Cedar Point 10/8

Heard that there were record crowds at the park this Saturday. Perhaps even the largest crowd ever. Anyone else hear anything?

I wouldn't be surprised. I left CP around 3:00 that day, the parking lot was nearly full and traffic was backed up across the causeway, on Cleveland Rd., Butler St and on Rt. 250 past the mall. All I could think was "Where are they coming to put all of these cars?" Do they turn cars away at some point?

I've heard tale of people being parked on the side of Cedar Point Causeway, but that could just be a myth.

It was true. There were cars on anything that could hold a car on the causeway AND the causee. Even the private drive next to the parking lot had cars on it. The empty space by Mean Streak was being used too. Anyplace they could put a car, they did. We made the dumb mistake of leaving after the parade to "get away from the crowds for a bit" and get some pizza at Chet and Matts. BIG MISTAKE. Once we got on the other side of the toll booths, we made the decision to get back in since the cars were lined up in both directions down Cleveland St. We went back the causee and waited 2 hours to get back in, and thanks to having a CUBE, we made our own parking spot. It had to be some sort of record. Someone please post if you hear anything!!

LostKause said:
I've heard tale of people being parked on the side of Cedar Point Causeway, but that could just be a myth.

It's true. The "island" halfway down the Causeway was being used as a parking lot with the lane closest to the bay closed off as a pedestrian walkway. A suprisingly large number of cars can fit there.

Highest daily attendance ever at Cedar Point? Or do the good ol' days in the 60s and 70s not compare to today at all?

I'm glad that I didn't go. But, I have been there to see cars parked in the causeway, and on the island. I know there was a lot of Madness when Magnum opened, and a repeat when Mean Streak opened.

I remember waiting 3 hours and 45 minutes to ride Mean Streak the first year it opened, and around 2 and a half hours for Magnum when it opened. And, both times the parking lots were full. We had a hell of a time getting out of the park. We also spent 2 hours on route to Cedar Point just in the city of Sandusky, when Mean Streak opened.

But, that was when those rides ran flawlessly, and were more than worth the wait. I wouldn't do it today though. If the line is more than 2 hours, I skip it and do something else.

So yes, it has happened before. Like the 7 hour waits for M-Force. Would NEVER wait that long for one ride!

I doubt that anyone in the history of the world has waited seven hours for Millennium Force.

3 to 4 in 2000 was probably the longest. It doesn't even have all the queue from 2000. The empty slab of concrete under the final turn around used to have queue.

I wouldn't wait 7 hours for a ride in my bed.

I don't think I have ever waited more than 2 hours in my life. Maybe once for Test Track at Epcot when it first opened. I might have waited 2:15 or so for that one.

My limit is usually 45 minutes---and that's pretty unusual. Most of the time, it's 30.

AAA day in 2000 would have been the longest lines ever for MF. It was one train operation (blue) and the queue was completely full. I ended up waiting 24.5 hours* for the ride.

When Dragster opened we kind of sort of faced the same issue, where only 3 trains were running and the trains were 4 cars long. I ended up waiting 28 sunburning hours* for that ride!

*in dog years of course!

~Rob

Depending on the ride, I'll go for about an hour and a half with no issue, but most rides I have a 45-60 cutoff. I've waited for Maverick more than an hour by myself many times. *ducks*

I can think of a single ride I'd willingly wait more than 30 minutes for. And for most rides, 30 is too long.

With that said, I don't seem to be skipping rides I'd prefer to be on too often and I'm not broke from VQ/FOL spending so, in general, the parks must be doing something right.

Or maybe I am? ;)

EDIT - that's not to say I haven't waited that long for a ride, but that would have been a LONG time ago in what might as well be a different lifetime.

Since we are talking about long lines / our own limits...

Longest line ever / worst ride ratio:

Opening day of "Nightmare at Phantom Cave" at Darien Lake. The ride didn't open at the beginning of the season, so it was more towards peak season when the park is already crowded on its own... but they did a heck of a job advertising opening day everywhere, radio stations, etc. The capacity on this ride is a nightmare (ha.) which resulted in a 7 hour wait. It's honestly not THAT bad of a ride [obviously not with that wait, though], but my opinion of the ride was permanently tainted because of that experience. I should have heeded the warning of everyone coming out the exit... but... you know. Newly hyped ride. Opening day. I had to do it. Ugh.

OH! But everyone DID get free nightmare "skull" rings ($.99 at the gift shop). So that made it all worth it... :/

The line was pretty much at least 2-3 hours the entire opening year. Learned my lesson about long lines from that experience.

^It's too bad about Nightmare at Phantom Cave. I rode it when it was at Kentucky Kingdom - and the wait was at least an hour when it was there (not a very crowded day, if I remember correctly).

I think the main issue was with the 2 cars running policy (or 3 - something very low compared to what it was designed for; I think 6 or 8 cars). With some modern TLC (night vision cameras, perhaps a redo of that first drop curving pull-out) the ride could run in the dark again.

I am NOT a line person myself. The good thing about Cedar Point is that even though the most popular coasters have long lines, there is so much to do there. It's easy to nab a quick ride on Gemini, Corkscrew or Draggin' Iron. (The best ride there, Wildcat, always had - and still has, a long line ;) )

I was at Cedar Point this summer for the first time in 11 years. We waited 45 minutes for the High Heel Drag Queen the first night, and 35 minutes for it the 2nd night. Even thought those are too long for me, it was dignified as the park has excellent capacity standards. You don't see many empty seats and the trains get out quickly.

I made my first and only visit to Darien Lake in Summer '10. Don't recall that ride. Gone?

^Yup.
http://www.rcdb.com/444.htm

CoasterDemon said:
^Yup.
http://www.rcdb.com/444.htm

I just looked it up as you were posting. It's been at FOUR parks!! I saw the abandoned building at Great Escape this summer. Oddly, I've been to all four parks and never been on the ride.

^That's right Mike. I think most of the park that had it removed it directly because of the capacity issues; it pissed guest off more than anything.