raptor6

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites next to the Thirsty Pony was a new build about 4-5 years ago. I was there in 2017 for Coastermania and it was great! It was right next to my favorite restaurant in Sandusky is it is the closest non-resort hotel to Cedar Point. I was able to use my hotel points to make the stay free. The Quality Inn was torn down a few years ago. It now appears to be opened as the Cedar Stables Inn & Suites. The website calls the Stables as "a Unique Boutique Experience" and it has prices to match. It is much more expensive then the old Quality Inn. The Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Cedar Stables Inn & Suites, and Econo Lodge North all appear to have the same owner as the Thirsty Pony. The group is called Cedar Corner Hotel & Entertainment Complex. https://cedarcorner.com/

I am fully supporting another Giga in my home state! The layout look great. Kings Island is already a great park and Orion only helps to improve the park. It should be a big hit with the public and will make me visit next summer.

I love the Brew & BBQ event! The Platinum Pass 12oz glass was for the Brew Kettle from Strongsville, OH. They make the Cedar Point exclusive beers and you could try any of their beers with the 12oz coupon. It is really a good value and the food was much better than the typical park food. We arrived near the event opening time and spent several hours trying different beers. We also learned that doing the Coastermania lunch and Brew & BBQ festival on the same day is a bad idea as it is just to much too eat, drink, and ride in one day.

^I guess that i missed that part... But the positioning of T2:3D and Woody Woodpecker Kids Zone actually works (at least per the park map). I thought that I was onto something...

My guess for the replacement of T2:3D is that it will be part of the future Nintendo Land. It appears that the current Woody Woodpecker Kid Zone and T2:3D could be combined together for a giant patch of land for Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong.

35 on the 100 Best Roller Coasters in the World list (Rank: #1,084 of 12,764 users (top 9%)) 23 on the 100 Great Roller Coasters for Real Enthusiasts list (Rank: #16 of 51 users (top 31%))

I have not tried the Food Truck Festival, but the wife and I went to the BBQ and Brew Festival while at Coastermania last year and it was incredible! cpfoodblog.com/2016-cedar-point-brew-bbq/ cpfoodblog.com/review-2016-cedar-point-brew-bbq-food/

^^Concrete evidence of a hybrid! But it could still be an aquatrax...

Sounds like a place to find some brews. Do they have good food? I agree with Thirsty Pony, food is great, beer is great, can't beat it. Whenever I visit CP, I always make sure I stop at Thirsty Pony and Famous Dave's. The Thirsty Bam Burger "Our signature burger ground with a touch of horseradish and fresh garlic, seasoned with salt, pepper & steak sauce, topped with swiss & mozzarella cheeses on ciabatta bread" $10.50 This is my main menu item. A truly great burger.

My go-to credit card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. I highly recommened the card as it gives me 2x point on all travel and dining and 1x point on everything else. The points can transfer to a whole bunch of different airline and hotel partners including IHG, Marriott, Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, United Airlines, British Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Air France KLM at a full 1:1 value. I like how it doesn't tie me into just one airline or hotel chain for redeeming my points. My sign-up bonus was 50,000 points plus 5,000 more after my authorized user (wife) made one purchase on her card. There is a $95 annual fee that is waved the first year, but I feel that my value far exceeds that rate. I just entered the credit card points game to help pay for some of these trips that we have planned, like getting pretty much free airfare round trip to Hawaii. I feel that it is a really good starter card for those folks just entering the game like me and a good card to keep due to the transfer partner options. And always pay the bill in full every month! That is, by far, the number one rule! Send me a PM if you want a referral link for the card.

And don't even bother with the hotel (Quality Inn, I believe) at the Thirsty Pony either as that's about as bad, only they charge you even more because you are at the causeway entrance. TP is a decent place to grab some beers and pub food, but the hotel and indoor "water park" is a POS. Count me in as another one that has stopped trying to be frugal when it comes to staying in hotels. While Comfort Inn's and Holiday Inn's can be subjective depending on management, like Prozach said, spend the damned money and go for a Hampton or something nicer. I believe that some of the Thirsty Pony Quality Inn building was torn down (I believe that tower was removed) in the off season and was replaced by a brand new Holiday Inn Express, which looks really nice from the outside. Google maps shows that both hotels exist and are connected to the Thirsty Pony, but it does not appear to have been updated since the new hotel opened. Maybe they wanted one cheap hotel and one nice hotel to expand their market base?

The super 8 near Kings Island? Ew. we made that mistake once too. If you can still change your reservation, I stayed at the Baymont across the highway from Kings Island. It was cheap and actually a decent hotel. I agree 100% regarding the Baymont Inn recommendation. The wife and I stayed there for Coaster Stock 2015 for $90 per night and were quite pleased with the property. TPR member thrillrider stayed at the Super 8 for the event and had an awful experience and even encountered a bed bug! They are nasty as a huge pain to eliminate! Here is his trip report: themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=70330&hilit=Coasterstock+2015+at+Kings+Island%21

Since Cedar Point is located on the water and has a marina, I propose using the name that the UK rejected for it's new polar research ship: Boaty McBoatface.

Let's where I actually visited this year: Cedar Point x4 Kings Island x2 Michigan's Adventure x1 Kennywood x1 Six Flags New England x1 Lake Compounce x1 Six Flags Great America x2 Not too bad at all! EDIT: I went to Las Vegas for the first time in Mid-December. I had a BOGO coupon for the Big Apple Coaster (Manhattan Express) at the New York, New York Hotel & Casino. I rode in the front seat since I heard many horror stories about the roughness. The ride was nothing special and would be pretty decent if it didn't have those awful OTSRs and basically stop at the mid-course brake run.

Lightning Rod is my first choice. Widefire is a close second. The quadruple down looks insane and is also my most anticipated ride element of 2016.

So far, the only new 2015 ride for me was Rougarou. I loved the conversion from Stand-Up to Floorless design. The front row is fantastic and really is a unique experience. The track layout is a strong and forceful mid 90s B&M design that still provides a good kick. This could all change very soon as I plan to visit SFNE for the first time since 2007 and ride Wicked Cyclone. I didn't really care for the old design, and I can't wait to ride my first RMC! I might also make to journey over to SFGAm and ride Goliath sometime this fall with the great season pass deal.

Oh man why hasn't anyone thought of painting a coaster with that black light paint and illuminate the track with black lights. That would look ridiculous and completely awesome.

He basically wants 10 foot fences with signs that say "Moving Rides Can Kill, Keep Out." The article said that the "expert" was a consultant in a lawsuit that involved a similar 1998 accident on Top Gun at Paramount's Great America ans was settled out of court for $800,000. I believe the consultant was and easy pay day from Cedar Point.

The Meijer (a nicer, Mid-western Walmart) on Route 250 sells all day tickets for $49.99 plus tax. They also sell the Ride & Refresh Ticket (Admission & Unlimited Coke Beverages) for only $51.99 plus tax. You can also buy a 2 day ticket for $88.99, give or take a dollar.

What era have you visited the park? GCI did an amazing job with Timbers last year and even before then, it was still running very well for being the largest coaster CCI ever created, since most of their coasters have not aged very well. And I used to ride it pretty much daily. I'm looking forward to riding it this year now since the helix is being re-tracked again. Wolverine Wildcat ran probably the best it did last year in a very long time, thanks to a massive overhaul on the train by PTCI. When that coaster gets hauling, there are some nice pops of airtime on that. And having rode Thunderhawk 40 some odd times for Coasting For Kids in 2013, I can say that it's certainly the smoothest SLC I've been on. The park has taken excellent care of their coasters. For being the smallest park in the chain, their coasters and rides are kept up as much as the bigger parks and are really reliable. ------ But yes to the person that was asking, you can probably do everything that you want to do in a few hours. I have no idea how this summer will be since last year was pretty quiet due to crappy weather, but in general, between 1p to 5p, everyone heads into the water park so the ride side can empty out. Head for Thunderhawk first as everyone rides the front 4 coasters (Mad Mouse, Wildcat, Timbers, and Corkscrew) first since Thunderhawk is way in the back, takes a while for people to trickle back there. You can then hop on the train to take you over to the Timbers area and then work your way back towards Corkscrew and Mad Mouse. Those two will have the longest line right at open, but within an hour, they usually trickle down to a smaller wait time. Regarding Wildcat, if there is only one train running, the line can take some time. The last time I rode it, the line was probably 30 minutes. If Thunderhawk only runs one train, then that line can get long as well. Timbers usually runs 2 trains, so that line just flies! And that's OK with me. It the best wooden coaster that I ride on a regular basis (MA, CP SFGAm, KI, and Waldameer are the parks the I visit regularly). I love the ride, but I don't really like the trick track.

This caught me by surprise. Jeepers always seemed to be busy whenever I visited the mall. Legoland must have made a very nice offer. I think Jeepers had a small kiddie coaster in the back. I wonder if that will stay and what else will stay from jeepers. This it will likely be very popular with all the local families. The wife and I will need to check this out when this opens next summer.

Going back to the dark ride idea, instead of being themed to the old Pirates ride, what do you think about be themed to the even older Earthquake ride? Or just get two so there is no argument! Did anyone see this posted on Cedar Point's Facebook Page?

^ I think that there was some theming in the tunnels at one point.

I went to Cedar Point last Friday for HalloWeekends and Sunday for a final ride on Mantis (it was closed on Friday). The only coasters that I rode were Gatekeeper, Millennium Force, and Mantis. Crowds were low, with no wait longer than 15 minutes. The Coasters (ranked in order of preference): Millennium Force: Always a fun ride, and it’s even better with a 15 minute wait! For a 6,600 foot long ride, I would like more than 4 airtime locations. It was pitch black when I rode and going 90 mph so close to ground was a blast! Gatekeeper: It seems to have developed the B&M rattle towards the back of the train. I will probably start riding it only in the first two rows going forward. The keyholes are still very enjoyable. Mantis: I am excited for the floorless conversion. I rode it for the last time on Sunday, after not riding it for many years. There was more head-banging on the OTSRs then I remember and standing up created a really weird sensation on my legs. The twisty section at the end of the ride was brutal on my ears. It wasn't until after I got off the ride, that I realized how uncomfortable the ride is for men! I'd guess that all the head-banging took all my attention away from the pain. The Haunted Attractions: Shows: Midnight Syndicate LIVE! Legacy of Shadows: This show was great! Very well done, creepy, and scary. The Houses (ranked in order of preference) G.A. Boeckling's Eerie Estate: This is fantastic haunted house. Easily the best in the park. We went through it near closing time and had no wait at all. There was no one else inside the and it was eerily quiet. Great atmosphere. Eternity Infirmary: My second favorite house of the night. The fake poster and windows always get me. Eden Musee: A fun game of who’s real and who’s wax. Hexed: I was disappointed with the new haunted. The sets were nice, but it wasn’t really scary. No one seemed to hide and jump out at unsuspecting victims. Zombie High School: It closed just before we got into line. It’s not ranked, but probably 2nd or 3rd based on past experiences. I went through this house last year and really enjoyed it. Hopefully, I’ll have a chance again in two weeks. The Scare Zones (ranked in order of preference): Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks: It’s been a few different names and themes over the years, but this seems to best Cedar Point’s best Scare Zone every year. It’s in the section of Frontier Town that does have any operating rides. The log cabin buildings really add to the atmosphere that you are in a ghost town. CarnEVIL: Located in Camp Snoopy (Camp Spooky?), there plenty of fog, clowns, and chain saws to provide a good scare every time. Cut Throat Cove: Last year it was on Millennium Island surrounded by dinosaurs and a roller coaster. This year is on the Maverick infield. It’s an interesting idea, but it wasn’t very scary as it was crowded with people on a narrow path. Tombstone Terror-tory: Disappointing. Not really a Scare Zone, but rather a themed area between Cedar Creek Mine Ride and Maverick with a few scare actors walking around. CornStalkers: We were queuing and all of a sudden people were leaving the Haunt and the lights were turned on. I heard that someone had a seizure from the strobe lights, but I was sure. If that did happen, I hope that the person is alright. I'm not sure if it reopened later in the evening. Blood on the Bayou: Closed all night for “technical difficulties.”

Wow! Last year, in December, I paid $146.99 for the 2-Day Ticket and Get the 3rd Day Free promotion. I can't believe that the price has gone up almost $30 in under a year! I guess that Universal is making great money on the Harry Potter expansion.