What's old is new again at Cedar Point with new Wild Mouse coaster, Boardwalk area
Cedar Point's newest coaster is proving to be trickier than a mouse.
Wild Mouse stopped abruptly Thursday amid a preview for roller coaster enthusiasts and the media at the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park.
Passengers in cars had to be rescued by park personnel.
One of the cars stopped atop one of the coaster's highest points, while the other stopped amid the winding turns closer to the ground.
The passengers, who were not injured, had to climb down safety staircases after the coaster stopped unexpectedly twice during the previews.
Wild Mouse officially opens Saturday with the start of Cedar Point's 2023 season.
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How fast is Wild Mouse at Cedar Point?
The park's newest coaster is a mere mouse among giants.
Cedar Point's Millennium Force roller coaster reaches a staggering height of 310 feet and a top speed 93 mph.
The new Wild Mouse roller coaster reaches some 52 feet in height and has a top speed of 35 miles per hour.
Unlike the park's more recent coaster additions that set out to break records and turn stomachs inside out, this new attraction highlights Cedar Point's past.
Where is the Wild Mouse roller coaster?
Part of the newly revamped and renamed The Boardwalk section of the park, Wild Mouse is the centerpiece of the area that includes the new Grand Pavilion bar and eatery along with the relocated Matterhorn ride and the Scrambler that has a new paint job and a new name — the Atomic Scrambler.
The park's Tiki Twirl spinning ride that was already located in the former Lakeside Midway area of the park got some TLC over the offseason and has been renamed after a former park classic — the Calypso.
Park General Manager Carrie Boldman said they were not looking to set any records with this addition to the park, but rather add a family ride that fits with the historic boardwalk theme to the new area.
"It's a classic boardwalk ride," she said. "It's a perfect fit."
Wild Mouse's cat and mouse
Located next to the Lake Erie beach that has made the park famous since 1870, the new Wild Mouse pays homage to both Cedar Point's original Wild Mouse coaster and previous WildCat coaster. There is a nod to WildCat at the top of the lift hill where a throwback sign of a wild cat swats at riders.
This latest incarnation has a mouse theme with cars that can accommodate four guests seated four across. There are six mouse cars and one cheese car.
As guests traverse 1,312 feet of bright orange twisting and dipping track, the cars spin around. Just how much the car spins depends on the number of the riders in each of the cars.
The coaster has a 48-inch height requirement for a guest to ride alone or 42 inches to ride with a supervising companion.
What's special about Wild Mouse?
Manufactured by Zamperla, the Wild Mouse is the 18th roller coaster at Cedar Point. Adam Sandy of Zamperela said this coaster is unique to Cedar Point.
It is the first time the coaster manufacturer has incorporated a so-called Immelmann turn — named after German World War I Eindecker fighter ace Lt. Max Immelmann — that creates a sense of weightlessness for riders. Sandy said the turn is sort of like a horseshoe.
"We didn't want this coaster to be the old wild mouse rides," he said. "We wanted it to be fresh and new."
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Is Cedar Point making a new ride?
At the start of the 2023 season, the park's coaster count will be just 16; the Iron Dragon will not be open, because some of its track had to be removed and reinstalled over the offseason as work continues to reimagine the Top Thrill Dragster that remains closed. Park officials say they hope to have Iron Dragon up and running by mid-May.
As for the coaster formerly known as the Dragster, Cedar Point says it hopes to have it ready for the 2024 season.
An accident in August 2021 resulted in a piece of the coaster becoming dislodged and severely injuring a park guest waiting in line.
Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cedar Point's new Wild Mouse, Boardwalk pay tribute to park's past
