GateKeeper
2013
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GateKeeper is Cedar Point's Wing Coaster that was added to the park in 2013. GateKeeper flips riders upside down 6 times! GateKeeper was the first project since the early 1960's to change the look of Cedar Point's Front Gate!
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In 2000, Cedar Point added the popular Millennium Force. Millennium Force was so popular that it set the pace for the future of the park. Top Thrill Dragster was built as the world's tallest and fastest roller coaster when it opened in 2003. maXair started to spin and thrill riders in 2005. Guest would swing on the world's tallest swing style ride in 2006 with Sky Hawk. Maverick twisted and turned its thrill seekers thru canyons in 2007. Planet Snoopy gave the whole family a new area in 2008. In 2010, Shoot the Rapids opened as Cedar Point's family water ride adventure, it was removed following the 2015 season. Cedar Point's tallest thrill ride, WindSeeker, started swinging guest 301 feet into the sky in 2011. In 2012 Dinosaurs Alive gave guest a trip back in time to experience what it was like when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.
After another decade of expansion in the books, Cedar Point was due for a new attraction that would get the attention of the world.
After another decade of expansion in the books, Cedar Point was due for a new attraction that would get the attention of the world.
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A wing coaster is a roller coaster that has the trains suspended to the side of the track. There is nothing above or below riders. It feels like you are on the out on the wings of a jet.
The first wing coaster, Raptor, opened on April 1, 2011 at Gardaland. The Swamp opened at Thorpe Park on March 15, 2012. The first 2 wing coasters are located in Europe.
The first wing coaster, Raptor, opened on April 1, 2011 at Gardaland. The Swamp opened at Thorpe Park on March 15, 2012. The first 2 wing coasters are located in Europe.
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On March 24, 2012, Wild Eagle opened at Dollywood in Tennessee. Wild Eagle was the first wing coaster to open in the United States.
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On May 16, 2012, X-Flight opened at Six Flags Great America in Illinois as the second wing coaster in the United States.
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The new wing coasters were very popular and loved by guest who got to experience them.
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Rumors started swirling around 2000 that Disaster Transport might be soon removed. The ride had been continued to fall apart and was not what the park originally expected. The ride was literary a disaster.
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When the park opened in 2012, the area around Disaster Transport had spray paint all over.
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On May 30, 2012, the Sandusky Register had ran an article stating they received an article that said Disaster Transport was being replaced with a Wing Coaster.
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On July 16, 2012, during lunch for Coaster Mania, it was announced that Disaster Transport was to be closed on July 29,2012. It was also announced that Space Spiral was to close as well.
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After Disaster Transport closed, it immediately began to be removed from the park. The last piece of the ride came down on August 30, 2012.
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While Disaster Transport was being torn down, Cedar Point started placing signs around the park that would tease what would come.
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Speculation was running wild as to what the new roller coaster would do.
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On August 13, 2012, Cedar Point announced that GateKeeper would open in 2013 as the tallest and fastest wing coaster in the world!
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GateKeeper had the elements and the stats that everyone had expected. It was going to be a huge new addition that the park needed.
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Also, on August 13, 2012, Space Spiral closed for the last time. On August 14, 2012, Troika and Space Spiral was blocked off from the park by a construction park.
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On September 12, 2012, Space Spiral's base was blow up with dynamite and the ride crash landed on the beach.
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After Space Spiral was removed, the construction crews had space to build GateKeeper.
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GateKeeper was built over the winter. The wing coaster was built over the beach and against the outside of the park.
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GateKeeper would be the 5th wing coaster to be built. It would break every record it could.
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The popular GateKeeper roller coaster opened to wonderful reviews on May 11, 2013. GateKeeper became Cedar Point's 16th roller coaster.
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GateKeeper was a huge addition to Cedar Point. It was a instant hit.
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Gatekeeper's World records!
1. Tallest Wing Coaster. (170 feet)
2. Biggest drop on a Wing Coaster ( 164 feet) 3. Fastest Wing Coaster. (67 MPH) 4. Longest Wing Coaster. (4, 164 feet) 5. Most inversions on a Wing Coaster (6) 6. Most rides in one park (72) 7. Highest inversion on a roller coaster. ( 170 feet) |
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The New Front Gate
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With the new roller coaster, came a new front gate. The front entrance plaza. The new gate is really nice. It made entering the park really easy.
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Ride Experience
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GateKeeper has a really cool entrance plaza that greets guest that want to ride the ride.
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The line for GateKeeper is against the beach. The line is really breezy and and gives guest an amazing view of the beach!
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While in ride have to choose witch side of the train they want to ride on.
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Riders are then loaded into state of the art wing coaster trains. Each train holds up to 32 guest that are about to get the ride of their life!
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GateKeeper begins with a 90 degree turn out of the station. When the ride opened in 2013, it was Cedar Point's 5th roller coaster to start with a turn around!
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GateKeeper lifts riders up 170 feet to the top of the hill. On the way up, you get a great view of the beach and the front of the park. GateKeeper is the tallest Wing Coaster in the world!
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When GateKeeper gets to the top, the train twist its riders and does a flip! This is Gatekeeper's first inversion. The flip is done while the ride has very little speed!
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GateKeeper then sends its riders into the drop. The drop faces the coasters lift hill.
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GateKeeper drops 164 MPH and reaches speeds of 67 MPH! Gatekeeper is the fastest wing coaster in the world!
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The drop on GateKeeper is really coonland unique. It is only featured on 2 other roller coasters in the world. It really feels like you are flying on the wings of a jet!
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The drop is really fun!
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After the drop GateKeeper sends it's riders into an Immelmann loop. An Immelmann is an inversion in witch riders are flipped upside down, then twisted and stent back into the direction they just came from.
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The 140 foot Immelmann roll is really cool and it brought a unique experience to the park as this loop was not featured on an other Cedar Point roller coaster!
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Riders are then sent 105 feet over the parking lot on airtime hill! The air time hill gives riders a nice pop out of there seats.
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Gatekeeper is a very fun high energy roller coaster! It is very smooth and a very good ride. When watching the ride it does appear to be slow, but you don't feel that way on the ride.
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Riders are then quickly inverted into an oversized corkscrew loop. The feeling of being upside down on this coaster is really cool.
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The oversized loop puts the coaster in line with the front gate and the rides signature event.
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The ride then goes into a zero g roll over the new front gate of the park. While going thru the inversion, the train goes thru the keyhole towers! They Keyholes are very narrow and give riders the impression that they are going to hit the towers!
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The keyholes make a great first impression for guest as they walk up to the Roller Coaster Capital of the world! The keyholes are very fun and look very cool!
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After going over the front entrance riders are flipped upside down a 5th time on a dive loop.
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The dive loop turns the roller coaster around and sends it back toward the front gate.
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GateKeeper then flips upside down for a 6th and final time over the the front gate! GateKeeper as the record for most inversions on a wing coaster!
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After the second key hole, riders are lifted into the block break. The block break is what allows the ride to safely run 3 trains!
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After dropping from the block break, riders then go into a downwards helix. The helix on GateKeeper is really cool and very forceful.
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After the helix, the coaster enters the break run.
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GateKeeper is a very good ride. It is really cool to look at as well!
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Gatekeeper's Impact On The Roller Coaster Capital Of The World!
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GateKeeper is a very fun smooth ride. IT really popular ride. It has really set the next pace of roller coaster history! It has great capacity and the line really moves fast.
GateKeeper changed the look and feel of Cedar Point. It took Cedar Point to the next level and made the park look much better! GateKeeper is quickly becoming a park favorite with over 8 million rides give since 2013! |
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Since GateKeeper opened in 2013 Cedar Point has continued to additions that have helped balance out its collections. Cedar Point would add: New Gemini Midway (2014), Rougarou (2015), Valravn (2016), Cedar Point Shores Water Park (2017), Steel Vengeance (2018), Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island (2019), and Cedar Point's 150th Anniversary Celebration (2021).
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GateKeeper continues to greet guest as they walk in the front gate at Cedar Point! GateKeeper is a great ride that will last for decades to come! Riders must be 52 inches tall to ride Gatekeeper!
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Photos by Jake Hamons, COASTER-net, and Cedar Point.
Last Updated: 5/20/2020