Cedar Point closing weekend 2002
Associated parks:
None
I’ll try not to get all warm and fuzzy, but closing weekend this year was a hell of a good time at Cedar Point.
Stephanie and I celebrated our second anniversary on Sunday, and as part of the festivities we took up residence in one of the Light House Point cottages for the weekend. My brother and his girlfriend (who left Saturday night) shared it, while Sparty, his wife Dana, daughter Julia, and “Magnum” Dan and Maria occupied the one next door.
We arrived Friday night around 8 p.m. or so, just missing Sparty and Dan’s departure into the park. After unloading our stuff, we joined Maria and Dana for some in-cottage DDR action, where Maria promptly kicked my ass. My bro and future sister-in-law showed up, and the boys came back from the rainy park a little after 11. Beer continued to flow and we all turned in around 1 or so.
The Lighthouse Point cabins are pretty sweet. It’s really a better way to go than the hotels if you ask me. You get a waterfront view, quieter surroundings, no neighbors on the other side of the wall, no running in the halls, etc. I wouldn’t go as far as to call them “roomy,” but they’re certainly a place I’d be comfortable staying for a week.
In the morning I whipped out the propane burner and made some hashbrowns and fake eggs (Better-n-eggs) before our group headed into the park for an 11 a.m. resort/Joe Cool entry for Millennium Force. Steph stayed behind to prepare a lecture she needed for Monday. It was pretty seriously crowded already, and they got the ride up late. I’m guessing it was a staffing issue (lots of Ride Prides) combined with the fact that they had to test with full trains, people and dummies. It was perhaps around 50 degrees, so I wasn’t that surprised.
Our ride was slow, as is typical for the first laps on a cold day. We got Freeway stamps and returned at 2:30 for slightly faster rides.
From there we went to Wicked Twister and knocked out two cycles pretty quickly. The ride is running very well these days and very reliably. My non-enthusiast brother said he liked it much better than the older Impulse model found at SFWoA. The park at that point was getting crowded, and we’d later see from Sky Ride a nearly-full parking lot to the toll booths. It was unexpected for the cool weather and time of year.
Since Raptor was looking like a no-go, we naturally ended up playing DDR at the main arcade. I was pleased to see I was doing pretty well, especially after playing for only little more than two weeks. I was also irritated that Maria was kicking my ass again. Dan also got beat by Dana, which is funny because she’s pregnant.
After zipping across the Sky Ride, we walked did a loop on the train then got our MF Freeway ride. The normal line was about 75 minutes, so someone had to be pleased with this crowd. We looped the trail and eventually headed back to out cottages around 3 or so.
After some fumbling around, we got to grilling. We brought steaks, chicken and burgers, Sparty and Dan brought brats and chicken. We both made way too much and pigged out. After eating we all agreed to nap. I think we were all moving again by 6 or 7, and started the beer slamming after the girls went to replenish supplies. Little Julia was a trooper, up late the night before and still going strong.
We caught the America Rocks show around at 8 and had a few more beverages at Red Garter. I really liked this show. The talent was top notch all around, and I learned today that they are finalists in the Big E awards for IAAPA this year! From there things get a little fuzzy, not from being drunk, but from it already being several days ago. I remember seeing that Mine Ride rolled back before the final helix, getting a last spin on Schwabinchen, running into Raptor Jo (and all of the Raptor crew) where apparently something got hosed power-wise and trains were stopped in the mid-course and safeties. and of course more DDR. The DDR thing was bad news because we kept losing easy songs and stomping, a side effect of alcohol consumption.
We got a spin on Magnum just before the park closed, and it was easily one of the best rides I’ve had all year. I actually got over a good set of wheels for a change!
Back at the cottages, more drinking, cottage DDR, and all that left-over food came in handy. Grilled chicken is pretty easy to deal with on a bun. We stayed up chatting and drinking until about 2, when we set the clocks back. It was a great night, not so much because of anything we did or didn’t ride, but just because our “CP family” was tight.
Sunday, remarkably, I don’t think any of us were actually hung over, but we sure were tired. After meeting the enthusiast crowd for breakfast at Friday’s, we did MF again in the morning, which ran so slow that our creeping train didn’t clear the brakes in time and the train ahead stopped on the lift. After a couple of rides with Sparty and family, I, Stephanie, Dan and Maria went off on our own. We knocked out Raptor, Blue Streak, Space Spiral and Disaster Transport. Dan at that point insisted on getting cheese on a stick. That is some nasty ass ****, and I don’t know how anyone could put that in their bodies. A lot of customers there were complaining that it wasn’t melted all the way through, because the stupid frat boy morons working for charity couldn’t figure out how to fry cheese.
Stephanie and I decided to shoot for some alone time and would meet Dan and Maria at Magnum around 3. We zipped through the arcade where fortunately we saw Kara, Kristen, Rob, Tobe and a bunch of cats I don’t know. Huge ass group. We said hello and moved on.
We stopped in the marketing office to say howdy to Bryan Edwards, the PR freak of the week, and headed around the park to make good on our two food conquests for the weekend: French fries and elephant ears.
When we arrived at Magnum at 3, that whole damn group was there. I despise large groups, and some of the dudes were just being loud morons about stupid enthusiast shit, trying hard to impress each other. Thanks but no thanks. Apparently one dude even thought I was being a dick because I didn’t want to hang with them. Numb nuts didn’t seem to understand that I’d much rather spend time on my anniversary with my wife. Dumbass. We got our spin on Magnum, said our goodbyes to Dan and Maria (who we’d see next weekend at our party), and figured out how we were going to kill another two hours before our dinner reservation at Bay Harbor.
I zipped back to the car in the Soak City lot for the camera and we went to see the Red Garter show one more time. Some of the singers were a little rough, I’m guessing because they partied the night before. I give them a lot of credit. Most of them were just as in to it as if it were the first show. Hundreds of shows later they still had it. Shot a couple photos, and hope to post a few.
After that we headed for the exit and I snagged a few construction photos along the way. Finally, 5 rolled around and we went to Bay Harbor, tired and beat.
If you’ve never been there and don’t mind paying for a good meal, check it out next time you’re there. In addition to the outstanding food, we enjoy making fun of the snobby country club types who talk about martini parties and such. Since we didn’t even want to think about alcohol, we managed to get off for about $60 before the tip, which really isn’t bad at all. It’s a nice treat, and one we might maintain for many anniversaries to come. Does it become tradition when you’ve done it twice?
This weekend again made me realize what I’ve often thought about Cedar Point. The rides are great, the shows are great, but the park is really about the great times that we share with our friends. If you wonder why Pointers get so worked up about defending their park, a lot of the time it’s just because there’s more to it, a bigger place for it than just riding stuff. It’s the visits across generations, the time spent with friends and growing up with the ever-expanding park.
I had a great time this weekend, and I thank my dearest wife and my extended family: Dan, Maria, Sparty, Dana and of course, the cutest little girl on the planet, Julia. All of the theme park magic in the world can’t create the good times you have with your friends.
Our group:
http://www.sillynonsense.com/images/cpgroup02.jpg
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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, when it's all in your mind. You gotta let go." - Ghetto, Supreme Beings of Leisure
OMG OMG I sat behind you on Magnum, Wicked Twister, Gemini, and I sat next to you in the bathroom stalls by Red Garter. I was wearing a ....
BAH!
Jeff, as always, it was a pleasure seeing you again. I still need to play a game of DDR with you, so I can brag about that as well ;)
So what was up with Manits? No trims? For a second there I thought Cedar Point got a new ride. It was really kicking ass! It was great that I was one of 36 to get the final train of Magnum for the season (with the exception of the employees). That ride was amazing as well without the trims. It was the perfect way to end the season at my homepark.
The erieness really set in after all the rides gave thier final ride. While a group of us were in the Soak City Parking lot taking pics of S:TR we all took a moment to notice the dead quietness of the park. There was nobody screaming, no rides roaring through their track, and no autospiels coming from Magnum and Gemini. All we could hear was the wind blowing and the waves from the lake crashing into the peninsula. Very strange to be there for that.
Anyways, special thanks to all that was there, and all that was in our group of people. I had fun playing DDR, eating darn good park food, and riding rides with all my friends. See you all next year!!
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"How's your balls feel?"
Parks this year: 35
Beatings from Kara: lost count at 2,504
Shibby to CP being more than a place for rides, but a place for good times with friends. I think this weekend was a prime example.
Uh, only a day back here and I'm already itching to leave. Expect the Michigander in Ohio several times over the offseason...maybe even coming to a volleyball court near you!
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Kara (car-uh)
1024 Laps
621 in '02
52 visits to 4 CF parks in '02 with a season pass, free. Knowing I saved $1603, priceless.
Crap, you know I forgot to mention that they had green "toxic tunnel beer" at the front of the park? That was pretty cool, I thought. Who says green beer is only for St. Patrick's Day?
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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com
"There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, when it's all in your mind. You gotta let go." - Ghetto, Supreme Beings of Leisure
Jeff Said:
After meeting the enthusiast crowd for breakfast at Friday’s...
Hey! I saw you there! I was too shy to say anything though.
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185 days left until Cedar Point reopens!
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I am a boy.
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Hallowave
I thought I was going to get a headache.
Nice Trip Report though. And I agree, there is much more to Cedar Point then just the rides.
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Do the Moo Shoo!
"Enthusiasts" like that are the reason I loathe media days and most ace events. Blah blah blah. "That coaster isn't the fastest there's another one that's in figi that's half a mile per hour faster" "But I want to get on the green train" Some Idiot wearing a vest with a million pins arguing about which kind of oil they use to grease the trims is not my idea of an ideal "riding buddy".
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