Cedar Point Trip questions

I would like to go to Cedar Point this year.I do not want to spend a lot on a rental car that i will then have to pay to park.I noticed there is amtrack from
Cleveland to Sandusky .

I have several question if someone in area can answer

Is this a good idea is the airport near the amtrack (do not mind paying for cab ride) or do any of the hotels near cedar point have a shuttle ?
or should i try to find a tour group going when i want (my dates are flexible)

Thanks
Kevin 38

Sandusky is a small town a long way from anything, on top of that the Amtrak Trains arrive at very inopportune times. I am sure there is some sort of Taxi but I it would not be anything major.

Many of the Hotels have shuttles but I really think your best bet would be to fly into Cleveland ( Hour and a Half) or Detroit (2 hours) and rent a car and drive.

If you stay on Point at one of the resorts you get early entry to the park as well as free parking.

An economy Rental would run you no more then 50 dollars a day including gas.

Those would be my suggestions

Any way you slice it, renting a car is likely going to be the cheapest option.

Yeah I found an economy car for 107.00 for 4 days
the holiday inn express has a very good room rate
and says it is less than 1/2 a mile from park
so i might just leave car at hotel.

You won't be able to walk from your hotel to the park, you will have to drive or take a shuttle if they have one.

Anything a half-mile from the park is really about a mile and a half, because the Hotel is really telling you that they are that far from the road that leads to the park. You won't be allowed to walk on the road to the park. It's on a land bridge traveling through the lake, and there is no room for pedestrians.

In that case I will get the platinum pass I was just gonna get the regular pass
for 4 days.I am looking at going 5/22 to 5/25 2009 figured 2nd weekend they are open should be slow (I hope) thanks for all the info.

Kevin38

Get the platinum or stay on point.

There are three hotels on point with the park.

If you are not familiar with CP just think of it like a Mini Disney in regards to resorts.

Make that comparison and you'll be incredibly disappointed.

I was going to say the same thing, Jeff.

Granted I have never been to CP but don't forget that 5/22-5/25 is Memorial Day weekend. The parks I have been to on Memorial Day weekend have always been packed and holiday weekends are generally not ideal for amusement park visits. Since your dates are flexible you may want to consider a different time.

Last year on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at Cedar Point the park was nowhere close to being packed. I went on the Calypso with my son while my wife and daughter went on Blue Streak. They were done and waiting for us when we got off! The longest wait of the day was for Woodstock Express! Keep in mind we did not ride any of the MAJOR coasters that day. Just CCMR, Gemini, Blue Streak, ID, DT and Corkscrew and none of them was even a 5 minute wait except for DT which was about 15. Now last year may have been an exception, I went to Hersheypark on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 2006 and that park was wall to wall people that day. I guess when summing this up it would be YMMV.

Tom

I would definately consider staying at a CP resort. No it isn't Disney, but it does make for a much nicer experience than being off point (walk to park, no parking, no driving, early entry, etc.). Memorial Day itself shouldn't be too bad. The rest of your weekend may be somewhat crowded though, it has been for us in the past. Still not as bad as a Halloweekends Saturday or peak season summer day. Have fun!

I live about 45 minutes from the park and we go often. Last year we were there on Memorial day weekend and Father's Day weekend. Both weekends the weather was great and the park was empty. I have found with CP that from the weekend after opening to the third weekend in June the park generally has short queue times.

I wish Cedar Point's resort was better than it was. I love staying there because it makes our trips that much better, but paying the same price for Breakers as I do The Royal Pacific at Universal makes me sick.

Yep. Calling those places "resorts" is, at best, disingenuous. Resorts don't use plastic cups. Resorts don't have threadbare towels and cheap, low-thread-count bedding. Resorts try to keep the rooms passably clean.

Unfortunately, because bookings at these properties are strong in-season, there really isn't any incentive to improve.

The "new" sections of Breakers are comparable to a better-than-average Holiday Inn, at rates comparable to a Westin.

The Lighthouse Point units aren't bad values. The space is comfortable for a family, and the rates are fair for what you get. The cabins have that nice loft, which works great for kids, and the cottage locations bayside are really nice. The sofas all need to be replaced, though---they were thin when they were new, and they aren't new anymore.

If you aren't picky, the "old" sections of Breakers can have good rates, but those rooms are dumps of the first order.

I was thinking about trying the newly-renovated Sandcastle rooms this past year, but after reading the TripAdvisor reviews, I passed.

The one exception: Castaway Bay. We have always enjoyed our stays here. The rooms are decent, the rates fair, and the hotel has several nice amenities beyond the waterpark. The breakfast buffet has an omelet station, and unlike every other breakfast served in any Cedar Point resort, the floor managed to not be sticky. I honestly thought I'd lose a shoe walking to the buffet line at Breakwater this past Halloweekends.

I'm convinced that the only reason Castaway Bay is reasonable is that it has to compete against the much better waterpark at Kalahari. Otherwise, it too would slip into and beyond mediocrity.

Edited to add: we also find our stays at Breakers Express to be adequate. It too is reminiscent of a Holiday Inn (or maybe a step down), but the rates are competitive with other off-point hotels, and offers decent quality in comparison.

Why not drive? I know it's a long drive, but if you get the Platinum Pass this year, you will not pay to park, and there are early admissions to the park as a perk as well. If you make that car ride an express ride as much as possible, you still have two whole days at the park, which should be enough to hit all the coasters and still have time to chill out. I went in the middle of July last year, it was packed as all get out, and I still hit every ride I wanted to with plenty of time left over for re-rides in a day and a half. Even TTD and MF. Is the drive longer than a few hours? I don't really know about the proximity of the two cities, but it's in the same state...that way you don't have to pay for a train or a plane, not to mention a rental car. Gas, tolls, hotel, and food, and you're set. Well, just a thought. :) Have a great time, and don't forget to post your trip report!