General Carowinds discussion
#101292
Grobble wrote:
tarheel1231 wrote:Especially if this coaster is in the $20-$25 million range. At the most I could see Vortex getting converted, but Hurler is still a popular attraction and the Dinos going extinct =/= new coaster immediately after.

2019 alone could see an investment level in upwards of $60 million with the coaster, hotel, and dorms. That’s gonna take a few years to recoup.


Cedar Fair groups things by core investments and then hotel/resorts, The core investment cap expenditures for 2019 was stated to be around 135M for the chain and then around another 40M for hotels/resorts(Wonderland and Carowinds). So ,total cap exp of about 175M is what they ball parked. The hotel expenses are going to split over 2 yrs in cap expenditures. So, splitting things over 2 FY the Carowinds investment won't be 60M for 2019. Last FY capital expenditures from the annual report were 188M, which they stated was higher than planned originally b/c they moves some stuff up into Q4 that was planned for Q1 of the next FY.


ah, a bit of financial reasoning has come into the conversation. (nothwithstanding who thinks they know what, and which poster is considered "wise" or whatever :roll: ) the hotel part of the balance sheet is a key difference between CP and Carowinds. Compared to Sandusky BFE Ohio, Carowinds' location in a more temperate climate and MUCH more metropolitan area with year round travel and booming population means, compared to cedar point, I would think the new hotel would be earning an ROI most of the year (not just weekends March 31-December plus daily in Summer). Especially if their plan to host tournaments and youth for nearby activities during the shrinking number of months the park is closed. Cedar Point doesn't have the network of interstates 3 stoplights away that Carowinds has, all of which can deliver a steady stream of hotel customers year round.

If the numbers across different business lines at Carowinds look good, they will turn on the spigot wider for investments of rides, more hotels/campground facilities, and if things aren't up to goals, they'll likely slow things down to figure out what needs tweaking.
#101296
Some of you guys need to thing logically. This new coaster "ALPHA" is going to take 10 months to build (assuming it will open with the park in late March, 2019).

Ground up CGIs and RMCs would take longer because there's so much more to the structure.

If they close Dinos at the end of 2019 (let's say the end of the regular season in September), do you REALLY have a clue as to what would have to happen to get a ground up CGI or RMC running by March, 2020? Six months?? THAT AIN'T HAPPENING!

So, My guess is that dinos will be removed at the end of 2019, fences put up, and, like was previously suggested, the park will open the 2020 season with the fences in place and construction taking place for a grand opening of a new coaster in March of 2021.

Thinking logically, that is.
#101300
uscbandfan wrote:Some of you guys need to thing logically. This new coaster "ALPHA" is going to take 10 months to build (assuming it will open with the park in late March, 2019).

Ground up CGIs and RMCs would take longer because there's so much more to the structure.

If they close Dinos at the end of 2019 (let's say the end of the regular season in September), do you REALLY have a clue as to what would have to happen to get a ground up CGI or RMC running by March, 2020? Six months?? THAT AIN'T HAPPENING!

So, My guess is that dinos will be removed at the end of 2019, fences put up, and, like was previously suggested, the park will open the 2020 season with the fences in place and construction taking place for a grand opening of a new coaster in March of 2021.

Thinking logically, that is.


The point of August announcements for what's coming next year is to generate sales of season passes now, before whatever is built is open. That's a good argument to save their ammo and drip out "coming attractions" one year at a time. The hype creates a boost in pass sales with the buzz and excitement. Season pass sales numbers being healthy makes the imvestors feel confident, leading to rising stock prices, which is the ultimate goal here anyway: value for shareholders.

But they get the benefit of buzz and likely drive pass sales higher even if they announce a ride that won't open in March, but may take till.Memorial.Day to be ready.

After this launch coaster, I'd rather carowinds get a giant frisbee next than another coaster anyway.

Although I just gave a business reason why they only announce one year of new rides at a time, it is still fun to speculate from the teasers that they break the rules a bit in August 2018 and do like Busch Gardens Williamsburg did when they did their 2-year announcement few years back.
#101301
uscbandfan wrote:Some of you guys need to thing logically. This new coaster "ALPHA" is going to take 10 months to build (assuming it will open with the park in late March, 2019).

Ground up CGIs and RMCs would take longer because there's so much more to the structure.

If they close Dinos at the end of 2019 (let's say the end of the regular season in September), do you REALLY have a clue as to what would have to happen to get a ground up CGI or RMC running by March, 2020? Six months?? THAT AIN'T HAPPENING!

So, My guess is that dinos will be removed at the end of 2019, fences put up, and, like was previously suggested, the park will open the 2020 season with the fences in place and construction taking place for a grand opening of a new coaster in March of 2021.

Thinking logically, that is.


You need to quote who you're responding to. Quote the post where somebody said something of dinos leaving end of 2019 and a GCI for 2020. Unless I missed it, you're responding to strawman of your own making. What people mostly have been talking about is coaster 2019, vortex conversion 2020 possible and a 2022 coaster(GCI or RMC Hurler). That's king if what happened with CP and will happen with CGA, 3 coasters in 4 years, 2 being new and 1 a standup conversion. CP is surely getting one in 2020(150th anniversary), so it will 4 in 6 years.
#101302
LoveMeSomePrunes wrote:The point of August announcements for what's coming next year is to generate sales of season passes now, before whatever is built is open. That's a good argument to save their ammo and drip out "coming attractions" one year at a time.


Cedar Fair(Cedar Point) has teased future stuff with out announcing.,,ie..Tony Clark's famous tweet of "To Do List", which essentially was CP's attractions for 4 of the next 6 years. I can never recall Cedar Fair doing an official multi-yr announcement if you exclude the hotel/resort projects b/c of the long run time.
#101303
I’m not sure where we are getting this 10 month construction window from, I don’t think I saw that anywhere but let’s not get started on that kick about this coaster may not be ready for opening day next year.....the same things was said about Fury and intimidator and both opened as scheduled on opening day the following year. I know this is a different type coaster but I fail to see this taking longer than the two afore mentioned coasters......no reason this one should not open when the park does next year
#101304
tarheel1231 wrote:I mean Cedar Point is more profitable than Carowinds and every other Cedar Fair Park. Comparing investment at CP to Carowinds is apples to oranges.


I agree wit this. Cedar point gets so many rides to maintain their world famous status.

While I would like to believe Carowinds is getting two coasters I can’t and won’t. Carowinds is just using smart marketing to fit a ride that will probably be themed pretty well.

I’d be happy to be proven wrong though.
#101305
I think it’s less of CF wanting to maintain CP’s status and more that Cedar Point can make an insane amount of money in its relatively short operating season. It’s a resort park within driving distance of several large MSAs, and it has an entire beach, the marina, the lake to use as leverage. CF can make more money off of a park with a large resort visitor percentage than a park with a majority passholder demographic. That’s why they get the most attention. There seems to be this idea that Cedar Point receives the investment it does purely because it’s the “favorite” when there are very logical reasons for why it’s so heavily invested in.
#101307
SafetySam wrote:I’m not sure where we are getting this 10 month construction window from, I don’t think I saw that anywhere but let’s not get started on that kick about this coaster may not be ready for opening day next year.....the same things was said about Fury and intimidator and both opened as scheduled on opening day the following year. I know this is a different type coaster but I fail to see this taking longer than the two afore mentioned coasters......no reason this one should not open when the park does next year


i think the reply was about someone saying they could take out dinos at end of next season and not be ready for whatever comes after it, in it's place. That assumes a lot, not least of which that whatever comes in 2020 has to be in dinos' spot.
#101309
Looks like Action Mechanical Contractors has put in a bid for the Project Alpha HVAC work. This is probably nothing and more than likely means that Project Alpha will include a shop or a restaurant, but this could mean that there is another structure that needs HVAC work, such as a Barn or a themed indoor queue line and station, because i think both Fury and Intimidator have Fans rather than HVAC units in their stations since they are both open air. http://www.actionmechanical.biz/index.p ... &Itemid=66

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