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Cedar Point | "GateKeeper" | B&M Wingrider

rcjp

Roller Poster
Nice to hear that it has some forces but is it any more intense than other wingriders?
Great review!
 

Screaming Coasters

Strata Poster
Hmmm, it looks a little pants to me, but its the best out of a bad bunch of ride type.. So many drawn out sections. When B&M do a Baco, then I'll pay interest.
 

Nemesis of oblivion

Strata Poster
Screaming Coasters said:
Hmmm, it looks a little pants to me, but its the best out of a bad bunch of ride type.. So many drawn out sections. When B&M do a Baco, then I'll pay interest.
I think thats the point with B&M's Wingriders. They're meant to be smooth, graceful and not going like a mad man's invention. For what it is, it does look awesome.

Plus Baco, though fun, is a bit...no...very painful!
 

Jordanovichy

Credit Whore 2016
It really does look stunningly beautiful, the colour is just gorgeous! I know The Swarm has to be grey to fit in with its theming but it looks dull compared to GateKeeper. I also like the look of the near misses on GateKeeper which you don't experience on The Swarm where you can see a huge pillar coming towards you but boom! the track inverts to allow you to pass through, that is what you call sexy!

I am sure one day I will ride this beast, I love the look of Cedar Point.
 

tomahawk

Strata Poster
Screaming Coasters said:
Hmmm, it looks a little pants to me, but its the best out of a bad bunch of ride type.. So many drawn out sections. When B&M do a Baco, then I'll pay interest.

Because there are SO MANY Intamin wing walkers in the world. Oh wait. Yeah, think there is a reason you won't see that.
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
I'm back from my visit earlier today. As for the report, there's not much at all, but if anybody is interested, go read my post in the Live thread.


Gatekeeper, on the other hand, is astounding in person. You don't quite realize the full scale of the project until you see it in person. The ride is MASSIVE - not just in footprint, but in height as well. Combine that with the fact that the main entrance is completely redone as well as Gatekeeper's entrance plaza. The entire beach is open and the ride towers over the front of the park.
 

tks

Strata Poster
Screaming Coasters said:
^ Great post mate, carry on.

Yet he is completely right.

Baco is a seriously flawed ride design. B&M produce consistent, reliable and enjoyable rides. Why spoil that by trying to copy something that gives you an aneurysm by the second corner?
 

Screaming Coasters

Strata Poster
^ But I wasn't talk about the design of the Intamin version. I was talking about making the B&M stuff more intense. I think you both misunderstood me. Everything that comes out of the B&M factory these days is so samey and under-dramatic.
 

tks

Strata Poster
And parks will buy that at the moment. By "copy that" I meant the intensity. There's no need for B&M to make something outlandish and risky.

If I was spending $25 million on a ride i'd want it to be a sure investment. Not something that risks high maintenence costs or needs altering one season in.
 

Smithy

Strata Poster
Screaming Coasters said:
B&M can clearly do it. They've proved it to us in the 90's, so I don't buy what you just said at all.

That's because you don't understand it.

tks didn't say they can't do.

He said that they won't, as they have no reason to.
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Re: Cedar Point | "GateKeeper" | B&M Wingrider

I feel like I'm one of very few people who think this looks awesome?

I like the wing rider concept and have since Baco. I think it is different enough from inverts, sit downs and floorless B&Ms to be its own interesting thing, without the need to be a breakthrough in layout design. Before I rode Wild Eagle, I didn't understand it, but post riding I felt it was so much more than a generic sit down. They produce weird forces that you simply won't find on other rides - the closest is Sheikra, but even Griffon lacks it.

I kind of disagree with Smithy though... See, whilst I like Swarm, I don't think the public give a toss. And that begs the question, why do parks spend so much money on smooth, dull B&Ms? I just don't know. Yes, they're reliable, but why don't parks ever say "its got to be intense".

With CP, this isn't so relevant, as that park seems to go out of its way to make even Intense ride types tame... But why? WHY?

Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk 2
 

Hyde

Matt SR
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
An amusement park's ideal roller coaster brings a unique, one-of-a-kind thrill with low maintenance costs, keeping overall capital costs down.

Why did Maverick have its barrel roll removed? It was because it was too intense... for the train. Cedar Point would have been forced to go through more wheel repairs than they do at present. We also see this with wheel misters on I305 and now MF, to cool off the wheels from very hot runs (And let's not forget the track reprofiling that was done on I305 as well).

There is also a concern for rider comfort. Of course enthusiasts are going to scream for the most intense roller coasters in the world, but what about the average park goer?

You see: I believe we already are touching the limit of current roller coaster technology. Just as the Arrow multi-loopers of old, manufacturers and parks alike do not want to cross the line from fun thrill ride to uncomfortable g-force machine. What was the problem with Steel Phantom and Shockwave? They were too intense. Yet Viper at SFMM, a fellow Arrow multi-looper, is still a very fun roller coaster that remains standing. The layout difference between these three Arrows is marginal - all have [had] the same same inversions, and general concept. Yet two met early ends, costing parks millions of dollars.

Let's fast forward to present day - you have $12 million. How are you going to spend it? I believe rational thought will support a more conservative approach, to ensure that all bases are covered. You don't need an out of the park home run, just enough to score.

Cedar Point doesn't need a Hail Mary roller coaster that is the biggest, fastest, most intense in the land (yet they built the tallest, fastest wing rider with the world's tallest inversion ;) ), they just need something that will add additional complement to one of the world's best amusement parks.

And yeah, they did it right. GateKeeper is a great ride with a fun riding experience. Is it the best? No. I still enjoy Raptor better. Is it good? Absolutely. And the aesthetic value has been increased exponentially with the addition of GateKeeper for the front of the park/new main entrance.

Whether or not you think GateKeeper is the most intense wing rider in the world is negligible - the ride still had a 4 hour wait opening day, which puts it right on pace with Millennium Force and TTD. It is a popular roller coaster that already has become a Cedar Point heart throb.
 
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