WildCat

WildCat was a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio that closed at the end of the 2011 season. On May 2, 2012 Cedar Point management announced that the WildCat would be removed to allow for expansion of the Celebration Plaza, citing that the coaster was reaching the end of its useful life. WildCat was disassembled prior to opening day 2012 and scrapped.HistoryWildCat opened at Cedar Point in 1979. It was the 65m variant of the Schwarzkopf Wildcat model where small cars (each holding four passengers) take many tight turns and small hills that produce negative g-forces as well as strong lateral forces. Riders were required to be at least 48" tall and be able to climb down vertical ladders in the case of an emergency evacuation. Riders were secured by a seatbelt and lapbar. At the end of the ride, riders were given a visual signal by the operator to extend their arms and hold on, as the train stops extremely quickly. It was the second Cedar Point ride to use the WildCat name following the 1970 installation, Wildcat, which was an identical 65m Schwarzkopf Wildcat.WildCat is the only roller coaster in Cedar Point that has been relocated since being built. WildCat had been in two previous places before settling in its final location, across from Iron Dragon. WildCat gave more than 25 million rides since its debut. Although this figure-8 designed coaster is a park favorite, ridership declined over the years from over 500,000 riders in 1996 down to 300,000 riders in 2008.On May 2, 2012, Cedar Point announced the permanent removal and dismantling of the WildCat roller coaster prior to the opening of the 2012 season for the expansion of Celebration Plaza. WildCat was demolished and scrapped before the season started.