Ride Profile
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The signature keyhole element
It’s impossible not to stare and be impressed with
GateKeeper, Cedar Point’s new rollercoaster, writes Paul Ruben. It thunders over guests at the front entrance to the park in Sandusky, Ohio. The roar of the ride, the screams of the riders and the whoosh of the train through its rolling flyover are all part of the energy of this latest Wing Coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)
GateKeeper C
limb aboard,” it seems to say to the wide-eyed and slack-jawed onlookers, if you dare. Since the ride opened in mid-May, long lines of people have dared. By mid-July, over one million people had dared.
“I have stood at the exit and talked to guests after
they’ve ridden a new coaster many, many times in my career,” reports H John Hildebrandt, Cedar Point vice- president and general manager (pictured). “I know when you have a great ride. GateKeeper is a great ride.”
The soon to retire John Hildebrandt, Cedar Point vice-president and general manager
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In fact, it’s such a hit that guests near the entrance are paying to play Plinko, a Pachinko-style game suggested by Cedar Fair CEO Matt Ouimet, to win front-of-the-line passes for GateKeeper and other prizes. Neat idea, Ouimet! GateKeeper is the fifth Wing Coaster in the world from B&M and the third in the US. A sixth will open later this year in China. With this and the redesign of the park’s main entrance, Cedar Point has invested approximately $30 million on improvements for the 2013 season. The new ride is a people-gobbler, consuming as many as 1,710 passengers per hour. Like many of the rollercoasters Cedar Point has launched over its 144 years, GateKeeper is a record- breaker. In fact, it claims seven new bragging rights. It boasts the tallest inversion (170 feet or 50 metres) of any rollercoaster in the world and the longest track
New coaster holds the keys at Cedar Point “
(4,164ft/1,269m), tallest drop (164ft/50m) and most inversions (six) of any wing coaster. It is also the world’s fastest (67mph/108kmph) non-launched wing rollercoaster. With the new ride’s arrival, Cedar Point now has the most rollercoaster track at any single amusement park – 10.7 miles or 17.2km – and the most rides at any one park (72). That’s impressive. If bragging rights are the lifeblood of the park industry, then GateKeeper has delivered.
Guest expectations “Cedar Point has a lot of coasters,” muses Hildebrandt, “a lot of great coasters. Our last coaster was Maverick in 2007. We knew our guests were ready – more than ready – for a new coaster. But what do you build? We wanted something new, something our guests would view as a new experience. And it had to be a big deal, that’s what our guests expect. We looked at several options and locations, but a wing coaster in the front of the park that could open a vista to the lake and make a statement at our new front gate was the way to go. We really believe we made the right choice.” “B&M knew we wanted a signature ride,” continues Hildebrandt. “They delivered. The keyhole element is a great visual for guests entering the park, and also for everyone riding the coaster. B&M was great to
AUGUST 2013
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