Summer 2012 plans Help please!

[Rosso]

First a little bit about my past experience. Last summer I rekindled my love for roller coasters after going Six Flags New England from a six year hiatus. It’s amazing how riding the Bizarro will change your outlook on roller coasters. After Six Flags New England I went to Canobie Lake Park, Hershey Park and Island of Adventure last year.

 

After many hours of research and lots of lurking around these forums, I finally narrow down my 2012 vacation plans down to two cities. I’m going to need help making up my mind on the last two. My top choices are either Sandusky OH or Los Angeles CA.

 

The number one question I have for everyone on this forum is the following. Is the combo of parks like Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott’s Barry Farm and Universal Studios Hollywood a better experience then Cedar Point? I only have the budget for one major cross country trip this year. I have a couple of smaller trips plan like visiting Six Flags Great Adventure and or Bush Gardens Williamsburg. But the western trip will be the big one.

 

I’m thinking about making the trip is the third week of August for Cedar Point or the weekend when the Indy Car race will be at the Auto Club in September. From what I understand the third week of August is a good week to visit the park in the summer.

 

Is the coaster line up in Cedar Point and general atmosphere superior to the three parks I listed above? What do you guys think?

[chadster]

Let me see if I can provide some insight from a few angles.

 

I'll start with Cedar Point. I went for the first time about three years ago and went to the park three days. I stayed in Cleveland and did a few things there such as the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. The crowds were light and bugs were plentiful, it was May afterall. I loved the place. Sure there were a few one and done coasters such as the mine train, wild cat, and Gemini. Then there were the must re-rides like Maverick, Wicked Twister, and Millie. The first day was a bit overwhelming but once I settled in I discovered what I liked and what I didn't. MaxAir ended up being my favorite flat and my favorite coaster was MF with Maverick a close 2nd. Food wise it's typical Cedar Fair, crappy and overpriced. They offer Subway, Johnny Rockets, Chick-fi-la, and outside they offer a TGI Friday and a Famous Daves. Atmosphere wise there is nothing special really, it's just a huge amusement park with a large variety of coasters, many of which you might not want to re-ride. The kiddie sections are where they inflate their ride numbers as there are numerous rides for kids in a few different sections.

 

I returned to Cedar Point that fall as I loved it so in May and discovered I was bored by day two. I've been back once since and felt the same way. I don't plan to return until they add a new coaster of the epic variety. If you do it, I would advise building in time for Kings Island to make the most of your time and money, it's only 4 hours away and compared to the driving you would do to SFMM (mainly time stuck in traffic) and difference in fuel price, you would come out close expense wise to California.

 

Now on to California. There is plenty more to do there as you mentioned the race that weekend, studio tours, beaches, and more parks to visits. Knotts has a nice homey atmosphere and to me, you feel like it's home, it's not as touristy as Cedar Point. Xcel is the best Intamin Launch IMO, they have a nice selection of flats, and like Cedar Point they have a crappy wooden coaster. The log flume is simply one of the best I've ever been on (and walked through), and you can't forget about the Chicken Dinner restaurant. Like CP, you can stay onsite if you wish and there are lots of restaurants within walking distance.

 

Universal Hollywood has more dark attractions than outdoor ride attractions but I really enjoyed the Backlot tour, now with more cowbell. Mummy is good but I missed my Jurassic park credit due to mechanical failure. Combine the park with the Studio Walk and you can easily kill a day and feel like you are in Hollywood, afterall, you practically are.

 

SFMM, what can I say, it's Six Flags. X2 is their standout coaster, Apocinator is a top GCI woodie IMO, and you can't go wrong with Batman. Colossus is tired and needs a revamp with Riddler being my favorite Standup. Superman will be back up and running then and is a must do with Lex Luther hanging off the side. And they have about 5 flat rides. Food is not good, suggest to drive down Valencia about 2 miles to the mall area. Much better food down there. If you were to hit the park on a Saturday, you might want to figure in for the possibility of needing a flash pass, tho in September it probably won't be needed as the kids will be getting back into the school swing.

 

If you were to combine Kings Island into Cedar Point, that might be a good choice. If you don't really want to do that, then I would opt for California. Both options have strengths and weaknesses with Cedar Point not having any other activities in town or within 50 miles other than Cedar Point. In California, you are certain to find something to do after the parks close. Don't forget about Disney if you make your way to Cali, Cars Land should be up and running as will the refurbished Matterhorn and it, along with Knotts, will be open during the week.

 

Hope that helps, overall I usually refrain from saying pick one over the other and just present my view point on both.

 

Check out the trip reports from my Vacation Adventures at the link below!

Edited January 22, 2012 by chadster

[beatle11]

I stayed in Cinci and did a few things there such as the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

 

I wasn't aware they moved the Hall of Fame down to Cinci.

 

I haven't been out West yet, but I can pretty much echo what chadster said about CP. I could ride Maverick and MF all day, and of course you have TTD as well. Beyond that, there isn't much that's too impressive in the park. There's other things you can do at CP as well like parasailing and you can rent a waverunner out on the lake as well. Whatever you decide, have fun.

[scooterdoug]

These are both good options, so it kind of depends on what you're looking for in your experience. Are you in it primarily for coasters, or do you want more of a variety of attractions? If you want solely coasters, then I would personally choose CP, but by a somewhat narrow margin. As Chadster said, there are many "ride once for the credit" rides there. However, there are standout rides that I could ride all day and never tire of. SFMM has, IMO, a better variety of coasters. X2 is breathtaking, Tatsu rocks, Riddler's is the best of the B&M stand-ups, Goliath is always fun, and there are plenty of other coasters that I would happily re-ride. However, I would still take Millennium Force (my favorite at CP) and Maverick over anything else at SFMM any day. Also, the west coast has this bizarre lack of airtime, while CP will have your butt out of your seat all day long.

 

Now, if you're looking for a variety of different attractions, then go to LA, no doubt. You have the coaster mecca that is SFMM, the awesomely immersive experience of USH, and the in-between coolness of KBF. Knott's definitely has that "homey" feel, excellent theming, and a very solid coaster collection (Xcelerator's launch is no joke, and Montezooma's Revenge is one of the last of the Schwarzkopf shuttle launches).

 

Also bear in mind, like Chadster said, that you'll spend quite a bit of time in your car in LA...expect a total of 3-4 hours between the 3 parks (assuming that the freeways are nice to you and aren't too crowded). So, adding on Kings Island in Ohio could be a great option, making the coaster choice that much easier.

 

Those are my 2 cents. Either way, you can't really go wrong. Also, with SFMM, you have the luxury of a FlashPass if it's crowded. Can't say the same for CP, which can get frighteningly crowded. Enjoy your trip next summer, I'm jealous!

 

-Doug

[chadster]

I stayed in Cinci and did a few things there such as the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

 

I wasn't aware they moved the Hall of Fame down to Cinci.

 

 

LOL! For some reason I have Cinci on the mind! Let me go fix that...

[Rosso]

This is really a tough for me. It's a good idea to include kings island to mix if I end up in cedar point. What the stand out coaster in Kings Island? I read about rumors that Knott's Berry Farm was going to add a new coaster this year are those rumors still true? A good hyper coaster in LA will seal the deal for me. I'm also reading about how CP will get something special next year.

[beatle11]

Diamondback is probably the best coaster at Kings Island, although I wasn't too impressed with it from my experience. To me that park was more of a credit run, but since they have so much, it makes sense to visit. I don't think there's anything new for Knotts or CP in 2012 (except for the animatronic dinos). I do remember hearing rumors about a Giga at Knotts, even to the point that I've heard Leviathan was originally meant to be there rather than CW, but rumors are rumors.

[scooterdoug]

I read about rumors that Knott's Berry Farm was going to add a new coaster this year are those rumors still true?

 

I highly doubt that there will be a new coaster at KBF this year. If there were plans for a new 2012 coaster, they would have made an announcement by now.

[Rosso]

I ended up booking a trip LA. Some of you made really good points about Cedar Point needing one more epic ride to make the trip worth it, compared to LA. Plus I would like to CP install fast lane pass system in the park! I do want to visit cedar point in the near future.

[chadster]

Despite it being Southern Cal, I think you made a better choice. There is soooo much more to do in that region and CP, again IMO, you would have been bored with after day 2, maybe day 1.5

[Werner]

The best part of the RTCP trip at CP was TGI Friday´s. The only really good coaster that stand out at CP is Maverick. I think MF is sort of tame for it´s size... Good choice by going to LA instead

[robbalvey]

I'm sorry that I didn't chime in on this sooner. I'm sure you'll have fun in LA, but it wouldn't have been the choice I would recommend.

 

Personally, I think the coaster selection on SoCal is one of the most mediocre in the country. There are really no "GREAT" coasters to speak of. Some people may argue that X2 is GREAT, but I personally think it's rough as hell. Xcelerator is a really good Intamin launched, and it is probably the best coaster in all of SoCal. Most of the SoCal coasters, IMO, are "average at best."

 

For the locals in SoCal who don't travel, they have a good "local" coaster selection, but the parks do not offer any, what I would consider, "stand out" wood or steel coasters. The best wood you'll get is Terminator at SFMM and the best steel would be X2 and Xcelerator, and I'm not even a fan of X2.

 

I would have suggested a multi-park trip doing something like Knoebel's, Hershey, Kennywood, Cedar Point. Cedar Point may also lack a stand out woodie, and often gets mixed reviews on their steel coasters, but I feel the selection at Cedar Point is better than anything California offers, and the "resort" is actually much nicer, too.

 

Another thing to keep in mind, Los Angeles is a PAIN IN THE ASS to get around. It could take you 60 minutes to get from SFMM to Knott's, it could take you 2 1/2 hours. Other than maybe Disneyland, there isn't really a good "base camp" for any of the parks that doesn't involve a lot of driving. On a map, some of the parks look close, like SFMM to Unviersal, but I've had it even take me 90 minutes to get to Universal from SFMM. At least at Cedar Point, you can get a room at Hotel Breakers, stay on property, and have a place to go back and relax during the busier times of the park.

 

IMO, Cedar Point's coaster line-up is also "kinda average", but I feel it's at least better than the SoCal offerings. And if you've never been to Cedar Point before, the combo of Raptor, Top Thrill Dragster, Maverick, Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, Blue Streak, MaxAir, Windseeker, Magnum, Power Tower, Sky Hawk, Shoot the Rapids is going to be on par, if not slightly better, than anything you'll find in SoCal. And it's all in one place, unlike SoCal which is very spread out and frustrating to get around.

 

IMO, California is a GREAT place to go coastering...after you've done most of the rest of the USA.

 

In summary....

Is the coaster line up in Cedar Point and general atmosphere superior to the three parks I listed above? What do you guys think?

"Superior", probably not... "Better" .... I think "yes."

 

--Robb "Sorry I missed this thread..." Alvey

Edited February 4, 2012 by robbalvey

[Sir Clinksalot]

As somebody who was born/raised/still lives in SoCal ... I'm going to echo what Robb said.

 

I thought SoCal was "The Place" to be for Coasters ... until I started traveling.

 

I can't personally comment on CP, but having done coaster trips to TX, PA, GA I can say I'd take pretty much any of those parks over what we have in SoCal (except Disneyland).

[Rosso]

Man I wish I saw this before I booked my trip. I’ll stand by my choice since the original reason I wanted to southern California was the Indy car race at the auto club. I was thinking of going to formula one race in Austin Texas, but I didn’t really see any park worth going to in that area. Unless someone can tell me that Six Flags San Antonio, bush gardens and six flags over Texas is superior to southern California parks. Then I noticed everything was within hour drive in southern California so it got me thinking. We are going to be staying in near Universal studios Hollywood. For us it seemed to make the most strategic place we could stay.

Traffic is a concern for me, but I live in Boston MA…. The traffic can’t be that much worse? What is the best time to hit the road in LA to get to the SFMM and Knotts. Most of the stuff we want to do will be in Hollywood, like different movie studio tours.

I have better question is the Knoebel's, Hershey, Kennywood, Cedar Point. Cedar Point route rob spoke off the best path for someone who’s new to coasters? I only have been to SFNE, Canobie Lake Park, Hershey, and Island of Adventure. It would help me plan 2013 better if I had some pointers on were to get the maximum fun per $$$.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Rosso

[dylanreich]

Not to take away from Robb's point about Cedar Point being the better choice (and I would agree based on what I know without having been there), but I'm surprised Robb didn't mention Tatsu. Also, being a SoCal local, I've had *many* rides on X2. I've had my fair share of rough rides, but I wouldn't call that the norm. But Tatsu.

You'll still have a blast!

[robbalvey]

^ Eh, Tatsu is ok....it's just another B&M flyer. A good one...but the genre of roller coaster doesn't really excite me that much. I think my top flyer, which is either Tatsu or Manta (I honestly don't even remember) probably doesn't top much higher than #50 on my list.

 

And to Rosso, I think you WILL have a good time at the SoCal parks, as they are enjoyable, they just usually aren't what I would recommend as a "first choice."

 

Then again, if you're still a bit new to the whole thing, look at it this way.... parks will only get better to you!

 

--Robb

Edited February 10, 2012 by robbalvey