Help - Planning a trip to CP

I am planning a vacation at Cedar Point with my 8 year old son. We both love coasters, the bigger the better.
Questions:
1 - I'm thinking of spending 3 fulls days. Want to go to Soak City at least once. Is that enough overall time, too much, not enough?
2 - Is it smart to wait till the last week of August for the smaller crowds, or would end of July be ok. Will be going mid-week either way, not weekends.
3 - What is weather like last weeks of July and August?
Thanks, Ron

Last week of August is not much slower than July. Maybe just a little.

3 days (two in the park, one at Soak City) should be enough.

The weather will probably be hot and humid. Typical Ohio summer weather.

3 days should be good.

Anytime I've gone the last week of August, just about everything in the park was a walk on. Maybe a 45 minute wait for Millie but everything else, walk-on to 10 minutes. We love going the last week of August, we usually shoot for Wednesday. It did seem a little busier the year Millie opened so that may happen again with the opening of Dragster, but it was still better than going in July.

3 days is fine, make sure you go on a weekday (Tues-Thur is best) do not, I repeat do not, go on Friday or Saturday, its insane. Be sure to call CP for Gateway Guide, in years past they have had coupons for Two Day Ride and Slide (CP & Soak City) and twilight passes (after 5 pm). I find that if you do some serious coasting from park opening till 1 then eat and head to Soak City till about 5 and then hit the park again till it closes is the best mix. That way you miss the crowds and beat the heat, plus Soak City is more relaxing place, I enjoy doing multiple laps on their Adventure River, you occasionally get wet, it has a wave maker in it, and you can watch Magnum go by for hours on end.

------------------
I don't care what anyone says, Magnum is better then Millenium Force.

You can ask for a Gateway Guide but you will probably be told you can't get one. You want to ask for a Getaway Guide.

Ron....the best thing you can do is stay at a CP resort. For $ reasons I stay at the breakers express. But, a better alternative for you guys may be the Breakers. It's the most convenient. If your kid is tired, you can just walk to your room....literally 90 seconds from Soak City and Magnum :) Plus, the benifits of staying on-site (early entry) are worth every penny. I bet that will be twice as true this year in order to get on Dragster before the park technically opens.

------------------
- "I used to be in the audio/visual club, but I was kicked out because of my views on Vietnam........and I was stealing projectors" - Homer Simpson
*** This post was edited by Peabody 3/5/2003 2:22:17 PM ***

Thanks eveybody. I'm there!

Is Breakers the only hotel that has early park entry? Anyone have the website/contact info? Thanks in advance!

------------------
"You think you know me..."

I am pretty sure that all CP resorts (the ones not on the other side of the causeway might not though) get early entry (Breakers, Sandcastle, Campers Village, Lighthouse Point, Breakers Express [other side of bridge], Raddison [right on the other side of the causeway]) Its just that if you stay at Breakers the enterance you will use (beach since the station is by power tower) will be the closest enterance to TTD.

------------------
I don't care what anyone says, Magnum is better then Millenium Force.

You can book rooms online at the Cedar Point website. www.cedarpoint.com.

Ron, if you're going in the last week of August 2 weekdays should be plenty. You can always slip in Soak City on the second afternoon between a morning and night at CP.

Keep in mind that if your 8-year-old isn't 54 inches yet he'll be skipping Mantis, Raptor and in all likelihood Dragster. You have excellent consolation in Milly and Magnum (and every other coaster there) but that might be another good reason to cut your stay from 3 days to 2 whole days and still ride it all.