Cedar Point Possibly Adding a Third New Ride for 2014?
For the 2014 season at Cedar Point, we know we can expect two new rides, Lake Erie Eagles and Pipe Scream, to debut on the Gemini Midway, and we also know that renovations are in-progress on Hotel Breakers. However, recent findings on the website of the Federal Aviation Administration are hinting to us that another surprise may be in store for the 2014 season.
Slingshot coming in 2014?According to the FAA website, Cedar Point is seeking approval for a 236-foot-tall slingshot ride. The coordinates given on the filing, when plugged into Google Maps, point to an area near the restrooms by Gemini, thus making this slingshot ride a part of the Gemini Midway expansion. Also worth noting, the filing on the FAA website lists 1/28/14 as the date the entry was received and also provides details such as “2014 Sling Shot ride” and also shows a work schedule of 3/07/2014 to 6/07/2014.
This recent finding on the FAA website is sure to raise some questions. Is this ride confirmed for 2014? Why is construction expected to start in March and end in June 2014? Was this ride a last-minute decision to add to the 2014 Gemini Midway expansion? What will it be called? Will this attraction be free of charge, or will there be a fee to ride it? What manufacturer will build this ride? Are there any more surprises for 2014? Hopefully, Cedar Point will be able to confirm this soon, thus answering some of these questions.
For those of you not familiar with slingshot rides, they are known to be one of the most exciting vertical amusement rides in existence today. Passengers are propelled over 100 meters at speeds around 160 kilometers per hour. Unlike RipCord, the Slingshot machine is powered by a patented spring propulsion device incorporating up to 720 specially designed springs. Some Slingshot designs manufactured by Funtime are able to propel the passenger capsule more than 150 meters high. Other designs are available that have a passenger capacity of around 240 passengers per hour.
© Another possible surprise that could be seen taking place at Cedar Point is an expansion of the Lighthouse Point cabins. Cedar Fair CEO, Matt Ouimet, said back in November that Cedar Fair was looking to improve and expand their on-premise resort options. “In 2014, this will include the addition of our very popular cottages and cabins at select parks,” Ouimet said in the company’s 3rd Quarter Conference Call. Kings Dominion was one of those select parks, as their Camp Wilderness is currently closed for upgrades. It appears that a Cedar Point document was mixed into Kings Dominion’s site plan application, with a floor plan showing 2014 expansion plans for Lighthouse Point.
If you listen to the interview that Tony Clark did with “In the Loop,” you may also find some hints for future park plans. Based on the information we have found, we can only speculate that these are some additional plans for the 2014 operating season at Cedar Point. We can neither confirm nor deny these plans at the moment. But, we are hoping that, sometime in the near future, Cedar Point will provide us with details as to whether we will see these additions to the park for the 2014 season.
By Jordan Smith