CF Platinum Tour Part 2: CP 6/19 – 6/21

After returning from the west coast and a trip to Knott’s, the Meyer clan returned home and ventured off to our “home” park, Cedar Point, for a few days. We had stopped in briefly a couple times before this, but this was our first multi-day trip to the park.

This report isn’t about anything in particular, just another adventure and what stuck out for me.

Before going on, hit play on this. It will make sense.

Father’s Day

Time is fleeting. I’ve never realized this more than since becoming a dad of one and then two tiny people. I realize that everyone everywhere has heard and said that “time flies”, but it is really starting to hit home as my daughters (who have been featured in many trip reports here) are now 10 and 14. Like a lot of you reading this, Cedar Point (insert your own home park there) is more than just a place on a map, it’s something greater where we have made countless memories, and we decided to start a new tradition of Father’s Day at the point from now until as long as we can. They have been to this park with us every year of their lives, and I hope that never changes. This is me and the girls in 2016…

We started our brief adventure at Cedar Point on Father’s Day (6/19), arriving mid-afternoon. Crowds were relatively light, and we snagged a few rides on Millennium and SkyHawk before playing some games and then retiring early back to Breakers Express. Our favorite, the cottages at Lighthouse Point, were all booked by the time we decided to do this, but Breakers Express remains, for us, a solid choice. It’s close to the Thirsty Pony, close to the park, and it’s well maintained. Plus the kids love the pool. It’s all about the pool.

Monday (6/20), and other things.

Monday. Was. Packed. Really packed. That said, we got there for early entry, and I ended up running into a long-lost friend from my own high school in Ayersville, Ohio (bonus points if you ever even heard of that). We ended up riding with him and his family on Valravn. I realize you all have no idea who this is, but how awesome is it to randomly meet up with someone at Cedar Point?

While we initially were thinking FastLane and ride, the girls took us in another unexpected direction. We ended up spending some time in the Forbidden Frontier (which is better than ever), riding the boat ride (the acting has improved), and doing some things I haven’t done in a long time. The girls got picked to be the “smugglers” on Snake River Expedition, and it was a great memory.

One fun thing about this day was that while the expected lines were crazy (Steel Vengeance, etc.), others were not, and since we are a family that has literally done everything more times than we can count, we decided to do things we rarely do. One highlight for me was riding Thunder Canyon with the girls. I haven’t ridden this ride since maybe sometime in the 90’s, but the temperature was also somewhere in the 90’s, and I remember what it was like to be a kid and get excited about these water rides, so I am more than happy I said yes to my daughters when they asked me to get in line. I forgot how much fun this ride is, and how well themed it is. It has a relaxing queue, and the three of us had an absolute blast getting soaked together.

Tuesday (sorry, Friday), I’m in Love.

Tuesday was our last day, and we fully intended it to be short. It’s a two-hour drive to home, so we were thinking 1) get up early, 2) hit a couple of our favorites, and 3) set sail for home by 3 or 4. How wrong were we, as the amusement park gods shined (shown?) their love down on us…

After an early lap on Millennium around 11:00, we headed back to Steel Vengeance, hoping the line would be bearable. As it turned out, we got on in about 5 minutes. What? After getting off, the line had not changed a bit, and we got right back on. And then we got right back on five more times in a row. In fact the last of those five rides was essentially a walk-on.

I’m sure many of you can remember magical days when you just happened to be in the right park at the right time, and this was, for reasons I cannot explain, one of those days. Tuesday, 6/20, felt like an old-school “weekday in May” kind’ve day, with literally every ride being a walk-on, with very minimal (10-20 minutes tops) waits for Steel Vengeance.

Pics or it didn’t happen

We decided to let the girls direct the show, and (of many things) we ended up having a ball on Gemini, which was running both sides (despite the crowds) and I experienced something I haven’t experienced since I was a kid; a money train! For those of you who don’t know, this is when (on the turns) you pass a dollar bill back and forth up between the blue and red trains and see who ends up with it; then the same crowd gets back in line and the person who last had the dollar starts the chain.

We ended up staying until close that day, getting laps on every coaster in the park and all the flats we love. I even rode the Monster with them. The Monster? I think the last time I was on that ride The Simpsons weren’t yet on the air.

I have been to Cedar Point with my girls every year since they were born, and I hope that never changes. On this particular trip, they reminded me of how much fun it is to just be a kid again.

Me and the girls in 2022:

I've never heard of the money train on Gemini. Our kids love the high fives but I'll be sure to bring some dollar bills next time. Gemini is one of our favorites. It's certainly not the most thrilling, but it's just plain fun. There's something about it. Maybe it's the racing, the high fives, the head chopper, the nice airtime in the back... maybe all of the above. Perhaps nostalgia but my thrill junkie kids all say how much they love it too. I cringe every time I hear someone that wants to tear it down and replace it with a monster coaster. It's a nice moderate thrill coaster that just about everyone can ride.

"Time is fleeting... but it is really starting to hit home as my daughters (who have been featured in many trip reports here) are now 10 and 14."

Man can I ever relate to this. My kids are now 12, 9, and 9 (yes, twins) and it smacked me in the face this past winter like never before. I think the trigger is when I realized my oldest will be in the house for just 6 more years. That was a big reason why we decided to spend 4 nights at CP, coincidentally arriving the day after you left.

Great TR. As a dad of kids of similar ages, this had all the feels.

I also have never heard of the Money Train on Gemini. Sounds like fun, but I'd be pretty pissed if someone just pockets the dollar on the first pass. Maybe I'll give it a try sometime, I mean, what the heck it's only a buck.

How many people re-ride Gemini? I would expect the dollar getting taken on the first ride.

Danimales:

As a dad of kids of similar ages, this had all the feels.

As a dad of kids who are much older (21 and 23), but with a long history of visiting amusement parks/theme parks/water parks as they were growing up: same.

The youngest heads off to the west coast to start grad school this Fall. There've been a lot of those feels moments this summer. A lot.

Regarding the "money train"; when I said it's been a long time, I meant long time, as in the 1980's. This takes us back to the days when you could get on and off Gemini almost non-stop (6-train ops?), and both sides were always racing. I mean, with no line you could just stay on the train and keep riding back then. God forbid.

That day was the perfect storm. Both sides going (and racing perfectly), and no line whatsoever, so the same 25-30 people were getting on and off. We did three laps and moved on.

And I've never (even as a kid) witnessed someone just pocketing the dollar mid-ride. It's a Washington, not a Benjamin.

I was pretty stunned when I looked over and saw a lady passing me a buck on the first pass.

OhioStater:

from my own high school in Ayersville, Ohio (bonus points if you ever even heard of that)

Defiance alum here. Great TR.

Trip Reports like this can take me back to some of the best and most memorable park visits I have ever had. The most fun and most memorable days and moments almost always happen on what starts out as a random park day. Sounds like you had two very different but equally as fun park days. Thanks for sharing with us!

OhioStater:

And I've never (even as a kid) witnessed someone just pocketing the dollar mid-ride. It's a Washington, not a Benjamin.

Now people are jerks. They'll take you dollar and run.

I think it was on this site that someone mentioned a long time ago what if during the hand slapping between the trains someone slapped a handcuff around your wrist and attached the other end to their lap bar. The thought of that scares me to this day. I still slap hands but it does creep me out a bit thinking "what if?".

Platinum Bass:

Defiance alum here. Great TR.

Bonus points!

('95 grad of AHS)

Shades:

what if during the hand slapping between the trains someone slapped a handcuff around your wrist

You know, I remember reading that however long ago on here or at PB and I think about it every time I ride Gemini and hit the second turn. It turned into one of those muscle memory thought association things for me.

I’d love to stay but I simply must go have an anxiety attack now.

I mean.

Who came up with that nightmare?

Great trip report Kevin. Not to get off the subject. I'm a few years younger than you but met several great athletes from Defiance. As a cross country and track runner in high school, teammates and I attended a running camp (yes, that probably sounds crazy to a lot of people) for one week at Camp Fitch at the end of July each year. Other school teams participated in the camp as well, including Defiance.

Thanks and not crazy to me (I met my wife while working in a "running store" in Columbus); our oldest is off to her first XC camp next week (NEO). Track and XC was my thing; we had a killer team at AHS when I was in high school, but Defiance took off after I graduated. NW Ohio has a lot of schools with a great tradition of distance running.