Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[SbSteveZ]

Sorry for the dumb question but how does one go about seeing the ride sign animations on your phone. I know I have seen one for Valravn and maybe MF.

I'd also like to know the answer for this question... I searched the entire app this morning and really couldn't find anything on it relating to or even pointing in the direction of those little ride animation things

[thrillrider]

Just a couple of random shots from coastermania.

New projection on the side of valravin

Tickets on hand for brew and bbq

This is our table at the brew and bbq fest. Why so many beers you ask? Well...that because they advertise that the event goes on till park closing, but it actually ends at 9:30. So we had to run around and use all our tickets up before they closed.

Different stations were set up with all types of beers.

Valravin is a much better coaster that we thought it was going to be.

Love this...lol

 

I guess this is why they have seat belts.

[Philrad71]

Anyone ever stayed there before?

Is the place right next to railroad tracks like just about every other area hotel seemingly is?

Any other good nearby restaurants to recommend (that are not a chain)?

 

Chet and Matt's pizza is pretty good. Plus this is going to sound really stupid and it most definitely is a chain but right under route 2 there's an Applebees with a really weird outdoor, tiki bar thing going on. Obviously it's just an Applebees so I wouldn't eat there, but if you want a place right near the hotel to have a few drinks at the end of the night it's a pretty good option just because it's literally right there and pretty weird.

 

Thanks Bill...we just might have to check out both! Weird is good and we always like sitting outdoors on a nice night sipping a few cold beers or cocktails.

 

Hot Dog Tonys is a great place downtown to eat

 

If we wind up in downtown at some point, we may have to check that out...love hot dogs if they are done right. Sure would be great if Pink's in the park could figure out the right way to cook them!

 

Berardi's is very good, as is El Grand Patron if you prefer mexican style food - they're right next door to one another.

 

http://www.sanduskyberardis.com/ for your reference.

 

Berardi's looks like it has great breakfast menu. Given that hotel breakfast buffets are usually God awful (unless you are overseas), we'll most likely be doing breakfast/brunch at a restaurant. While it might be hard for them to top Inventions in Milan, we may try this on Sunday before heading to the park for the day.

 

If you are going to J. Island you should take the route around Marblehead Peninsula and stop for a picnic lunch at the Marblehead Lighthouse. The setting is beautiful. Reminds me of Maine in a way, very rocky and did I say beautiful ? I have spent many a day there from the time I was a kid and never tire of the peace , serenity and sometimes violent nature of the lake from there. It is truly a magical spot. Also , If you are in Port Clinton, just a little west,on the beach, you have to try Jolly Rogers for the best damn fresh perch sandwich you will ever eat ! To the east in Vermillion is Old Prague which has great duck and Czeck food.

 

Wow, that lighthouse does look like something that you would see in Maine...sure hope that we have the time for a visit. And I have always wanted to check (or should I say, Czech?) out Old Prague. It's a bit of a haul to Vermillion, but someday I vow to go. Given that I had some great food in and around Prague during our visit a few years ago, I would love to stop sometime and see how their food stacks up!

 

Thanks for all of the great suggestions, guys!

 

Edit: ^ David, those look like pretty good sized "samplers" of beer! How was any of the BBQ stuff? Fair, good, great? My sister and husband were there this weekend, but she doesn't do BBQ so she couldn't comment. She did send me some nice pics of the layout though!

[thrillrider]

Unfortunately, we only had time to sample a few of the BBQ items. Both that we had tried were delicious.

[Philrad71]

^ That's good to hear David, thanks for the update.

 

I will grab some photos and do a full report after we visit next weekend.

[Kevin6279]

Odd technical question: Let's "imagine" that I was on the last train of TTD during an after hours event. A bunch of ride ops hopped onto the train with me and the op from the control booth came out and said to an op behind me that it was "set to 1.8" and the guy behind me seemed surprised and excited. After launch I experienced strong sustained ejector during the entire top hat. I've never run into that before. Any idea what that phrase meant? Is the launch variable?

 

I don't know if it's truly variable but on my second ride of the day Friday morning I experienced the same thing. I've ridden TTD probably 50 times over the years and that's the fastest I've even gone over the top hat. Oddly it was a weird run all around. We rolled out into the "parked for launch position" and then the sound effects, etc. shut off and they rolled us back into the station, announced to the crew to re check the train/restraints and then we rolled back out into launch position and had that crazy ride. It was about about a 3/4 full train.

 

1.8 (m/s I believe) is the speed reduction, it varies usually between 1.0 and 2.3/2.5 depending on what the max is set to (it starts the season at 2.3 and when it gets warmer they increase it to 2.5). You cannot change it, it's all automatic. The only time it changes after it reaches the max for the day is if you start launch boosting trains, or in diggerg56's case, when it rolls back the speed reduction automatically drops to increase the chance the subsequent launch will crest the hill. The crews know ways to manipulate it, such as loading a train special to get a rollback, but unless they were only loading partial trains, the speed reduction shouldn't drop. My guess is it could have just been acting up that night as it sometimes does as it can be unpredictable at times, especially if it is cold.

[Kevin6279]

Odd technical question: Let's "imagine" that I was on the last train of TTD during an after hours event. A bunch of ride ops hopped onto the train with me and the op from the control booth came out and said to an op behind me that it was "set to 1.8" and the guy behind me seemed surprised and excited. After launch I experienced strong sustained ejector during the entire top hat. I've never run into that before. Any idea what that phrase meant? Is the launch variable?

 

I don't know if it's truly variable but on my second ride of the day Friday morning I experienced the same thing. I've ridden TTD probably 50 times over the years and that's the fastest I've even gone over the top hat. Oddly it was a weird run all around. We rolled out into the "parked for launch position" and then the sound effects, etc. shut off and they rolled us back into the station, announced to the crew to re check the train/restraints and then we rolled back out into launch position and had that crazy ride. It was about about a 3/4 full train.

 

1.8 (m/s I believe) is the speed reduction, it varies usually between 1.0 and 2.3/2.5 depending on what the max is set to (it starts the season at 2.3 and when it gets warmer they increase it to 2.5). You cannot change it, it's all automatic. The only time it changes after it reaches the max for the day is if you start launch boosting trains, or in diggerg56's case, when it rolls back the speed reduction automatically drops to increase the chance the subsequent launch will crest the hill. The crews know ways to manipulate it, such as loading a train special to get a rollback, but unless they were only loading partial trains, the speed reduction shouldn't drop. My guess is it could have just been acting up that night as it sometimes does as it can be unpredictable at times, especially if it is cold.

[CookeGMP]

Odd technical question: Let's "imagine" that I was on the last train of TTD during an after hours event. A bunch of ride ops hopped onto the train with me and the op from the control booth came out and said to an op behind me that it was "set to 1.8" and the guy behind me seemed surprised and excited. After launch I experienced strong sustained ejector during the entire top hat. I've never run into that before. Any idea what that phrase meant? Is the launch variable?

 

I don't know if it's truly variable but on my second ride of the day Friday morning I experienced the same thing. I've ridden TTD probably 50 times over the years and that's the fastest I've even gone over the top hat. Oddly it was a weird run all around. We rolled out into the "parked for launch position" and then the sound effects, etc. shut off and they rolled us back into the station, announced to the crew to re check the train/restraints and then we rolled back out into launch position and had that crazy ride. It was about about a 3/4 full train.

 

1.8 (m/s I believe) is the speed reduction, it varies usually between 1.0 and 2.3/2.5 depending on what the max is set to (it starts the season at 2.3 and when it gets warmer they increase it to 2.5). You cannot change it, it's all automatic. The only time it changes after it reaches the max for the day is if you start launch boosting trains, or in diggerg56's case, when it rolls back the speed reduction automatically drops to increase the chance the subsequent launch will crest the hill. The crews know ways to manipulate it, such as loading a train special to get a rollback, but unless they were only loading partial trains, the speed reduction shouldn't drop. My guess is it could have just been acting up that night as it sometimes does as it can be unpredictable at times, especially if it is cold.

 

This makes complete sense. It was the last train of CoasterMania and they had been fiddling with passengers and trains for a few minutes. I couldn't quite catch it but now I think I had heard "It's at 1.8". The maintenance guy kinda smiled and shook his head as workers piled on. Thanks for the info. I hope I'll get another one of those someday.

[coasterbill]

Massive storms just ripped through the park. Most of the power is out in the park, Power lines blew into a car on the causeway.

 

 

Here's the last image the webcam caught before it went out. It looks apocalyptic. lol

 

 

Snoopy bounce is down for the count. lol

 

[thrillrider]

There are a few pictures of damage in the park floating around.

[SharkTums]

Gotta love the amazing weather that Cedar Point always provides!

[Yamez]

Tons of pictures at this facebook page of damage around Sandusky and the causeway.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Sandusky-Scanner-Live-167797306707716/

 

My family that lives in Sandusky has been posting all kinds of crazy pictures, must have been a helluva storm.

[coasterbill]

Okay, I have no idea who this guy is but if you're not following him on Twitter. Do it, do it right now. Hilarious updates from the aftermath and some great information on the "before time" back when the park had power....

[coasterkid124]

Geez, things aren't looking too good. Hopefully nothing is down too long at the park. The webcams are all down too as of right now.

[coasterbill]

Geez, things aren't looking too good. Hopefully nothing is down too long at the park. The webcams are all down too as of right now.

 

Cam 2 is fine, they just moved it for some reason. The other 2 cams went out when Power Tower lost power (who saw that coming? lol).

 

Per the park's Twitter, the park is closing at 7PM due to the power outage and the Coaster camp out is cancelled.

[Philrad71]

Holy chit on the causeway and Power Tower pics! That same storm just rumbled through here about an hour ago, but it wasn't nearly as strong - the sun is back out now.

 

Just texted my sister to make sure that they left CP before the storms hit - and they did. That would not have been good to be towing a 28' 5th wheel across the causeway in super high winds.

 

Hope no one was hurt there...that would scare the crap out of me if all of sudden there were power lines and telephone poles coming at me while I was driving!

[KICoasterkev]

Wow I hope nobody was hurt either! Hope they had enough warning too! Cedar Point can't get a break, didn't some of the water pipes break last year and they had to close for a weekend?

[coasternut]

Geez, things aren't looking too good. Hopefully nothing is down too long at the park. The webcams are all down too as of right now.

I was at the park this weekend for Coastermania. The park is closing early today at 7pm because of the storm, wind and power outage. Such a shame since I was having a good day riding. I was worried I was going to get stranded on Millie during the storm. The staff didn't seem to know what to do. They evacuated the train in the station, but didn't dispatch it. I was the first train waiting to get in and the third one was just outside the last tunnel. They wasted at least 10 minutes before they advanced that empty train. I got off and barely made it to the rest room nearby when it broke loose with rain and wind. I hope the folks on the third train finally got off before the storm.

 

A few years ago after Coastermania it was the water main break, and this year this storm.

[coasterbill]

The power is back on.

[SharkTums]

A few years ago after Coastermania it was the water main break, and this year this storm.

 

Mother Nature, Deities, and most humans hate coaster enthusiasts!

[coasterbill]

A few years ago after Coastermania it was the water main break, and this year this storm.

 

Mother Nature, Deities, and most humans hate coaster enthusiasts!

 

[thrillrider]

Tony tweeted that the coaster campout has been canceled for tonight and full refunds will be issued.

[Philrad71]

I was just texting with my sister and she said that they only rode Ocean Motion yesterday because the lines were so long, despite the on again/off again rain.

 

She said that FL+ was the best idea ever for Friday so that they could just walk around, have a few beers and people watch yesterday. A lot of the rides closed although she said Magnum fired up a bit before 9:00 and then shut down about 9:15.

 

Valravn was her first dive coaster and she freaking LOVED it! Said they rode 6 times with FL+ on Friday and never waited more than 15 minutes to ride. Saturday, the FL+ line was 30 minutes long and normal waits topped 2 hours.

 

I think that as long as the weather is good next Sunday, we are splurging for FL+ so we can get the shorter waits on Valravn and the other major coasters. The money we're saving by not staying on-site will pay for those in spades.

[thrillrider]

Imo, the basic fast lane is almost a waste of money. The list of rides, are rides that typically have lines, but not very long lines.

 

The price for a fast lane plus this weekend was north of $100. That's what it costs to get into Disneyworld for a day. Kinda pricy just to ride a few coasters. If you plan your day right, you can hit most(If not all) coasters and some rides in 1 day. We have done it just about every time. Take advantage of early entry and crowd patterns. It also helps if you start in the back of the park and work your way up front.

 

I guess the one advantage of FL plus, is if you are only going to be visiting the park once every 5 years or so and want to marathon everything.

[coasterbill]

The storm took out Mean Streak, right?

 

Mean Streak is far too mean to yield for some dumb little storm. Remember, the more enthusiasts complain, the meaner the streak becomes. Don't say I didn't warn you. Mean Streak opens for another glorious day of family fun tomorrow morning at 10AM sharp.