Lack of Cedar Point TR's

I've been to the Point four times this year (thanks to my GL pass) and as of my last visit, which was last Friday, I don't plan on going again the rest of the season.

I've had mediocre experiences there each time. I've actually left CP in a bad mood for most of my visits.

I've been going to CP every year since I was a kid (that goes waaaay back to Shoot the Rapids days folks) and I feel that CP is really lacking something this year. Plus the clientele on some attractions I've experienced seem to have left their IQ's at the main gate.

X Factor

I've been about a half dozen times this year, and had a good time every time. I've been been there twice in July, which I never do.

Like I said... you see what you want to see.

I never rode DT before it was DT, but would think it wouldn't be as fun "outside." To me, it's like Space Mountain with the lights on or at least what I assume it would be like with the lights on, and from what I've heard from some of those lucky enough to ride SM with the lights on, I'm right.

I will agree though that there's someting about a bobsled on the beach. :) *** Edited 7/17/2006 3:37:15 AM UTC by Acoustic Viscosity***

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Jeff said:
Like I said... you see what you want to see.

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That is so true. You can be a grump and point and pick at every piece of litter and every employee that isn't doing a good job, but if you want to have a good day at CP it is far from hard to do.

Our deal was that CP was the end of our coaster trip out East and by the time we got there last year we were like "I'm tired of parks and ready to get home" ;)

For the record I have a SFStL pass and have only been there twice this year, but have used that pass at 4 other SF parks. Still a great value even with the increase... and speaking of value, the WOF pass (which is still the lowest in the chain) is going to be even better next season if the Paramount Parks are included... will make Cali trips very nice.

I have only been there once this year. Skyhawk rocks! I usually go about 3-4 times a year.

I prefer to go during Halloweekends. The weather is better and the crowds are less. :)

-Tina

I'll have one in two weeks for ya. :)

I went to Cedar Point this year for the first time in about 5 years. I had a decent time and the park was actually nicer than I remembered it. I still mourn the loss of many classic attractions (especially because I have little interest in most of the new additions over the past 10 years), the lack of shade, etc, but parts of the park still have that neat amusement park "look".

But I was completely struck by the pitiful operations I experienced on nearly every ride. The crew on the coasters were really taking their time, stacking trains for minutes every time. It was a busy day and I didn't even attempt to ride any M. Force, Magnum, or Raptor because I refused to wait in the long lines. Gemini, usually a people eater, was only running one side resulting in a long agonizing wait. Disaster Transport even had a big line (and they actually had the most efficient operators I saw).

I gave up on the coasters and contented myself with other things: sky ride, some flats, the train, Cedar Downs, White Water Lan..um..nevermind. Later in the day, the line for Blue Streak shrunk down to a reasonable size so I was able to get a decent amount of riding on what I consider to be the best coaster in the park.

I had a good time because I went with low expectations and didn't stress about trying to ride everything. I knew it would be busy and lines for the major coasters would be unbearable. But I'm not in any hurry to go back either.

I would love to know what rides were stacking for minutes every time.

I tend to think that some of the coaster/amusementpark geeks actually go to the parks as critics instead of park patrons. That is, they go looking for the bad instead of actually relaxing and enjoying the day.

I have to say, that I have never left a park saying what a bad time I have had. I just enjoy the people I am with.

About 4 years ago my future wife and her daughter went to SFGAm on a cold May day. We rode the double merry-go-round and I think Spacely's Sprocket Rocket coaster and the Antique Cars. That was it. Not muchg else was open, but we stayed there for hours and played games, looked in shops and ate. As we were leaving my wife and her daughter said it was one of the best days we had at a park ever.

Just like Jeff said. You see what you want to see.

-Tambo

Neuski: Blue Streak, Gemini, Mean Streak, Mine Ride. And yeah, it mattered, because those rides all had significant lines that day. I can't comment on the operations for rides like M. Force, Magnum, Raptor, etc. because I wasn't going to touch them with the 2 hours lines they seemed to have.

I usually NEVER complain about poor operations because I tend to go to parks where lines aren't a big deal. But this was just pathetic.

Tambo: I still had a good time, I mostly gave up on the coasters (which isn't a huge loss anyway!) and concentrated on other things. I had a blast on the train (a quality operating antique steam railroad is a rarity), the carousels, some of the older flats I hadn't ridden in years, etc. I even appreciated the 25 cent cotton candy.

My work had a company picnic of sorts so I had an extremely cheap ticket and a free meal. I feel I got my money's worth. :)

In response to Millrace's comments on the lines, stacking, and operations...

After my first visit to CP (June 2005), I noticed stacking on some of the coasters as well... especially Magnum. And the reason: In some cases the crews seemed more concerned with entertaining the waiting crowd rather than dispatching trains in the most effient manner. Worst offenders: Magnum crew. When a train returned to the station, they insisted on asking "How was your ride" or something to that effect, and having the returning riders cheer. If they did not cheer loud enough, they had them cheer again. In some cases, they had them cheer 3 or 4 times before releasing the restraints (all while those riders were "waiting", the riders waiting to load were waiting, and the riders in the other train that was stacked on the break run were waiting).

To a lesser extent I noticed this on all the coasters (with the exception of M-Force, who's ride ops were hurrying to move people through because it was closing time).

While needless waits and inefficient operations are annoying because of incompetent, slow moving, or just outright uncaring ops, they are just as annoying when the operators are more concerned about putting on their little shows for the riders than they are about actually Unloading - loading - dispatching trains.

CP's operators would win more with the riders if they would realize that we are there to ride the coasters, now watch their little show. They seemed more interested in letting the riders know 1) how great they (the ops) were, 2) how much better their coaster was over other coasters in the park, and 3) how great their park was over any other park on the planet. They would rather slow the dispatch of trains than cut shor their little routine.

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Neuski said:
I would love to know what rides were stacking for minutes every time.

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Me too. Every ride but MF and Mantis seem to hit their intervals really well. Or if they don't the line is non existant as is usually the case with Blue Streak and Mine Ride.

Uh... Magnum couldn't "stack" last year because it would require manually having to release the train on the safeties every time. There is always a train on the transfer... that's the normal blocking of the ride. This year, from what I understand, they can have a train on the safeties and it's automatically released. That said, I haven't seen it happen even once this year. They want to take the capacity crown back from Raptor.

I'd like to know what this "lack of shade" thing is about. Exactly how do you expect to keep these giant midways in the shade? Skyscrapers? There is plenty of shade on the Frontier Trail, Frontier town, Camp Snoopy (finally), about half of the Corkscrew-Gemini midway and most of the Giant Wheel midway. Heck, even the north end of the main midway is now well-covered, as the trees around the cars and the middle of the midway have grown quite big.

Is it shady like, say, Busch Gardens in Williamsburg? Of course not, but Cedar Point doesn't have that terrain or the narrow midways.

What does terrain have to do with trees?

Terrain has to do with shade and the fact that a small tree at the top of a valley will create more shade than a small tree on flat ground.

Sorry for not having the "tecnical" parts of Magunm down...

All I know is this... People waiting to board, people waiting to unload... Train coming in on the breaks... Operators doing their little schtick "Every one have a good ride... Oh come on... Louder... You can do better... LOUDER... Come on... LOUDER!"

Bottom line... in my opinion.. CP operations are average. Not horribly slow (like select SF operations in the years past), but not horribly efficient either. In my opinion they were very ANNOYING with their little acts.

There is no doubt the lines at CP can be long, especially during high summer. As a season pass holder, I do not go from late June through the third week in August, and I tend to avoid weekdays in late may and early June due to school trips.

I find SLFAKE's comments a little ironic though. You see, those of us who have been going to CP for many years actually missed the the freedom the operators had to connect with the guests. In fact, if you do a search on Pointbuzz, you'll find a lot of complaints when CP management went to the auto spiels. It kind of took something away from the experience and made it feel more "six flags" like.

The strange thing is, the autospiels were put into place last year (2005) and removed THIS year. So it seems kind of strange that slfake experienced this last year.

I've noticed some things have gotten better this season compared to last year: operations are generally more efficient, and the ops employees are providing a better environment. Foods is about the same: still slow and spotty. Grounds/Environment is about the same: still pretty good.

Corkscrew stacks terribly and all the time. Both Streaks stack from time to time, Blue more often than Mean. CCMR seemed to only have two complete trains (the third was in parts on transfer), so it's line is slow, but it doesn't stack. ;) Four-train Gemini is a shell of its former six-train self. Magnum, Raptor, MF (!), and Mantis (!) crews have been kicking booty this season. Dragster has been more reliable than expected, and MF has been less reliable than expected.

Overall, we think this season is an improvement. However, if you aren't looking forward to a visit, it might be worth trying something new, instead.

^ Regarding "trying something new".

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Acoustic Viscosity said:
I haven't been to CP since 2002. I will probably go next year if the new coaster looks more interesting than Dragster. Or if I run out of other parks to go to. ;)

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LOL, I'm going to be in the area, WITH my Knott's pass, and just don't really see the need to visit CP this year. There ARE too many other places I need to go....Erieview, Memphis Kiddie Park, Ohio State Fair, etc. NEW experiences.

I remember just a few years ago thinking "I have GOT to get to CP, that places looks AMAZING". I went for about 3 years' running, and while I still find the place enjoyable, it's not a park I'll go out of my way to visit until/unless something they build REALLY grabs my attention (last thing they built that did that for me...MForce).