Philrad71

Just saw a small article in the Buffalo News today that talks about the new kids area at CP and the new attractions at Holiday World. They confirm that all seven of the rides will indeed be coming from Geauga Lake, including the miniature train and the "mini-tea-cup-style ride." No mention of the kiddie roller coaster though... Of note, they do mention that Cedar Fair shut GL down citing "low attendance" as the reason.

Awesome pics! I actually have the 1988 brochure from the year that I went. I loved the two girls faces shown on the cover page riding the corkscrew...they look absolutely terrified! I remember thinking that it was a cool family fun park, but being that CP was so close, we usually always wanted to go there instead of GL. I won't soon forgot the water speed slide (the humped one) right on the lakefront and the embarrassment of having to pick my bathing suit out of my a$$ after riding it! That thing was awful!!! Sure glad that I got out there last summer before it closed. While the park looked like it needed some TLC, I could not really see signs that they were going to just close it completely down. I hope that the Big Dipper ends up somewhere...hopefully here in the US. That was the hands down the best coaster in the park (in the front seat). Yes, even better than Dominator!

Gee, I thought that beer was standard at most theme parks until I visited Hershey last year. I'm like, "where's the beer stands"??? I don't see anything wrong with them selling beer at SFOT. Like most people have said, it is usually so expensive (think sporting events) that you usually only have one or two. If some idiot wants to get drunk, then chances are good it will happen before and during the visit. Personally, I like it on a hot day when you are chillin' out walking around enjoying the sites and sounds of a park. I don't abuse it and act like an idiot, but there are always people that will act like that whether they have been drinking, or not. I was at Halloweekends last fall with my father and some friends and we were drinking and partying at Camper Village before we went in for some late night ride action. We patiently waited for the front seat of MF for the last ride of the evening and had a great time. Two people got busted for line jumping right before we were supposed to board the front seat. They actually would not start the ride until security came and escorted the people away! They did not lok intoxicated...the guy was just being a jerk because he was big and muscular and thought he was a bad ass threatening families and kids. We were buzzed and didn't bother anybody and the ride was a friggin' blast!!! I'll tell you what, if booze can make the Mean Streak an awesome coaster, I'm all for it!!!!

Cedar Point: * Definitely need a Boomerang and a Wild Mouse. * Trees made of blacktop and cement that double as trash cans. * More bird poop on the rides and in the parking lot. * Bring in the thrilling new game 'Cornholer' from the now defunct sister park - Geauga Lake. * Remove Millenium Force and TTD for kiddie rides - the park doesn't have enough of 'em. * Replace Maverick with a dark ride...perhaps 'The Pirate Ride' could be revived??? * Focus more advertising on Mean Streak being a 'Top Ten Wood Coaster.' * Perhaps bring in 'Villian' and claim that they now have TWO thrilling 'Top Ten Wood Coasters'! * Two words - 'Wiggle's World'...bring it!!! * Place 'Double Loop' so it interlocks with Corkscrews first loop - Oooooh!! * New water ride that utilizes the odor free scents of Lake Erie. * Renovate the grate before you go up the stairs on Magnum (that now smells like crappy britches) and make it smell like....Lake Erie. * Run one train on Gemini backwards for a fresh, innovative treat. * Remove OTSR on Mantis for those that claim it is too rough. * Bring back Trabant, Bayern Curve, and the Rotor for more hot flat ride action! * Bring back Jungle Larry's and Oceana in smaller locale's so they can cram in more rides, yet still have that "animal/family friendly atmosphere." * Special interactive exhibit - "Lake Flies: Erie's fastest growing phenomena!!!!" * The "Lake Flies' exhibit will also feature a 'Andrew Zimmern - Bizarre Foods' tasting area, just in case you didn't quell your appetite on the high speed thrill coasters. * Last, but certainly not least - more cheese on a stick w/cheese sauce stands...PLEASE!!!!!

I have the same brochure from 1988 and that was the one and only time that I was ever at B & B with my folks. Great park, but yes, themed a bit different. All I cared about was the coasters and rides and I actually had more fun at this park then I did at WDW!!! I still remember to this day, the fond memories of me and my father riding the shuttle loop! The elevator to the top was much nicer than walking up the stairs like the one at SFGA! My Dad and I must have rode this thing twenty times in just about every seat because there was no line. Talk about high tech thrills! That launch feeling was just incredible coming out of the chute! I took my Dad on TTD at CP this past September and the look was a bit different than that of the shuttle coaster at B & B! More like, "Holy F*%k!" instead of the giddy laughter we experienced on the double loop! Awesome subject with great reminders of all of the fun times that I had with my folks growing up! Keep up the great work, Shane!

The Rodeway Inn near CP in Sandusky was somewhat scary. Cops were in there a couple of times and the rooms were like something out of a 'Starsky and Hutch' episode! The bathroom was nasty and the carpeting was stained with something that I probably will never care to know! All of this fun for $95+ a night! I will gladly pay the extra money for one of the CP resorts from now on, even though the cheapie rooms at the Breakers are nothing to write home about. In years past when money was tight, I did have an enjoyable couple of stays at the hotel that is right on the corner before you get on the CP causeway. Only trouble is that the name changes every year, so I can't give you the current name of the restaurant and hotel. I did notice that they have installed a ghetto version of Castaway Bay and Great Wolf Lodge this year with their own version of an indoor waterpark! YAY!!!!

Perhaps they might get Villain...and Cornhole too!!!!

Just an idea...what if everyone just set their expectations really low for each park that they visit from now on?? Would that mean that every park would rock and then be everyone's favorite??? For example..."I heard that BGE really sucks, so IF I manage to ever go, I am sure that I would just have a miserable time. The ride op's will be horrible, the lines will be too long, the coasters will be lame, and the food will be over-priced and taste like complete garbage!" Then...you ride Griffon and it blows your f-in mind!!!

Unfortunately, I could see this coming... During my visit on August 1st (see TPR), the water park was jammed full of people and the ride park was pretty much dead. It was a ridiculously long walk to the water park and just didn't make any geographical sense. I agree in that they need to expand the water park if they want this to be successful...I mean it is smaller than Waldameer for God's sake! From what I saw during my visit, they could not handle the attendance with the limited amount of slides and pools that they had for a hot day. This decision makes perfect business sense, although I think it would be cool if they kept some of the carnival/flat rides, just for some added family fun. The coasters that deserve another chance in a bigger park are Dominator and Big Dipper (ride in the front seat, damn it!). I would assume that some of the smaller parks in the country would welcome some of the other smaller coasters with open arms. While they did not do much for me (RWB, Double Loop, Villian, Thunderhawk and the Boomerang), if they were sent to a smaller park, they might be restored and be kept in better condition. Again, this is not a big surprise to me after my visit. I cannot see bashing CF for this decision as it makes perfect sense to me from a business standpoint. Although, being an enthusiast when it comes to theme and amusement parks, I hate to see any park get the axe! BTW...the people that say that they are never going to a CF park again because of this business decision...THANKS!!! That just means that the lines for MF, TTD, Beast and Maverick will be that much shorter for me in the future!!!!

I was at Cedar Point this past weekend and had plenty of time to watch the dry runs on Mantis as we waited for (Camper Village) ERT on Millenium, which was stuck on the lift hill with riders in it for about a half hour. They were doing some test runs on Mantis and they were running it both with and without the trim brakes down the hill during test. Eventually, they fixed Millenium so we boarded in about thirty minutes. After we rode, we noticed Mantis had riders on it and they were trimming the drop full throttle. I rode it on Sunday in the front seat and didn't think that it all was that horrible. I remember when they didn't have the trims on the hill and that awful cramping feeling in my calves after I rode. While not one of my favorite rides (or B&M's), I still enjoyed my ride and didn't get boxed too bad. Just remember to keep the head forward, ride in the front, and lean into those quick transitions!! Mean Streak we only rode once and that was Saturday night in the front seat with a 15-minute wait (the rest of the seats were empty except the back). To be honest, I really enjoyed it and thought that despite the trim on the first hill, it was not as bad as I remember. Perhaps it was the JD and Pepsi that we were drinking at the camper prior to going back in the park for some nighttime riding?? That might have made it a just a tad bit more enjoyable and fun! < > Millenium was right after that (yep...in the front seat at midnight!) and we actually saw CP enforce the rules for...gasp!!! LINE JUMPERS!!!! Yes, you heard right folks... enforcing line jumpers!!!! An African American fellow (no prejudice was involved here...so don't play that) had bullied his way through the line with his girlfriend. Apparently, several people had complained of being threatened by this guy and just as we were two sets away from boarding in the front seat, security stormed in right in front of me past the front seat queue and just took both of them away without incident!! The guy and his girlfriend that were waiting for row two were explaining to security how this guy had threatened them and pushed his way through a bunch of folks in line. They were not the only one's that had complained and it appeared that the guy got what was coming to him…he certainly did not seem to make that big of a deal about being kicked out, though. It was finally nice to see the park show that they CAN enforce the rules when people actually tell the attendants about line-jumpers! BTW...Maverick was down all day on Saturday, but luckily for us, we got the two - day pass and it was open on Sunday! Yay for back seat twice with less than an hour wait both times!!! It is a very nice addition to the park, in my honest opinion.... a very unique ride!! Not my new #1, but just plain fun. I did dedicate my first ride on Maverick to ‘Masked Maverick’ the young man that was tragically killed in a horrendous car accident near Cleveland a few weeks ago. That ride was for you…may you rest in peace, my friend.

I can certainly relate to a kind of pessimism when it is the same parks that win every year. I imagine that it would make for a boring, predictable awards event. I know that there are a lot of things that can make for a more pleasant experience for folks at parks. For some it is the coasters, others the flats, some the shows. and others the food. Sometimes it is the long lines, or rude employees that can sour a visit. I can certainly say that my visit to SFMM last year was not the most pleasant experience, but I would still go back as I know that I just hit it at a bad time. Maybe the fact that it was 98 degrees that day may have had the park employees and the visitors on edge a bit?? Who knows? But I do know that a lot of people on this site might vote it as their favorite park, even though my only visit was not really as good as what I had originally expected...

I am really surprised that so many people bash CP for winning this award! I guess that is like saying New England sucks for winning so many Super Bowl’s and maybe the Yankees might come back and win the World Series this year...almost predictably eerie (or Erie), isn't it?? Guess what folks?? CP is a world class amusement park and NE is a good football team (even though I have the b*lls to admit I like the Bills) and (gulp) the NY Yankees also have a good team again this year...so get over it already!!!! Bottom line is that CP has a pleasantly good variety of amusements for every family member, no matter what age. They are not the prettiest park, but I think that is the most beautiful part of Ohio , being on the peninsula on Southern Lake Erie (BGE - #1 in my opinion for prettiest park, just for the records). Yep, they do not have the best shows (like the Red Garter Rockers and $8 Molson drafts don't count?? C'mon on!!), all of their coasters are not #1 worthy (yeah, Millenium Force really does suck in the front seat - pffffft!!!!), they have bird poop in the parking lot, the food is not thoroughly and masterly prepared by Emeril, and they lack those darn kick ass dark rides we all love!!! I have been to a ton of amusement parks and the bottom line is that no park is picture perfect and no park ever will be picture perfect!!! While people have the right to say that they don't think that CP doesn't deserve top honor, I personally don't see the reasoning behind bashing them, nor do I see any valid reasons behind why they shouldn't be #1 in this poll. I have a friend that took his family to CP two weeks ago and he was extremely satisfied at the fun that he and his family had while they were there. He has two young girls and they were elated over all the kiddy rides, even though he and his family never even rode the bigger thrill rides. It was a good family experience and they said that they would definitely go back next year. I also have another friend that took his family there last week (they had never been), and guess what?? They loved it and had a wonderful time and said that they can't wait to go back again! Isn't that what makes a theme park good is when everyone can leave with a smile on their face and then they go home and busily plan on when they can go back next year??? I have been to CP almost every year since I was twelve and ya know what?? I'm going out there next weekend for my B-day and Halloweekends and I am pretty frickin' psyched (Maverick, baby)!!! I went to CP last year for this event and I thought that it was greatly themed and I enjoyed every minute that I was there, even though the lines were a bit long. Again, it is a theme park, folks…long lines (like sh*t) are gonna happen, especially with a new ride like Maverick. Guess that you have to expect those things unless you’re a Q-bot king, eh??? I always feel like a kid when I go back to CP and I have a slew of memories of going there with my family and friends and we have NEVER, EVER left disappointed! If you go to any amusement park and come away disappointed, then you are obviously way to fussy and nothing will ever be good enough for you… Even though I was somewhat discouraged during my West Coast trip last year to SFMM, I still enjoyed myself...even though I never got to ride X because it was a four-hour wait. I was also at SFGA last year and Kingda Ka was down (El Toro made up for that, though). I have not had the greatest of luck at SF parks, but I would still go to one if the opportunity arose....even though I thought that all of the SF parks that I have been to have not been anywhere near CP's caliber. I just worry about CF becoming too much of a Corporate monger and ruining the CP moniker that we all know and love. Call me a 36 year old fan boy, but I still love CP and at least have the b*lls to admit that it is a wonderful park...and it is still my #1!!!!! There, I said it…hate me if you wish, my friends!!!!! Long live Ween and CP beeeeyotches!!!

I went to Hershey on Labor Day weekend and it was also packed! I had a great time and hope to do a little TPR action once I get all of the pictures downloaded and organized. Kissing Tower was open when we went and was the first ride of the day. Then to Great Bear, which was fun, but definitely not the best of the B & M invert family. I rode it on Day Two as the last ride of the night and really enjoyed it in the front seat. Storm Runner is definitely a good coaster. The ride is awesome in the front seat and had plenty of air time yummyness. I was very impressed with Lighning Racers. We went back for a second time and rode Thunder in the front seat...and won!!! Wilcat was very rough in the back. I wished that we would have taken the time to see if it was any better in the front. Water ride lines were insane. I had to wait an hour and a half for Roller Soaker, which I admit was pretty fun even with the brutal line! Tidal Force was nice, but I really enjoyed the wet raft ride (forget the name). Vortex was one of the new toilet bowl waterslides and while fun, was not worth an hour wait. I am glad that I waited for Comet and rode it at dusk on day two. While it does not have the air time equivelent of Big Dipper at Geauga Lake, it was still smooth for an old woodie. I did not ride SDL, Wild Mouse, or the Mine ride. Oh yeah...Sidewinder wasn't near as bad as the one at Geauga Lake! I will be very interested to see what the new ride is next year. The signs were on the (clothed) waterslide towers (that did not look to be operating), so I wonder if that is on it's way out to make room for the new ride? It did not look like there is enough room for a coaster there, but hey, you never know! PS - Yay for Claw!!! One of the few flat rides that I found to be very enjoyable! The dispatching was awful though, as they kept making all the overweight folks get off the ride...one at a time! Turned it into a 35 minute wait.

If it is a ride at all, it will most likely be a family, or water ride to replace WWL as that is what all the rumors are stating. I have been going to this park since I was twelve and CP has almost always sequenced a big coaster about every other year. This year was Maverick (at a big price tag), so I'll be willing to bet a trash can that there isn't gonna be anything big and outrageous for '08!!!

SFMM - 2.5 hours for Tatsu in the 95 degree heat last summer and then my GERD decided to act up when I finally got on the ride, making me think that I was going to choke on my own vomit! Ride dispatch was horribly slow... SFMM - 20 minutes waiting for X which boasted a 4 hour wait at the queue. I think in the twenty minutes that I waited patiently, I moved about ten feet! Never got to ride... TTD @ CP - 1.5 hours and then it broke down. Best friend was bummed as he had never ridden...and still has not been on it to this day. White Water Canyon @ CW - 2 hours as it was new that year and horribly slow. I think that I was about fourteen and foolish!!!!

Thanks for the great pix and also the good advice on the Hershey campground!! I am going there on Labor Day and was planning on staying at that same campground. I actually stayed at the 'Anvil' campground in Williamsburg (advertised closest to BGE) on Memorial Day weekend and I'll be damned if me and my friend didn't get stuck 25 feet from a railroad track! Nice campground, but WTF is with building a campground between a railroad track and a major highway??? I am sure that the railroad track was there first, so who were the geniuses behind a nice, quiet campground next to Thomas The "very cruel at 3:00 in the morning" train??? I love trains, but this is just insaaaaaane!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! WTF IS THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No train track showing on the map, right?? Just trees to the left, right??? We were in site #9!

I was glad to see that someone else thought that the Big Dipper was insane in the front seat! It definitely packs a punch for being a smaller coaster! I couldn't agree more on your assessments of the other coasters in the park. I wonder what they could do to the Villain to make it ride as good as it looks?? As the Big Dipper was the biggest surprise of the day, I would say that the Villian was definitely the biggest disappointment. I already figured that Thunderhawk would suck and Dominator would be good! Good CP report...I hope to get there soon. My plans for going last week failed! Still looking forward to Hershey on Labor Day too!!!

Nice trip report! I will be going to CP soon and would like to also hit KI, but think that I will be doing Hershey Park on Labor Day instead because I have never been there and I need me some Stormrunner front seat action! I would definitely like to get to Dorney Park too, but it probably won't be until next year. I have a sister than lives outside of Allentown, so I might get a free place to crash! Anywho...a very detailed and well written report! Make sure to give Mom more kudos for a job well done on the camera! YAY MOM!!!

Yeah, silly me....now how did I forget to grab a picture of the always fun Cornhole?? DAMN IT!!!!! That SLC definitely beat my a$$ good! I still have three small bruises on each shoulder from that ride!!! I rode (SLC) Mind Eraser at Darien Lake about six years ago and did not remember it being as rough, but that could have been because it was a newer coaster. I don't have a lot of experience on those SLC types'o'coasters, but at least now I know why so many people bash them (no pun intended) in this forum! The boomerang was okay, but just a disappointment after the much smoother one at Great Escape. The only other boom that I have ever ridden was the one at Canada's Wonderland (The Bat) many, many, many years ago!!!! That wuz some purdy cuttin' edge sh*t back in the day tho!!!

Great pictures and description of Maverick! I wish that I would have driven the extra hour yesterday and gone to CP instead of GL!

Yesterday (8/4/07), I decided to pack a bag and head to Geauga Lake in Aurora, Ohio. I have not been to this park since I was about fifteen, thus I never visited when it was a Six Flags chain. It has changed quite a bit since I was a young 'un!!! You could obviously see that the park is in need of a little TLC. Not a horrible park, mind you, but it could be a lot better. One major improvement would be a train or monorail to take you back and forth between the water park and the amusement park. The haul from the amusement park lot and Wildwater Kingdom was easily a mile and a half! It was a long haul to the water park and once I got there with my gymbag in hand, there were no lockers available and I did not feel comfortable leaving my valuables in my bag unattended. Had I known, I would have parked in the lot for Wildwater Kingdom and then changed and walked back over the amusement park. Guess that it was my own fault for not realizing that it was going to be crowded with the temps close to 85 degrees! With all that said, it was not a bad park. They still have some decent rides and coasters, but it is sad to see them getting rid of the good one's and keeping the crappy one's! I just wonder how long Dominator will be around?? Okay...on with the pics! Goodbye Geauga Lake... Oh noooo...Shamu! What has Cedar Fair done with you??? What is this I see?? Biggest surprise of the day...Big Dipper. Ejection/air time city! I actually had to hold on from being ejected from the front seat...great fun and the best coaster in the park! Hey, maybe they will let me ride these water slides...there are no lines! OMFG! You have got to be kidding me!!!! Hooray for water parks...it doesn't look busy, does it?? Dominator was running good. Bob says that the wolf is not raging today...awww shucks! While I am on the subject of crappy coasters...this boomerang was one of the worst I have ever ridden! Nothing like the one at Great Escape. The ride op was very adamant about people not swearing on the ride...like who wouldn't after getting whiplash! Yay for crappy coasters built over a lake of pea soup! Did someone say rough coaster?? All I can say about Villian is that it has a nice pretty TIN structure but is absolute garbage...VERY ROUGH! Signature shot of Villain....looks pretty right??? Welcome to Six Flags World of Adventure...er, Cedar Points Red Headed Stepchild...er, Geauga Lake!

I was actually planning on possibly visiting this park next Friday while I am in MA, but now I am a little leary of going around a weekend. I am curious to know about the water park?? Is it any good? Perhaps I will wait a while before making my first trek to Agawam...even though I am dying to ride Superman. The ride dispatching and the ghetto clientle doesn't surprise me with any Six Flags park anymore. What did surprise me was the fact that so many rides were open and not broke down! I will say in SF defense that they do have a very nice park in SFGE in Lake George. I went there last week and the park was very nice, clean and friendly. No hypers or giga's, but a very nice family park with decent rides. And (believe it or not) the Vekoma boomerang was not actually half bad!!! Once I get the pics together, I hope to do my first TPR!!!