Maverick Opens!

[Soulfire21]

A little bit late, but I've been busy!

According to OnPoint! (http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm), the official Cedar Point blog, Maverick is now open.

And features water bombs.

I'm excited to get down to Sandusky!

Post about your Maverick experiences here

[coasterfreak044]

i feel your pain...

I live only one hour away, but am always too busy too make a trip up there. Last year we went to disney instead, and i didn't get a chance to go.

And now, finaly i get a chance to go on opening day, and the main reason i am going is now postponed.

I find it stupid that 4 days before opening they decide they won't be ready. maybe next time they will get it right. maybe...

[Soulfire21]

Admitedly, from the May 3rd pics at maverick.cedarpoint.com, the ride looks very unprepared for opening day.

I just wish testing happened earlier and the news wasn't released 4 days before opening day.

At any rate, I still expect to have a good time. It will be a painful walk across that bridge in Frontiertown as Maverick looms overhead ... not living, yet.

[IEATPASTE001]

Sweet, hopefully this will keep people away for my trip this may!

[SnooSnoo]

You can all shut it. I had money on being one of the first riders! Now, i'm screwed for another month of bidding, and I don't have much left to bid. :(

[KiDFoX]

What concerns me is how big of a cut is this going to take out of the revenue in Q2? I have a little more riding on CedarFair than just some ticket costs and I want to see those quarterly distributions stay as healthy as possible.

[LightGrenades]

That genuinely sucks.

Especially for Snoo Snoo

And Kidfox: I am guessing you own some sort of stock in Cedar Fair?

[Cedar Point]

I'm going the second week in June, so I hope even I get to ride it.

[SnooSnoo]

I don't think your stock will have problems KidFox, as CP will probably take cash out of their own budget to fix the problem.

And CP, you should be ok. I have a big meetup planned the 2nd week of June and i'm 90% sure it should be ok by then.

[Beldin]

I don't understand why people are blaming Cedar Fair for the problem with Maverick. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Cedar Fair DOES NOT build roller coasters. They are manufactured by the companies (B&M, Intamin, Verkoma, etc.) then erected by contractors.

I guess, if you want to get technical about it, you can blame CF for buying coasters from the wrong manufacturer or hiring 2nd rate contractors, but in my opinion, the problem does not lie with CF. Blame the Manufacturer for inferior quality controls or the contractor for inferior installation.

Would you rather have them open the ride knowing there's a problem and ending up with people getting hurt or killed? I think not. I think they should be praised for not letting inferior work go. From everything that I've seen, CF is a class act with guests safety foremost as their philosophy and I give them a thumbs up. :up:

[Harpo]

I agree with Beldin... the blame lies with IntaRide. If the ride was properly designed and manufactured, it would be ready for opening day.

I actually praise Cedar Fair. Opening the 17th coaster would be helpful to attendance. However, if they feel the ride is not safe or will not provide a good ride experience, they have two choices: open it anyway and take their chances, or delay the opening and have the proper repairs done to the ride. Delaying the opening is a tougher PR move in the short term. If it results in avoiding injuries, saving lives, or improving the ride experience, in the long term, it's the right thing to do.

I'm very disappointed, as I will also be at Cedar Point for opening weekend, and I was really looking forward to it. Also, I own 2500 shares of Cedar Fair stock -- it's my biggest investment. With all the debt from the Paramount acquisition, Cedar Fair really needs to boost attendance, especially at Cedar Point. The stock price dropped by 16 cents yesterday, and is currently down by 20 cents today as I type this note. That's $720 off of my stock value, apparently due to the news of Maverick's delay. Sorry, SnooSnoo, but that amount even makes your Maverick bid look like a bargain!

Long term, I still think delaying the opening is the right thing to do. If the ride provides a great experience once open, it'll do more to help the company's income and stock price than rushing to open it when it isn't quite ready for prime-time.

Meanwhile, as a rider, I'm still remarkably disappointed.

[Darth Gilbert]

Harpo, I hear IntaRide is hiring engineers... :D

[Soulfire21]

Cedar Fair does not build the rides, but they test them. Problems like these (well, shouldn't occur at all)... the layout has to be slightly altered. I mean, c'mon, this IS rediculous. You'd think a problem like this would've been caught MUCH earlier.

And I'm sorry, but you're very naive to think this won't upset people.

I'm glad they caught the problem, but I am mad at them for catching it so late and pushing so much on Maverick only to have this.

In addition, look at the past. Problems with WT and TTD, their 2 newer coasters.

[KiDFoX]

That genuinely sucks.

Especially for Snoo Snoo

And Kidfox: I am guessing you own some sort of stock in Cedar Fair?

That is correct I have stock in Cedar Fair. I think I am about to become a larger stakeholder in Six Flags than Cedar Fair however I see Cedar Fair as a long term investment and I am betting that the current Six Flags management will show marked improvement this year driving the stock price out of the basement where it has been for some time.

I normally only like to invest in companies with good long term income potential, I look for good quarterly distributions and good historical performance and up to date Cedar Fair is a very good stock for that type of investment.

I also have a Maxx Pass because I like to spend time in the parks once in awhile.

[Hemmy]

It is a problem that really could only be determined through testing

They have determined the heartline roll is placing too much stress on the trains, and you have to test it despite any theoretical calculations you might do.

Also, it is your own fault if you don't learn from your mistakes if rides are closed early in the season.

TTD is an exception because it was basically a prototype ride. But even then, planning an entire trip around Maverick which looks just above average at best is kinda silly.

[Soulfire21]

It is a problem that really could only be determined through testing

They have determined the heartline roll is placing too much stress on the trains, and you have to test it despite any theoretical calculations you might do.

Also, it is your own fault if you don't learn from your mistakes if rides are closed early in the season.

TTD is an exception because it was basically a prototype ride. But even then, planning an entire trip around Maverick which looks just above average at best is kinda silly.
I'm fairy certain that it doesn't require actual testing of the ride to figure out problems like these. If it did, then I think we'd have quite a few more ride closures and delays at opening than we do now. But we don't, because mistakes like these are usually caught.

It's my fault that Maverick is closed? :weird:

Above average? Speak for yourself. It looks wicked awesome, and I like to plan my trips around the new rides. The point being, this is my first time going to opening day at any park, I wanted to be one of the first few riders.

[SnooSnoo]

^Well, it would seem your theory is wrong, because they didn't figure it out until testing.

Fact of the matter is, the ride is closed, most likely because of roughness on the riders. CP isn't saying so, but from all the things i've seen, its been the general conclusion me and quite a few others have been able to reach.

[~LoveTulie]

That blows.. oh well.

[Harpo]

ACE might have just given their interpretation of the press release, but they indicated that the heartline roll was putting too much stress on the trains. Of course, if it puts too much stress on the trains, there's a good chance it would also put too much stress on the riders.

As someone who makes a living by doing simulations for the automotive industry, I can tell you that, while simulations can be very good, they won't necessarily catch everything. When designing a ride, the vast majority of problems should be caught with the simulation models before any steel is bent into shape. However, all simulations are going to have some limitations -- it's just too difficult to model absolutely every variable. The odds of a limitation causing a change severe enough to have to remanufacture a section of track should be quite low, but they won't be zero. Unfortunately, those non-zero odds caught up with Cedar Point and Maverick.

[Alpengeist]

Sorry to hear about Maverick.:( ...but I'm sure everyone will still have fun this weekend.;)

[Maverick2007]

Well, screw CP.

[nickdaegg]

NOOOOOOOO!

I DON@T BELIEVE IT

I mean, really, I hate the managers of Intamin. And Cedar Fair. How on earth can they do this to us? Repairing track for the guest's safety, what complete dolts, they should just die, i mean, lol, let's push poo through their letterbox.

I'm NEVER going to CP EVER AGAIN.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

[Hemmy]

Yes it is too much stress from the heartline roll.
Soulfire if you knew anything about engineering and physics you would know your comment is foolish. It isn't your fault Maverick is closed, but if you continually experience ride closers at or near opening day it should come to be something you might expect.

While I think it will be a very fun ride it probably won't crack many real coaster enthusiast's top 10.

Here is the latest: Cedar Point tried slowing the LSM tunnel launch down but to reduce g-forces from the rumored 6-7g's it was pulling originally, the ride had to be slowed down to a point where they risked the ride valleying in between hills.

[Alpengeist]

NOOOOOOOO!

I DON@T BELIEVE IT

I mean, really, I hate the managers of Intamin. And Cedar Fair. How on earth can they do this to us? Repairing track for the guest's safety, what complete dolts, they should just die, i mean, lol, let's push poo through their letterbox.

I'm NEVER going to CP EVER AGAIN.
:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:


I'm sure they won't even notice.;)

[GreatGatsby]

You all should probably learn some gratitude and accept the fact that they don't have to open it at all.

Things happen. They said they were sorry for the inconvienence, but it was for your own safety. Would you rather ride a roller coaster that leaves you injured and seriously hurt in the end, or would you wait to ride a roller coaster that is truly a safe and amazing experience?

Get over it. Be patient.

[Soulfire21]

Soulfire if you knew anything about engineering and physics you would know your comment is foolish. It isn't your fault Maverick is closed, but if you continually experience ride closers at or near opening day it should come to be something you might expect.
Are you kidding me?

If you knew anything about SARCASM then you would know your comment is just as foolish.

And I should expect failure from Cedar Point? Sorry. I don't settle. I want CP to succeed, and to do it on the first try.

I'm sorry that I get upset when the ride that Cedar Point has been pushing so hard since September of last year doesn't work, and it took so late to find out that it doesn't work, and they tell people some 4 days before opening day.

I'm not even mad that the ride doesn't work, it's that it took so long to figure it out.

... Like I said earlier, I had a hunch that it wasn't ready. Looking at the 5/3/07 construction pics I had pretty much decided that it wasn't looking good for Maverick.

At any rate, you'll see me at CP a few days after Maverick debuts.

[Corn4ahead]

I hope it opens before june 7 cause thats when i am going.

[IEATPASTE001]

Well, screw CP.

Classic!

[coasterfreak044]

Well, looks like the heartline roll is gone. Check the blog.

[Harpo]

That's a bummer about the heartline roll, but I'm not surprised. On opening day, I mentioned to my wife that I was wondering if they'd be able to elongate it in order to reduce the stresses, or if they'd have to remove it entirely. I was hoping for the elongation option, but I strongly suspected it would have to be removed. I'm sorry to say my suspicions were right, as that inversion really looked great and I was looking forward to it.

On Monday, when I saw some trains being run, they really looked like they whipped into that inversion, making it even less surprising that the roll has to be removed. It's generally a good idea to try to avoid giving the riders whiplash!

[LightGrenades]

That's a bummer about the heartline roll, but I'm not surprised. On opening day, I mentioned to my wife that I was wondering if they'd be able to elongate it in order to reduce the stresses, or if they'd have to remove it entirely. I was hoping for the elongation option, but I strongly suspected it would have to be removed. I'm sorry to say my suspicions were right, as that inversion really looked great and I was looking forward to it.

On Monday, when I saw some trains being run, they really looked like they whipped into that inversion, making it even less surprising that the roll has to be removed. It's generally a good idea to try to avoid giving the riders whiplash!

They did the same thing at Six Flags Great Adventure, with the ride Batman and Robin: The Chiller. The rolls were replaced with "s-curves" which is what it seems that they are going to add to the ride in place of the heartline roll.

[SnooSnoo]

S-Bend? Disappointing.

Give me an airtime hill or SOMETHIN.

[rollerfreak83]

^There really is not much you can do with 120 feet of track without a major redesign of the course.

I am sad to see the heartline roll go. I suspected that this might happen when I heard that the heartline roll was the culprit. That said, I somewhat got my hopes up when Cedar Point officials suggested that problem was the long-term stress on the structure and trains. I thought that they might have just replaced the three-rail "triangle" track with four-rail "box" track to stiffen the inversion.

[~LoveTulie]

Wow that stinks. What are they going to replace it with?

[rollerfreak83]

The heartline roll will be replaced with an "s-curve." This will transition the track from a banked right curve to a banked left curve.

[IEATPASTE001]

Wow. When I saw the video(I know no one will believe this, but I said this to friends at school) I said that the roll looked like it would hurt. If it makes the ride enjoyable, I am glad to see the roll taken out.

[SnooSnoo]

Yeah, I realize that.. but damnit the ride has enough S-Bends in it already. Its not a scenic trip through the woods, its a rollercoaster. That heartline made the ride for me IMO. Seeing it run upclose and personal makes it even more disappointing.

I'll no longer be bidding on the first 72 seats, as.. the ride has just lost its luster to me IMO.

[ytivarg]

I'm super disappointed as well... if I had to say one thing about that ride I was looking forward to, it'd be the heartline roll. Wouldn't even take me a second to think about an answer.. I've been thinking about that thing since it was announced.

After having some time to sulk about it however... I've come to the realization that it probably was pretty painful. If it was pulling the G's that I heard it was... yeah.

I had a chance to sit in the test seat... and those shoulder harnesses (if you've never been on an Intamin OTSR) while they're "soft"... hitting your neck/ears/any other body part in that region against those things at those forces would probably hurt like a *****, at the very least, and would more than likely cause some serious damage to the body.

Check the "Maverick Heartline Testing" video on youtube (I'm too lazy to find the link right now.. go search yerself you lazy bum! ;) ) and check the speed that thing was whipping through there. While, for a coaster buff like myself, it looks FREAKING AMAZING... For average Joe Parkgoer, that would be far too extreme.

Yes, I would have really, REALLY liked to have seen them elongate the roll and make it a more gradual inversion... but, I understand that would require a drastic change in supports, etc... if this was the option to get it open as quickly as possible.. I applaud them for doing that.

Now, my dream scenario (and watch this cause a CP rumor mill like no other next off season) is that next winter between 07 and 08, they rework the track, and reintroduce the heartline roll in a much safer configuration.

But, that's dream scenario... and I don't know how much money CP would dump into a coaster that's already been built and running rather than concerning themselves with the future. *coughDisasterTransportcough*

[Harpo]

Yes, it would be nice if they could rework it for 2008. The best chance of it happening would be if Cedar Fair threatens to sue IntaRide (a.k.a. Intamin) for failing to provide the promised ride. Really, IntaRide should have caught the issue in simulations, and fixed it before any steel was formed. Now, since I work with simulations for a living, I fully understand that the simulations won't catch everything. This item seemed pretty big, however -- I would have thought that the simulations should have caught it. Regardless, it should be IntaRide's responsibility to provide the ride they promised. If that means they can provide an s-curve as a short-term fix, and can redo the heartline with some layout changes as a long-term fix, they should do so at their expense. I don't know if Cedar Fair will push for such a thing, however. Cedar Fair might decide that enough is enough, let's just get this thing running.

[Maverick2007]

Yes, it would be nice if they could rework it for 2008. The best chance of it happening would be if Cedar Fair threatens to sue IntaRide (a.k.a. Intamin) for failing to provide the promised ride. Really, IntaRide should have caught the issue in simulations, and fixed it before any steel was formed. Now, since I work with simulations for a living, I fully understand that the simulations won't catch everything. This item seemed pretty big, however -- I would have thought that the simulations should have caught it. Regardless, it should be IntaRide's responsibility to provide the ride they promised. If that means they can provide an s-curve as a short-term fix, and can redo the heartline with some layout changes as a long-term fix, they should do so at their expense. I don't know if Cedar Fair will push for such a thing, however. Cedar Fair might decide that enough is enough, let's just get this thing running.
Yeah, and Intam.. excuse me, IntaRide screwed up Disaster Transport, TTD, and Wicked Twister too. And, if it's long term stress, why didn't they do it over the winter after this season?

[nickdaegg]

Knowingly opening a ride which has even the slightest chance of being unsafe is bad. Very, very bad. Wouldn't do the company any good.

[nickdaegg]

Knowingly opening a ride which has even the slightest chance of being unsafe is bad. Very, very bad. Wouldn't do the company any good.

Whoops-a-daisy. KILL THE HEATHEN DOPPLEPOST

[raptorrvnge4928]

Yes, it would be nice if they could rework it for 2008. The best chance of it happening would be if Cedar Fair threatens to sue IntaRide (a.k.a. Intamin) for failing to provide the promised ride. Really, IntaRide should have caught the issue in simulations, and fixed it before any steel was formed. Now, since I work with simulations for a living, I fully understand that the simulations won't catch everything. This item seemed pretty big, however -- I would have thought that the simulations should have caught it. Regardless, it should be IntaRide's responsibility to provide the ride they promised. If that means they can provide an s-curve as a short-term fix, and can redo the heartline with some layout changes as a long-term fix, they should do so at their expense. I don't know if Cedar Fair will push for such a thing, however. Cedar Fair might decide that enough is enough, let's just get this thing running.

Now I have been hearing this excuse for Intaride for some time now, and frankly I just don't buy it. In what right mind does an engineer rely ONLY on their simulations? I'm sure those simulations work great when you need to determine stress and fatigue life on the coaster track, but it was just a simple formula to determine the centripetal force going thru that heartline roll.

(mv^2)/r=ma

Are you telling me, that in ALL of their calculations, they did not take the time to plug the expected velocity and the radius of the heartline roll into that formula to determine the expected g force going through that heartline roll? If this IS the case, perhaps we should expect to see Intaride on the History Channel's next installation of 'Engineering Disasters'.

[Harpo]

Well, like I said, this item seemed pretty big, and I think their simulations should have caught it. Apparently, for some reason, they didn't. That means Intamin needs to improve their simulations.

I don't want to give unproven accusations, so I certainly hope that it wasn't that Intamin knew about the high stresses and just failed to mention it to Cedar Fair, but I suppose it is possible. If that's the case, Intamin may have felt the stresses were within tolerance, but, upon doing their testing, Cedar Fair clearly didn't agree. If that's the case, then there's the question of if Intamin failed to mention the projected high g-forces for that roll, or if someone at Cedar Fair saw the numbers and ignored them until the testing folks found the issue.

There are a whole bunch of possibilities. In general, unless I have proof to the contrary, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a mistake. In this case, it was a very dumb mistake, but, in my view, that's still better than if it was intentionally covered up by someone. (If I were a part of Cedar Fair's management, I'd want to investigate the reason for the mistake, and would act upon it if I discovered it was a cover-up, but I wouldn't be quick to make the accusation until I'd found sufficient evidence.)

[LightGrenades]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that at the end of the season, that they will end up re-doing the twist, just because, well the ride has reached "cult" like status.

I don't know, just a gut feeling I have.

[~LoveTulie]

I sure hope they do!
I mean, CP has many surprises.

[Soulfire21]

What I am hoping for is that for 2008, Maverick gets a replacement element. Like previously said, Cedar Fair could sue IntaRide for a breach of contract. In theory, it should have been caught in simulations, but still. That heartline roll was INTENSE... I could see bad things happening there.

It will still be a good ride, although it just took a HUGE beating with losing the heartline roll (it's signature element).

[kn717]

Because of this let down i wonder what the fate of Intamin will be in the future.... Will this be the end of intamin?

[ThrillRider27]

^ Intamin is not to blame, Stengal is as he designed the coaster.

[Alpengeist]

Because of this let down i wonder what the fate of Intamin will be in the future.... Will this be the end of intamin?

I'll keep this answer short and sweet, no.

[SnooSnoo]

^Exactly. TTD/KK had MUCH worse problems then Mavvy.. and Intamin is doing JUST fine.

[nickdaegg]

Weren't they just mechanical problems, as opposed to obvious design flaws?

[Soulfire21]

Because of this let down i wonder what the fate of Intamin will be in the future.... Will this be the end of intamin?I don't think it's the death of Intamin, but I am not impressed with their track record, granted, they are pioneers.

Millennium Force had cable hill problems
Wicked Twister had to have a tower re-welded
Top Thrill Dragster is a very tempermental machine (had serious problems opening year).
And Maverick has a design flaw.

Granted, most of the problem is because these were new rides or pushing the limits...

At any rate, no, it's just a minor setback. Although CF could totally sue IntaRide for a breach of contract!

[Hyde244]

What many fail to realize is that Ingenieur Buro Stengel GmbH designed the coaster, not IntaRide. IntaRide just manufactures the track. So wouldn't the blame go to Stengel, the same company responsible for designing every modern roller coaster known to man?

In the end, blame rests on all parties involved in my opinion. Stengel designed the barrel roll, IntaRide built the barrel roll, and Cedar Point didn't say anything against the construction (I mean, come on, CP is not too stupid, you'd think they'd call attention to a barrel roll following a 70 mph launch with Intamin OTSRs).

I'm not all too fussed about the loss of the barrel roll. Maverick will still be a great ride overall, which doesn't solely rely on one inversion.

[Hemmy]

delete

[Hyde244]

I don't think it's the death of Intamin, but I am not impressed with their track record, granted, they are pioneers.

Millennium Force had cable hill problems
Wicked Twister had to have a tower re-welded
Top Thrill Dragster is a very tempermental machine (had serious problems opening year).
And Maverick has a design flaw.

Granted, most of the problem is because these were new rides or pushing the limits...

At any rate, no, it's just a minor setback. Although CF could totally sue IntaRide for a breach of contract!

It is hardly Intamin's fault, it is Cedar Point's fault (or any park for that matter), which tries to push the envelope in cutting edge ride technology and near prototype ride. Of course there are going to be mechanical problems when it's the first of it's kind.

Intamin's track record is hardly bad. Your merely focusing on a handful of Intamin coasters at one sole park, disregarding the multiple successful coasters they have also built since 02 (All 12 of the other Intamin Accelerators, the two new ZacSpins, El Toro, Balder, etc.)

I'd say Intamin is currently at the top of their game, and are hardly going to simply disappear because of the removal of one inversion.

Further, Cedar Point does not have any grounds to sue IntaRide concerning the removal of the barrel roll. It is Cedar Point's job, not IntaRides, to build safe roller coasters. IntaRide's role is to merely manufacturer and assemble the roller coaster. Their main job ends once the coaster's track and supports are in place and the train is able to make a successful circuit. After that, their only role is tech support.

It is Cedar Point's goal then to prove to investigators that Maverick is safe for riders.

IntaRide built Maverick exactly to specifications, and completely fulfilled their end of the bargain.

At any rate, there is hardly going to be any lawsuits. Just the replacement of a 6-7 g inversion which would have inevitably been very uncomfortable on your neck.

[Hemmy]

A lot of accelerators have many problems

Kingda Ka more than TTD even

It isn't ANYBODY's fault, both parties know pushing the envelope with the newest technology has risks.

[SnooSnoo]

^Nah, TTD was much worse then KK.

[Alpengeist]

...and before we all start calling for B&M as the next coaster at CP, let's remember while their track record is much better they don't push the envelope as much as Intamin. They seem to stay with proven technology, which is fine, but how many different versions of less forceful coasters can you have.:rolleyes: ...now if they were to go back to the kicka** rides they made in the 90's, I'd be all for that. You know rides like Nemesis, Montu, Kumba, and Dueling Dragons.;) ...and yes I know it's the park final decision on what the layout will be, but come on. Well, at least SheiKra and Griffon are fun.:)

[nickdaegg]

Uhh, inverted, Dive Machine, flying?

Nah, B&M haven't been innovative at all. Intamin are far better with their accelerators and accelerators and accelerators and accelerators!

[Alpengeist]

^I never said they weren't innovative. I said they didn't push the envelope as much as Intamin. (...and I should have put in lately when I wrote that, since the 90's is when B&M came up with the invert, dive, 4 across loopers and hypers.) With that said, in the 90's they were the kings of innovation no doubt.

...so when it comes down to it, I just find Intamin more exciting lately I guess.

...and of course Intamin accelerators are better, since B&M doesn't do launches.;)

[Harpo]

Weren't they just mechanical problems, as opposed to obvious design flaws?

According to some people I know at Cedar Point, the problems with TTD were due to a major design flaw in the hydraulic launch system. Xcelerator was the prototype, and was where these flaws were supposed to be worked out and fixed, so the flaws should never have made it into TTD.

As for blaming Cedar Point for the design... Cedar Point contracts out all of the design work. They do not do their own design. Blaming Cedar Point is the equivalent of blaming yourself when you go to the dentist, point out the exact tooth that is bothering you, and the dentist pulls the wrong tooth. Clearly it is your fault for letting the dentist do the wrong thing, even though you are paying that dentist for his/her expertise and are expecting him/her to do the correct job. Yes, you probably could have prevented the dentist from pulling the wrong tooth, but you're relying upon the competence of that professional. In the same way, Cedar Point was relying upon the competence of the coaster design and construction professionals, but wound up getting their wrong tooth pulled.

[rollerfreak83]

Sign on the Dotted Line, OnPoint! blog entry (http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm?entry=27fa2393-a2cb-481c-9ba1-9b678bd53df1).
The s-curve replacement track arrived this morning! Workers are already installing the new supports and track.

[Soulfire21]

Sign on the Dotted Line, OnPoint! blog entry (http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/fun/blog/index.cfm?entry=27fa2393-a2cb-481c-9ba1-9b678bd53df1).
The s-curve replacement track arrived this morning! Workers are already installing the new supports and track.
Good looking out! Thread updated.

[SnooSnoo]

I saw it today on my visit to CP..

All supports installed.
All new track on site

I think they will begin puttin the new track in tomorrow (5/23)

[Dormouse]

It's a shame about the inversion being removed. It looked awesome in the pictures and in the animation.
But if it was for comfort or rather safety reasons then I understand...

I hope Maverick is open when I go to Cedar Point (middle of June)...

[David Ellis]

...and of course Intamin accelerators are better, since B&M doesn't do launches.;)

Well, it isn't quite the same thing, but HULK at Islands of Adventure is launched!
David.

[SnooSnoo]

^If i'm not mistaken, B&M didn't actually want the tire launch, and another company made it.

But don't quote me on that.. im not certain.

[Soulfire21]

Folks, we have unconfirmed reports that Maverick has resumed testing and all of the track is in place. This is based on webcams only, which don't give the best view overall.

The canyon is blocking the track, but it's been drawing crowds all day AND there was a train on the lift hill earlier.

[SnooSnoo]

I'm waiting on my friend to call me about this status. He's at CP at the moment and was at the site a mere hour ago.

[~LoveTulie]

Yay. I am gald it is testing again. Heck maybe it will be opened before June! I mean, if it works on the S-bend fine, then what else is there to do?

[Soulfire21]

Yay. I am gald it is testing again. Heck maybe it will be opened before June! I mean, if it works on the S-bend fine, then what else is there to do?

Well, that's unsure because we can't quite remember a time when (recently) track was replaced before initial testing concluded. We can't decide whether the 100 testing hours that Maverick has (or is close to completing) undergone start over due to the new section of track.

They probably will have to do a pullthrough of the new section to make sure the train will make it. After that they will need to test the new g-forces, etc. and probably get some more testing hours in.

Wishful thinking would be 1 to 1.5 weeks.

[Alpengeist]

Actually, it wouldn't shock me if Maverick is open by this weekend.;)

[SnooSnoo]

Found some interesting info kids...

http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6232&start=4550

Let the speculation begin. :)

[Dormouse]

Oh man! This makes me excited.

I hope that it's true :)

[Hemmy]

YAY!!!!!!

[raptorrvnge4928]

I can confirm Maverick is indeed testing. I viewed the webcam today, and noticed the train was running the course.
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/vedder918792003/mavericktesting.jpg


If you look in the upper right hand corner of the picture, to the right of the lift hill, you can see the train running the track.

Maverick has begun testing, for whatever that is worth to you.

[~LoveTulie]

Omg yay! I am going to CP this Monday! Maybe I can ride it!
Just one question. I am scared of power launches. Are the Intaman ones scary or give you a big feeling in your stomach?

And to post a pic, save it. Go to imageshack.us and browse the picture. Get it. Then make the picture 600x800 or something like that and click host. Then copy the "hot link to forums" link in the box and paste it here.

[raptorrvnge4928]

If you go to cedarpoint.com and click on the maverick page, it is listed as opening THIS saturday.

[LightGrenades]

Found some interesting info kids...

http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6232&start=4550

Let the speculation begin. :)

Thats great! It shows that they sincerely care about the ride and getting it open. And considering the "Big cheese" from Intamin inspecting it.

[Hemmy]

Its official from the CP Blog:

Open this Saturday

Also, the surprise Tony&Tyler promised for a long time is announced, cp.com blog to check it out

[Dormouse]

Just one question. I am scared of power launches. Are the Intaman ones scary or give you a big feeling in your stomach?

:haha: You sound like my little 5 year old cousin. She won't go on fast rides because she says they make her
"tummy feel dizzy".

That's what makes the ride fun!

[~LoveTulie]

Haha well, I am a 5 year old girl inside! :heart:

But do they make you quizey? Because I remember at MGM Studios my mom practically forced me to go on the Rockn' Roller Coaster. I hated the power launch! I mean, you can't even breathe on it!
So, again, are the Itaiman Power Launches intense? Also, do you EVER get use to a power launch?

[Dormouse]

I still get queezy on vertical drops... but I've learned to enjoy it as part of the experience.
That's why people ride coasters though. To do and feel things that you
could never get by just a normal train or car ride.

But if it really bothers you that much...
it may help to focus and really anticipate the launch so you are not caught by surprise.

[~LoveTulie]

Ok.
Do you ever get use to them?
And are the ones Maverick uses intense?

[Dormouse]

I'm sure it's possible to grow into them.

I couldn't answer your second question because I've never been on an Intamin coaster with a launch.

[~LoveTulie]

Oh ok that is good. Thank you! I guess I will just have to find out the hard way to see if it is intense!

[Darth Gilbert]

What a coincidence. I've been planning my second visit to Cedar Point this Saturday thru Monday. Things have a way of working out. :D

[rollerfreak83]

I cheered when I heard that Maverick would open on Saturday. I am really impressed that they got this ride up and running in less than three weeks. I am planning on going to Cedar Point on June 16th and I will ride Maverick no matter how long the wait is.

As for the launches, the lift hill launch probably will not be intense. The second launch will be intense because you will be accelerated from nearly 0 to 70 MPH in dark tunnel.

[SnooSnoo]

I'll be there as one of the first 72 my friends. I'm #66 on the list! I'll hopefully get a sexy seat!

If anyone wants to meet me after I get off, Darth, and tell you how it was, i'll be there!

[raptorrvnge4928]

Hey Snoo Snoo, I thought you were going to withdraw your bid since you were a bit disappointed with the new ride design. Anyhow, enjoy your free t-shirt that you will get on saturday.

[SnooSnoo]

^I thought about it, but decided, why not.. once in a lifetime thing right here. I've followed this damn ride for 2 years now, might as well finish it out. My bid hasn't changed, so i'm pretty happy...

.. although, I have to leave at 4:30AM to get there in time for check-in... crap.

[~LoveTulie]

RollerFreak
I don't believe it is nearly 0mph. Somewhere like 2-5 mph because the car still moves a little bit.
So Snoo Snoo, was the launch intense on it? How was it? Tell us all the details!

[SnooSnoo]

I dont ride it until the morning. ;)

Funny thing, I just saw a CP and GL commercial, back to back. Quite awesome.

[LightGrenades]

Have fun Snoo. We await your full in depth analysis on the ride when you return ;)

[~LoveTulie]

Oh really?
Okay cool.
Well, tell us how is was when you come back tommarow so I can be prepared for Monday!

[SnooSnoo]

Well.. ladies and gentleman, you have yourself a great ride right there. I rode it 4 times this morning, including 3 re-rides and the first EVER Launch Tunnel rollback.

Its quite the unique ride. I loved every second of each ride.

I'll break it down..

Fast lift hill.. awesome shooting ya up.
Drop is AMAZING. So much airtime for such a short drop.
Transitions are great, barely any headchoppers at all.
Airtime hill.. beautiful.
Corkscrews are smooth, graceful.
Launch Tunnel... just wow. Its something special. I can't give away the secret, but its awesome.
S-turn gives a nice pop of air.
Each stengel dive is amazing.. bit rough, but yeah.
Another airtime hill.. niceness
Brakes.

Overall.. BRILLIANT ride. I loved it. You'll love it too. If you want to know anything else, i'll be sure enlighten you.

I'll post a PTR later.