Welcome to another great edition of "Rumors of the Road" on your source for Cedar Point information, The Point Online presented by me, Sgt.RoadKill. I’m sorry that it has been so long since I have wrote an article but I think you’ll all be grateful that the rumors are starting to spread slowly. In this edition you will hear about what might be heading our way for the 2004 season. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your stay with us.

I want to clear up one question that I get every week from some readers about Top Thrill Dragster. There have not been any injuries or deaths on this ride. The reasons surrounding the closure of the ride are due mainly to mechanical reasons not because of a health concern. The rumor about someone dying on Top Thrill Dragster is completely false! So if you are told this by a friend please correct them.

Top Thrill Dragster is a mechanical nightmare for Cedar Point. Over the past months everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. The hydraulic launch system which seemed to have had its bugs worked out after being first used on "Xcelerator" has caused many not to be able to get their rides in on Dragster. Expect a great over hall of the launch system during the off season. Cedar Point did the same with Wicked Twister last year adding the extra support and fixing all the minor bugs.

Now we move out of Cedar Point for awhile. Challenge Park has just added two new attractions that might appeal to you and your family. These attractions both cost extra fees so unless you want to shell out some cash then you might as well not even bother going over to see them. "Climbing Challenge" costs $5.00 and consists of many twisting rope ladders that extremists must make their way through to obtain the all mighty prize. "X-Treme Trampoline" costs $6.00 allows participants to jump in ways you never dreamed possible. For more information about these two new exciting attractions check out the "News and Update" section of The Point Online.

The first major news expansion story from Cedar Fair doesn’t deal with Cedar Point directly but I’m going to discuss it anyway. The Radisson Harbour Inn will be adding a new indoor water park similar to the one found at Great Bear Lodge. Expect this to be a huge expansion; the water park alone will take up 35,000 square feet! The price is an outstanding twenty-one million dollars. That’s a huge chunk of change for a water park. Expect construction to start near September of this year. This will give Cedar Fair a year round operating water park in Sandusky, Ohio.

Now for the rumor story that must of you have been waiting to hear. There are rumors circulating around hinting at a new roller coaster to come to Cedar Point in 2004. Not much is known yet but it is supposedly to be a full length ride. Some view that term in different ways but I believe it means don’t expect something as short as Wicked Twister and Top Thrill Dragster. Again these rumors are just breaking out and nothing has begun circulating on what type of ride it will be.

There are three major possibilities of what type of roller coaster this could be. I believe it could be a flyer, a sit-down multi-looper, or a kiddie coaster. There have been no indications yet of what type of roller coaster this will be. I have heard this from two very reliable sources that have given me information in the past. So as more information breaks out about new additions in 2004 we’ll bring them to you right here on The Point Online.

Could we expect the end of what seems to be a relationship formed between Intamin and Cedar Fair? With all of the problems that have came up with rides such as Wicked Twister, Xcelerator, and Top Thrill Dragster it is possible. Could we someday hear the roar of a new B&M coaster at Cedar Point? This would be a great route if Cedar Point planned to build a flying coaster. Of course planning on any new rides has been in development for quite some time now and unless it had to do with Intamin I don’t see any major changes in plans. If the next ride was being developed by Intamin could it be dropped or be altered to a less prototypical state? We may never know.

Do not expect a prototype roller coaster for a long time at Cedar Point. After all the major problems that have been associated with Top Thrill Dragster it seems that Cedar Point is abandoning any ideas of having all brand new concepts. We will still get unique layouts as well as new features on rides. Do not expect anymore more prototype rides though to surface at the park within this decade. Eventually we’ll see a prototype ride maybe but not until everyone forgets all the problems that Dragster. Don’t expect Cedar Point to do a Six Flags either and give us a clone, it has been generally against Cedar Fair’s policy but they have done it with rides such as Steel Venom and Boomerang.

Look out for signs around the park within the next month of any developments. Markers in the dirt, spray paint on walkways, removal of trees/shrubs any of these are great indications where a ride might go. As fans of Cedar Point we do ask too much from them. If you look at other Cedar Fair parks they don’t even have the pleasure of getting a new roller coaster every three years. If we do get something in 2004 be thankful that Cedar Point has given it to us because they don’t have to do it. They are though trying to steal as much attendance as they can from Six Flags Worlds of Adventure and show that Cedar Point is the super park of the region.

Well it seems that it’s that time for me to head back to practice, seems like the only thing I get done these days. This marks the end of another edition of "Rumors of the Road". I will be quite busy the next two weeks so if you e-mail me with questions please excuse me for my delayed response. If you’d like to have something discussed in my articles let me know and if it’s reasonable I’ll try my hardest to get it in. I appreciate all the e-mails that you have sent to me and all of your questions. Thanks again for coming and may God bless every one of you. Feel free to send me messages on AOL Instant Messenger, my screen name is SargentoRoadKill.

You can e-mail Sgt. RoadKill at marshall_dude@thepointol.com or if you want leave him a private message on the TPOL Forums.