Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[CP_RULES]

Pro tip: We would prefer to see the best of each view instead of every picture you took, that was exhausting to get through! Looked beautiful though!

[ytterbiumanalyst]

22 hours ago, prozach626 said:

 

"Murderous steel"

wow.

That's an excellent band name.

[bert425]

I shall call this still life:
 

"people shitting on plastic toilets on the beach"

 

 

It can be the title of the debut album by Murderous Steel.

[DILinator]

11 hours ago, NegativeGLover said:

So I haven't been to CP in 6-7 years and thought about making a weekday trip next week for the heck of it.  I know schools have been back in session this week and will be next week as well, so I was curious about crowd levels and operations this last week.   I've looked at the webcams and the lot looks less than half full, which seems promising.  Mainly though - how have operations been?  I cant imagine they have a plethora of workers right now.  Just looking for some insight.

I have been delinquent in posting about my trip to CP last week with my 4 kids, so in response to this is as good a time as any!

We were there at the park on Thursday, the 19th, in celebration of my Birthday that day! I hadn't actually been to CP since mid-2018, for a variety of reasons, but prior to that, I'd been every years for decades, often multiple times. So this was a long overdue return.

At any rate, as it pertains to your questions NegativeGLover, the operations at the park seemed pretty good, for the most part, and as Mike240SX mentioned, the only main rides down were TTD and maXair. When it comes to the crowds, at least on that day, the claims of not being able to have a good day at the park without Fast Lane proved very untrue that day, as it was not very crowded at all, with the only real wait of the day on Steel Vengeance during our first ride at park's opening to the public, and even that was less than 45 minutes. My kids waited about 30-45 for Valravn as well (I didn't ride, as I was with my youngest who is too short for the B&Ms still), but that was the only other wait over about 25 minutes. Most rides were walk-ons or station waits. The three older kids actually went to SV for their final ride of the night, and instead of getting only 1 ride, they got 3, back to back to back, as the wait was only on the stairs each time. 3 NEAR WALK ONS OF STEEL VENGEANCE IN A ROW! Amazing! So yeah, I'd definitely say, at least based on that Thursday visit last week (which was when Michigan schools were still out, which seemed to be most of the people there), crowds are way down from their insufferable Summer levels.

Getting back to my mini-TR, it was an absolutely awesome day at Cedar Point, and a great time as a family was had by all!  It also reinforced what I've stated repeatedly over the years about the best way to visit CP being smart about WHEN you go, vs. going in the Summer, and wasting (in my opinion) two or three times the gate price on skip-the-line passes. Sure, some people have no other option about when they go, and what they do with their hard earned money is their business. But as I've maintained for decades, if you're willing to be flexible about when you go to CP, and can go when schools are either still in session or have started up again, you're going to have a much better time at the park, AND your pocketbook will thank you as well! We hardly spent anything at the park last Thursday (other than a fabulous meal our first time at the wonderful new BackBeat Que restaurant! A great addition!), and had what we all felt like was arguably our best day ever (cue groans) at Cedar Point!

I have a lot of negative things to say about Cedar Fair as a company, and am one of their sharpest critics, but there were definitely a lot of positives to take away from the visit, and given what I'd heard over the past couple of years since I'd been, I was expecting a bad day at the park, and it was anything but that. Their absurdly awful policy of not letting kids who are too short to ride, wait in line with their parents and walk through at the station makes the mentally ill patients I work with daily look sane, and they are woefully out of sync on that issue with literally every other park I've been to over the past couple of years that isn't a Cedar Fair park. However, unlike Michigan's Adventure, which appalled me with a laundry list of negatives when I finally returned there this year as well, that was pretty much the only negative from the day. It exceeded expectations, and left my kids and myself very satisfied!

One last exciting thing from the trip I wanted to share, was that I went in fully expecting not to be able to get a final ride (at least at CP) on Wicked Twister, which has always been one of my favorite underrated coasters there. I was unable to fit on the coaster back in 2018, the first time I'd ever been "Walk of Shamed" on a coaster, and tried the test seat on Possessed earlier this year, and didn't fit, so I figured even with my recent healthy lifestyle change, weight loss, and inches lost around the belly, it would be a no-go. I tried the test seat out for the heck of it though, and fit! I then made it on the coaster itself, in a glorious final comeback, and it was awesome, and so satisfying to be able to ride it again! So, all the work and the foods I love that I've given up for the past couple months paid off, and it was a very exciting and rewarding moment! Just know that if you saw me at Holiwood Nights, and you saw me at a park now, you would definitely see a different me, and one who is in a lot better shape, and will make his Dr. happy next month when checking in! It was actually that weekend (including KK) that was the final straw in showing me I needed to get serious about getting healthier, and losing weight, or I was going to ruin my enjoyment of parks, and also continue ruining my body. Thanks as well to those who have encouraged me in my weight loss from this site - you know who you are! 

[CoasterNerd87]

7 hours ago, DILinator said:

Their absurdly awful policy of not letting kids who are too short to ride, wait in line with their parents and walk through at the station makes the mentally ill patients I work with daily look sane, and they are woefully out of sync on that issue with literally every other park I've been to over the past couple of years that isn't a Cedar Fair park.

While I'm sure your intentions are for the best, think about how many times people have tried to get under height people on the rides? Is it an inconvenience? Yes, but it speeds operations up because you aren't height checking everyone loading a train.

[Pedrinho]

 

34 minutes ago, CoasterNerd87 said:

While I'm sure your intentions are for the best, think about how many times people have tried to get under height people on the rides? Is it an inconvenience? Yes, but it speeds operations up because you aren't height checking everyone loading a train.

You can do the same height check directly before going into the station so everybody knows who is going to ride and who will wait for the others. Europa-Park does it like this. I don't see how train loading/unloading operations could be affected by the placement of the height chech. If somebody is in a one hour line with someone under minimum size its their problem.

As a dad of two undersized kids I fully understand what @DILinator means.

[DILinator]

6 hours ago, CoasterNerd87 said:

While I'm sure your intentions are for the best, think about how many times people have tried to get under height people on the rides? Is it an inconvenience? Yes, but it speeds operations up because you aren't height checking everyone loading a train.

Like I said, every other park, and park chain I've been to with my little guy has no issue with it, and it doesn't slow anything down. It's just one of those maddening policies that CF has, that frankly, in my opinion, doesn't really have any merit behind it. I think I've seen others mention it here as well (maybe even Shark Tums?), but they aren't really the most "family friendly"chain when it comes to smaller kids, especially when you look at the amount of coasters with higher height restrictions. It'll be a moot point in about a year, but it sure was annoying going to CF parks this year, and last.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

You are spot on, DILinator. Even out here in Missouri, Worlds of Fun is far stricter than Six Flags about their height policies (although SDC beats them both). I remember one time when my son was 46" exactly going up to Fury of the Nile. The employee at the beginning of the queue said he was good, so we waited like 30-40 minutes or so, then when we got all the way up to the front, the ride op decided he was under 46" and that was that. I felt like one of "those parents" insisting that the other employee height checked my kid before we got in line, but it was the honest truth! Ultimately they didn't buy that, and I don't blame them, they didn't have a system set up for the two employees to communicate with each other so they couldn't take my word for it. We just went back the next year and he was inarguably tall enough. Also frustrating is the fact that both SFStL and SDC's rapids rides had a 36" height minimum on basically the same ride (this was a few years ago so it was still Lost River of the Ozarks, not Mystic River Falls).

[DILinator]

The other frustrating thing for my youngest (who is 7), is that he's least fearful of all my kids about rides! He's actually the one who caused my older two sons to ride Zumanjaro earlier this year, as they were too scared to ride, but after my youngest was going to with me and my daughter, they felt they had to not to look shown up! lol He wanted to ride Kingda Ka, and rode Millennium Force, and wants to ride everything he can, but is held back by random height policies. For instance, he can ride Goliath at SF, but not Steel Vengeance at CP. I get that SV is a lot bigger and more intense than Goliath, but when almost every other RMC (including Twisted Timbers) is 48", it's strange to think 4" will make a difference on SV.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Yeah, if it's a safety thing, you'd think that identical trains would have an identical height requirement. Cedar Fair just puts theirs way higher than other parks and I don't know why. So as long as they do that, their parks are just not going to be as great for families with younger children. 

[Haymaker]

2 hours ago, ytterbiumanalyst said:

Yeah, if it's a safety thing, you'd think that identical trains would have an identical height requirement. Cedar Fair just puts theirs way higher than other parks and I don't know why. So as long as they do that, their parks are just not going to be as great for families with younger children. 

Not always. My kids were able to ride 310ft high, 90mph Millenium Force at 48 inches before they could ride 208ft, 70mph Ride of Steel. Both Intamins at two different chain parks. 

[Pedrinho]

4 hours ago, Haymaker said:

Not always. My kids were able to ride 310ft high, 90mph Millenium Force at 48 inches before they could ride 208ft, 70mph Ride of Steel. Both Intamins at two different chain parks. 

That's right. Our kids could ride some flats and one coaster at CP while they aren't allowed on identical rides in Germany.

Same goes for Universal. There are a lot of flats they could ride right now, but aren't allowed at our home park for several years.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

5 hours ago, Haymaker said:

Not always. My kids were able to ride 310ft high, 90mph Millenium Force at 48 inches before they could ride 208ft, 70mph Ride of Steel. Both Intamins at two different chain parks. 

Interesting. I haven't been on Ride of Steel, but the trains do look a lot like MF's in the photos. 54" for it, hmm? Interesting. 

[prozach626]

On 8/27/2021 at 6:08 PM, CP_RULES said:

Pro tip: We would prefer to see the best of each view instead of every picture you took, that was exhausting to get through! Looked beautiful though!

Who's "we?" Maybe next time he won't do a TR at all, since you referred to it as exhausting to get through.

[KarlaKoaster]

I guess height limits are not only based on manufacturer specifications (ie, the height range for which their restraints are designed for) but by the state or country that approves the ride for operation (some will be stricter than others) and also the park itself taking into account how extreme the layout is. Some parks and countries will be stricter than others.

[AmyUD06]

On 8/27/2021 at 8:08 PM, CP_RULES said:

Pro tip: We would prefer to see the best of each view instead of every picture you took, that was exhausting to get through! Looked beautiful though!

I didn't realize how similar some of the Windseeker and Ferris Wheel pictures were; I'll edit them down.  Sorry that you had to scroll through 5 "duplicates" at most.  When you're putting up a ton of pics you don't really pay attention.

If you notice in the Valravn pictures, they're actually all kinda different, following the train through the course.

@prozach626Thanks for the backup brother.

[DILinator]

I'm glad I didn't put up any of my pictures of my trip to CP! I'd hate to offend anybody's delicate sensibilities of how they should look!

[Pedrinho]

1 hour ago, KarlaKoaster said:

I guess height limits are not only based on manufacturer specifications (ie, the height range for which their restraints are designed for) but by the state or country that approves the ride for operation (some will be stricter than others) and also the park itself taking into account how extreme the layout is. Some parks and countries will be stricter than others.

Of course we know why these restrictions are in place. But as @SharkTums said once: Try to explain a three year old why he is not allowed to ride a ride at Heide Park or Tripsdrill when he is allowed the very same ride at his home park and he knews for sure it's the same ride.
It's perfectly okay why these things are as they are. Every park is allowed to have its ground rules. But sometimes it's not logical. And if Sue-Happy-Merica is less strict than my average german park, it's even getting a bit funny.

[Pedrinho]

On 8/28/2021 at 2:08 AM, CP_RULES said:

Pro tip: We would prefer to see the best of each view instead of every picture you took, that was exhausting to get through! Looked beautiful though!

Pro tip: Please make sure that you and the others are not reading my upcoming Phantasialand trip report. I really don't want to cause any exhaustment on anyones side because of photos I took.

I for myself liked @Mike240SXs complete post as I am not able to go to CP in the forseeable time and I didn't mind to see some photos that are similar to each other.

[Haymaker]

3 hours ago, ytterbiumanalyst said:

Interesting. I haven't been on Ride of Steel, but the trains do look a lot like MF's in the photos. 54" for it, hmm? Interesting. 

They are identical. ROS's train might be newer but thats it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

27 minutes ago, Haymaker said:

They are identical. ROS's train might be newer but thats it.

Good to know, sounds fun. I've had an idea for a Carowinds/Kings Dominion/Busch Gardens/SF America/Ocean City Maryland trip, whenever that becomes possible again. Charlotte is one of the few places I can get a direct flight.

[Garet]

17 hours ago, Pedrinho said:

That's right. Our kids could ride some flats and one coaster at CP while they aren't allowed on identical rides in Germany.

Same goes for Universal. There are a lot of flats they could ride right now, but aren't allowed at our home park for several years.

Yep, my introduction to big rides was on a trip to Florida. Some height differences aren't much between Europe and America, I think a lot worked out around 3cm difference but that's a lot to a kid.

I know people talk about states requirements and manufacturer requirements etc but at least in the case of us international traveler for Europe being higher I think it's the Metric system. Montu for example is 54inches = 137cm. European parks use centimetres but nearly always round it up to the nearest 10cm eg. 110cm requirement, 140cm requirement etc. I got turned away for riding Ripsaw, a Huss Top spin at Alton Towers, (at 140cm) being just under the line but could ride Montu, on a family vacation I think 2 weeks later.

3-5cm isn't a big difference to us adults but to a child just hitting the lines, it makes all the difference.

[cfc]

I just cleaned up some of this thread. Good people of TPR, let's restrict ourselves to discussing Cedar Point--cut out the personal attacks. If you have a  personal beef with someone, take it to private messages.

Theme parks are supposed to be about fun, remember?

Thank you.

[Pedrinho]

12 hours ago, Garet said:

Yep, my introduction to big rides was on a trip to Florida. Some height differences aren't much between Europe and America, I think a lot worked out around 3cm difference but that's a lot to a kid.

I know people talk about states requirements and manufacturer requirements etc but at least in the case of us international traveler for Europe being higher I think it's the Metric system. Montu for example is 54inches = 137cm. European parks use centimetres but nearly always round it up to the nearest 10cm eg. 110cm requirement, 140cm requirement etc. I got turned away for riding Ripsaw, a Huss Top spin at Alton Towers, (at 140cm) being just under the line but could ride Montu, on a family vacation I think 2 weeks later.

3-5cm isn't a big difference to us adults but to a child just hitting the lines, it makes all the difference.

In our most curious recent appearance of this problem it was no height restriction (Flip at Holiday-Park) to 90 cm (Dino at Heide-Park). But yes, it seems that European park round up. Paul could really have a good time at Cedar Point right now. 

[Haymaker]

1 hour ago, Pedrinho said:

In our most curious recent appearance of this problem it was no height restriction (Flip at Holiday-Park) to 90 cm (Dino at Heide-Park). But yes, it seems that European park round up. Paul could really have a good time at Cedar Point right now. 

How about 48 inches on Primeval Whirl (RIP) at AK? Never understood that one