Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[anonymouscactus]

Actually I just looked and the free Fast Lane is only for those who renewed (and is still available on the website) not for new pass holders like others in the chain have done. So maybe the fast lane effect won't be so bad. Unless they offered it for new pass holders too but during a certain time frame only?

 

https://www.cedarpoint.com/tickets-passes/season-passes

[tndank]

My bad. I thought they had the free FL for that first weekend like the others on new purchases.

[WolfBobs]

^ Friday nights are usually great if you're only doing rides.

 

Friday nights have been getting a lot busier and aren't nearly as good as they were even 5 years ago. But, in general the crowds are more manageable. But even last season a few Friday evenings I went some of the Haunt lines hit 1.5-2 hours and the usual suspect rides hit 2-3 hour waits.

 

Don't go on a Friday especially with mild weather and expect it to be dead like in the past.

Edited September 10, 2019 by WolfBobs

[BitterOldHag]

Friday nights have been getting a lot busier and aren't nearly as good as they were even 5 years ago.

 

This. I used to love Friday nights during HalloWeekends as I could get on Millennium Force 3 times at night in a half hour time frame. It was great. These days, MF gets an hour wait even when the Haunts are open. Same for Valravn, Maverick and probably Steel Vengeance (didn't get to visit HW last season). I say get Fastlane+ on Fridays if you plan on going for rides. It's usually $85 ($65 with Platinum Pass discount) and will get you multiple night rides on all of the above coasters. Both Maverick and MF are especially awesome at night with the nearby scare zones pumping out fog.

 

I'm sure it has been mentioned before, but I also highly recommend the Midnight Syndicate Live show, which is in the Jack Aldrich Theater right near the park's main entrance. The Ohio-based duo are responsible for much of the music you hear at HalloWeekends and countless other Halloween events across the country. They put on a 25-minute show playing about 6 or 7 songs with some sort of backstory attached and usually a few jumpscares thrown in for good measure!

[MrE12AX7]

Fastlane is not in the plans at this time so I will just brave the lines. Hopefully TTD will actually be open this time as every time I have tried to go on it its been broken down as usual for TTD.

[DILinator]

Friday nights have been getting a lot busier and aren't nearly as good as they were even 5 years ago.

 

This. I used to love Friday nights during HalloWeekends as I could get on Millennium Force 3 times at night in a half hour time frame. It was great. These days, MF gets an hour wait even when the Haunts are open. Same for Valravn, Maverick and probably Steel Vengeance (didn't get to visit HW last season).

 

I had this same experience. I remember going to CP for a Friday night Halloweekends in the mid 2000's, and the park was dead. 8 total rides on MF, 6 or 7 of which (I don't recall exactly now!) came back to back, getting off of it and then on again right away! Those were the days! I just avoid the park entirely now during this time of year, especially since I feel like Haunt at KI is a lot better, with all of the great night ride coasters, and it's not nearly as busy, at least early in the season.

[PKI Jizzman]

I'm going to do a last minute trip to CP on the 20th and 21st since I haven't been to a park/on a coaster yet this year and have a group of friends who have been wanting to go for a long time. I'm embracing the madness. But I'm hopeful. I'm positive. FL+ will save the day!

[Philrad71]

^ Friday nights are usually great if you're only doing rides.

 

Friday nights have been getting a lot busier and aren't nearly as good as they were even 5 years ago. But, in general the crowds are more manageable. But even last season a few Friday evenings I went some of the Haunt lines hit 1.5-2 hours and the usual suspect rides hit 2-3 hour waits.

 

Don't go on a Friday especially with mild weather and expect it to be dead like in the past.

 

Must be that the secret got out. lol

 

I admit that it's been 4 years since I've been out there on a Friday, so thanks for clarifying.

 

I believe that they've also axed a few more rides that used to be open on Friday nights, right?

[WolfBobs]

^ Friday nights are usually great if you're only doing rides.

 

Friday nights have been getting a lot busier and aren't nearly as good as they were even 5 years ago. But, in general the crowds are more manageable. But even last season a few Friday evenings I went some of the Haunt lines hit 1.5-2 hours and the usual suspect rides hit 2-3 hour waits.

 

Don't go on a Friday especially with mild weather and expect it to be dead like in the past.

 

Must be that the secret got out. lol

 

I admit that it's been 4 years since I've been out there on a Friday, so thanks for clarifying.

 

I believe that they've also axed a few more rides that used to be open on Friday nights, right?

 

Yea, it seems like more rides are scheduled closures now. Also, I'm not saying definitely don't go on Fridays, just don't get there and be shocked if it's a lot busier then it used to be.

[coasterbill]

Top Thrill Dragster will be closed for staffing on Friday nights this year.

 

... wow

 

PS: Corkscrew, Gemini, Rougarou, Iron Dragon, Power Tower, Skyhawk, Wicked Twister, Windseeker and a bunch of non-thrill rides will also be closed per usual but seeing Dragster on that list is pretty unexpected.

[PKI Jizzman]

Frick. Well... hoping that might turn away some of the local crowd on Friday nights.

[coasterbill]

That really is insane. I understand that the ride breaks constantly and they don't want to pay a giant crew to stand around and sweep the ride platform when they have no staff but I can't believe they're closing their tallest and fastest coaster for staffing (but still opening their kiddy area until 10 pm during a scary haunt event that's not suitable for children).

 

Well... have fun with that.

Edited September 11, 2019 by coasterbill

[Coastard69]

More crowds, less rides available...Do the mazes help offset/disperse the heavier crowds at all?

[BitterOldHag]

That list seems so short when you first look at it, but it's a pretty significant chunk of rides. It's sad seeing Windseeker and Skyhawk on there as they both used to run on Friday's (as did Iron Dragon and Wicked Twister if memory serves me correctly). I understand that staffing is an issue this time of year, but as Bill mentioned, it seems odd that some of the park's big thrill rides are down on Friday nights yet the kiddie areas are open till 10 at an event geared towards an older age bracket.

 

At least Cedar Downs and the Cadillac Cars are still open. I can ride those all night!

[coneyislandchris]

If anything I'll just end up going on a Sunday anyway. Yes, they're not open as late, but when we went the last Sunday of September, the park was pretty much dead all day. We cashed in our free Fast Lane Plus wristbands from renewing but on everything except SV and MF they were completely unnecessary. Hoping we end up with the same sort of luck this year when/if we end up making the trip back out.

[prozach626]

 

This is the most creative advertisement for Kings Island's Haunt that I've seen yet.

[WolfBobs]

More crowds, less rides available...Do the mazes help offset/disperse the heavier crowds at all?

 

Not really. Rides like Raptor and Gatekeeper tend to have no lines (like always) in the evenings. But the Maverick, Steel Vengeance, Valravn don't really see a change.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

More crowds, less rides available...Do the mazes help offset/disperse the heavier crowds at all?

Yes and no. The Haunts get horribly long lines as do the rides, but I feel like the Haunt lines tend to move quicker and you don't have break down issues like rides. There's not really going to be anything walk-on until maybe later in the night, and that would more likely be the Haunts.

 

 

This is the most creative advertisement for Kings Island's Haunt that I've seen yet.

Love it.

[Coastard69]

I'm a little disappointed to hear that. I've only been to Halloweekends once, and it was unseasonably warm so it was insanely crowded. But it rained really hard later in the evening and that caused the ride lines (and maze lines) to be considerably shorter for the rest of the night. But only TTD was down, not a whole list of rides so that may have helped as well.

[Pedrinho]

Some unusual/weird shots of the webcams right now.

None of them showing Sky Ride.

Looking Raptor under the skirt

Down from Power Tower

[Dombot]

That Power Tower shot is actually really cool. Would be awesome to see the thing running from that angle.

[coasterbill]

None of them showing Sky Ride.

 

... well it's closed for the season for staffing so I guess there's not much to see.

[WolfBobs]

Sky Ride removal confirmed.

[Dombot]

None of them showing Sky Ride.

 

... well it's closed for the season for staffing so I guess there's not much to see.

Sky Ride removal confirmed.

Denial is the first stage of grief.

[Invertalon]

More crowds, less rides available...Do the mazes help offset/disperse the heavier crowds at all?

 

Nope. Not in my experience, especially the past few years as it's gotten more and more busy (on Friday's in particular which used to be very low crowds).

 

Not to mention the lines for the mazes are very, very slow moving. What should be a 5-10 minute wait end up being 45 minutes due to small groups, spiel to each and every group, etc...