Anthony Raffin ‘17
Cedar point has always proven itself to be a source of screams and large doses of adrenaline throughout the many years of its operation. The beloved Ohio theme-park is always building rides that test the limits of the machines themselves and of the riders.
In recent years Cedar Point has begun closing and demolishing older, less attention gathering rides such as Disaster Transport and Space Spiral to make way for newer more exciting ones such as Gatekeeper. This often pays off as Gatekeeper currently holds the world record (one of many that the theme park holds) for highest inversion on a roller coaster which Cedar Point takes much pride in.
As the regular season winds down and “Hallow Weekends” approaches no news of any major changes to the park emerged until last Tuesday when Cedar Point uploaded a video to Youtube which featured various people being chased around the park by a hooded figure.  While at first, this video’s cheesy slasher horror movie style seems to advertise the popular “Hallow Weekends” that the park offers, the video ends with the hooded man catching up to the woman on the Mantis.  She screams and the screen cuts to black.
“Take One Last Stand….”
An aerial view of the Mantis, no trains are going.
“Mantis Gets Squashed
October 19”

My initial reaction was skeptical, it isn’t uncommon for Cedar Point to pull a fast one on its dedicated roller coaster fans, but this seems a little abrupt and unseen. The Mantis is one of Cedar Point’s more popular rides, sending standing riders through a series of loops and sharp turns and has given thrills to nearly 22 million thrill seekers.
Of course with the video’s vague nature, the question comes about.  What will happen to the Mantis?
There are a number of possibilities to what can happen in this situation. Cedar Point may:

1. Tear down the ride to make way for a new ride

2. Convert the ride from a stand-up ride into a sit-down ride, to appeal more to the masses.

Although Cedar Point may do one of the two above, I have a feeling that no physical changes will be made to the Mantis.  Instead possibility number three comes about:

3. Cedar Point will be renaming the Mantis, the King James which is entirely probable as they did promise to rename a ride after Lebron James in hopes that he would return (thankfully he did).

Even though is there is no telling to what may happen to the Mantis right now, it can be said that whatever Cedar Point does will surprise all of the regular visitors to the park.