Weekday Crowds at CP, how are they?

Raptor's queue length actually varies more than any other ride. Low tide is generally between 6 and 8, because of all the idio... I mean... guests that get in line for it as soon as the park opens.

I believe (for all parks) in getting there early...leaving about noon to go do ANYTHING (movies, pool, etc) besides waiting in line and then returning late when others are leaving and closing down the park. This seems to work for me all the time.

A question for those who have been in short lines at Cedar Point. In reguards to closed rides.

When you waited in those Short lines, was every ride operating in the park? Including the cable cars and the trains? Were the coasters running at full capacity? Meaning three trains running on each?

The reason I am asking this question is because it makes a huge difference in the lines. I went one year, and, both the cable cars and top thrill dragster was closed, and Gemini was only running two trains. Every coaster had over an hour wait, including Mean Streak, which is usually under a half hour.

The Cable cars suck up a large amount of guests, and, if every ride is operating, lines will be short. But, all it takes is a couple break downs, and the lines back up to the wa-zoo!

Weather can also be a factor, if it's too cold, people who normally go to the water park will be in the amusement area...making the lines even longer. If it's really hot...sometimes that brings in people too.

Don't count on rain to keep away the crowds. because everyone is thinking the same thing. It's raining so no one will be there! wrong!!! Unless there is a hail storm..it's just as busy. *** Edited 8/16/2006 1:40:18 AM UTC by Timber-Rider***

Every coaster had over an hour wait....what, all day? Hard to believe, even with a handful of rides closed or not at full capacity.

Cedar Point is the best park in the world at ride operations. There are some many rides and so many coasters, and they are always running at full capacity. Yes, there are so many people there and lines are always longer than most other park, but these waits are always reasonable. The ride operators are fast and the rides are high capacity, so you are never really "standing" in line, you are usually always moving. I'd suggest riding the bigger, most popular coasters in the morning or at night (MF, TTD, Mantis, Raptor) Gemini and Magnum are absolute "people eaters," so their waits are usually only 15-20mins in the busiest times of the day. The other coasters are usually very small.(5-20mins) MF, TTD, Mantis, and Raptor are usually 45min-1and half hour waits. Believe me though, it is definatly worth it to wait an hour Millennium Force, one of the best roller coasters. Just use some common sense in times to ride and the waits won't be bad, and you'll probably have time to get everything in. Just remember, even if the waits are bad, would you rather be at work?

Yeah really. Well thanks guys, got to get up bright and early so I'll come back with a trip report sometime after I get back. It will be just my Fiancee' and I, so I'll be able to take it easy and pick out the shorter lines. Thanks for the tips.

I don't go so often, I am from Pittsburgh, but my short waits for Raptor have been during the evening. Years ago I would wait through the entire queue, same with Magnum, Mean Streak and Mantis! Things are much different now. I am not denying that there are crowds on a lot of days, they just don't seem to be there when I am in town. Heh.

I was there yesterday, and everything I've been saying (over and over) held true even though it was extremely busy. Long waits for Raptor until late afternoon, then sub-half-hour. MF and Dragster had long lines all day, as is typical. Less than a half-hour wait for most every other coaster. Cars were parked nearly out to the tolls.

Does anybody remember the day that the WSJ reporter visited Cedar Point, then wrote the article that talked about how he waited in line all day and thought it terrible that Cedar Point didn't have a virtual queue system? He rode Raptor, then Millennium Force then Mantis:TCFKAB in the first four hours he was in the park.

It just so happens that I was in the park on that very same day. On that particular day, I managed to ride every coaster in the park except Jr. Gemini and Mantis:TCFKAB (the two that I don't ride...). As a matter of fact, of the coasters I rode that day, the three that the reporter spent his whole day waiting in line for were the only ones I didn't ride *before Noon*.

By the time I rode Raptor at about 6:00 pm it was a walk-on. When I rode Millennium Force, it was only about a 30 minute wait.

Lines vary at Cedar Point, and if you are willing to do a little bit of walking and adjust your visit to accommodate what the park crowds are *not* doing, you can avoid the longest lines even when the park is quite busy.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.