9 of 11 History, Cedar Point-on-Lake Erie

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he compact WildCat roller coaster was sent to ValleyFair Amusement Park during the 1978-1979 off-season and in 1979 a new WildCat opened in the area of today's Disaster Transport. Built in the shadows of the Gemini, the Junior Gemini roller coaster opened in 1979 as a kiddy version of the giant. Reaching a top speed of about six miles per hour and height of only nineteen feet, this gentle ride was intended for the entertainment of the many younger guests that visit the park annually. Also added in 1979 was the new Wave Swinger ride. Located in Frontiertown, this ride features single seated swings that swing outward while the ride itself tips on an angle.

Oceana, built at a cost of three million dollars, was added in 1980 with the beautiful Lake Erie as its backdrop. The 1,600-seat stadium reached five stories high and featured dolphin and sea lion shows that were sponsored by Coca-Cola.

New for 1981 was the Ocean Motion ride that features a boat that rocks riders back and forth with a pendulum style motion. Built near the new Oceana, the ride let riders experience weightlessness when the ship reaches the peak of it's swinging motion. Also that year Cedar Point adopted a new logo which carried the park through the mid-nineties.

Before the start of the 1982 season, the park removed the Sky Wheel double Ferris wheel, Upside-down funhouse, and Shoot-the-Rapids water ride. In the area of the old Sky Wheel, they added another beautiful flowerbed. The new Kid Arthur's Court replaced the recently razed fun house and contained a massive net of rope for children to climb. Lastly, the mild Shoot-the-Rapids water ride was replaced with a more intense White Water Landing. The new ride has a forty-five foot decent and takes riders on a four-minute trip through its water channels.

Near the main entrance gate of the park, a new free fall ride was added for the 1983 season. The 131-foot high Demon Drop takes riders up its skeletal tower and holds them dangling in four passenger cars. After holding them for a few moments, the car is released and descends down the tower sixty-feet in less than two seconds. Cedar Point Inc. was converted into Cedar Fair Limited Partnership that year as well to protect the company from being purchased.

No major additions were seen in 1984, but a year later the WildCat roller coaster was moved from near the Space Spiral to the area of the recently removed Bayern Kurve ride on the Million-Dollar Midway. The WildCat and other riders were moved for the new Avalanche Run roller coaster. The sled looking cars and the curved troughs of Avalanche Run made the ride look like a bobsled run and incorporates a sixty-three foot high lift hill and has 1,932 feet of troughs for the trains to roll on. In the spot of the old San Francisco Earthquake ride arose the new Berenstain Bear Country for the 1985 season. This area featured the loved storybook characters with a themed playground for children. The spinning Rotor ride was also removed this year and in its place came the Schwabinchen. The German themed ride takes riders on its rotating and tilting platform.

New for 1986 was the Thunder Canyon water ride that resembles white water rafting. The 1,600 feet of rapids, waterfalls, and shooting geysers drenches willing riders, seated in round boats that hold twelve people.

Built over the end of the lagoons in 1987, the Iron Dragon is a suspended coaster that hangs from the track. The ride was named for the way it looked like a dragon when it was in operation reaching speeds of forty miles per hour. A portion of the ride was built on an island in the center of the peninsula. For this new roller coaster to be added the old Frontier Lift was removed and the Frontiertown station of the lift was converted into a restroom. Also the entrance to the Western Cruise had to be moved further down the lagoons and the ride was renamed Paddlewheel Excursions.

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