Cedar Point will have a new coaster — well sort of — to greet visitors this summer.
The Sandusky park has announced that it is making a virtual reality ride out of its Iron Dragon roller coaster during the evening hours.
The park had experimented last summer with a medieval-themed virtual experience in which riders wear special headgear and are immersed in a world where they are whisked away by a dragon to battle ogres.
The switch will not start when the park opens for the season May 4.
The coaster will offer the more typical traditional coaster ride during the day, but from June 9 to Sept. 4 the virtual reality rides will be available after 6 p.m.
The announcement was made as a part of the park’s Winter Chill Out behind-the-scenes tours offered to coaster nuts over the weekend that raised some $40,000 for A Kid Again charity that assists families dealing with life-threatening illnesses.
The Joe Cool Cafe near Planet Snoopy is being replaced by the popular Northeast Ohio eatery Melt.
This will be the gourmet grilled cheese eatery’s ninth location and will feature an exclusive Cedar Point-themed sandwich, along with a full bar.
The park’s former RipCord attraction that was a staple in the Challenge Park area will take up residence in the former Shoot the Rapids area in Frontier Trail.
The extra-fee attraction is being dubbed Professor Delbert’s Frontier Fling.
“Frontier Fling is a historical nod to the Paddlewheel Excursions boat ride, where animated character Delbert Feinstein made several ‘attempts’ to fly over the passing paddlewheel boats on his crudely assembled flying machine,” the park said in its announcement.
Work continues on the park’s large water park expansion and a not-so-secret conversion of the wooden Mean Streak coaster that closed last fall into a steel hybrid coaster attraction.
Cedar Point remains cagey about its plans for the coaster that has been only partially taken down, saying an announcement will be made soon.
The 18-acre Cedar Point Shores water park is set to make its debut May 27 with four all-new water attractions, including the Point Plummet — a six-story drop slide where the floor drops beneath the rider’s feet.
Craig Webb can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.