Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[ImNotOneOfYou]

Just to chime in, I'm a fridge magnet nut, though I recently removed the "fridge" from that equation. I bought a 24x36 galvanized steel sheet from Home Depot and put it in a 24x36 frame from Michaels. Looking forward to adding Cedar Point (and Kings Island) to that collection in a couple of months!

 

Why didn't I think of that

[KJ7500]

Since people are posting about souvenirs here's a great Cedar Point souvenir from this awesome gift shop called the abandoned building next door. (I live in Detroit.) I've included before and after shots for you. I especially like that it has the old log flume they removed to build Raptor.

[cparkes92]

Park Plaza is the main gift shop. Next to the midway carousel. The other decent one is the pagoda gift shop which is across the midway from Valravns first inversion.

 

I thought pagoda gift shop was the main gift shop at the park?

 

 

And if you take US 2 to Milan Road is pretty easy getting to the park as well from Cleveland.

 

I have heard that using the Milan Rd exit can be a nightmare around park opening because all of the hotels in the area, the traffic from the turnpike as well as Rt. 2 all merging onto Cleveland Rd (two lane). Plus they were doing a lot of construction on it last summer - although that could (or should) very well be finished by now.

 

If you are coming in later in the morning or afternoon, using that route shouldn't be an issue, but if trying to get in for early entry or around 10, I would highly recommend the Rye Beach Rd. exit off of Rt. 2.

For anyone going to the Point from the west and staying on site or day tripping, I'd recommend taking the OH 4 exit off the Turnpike or OH 2 and then using Monroe St and 1st St (once into downtown Sandusky). You pick up the Causeway just south of the bridge and you also avoid US 6 (and US 250) completely. Bonus: OH 4 takes you right past Sandusky High School, home of the Blue Streaks!

[storms555]

Jumping in on the souvenir thing, I like to get keychains from each park I go to, and my friends and I give each other keychains from where we've all been, so my key ring is getting kinda crowded...

 

Lol. I dont even keep my keychains on a key ring. I keep them all in plastic drawers. However I kept the keychains they I get from trips I go separate from the rest and keep those in the drawers of my night stand. As for the plastic drawers it's keychains I got from stores,got on holidays or for my birthday,keychains people gave me etc. There is so many though that the frame of the storage drawers is bent badly.....lol

[dreynolds1982]

For anyone going to the Point from the west and staying on site or day tripping, I'd recommend taking the OH 4 exit off the Turnpike or OH 2 and then using Monroe St and 1st St (once into downtown Sandusky). You pick up the Causeway just south of the bridge and you also avoid US 6 (and US 250) completely. Bonus: OH 4 takes you right past Sandusky High School, home of the Blue Streaks!

I will be driving to my hotel (likely Breakers) from Cleveland on the Saturday I fly in, then hitting the parks the next 2 days, so shouldn't have to deal with park traffic or any kind of rush hour traffic around Cleveland, so I'll take a look at this and other routes. Mostly because I'm lazy and cheap, likely what I'll end up doing is just using Waze and checking the "no tolls" option and seeing where it takes me, but good to have advice from people who've actually driven these routes too. Thanks everyone!

[anonymouscactus]

I didn't know giving driving instructions was still a thing. For those that are unaware, Google Maps can tell you instantly, based on traffic and other factors, what route to take. Granted it doesn't take scenery into account, but who needs that when you're going to Cedar Point.

 

Just found it weird, lol. Oh, and take 2 to rye beach

 

Edit: I was kidding/being a prick when I was mentioning the existence of Google Maps. Smiley faces didn't cut it. Carry-on.

Edited March 6, 2017 by anonymouscactus

[CoasterLine]

Just because Google Maps gives you one set of directions (actually many for the most part) it doesn't account for a lot of factors. I see no problem or "weirdness" for asking people which route is the best to go. I know for a fact that in the past, the given directions from my location to Cedar Point is not the most efficient. While it says it's the fastest route, it definitely is not, by almost 20-30 minutes for the most part.

 

I tend to always go Rt 2 / Rye Beach Rd. / Rt 6. Nearly always the fastest route coming in from the East.

[SbSteveZ]

Though I am a huge T-Shirt guy (I own almost 300 as of last week ) You can't go wrong with a couple keychains! I like the new ones the park had this year where each coaster had a keychain! I only got the two I felt were most important for 2016:

[dreynolds1982]

I didn't know giving driving instructions was still a thing. For those that are unaware, Google Maps can tell you instantly, based on traffic and other factors, what route to take. Granted it doesn't take scenery into account, but who needs that when you're going to Cedar Point.

 

Just found it weird, lol. Oh, and take 2 to rye beach

I use Waze and, to a lesser extent, Google Maps (mostly bc it integrates with my car's Android Auto setup) all the time. Waze is typically the best and most up-to-date since it uses social components to determine routes, plus the "Police Spotted Up Ahead" feature is clutch when driving on the interstate.

 

However, when I'm somewhere I've never been before, particularly near larger cities, I always like to check with locals and people that know because just because a route is the shortest according to Waze or Google Maps doesn't mean it is the best. Last time I was in Boston, my Google Maps took me all over the place leaving the airport, because it wasn't accounting for recent (as in that day or week) road closures due to construction. I ended up across the river in the sketchy shipping district at like 11:30 at night and eventually just called the hotel and asked how to get there ha.

 

Same thing as going on Trip Advisor or Yelp looking for the best restaurants in the area. It's a good start, but I still find that asking locals (like the hotel front desk person) is the best way to go. Locals almost always know best!

[prozach626]

Wait... So you're saying the internet doesn't always know best? Weird.

[coasterlvr]

I didn't know giving driving instructions was still a thing. For those that are unaware, Google Maps can tell you instantly, based on traffic and other factors, what route to take. Granted it doesn't take scenery into account, but who needs that when you're going to Cedar Point.

 

Just found it weird, lol. Oh, and take 2 to rye beach

I use Waze and, to a lesser extent, Google Maps (mostly bc it integrates with my car's Android Auto setup) all the time. Waze is typically the best and most up-to-date since it uses social components to determine routes, plus the "Police Spotted Up Ahead" feature is clutch when driving on the interstate.

 

However, when I'm somewhere I've never been before, particularly near larger cities, I always like to check with locals and people that know because just because a route is the shortest according to Waze or Google Maps doesn't mean it is the best. Last time I was in Boston, my Google Maps took me all over the place leaving the airport, because it wasn't accounting for recent (as in that day or week) road closures due to construction. I ended up across the river in the sketchy shipping district at like 11:30 at night and eventually just called the hotel and asked how to get there ha.

 

Same thing as going on Trip Advisor or Yelp looking for the best restaurants in the area. It's a good start, but I still find that asking locals (like the hotel front desk person) is the best way to go. Locals almost always know best!

 

if i can, which is easy, for a coaster trip, i always check the routes beforehand. i don't use waze anymore. waze in Los Angeles will put you in some real bad parts of town to save 30 seconds. for the most part though, i use google maps, and sometimes apple maps.

 

as far as souvenirs, i like pins and keychains mostly cause they are small. i'm a picky t-shirt guy, fit and what's on it. i do like the polo shirts cedar fair has for some of their new coasters. i've got a banshee and gatekeeper. if fury325 is on sale like i've seen in a video when i get there, i'll have that too.

[storms555]

I would post my CP keychains here however I already posted pics of them in some thread about amusement park suvaneers a while back. Also they are mixed in with other keychains i got from other places. I go got a Top Thrill keychain with my name on it and in the back is one of those "moving" pictures with the TTD logo and the coaster itself. I also got a basic M-Force keychain with a pic of M-Force and very small info about it.

[Philrad71]

Park Plaza is the main gift shop. Next to the midway carousel. The other decent one is the pagoda gift shop which is across the midway from Valravns first inversion.

 

I thought pagoda gift shop was the main gift shop at the park?

 

 

And if you take US 2 to Milan Road is pretty easy getting to the park as well from Cleveland.

 

I have heard that using the Milan Rd exit can be a nightmare around park opening because all of the hotels in the area, the traffic from the turnpike as well as Rt. 2 all merging onto Cleveland Rd (two lane). Plus they were doing a lot of construction on it last summer - although that could (or should) very well be finished by now.

 

If you are coming in later in the morning or afternoon, using that route shouldn't be an issue, but if trying to get in for early entry or around 10, I would highly recommend the Rye Beach Rd. exit off of Rt. 2.

For anyone going to the Point from the west and staying on site or day tripping, I'd recommend taking the OH 4 exit off the Turnpike or OH 2 and then using Monroe St and 1st St (once into downtown Sandusky). You pick up the Causeway just south of the bridge and you also avoid US 6 (and US 250) completely. Bonus: OH 4 takes you right past Sandusky High School, home of the Blue Streaks!

 

And right in front of Sandusky High School & the Blue Streaks...Berardi's!!!

Great breakfast!

Om, nom, nom!

[coasterkyle]

^Fun fact since the remodel the bar in the back was made out of some old park benches

[storms555]

Although we didnt eat there when we went that picture looks oddly familiar! How weird. I thought Sandusky was a neat and unique town when I went so maybe thats why even simple things stick out to me. For some reason it reminded me of a casual Florida town but of course without the palm trees. Im pretty sure places like Put-in-Bay would remind me even more of a Florida town. However I never been there but I seen photos and videos of the Islands.

[Coaster19]

It is interesting to me to see what people get at the parks. I love to get tshirts and pins. But my guilt pleasure is stickers. I love collecting these things. Don't know why.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[prozach626]

I thought Sandusky was a neat and unique town when I went so maybe thats why even simple things stick out to me. For some reason it reminded me of a casual Florida town but of course without the palm trees. Im pretty sure places like Put-in-Bay would remind me even more of a Florida town.

 

Haha. Yeah, for sure it reminded me of a Florida town. Not the kind of casual Florida town you'd like to go to, like Santa Rosa Island, or St. Petersburg Beach, but more like the run down portion of Panama City Beach. You know, the kind where you see crack hookers 'casually' walking the streets. Or the 'casual' dope deal I witnessed in Thirsty Pony's parking lot. Or the row of 'casual' heroin den looking hotels. No palm trees, though.

[Snovi]

Haha. Yeah, for sure it reminded me of a Florida town. Not the kind of casual Florida town you'd like to go to, like Santa Rosa Island, or St. Petersburg Beach, but more like the run down portion of Panama City Beach. You know, the kind where you see crack hookers 'casually' walking the streets. Or the 'casual' dope deal I witnessed in Thirsty Pony's parking lot. Or the row of 'casual' heroin den looking hotels. No palm trees, though.

[bluestreak]

I thought Sandusky was a neat and unique town when I went so maybe thats why even simple things stick out to me. For some reason it reminded me of a casual Florida town but of course without the palm trees. Im pretty sure places like Put-in-Bay would remind me even more of a Florida town.

 

Haha. Yeah, for sure it reminded me of a Florida town. Not the kind of casual Florida town you'd like to go to, like Santa Rosa Island, or St. Petersburg Beach, but more like the run down portion of Panama City Beach. You know, the kind where you see crack hookers 'casually' walking the streets. Or the 'casual' dope deal I witnessed in Thirsty Pony's parking lot. Or the row of 'casual' heroin den looking hotels. No palm trees, though.

 

Wait did you actually see a deal go down in thirsty ponys parking lot? Yikes.

[thepoint4life23]

Way off topic but heroin is a big issue right now in Ohio!

[boldikus]

Way off topic but heroin is an epidemic right now all over the U.S.!

 

Fixed.

[AstrumSpark]

So is the new RipCord going on the former Shoot the Rapids spot?

[michaellynn4]

Way off topic but heroin is an epidemic right now all over the U.S.!

 

Fixed.

 

[storms555]

I dont know...I only been there once and I dont remember it really being a rough town...then again I live in Chicago so that probably explains a little why I didnt think it was that bad of an area lol. It wasnt amazing either,no,but still wasnt "ghetto" either. I just think I liked the area because it looks some what unique and reminded me kind of a Florida town.

[BigDipper 80]

Sandusky's what you'd call a "town with potential" - they've got the location, they've got a good sized core with some neat historic buildings and homes, and they have the potential to be a way bigger tourist magnet than they are, but so many of these small Ohio towns just really fail to capitalize on their natural gifts to lift them into a true national tourist destination unto themselves. That said, downtown has been making a pretty nice comeback recently, and it might be worth checking out while you're in town and supporting a local restaurant or business!