[PLC] Cedar Plains

1998

 

Coaster Insider Report, 8/2/1998

 

CEDAR PLAINS ANNOUNCES NEW THEMED AREA: THRILL GALAXY

 

 

New for 1999: An out of this world journey into fun and excitement! Thrill Galaxy is a brand new themed area for Cedar Plains in Corvallis, Oregon featuring a brand new food court, a new thrill ride, and a new coaster!

 

 

Starship is a relocated Intamin Looping Starship from Bumbly Beach in Ft. Myers, Florida! This thrilling new ride operates like a normal buccaneer-style ride, but with an added twist as a counterweight allows the ride to make complete 360 degree loops! Flamethrowers were added to the top of the ride, which shoot off flames when the ride gondola makes its first complete loop. Starship will be a fantastic addition to Cedar Plains, which has been in need of a new flat ride for a very long time!

 

 

However, the main new attraction is INVASION, a brand new, exhilarating Bolliger and Mabillard stand-up coaster! The only one of it's kind in Washington state!

 

 

After the train careens down an 92 foot drop, reaching a top speed of 53mph, it goes directly into the first inversion, a large 83 foot vertical loop!

 

 

And directly after that? A 70 foot dive loop!

 

 

After traversing some large twists and turns and going through a brake run, the train will then go into the third and final inversion, a classic corkscrew!

 

 

However, that's not all! Invasion still has one last trick up it's sleeve. Utilizing the terrain, the train will careen into a dark tunnel before going into a final helix before the brake run!

 

 

Thrill Galaxy isn't the only change that's happening to Cedar Plains! Hurricane, the Arrow corkscrew coaster has recieved a snazzy new bright green and blue paint job along with new sleek, smooth Vekoma built trains! This is a move to try and boost attention to the aging coaster, which has seen a very noticable decline in ridership after the construction of scream machines such as it's bigger (but younger) brother, Demon Force.

1999

The very edge of the century was now upon us as Cedar Plains operates for yet another highly successful season! Lets take a look, shall we?

Park-goers instantly took a liking to the new Thrill Galaxy area. Most agreed that Starship was an excellent addition to a park that while it's become known for having cool new coasters, was kind of lacking in the flat ride department, as prior to 1999, the only major thrilling flat was Energizer, the enterprise ride.

Invasion was also a very well-liked new attraction, as its been reported that it is extremely smooth for a standing coaster with a fun layout. As it turned out though, Invasion and Georgia Scorcher at Six Flags Over Georgia turned out to be the very last of the B&M Stand Up coasters.

Due to having hollow track, Firebird's mighty roar could be heard from anywhere in the park!

Despite the recent additions of both Firebird and Invasion, many coaster enthusiasts still regard Demon Force as the king of all coasters at Cedar Plains!

Forest Flyer, the park's sole woodie has become increasingly more and more rough as the years go by. While still a loved attraction, the sheer amount of bumpiness and back-slamming during the ride has caused several people to pass this one by. Perhaps sometime in the new millenium, a retracking or a refurbishment is in order....

With the 20th century coming to a close, the only way for the highly successful Cedar Plains to go is up and up!

1999-2000

 

CoasterInsider Report: August 24th, 1999

 

 

 

(Corvallis, Oregon) NEW FOR 2000: THE WEAPON, a brand new state of the art thrill ride that twists you, turns you, and flips you over upside down multiple times! While Cedar Plains might not be getting a giant steel coaster for the new millennium like its sister park, Cedar Point, The Weapon sure seems to be like a great addition to the ever growing Oregon theme park. The Weapon is a Vekoma Waikiki Wave model flat ride, similar to a HUSS Top Spin, however the Waikiki Wave has arms that can move in opposite directions, leading to a wild and disorienting ride experience! The Weapon is scheduled to open May of 2000, be there or be square!

When The Weapon opened in May of 2000, it was a rousing success that quickly became one of the most popular flat rides at the park!

The faces of the riders say it all!

However, despite a successful new millennium season, there was some trouble in paradise...it was recently announced that Demon Force's sister coaster, Steel Phantom at Kennywood was going to be on the chopping block at the end of the season...Many fans have begun to speculate that Demon Force could share a similar fate...However, nothing was announced about the coaster by the end of 2000, so one could naturally come to the conclusion that its not going anywhere any time soon.

I hope D.H. Morgan gets their hands on Demon Force before it becomes more trouble than it's worth. I also love the new Hurricane.

2001

As it turns out, Steel Phantom at Kennywood didn’t necessarily go on the chopping block, rather only parts of it did and the rest of the coaster was reborn as something different, a non-inverting traditional hypercoaster. Of course, speculation was then abound about Demon Force. However the General Manager of Cedar Plains, Mike Muller had shot down any rumors of this happening to Demon Force any time soon. “For now, we believe that Demon Force is perfect just the way she is.”

However, in his statement, Mike Muller did mention that in the next year or so, Cedar Plains could be due to receive a new roller coaster, causing roller coaster enthusiasts everywhere to speculate what could potentially be coming to Cedar Fair’s northwestern property. Especially on the up-and-coming roller coaster/ theme park forum, CoasterInsider.

cosmozx1fn0q2rc: I hope it’s an Intamin megacoaster like what SFA, SFNE and SFDL got last year.

Badjetta: Cosmo why would they get an intamin hyper? They already have demon force! Im hoping for a GCI wood coaster.

cosmozx1fn0q2rc: Yah but demon force is like super rough! You bang your head on the restraints all the time! A new woodie would be cool too.

Barrielikescats: I kinda hope its neither. A premier launched shuttle coaster like mr freeze and the chiller at sfgadv would be awesome at Cedar Plains.

2001

 

CoasterInsider Report: June 9th,2001

CEDAR PLAINS ANNOUNCES CLOSURE OF THE OREGON LOOPER

 

 

(Corvallis, Oregon) Cedar Plains has just confirmed that in just two months from today, the Oregon Looper is scheduled to give its final ride after operating at the park for twenty three years. The Oregon Looper, designed by the great Anton Schwarzkopf; opened in 1978 and was the very first roller coaster to open in the Pacific Northwest to feature an inversion.

 

According to General Manager, Mike Muller, the Oregon Looper is being removed to make room for a new “one of a kind” steel roller coaster, planned to open in 2002. Understandably so, us at CoasterInsider are quite upset and angry as The Oregon Looper is a historical icon for coaster fans. Not only designed by the great Anton Schwarzkopf, but also one of the very first modern looping roller coasters to ever open.

 

We’ve set up a petition here to help save this piece of coaster history. If Cedar Plains is adamant about removing The Oregon Looper, then we can try to help this coaster find a new home.

 

FS2832: are you kidding me they can’t get rid of the Oregon looper!! It’s a classic! Its like if hersheypark got rid of sooperdooperlooper or if SFMM got rid of revolution!

Badjetta: Although I really want to see Cedar plains get another coaster, tearing down the Oregon looper is such a bad idea. Its still a very popular ride that has a long line every time I’ve been there.

cosmozx1fn0q2rc: NO!!!! Get rid of forest flyer instead!!

FS2832: cosmo im not happy about losing Oregon looper either but why get rid of Forest Flyer? Its actually a decent woodie with good air.

cosmozx1fn0q2rc: Forest flyer got really rough over the years, the turnaround always knocks me around badly and the first drop is really uncomfortable. They should either retrack it or get rid of it.

Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the delay in updates. I've been dealing with a lot of IRL stuff since the beginning of 2019 on top of some writers block. I hope to get things under control soon, however in the meantime heres a new update!!

2001

 

GOOD NEWS! CEDAR PLAINS RESCINDS DECISION TO REMOVE OREGON LOOPER; HURRICANE TO CLOSE INSTEAD.

 

 

(Corvallis, Oregon) Well, as it turns out, public outcry does help sometimes! The Oregon Looper is saved! Yesterday, Cedar Plains’ GM, Mike Muller has made the decision not to tear down the Schwarzkopf looping coaster. Instead, it’s been decided that it’s Hurricane’s time to go.

 

 

Hurricane is a 22 year old Arrow Dynamics “Corkscrew” model. For the past few years, the ride has suffered from extremely low ridership due to roughness, despite receiving sleek new trains from Vekoma and a new blue and green paint job. Hurricane is slated to close after Labor Day and will be most likely be dismantled and put up for sale.

 

FS2832: This is great news! Oregon looper is a classic and should never ever be taken down!

Badjetta: I really wonder what’s going to go in Hurricane’s place? Oregon Looper had a larger footprint than Hurricane…Unless they’re going to expand the park a little bit more northwestern…