COLLAB EDITION: CEDAR POINT THROUGH THE 80S (PT 2)

Hey, everyone, it’s Max from ‘Cedar Point Retro’ here to complete the collaboration with Sam by exploring more of Cedar Point in the 1980s. Now let’s find out what attractions came to the Roller Coaster Capital of the World during this undeniably definitive decade.

1986 

To follow in the (wet) footsteps of Cedar Point’s White Water Landing log flume, the park decided that they needed another water attraction for guests of all ages to enjoy.
During the 1986 season, Thunder Canyon, a river rapids ride manufactured by Intamin, opened just off the Frontier Trail, before the bridge to Frontier Town.

This seasonal attraction continues to operate at the park, and completely drenches riders, making it a great choice to ride on a hot day. Unlike other water rides, Thunder Canyon obtains its water by pumping it directly out of the Sandusky Bay every morning before the park opens. This makes it somewhat cheaper to operate when comparing it to other river rapids attractions.

It should also be noted that every year during Cedar Point’s annual HalloWeekends event, the ride’s trench is completely drained and tranformed into an outdoor scare zone. Throughout the years, scare zones that have been in this location include Werewolf Canyon, CornStalkers, and most recently, CornStalkers 2: Revenge of the Pumpkin Heads.

1987 

Prior to 1987, the Western Cruise circumnavigated the lagoons located in the middle of the park, and the Monster spinning ride sat right off the banks on the midway.
At the end of the 1986 season, a dragon had landed on Cedar Point’s midways, and it destroyed the Western Cruise and threw the Monster to a new location on the other side of the park.

Okay, not a real dragon.... but a steel-suspended swinging roller coaster manufactured by Arrow Dynamics called Iron Dragon.

This roller coaster is by far one of the biggest rides Cedar Point introduced in the 80s, and it is evident that after its opening, Cedar Point began to focus on adding more record-breaking roller coasters and thrill rides to the park, making Iron Dragon somewhat of a turning point.

The coaster is fun for the whole family as it swoops through a thick forest and inches and above misty lagoon, and it provides riders with the sensation of riding on a mythical dragon’s back. With two lift hills and a top speed of 40 miles per hour, Iron Dragon is the perfect introductory roller coaster to younger audiences but can still be enjoyed by thrill-seekers of all ages.

For a brief time during the 2017-2018 season, Cedar Point tested virtual reality headsets on Iron Dragon to provide riders with a more immersive ride experience and to explore the potential of VR in the amusement park industry.
While feedback was positive at first, the ride was reverted to its original state by the end of 2018, but Iron Dragon continues to soar around the Cedar Point lagoon.

1988 

 In 1988, a patch of land near Gemini was cleared for one of the biggest additions in Cedar Point’s history- the addition of a full-sized, outdoor water park.

Originally called Soak City, this new water park provided guests with an escape from the nearly unbearable summer heat as well as a colorful variety of new water slides and attractions sure to get guests totally drenched.

Soak City sat adjacent to Cedar Point’s Challenge Park and a new entrance led directly from the park to the Soak City parking lot, providing guests with an easy way to get to either park from Hotel Breakers or the other Cedar Point resorts.

Attractions at Soak City included over thirteen unique water slides, several splash pads for children, a lazy river, and a 22,500 square-foot wave pool.

In 2016, Cedar Point announced that it would be giving Soak City a major facelift. The water park would be renamed to Cedar Point Shores, and a new slide tower, splash pad, snack stands, shops, and more were added to the area.
While this expansion took over what was left of the Cedar Point Challenge Park, the water park has never looked better, and will continue to refresh guests for years to come.

1989 

What better way is there to cap off one of the park’s greatest decades than to build the world’s tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coaster of all time. (Or at least it was in 1989). But let’s not forget that it is still the world’s first ever hyper coaster! If you were a roller coaster enthusiast in the late 80s, then one thing is for sure- your mind was blown when Magnum XL-200 was erected upon the shores of Lake Erie.

Approved by then-CEO Dick Kinzel, Magnum XL-200 takes riders up a 205-foot lift hill and plunges them down 194.7 feet at 72 miles per hour. The ride features many airtime hills, a 157- foot camelback hill, and two tunnels, complete with 80s-esque lasers, fog, and sound effects that sound like they belong to a 70s science fiction movie. The roller coaster is a decade-defining gem.

Although Magnum XL-200 has gotten a little bit rougher over the years, the ride continues to operate and coast along the Lake Erie shoreline. Since 1998, it has maintained a top-twenty position on the Golden Ticket Awards’ Top Steel Roller Coasters lineup.

I think it is safe to say that the end of the 1980s marked a defining shift in the direction the park would go in future decades, as the additions of smaller, family-oriented rides and shows were slowly fading away in favor of bigger, faster, and more thrilling experiences.

But no matter what decade it is, you can’t deny that when it comes to rides, shows, and a beautiful atmosphere, Cedar Point doesn’t disappoint!

Thanks for checking out our exploration of Cedar Point in the 80s. This collaboration was so much fun to do, so make sure you follow Sam ( @coastersamblog ) and I ( @cedar_point_retro ) on Insta,  also continue to give Sam’s blog a look.  (www.coastersam.blogspot.com )

Tuning out for now,

Sam and Max