Disaster Transport

The loading platform of Disaster Transport

In 1990, ITEC Productions, Inc. was chosen to renovate the ride, completely enclosing it in a show building. The renovation included the addition of a space-themed queue and ride along with special effect lighting, two robot animatronics, and sound. The special effects and construction cost approximately $4 million.[5] On the outside of the building, "12 E" was written, which had caused numerous rumors as to its meanings. On August 3, 2005, it was revealed that it stood for the 12th ride designed by the ITEC employee, Eric.[6]

Not long after the changes to the ride in 1990, the special effects began to deteriorate due to a lack of upkeep. By the time the ride closed, many of the effects were no longer active or had been covered up.[7] Blacklight reactant paint lined the walls, mostly in the form of handprints or outlines of scenes. These gave a 3-D appearance when the rider wore special glasses purchased at the beginning of the queue.[8]

Demolition of Disaster Transport

On July 13, 2012, Cedar Point announced that Disaster Transport would close on July 29, 2012.[9] It was the second roller coaster at Cedar Point to close in 2012. A charity auction was held for the final riders, benefiting the Give Kids the World charity foundation. The last ride was given at 11:53 PM on July 29, with the lights turned on.[10]

The ride started demolition on August 6, using about 380 trucks to transport scrap materials. A portion of track, two cars and the main entrance sign were to be donated to the National Roller Coaster Museum.[10] Less than a month later on August 29, the last section of Disaster Transport was demolished. The 12E part of the building was the last section left standing.[11]

After the ride was renovated in 1990, a new space theme was given. The story of the ride was the passengers had been to deliver cargo from a suborbital factory to a station in Alaska. Large screen projections, simulated lasers, mist, and recordings were added to the ride. In the queue, guests would go through three rooms including Rocket Recovery, Mission Control and Repair Bay.[5] The original entrance to the ride was located next to Troika. During HalloWeekends, the park would change the entrance of Disaster Transport to under the lift hill, leaving the one next to Troika to be used for the Halloween Haunt. For the 2009 season, the entrance was permanently changed to under the lift hill.[14] When the entrance was changed, the Rocket Recovery and Mission Control rooms were closed, leaving the Repair Bay the only room guests walked through.[15][16]

The ride experience was different in its earlier years. Passengers would enter under the middle of the coaster's lift. After entering, an eerie space soundtrack played. The first room was "Mission Control". Black lights lit the room. Travel posters and a rocket diagram were on the side walls. Two airport loading gates were seen next to two TV monitors (showing the head of the company "The Dispatch Master" or random space pilots) and were on either side of a desk in the middle. An employee sitting at the desk would say to the riders that the loading gates on were both malfunctioning and the riders had to be rerouted through the "service rooms" of the hangar. Walking into the next room deemed "Rocket Recovery", guests would see a "rocket locator" robot named "Dave" working up on a platform at a terminal trying to contact the companies rockets (one according to him crashed outside of Akron). Walking down another hallway, guests could glance at crates inside of a warehouse within the building. After the short hallway, guests entered the "Repair Bay". A room showcasing a robotic foreman animatronic named "Franc" looking around the room (he was later removed). There were also suspended conveyor baskets carrying various items, a high voltage generator, pneumatic robotic arms "repairing" a rocket, and a security scanner that flashed "REJECT" after scanning guests. A small room outside the Repair Bay had the company's logo subtlety broken to reveal the ride's true name. Entering the "Launch Area" rockets moved from behind a curtain without passengers. After ten people loaded on a rocket the ride began. The rocket moved out on a block section where an "on-board computer" welcomed you and started the "automatic launch sequence". Two spinning laser light spheres projected a star field around the rocket as it climbed the lift. Upon reaching the top your computer took notice of nearby "space pirates" and began to perform evasive maneuvers. As riders went through the coaster, they would see exploding rockets, meteors, laser projections, and a satellite that shot lasers. Your on-board computer shouted "I'm losing control, I'm losing control!" before an Alaskan landscape came into view and the rockets entered the brake run. Riders entered the unloading station where they were greeted by an employee that yells "WELCOME TO ALASKA!" The riders disembarked their vehicle and exited on the left.