Conneaut Advice

After searching through the forums for related topics and after much hesitation as to post, I have no other choice.

Next Thursday, July 15, I'm making a day trip to Conneaut Lake. I need advice for a first-timer.

First off, how much time is actually needed to experience every ride there, maybe some even twice?

Are there any area attractions that I shouldn't miss such as museums or shops?

Third and final, how are the prices like?

Thanks.:)

The price stuff can be found here:

http://www.conneautlakepark.com/

Conneaut is small. 1/2 day (I'm sure some will disagree) unless you plan on marathoning Blue Streak.

Conneaut Pricing/Hours (always check the park's site for this info :) )

I spent a whopping 1 hour and 15 minutes at the park when I went there a couple weeks ago. Got a ride on all the flats I wanted to (except the ones that were still in disrepair). I also had plenty of rides on Blue Streak to rattle me to my bones.

Recommend riding in the back on Blue Streak. Awesome airtime. Stick around until closing as you might get some really awesome sunset shots if you bring a camera.

Dont miss Devil's Den. It is a dumb but fun dark ride.

I dont know of much in the area, but Steak on The Lake restaurant offers some decent buffets. We did the Friday fish fry/seafood buffet and it was pretty good. Plus the views of the lake from there are awesome. Steak on the Lake is in the Conneaut Lake Hotel. Check out the rooms there even if you dont stay there. Oh and listen to the "ghost stories" too. Worth a trip back in time so to speak.

Other nearby attractions that I would not miss are:

Waldameer Park in Erie, PA (only an hour away)
Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA (Right behind Waldameer Park.)

Also you are only 2 hours from Kennywood! *** Edited 7/7/2004 3:23:44 PM UTC by beast7369***

I haven't been there since opening day, but a Thursday is going to be a pretty slow day. I don't know if all of the rides are up yet. Blue Streak is running, but other than that, I'm pretty unsure. I haven't had the chance to get back there yet this season.

If you like carp, the spillway in Linesville is about a half hour from the park. Interesting and disgusting all at the same time. If you have enough time, make the 45 minute trip north and go to Waldameer. You can easily do both parks in one day.

Yes Jess you definitely can do both Waldameer and Conneaut Lake Park in one day. Probably both in half a day even. We did Waldameer, Presque Isle State Park, and Conneaut Lake park in one day. Starting at 2pm at Waldameer and until the 9pm closing at Conneaut Lake. Mind you this also includes the driving in between all 3 places, and dinner at Steak on the Lake.

We just did Waldameer and Conneaut on Saturday. Conneaut is good for a few hours, especially if it is a slow day when you can get lots of Blue Streak rides. We went on a weekend and the line for the coaster was quite long because only three cars are in operation (meaning that the train can only accomodate 12 riders). The Devil's Den darkride is fun, as is the Ultimate Trip (a FAST indoor Scrambler). If you want to ride the Flying Scooters, the Tilt-a-Whirl, the ferris wheel, the Paratrooper and the Round-Up, you can definite be satisfied for a few hours.

While the park needs some work, it is definitely showing signs of rebounding. Business seems good this year and if that continues for a few years, I'm sure the future of the park will be a lot brighter than it is right now. Don't let the park's poor rep fool you- Conneaut is a LOT of fun, and the Blue Streak is awesome, especially if you get some late-night rides in the dark!

Waldameer is another great park that is good for at least a half a day and even more if you want to ride all the flats. Comet is a great small wood coaster and the new spinning coaster is good for a few rides. And the log flume is not to be missed!

Is there a musuem or something like that for the park? I read somewhere that there was but I forget where.

Also, I know no one knows for sure but has Blue Streak been running basically everyday since it opened? What about Devil's Den?

Thanks.:) *** Edited 7/15/2004 2:50:35 AM UTC by carrouseler***

Make sure you stop by the Gift Shop and pick up some Kiddieland postcards - they feature a really nice photo of the Little Dipper ;)

And Rob, I did my part to help preserve the park (and their classic woodie) by donating that photo - see, I'm a preservationist too! :)