Defunctland: The History of Cedar Point's Disaster Transport
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ย. 2017
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We take our first trip to Cedar Point to discuss the extinct, indoor roller coaster Disaster Transport.
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Hey Defunctland Community! I hope you enjoyed this episode. Check back this week for the full version of the end credits song. Have a great day!
Defunctland rad theme music!
do a video about hypersonic xlc at kings demion
Defunctland can you please do the jimmy neutron ride that was replaced with despicable me please?!?!?!?!?!
Defunctland could you do a episode on the great movie ride since it just closed last month please
Can you do Epcot's original Journey into Imagination or Disneyland's people mover??
You missed the most important piece of its "success" - many people only went on it for the air-condition line to escape the heat.
Rcbif that was going to be my comment. I loved that ride, especially in the middle of the day when I was hot and tired lol
The one thing about the ride I like was the air conditioning and not really know how high it is since it's was dark going up the lift. Everything else was Meh.
Rcbif
I can attest to this
Truth
The ONLY REASON.🤣😂🤣
Wow! This is amazing. I actually worked on Disaster Transport. My friends at ITEC (pronounced like "Hi Tech," not "I-T-E-C") designed the attraction, and hired me to write the pre-show for that poor robot, Dave. I wish I had a copy of the script somewhere. I never got to see the attraction running, but I did visit Cedar Point in 2013 or 2014 to consult on another project. When I met Matt Ouimet, I told him I'd written Disaster Transport. He laughed and said, "Oh, YOU'RE the guy!"
This is the first footage I've ever seen of the ride. Thanks for the history lesson... and the memories!
Yooo do you have any resources or anything that you can share by any chance? I would love to hear more! Thank you regardless
Thanks for being a big part of my childhood! I'm a Cedar Point local and always enjoyed the ride, way more than I should!
Soooo
Question
WHY ALASKA?!
I'm convinced they just pulled a destination out of a hat filled with terrible vacation locations.
You know what RBB stands for don't you? Really big bang!
It was the only air-conditioned ride, and the whole "what the hell is going on?" vibe is what was great about it.
It was like when EPCOT served hard alcohol. "What the hell am I doing here? What's going on? Hell who cares! Let's drink!"
It really was!
The only time I rode it was 2005, and by that time the term air conditioned was very loose indeed. It was July, me and my friend were dying for respite from the heat after baking for 2 hours to get on TTD so we decided to get some air con on disaster transport. The queue felt like it was 10 degrees cooler than outside tops, and on the ride it felt like we were in a sauna. It wasn’t fun. But I’m sure at some point the air conditioning probably worked fine lol.
@@MrNavajoRug it stopped working a year after the ride debuted
As a child I always thought the “welcome to Alaska” was a play on how it was the only air conditioned ride in the park, and how upon leaving you’d be greeted by the heat from outside
It stopped being an air conditioned ride about a year later. I think the only part that was air conditioned was the loading station. I remember going through it on days when it was 90-100 degrees and it wasn't too comfortable inside.
@@brianblueskye9715 sounds like a hell oven experience!
IT WAS ALWAYS SO NICE ON HOTT SUMMER DAYS!
Me too!!
The best part of disaster transport is that it was one of the only casual, comfortable rides in the whole park. Aka it was slow and indoors.
Not to mention Air Conditioned.
And your clothes glow in the dark in the ride station too! :)
Anti-Nihilist absolutely! I get terrible migraines and when I would get one at Cedar Point when I was young I would go there bc it was dark, and slow
It was a nice place to cool down, even standing in line for an hour was great in the middle of the afternoon. It was fun and thrilling for people who didn't want to go on the mega coasters too: older and younger family, my grandma rode it and pretended she lost her dentures, had my mom and aunts freaking out for fifteen minutes till she pulled her teeth out of her pocket lol.
Yes! The only reason to go on this ride was when it was hot as hell outside and it provided some relief.
I worked at Cedar point in 89-90 and my special merchandise warehouse was right next to Disaster Transport. I knew all of the girls who worked the ride and rode it in the days preceding its official opening. It was full of all sorts of glowing tech and colored lights filtering through smoke. It was not long at all before the tech started breaking down. Cedar Point had no history with animatronics and Dave farted out within a month of opening. The one day that stands crystal-clear in my mind is seeing my friends coming out of the ride in shock and covered in blood. As it happened 1 of the suspended moons had fallen onto the track and when a car hit it it was catapulted over the heads of most of the riders. It skimmed the heads of the people in the 2nd to last seats and demolished the back seat (fortunately empty). 2 people were severely injured and had to medivaced to the hospital. My good friend was absolutely devastated by the sight and suffered from nightmares for several months after. Disaster Transport indeed.
Please more stories from Cedar Point!!!
Yow, holy shit that's intense
Well, that's terrifying.
Damn. I want more stories lol
I remember this, but was too young to remember all the details, they got lucky no one had cell phones and social media back then
he called lake erie a “beautiful beach”... that’s how you know he isn’t from ohio
LOL! 🤣🤣🤣 So much truth!
Not up close, lol, but it is a nice backdrop for an amusement park.
Hey, I’m a Michigander and I have no love lost for Ohio, but that little section of beach is actually pretty nice.
Nothing like seeing a nuclear power plant right on the fuckin beach to know its good enough to swim in and drink from (god i hate this state)
@@TheRealRusDaddy nothing like a zero emissions energy source saving energy costs for everyone. I drive to Ohio frequently and am enfatuated by the state. Would love to live there.
Riding this in the 2000s when it was run down and some of the effects/story was removed actually made it a more mysterious experience which I kinda liked. It was like you snuck into a now defunct transport company that befell some unknown horror. Or maybe that was just my young imagination filling in the obvious gaps in storytelling...
Nah, I had much the same experience during the same timeframe. It was clearly an old ride, but I had no idea that there had been a real story for it early on that was just lost with time- I thought it was intentionally designed to be vague.
@@animeartist888Ditto, this was actually my favorite ride back in the day.
In the early years of the ride, the story and ride special effects were MUCH more elaborate. The story was that you were about to take a trip to Alaska with this company called Dispatch Master Transport. The first room was meant to feel like an airport, with posters of destinations the company travelled to. In the first year or two of the ride, an employee would get up on the podium and welcome you to your flight and announce that we were about to begin boarding through the (fake) doors behind her. When she hit the button, smoke would come out of the podium, beginning to give you the impression that this was a (really) second rate operation. This extra spiel quickly disappeared as the line never backed up into this first room. You were then instructed to take the detour through the control room. Originally it was a very large room and the handprints weren't added until many years later. Above you was Dave, the mission control robot who would be communicating with Dispatch Master Transports pilots all over the world via a video monitor. It was actually a very funny although low-budget video and I recall one of the pilots crashing in the jungle. Your detour then continued through the Repair Bay which was supervised by a robot Foreman (can't remember his name). The foreman was in the center of the room and looked like a giant pair of binoculars. He actually had a lot of banter back and forth with the animatronic robots repairing the vehicle (who didn't speak but made sounds). Above you were spare parts in moving baskets and the camera you mentioned was supposed to be scanning the parts and all of them are "rejects" hence why they were in the repair bay. The generator device was added years later probably after the robot stopped functioning. Your detour then ended and you went up the stairs to the loading platform. There was another humerous "safety" video playing on video monitors as you ascended.
As far as the ride, the inflight computer did not have a name, just "inflight computer." His greeting before the lift hill was "Welcome aboard, I'm your inflight computer. I have been programmed to take you to the Voltair(?) Receiving Station. Standby the cargo loading door....cargo loaded." The effects in the lift hill used to be pretty spectacular. There was a "light tunnel" effect (think the Viking eye from Maelstrom lift hill). Once you reached the top (cardboard) space pirates attacked the ship and the computer began taking evasive maneuvers. After the first set of brakes there was a large projection of an exploding asteroid. After the next brake was the infamous "I'm losing control" as the vehicle picked up speed, but then you would see a large projection of Alaska along the left wall. You then "landed" in Alaska and exited the ride. Of note, at the exit they had placed white gravel throughout to give the impression of being in snowy Alaska!
This is my recollection of the early years of Disaster Transport...it really was a neat ride. Obviously, with every year, more and more effects broke and were forgotten about or never repaired. At the end its appearance was very sad and it really needed to go.
sounds boring
Thank you! I vividly remember opening year and your description is the first I've come across as accurate.
One of my favorite parts of the original queue was the hallway with the windows "overlooking" the warehouse full of crates.
It wasn't a confusing storyline at all until they stopped maintaining the theming. And destroyed it completely with the dayglow crap.
I was young but I rode disaster transport about a year after opening. I can vouch for this stories accuracy. As I recall much of the lighting on the track had already begun to fail at that time. But I do remember the video and the animatronics being exactly as described.
Greg Semon
Thanks for sharing, Im younger than you and only recall Disaster Transport in it's later years. (Think '05~close) I remember the handprints and vividly remember my dad mentioning that hallway reminded him of the Blair Witch Project. I was creeped out by the repair bay when I was younger, but it was also probably my favorite que because it was air conditioned and a nice half hourish break from the heat.
Thanks Greg, I had forgotten a lot of this especially the actual park employees acting in the beginning! It was definitely a fun ride and reprieve from the heat.
When the girl said "WELCOME TO ALASKA!!" I lost my shit
You have to admit though that Gatekeeper is an absolutely gorgeous addition to the park entrance. Watching it fly over you as you pass through the entrance is amazing.
@aud_io I rode both sides of the Gatekeeper and I think it's the left that's the better side. When you curve around the first hill, the left side swings up and I think that's what really sets the entire ride in motion. Although I will admit the restraints the first year it opened were absolutely trash and painful. My chest was not happy lol. I will admit it's not one of the best coasters, but I think it's beautiful.
Man I don't get why Gatekeeper isn't insanely popular. Best coaster I've ever been on.
Yo! PJ Sam! What up?!
I’m more impressed with how quiet they made the ride! It’s very quiet for a rollercoaster, but they would have to make it that way, else the employees working at the gate left with a huge headache.
@aud_io I thought I was the only one that happened to on the Gatekeeper. I still really like it nonetheless.
This ride actually has a really important place in my heart. When I went as a kid, I tried to remember what the ride was called afterwards, and my family and I disagreed on what it was. I was dead convinced that it had been called Master Disaster, and wouldn't be shaken on it. Now, years later, I understand why I got the name wrong! I must have seen "Dispatch Master Transport" and gotten it mixed up with the real name! So I feel like I just solved a years-old mystery, thanks to you!
This just proves Anakin right about sand.
It's course, rough, and irratting, and it gets everywhere.
r/PrequelMemes
My mom was one of the original staff members that staffed this ride. She loved this episode and freaked out when I showed her this!
I read this as she freaked out when you showed her tits…
Next time you get bored with life on earth...
*LEAVE*
I wish it was that easy bro
It is but I wouldn't recommenced it. It's a one way trip, you might not like what is on the other side.
@@tomhill3248 Alaska?
@@Corax.S yes,but why cow flat
@@tomhill3248 ohhh yeahhhh
This was actually one of my favorite rides at Cedar Point before it closed. Maybe it's just because I was young, but I really loved that it had this air of mystery about it. Between the lack of plot, hidden structure of the coaster, and very dark interior of the ride, there was a strong feeling of not knowing what's going to be beyond the next twist or turn.
Coupled with the fact that it was the only real indoor coaster there and it was gentle enough to enjoy the visuals, it was a great ride when you were in a large group that included a few fussy folks who didn't like big coasters.
Preach it! The vague theming and near total darkness allowed you to imagine everything that was coming and piece together a story, both in line and on the ride.
I, too, am one of the nostalgia fans. I didn't ride it for the first time until 2004-ish, but the glowing sci-fi "what the hell is going on?" vibe was a peak experience for a kid who was raised on Star Wars and had cried her way through the Mean Streak earlier that day.
I got to ride this when I was 11 or so (around 1991 or 1992), and I think I remember the (convoluted) story for this ride.
If memory serves, the transport company was already an established cargo shipping group, which wanted to use the technology to expand into passenger travel, and you as the rider were one of the first flights, to Alaska (That is used to explain away the industrial/warehouse look of everything). During the queue, you learn from the posters, and eventually Dave, about the plans to offer multiple destinations, and they explain that Alaska was picked as they already had an established shipping route. In the Repair Bay, you can see them "retrofitting" a sled (when the animatronics worked) from cargo to passenger use. Dave was kind of fun to listen to back then, as he would talk up that this test flight will be a huge success, and that there is nothing to worry about. At the end of his spiel, he kind of glitches out, trying to say "we thank you for riding with us on Dispatch Master Transport", and says the name of the ride instead, repeating it in a Max Headroom stutter.
Dave (or the remote pilot, I don't remember if they are the same person), loses control, and the ship breaks out of Earth's atmosphere, and careens around the solar system, with the events depicted during the ride. Toward the latter part of the ride, they "regain control" and you are safely delivered to Alaska.
It was a fascinating ride at that younger age in it's heyday. But I hope this helps!
That's awesome! That could be a great movie. Or Magic School Bus field trip. It sounds like one...
Thank you. Tired of typing listen to the end of the video when Dave sings
I went on this ride in 2007 and this sounds right but I also think that I remember Dave sounding not sure about it being perfectly safe...like I its the way he says it.
Not gonna lie, that song at the end was pretty frickin amazing
brickman409 I know right, I thought it was a regular song you'd hear on the radio until I listened to the lyrics.
brickman409 The song is put of,this world. and I must say. I went on this disaster about 15 times. not bad. just wouldn't say that I missed it
I thought it suck
J Smith, welcome to Alaska!
It’s so weird to hear theme park channels talk about Cedar Point cause I’m from Ohio and to me Cedar Point and King’s Island are just like a fact of life. I have never known a single Ohioan in my life who hasn’t gone to Cedar Point. I’m not used to Ohio having anything interesting enough for anyone to talk about.
same
Just saying I find it amusing you say that Ohio has nothing of interest when the plane that ended WWII - Bockscar - is sitting at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton.
@@benh3518 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Ohio too!
Being from Michigan, I agree, Ohio is pretty boring....
It’s weirder hearing people talk about Louisville, Kentucky when that accident occurred a while back. I wish we wear known for better things. :(
Disaster transport holds a special place in my heart because it was my first "Big kids" ride that I could actually ride on after becoming old enough and tall enough. It was what started off my kick of wanting to follow the rest of my family and my older sister on all the bigger rides there in Cedar Point.
Native Ohioan here. I started being tall enough to ride coasters in the early to mid 2000's. Disaster Transport was one of the first "coasters" I was able to ride because of it's relatively short height requirement. By the time I could ride it, a lot of the theming you described was gone. Most of what you described in the Repair Bay was still there. But from what I do recall having rode it at least a dozen times, it always struck me as a "the earth is under attack and we're escaping via this transport thing". This is based on the fact that there were posters and graphics in the queue that depicted major US cities being attacked by giant monsters like a massive praying mantis. So the ride itself wasn't anything too crazy but the theming leading up to the ride and the sculptures, lights, effects, and the fact that a large part of the ride was pitch dark, actually made it quite exciting. I have fond memories of this massive pile of bad ideas lol.
I remember riding Avalanche one year and coming back and Disaster Transport being there the next. When we rode it I thought it was one of the coolest things ever, had so many moving stuff and the narrative while you waited for the ride made it exciting. Being from Michigan, CP was like a pilgrimage every year, so every year we went back and rode the coaster. Slowly we watched it degrade, each time something else wasn't working and I remember one of the last times when it was just a black indoor slightly fast literal dark ride. Right before its closure we went with friends all of us being in our early 20's and had to try and explain to them what it was like when it opened from a 9 year old's perspective. But I can still remember its first year and how much I loved it and that nostalgia kept the reality of Disaster Transport from infringing on my brother's and my joy.
Bell Toller lol I'm picturing nine y.o you even tho I don't have any idea what you looked like
You just described why i love Diseny. I know some people who were disappointed with Diseny and said the rides are nothing to write home about. Which is true they are all the same sit down rides and very few thrills ride. But it the decoration that make diseny special. Being able either visit you favorite diseny stories or expernice some of the best animatronics. It about enjoying art and not experience thrills. Which why other themes parks can't copy diseny. You need beloved characters and stories to begin with to make theme park like diseny work. Cider park is smart to focus on thrills since Copyright is too expensive to be able get beloved characters and stories. They can get those who want thrills not set pieces. Actually this is why Six flags, Knott's berry farm, and Universal studios can comfortably do business in southern California. Especially Knott's berry farm. People think they are bitter rivals since they are so close. But not all since Knott's berry farm focus on Thrills rides well diseny focus on Theming. Also why Six flags doesn't complete with Diseny but with Cider point.
I remember loving the Disaster Transport. Despite its degradation over the years and how disappointingly brief it was, it was a unique ride whose general design concept deserves to be revisited.
The idea of a bobsled coaster as a space ship in the dark is quite genius and I hope it will be done again, but better..
I am one of the people who was devastated by the closure of Disaster Transport. It was not the scariest ride, or the fastest ride, but it was unique, and the dark tunnels made it hard to predict turns, which added to the thrill. And the animatronics and decorations in the queue areas made the wait less boring.
I love learning about rides I've never heard of!
Also, that song at the end was rad!
Oh hi Dan
Maybe there’s an Alaska on mars.
Rainbow duck o wow Alaska on mars! I wanna go!
@@lunahetfield mars *does* have a tiny polar cap
@@WetDogSquad "Damn miner!"
Wonder if you can see Russia from yer house there too
Fast forward to (12:00) all explained
Just went to Cedar Point today. It was during their Halloweekends attraction and I was there for about a few hours in the morning/afternoon. I noticed a graveyard which apparently had the graves of rides that were removed from Cedar Point. And of course, one of the graves had none other than the name we all know from this video, Disaster Transport. It even had a readable plaque, which referenced the bobsled ride before, “ Dave “, and if they ever managed to reach Alaska. I also met someone else who watched Defunctland there too. And simply put, I love this community.
“Next time you get bored with life on earth,” is the most ominous thing I have ever heard. Especially marketing to kids 😂
I'm so obsessed with your channel. I had to leave university because of medical issues and watching your videos have kept me company
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Get better soon!
bucketfullofbutter For a moment I thought you had to leave university because you were obsessed with defunctland
I had to leave University for the same reasons. Hope you're doing well! 😊
bucketfullofbutter did you drink a bucket full of butter?
Pack your bags boys, it's high time we visited Alaska!
- But in order to do this, we must take the Mars shortcut!
How is that a shortcut?
its a gravity slingshot, very fast
I remember my parents taking me on Disaster Transport as a child and being awed by the sci-fi aesthetic of the que. The building itself terrified me as I walked in, but the queue was amazing. I don't remember the ride itself, or getting off the ride, but the queue still inspires my art sometimes to this day. I was very confused when the ride was gone when I went back to the park, and I even thought I had imagined the whole thing until I saw this video!
Awesome documentary! I remember riding Disaster Transport a long time ago. Don't remember much about it. I think I also remember riding the coaster when it was Avalanche Run.
That commercial in the opening to me implied it was like a horror ride, I would’ve felt so ripped off if I went expecting a sci fi horror ride and got this instead.
(Eisner reference in a Defunctland episode)
DRINK!
Andy Sorensen nigga i ain't lookin to die
Perj is petty as fuck it's sad.
I love the Eisner jabs.
Eisner is the heart of Defunct
the alcohol poisoning would be real as fuck
honestly, disaster transport was a favourite of mine while I was growing up. I used to live a few blocks away and had passes every year and it was the only one of the "bigger" rides I was tall enough for. So it ended up being the ride I went on with my dad at the beginning of the day and once at the end, and sometimes in between. I was honestly devastated when they closed it down, all those blacklights and weird imagery filled me with so much nostalgia, this also reminds me of the "short-lived" (from my perspective as a kid) demon drop.
Ooooh my heart! You're getting me right in the feels with this one! I used to ALWAYS ride this ride first when we went to Cedar Point every years as a kid/teenager until one year we went and they told me it was just gone! I never knew what happened but gosh... You're giving me so much nostalgia and pulling right at my heartstrings
I'm an Ohio Coaster Enthusiast and this makes me happy. Its nice to see that I'm not the only one who misses riding that old thing. I grew up riding it and there are only 4 Bobsled coasters left in America. It was a privilege to ride such a rare model every year.
“can you read me?”
“OOOHHHH YEAHHH”
So glad I'm not the only one who noticed that. :D
OH YEAH WE CAN READ YA!!!
I died when I heard that lmao
That is a little thing called good editing.
When I finally got courage to ride a roller coaster, this was my first one. Disaster Transport was also a great spot to go when it was 90 degrees and you needed to cool off. Cedar Point was so much fun as a kid and teenager. I haven't been in over 10 years.
Funny, I loved Disaster Transport. There's something about being on a roller coaster inside an enclosure in total darkness that's thrilling and scary at the same time because it's impossible to see what's coming. It's a feeling that's impossible to capture on an open air coaster. I also thought the thematic atmosphere was well-done.
"Welcome to Alaska!"
....... What? 😐😶😐
Jacob Dominguez Americas Siberia
Over the surface of mars.
Jacob Dominguez Execuse me, w h a t ?
No, it's,
Welcome to Alaska!
Dafuq?
Welcome to the club.
Im so glad i got to ride this in 2011 as a teen. Just one year before it closed. It was confusing but the old-fashioned scifi aesthetic was charming. It felt like watching Total Recall or Alien. I loved it!
I absolutely loved this ride, super nostalgic. My friends and I would always make sure we made time during our visit to ride it. I'm a sucker for anything sci-fi or relatively close and this fit the bill perfectly. Plus yeah the air conditioning during a hot 90 degree day was perfect too lol
I loved Disaster Transport, but I also loved the Avalanche Run, too. It was great, especially that silent swoop where you got a great view of the lake
I miss this ride, so glad I got to experience it back in 2011, even if it wasn't probably anywhere close to what it was originally.
I only rode it once though and at the time I didn't think much of it and because I was 11 I was a little scared of it but if it were still around today I would probably really like it
I rode it many times, partly because there was never much line. The reasons why they took it down make sense though.
Rode it a lot as a kid between 2005-2012. Best ride to go on when you were hot and wanted to get into the air conditioning line! My dad remembers going on the bobsled run and the original disaster transport when it first opened
wow so ur 25
Creative Dude who?
Creative Dude the fuck is your problem?
"This stock photo model could very well be Eric" LOL! Great video as always, man! Very informative and very entertaining!
I rode this sometime in 2009-2011 and absolutely loved it! I am afraid of heights so I could never get up the courage to go on any big coasters but I loved that I couldn’t actually see the track and how far away the ground was. Also had no idea it was a bobsled ride which would totally explain why it was so smooth and comfortable!
Same reason I love Space Mountain! I don't like when a coaster makes it super obvious how little there is in the way of structure keeping you from getting flung to your death, no matter how strong and well-inspected it is. Maybe wooden coasters would be a better fit for me.
I always remembered the story being that it was like the full blown apocalypse and the coaster was literally transporting you from the disaster. The travel posters showing major cities being destroyed, I distinctly remember Sydney being destroyed by a mutant kangaroo. And Alaska was some sort of safe haven.
If you were to do another Cedar Point video, I suggest the Mean Streak! That ride just closed down last year and is being replaced by Steel Vengeance. It was the most rickety, annoying roller coaster at the park, and I'm sure I sustained at least a few bruises riding that thing as a kid. Definitely earned its name.
omg yes! I remember riding that with my dad and his glasses snapped when we went around one of the bends! I'm pretty sure everyone who's been on that ride has walked away with a bruise or two to show for it.
Sounds like the Screaming Eagle at Six Flags STL. A woody that just beat you all to hell.
I rode this coaster -- literally once at night -- the last year it was open with my brother. There was nobody back there, my brother had to lead the way to show us how to get there, and there was literally nobody else in the queue line. It still is one of my favorite experiences at CP. It was amazing, breathtaking, and I actually didn't sustain any injuries or felt bruised up. Although I have come up with a way to ride woodies where I sustain the least amount of injuries as possible... lol.
This coaster was my brother's favorite and I know he was sad that nobody seemed to like it and didn't want to ride it anymore. I wasn't able to go this past summer to CP to ride Steel Vengeance, so no clue how that coaster is, but I heard and saw that it's pretty dope.
Speaking of Steel Vengeance, it actually took world record for "Most air-time on a roller coaster" from The Voyage.
FriedSoup I HATED that coaster! You had to demo every your earnings before riding, or you would get cut up from the back of them.
Cedar Point - MY home park - YAY!! And 1985 - the year I graduated from HS!! 😄
Thanks for including a CP ride!!
I work for cedar fair in the fall every year so it’s super interesting to hear the history the company has. All the stuff they don’t tell us lmao
I loved Disaster Transport!!!!! It was a training coaster for me when I was little. 😊 I was heartbroken when they tore it down.
The first time I rode this was during the summer of 96, so many of the effects were already broken. I rode it for the last time in 2007,when virtually everything was broken. Still, there was something charming about the theming. When I first rode it, I had no idea that it was a roller coaster. It really did take your breath away, especially since you couldn't see what dips and curves were coming next. This part of the experience was only made better when more and more of the lighting went dark. Yes, it was one of Cedar Point's biggest blunders, but it was still a charming ride nonetheless.
The ride was not great, but it was one of the only places in the park with air conditioning. During a scorching hot day it was nice to get out of the heat for 10 minutes or so. In fact the air was so cold sometimes my legs would cramp up.
I was on it twice towards the end of its life. It was pretty much pitch black at that point, and the whole thing was sooooo cool, both while waiting in line (gotta love those 3-D glasses that nobody ever bought, but instead recycled through the line from people getting off) and on the transport itself. The vague theming was awesome, allowing you to make your own story. I considered it one of the three best rides at the park, along with Millennium Force and Magnum.
0:53
"Can you read me?...."
"AHHHHH YEAH!!!"
Oh yeah we can hear you but you are still screwed.
All that (lack of a) narrative just to end up in Alaska?
Living in Michigan for the better part of my life, this was my one vacation spot. I loved Avalanche Run and remember having to climb the long set of stairs to get to the loading zone and you could look out over the front part of the park from the top before you got on. I remember it being closed because of wind quite a bit. Then skip forward a few years and there's Disaster Transport. I'm fairly certain we rode it at least the first summer it opened, the lines went outside of the building and down into an additional que that they shortened a few years later. It was the only line you could wait in air conditioning so a lot of people went in there just for that. Once they shortened the lines the employees at the front would have to hold people back, probably for fire regulations, but that only happened on super hot days. Later on you'd just have to walk straight through the line. But that first year there was a desk where a "stewardess/steward" would talk to the crowd about their trip to Alaska and how they were already loading the supplies (they also held people back for fire hazards I think). Originally it was a quick shot way to get a supply transport to Alaska from Ohio, and they just happened to also send people who bought tickets. The travel posters down the first hallway and in the next room showed all sorts of destinations. Once you passed this first story hook, you were lead into the second room which had a few different steward types that would talk to the crowd and each other, excitedly talking about the ride to get everyone excited. For some reason you were taken through the loading and repair bay, and only then did you suspect something might 'go wrong' because the robots were talking with one another about trouble. In this room a bunch of containers were being 'loaded' past above head as Dave, a binocular looking robot, talked to guests and the repair robots in the bays on the other side of the room. They had to put mesh under the containers as guests threw things up there like teddy bears and glasses. The repair bay robots "spoke" in beeps and whistles, would fall asleep, or they'd just be "working" and all sorts of sparks would fly out from the bays. I seem to remember for a time that Dave was actually voiced by a real person (at least on the weekends I went at first) because I recall talking to him and getting an answer and he'd call out various people in line as well as the repair bots. Later it was all programmed to a set story line. After that you were escorted up those same stairs that were now enclosed from Avalanche Run, watching a handful of television screens that were the control towers and loading videos. If you watched them long enough (which happened often at the beginning) one of them actually started talking about aliens or some other trouble and they'd talk about how some of the transports were coming up missing until the video fuzzed and it cut to someone else telling everyone not to worry. At the top you were counted, held on one platform, the ushered into the final one. Depending on the day, many of the ride operators would hint about "trouble" or "hope you make it" just to get you pumped up. The lift hill took you through pulsing lights, a voice telling you all of the rules and finally smoke and haze as you "lifted off" under a blinking light - I swear it said something like "error" or something but you were on your way.
The ride itself was really fast and you could hear narration from time to time about some problems or something and there were various things to see (which other people have explained pretty well) and the screen near the end with the explosion was really bright and there were really awesome sound effects that died out a few years in - once in awhile they'd get it working again until they gave up completely. If the employees on the other end were in a good mood they'd all welcome you to Alaska - "we weren't sure you were going to make it... The other cars didn't." And because you let off in a different area, and no one was in the terminal, it was sorta creepy.
I used to ride this ride two or three times every time I was at the park and I think one summer I'd ridden at least five times in a row until the ride operators were just telling us to 'sit wherever.' One time they'd even forgotten to turn out the lights (I think they were doing repairs or something) so you could see everything in its crappy glory. I wish I had some photos or video but I really appreciate this video at least so I have something else to remember it by!
I miss this ride so much. This was the only ride where I didn't mind waiting in line. It had air conditioning and the animation was cool
I rode on this in 2010? The line was completely non existent. The backstory to the coaster was completely gone, and the glasses weren't even sold. They were just littered all over the line area. You simply picked up a pair off the ground for free and you were good to go. And while it was a bit on the short side, it looked fantastic, and the moving through the dark sections really added alot. I rode gatekeeper maybe 3 years ago, and i have to say it's a major improvement. Maverick is still the best coaster at cedar point.
WonTgiveaname Maverick? Maybe I just got a bad ride, but when I went on it it was so rough and gave everyone terrible whiplash... again, it’s very likely I got a bad ride, and I do wanna go back to Cedar Point to give it another shot!
I too was there in 2010 and rode DT on my one and only visit to the park. I don't really remember the ride but I do remember a few things from the queue line in the building. Neon colors, blacklights and the distinct look of everything having seen better days in years past. I really wish I could have been there in its early years.
Maverick is pure joy
Maverick is rickety but not as bad as some in the park like the mine ride, or magnum. My boyfriend was here from Australia this summer and it was his favorite. I gotta say, it really has a unique intensity about it.
You put someone else's used glasses on your face? That's disgusting. Why would you do that?
You finally covered something that I've ridden, nice. Every Disney property is a long ass ways from Michigan. Thank you mr. Perjurer!
ajs715666 LOL I think we were all thinking the same thing
ajs715666 that's for damn sure
I wish I didn't live in Michigan
And Michigans island sucks too
I’m a tad late, but I loved Disaster Transport when I was a kid! I remember it being one of if not my favorite ride. I never realized that it was a toboggan run though, always assumed that it had a normal track system.
This smacks of an idea the developers gave up on halfway through, likely because their boss wanted it up and running on opening day but wasn't willing to put any more money into it. The idea of a space flight which goes awry, ala a sci-fi themed '70s disaster movie, is a great one. But this idea barely seems present in the final ride.
Welcome to Alaska!
Wot?
Nani?
YAY NEW DEFUNCTLAND!!!!
Daniel Ibbertson Dan!?
Daniel Ibbertson wow
yes?
Wasn't expecting you here.
WOAH. Hulky shit I didn't expect you to show up. How's it goin'??
Love this kind of history. Crazy to see how things play out. I do actually miss D.T. Not hugely, but I remember it fondly. So it's really, really cool that they added a tribute in halloweekends!
I remember loving this ride so much in middle school from 2008 to 2010. Cedar Point was the only theme park I had ever been to growing up. I remember always being blown away by the "intricate" theming in the ride queue. I was sad when I went one year and saw that it was gone. It is probably for the best that it's just a memory now but man did I love this ride.
You should cover the Verruckt water slide that used to operate at Schlitterbahn Kansas City. It's a very sad story, though.
Zach Becker
And cover all the dumb decisions made when designing it that made it clear to everyone how dangerous it was.
They weren't wrong in calling it Verrückt, whoever designed that thing is crazy.
Zach Becker Isn't that the ride a senator's son died on?
Horror stories covered it
Here come the waterworks
The best reason to go on Disaster Transport was because it was one of the few super air conditioned places in the whole park, and maybe the only one that didn't require buying expensive food. So it was great for getting out of the sun for a little bit, and at the end you got a lame but fun ride.
Also, after they started doing the glasses, you could wait at the exit and just ask people leaving for theirs. Most people where so disgusted at being fleeced out of $1 for a ride that was totally dark that they couldn't throw them out fast enough.
I rode it a little later in the ride’s life. Something like late 90’s early 00’s. I remember enjoying the ride a lot. It wasn’t great or anything especially when compared to all of the record breaking attractions all over the park, but for what it was, it was a fun ride and like a lot of people have also said, a nice way to get out of the heat for a little bit and enjoy some air conditioning. It wasn’t the best ride ever or anything but it definitely didn’t deserve all the shit it got. There was some genuine creativity that went into the design of the ride and there was a ton of cool stuff to see inside that building. I’ll always hold a soft spot for Disaster Transport in my heart.
Great video.
As a local, I got to experience all of the new rides as they debuted from about 1984 to 1994. It’s true that DT’s effects started breaking down very quickly. You must understand that Cedar Point visitors are not completely respectful, though, and played some part in the wear down. I recall Dave the robot being like a target in a shooting gallery. Kids in the line would whip quarters at his head. Elsewhere in line, chewing gum was plastered to any reachable surface. It was a mess.
As for DT being an eyesore to beach goers, I’m a little doubtful as it’s location is pretty far from the Breakers hotel and most popular part of the beach.
If TH-cam Red was any good, this would have to be on it
I'm standing in Cedar Point right now, I was so excited to get this notification. Disaster Transport was a great ride.
This was my first roller coaster, I went to Cedar point with boy scouts but was afraid of heights. My friend talked me into riding this since it was dark, I loved it so much I tried the Blue streak next and have loved them ever since. Ironically enough I watched the Son of Beast as well and that was probably the last time I rode a roller coaster. So these videos have brought back some memories for me.
I really admire your scripting and how well this is put together.
Great video, love the quality of your newer videos!
Not like the older ones were bad😂
The Nerd Herd n
MatterhornMatt MATT!!!
Alright, before I wanted you to cover Horizons because it changed my life, had the greatest themeing of all time, and it was one of the few connections I had to my late grandfather. But now I want you to cover it just so I can hear what kind of badass synth music this Norman guy would make for it. 80's synthwave scifi music with 60's optimistic scifi music is a goldmine just waiting.
Kevin, thank you for making this video! When I was younger I went on a trip to Cedar Point and rode this ride as a kid, then recently I went back to Cedar point unable to find it, I couldn’t remember if I just imagined this indoor ride or misremembered it being at Cedar Point and actually it would be at a different park. Now that I’ve watched his video it all rushes back to me, thank you!
Is nobody going to talk about that banger that plays during the credits?
*you’re on disaster transport* OH YEAHH
I liked Disaster Transport because it was a rather unique ride. An indoor bobsled which there weren't any others in Northeastern Ohio that I knew of.
Gatekeeper is still grand, though.
Finally Cedar Point gets some attention
So many fun rides and attractions from there come to mind. Demon Drop, the double ferris wheel, the IMAX theater, the pirate ghost ride, the funhouse was a blast (now the arcade and shops). There was an old flume ride called Shoot the Rapids. Then, they had White Water Landing, which was the bomb. My standard favourites were always Gemini and Magnum XL 2000. Those are CLASSIC coasters! There used to be the steamboat. The suspended cable cars went all the way to Frontierland.
I think there should be a story on the demolition of the Wild Cat, or the removal of the Jumbo Jet coaster. I can understand why they got rid of Wild Cat, it was really rough and had some very close call accidents. It was probably getting too expensive and risky to keep it operating.
JCBro2014 I only got to ride the wild cat a couple of times because it shut down soon after I finally got tall enough. I loved that ride. I remember the danger aspect being discussed in the lines, kids always making up stories about people dying on it lol. It added to the excitement.
This was actually the first roller coaster I went on as a kid, and sparked my love of going to amusement parks. Cedar point is only about an hour away from my town, I used to go there once a year till I got into High school. I never found out that the Gatekeeper replaced Disaster Transport, and I'm kinda sad I didn't get the chance to ride it on it's final day. God speed into the afterlife disaster transport; god speed. Thank you for making my childhood awesome.
Disaster Transport was a masterpiece. Fight me.
Honestly that was my favorite ride there
Disaster Transport and Iron Dragon were my favorites!
OMG!! Cedar Point is my home park and I totally remember that commercial from when I was a kid! *Nostalgia* I rode that ride from the year that it opened as Avalanche Run until Disaster Transport closed. It was a fun ride, especially in the dark. Lol (BTW, I'll never consider that ride a "coaster". Ijs) Thanks for the new Defunctland video on one of the rides from my favorite amusement park!
You should consider an episode on Batman & Robin: The Chiller. Its an interesting ride and there hasn't really been a ride like it since
For a Michigan kid in the Detroit area Cedar Point was a summer rite of passage for many. I always loved the roller coasters, and in particular the Disaster Transport. On a hot day it kept you cool. Raining? Disaster Transport (well, until it kept flooding so bad they had to stop it in whenever it rained). First ride? Disaster Transport. When I found out it was razzed after years of water issues and an antiquated design woes I have to admit I was sad. It was one of my favorite rides for so many reasons. The cool que line through the Mission Control area. The videos and multimedia experience was so unique. Then you get to the coaster and you see that it looks all futuristic and sleek. The ride itself was awesome. The smell of smoke as it fills the air, the overhead speaker voice warning you that the brakes have failed, and the seemingly out of control final couple of hundred feet, it all created a one-of-a-kind ride.
This was by far my favorite ride in CP, and I miss it, it wasn't a long or scary ride, and because it was pretty dark it looked like you were going through the ride on no tracks. The most memorable part was the clicking sound when going up the hill, you were in a metal box... So it was loud as f*ck. Thank you for this video, it brought back some great memories. :)
2020 and just found this!!! WOW, the memories. It was a beloved bad joke for us adults, but also a great starter coaster for small kids. So glad I found this video.
Low key rewatching this just for that song at the end.
As a person who doesn't like roller coasters who would get dragged to Cedar Point by my now-husband, Disaster Transport was my compromise coaster. Not too tall or too fast, but still intense enough for him to enjoy himself. The day he took me to Cedar Point to propose was the day we found out it was gone! It killed the vibe a little (but he smoothly got it back).
It may have been a little janky and true coaster enthusiasts might have been bored, but it has a special place in my heart. RIP Disaster Transport. 😢
finally a video I can relate to! I grew up riding disaster transport, and it was just as confusing then as it is hearing about it now. I remember loving it anyway and was super disappointed to see it gone when we came back one year. Great video!
Damn, I miss this ride. I’ve been to Cedar Point several times and I’d always ride the Disaster Transport at least three times each visit.
Could you do an episode on the Triceratops Encounter from Islands of Adventure?
desmatoraptor I like that abandoned episode
I love this Defunctland series on attractions! It's great! Some of them really bring back some memories!
You make these whole videos and a song?! Im blown away by your quality every time
Disaster transport was a solid ride, everyone loved it . The theme was weak but I never once have heard some one complain a out it... Gone now though :(
Okay haunted house as well.
Mr. Lindsay I loved the theme. It was that old school sci-fi feel.
OH MAN. I used to LOVE this ride as a kid!!! Wow! Thank you so much for making this episode!
This was one of my favorite rides of all time as a kid. The footage that was shown in this video gave me so much nostalgia and I really wish I could back to that time. I really like that you ended it by talking about how some people really loved it and will absolutely miss it, because that's very true. Thank you for such a good video on a ride that brought me so much joy :)
Hey, just wanted to say that I LOVE THIS!!! This has oddly been my favorite roller coaster when I was 6 years old, despite me now knowing that most of the effects were removed. I was kinda sad to see it go, but now love Gatekeeper! This was quite a history lesson for me! Thank you for the video!!!