While still far from a sure thing, it sounds like the planning for a themed hotel at the Columbus Zoo is gaining some traction:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/02/18/hotel-could-be-a-boon-at-the-zoo.html

Which makes me wonder, what is Cedar Fair planning hotel wise? They mentioned in the conference call that some of the capital budget was going to lodging. Could certain parks be seeing a return of a campground, or a hotel on property?

Glad to see this finally moving forward... The zoo's next major expansion, the African Savanna, had been slowed while the hotel was being debated, as there are plans to integrate the hotel facility along one side of the the open savannah.

I think this is a great idea! I am from about 30 minutes away from the zoo. The Columbus Zoo is my favorite zoo, not because it's my home zoo but because of what it has to offer. I've been to several zoos, some have been free entry, some have been cheap entry with hardly anything to offer. The Columbus Zoo is great because of the fact that you can spend a whole day to a weekend there. If there was a hotel added, I could only imagine what all would happen. I'd enjoy staying there, maybe going to an indoor water park, playing in the arcade, the next day going to Zoombezi Bay and then taking a night walk through the zoo that evening! Heck yes!

^ and, if you're a golfer that could add another afternoon to your Zoo trip