Cedar Point (CP) Discussion Thread

[thrillrider]

We just stayed at the Motel 6 on rye beach road for $40 a night. Clean rooms, indoor pool and hot tub...very nice.

[Vigil]

Everyone see the featured article on Wikipedia's homepage today? I'm taking my friends next week, and I'm taking it as a sign.

[cwgator]

^^In case anyone missed it.

MF Featured on Wikipedia HP

[cal1br3tto]

Ha, this is at least the third place I've seen that mentioned today. All from TPR members, but still. Anyone remember when it was SheiKra?

[haydn12]

We'll be stating at the Maples motel in a few weeks. It was about $70 per night for a room that sleeps 6. Gets great reviews except it's close to train tracks!

 

Jim

[Philrad71]

We just stayed at the Motel 6 on rye beach road for $40 a night. Clean rooms, indoor pool and hot tub...very nice.

 

That is the same Motel 6 that we stayed at last year.

 

I agree that it was clean & cheap, but I am definitely not a fan of the new layout of the rooms with the laminated faux wood floors and putrid coloring & decorations of their rooms. Yes, it's a clean bed and a bathroom with a tv, but who in the heck was their interior design engineer? Good Lord...lime green with laminated wooden floors? Akkkk!!

 

Caveat: Hotel Breakers in it's current state is certainly nothing to write home about either (especially for the price) so I am definitely not trying to play the CP resort fanboy here. I just really dislike the new design of the Motel 6 hotel rooms.

[Kenny B]

I recommend staying on site. --------- Nothing like walking back to the room for a few midday drinks, or hanging out on the the beach to end the night. Not to mention being able to enter the park an hour early,and never having to leave the peninsula. There are many perks that negate the premium you'll be paying for the hotel room.

[greghill]

I have been to cedar point twice. Once I stayed at Breakers, The other, I stayed off the point. I firmly believe that staying on the point is worth the premium. It is very nice to be able to walk to and from the park. We would go back to the room for lunch everyday. It was a great chance to get out of the sun for a little while, and eat some food that is much less greasy than park food.

[Invertalon]

I may be in the minority here, but those motels near the park are beyond creepy. I am surprised a larger chain hotel has not been built (Hilton for example), likely due to the seasonal nature of the area. Breakers Express was nice though when we stayed overnight when working at the park.

 

I would never stay at any of the budget motels myself though... Yes, it is just a place to sleep... But I want it to be VERY clean and know there are standards being followed in terms of cleanliness. I would gladly pay more for that comfort.

 

Curious how Breakers will look after the renovations... We may have to check it out next year when it is complete on a weekend when we are there. I only live an hour away though, so staying over is never really required. But it could be nice on a weekend.

[Diamondbacker27]

I may be in the minority here, but those motels near the park are beyond creepy. I am surprised a larger chain hotel has not been built (Hilton for example), likely due to the seasonal nature of the area. Breakers Express was nice though when we stayed overnight when working at the park.

 

I would never stay at any of the budget motels myself though... Yes, it is just a place to sleep... But I want it to be VERY clean and know there are standards being followed in terms of cleanliness. I would gladly pay more for that comfort.

 

Curious how Breakers will look after the renovations... We may have to check it out next year when it is complete on a weekend when we are there. I only live an hour away though, so staying over is never really required. But it could be nice on a weekend.

A bunch of them are ghetto. I like the hotel that has the "Ghetto" painting of the CP Skyline on the side.

Or should I say, I like the painting. Not the hotel.

I'm not sure what the motel name was that we stayed in. But, it was the one right across the road from the big CP entrance sign. The lobby has a microwave, and you have to turn a dial to the certain time.

[coasterbill]

I may be in the minority here, but those motels near the park are beyond creepy. I am surprised a larger chain hotel has not been built (Hilton for example), likely due to the seasonal nature of the area. Breakers Express was nice though when we stayed overnight when working at the park.

 

I would never stay at any of the budget motels myself though... Yes, it is just a place to sleep... But I want it to be VERY clean and know there are standards being followed in terms of cleanliness. I would gladly pay more for that comfort.

 

Curious how Breakers will look after the renovations... We may have to check it out next year when it is complete on a weekend when we are there. I only live an hour away though, so staying over is never really required. But it could be nice on a weekend.

 

I think my opinion differs from a lot of people's but I prefer staying off point at a cheaper hotel.

 

Regarding your post, I guess it depends on your definition of a budget motel. Generally if I'm staying at a cheap hotel (which I do frequently) I only stay at a chain as I feel like they have some standards they need to meet (albeit minimal) to be able to remain part of the franchise. I also read reviews on multiple websites before booking a hotel as 2 hotels with the same name can differ greatly.

 

Generally my thought about hotels is that if I'm not going to be spending any time there, then I don't care about anything as long as the hotel is clean, quiet and safe. All I need is a place to sleep because I'm going to leave when I wake up and not get back until I'm ready to take a quick shower and immediately go to sleep. If I were going to the beach or something then I would want a much nicer hotel because I'll be spending a lot of time in the room.

 

I absolutely understand the benefits of staying at Cedar Point but for us it's not worth the cost. We'll be at the park from 9am to about 11pm on a standard day (assuming we get in line for something like Millennium Force right before closing like we always do), so the amenities offered by the Cedar Point hotels don't matter (unless you don't have a platinum pass and want the early entry). We won't be spending any time at the pool, the hot tub or looking at the lake because it's going to be dark. The only benefit is the location but I don't think a 20 minute drive will kill anyone.

 

Hotel rates vary greatly across the country and we found the area around Cedar Point to be ridiculously cheap. You can get a pretty decent hotel room for less than $50 per night. When we were there we stayed at the Super 8 near the Ohio Turnpike (yeah I know, but not all Super 8's are created equal, this one is pretty nice) on Labor Day weekend for 4 nights for less than $200 and it was great. We do pretty well, but we are on a fixed income... and with the money we saved on the hotel we could spend it on Fast Lane Plus instead. I'd consider that a much better use of the money.

[Hoppy]

$40 Maples Motel, minutes from CP is what I've always recommended. The only problem is the damn train...

 

Edit - Sure, the motel option is 1 bed/older amenities. Red Roof/Breakers Express have worked well depending again on your budget and how many folks are in your party.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Hoppy

[alilstronger]

I may be in the minority here, but those motels near the park are beyond creepy. I am surprised a larger chain hotel has not been built (Hilton for example), likely due to the seasonal nature of the area. Breakers Express was nice though when we stayed overnight when working at the park.

 

I would never stay at any of the budget motels myself though... Yes, it is just a place to sleep... But I want it to be VERY clean and know there are standards being followed in terms of cleanliness. I would gladly pay more for that comfort.

 

Curious how Breakers will look after the renovations... We may have to check it out next year when it is complete on a weekend when we are there. I only live an hour away though, so staying over is never really required. But it could be nice on a weekend.

 

I think my opinion differs from a lot of people's but I prefer staying off point at a cheaper hotel.

 

Regarding your post, I guess it depends on your definition of a budget motel. Generally if I'm staying at a cheap hotel (which I do frequently) I only stay at a chain as I feel like they have some standards they need to meet (albeit minimal) to be able to remain part of the franchise. I also read reviews on multiple websites before booking a hotel as 2 hotels with the same name can differ greatly.

 

Generally my thought about hotels is that if I'm not going to be spending any time there, then I don't care about anything as long as the hotel is clean, quiet and safe. All I need is a place to sleep because I'm going to leave when I wake up and not get back until I'm ready to take a quick shower and immediately go to sleep. If I were going to the beach or something then I would want a much nicer hotel because I'll be spending a lot of time in the room.

 

I absolutely understand the benefits of staying at Cedar Point but for us it's not worth the cost. We'll be at the park from 9am to about 11pm on a standard day (assuming we get in line for something like Millennium Force right before closing like we always do), so the amenities offered by the Cedar Point hotels don't matter (unless you don't have a platinum pass and want the early entry). We won't be spending any time at the pool, the hot tub or looking at the lake because it's going to be dark. The only benefit is the location but I don't think a 20 minute drive will kill anyone.

 

Hotel rates vary greatly across the country and we found the area around Cedar Point to be ridiculously cheap. You can get a pretty decent hotel room for less than $50 per night. When we were there we stayed at the Super 8 near the Ohio Turnpike (yeah I know, but not all Super 8's are created equal, this one is pretty nice) on Labor Day weekend for 4 nights for less than $200 and it was great. We do pretty well, but we are on a fixed income... and with the money we saved on the hotel we could spend it on Fast Lane Plus instead. I'd consider that a much better use of the money.

 

 

I could not agree with you more. I look for the cheapest with decent reviews. I only need a clean and safe place. I do not need a pool, closed in walk ways, gym, free food, etc. I'm literally only sleeping and showering at hotels when I go on a park trip so I need to spend as little as possible on a room.

 

I stayed at the Mecca Motel which is so close to Cedar Point but so much cheaper. Is is falling a part? Yes. It is EXTREMELY dated? Yes. Was it a little scary? Just a tad. Was it clean? For the most part. Was the advertised mini golf grown over? Yes. Was the advertised pool there? No. However, once I saw several others families staying there I was relieved. And over all I will gladly stay there again. The staff was friendly to me and I only paid $50 a night!!!

[Password121]

Last summer I stayed at Breakers Express and paid between $100 and $120 for four of us. I think as one time visitors it was worth it, given ticket discounts and early entry. There's a chance we'll be returning this summer and staying at Breakers Express again for the same reasons, possibly adding a discounted starlight ticket for the night before. I'll be sure to run the numbers to see if the perks are worth the extra cost.

[Philrad71]

$40 Maples Motel, minutes from CP is what I've always recommended. The only problem is the damn train...

 

Being that the train runs parallel to Rye Beach Rd and all of the hotels near the park, there is no escaping the demon train!!!!

 

I'm not sure what the motel name was that we stayed in. But, it was the one right across the road from the big CP entrance sign. The lobby has a microwave, and you have to turn a dial to the certain time.

 

That would probably be the Quality Inn with the Rain water park, bowling alley and Thirsty Pony restaurant?

 

I liked the Thirsty Pony to go in and have a couple of beers and grab some decent pub food, but the hotel room with the coaster paintings (they also offered free water stains on the bathroom ceiling, stains on carpeting, ashtray smell and fire ants at no extra charge!), the indoor water park (you have to see it to believe it) and the breakfast (crowded room with about five tables with the worst breakfast food I have ever seen/tasted).

 

I would easily pick the Motel 6 with the lime green walls and faux wood floor over the Quality Inn anyday!

[JonnyRCT3]

 

Anyone know if the Breakers room refurbishments are complete? Seeing some photos on here looked like they were still working on the exterior, but I was wondering if all of the internal remodeling was finished?

 

I was wondering if we will be getting one of the refurbished rooms or one of the circa 1950 style rooms.

 

The exterior work will/was done during the 2013/2014 off-season. The interior work will be in the 2014/2015 off-season.

[JRice92]

Hey Everybody, After realizing how few pictures I took on opening day I'm just gonna do a mini TR in the Cedar Point Thread.

 

Opening day this year was a blast! First I want to thank anyone who's posted in the Cedar Point thread in the past few months suggesting to start in the back of the park and work your way up. That REALLY helped out getting in all the rides without Fast Lane. The weather was excellent, way better than last year's opening day. And this trip was my very first time experiencing the joys of being a single rider! I was nervous heading to the park in fear that I would get bored without someone going with me but it turned out to be the exact opposite, I met and talked to a lot of people and there was nobody to slow me down from riding coasters all day. Operations were really good for opening day, the Maverick crew especially. They were running the ride at full capacity first thing in the morning, and the Gatekeeper crew was really solid too. And for Gatekeeper, I don't know what happened over the off season but somehow the ride went from just "ok" to pretty awesome I easily had my best ever ride on Gatekeeper on opening day, bumped it up to my #5 coaster at the park!

 

I think this is pretty impressive ride count for a day without Fast Lane and two hours wasted in the dragster line due to multiple roll backs and a breakdown.

SCORECARD:

Maverick

Millennium Force

Mantis

Magnum XL-200

Iron Dragon

-Lunch-

Magnum XL-200

Top Thrill Dragster (Finally working again)

Millennium Force

Raptor

Gatekeeper

Blue Streak

Raptor

Corkscrew

Gemini

Mean Streak (And it's still horrible)

Maverick

Maverick

Maverick

Up bright and early at the front gates by 8:30 to get early entry at 9! *I may not have looked happy in this picture but I was actually really pumped.

First ride of the day! My all time #1 steel coaster!

2nd up of the day was good ol' Millennium Force!

I was lucky to snap this, maintenance was on this when the ride was actually moving down the tower when I took this, not in a free fall of course but I wouldn't be able to do that not strapped into the seats.

After blowing two hours in the Dragster line between 6 roll backs and a minor break down, I get this close to the front seat then Dragster broke down for an extended period of time, I decided to ride it later in the day.

I'm sending this off with a picture of Millennium at night, some of the best lighting on a coaster!

[OrlandoGuy]

^great little TR, thanks for sharing! Sounds like a fun day

[Superbatboy]

Going to CP today looks like rain though, anyone know CP's rain policies?

[BigDipper 80]

^It's terrible. Just about everything will close with a drizzle.

[rcjp]

^I think at least the B&Ms will keep running if it's just a drizzle. Well, that's what happened in one of the days I went there.

[coasterbill]

Going to CP today looks like rain though, anyone know CP's rain policies?

 

Shhhh, be careful not to talk like that when you get closer to the park. Iron Dragon's rain policy is to close the ride immediately if anyone in the state of Ohio mentions the word "rain". The same goes for Dragster.

 

(In all serious though Cedar Point does have the worst rain policy of any park I've ever been to... but the good news is the rides do re-open quickly once the rain stops and it's a good excuse to go for a walk down frontier trail, check out the great arcade on the main midway or eat crab fries).

[BigDipper 80]

^I think at least the B&Ms will keep running if it's just a drizzle. Well, that's what happened in one of the days I went there.

 

I used to work at Mantis and we would stay up in a light rain, but if there was any remote chance of lightning we would close.

[CPSFMMCW]

Thats funny that they have that policy cuz at KD when its raining hard i305 will stay open. Man...it hurts...

[LazyFriday]

I actually went to Cedar Point on a Halloweekend Friday and there was a steady rain all night. The only ride that was down was Dragster. Everything else stayed open until it started raining extremely hard. So the rain policy doesn't seem consistent. BTW Millennium hurts in the rain.

Edited May 17, 2014 by LazyFriday