Cedar Point First Timer Questions

kekoa said:
I forgot we are headed to Coney Island too. Thought of Kings Dominion (or was it Kings Island) but it was just to far not enough time to fit into our packed schedule.

You will pass Kings Dominion on your way to Busch Gardens but I could personally take it or leave it.

kekoa said:
Hey, we are at the cabins near the RV park (forget what they are called), what do you think of them? Would breakers be a better choice do you think? We don't mind the 'rustic' living in the cabins but I just got done looking at a blog about a stay at breakers and it looked pretty nice.

Cabins are awesome, especially if it's nice enough out to use the patios on the lake. Enjoy!

eightdotthree said:

kekoa said:
I forgot we are headed to Coney Island too. Thought of Kings Dominion (or was it Kings Island) but it was just to far not enough time to fit into our packed schedule.

You will pass Kings Dominion on your way to Busch Gardens but I could personally take it or leave it.

kekoa said:
Hey, we are at the cabins near the RV park (forget what they are called), what do you think of them? Would breakers be a better choice do you think? We don't mind the 'rustic' living in the cabins but I just got done looking at a blog about a stay at breakers and it looked pretty nice.

Cabins are awesome, especially if it's nice enough out to use the patios on the lake. Enjoy!

Thanks, I thought KD was in Ohio for some reason

That's "Kings Island."

Getting back to visiting CP on may 28th and 29th. We went once a couple days after memorial day and the park was packed. But the weather was also perfect. Near 80 degrees both days, and sunny. You may want to check what their hours of operation are after memorial day weekend, as they may be scaled back until the first week in June. If it is cold, Soak City may not be open, nor will some of the water based attractions, so that could greaten the crowds. When we went, it was very nice, but Thunder Canyon, and Snake River Falls were closed until Mid afternoon, and a lot of the coasters were running only one or two trains. So, most of the lines were long. Even the corkscrew had an hour wait. But, as the day went on, things got a little better, and by the end of the night most of the coasters were a walk on. So, it really depends on the weather, and what operations are like.I should also mention, that when we went, there were many busloads of school kids there. If you are coming all the way from Hawaii, I would ask about that. Nothing like being at Cedar Point with thousands of teenage brats. It's not fun. Could be the reasons the lines were shorter at night was because all the school kids left two or three hours before the park closed.

Thanks Timber-Rider for the input. Yeah I think we will size up things on the first day and then consider the FLP on the second day if we don't get in the rides/coasters we wanted. I am a big coaster fan and as you can guess we have virtually zero in Hawaii (there are a few state fair type coasters). My goal is to ride some of these world class coasters many many many times so we just may possibly get a FL or FLP anyway.

Been thinking of putting together a vlog and show all our fun by POV with my GoPro camera. We'll see you know how it is on vacation and trying to do things you plan, just never seems to work out. Fun will be had for sure.

I'm so excited for you, Kekoa. I would love to see the video in the end!

A few things I can tell you:

Hersheypark is crowded at the most random times on the most random days. Their operations are pretty slow, and the few rides that are single rider are never worth it. However, the park itself is very charming, and some of the little live shows are pretty good. I've never EVER had a bad day at Hershey, though one of the tram operators was a surly bastard once. I don't think he works there anymore. (Laugh) anyway, SooperDooperLooper recently had new trains, and I swear they did something to the track. It is a classic, and while it is not "thrilling", it is a wonderful little ride.

TrailBlazer is my favorite junior coaster. It is faster than many of the others I've been on, it has pretty landscaping, and it passes close to Storm Runner. I usually hit TrailBlazer about halfway through my day to wind down for a little bit.

Unless you are credit whoring, avoid Wildcat at all cost. Other than the pretty awesome first drop, this coaster is a rough, painful, vibrate-y mess. DO NOT miss the nearby Lightning Racer though, especially the red side. This is my overall #3 wood coaster just behind Toro and Phoenix, and it is in my top 10-15 coasters of all time. I haven't ridden as many coasters as most of the others here, but I would guess I'm in the majority that agree LR is a work of art. At night it is especially cool and feels out of control fast.

Storm Runner is a short but potent powerhouse of a launcher. I have special love for it as my first launcher.

Fahrenheit is definitely unique, and the drop is fantastic. However, it doesn't do much for me, and it vibrates a LOT.

Skyrush...oh, I wish I knew what to tell you on this ride. The first drop is sick, the airtime is extreme, and if they fixed the restraints, you'll love it. Otherwise...well, it's known as Thighcrush for a reason. Rumor had it that the restraints are being worked on. For a slightly smoother ride, the middle seats are better, and if you hold on to the underside of the restraint and pull UP, this also helps.

Also, make sure to take a quick ride on the free Chocolate World ride. It is cute, smells yummy, and educational. I usually make at least one trip just for Chocolate World.

At Great Adventure, don't be afraid to check out Green Lantern. While I have only been on three stand up coasters, Green Lantern was the only one that I not only didn't despise but also actually liked a lot.

Ride Bizarro, Nitro, and all other coasters before riding El Toro. Even Kingda Ka. Otherwise, I cannot promise underwhelmed feelings won't occur. I've ridden Millennium Force, Maverick, and many other top coasters in the eastern US, and nothing comes close to Toro for me. I know it looks like a brutal wooden coaster a la Mean Streak, but nothing is further from the truth. It is just ridiculousness.

Sit in the back seat on Skull Mountain, and you'll be shocked in a fun way.

Best way to gauge need for FlashPass at Great Adventure: go to the Toro queue. If the line is past the churro stand building in the middle of the line, go get a flash pass (gold works best for maximum riding versus cost per person). And yes, you have to give the Q-bot back. I'm still a little crunchy about that. *chuckle*

If you stop at Dorney (which really, if you're going to Hershey and Great Adventure, Dorney's a quick trip and a really decent park), this is where I really can help. But I'm gonna post this first because my phone is dying.

Even without a GoPro POV of every coaster you ride (which sound exhausting), I would very much enjoy seeing a video documenting your Amusement park travels. You'd probably get a dozen or so views from people here. :p

Wheeew bunky666 you pretty much made the whole itinerary thing a breeze for me, than you kindly.

We road Ghost Rider at Knott's and that was a butt kicker so I kinda have an idea of what you are talking about for Wildcat. Personally I love wooden coasters, my companions; namely my wife and daughters just are not into them much. Hope to get em onto Lightning Racer though, that should be fun watching/racing another train. I have heard of people saying that standup coasters are a bit rough on the lower region.

LostKause, thanks for the interest. We do not go until May so it would be some time before I put something together. I will probably create a new thread for it or post here if this one is still alive.

Thanks all of you. We are all getting more excited about this trip as I share your tips and ideas with my family.

You are quite welcome! I'm not really an expert on Cedar Point, but I try and help wherever I can.

Oh, at Cedar Point: definitely do Maverick. You will wait in line for an eternity, and your ears and neck will get chopped a lot, but it is so much fun, it is worth it all.

Also, yes, even though I'm a girl, Green Lantern isn't exactly pleasant on the nether regions. However, I truly believe it is one of the best examples of what a stand-up coaster is capable of (Mantis being a godawful, painful, makes you want to simultaneously vomit and weep example of what a stand-up coaster should NEVER do). It is strange too because they are by the same company and are almost the same ride, but B&M seem to have learned from their Mantis blunders and made Green Lantern (aka Chang in its previous life) not only better, but actually re-rideable.

If you decide to do Dorney on your way out to the coast, let me know. I've lived within about 10 minutes from Dorney for most of my life, and I've been going there since before Cedar Fair bought them. I might be able to help you more there.

I just checked the Gatekeeper webcam at CP. It sure is a pretty day over there today. Hopefully when we are there in May it will be as nice as today.

Gatekeeper looks awesome! It amazes me that opening day is only 43days 1hour and 43minutes away and it looks like there is so much more for them to do to complete. I am sure it will look enticing and beautiful.

We can't wait.

Hey Keoka!

I actually just returned from Hawaii, where we spent a few days in Kaua'i - my favorite!

I grew up near Sandusky and worked there in the summers, so I have a few tidbits of input. Although May is less crowded than the summer months, Memorial Day weekend is always busy. Most locals will not go over holiday weekends for this reason. With this in mind, I would recommend doing the FastPass so you can get everything in at least once.

It sounded like you expected 15 minutes to be a possible wait time for rides. Since you are planning to go for the big guys (as you should), I would not anticipate anything less than 30 - 45 minutes and would prepare myself for 2 hr + waits for some. If I see 45 minutes as a wait time, I jump in line as fast as I can! You will have LONG lines for the Maverick, Millennium Force, Top Thrill, and the new ride, GateKeeper, so go for those as soon as you get in the park. No offense to any fans out there, but Iron Dragon and the Cork Screw aren't worth more than a 20 minute wait in my opinion.

I would highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the park layout. You can save yourself a lot of walking if you know where you are going. I also suggest that you park in the back of the park and work your way up. (tell them you are going to Soak City Parking). If you do start in the front, Raptor is awesome, but I blow past that at the beginning of the day because I know the lines will be shorter at the end of the day.

Food is expensive at CP (although not that much of an increase from Hawaii pricing). Famous Daves, which is technically outside the park, but is on the peninsula (hardly a walk away from the park), has the best food. They also have cool family style meals that can save you money and give you a chance to taste most of what they have. The ribs are delicious and the drinks are huge! If you have lighter eaters, they could split a full sized meal and be plenty full (if they are not, they should eat that amazing bread pudding). Famous Dave's also has one of the best views of the park and the water. Don't go for the patio though, it gets hot and buggy.

If you want to get out of the heat for a while, check out the performances. The entertainers are truly talented dancers and singers - also, the shows are free!!! There is also a neat candle shop that has AC as you head toward the back (on the Millennium side), where your kids can make their own candles for a pretty cheap price.

Hope this helps, and have a blast!!!