Cedar Point next year: Any Tips?

Me and my family are going to Cedar Point next year, so I've decided to start planning now. I'm hoping to go early in the season, for 3-5 days. I also plan on buying a season pass like some of you have said for other people to do.

Do you have any tips relating to lodging, the park, rides, etc? All comments appreciated!

------------------
Mike T.
This ride re-opens in 30 minutes.

I think 3-5 is overkill. You could go for 2-3 and do everything including flats. I would recommend Breakers Express if your on a budget. It is very clean, big and has an outdoor pool. They have discounts to the park. Breakers is right near the park. If have never stayed there but I have heard it is good. It is pretty early to start planning.

------------------
-Sean Newman

Yeah, I was thinking 3 days, just to soak everything in, and try to ride as much as I can. As for Breakers express, do you know if you get in early like some of the other hotels?

------------------
Mike T.
This ride re-opens in 30 minutes.

I agree 3 days (even 2 days, 1 extra night) is a all you need to do at CP. Stay at Breakers if you can afford it, you literaly walk to the park its great plus the rooms are nice and you get discounts on tickets. I dont know if you are driving or where from but if you go through Kansas City go to Worlds of Fun and buy a season pass (or combo with Oceans of Fun if you want to go to Soak City) it is cheaper then the tickets you would buy at CP and it gets you into CP. Also if your in a car, think about either doing SFGAm, PKI, or SFWOA with those two extra days, they are a days drive away and are great parks.

------------------
Summer 03-CP, HP, SFDL, SFNE, SFWOA, and SFGAm.

I dont think we would drive from New York to Kansas then to Ohio :) But we might do PKI and possibly SFWOA. Thanks for the tips guys!

------------------
Mike T.
This ride re-opens in 30 minutes.

CP has a very informative 36 page park/vacation planning guide (with info on The Breakers) you can receive by mail if you ask for it from their website at www.cedarpoint.com. It has a full page of discount coupons in the back of the guide too!

------------------
Nashville needs a theme park!

You get in early if you stay at any of their hotels (Breakers,Sandcastle, etc). Go in the Magnum gate. I got on the first ride in the back easily. Also if it doesn't open right away, wait. It took them an hour when I was there.
------------------
-Sean Newman

Already got the guide. Does anyone have riding tips (like what to ride first?)

PS: What seat is the ejector seat on Magnum I always hear about?

------------------
Mike T.
This ride re-opens in 30 minutes.

I think the ejector seat is 1.3.

------------------
-Sean Newman

If you're driving from New York, Dorney Park might be on your way. Season passes will run you the same as they do at Cedar Point but, still, it'll be a free park that way and you won't have to worry about processing your pass at CP once you get there -- just ride.

As for tips for next year, I guess a lot of that depends on whether or not the park adds a new major ride. I'm guessing that they won't, and even if they do it'll still be Dragster and Millennium Force that draws folks in at the open.

If you're staying at Breakers Express (or at one of the places on the peninsula) then your strategy will be pretty straight-forward because when you get in early you'll have two major rides to hit first. With 2-3 days you can always do different things. The back of the park (Mean Streak, etc.) is always empty when the park opens so you can start there one day, but early in the season it won't be so bad.

As for order of rides, my guess is that next year if you stay at a CP hotel that they will open MF, Raptor, and TTD early. Go to TTD first, then do MF as much as possible before the park opens, hit Mantis at opening. Get your TTD stamp (windows open at 11:00) for Freeway, get your MF stamp for Freeway.

Ride Wildcat (bad ride capacity), then head back towards Magnum (the true ejector seat is 1:3 but I prefer 6:1) ride that, then go around the triangle hitting every coaster you see (Woodstock, Gemini, CCMT, Mean Streak). Take the train back to the MF area, ride Iron Dragon if you have time before your TTD Freeway slot.

Then during the mid afternoon hit the coasters of the main midway (Blue Streak, WT, Raptor, Disaster Transport) and your MF Freeway ride while the bulk of the crowd is in the triangle. Then be sure to ride Raptor, MF, TTD, Mean Streak and most definatly Magnum at night. Try to time it so that you are in line for MF during the Summer Spectatcular if it is runing.

That way you get to ride all of CP's coasters in one day and the rest of the time you can re ride your favorites and try the flats and shows with the remainder of your visit.

------------------
Summer 03-CP, HP, SFDL, SFNE, SFWOA, and SFGAm.

For your own sake, I would suggest planning later in the fall after you see the operating schedule, pricing and such. CP is great, but you don't need to plan a year in advance like a tour in Europe.

------------------
2002/2003
KWTM

I said I was planning, you know, like asking the enthusiast community before I do anything, get some tips, etc, before I actually make any reservations.

------------------
Mike T.
This ride re-opens in 30 minutes.

And just to clarify, Magnum's ejector seat is 1-3. First car, third row. (Not to be confused as first row, third car.)

------------------
Missing the Fallen:
King Cobra 1984-2001
The Bat 1981-1983

I will be going for three days at the end of the week and it is never enough.

I stay in vermillion 12 minutes away at the park. I got a cottage for $350 for a week. Mini kitchen and little eaten area a bed and a private bath on the beach. Its a nice clean place and super friendly host. Sunday nights are the least busiest nights at the park. Wednesday during the day is the least crowdest and then Wednesday night is the crowdest day of the week. 3 park employee told me this last month when I was there. If you email me at akoolcomputerguy@yahoo.com I can give you info on the place I stayed at and anything else you wanna know. Hope I have helped.

------------------
Where is Drachen Fire? RIP BIG GUY!

Thanks for the tips on what part of the week to stay, but I wanna stay on site, just to get in early :)

------------------
Mike T.
This ride re-opens in 30 minutes.

You should stop at PKI. I stayed at the Baymount in and sweets. Its been complete remodeled and is super nice. Check them out on the web and shop around I think you would be about to get a room around $55-$65 a night. At CP don't eat at the BreakWater Cafe!! Market Garden is pretty good check it out. The Angry Bull Steak house on 6 is very good and nice but pricey!!SFWOA is worth a drive to if you ask me. Its very nice park. Lots to do and its a change from CP and just coasters and stuff.
------------------
Where is Drachen Fire? RIP BIG GUY!

You could also head a little south a 2 points on your trip and hit Knobels and Kennywood! Both are great! Not that you have not got enough to do already!

------------------
Give me wood! :-)
328 and counting!

My trip 2 weeks ago went like this Kennywood,CP,SFWOA,SFDL,DP.

Woohooo!

------------------
Top5
Alphengiest
Beast
Nitro
Mean Streak
Ice Dragon