Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[coasterbill]

Someone get me a drink.

[DorneyKid14]

Someone get me a drink.

 

Or 20

[simaticable]

Someone get me a drink.

Should I call that nurse for you now?

[DoinItForTheFame]

Someone get me a drink.

 

[TheJewelOfJool]

Someone get me a drink.

Have this as an apology:

[DoinItForTheFame]

^ Good god. Now I need a drink.

 

[coasterbill]

This guy is trying to out-nicman nicman.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Someone get me a drink.

Have this as an apology....

 

Do you not realize that coasterbill only accepts alcohol as an apology??

[coasterkyle]

Most things little kids say on the internet make me want to drink; from their grammar, their wtf ideas, to their incomprehensible posts, I feel like i need a 5th of Captin to understand them.

Edited August 5, 2016 by coasterkyle

[Philrad71]

^^ Count me in that camp as well.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Moi aussi.

[Thread Killer]

Stop it guys, my doctor has cut me off.

 

Any suggestions for a tent campground around Sandusky? I am only 2.25 hours away but sometimes it may be nice to just crash and tents don't have bedbugs.

 

The website used to have a few listed but it seems they took them down.

[TheJewelOfJool]

Stop it guys, my doctor has cut me off.

 

Any suggestions for a tent campground around Sandusky? I am only 2.25 hours away but sometimes it may be nice to just crash and tents don't have bedbugs.

 

The website used to have a few listed but it seems they took them down.

Cedar Point has 2 campgrounds on their property, but if you can't go there, I would recommend Crystal Rock Campground. It has a lot of trees around it and it's not really close to any major road. There's a lot of bugs out at night, even in the showers, so that will be dirty in the morning. The wifi is bad, due to the trees.

[coasterkyle]

Stop it guys, my doctor has cut me off.

 

Any suggestions for a tent campground around Sandusky? I am only 2.25 hours away but sometimes it may be nice to just crash and tents don't have bedbugs.

 

The website used to have a few listed but it seems they took them down.

Cedar Point has 2 campgrounds on their property, but if you can't go there, I would recommend Crystal Rock Campground. It has a lot of trees around it and it's not really close to any major road. There's a lot of bugs out at night, even in the showers, so that will be dirty in the morning. The wifi is bad, due to the trees.

 

Piece of advice for you.

When you recommend something you should include reasons as to why you should stay there, for example 'Since its not close to any major roads its very secluded and very quiet'. The reasons you stated made it sound like somewhere I would rather avoid then look into.

 

Also Cedar Point removed their Camper Village last off season for more cabins the only thing available at the park camping wise are concrete slabs for RVs/ campers.

 

Stop it guys, my doctor has cut me off.

 

Any suggestions for a tent campground around Sandusky? I am only 2.25 hours away but sometimes it may be nice to just crash and tents don't have bedbugs.

 

The website used to have a few listed but it seems they took them down.

 

I know there is a KOA along Cleveland Road not far from CP and I remember one camp site down by the Turnpike on RT 250 I forget the name.

[TheJewelOfJool]

I'm not the best at writing, so thanks for the advice!

[Arthur_Seaton]

Trip report from Saturday 7/30 / Sunday 7/31:

 

After bailing on Indiana Beach after a quick visit, I hit the road for Cedar Point and made it there in just over four hours. For anyone considering this drive, it’s painless and quite scenic. I may have just been lucky, but there wasn’t a lick of traffic to get in my way. Given that it was the longest drive that I would be taking on my little tour, it ended up being the easiest and most enjoyable.

 

I made it into the park by 7pm, and in just three hours I rode Millenium Force, Mean Streak, Gemini, Magnum, Dragster, Rougarou, Corkscrew, Gatekeeper, Wicked Twister, and Windseeker. This was the Saturday that the park experienced the break in the water main and shut down early, but aside from cutting my night shorter than I would have liked, I still got a lot done.

 

Cedar Point is beautiful at night. And even though I don't give a rat’s ass about shows / entertainment, it was clear that the place went above and beyond in that regard. I’ve rolled my eyes at the CP / SFMM battles that periodically emerge on the web, but as a SFMM local, I can say that what CP offers is on a different scale altogether. Coaster-wise, there are a lot of parallels, but CP is much more of a production overall. Fireworks, park lighting, in-park entertainment, out-of-park entertainment (saw some fire dancers on the beach from Windseeker), were on a level that I haven’t seen outside of Disney. Operations were stellar – three trains on most rides with as many as six trains on rides that can accommodate them. Millenium Force was the longest wait tonight at about 30 minutes, but many of the others were walk-ons (Valravn and Maverick were both 90+ minutes though). Considering that I didn’t expect to visit the park at night, this was a real treat. My decision to buy a Cedar Fair Platinum Pass prior to my trip was a great move as it let me visit park both at night and then return the next day.

 

On my second day, I was in the park from 10am to 4pm (early entry was cancelled due to aforementioned water issues) and I splurged on a Fast Lane Plus pass (not too pricey with a Platinum Season Pass). For the first couple of hours I thought I had screwed up as the place didn’t really develop much of a crowd, but soon after, Valravn’s line was at two hours and several others were up there as well. Half of the rides were walk-ons for most of the day, but I wouldn’t have been able to ride a fraction of what I did without the pass so it worked out great in the end.

 

Onto the rides:

 

Valravn (x5)

 

I’m generally disinterested in B&M coasters (except for a handful), but this ended up being one of my favorites of the trip. I’d never ridden a dive coaster before and didn’t know what to expect, but I loved this one. The drops weren’t that intense, but they were genuinely fun. The rest of the ride felt forceful but graceful, and even though I don’t think it’s the kind of thing that’ll appeal to those who like hyper aggressive Intamin / RMC type rides, I thought the fun component was perfectly balanced by the thrills. I ended up riding this five times during my visit, but only on the second day using the Fast Pass as the line was gnarly. The Fast Pass puts you right inside the station, and this is one of the rides where I couldn’t help but feel bad walking past so many people who had been standing in line for hours. Of course it didn’t stop me from doing it again and again. A great, great ride overall that looked amazing and rode really well too. 10/10

 

Millenium Force (x4)

 

Naturally, my expectations were high for this one, but they were also tempered by plenty of reports by people saying thet the ride is “more about the speed.” I rode it four times overall, front, back (twice), and middle. I didn’t dislike it (who could dislike it?), but I wasn’t particularly driven to marathon it either. The first drop had more air than I expected (although it really didn’t feel that high when staring down at the ground), and the first turnaround was more gray-outy than I thought it would be (I gray out fairly easily). I found it quite rattly, and there’s some ejector air on the hill that leads off the island that I didn’t expect. Overall, I found it to be really good, but not great and not that re-rideable. Obviously, when it debuted it was a big, big deal, and still today, the visual spectacle of it is impressive, but it wasn’t my favorite ride at the park at all. For anyone curious about the Fast Lane entry, you still have to wait a good 15-20 minutes, even if the regular line is only about 30 minutes to begin with. 8/10

 

Maverick (x4)

 

I was expecting this to be brutal because of what I’d read about it, but it wasn’t at all. I’d heard people say that it was rattly, jarring, even painful, but that was not the case for any of my rides. I found it smooth yet very snappy. It’s intense for certain, but it’s a different kind of intensity — more like a barrage of elements that placed it closer to a ride like Skyrush for me (a ride that I really didn’t like that much). Maverick is much less of an endurance test than Skyrush though, but it’s still an endurance test all the same. I liked it a little more than I liked Millenium Force, but I still preferred Valravn to both of them. Also, given how intense it is, I still found it to be re-ridable and I ended up riding it three times in a row. Fast Lane doesn’t put you in the station, but it puts you close enough so that you’ll only wait 10-15 minutes at the most. 9/10

 

Gatekeeper (x2)

 

Weird experience on this one: I rode it at night in the back seat and loved it. I though it was forceful, fun, and really beautiful to ride when all lit up. When I rode it the next day in the front seat, despite the initial flip (a cool maneuver), I found it to be dull. It’s a visually impressive ride for sure, but it lacks the fun elements of Valravn as well as any intensity at all. It comes off like a big thrill coaster that’s somehow been muted. Of course this isn’t news to anyone here, but I would say that if you ride it, try for a night ride in which you can watch the train ahead of you do its stunts. 10-minute wait all day long. 7/10

 

Gemini (x3)

 

Lots of fun to be had on Gemini. The combination of out-and-back woodie design that gives a smooth ride with the racing elements made this a good all-rounder for me. It wasn’t particularly thrilling, but it served as a nice break from some of the crazier stuff. Definitely the kind of thing you can take the whole family onto, and Cedar Point is doing a nice job of keeping it alive. 7/10

 

Magnum (x3)

 

Ehh. I enjoyed my first ride on this as it surprised me, but subsequent rides made me like it less and less. There’s a fair amount of ejector air, but the track is so awkwardly shaped that the air is painful (the hills are more angular than curved). I’ve been on a few of these big Arrow coasters now, and while there’s some fun to be had with this one, you have to ride it defensively if you want to avoid bruises. That, to me, doesn’t make a ride fun. The bunny hills and tunnels are more intense than they look, but they would benefit from a parabola or two. 6/10

 

Corkscrew (x1)

 

This sucked really bad. It looks great from the midway, but the ride is atrocious. Whoever thought that an Arrow corkscrew could handle an airtime hill was wrong. Rough, unpleasant, and pointless. 2/10

 

Mean Streak (x2)

 

Not nearly as torturous as I expected! Yes. It’s rough. Yes, the design is a wasted opportunity, but despite the meandering, I thought this ride had a few really good moments to it. More than anything, it looks amazing. The structure is huge and imposing, and I wouldn’t exactly say that the ride is tame. It’s a lousy track design for sure, but I’ve ridden far rougher wooden coasters than this that get far more praise. I rode a number of woodies on this trip and Mean Streak was definitely not the worst. 6/10

 

Blue Streak (x1)

 

About as rough as you’d expect an old woodie to be. Definitely a fun coaster, but there’s nothing really standout about it beyond its classic form. I rode it once and would have rode it again, but there are better options available at CP. 6/10

 

Wicked Twister (x1)

 

I didn’t dislike this, but I saw no reason to approach it again. It was rattly, but not violently so. I found it disorienting but not in a sickening way, yet it felt more like a flat ride than a coaster to me. Like Blue Streak, it was a once-and-done ride in a park with so many better options. 5/10

 

Raptor (x1)

 

I’m tepid on inverts, yet I’m not sure why. There’s lots to like with this one, but like a number of inverts, it didn’t do that much for me (the riding position feels a bit awkward I think), but at least this one wasn’t quite as over-the-top intense as Batman clones and still had enough interesting parts to keep it thrilling. Whenever B&M string together inversion after inversion with little else in between, I find that I don’t enjoy them as much, and Raptor suffered a little in that regard. My favorite part was the drop out of the midcourse break run as it felt more like a normal coaster move than just another way to flip you upside down. A very good ride if inverts are your thing (they’re not mine, apparently). 7/10

 

Dragster (x1)

 

This felt more like an upcharge experience than a coaster, really. I only got to ride once because operations were up and down the whole time I was there, but I’m glad I did; I would have been bummed leaving without a ride on it. (Plus I missed Kingda Ka when I visited SF New Jersey as it was down all day). Of course this ride’s all about intimidation — and that’s what it does so well. I was surprised that I didn’t find the launch to be unusually intense, but what I distinctly remember while riding is thinking “Holy Cow! We’re still going up the tower!” Nothing about the ride was particularly forceful to me, but it’s a hell of an experience that shouldn’t be missed. 9/10

 

Iron Dragon (x1)

 

This really had no redeeming qualities to me. Although I haven’t been on that many (3?), it’s the tamest, lamest ride of its type that I’ve ridden. They were offering VR rides when I was there but I dislike the VR tech and would rather do without it. Once-and-done. 4/10

 

Rougarou (x1)

 

I felt like I should have enjoyed this far more than I did. It looked great, especially at night, but it had the same issue that I tend to have with a number of B&Ms — just a series of stock B&M inversions with not much more. I found the first half to be fairly fun, but it got rough in the second half which led to defensive riding to keep from too much headbanging. One thing I know for certain: I would have hated this as a standup. 7/10

 

Mine Train (x1)

 

It’s an Arrow mine train with all the usual trappings. Fun for the younger folks but more rough than many of the rides in the park. These kind of rides don’t vary too much for me, but I always try to give them at least one spin. 5/10

 

Max Air (x1)

 

I’d already ridden Skyhawk at this point — a ride that I loved. This one felt like a tamer version of that. I enjoyed it (I rode the KI version as well), but I don’t find these rides to be all that thrilling — more relaxing than anything. They look cool, though. 7/10

 

Skyhawk (x2)

 

Perhaps the big surprise of the park for me. I’ve been on a slightly smaller version of this at a much smaller park, but Skyhawk caught me off guard. The airtime on this was pronounced, and again, it met my criteria of matching thrills with fun. Even though I was mainly there for the coasters, this ended up being one of my favorite rides at the park. Highly recommended. 9/10

 

Windseeker (x1)

 

What I love about the Windseeker model is that it takes everything I like about a Star Flyer and reduces the anxiety by making it feel more secure. I rode this at night and the light package was spectacular, as was the fact that as soon as the ride reached the top, fireworks went off on the other side of the park. I assume that’s not the norm for this and that my timing was just a fluke, but it helped to cement the deal. Also, the position of this ride on the edge of the lake was a nice touch as it allowed me to see just how integrated the whole CP experience was. Watcing crowds gathered around fire pits and fire dancers on the beach was pretty amazing. Windseekers, for me, are more relaxing than anything and the views are worth any anxiety you might get from the height. 7/10

 

Enterprise (x1)

 

I hadn’t ridden an Enterprise since I was much younger, so it was great to get back on one. Spinning rides tend to make me dizzy now, but the Enterprise has never had that effect on me. Needless to say, I loved this and had a blast on it. I appreciate that they’re not too forceful, and the sensation of spinning is somehow minimized by the looping factor. More than anything, I trip out on gravity whenever I get on one of these. Awesome. 7/10

 

Pipe Scream (x1)

 

I had no idea if this was part of the coaster lineup or not, so I figured I should jump on board. Not too dizzying, and it felt quite fast for (what I assume to be) a kid’s ride. Not the kind of thing I’d ordinarily go for, but it was fun to take spin on it. 5/10

 

I was at Cedar Point from about 7 to 10:30pm the first night and then from 10am to 4pm the next day and got more than enough rides in. Although I didn’t plan to split my visit up into separate night / day visits, purchasing the season pass allowed me to do so and to maximize my time there. (This method proved to be successful at Kings Island as well.) While not every ride there was excellent by any means, this is one of just a few parks I’ve been to that I could say it’s a destination. The idea of spending multiple days at any park seems a bit crazy to me, but Cedar Point is the kind of place I could absolutely envision spending a long weekend at to take in the whole park, the water park, the hotel, and the beach. While the rides tended to be about what I expected based on years of watching POVs / seeing pictures, I was impressed by the overall feel of the place and the operations were absolutely stellar. Despite the problems with the water main, it ended up being a fantastic visit.

 

FWIW: This is part of a mini four-day trip that included Indiana Beach, two visits to both Cedar Point and Kings Island, Kentucky Kingdom and Holiday World.

Gatekeeper certainly makes for a great entrance.

Valravn was the winner of the visit for me.

While the drop wasn't intense, it sure was fun.

The height of MF is sublime.

While I didn't think Mean Streak was that bad, it looked far better than it rode.

A never-before-seen picture of TTD.

Rougarou looked great at night, but I wasn't too enamored with the ride.

Apologies for the crappy images (iPhone only), but the park at night is hugely impressive.

The lighting on the rides is exceptionally effective.

[CP Maverick]

Great write-up! I especially loved that never-before-seen photo of Dragster.

[Duff]

Most things little kids say on the internet make me want to drink; from their grammar, their wtf ideas, to their incomprehensible posts, I feel like i need a 5th of Captin to understand them.

 

Most millennials have that effect on me because they aren't aware of anything before 1995.

 

[CpBluestreakCp]

^^Great TR, loved your reviews of each coaster. I'm surprised Valravn was basically your favorite coaster there. I always hear mixed reviews on it (mostly people like it) but never really their absolute favorite.

 

I agree about the CP nightlife and overall experience. They really have stepped up their game and it's showing. I've never been to SFMM so I can't compare but I always hear basically the same thing you said.

[Arthur_Seaton]

^^Great TR, loved your reviews of each coaster. I'm surprised Valravn was basically your favorite coaster there. I always hear mixed reviews on it (mostly people like it) but never really their absolute favorite.

 

I was surprised too, and I had a hard time articulating why I gave it the edge to MF and Maverick. Really what it comes down to is that Valravn had the right balance of fun and thrills in good measure. I was also surprised that Skyhawk was such a favorite for me, as well.

[Philrad71]

^ Good report!

 

I freaking love Skyhawk! The past two times we have been there, it had no line so I went on it like six times in a row -several times without leaving my seat.

 

I usually end up riding by myself though as my partner and most of my family members are terrified of it.

[PixelRush]

Thank you all to those who recommended seating on coasters last week, I had a phenomenal trip! I rode 16/17 coasters there, most often in the back 3 three rows of whatever (except for Mean Streak and Magnum), and I really enjoyed my Sunrise tour! Trip report coming soon

[williamj2543]

I agree that skyhawk really surprised me. First of all the restraints feel like they just aren't there, and there is nothing to really hold onto. We have one of those giant swings (mondial I think) at CW and its just not comparable. Its a fun ride and all but the massive OTS restraints and the spinning kills it for me. Having it not spin lets you get the full front and back forces rather than being on the side sometimes without getting any airtime. I also feel like skyhawk gets more forces and gets going much faster.

[PKI Jizzman]

This guy is trying to out-nicman nicman.

 

Favorite quote

[Philrad71]

^^ Are you referring to the Mondial version of Max Air at CW? I didn't think that they had a Screaming Swing there.