Tag Archives: Rides

Cedar Point’s New Shoot the Rapids Water Ride Opens For The Summer

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Cedar Point’s Shoot the Rapids water ride is now open!

The newest ride at the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort, Shoot the Rapids, opened for the season earlier today, Saturday, June 26.

“The first hill rocks,” said Jeff Braschares, from Delaware, Ohio, who rode the new water ride with his wife and 9-year-old daughter.  “You get super wet at the bottom of the first hill!”

Located on the Frontier Trail, Shoot the Rapids is Cedar Point’s third water ride.  The new family thrill ride features two hills and two splash landings.  The first hill is 85 feet-tall, one of the tallest water ride hills in the world, while the second hill crests 49 feet above the ground.  At the bottom of the first hill, boats are traveling nearly 50 mph!  To ride Shoot the Rapids, guests must be at least 48 inches tall or 46 inches tall and accompanied by a responsible adult.

Shoot the Rapids uses more than 730,000 gallons of water.  The 2,100-foot journey carries riders through a dark mist-filled tunnel and in between canyon walls with spraying water before sending the boats skimming across churning rapids at the bottom of the ride’s second hill.

Non-riders can also join in the fun.  Eight water geysers are located along the ride’s meandering course.  For only 25 cents, guests who want to stay dry can launch bursts of water at unsuspecting riders from an observation deck located near the bottom the ride’s grand finale!

Eight-year-old Abe Haprian of Wadsworth, Ohio, described the park’s newest ride in one word:  “Awesome!”  The first hill was cool and the geysers are really neat.  Everybody gets wet!”

With the opening of Shoot the Rapids, Cedar Point now has 75 rides, including 17 roller coasters, more rides and more coasters than any park in the world.

In addition to Shoot the Rapids, the park has introduced five new shows to its entertainment package.  This summer’s new shows range from country classics and a real-life version of MTV’s Rock Band video game to a high-energy ice skating show featuring Snoopy and the PEANUTS characters.

For more information, visit cedarpoint.com or call the park’s General Information Line at 419.627.2350.

Shoot the Rapids gets green light and splash down

From the Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY

It’s finally here!

UPDATE: 10:40 a.m.

Inspectors and Cedar Point officials smoothed out last-minute snags and 24 Red Cross highest bidders took the inaugural ride today.

The ride is expected to be open through the weekend, barring any other problems.

Cedar Point official expect 8,000 people will ride the new offering on Saturday alone.

Shoot the Rapids snagged in inspection BREAKING NEWS (7:22 p.m. Friday)

From the Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY

The wait for the inaugural splash has ended. Well, maybe.

UPDATED 7:15 p.m. Friday:

Cedar Point is battling last-minute snags as it works to try to get its new Shoot the Rapids water ride opened on the weekend.

“We have experienced some last-minute delays that may prevent the ride from opening,” said park spokesman Robin Innes, emphasizing the word “may.”

He said the park is working with the manufacturer to work through the problems, which he declined to describe.

On Thursday, leaders at Cedar Point said they plan to launch the new Shoot the Rapids water ride on Saturday…

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Ready, set, flow: Shoot the Rapids could launch Saturday

From the Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY

The wait for the inaugural splash has ended.

Leaders at Cedar Point said they plan to launch the new Shoot the Rapids water ride on Saturday.

“GREAT NEWS! Shoot the Rapids is scheduled to open THIS SATURDAY, June 26 RT PLZ!” the park announced at about 3:50 p.m. Thursday on its Twitter feed.

The last two abbreviations are Twitter-speak, translated into English as, “Please spread around this announcement.”

A similar bulletin went out at the same time on Cedar Point’s Facebook feed, prompting hundreds of responses almost immediately. At about the same time, the Sandusky Register posted a bulletin on its website.

To clear the way for the ride’s launch, Cedar Point on Thursday asked the Department of Agriculture’s ride inspectors to inspect the ride.

As of Thursday afternoon, inspectors were tentatively scheduled to look at the ride at 10 p.m., said Kaleigh Frazier, a Department of Agriculture spokeswoman. A successful inspection means the ride will get a license to operate.

The first official ride is scheduled for about 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Thirty people bid in a charity auction to become the first official riders, and they’ll also get an official certificate attesting to the moment. The auction’s proceeds go to the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross.

One of the 30 riders had to drop out — a soldier who was sent to Iraq. The Firelands Chapter is checking to see if the other 29 riders can still make it.

After getting the official word late Thursday afternoon that the Saturday launch is on, the Red Cross began calling winning bidders to find out who can attend Saturday’s inaugural launch.

“We have to find out who is still able to come on short notice,” said Rod Rude, of the Firelands Red Cross chapter.

“We’ve left a lot of messages. I really don’t know how we stand,” Rude said Thursday. “We’ll have a better idea tomorrow.”

The twice-delayed ride was originally supposed to launch on May 16. That date was then bumped to May 29. When that date passed, too, Cedar Point promised it would make no further announcements until officials were absolutely sure the ride is ready.

Problems with the boats forced Cedar Point to retool the ride.

Dick Kinzel, Cedar Fair’s president, chairman and CEO, has said the boats were initially the wrong size.

Maryland-based Intaride LLC created Shoot the Rapids, a 2,100-foot ride that cost more than $10.5 million.

Billed as a thrill ride the whole family can enjoy, the ride lasts three minutes and drops riders from two separate hills.

Shoot the Rapids is scheduled to open THIS SATURDAY!

Cedar Point has GREAT news! Shoot the Rapids is scheduled to open THIS SATURDAY, June 26!

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids Testing

Sadly CP Guide is unable to make it to the opening.  We DO NEED people who are going to be there to take photos and videos.  If you’re interested in taking photos and videos for us, please email us at email@mycpguide.tk ASAP!