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Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

p. 2030 - Top Thrill 2 announced!

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Off Point parking. Not saying, but just saying. It should happen.

Then they have to pay for shuttles running all day.

 

I'm sure they can make up that money VERY quickly if they built another hotel on the old parking lot, along with any park expansion.

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If you ain't in a hurry, hang out and wait a while....or stay on site and you don't have to deal with it.

 

Exactly, if I don't have a long drive ahead of me and I'm staying near the park I always get in line for my favorite ride right before park closing. With crowds like that if you got in line for one of the more popular rides near closing by the time you get on the ride and exit the park you'll have much less of a problem getting out.

 

I don't want to sound insensitive to the people who did have long drives ahead of them but I can't feel too bad for them because if you go to Halloweekends on a Saturday you should be prepared for huge crowds. Sure this was worse than anticipated but it's not like the major traffic jam should have come as a shock to anyone.

 

Cedar Point needs to look into this and try to work on the problem, but the people in that video were being really over dramatic. They acted like the thought of being stuck in traffic with dead cell phones for a few hours was the equivalent of being stranded on a deserted island with no food, water or shelter. It's not the park's fault you didn't think to buy a USB plug for your car at the dollar store so you could charge the phone so you didn't have to deal with the horrors of actually having a conversation with your friend in the passengers seat.

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It's not the park's fault you didn't think to buy a USB plug for your car at the dollar store so you could charge the phone so you didn't have to deal with the horrors of actually having a conversation with your friend in the passengers seat.

 

Oh the humanity.......

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Off point parking, tear down Breakers express, use that plot of land for your off point parking structure, put in place a way to get guests to and from the park (Either bus, monorail, or go back to old school park roots and ferry them, or all three) Replace your lost hotel rooms with a new Hotel on point ect...

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It's not the park's fault you didn't think to buy a USB plug for your car at the dollar store so you could charge the phone so you didn't have to deal with the horrors of actually having a conversation with your friend in the passengers seat.

 

Oh the humanity.......

I'm sure it was the worst thing that's ever happened to them too...

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Off point parking, tear down Breakers express, use that plot of land for your off point parking structure, put in place a way to get guests to and from the park (Either bus, monorail, or go back to old school park roots and ferry them, or all three) Replace your lost hotel rooms with a new Hotel on point ect...

 

That's a great idea, but also would require a couple hundred million dollars. If that happens, it will most likely be a 5-10 year process.

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It's only a few days a year that the lot overflows like this, so why don't the people try to not go on a Saturday during HH close to the end of the season, and plan ahead on their trip? If you don't want to have that happen to you, then think about it first. Or just suck it and bear the traffic for a few hours, it won't kill you.

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Off point parking, tear down Breakers express, use that plot of land for your off point parking structure, put in place a way to get guests to and from the park (Either bus, monorail, or go back to old school park roots and ferry them, or all three) Replace your lost hotel rooms with a new Hotel on point ect...

 

You wouldn't even have to tear down Breakers Express. The park owns quite a bit of property off point from up near the entrance to the causeway to down south of Castaway Bay. Even just recently as in last year, they purchased a large parcel of land near Castaway Bay. There has always been myths in the Cedar Point fan circles (or at least there was back many years ago thanks to an article in the local newspaper that quoted someone at the park about buying land) that the park owns a large number of land parcels going as far south as Route 2. The Sandusky Airport, which is a large amount of land near the park, has always been a the rumored spot for more expansion or potential site to move Camper Villages (save for Lighthouse Point) off property.

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Tell me about the food at Cedar Point inside the park gates. I've been there many times, but I'm asking in case there are good places there that I have not tried yet.

 

This weekend my wife, my one-year-old son, and I will be visiting family in Southeast Michigan and we will be going to the park during that time. It will be my son's first visit, so it will be interesting having the new "Cedar Point as a parent" experience.

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Tell me about the food at Cedar Point inside the park gates. I've been there many times, but I'm asking in case there are good places there that I have not tried yet.

 

Pretty much all of their food is medicore unless it comes from an outside vendor. Fortunately there are enough outside vendors that you can get some good food without leaving the park and going to TGI Fridays or Famous Daves (though I'd still suggest doing so).

 

If you want great park food at Cedar Point go to TGI Fridays and get the Jack Daniels burger. It's quite possibly the best burger I've ever eaten in my life. If you insist on eating in the park I suggest Chick Fil A by Maverick or Panda Express which is "appropriately" located on Frontier Trail. Keep in mind that Chick Fil A is (of course) closed on Sundays... even at Cedar Point.

 

Oh, and avoid Midway Market at all costs. We didn't realize what it was when we sat down but it backs up to the picnic area and I'm 99% sure they make the food for the picnic area in Midway Market and take it out the back door and just make a little extra, give it a decent presentation and overcharge people for the buffet in the park. It's brilliant, but the food sucks. I know you would think that at a buffet you'd be able to find something good since you have so much to choose from but no... there's nothing good. That place is crap.

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Earlier this summer, I spent 3 days at Cedar Point, and I believe the only food I had that was actually in the park was ice cream or froyo. For dinners I had Famous Daves, Bay Harbor, and Fridays. All were decent. We actually ended up having multiple lunches at the Cedar Point owned DQ next to Breakers Express. I think it's the best DQ I have ever been to. It's the standard DQ menu, but the food was actually pretty good. I have been to a few DQs since then, all have reminded me why I don't normally eat there. Also, The Thirsty Pony has pretty good bar food.

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Hi guys. Can anyone give me advice on what to expect in terms of accessibility? A friend and I were planning to go to the park this weekend but he broke his foot last week and is now in a lower-leg cast. He can theoretically ride anything where his feet are in the car, but he can't walk around the park. I know you can rent wheelchairs, but can you use these to go through the lines? Thanks!

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If he is renting a wheelchair because he physically needs it, I'm pretty sure you can get an Alternate Access booklet from Guest Services. Using Alternate Access means you are given the estimated wait time by the Host at the ride entrance, and when your time comes you can use the elevators or wheelchair accessible ramps to board the ride. As an FYI I can guarantee you that all B&Ms (Raptor, Gatekeeper, and Mantis) do not permit casts or walking boots by manufacturer restriction. As for the other rides, I'm sure you can find that information on their website before paying admission.

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Just eat Toft's ice cream all day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

 

Yeah, that stuff is pretty good. Again, outside vendor, not CF food.

 

Pretty good? Curious what you rank higher. I think it is great considering the options or competition nearby.

 

If CF served great food like at Holiday World...I'm sure many would be ok with the markup and skip outside vendors...or rank food options on surveys higher even if they were to boycott food at CP hahaha

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I just got back from my trip last weekend when I visited Cedar Point. The meatball sub at the Joe Cool Cafe was better than I expected and I highly recommend it. Also, despite the 40-degree whether and cold drizzle, I got my GateKeeper credit. Yay!

 

Oh, I almost forgot something I experienced that you might find interesting: GATEKEEPER CAN RUN EVEN WHEN IT'S RAINING. Either there is some sort of new tech B&M created that allows this, or Cedar Point felt that the guests would become an angry mob and burn the whole park down if their newest roller coaster was not running (Raptor and Blue Streak nearby were not running, but Wicked Twister was running).

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http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/cedar-point/4814031

 

John Hildebrandt is used to being stopped as he walks down the Midway. He’s been the face of Cedar Point for decades.

This weekend, however, is different. Hildebrandt will take his last walk down the Midway as general manager of the park, where he first started working as a ride operator in 1969.

 

Hildebrandt has spent four decades at Cedar Point; the last eight as general manager of Cedar Fair’s flagship park.

 

His retirement officially begins after the end of the year, but his last season ends this weekend.

 

“What will you do?” Carsten Anderson, a coaster enthusiast and president of a Cedar Point fan site called CPRundown.com  , asked Hildebrandt when he saw the general manager walking the Midway.

 

Hildebrandt, who has an intense interest in history, particularly the American Civil War, told him he planned to continue writing.

 

Hildebrandt is part of the Erie County Civil War 150 group, which has been chronicling the historic role men and women from Erie County played in the war for an ongoing series in the Register coinciding with the 150 anniversary of the war.

 

Hildebrandt obliges when Anderson asks to take a quick photo with him.

 

“I do look forward to enjoying the park as a guest next summer. I have two grandchildren counting on it,” he said.

 

Hildebrandt wore a goofy park uniform similar to a Star Trek costume the summer of 1969 for his first assignment at the park. He worked as a ride operator at “Frontier Lift,” the old sky bucket attraction that took park guests from the west end of the Midway to what was then still a new attraction at Cedar Point, Frontier Town.

 

But his career with with the park more precisely began in 1974, when he answered an ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer for a staff writer in CP’s public relations department. It was a far cry from what the west side Cleveland native thought he would do when he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from Notre Dame and a master’s degree in teaching in North Carolina.

 

“I thought I would do that for a year,” Hildebrandt said.

 

He worked his way up through the corporate ranks, however, and never looked back. He was promoted to communications manager, marketing manager, director of marketing and then vice president of marketing from 1993 to 2004.

 

Hildebrandt spent a yearlong stint as a manager of Dorney Park in Pennsylvania before plunging into his final role — vice president and general manager of Cedar Point.

 

Looking back, the best part of the job has been the interaction with guests and employees, he said, walking the Midway and talking to people.

 

“Going to Cedar Point is a big deal for our guests. They are here with their families and good friends. It’s emotional; they are making memories they will treasure for a long time,” he said. “It’s important to show them a good time, to make it the best day of their summer. All of us who work here help make that happen and it is very, very satisfying.”

 

Marketing and media relations was Hildebrandt’s focus for about two-thirds of the years he spent with the company. Those were prosperous years when the park expanded past anyone’s expectations. Cedar Fair acquired 11 amusement parks, three outdoor water parks, one indoor water park and five hotels.

 

It also invented the bigger, better, faster, taller approach to roller coasters and marketing that established Cedar Point as the premiere thrill-ride destination.

 

“I was fortunate to be here in time of tremendous growth, not just for the park but for the company. When we started, it was just Cedar Point. We are a billion- dollar enterprise now,” Hildebrandt said.

 

The success of Cedar Fair and its parks, according to Hildebrandt, comes from the company’s ability to balance thrill rides and family offerings so there is something for everyone.

 

“This is a delicate sweet spot to get to,” Hildebrandt said.

 

He is excited about Cedar Fair’s future under new chief executive officer Matt Ouimet as well as Cedar Point under new general manager Jason McClure.

 

“It’s been a great ride,” he said, looking back on his time at Cedar Point.

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  • 2 weeks later...

https://www.cedarpoint.com/blog-article/online-fun/Ride-On-John

 

I thought this Point Cast was a very well put together farewell to John, We got to learn about his close ties with the park and a little about his personal life. I loved it!

 

Slightly off topic now....

Why doesn't the marketplace have the Gatekeeper statix models? they were there waaay back in may but then vanished some time during the season, Were they discontinued or something...?

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Oh, I almost forgot something I experienced that you might find interesting: GATEKEEPER CAN RUN EVEN WHEN IT'S RAINING. Either there is some sort of new tech B&M created that allows this, or Cedar Point felt that the guests would become an angry mob and burn the whole park down if their newest roller coaster was not running (Raptor and Blue Streak nearby were not running, but Wicked Twister was running).

 

After working on Gatekeeper this past September and October, I have figured out this touchy rain policy. The rain policy on GK is based on the number of trains operating. With three trains, GK cannot operate in much more than a tiny drizzle. If it looks like its going to be like that for a decent amount of time, they will reduce to two train operation. If the rain gets more steady like a typical rain shower, they can go down to one train and stay open. We actually did one train operation on a couple occasions just for the sake of keeping the ride open when practically nothing else was. With all that being said, sometimes CP will elect to just hold GK operations if they think the rain will only last a short period of time instead of transferring trains on and off constantly.

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