

© Cedar Point

Since announcing a major new themed area last Fall, Cedar Point has kicked construction of The Boardwalk into high gear, making great progress before 2023 has even rolled around.  The park has shared some images of the now completed track for the Wild Mouse, a new family roller coaster opening in 2023.  With bright yellow supports and a screaming orange track, the ride will be hard to miss!

© Cedar Point

© Cedar Point

The Wild Mouse is manufactured by Zamperla and features a unique layout for a wild mouse style-ride.  It features a zig zag section shortly after the top of the lift that we are accustomed to, but then after that there are a lot of undulating turns, curves, swoops and more.  The individual free-spinning cars will be themed to mice, but one of them will be themed to the cheese.  The Wildcat that was featured on the park's now retired coaster of the same name also makes an appearance if you look closely!

The Boardwalk is seen here on the park's live webcam, showing great progress on the entire area.  In the background is the the Grand Pavilion, a major new two story dining and bar establishment.  Located literally on the beach, the location is sure to give amazing views of both the lake beyond and also the new Boardwalk area.  When complete, The Boardwalk will also feature two relocated flat rides in the foreground of the Wild Mouse. 

Top Thrill Dragster "as we know it" Has Been Retired

© NewsPlusNotes

Cedar Point has announced that Top Thrill Dragster has been retired - but also specifically points out that the ride "as we know it" has been retired.  There is some specific wording on the announcement of the ride's end that does hint toward a future for the attraction, but exactly how remains a mystery.  For now, the park also notes that the coaster ran for 19 seasons at Cedar Point and also thrilled 18 million riders during that time.  A considerable amount for sure!

Here is the exact message that the park shared on social media last week:

© Cedar Point

Obviously, adding "as you know it" is important in noting that what we're all used to when we think of Top Thrill Dragster is what is being retired.  Race Theme.  The name.  Yellow tower.  But even more importantly is the next part, highlighting the park's "legacy of ride innovation" with the Cedar Point team currently "hard at work, creating a new and reimagined ride experience."

© NewsPlusNotes

Work walls are already up around the ride with initial work starting on the launch area.  What will happen here is being debated heavily around these interwebs, with theories ranging from removing the coaster portion of the ride and using the tower for a free fall to a new type of launch, colors, name and theme.  In between that spectrum is a lot of other guesses, like adding more track on the center island or even making the ride utilize a chain lift hill.  Obviously some guesses are less practical and less realistic than others.

In the end the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, with some changes incoming to the ride's theme, colors, name, launch mechanics and definitely the queue area and surrounding midway.  But that's just a guess based on what type of cash Cedar Fair is probably willing to spend on a ride with a very troublesome history.

Top Thrill Dragster, as of now, is the world's 3rd fastest roller coaster and the 2nd tallest.  It opened in 2003 and closed last August when a piece of one of the trains came off it and badly injured a guest waiting in line.

Cedar Point to Open The Boardwalk Themed Area + New Wild Mouse Coaster in 2023

© Cedar Point

There have been rumors of an addition to Cedar Point named the "boardwalk" for almost as long as I can remember... and now the park is building just that - The Boardwalk - a new themed area for 2023.  The park will totally be renovating the former Lakeside Midway are to include a fantastic new dining option, a new coaster and the relocation of a couple of the park's flat rides.  There may not be an actual boardwalk far as I can tell, but the development looks great nonetheless.

“The Boardwalk is our vision of what the classic Cedar Point Boardwalk would have felt like long ago: the sights, the sounds, the electricity of the experience – this new area captures it all,” said Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Lakeside attractions have always been a part of Cedar Point’s 153-year history, and that tradition lives on. We can’t wait for our guests to enjoy this stunning new centerpiece of summertime fun.”

 

© Cedar Point

Check out this aerial drawing of how the new Boardwalk section will look.  You can click on it for a much larger version.  The new Grand Pavilion dining facility will take up a portion of Wicked Twister's former location, and the new Wild Mouse roller coaster and the relocated flats will finally fill in the former high dive theater's plot of land.  There will be additional theming, landscaping and nice rest areas built into the addition as well.  Of course the entire addition will feature great views of Lake Erie just next door as well.

© Cedar Point

The Grand Pavilion is a beautiful, two story tall new food and bar location, set right on the beach on the edge of The Boardwalk area.  The design mimics the park's original Grand Pavilion which opened in 1888 and looks beautiful in the drawing shown here.  The facility will contain a "restaurant featuring culinary items not found anywhere else in the park (plus many traditional favorites), a lake view bar for relaxation and conversation, indoor and outdoor seating plus viewing decks with unparalleled panoramas of Cedar Point, the Cedar Point Beach and the Lake Erie shoreline."  The project sounds like a powerhouse for the culinary department at the park, capable of feeding a lot of park guests quickly.

© Cedar Point

The park will also debut their 18th roller coaster, the Wild Mouse, as a centerpiece of the new area.  The ride is also a throwback to the park's original Wild Mouse roller coaster, but this new one will be one of Zamperla's "Twister Coaster Freeform" models, standing 52 feet tall with 1,312 feet of track.  The individual cars will be mouse themed and capable of spinning freely throughout the ride.... plus one car is themed to cheese - of course.

The Boardwalk will also see the park's Matterhorn flat ride moved to it, along with the park's Scrambler - which will be renamed the Atomic Scrambler.  These rides will join the Giant Wheel, Trokia, Tiki Twirl (which will be renamed Calypso), Dodgem, GateKeeper and WindSeeker as The Boardwalk's ride offerings.

You can also check out Cedar Point's official announcement video for The Boardwalk at this link.

Cedar Point Announces New After Hours Event: Wild Frontier Nights

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point has announced plans to hold an all new after hours, adults only event several times this season, a first for the park.  Named Wild Frontier Nights, the party will feature plenty of exclusive ride time, food and beverage, special entertainment and more.  The event will feature a limited attendance base so that there will be plenty of opportunities for rides and other fun.  Plus, as an additional layer of exclusivity, the event is only open to those age 21 and over.

Wild Frontier Nights will be located in the park's Frontier Town and will be hosted by Lusty Lil, who is throwing quite a party for visitors.  Starting at 9 pm the action will begin with a kickoff by Lil herself, and the fun extends all the way till midnight.  Visitors of this separate admission ticket required event will be able to take in plenty of "wild frontier eats, beats and feats" with special food and alcoholic beverages offered, tons of live entertainment and activities in addition to rides.

Some of the park's best rides will be open for Wild Frontier Nights, including Steel Vengeance, Maverick, SkyHawk, Cedar Creek Mine Ride and the Wave Swinger.  Additional activities include axe throwing and mechanical bull riding, and there are 5 live shows plus a DJ!  Lots of fun packed into the three hours the event will run.

Tickets start at $99.99 for admission, with food and beverage costs additional.  Wild Frontier Nights will take place on June 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th.  Lots more information on the event can be found on the park's website.

Cedar Point Details Changes + Additions for 2022 Season

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point has detailed all the changes and additions they have in store for the park's 2022 season, which will kick off on Saturday May 7th.  The park's season will be highlighted by the transformation of two of its resort properties, additional food and beverage offerings and a host of special events that extend throughout the year.

© Cedar Point

A large new addition to the park's food and beverage operations is The Farmhouse Kitchen & Grill, which will open in the center of the park's Frontier Town themed area.  According to Cedar Point, the Farmhouse Kitchen & Grill will offer "a variety of hand-made options, including roasted corn ribs, house-made chili, char-roasted flank steak with chimichurri, roasted seasonal vegetables, hushpuppies, cast iron brownie a-la-mode and more."  It will also offer special creations on a rotating basis crafted by the park's culinary team.

Concept art for the new addition was released, and can be seen above.  The building appears to follow the same model Cedar Fair has used recently in many parks, with a high capacity serving area inside the building and plentiful seating outside.  There will also be a stage for live entertainment to perform throughout the season.

Elsewhere in the park the Derby Dogs stand, located near the Cedar Downs, will offer unique hot dog creations.  The park's Coasters Drive-In will be heavily renovated inside to allow for more capacity and speed of service, and also offer new items in addition to old favorites.

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point's resort side will be heavily improved this year with complete renovations of both Castaway Bay and Sawmill Creek.  Castaway bay will feature top to bottom changes, including a new exterior look and all new furnishings inside the resort.  The resort's dining offerings will also be improved and changed, and new family friendly activities like mini-bowling installed.  Of course, the indoor water park will still be offered giving families weather-protected fun.

© Cedar Point

Sawmill Creek will debut after an enormous amount of changes and improvements, located just a ten minute drive from Cedar Point.  With more than 200 guest rooms, a meeting space, several food options, private marina and golf course, the changes greatly improve Cedar Point's resort offerings with amenities not previously offered at the Point.  

Cedar Point will offer many special events throughout the 2022 season, including the Celebrate Cedar Point Parade and Spectacular, a modified return of the park's 150th anniversary offerings.  Frontier Festival will return in the spring, and during the summer Cedar Point Nights will again take place along the beach located next to the park.  Plus, Snoopy fans will be happy to see the park's Snoopy Boutique renovated into Peanuts @ The Point, and all new store themed around the Peanuts characters and offering exclusive merchandise.

Cedar Point to Keep Top Thrill Dragster Closed in 2022

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point has confirmed that they will not open Top Thrill Dragster in 2022, updating their website to reflect the news (seen above).  The ride was closed in mid-August 2021 after an accident took place that injured a guest in line.  The news of the ride staying closed this season comes after a full report on the incident was released by the Ohio Department of Agriculture which did not find any fault in the park's maintenance of the ride.

Fans of the towering 420 foot tall ride, which is capable of launching trains at 120 miles per hour, will be understandably disappointed when they visit The Point this year.  Cedar Point has not said any further detail on what their plan is for the ride.  An obvious choice would be reconfiguring the ride's queue to keep guests further away from the ride's path while it is in operation.  

However, we all know that Top Thrill Dragster has given the park its fair share of operational troubles through the years since it opened in 2003.  It is a premier ride at the park no doubt, but it also feels legitimate to wonder if the coaster will be viable as a part of the park's line up come 2023. 

Wicked Twister Comes Down With A Bang

© Fox 8 News Cleveland

Cedar Point had already demolished the lower portions of Wicked Twister earlier in the winter, but this past week the taller parts started to come down - with a bang.  The park was kind enough to share video of one of the ride's spikes being pulled over, available at this link.  Also of note, the park appears to be planning to sell parts of the ride, but cautions fans that they have to wait until the "dust settles."

Fox 8 out of Cleveland was on site and got some great footage of the ride's tower being pulled over, check it out in this video:

Demolitions of roller coasters are certainly a sad thing to see, but quite interesting as well.  Few have been as epic as Son of Beast's lift hill coming down, but I digress.  Wicked Twister's remaining pieces will probably be cut up and taken down quickly, removing the ride from Cedar Point's skyline for good.

Everyone wants to know what's planned for the space the ride took up, and the area surrounding it.  We got only a few new clues from the park in the news stemming from the ride's demolition.  In the Fox 8 article Tony Clark says the redevelopment will contain "something for everyone."  When speaking about their plans in the video, he notes that fans should "expand your mind.  It might not be exactly what you think it is, or it might be."  Not much help there, but I think most realists expect a larger redevelopment of that midway with potentially new food, retail, open views of the lake, and perhaps a ride or two. 

Cedar Point Hard at Work on New Restaurant + Ride Removal

© Google Maps

Cedar Point has made some additional information available about some of their plans for the 2022 season, centered around developments in Frontier Town.  The full info can be found on Cedar Point's official blog at this link.  

It has been confirmed by the park that the new eatery will be located on the site of the Antique Cars ride, which has been retired for good.  The aerial up top shows the layout of the Antique Cars ride in the center of Frontier Town, sandwiched between Maverick's station and the walkway that borders the plaza for the Cedar Creek Mine Ride and Skyhawk.  While many will lament the loss of the Antique Cars, or perhaps the shady area they ran through, there will still be the Cadillac Cars up near the front of the park for visitors to enjoy.

© Cedar Point

The demolition of the ride is well underway, with most of the ride already gone.  This is one photo from Cedar Point, there are more in their official blog post.  It looks like the area has been cleared out considerably, not just the ride's concrete path.  You can see the ride's station still standing in the back, perhaps that will stay?

As for the new restaurant, the park reports that the "entire team is working on menu, theming, name and more" and all will be revealed in the coming months.  Additionally, the park plans to keep the covered bridge that the Antique Cars ran through, changing it to a walking path next year.

Cedar Fair's Deal with Sandusky For Tax Increases to Pay for $100 Million in City + Park Improvements

© Google Maps

Cedar Point has worked out a new deal with the city of Sandusky that will see some $100 million invested in both the park and the city over the next two decades.  The improvements are of a wide variety, and will be funded through two new tax increases related to the amusement park and resort.  The improvements are not new rides and attractions, to be clear, rather infrastructure improvements and initiatives within the city.

The deal is, in my opinion, meant to be an olive branch to the city of Sandusky, which has shown concern in recent months that the company is moving its entire corporate presence to North Carolina.  While the deal does not restrict that from happening, it does show a vote of confidence on the relationship between the company and the city. 

 

The funds used for the improvements will come from an increase in the city's admission tax, up to 8% from 4%.  A new 8% parking tax will also be implemented.  These two are expected to raise nearly $5 million in additional tax monies each year.  So, that $5 million times 20 years equals the $100 million being touted.

 

No news yet on whether Cedar Point will increase ticket and parking prices to let guests pay the tax, or absorb it as a new cost.

 

© Google Maps

What will all that money go to?  Well this news story says about 50/50 improvements to the park and the city over the 20 years.  A big chunk, around $25 million will go toward totally renovating the causeway that cars travel to the park on.  It will see a 5th lane added to help with congestion, add under ground utilities, new water and sewer lines and pedestrian access and lanes.  This will help with congestion in and out of the park, also no more worries of downed electric poles or water main breaks.  It will take several years to reconstruct the whole causeway when work starts.

About $3 million will also be spent to establish ferry service to Cedar Point directly from Sandusky, with more frequent service that includes weekends.  This will hopefully entice guests to spend an extra day of their vacation exploring Sandusky.  There will also be $1.5 million that will go toward programming at the Sandusky State Theater, $14 million for a new city recreation center in town, $3 million for a tourism development fund, and close to $30 million for other changes in Sandusky such as city road improvements, beautification, pathways and parks.

© Google Maps

Also worth noting, as part of the deal the Sandusky Register reported that Cedar Fair will obtain the land of the former Sandusky Drive-In as a swap for the Boeckling Building and Jet Express pier in downtown.  I think the former drive in is in the area above that I put an orange box around - but I have no idea how big of an area Cedar Fair received (if the ownership goes all the way out to the water).  This land is right next to the Sports Force Park, so it's prime for development... perhaps as a resort or more competition fields, but obviously it's beneficial to Cedar Fair to own.

Cedar Fair Details Plans for 2022 Season at Several Parks

© Cedar Fair

On the heels of Kings Dominion's exciting announcement of a new themed area and roller coaster for next year, Cedar Fair put out a press release that details some other changes they have planned for the 2022 season.  The full released can be found at this link, we will take a look at some of the plans in more detail in this post.

 

“We’re in the business of making people happy, and we are actively investing in our parks to help us deliver the type of fun, immersive experiences that our guests crave and our associates love to provide,” said Cedar Fair President and CEO Richard A. Zimmerman. “Based on positive recent trends and our renewed confidence in the recovery of the business, we now plan to invest between $175-$200 million for the 2022 season to improve the guest experience at our parks.”  

 

© Kings Island

Kings Island will be celebrating the park's 50th anniversary in 2022.  It sounds like it will be a big celebration, perhaps on the scale of Cedar Point's 150th, but we'll have to wait a while longer for more details.  For now the company says that the celebration will feature "limited time events, enhanced food offerings and all-new live entertainment – each telling the stories of Kings Island’s first 50 years and sure to delight all ages and create lasting memories."  In order to get ready, the park is closing the Eiffel Tower after this weekend to start a total repaint of the 314 foot tall structure.  It'll be like new in '22!

 

© Knott's Berry Farm

Knott's Berry Farm will be coming off the park's 100th anniversary celebration and will spend 2022 filling the year with a series or "seasons" of events, giving visitors a ready to visit many times per year.  They will start with the Peanut’s Celebration, move into an extended Boysenberry Festival that takes place in the spring, followed by Ghost Town Alive! for the summer months, and the year will close out with both Halloween and Holiday events.  Also of note on the capital front, the company will perform a major renovation of the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel, which features more than 300 rooms.

 

© Canada's Wonderland

Canada's Wonderland will follow a similar format of featuring different seasons of fun throughout 2022, one of which will include an all-new International Food Festival with "a diverse menu of culinary tastes, treats and drinks from around the world."  There will also be a series of special fireworks displays over long weekends, Celebration Canada, KidZfest and both Halloween and Holiday events.  The park will also add a massive new "multi-level, rustic lodge-restaurant that will be the park’s largest dining facility to-date.  Inspired by the striking beauty of the Canadian wilderness, it will feature a sprawling patio overlooking Yukon Striker and the Frontier Canada vista, room for 500+ seating, and indoor and outdoor fireplaces."

 

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point will be bring back the Celebrate Parade next year, so if you didn't get a chance to check it out this year it sounds like you're set for the future.  The Springtime Frontier Festival will also return, along with Cedar Point Nights and Halloweekends.  As detailed in the earning call, both Castaway Bay and Sawmill Creek will see the completion of massive renovations.  Inside the park there will be a new "chef-inspired signature restaurant" located in Frontier Town, but no details yet on if it's a renovation of an existing space or an addition.

Cedar Fair also notes that they will continue to invest "millions" into both Schlitterbahn parks, with next year focusing on infrastructure and aesthetics throughout the parks.  Grand Carnivale will return again to six parks, including Dorney Park, Worlds of Fun, Valleyfair and Carowinds.  Next fall six parks will feature Tricks & Treats events with two others hosting other not-described-by-name family Halloween events.  Winterfest will return to 5 parks, Carowinds, Kings Island, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland and California's Great America - but not Worlds of Fun it seems. (it also doesn't seem to be happening this year either at Worlds of Fun).

For those wondering, this release does not mean that it includes all changes, as there will probably be many smaller ones that will be announced later by individual parks.  It does strike me as a listing of the biggest things planned for next year, though.

Wicked Twister at Cedar Point Closing Forever on September 6th

© NewsPlusNotes

After a season of rumors that the ride was going to be removed from Cedar Point, the park has finally confirmed that Wicked Twister's last day of operations - ever - will be September 6th, 2021.  The rumors of the coaster's demise were strong enough earlier this year that the local news even picked them up, so to a certain degree this is not a big shocker for fans of the Point.

The park announced the closing of the ride late on a Friday afternoon - a common time for sending out no-so-great news - with this blog post and the below video.

Wicked Twister has operated at Cedar Point since 2002, making the 2021 season its 20th operating year and its last.  Created by Intamin, the coaster features two twisting spikes that stand 215 feet in the air.  The train utilizes a LIM launch to rocket the train back and forth up the towers at a top launch speed of 72 miles per hour.

© NewsPlusNotes

Interestingly, Intamin did not make another similar coaster with twists on both ends of the ride until just this year.  Located in China, "Legendary Twin Dragon" features a similar color scheme to Wicked Twister but stands 230 feet tall and goes just a couple miles per hour faster than Cedar Point's ride.  

Wicked Twister was one coaster at Cedar Point that usually didn't have a very long line, whether due to its placement on the edge of the park or a general lack of popularity, I'm not sure.  However, it seemed to make the decision to remove it that much easier in the end.

© NewsPlusNotes

The area of the park that Wicked Twister will vacate has already seen development in the form of GateKeeper and WindSeeker at either end of the ride.  It does seem like an area that will be wonderfully opened up to the beach and lake once Wicked Twister is removed.  For now Cedar Point is only saying the ride is coming down as they "prepare for future park improvements."  That can mean a lot of different things, so we will have to stay tuned to see what the park has planned.

Cedar Fair Exploring the Development of a $28 Million ESports Arena in Sandusky

© Cedar Fair

Cedar Fair has announced that they are "exploring" the development of a $28 million esports arena to be built within the existing Cedar Point Sports Center, which is located just minutes from Cedar Point amusement park.  The company has submitted preliminary plans for the project to the Sandusky Planning Commission, and is partnering with Esports Development Co, LLC on the expansion.  The outside of the esports arena building can be seen above, which has been designed by OSPORTS, a division of Osborn Engineering Company - the same firm that designed the Cedar Point Sports Center.

© Cedar Fair

Calling the facility a "beacon for Midwest youth and collegiate gaming and esports," the structure will house a "best-in-class space to host competitive events for up to 1,500 stadium spectators."  It will also include 200 gaming stations and offer a variety of food and beverage options.  The project's partner, Esports Development Co. LLC, is described as having "significant experience and connections in the gaming world" and they will work with the "'best of breed' Tier 1 gaming companies to provide a world-class experience for guests and gamers alike."

The facility will also be able to host other events in the arena, such as concerts, youth camps and educational opportunities.  The first floor will have the arena, 200 gaming station hub, locker rooms and a food court.  The second floor will have a restaurant with an outdoor terrace, a broadcast studio and office space.  The third and fourth floors will feature dormitories for esports camp and event attendees.

© Cedar Fair

Sports Force Park at Cedar Point © Bing Maps

The esports development will be attached to the Cedar Point Sports Center, the latest addition to the $50 million sports park seen above.  The building will attach to the existing 145,000 square foot structure which is already used for indoor tournaments and features a medical facility.  The structure is located adjacent to the Sports Force Park which features 10 multi-purpose outdoor fields.

Cedar Fair says that if the project is approved through the city and financing is obtained construction can start this year with an opening in the first half of 2023.

The entire sports park development has been a great feeder for guests both staying in the company's hotels but also for Cedar Point.  If you take a trip to the park during the summer and stay on site you can pick up on this quickly.  Cedar Fair notes that competitive gaming is a global $1.1 billion industry, with double digit growth each year.  They also want to continue to diversify and provide an "immersive entertainment experience that differentiates our parks and makes our park guests want to come back again and again."  To that end it seems that this could be a winning idea and another layer of growth for the company's Sandusky operations.

Cedar Point Announces HalloWeekends to Return This Fall + Dorney Park Posts Fall Hours

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point is still hard at work celebrating their 150th anniversary on a daily basis (through August 15th), but has also announced their biggest ever fall season for later this year.  The park will host the return of HalloWeekends, starting September 17th, and this year HalloWeekends will consist of both Tricks and Treats Fall Fest during the day and Haunt at night.

Tricks and Treats Fall Fest started last year at Cedar Point while the pandemic made a traditional Haunt event impossible.  It must have been a hit as it will return again this year.  Haunt is sure to get visitors screaming when darkness falls across the park, with specific details yet to come.

Cedar Point has often seen some of their busiest days during their Fall season, and to help with that they are giving this year's event the largest number of operating days ever.  Starting October 7th, the park will open each Thursday from 6 pm to midnight with only the Haunt attractions open.  Then each weekend Friday through Sunday the park will hold both Tricks and Treats Fall Fest and Haunt each day.  The final operating day for the 2021 season will be Sunday October 31st, Halloween itself.

 

This is the first time the park is opening Thursdays in the Fall, so that's a big change.  Beyond helping spread out crowds it may also help make up a bit of the lost operating days in June.

© Dorney Park

While we haven't had a full announcement of Fall events yet at Dorney Park, we have seen them update their operating calendar to show that they plan to do a Haunt this year after being closed for it last year.  Right now the event could start on either Saturday September 18th or Friday September 24th.  The calendar shows Friday operating hours through the end of October of 6 pm to 11 pm and Saturday hours of 11 am to 11 pm.  Stay tuned for more as the summer rolls along!

Cedar Point Releases Spring + Summer 2021 Schedule + New Fun for '21

© Cedar Point

Cedar Point has put out a press release that covers the park's plans for their Spring and Summer 2021 season, with any potential fall fun to be revealed at a later time.  The news includes the release of the park's operating calendar for the first two thirds of their season, which will help fans plan their trips.

Cedar Point will continue with their 150th anniversary celebration in 2021, which was largely delayed from the 2020 season.  The fun kicks off June 26th and continues daily through August 15th.  Included in the party is the Celebrate 150 Spectacular parade, which features spectacular floats that travel through the park, which culminates in a big street party with music, dancing, pyrotechnics and more.  Building on new retail and food offerings that took place in 2020, the park has even more new fun planned for the 150th celebration this year.

© Cedar Point

Starting on May 29th visitors will get their first trip on Snake River Expedition, which is new for 2021.  The park has released a couple promotional images of the ride (seen above and up top) and I know we're all anxious to experience the finished product firsthand.  Many fans have longed for the return of boat trips around the park's internal lagoon, myself included.  The ride will feature a cast of live characters along with animated scenes and "danger" around every bend.

© Cedar Point

When the park opens for the season on May 14th guests will be able to enjoy the Frontier Festival, returning again this year with some changes.  Guest will find that "Frontier Town will transform into a Wild West hootenanny, brimming with live music, interactive games for adults and kids, festive décor, street entertainers and a mouth-watering food and drink menu."  The park's partnership with Prayers From Maria will grow this year, with more sunflowers used as a theme for the festival, including unique merchandise that benefits the organization.  Overall the park's food and beverage will carry a cherry theme this year, with cherries used to create sweet and savory food and beverage.

At the end of the summer season the popular Cedar Point Nights will return as well.  Located on the Cedar Point Beach, the event features evening fun such as live music, games, special food and more. 

Cedar Fair Parks Release 2021 Opening Dates

© Dorney Park

This past week several Cedar Fair parks sent out e-mails to their mailing lists that provided their opening dates for the 2021 season.  We previously heard from Cedar Fair that they were evaluating opening some parks later this season, and that did happen for some parks in varying degrees.  The full operating calendars have not been released yet, just the opening dates.  The parks promise more information on operating days and hours in the coming weeks.

The earliest opening announced is for Kings Island, which plans to have a season passholder weekend preview on May 8th and 9th.  This is later than their usual opening in April each year.  While it was not stated yet when operations begin for all visitors, it is hoped it will be the following weekend.

Cedar Point will open on Friday, May 14th, which is similar to past (normal) seasons pre-pandemic.  Canada's Wonderland also announced plans to open on May 14th.  That park was not able to open at all during 2020, so fingers are crossed that this given date works out in the end.

The weekend after, specifically Saturday, May 22nd, will be the opening date for a longer list of other Cedar Fair parks.  These include Dorney Park, Kings Dominion, Carowinds, Valleyfair and Worlds of Fun.  This date is just a few weeks later than pre-pandemic opening dates for many of these parks, but much later for some like Carowinds, Worlds of Fun and Kings Dominion.

California's Great America also announced plans to open on May 22nd, and since we know that no amusement or theme parks are currently allowed to open in California we hope that happens for them.

Last but not least, Michigan's Adventure plans to open on Saturday May 29th, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend.

The parks appear to be planning to continue the safety measures that were in place when they closed for the 2020 season - though they are not ready to release details on that just yet.

Reduced Hours + Operating Days, Closures, No More Reservations + Halloween Events Paused

The industry is still trying to find its footing in this summer of uncertainty, and it appears as though a big part of that is scaling back operations to better fit with what has turned out to be a small demand for the amusement industry right now. 

We've seen a number of parks stop requiring reservations to visit the parks.  Dollywood stopped requiring day ticket visitors to have a reservation, though season pass holders still need them for the theme park.  A while back Worlds of Fun axed the reservation requirement, then Kings Island, Kennywood and Cedar Point followed soon after.  Dorney Park removed the reservation requirement for season pass holders, only asking single day ticket visitors to have one.  One can only assume that crowd levels are small enough that there is no need to monitor attendance with reservations.

Scaling back park hours is also becoming common.  Kings Island released their updated hours for August which will have the park closed Wednesday and Thursday, then to weekends only by the end of the month.  Closing times on Saturdays did get extended until 10 pm however.  Cedar Point will stay open daily until mid-August, then switch to Friday-Sunday operations only and right now are closed all of September aside from Labor day weekend.  Kennywood has also decided to stay closed Mondays and Tuesday in August, then go weekends only in September - and has also made it clear there will be no Phantom Fright Nights this year.  Idlewild is going even further, opening only on Friday - Sunday starting August 1st.

This is not a full list of changes, there are more out there as well.

© Raging Waters

We're also starting to see some Southern California properties throw in the towel on the year - that is just what Raging Waters Los Angeles did today.  They do note that they are excited to reopen in 2021.  The rest of the California theme park crew, and there's a lot of them, are still waiting on the ability to open.  As we discussed some parks are finding other ways to operate, such as Knott's super popular food festival Taste of Calico which actually got extended two more weeks and is selling out fast.

© Universal

It is almost to the point where parks are having to make tough decisions regarding their popular Halloween seasons.  Just recently we saw both Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood officially cancel their events for this year, with Halloween Horror Nights not taking place at either park.  Disney World has also called off Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the Disneyland Resort cancelled the Oogie Boogie Bash even though no opening date is in sight for its parks.

No news yet from other park operators on Halloween, but with these big parks setting the standard it might not look to good.

Things may be a bit more quiet around this blog for the foreseeable future, as park seasons are shortened and events are cancelled - there simply isn't much to cover.  We will look forward to 2021 though!