Photo TR: First Time to Cedar Point

[Gordon Bombay]

So this trip happened almost a week ago but I'm just now getting time to write it. Last thursday (8/24) I went to Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky Ohio for the first time ever. My family had always talked about taking trips up there before and I discussed with some friends about taking a trip up back in June but nothing ever came through. When I was a kid I always heard about the park and just about every year I heard abotu some new thing they were getting but it wasnt untill about 2004 when I signed up for PKIC that I became fully aware of the park and its attractions. So last week I took a trip up to the point for my first time with a friend of mine (known on this site as erACER, he helped film for nights of fire) and some good friends from work. We made a one day deal out of it.

Jon (erACER) and I met up at my house once he got off work at around 11:30. We watched Tom Goes To The Mayor and played super nintendo untill about 3 in the morning, we then slept for about an hour each then drove to Loveland to meet Brad (UncleHenry) and his girlfriend. It probably wasnt the smartest idea going to CP on one hour of sleep. We began our four hour drive only stopping for Bawls energy drinks and mcdonalds breakfast. With only a little hassle from backroads in Northern Ohio we eventually found this small city:

Then about two intersections up from where I took that picture was the entrance to Cedar Point! I was so excited. We began driving dowm the peninsula and passed Breakers hotel, theres so much track sitting out there, it was unbelievable then a soft turn and BOOM there it was. Cedar Point. It was lightly raining and slightyly foggy but you could make out the outlines of MF, TTD, and Power Tower with their air traffic warning lights blinking! We rolled in at about 10 A.M. no one was there, the park was dead, we were in teh first parking lane behind handicapped parking. We got our tickets and went in. Magnum was the first ride of the day.

Magnum:

Magnum was my first Cedar Point coaster, very fast, lots of airtime and just an absolutely amazing coaster over all. Like a giant Arrow mine train. We rode it twice in one day and it was a blast everytime! The only things I dont like about it is that the first half of the ride is kinda boring and sluggish but after the pretzel its nothing but bunny hills and ejector air, its scary how far it throws you our of your seat. 8/10

Next was Top Thrill Dragster...

Top Thrill Dragster:

Jon and I sat in the last car. We had a disability pass due to one member of our group suffering from recent knee surgery but we had a time that an attendant gave us and waited jsut as long as everyone else. The attendents were extremely helpful and friendly. Jon and I rode the very back seat. I'm a pretty big guy and was worried I wouldnt fit but it turned out to be quite alright, I even had quite a bit of slack. My hands were shaking as I heard the train in front of us launch then a few seconds later I looked up on the tower and saw the lights then wham we were off. I was dissapointed that there was no airtime on top of the hill but this one trick pony ride pulls one AMAZING trick. However, we did it later that night and waited in line for the front. The front is a whole new ride experience and was amazing! This time there was air on the hill and I have that image imprinted into my mind looking straight down that perfect sprial of track ont he way down. One of the best rides ever! 10/10

Millenium Force:

This coaster lives up to its reputation after only a short wait for the front we boarded. The lift is so nerve racking looking down and seeing nothing but the lake and the lift moves so fast then your right over that hill. My vision went purple on that first over banked turn but after that everything was clear as glass. Theres a lot of air on this ride and its contantly going so fast you think its a powered ride, theres not one dull or slow part on this ride, including the lift. Later on we did it in the back and the air was really intense. A fantastic ride! 10/10

Mantis:

This was my 2nd B&M stand up. This one was a lot more intense than Vortex at Carowinds and I liked how long the ride lasted. Not a bad ride, but the bicylce seats werent very nice and the trim break on the first hill killed the first drop but not a bad coaster at all. I liked it. 7/10

Blue Streak:

Give me The Racers or The Beast any day but this woodie wasnt too bad. The airtime was pretty good on it, we rode 2nd to back seat, but it was a little rough and sluggish at times it also looked really nasty and filthy. Not something I expected from the park that eveyrone kisses on the @$$ all the time. 6/10

Mean Streak:

As we waited in line for this massive wooden coaster all I heard people complain about was how rough, awful and slow it was going to be and how it would be the worst wooden coaster I've ever rode. I couldnt see how anything could be worse than the Villian at GL. I rode front seat and didnt experience any roughness, had my hands up the whole time however I did notice how sluggish and slow the thing was. No air, no speed, just a ride I guess. The trims kill this thing. I'd take SOB or any wood at KI for that matter all days of the week. 5/10

Wicked Twister:

I didnt get to ride Steel Venom when I went to GL so this was my first inverted intamin impulse. This ride was great, the launches are intense and the spiraling plays with your stomach and the birds flying from the beach to the park almost hitting your train are a neat thrill too. Lots of fun on this one! 9/10

Raptor:

My 2nd B&M invert. Raptor never lets up, even with that break run. The break run is just an illusion. Theres never a dull moment on this ride. It's smooth, long, and intense. The helix at the end is a great finish. Fantastic coaster! 9/10

Disaster Transport:

Despite the lack of storyline and pathetic theming the crew member working did a good job of staying in charecter. There was no line and over all the ride was pretty fun. My first bobsled coaster, not intense but its a different experience and witht he lack of restraints and unique track its a fun ride. I wasn't dissapointed like I expected to be. 6/10

Iron Dragon:

I had always heard bad things about this coaster however it didnt dissapoint me, it was pretty good. Despite the sluggish lift hills the coaster has a good fun layour with a new enviroment and the fog during the helix ending was working which made that pretty fun. Not a bad ride, but TG is the far superior suspended coaster even if Iron Dragon is longer. 7/10

Gemini:

Only one side running, so there was no racing. This coaster wasnt the most exciting but it didnt suck. Theres some good spots of airtime but its a little sluggish and boring at times. The mostly international crew did a great job of getting the riders pumped (better than any crew throughout the day) and were super friendly. The coaster has annoying trims before the helix but I hear that makes it better. Not the best coaster, not the worst. 6/10

Cedar Creek Mine Ride:

The only ride that I was dissapointed on. I like AE and I think AE and the other arrow mine rides ive been on are pretty intense hwoever, this one just plain sucks. After each lift theres a small drop then a sluggish straight away and thesm some sluggish turns and thats about it. Slow, boring, awful looking and stupid. Give me AE any day. I'll give it two points because the line was short and its a rolelrcoaster, but tahts about all the thing has going for it.2/10

FLAT RIDES

Chaos:

Opting out of the wait for maXair (we felt it wouldnt be worth waiting to ride Delirium part II) Brad and I went for Chaos and did it twice. This is a fun little flat ride that feels like its coming apart all the time and is a lot better than Tomb Raider the Ride or any top spin I've been on although it isnt one itself. It doesnt hurt, just flips and is a good time. A very good flat 7/10

Ferris Wheel:

I love classic ferris wheels. This was a good one with a neat view of WT and Lake Eerie but you couldnt see much of the park from it. Relaxing though. I wish KI had a huge ferris wheel where you could view the park. 9/10

Skyhawk:

From what the internet had shown me I expected this ride to be similar to Delirium without the spinning. However, Id take this over any Huss piece of crap any day. S&S power for the win! This ride is insane. Theres one lap bar, the hydraulic launced are intense and the backwards falls are packed with airtime. The only downsides are the noise and short ride time but well worth the wait! 10/10

We had lunch at Johnny Rockets which was reasonably priced and had great singing service with fantastic food. My only complaints about the park were how the employees seemed to have no uniformed code for safety checking they seemed to just check whatever bars they pleased from back to front or front to back, it didnt seem as organized as KI's. However they were extremely friendly and did their job well. I wish we couldve done more, we stayed the whole day and left an hour after the park closed after picking up 3 shot glasses and a souveneir map. YOu really need two days or more to get the full effect and experience all the park has to offer. This is now my favorite park as far as rides go, it just has more that I want to do, but KI absolutley kills Cedar Point in family value. CP is great for my age and people like me who love the coasters and thrills but I would NEVER bring kids there, theres just nothing for them to do. I thin PKI by far offers something for everyone and a better family friendly atmosphere but both are outstanding parks. Heres a few more pictures from the point, thanks for reading!

-We didnt ride the corckscrew rollercoaster, I dont think I missed out.

-Nice fountain, but not as good as PKI's.

-Demon Drop was closed all day.

-Goodbye Cedar Point.

RONNY SALERNO PHOTOGRAPHY

[TheKlockster]

Isn't that feeling of seeing Cedar Point for the first time like shock?

Those are some great shots. Nice to hear you had a good time at the best park in the world!

As for the kids area - what do you mean? Theres Kiddie Kingdom and Camp Snoopy! And Snoopy Bounce! I would soooo take my little sister there!

[TOPGUN1993]

I would have been so mad if Demon Drop was closed. Nice TR

I really like Corkscrew it has really good air time just it's short.

[HomerJay]

Went to CP last Tuesday (8/22) and had an absolute blast. There is absolutely NOTHING like riding TTD in the Front Row...the scene staring straight down the spiral is one of the most amazing sights in the world and that launch is amazing.

Millenium Force is just pure, raw speed and I think it's my favorite ride at the park. Raptor's 10 years old and still a great ride. Magnum is underrated now that there's MF and TTD...but it's still a wicked little ride, the airtime at the end is incredible.

I was afraid Skyhawk would be a Delirium/MaxAir ripoff but I agree...it's one of the greatest rides in the park! Staring straight down at the top of the swing is just amazing

[jzarley]

Millenium Force is just pure, raw speed and I think it's my favorite ride at the park.

I agree completely...MF is probably my favorite coaster over all. It's fast (from beginning to end), big, and smooth as silk. It's just a great experience everytime I ride it. This last trip I had my first night ride on it.

I was there last Thursday/Friday as well...I too really enjoyed Thunderhawk. I definitely agree that it's a totally different experience than MaXair/Delirium. However, I think it would definitely benefit from a slightly longer ride cycle! I rode MaXair, but actually prefer Delirium...although, I can't exactly put my finger on why, or what was really different about it.

I'm not a fan of Wicked Twister...I'm not a fan of the Intamin Impulse anyway, but prefer Superman/Steel Venom at GL.

[Delirium13]

Glad to hear that you had a great time. I've never been to Cedr Point, but I hope to next summer.

-Is it just me or does the entrance to Cedar Point slightly resemble the entrance to a Dave and Buster's?

Edit: Oh, and nice pictures by the way.

Edited August 31, 2006 by Delirium13

[CoastersNSich]

Glad to see that we have one less Cedar Point virgin here!

Gemini is one of my favorite roller coasters, and my opinion probably comes from when both tracks are in operation. You probably need to come back on a busier day (and better-staffed one) when you can do both sides. I still like it better than most* coasters at Kings Island, even when it's not racing. Cedar Creek Mine Ride - that's one coaster that could ditch the T-bars in favor of U-bars like on AE, Gemini, Magnum, etc.

Otherwise an excellent day to visit CP, when you can do the major coasters without much of a wait!

The Kings Island royal fountain may be more impressive, but the fountain in the main midway is still very beautiful, IMO.

I think you would have enjoyed Corkscrew, it has a couple pops of air, but being 30 years old this year, not as smooth as it once was. Still, I try to ride it every time I take a trip to CP. The Demon Drop, you're not missing too much (see my signature), but if you go back there and it's open, try it once.

Did you do the Sky Ride? IMO, a trip to Cedar Point is incomplete without a ride on this. A good gentle family friendly ride that more parks should have.

Excellent trip report. Hopefully this is only the first of many CP trips for you.

*ok, all of them.

[Gordon Bombay]

^I didnt get to do the sky ride but it looked great, I wish KI still had it's. I loved how CP had the support our troops magnets on the sky ride buckets!

[PhantomTheater]

Did you enjoy the head chopper on gemini, its still feared by many of people. The only way to ride Blue Streak is at night, it is literaly flying off the track. Finnaly, no wildcat, how can you miss the best wiplash ever!

[The Interpreter]

Well, it doesn't literally fly off the track. Thankfully!

[TheKlockster]

Did you enjoy the head chopper on gemini, its still feared by many of people. The only way to ride Blue Streak is at night, it is literaly flying off the track. Finnaly, no wildcat, how can you miss the best wiplash ever!

Ive only been on Blue Streak once - and it was opening day - at like 9:30 pm. It has crazy airtime - and it flies. Only problem is that it is far more rough than even Beast or Son of Beast.

[Gordon Bombay]

Did you enjoy the head chopper on gemini, its still feared by many of people. The only way to ride Blue Streak is at night, it is literaly flying off the track. Finnaly, no wildcat, how can you miss the best wiplash ever!

Wildcat was done most of the day and when it was open back up we opted to do MF one last time before they closed for the night. Gemini's head chopper was great but overall its not that great of a coaster.

[TOPGUN1993]

Ive only been on Blue Streak once - and it was opening day - at like 9:30 pm. It has crazy airtime - and it flies. Only problem is that it is far more rough than even Beast or Son of Beast

I find Blue Streak to be one of the smoothest wood coaster out there. Wonder why it wasn't as fun for you. (I like Blue Streak better than Racer)

[Gordon Bombay]

It all depends where you sit, Blue streak uses the 3 bench PTC trains, on a 3 bench car the wheels are directly under the first and 3rd benches. This can create a slightly rougher ride when you "sit on a wheel". I rode front seat on Blue Streak, although on a wheel, the front cars on 3 bench PTC's arent that rough, same goes for beast and racers.

[The Interpreter]

Uh, on PTC trains, in the back seats of cars (whether two bench, three bench or even FOUR bench--like Beast used to have), you sit on TOP of the wheels. In the front seats, the wheels are in FRONT of you. The front seats are therefore only marginally rougher than the middle seats.

Son of Beast and its Premier Rides trains is rougher in both the front and back seats of the cars. In the front seats of SOB's cars, you also sit on top of the wheels....look and see!

What really irks me is that when someone who is about to go to a park asks me where to sit on coasters, I usually carefully draw them a diagram. . .and tell them over and over again to sit in the middle of a CAR, not the middle of the train. I nicely point out over and over again that I mean the middle seat of a CAR, not the middle of the TRAIN.

Almost invariably they come back, sometimes irate, telling me I don't know what I am talking about...they rode the middle of the TRAIN and it was horrible. Upon careful memories, they often recall they sat in the back seat of a CAR in the middle of the TRAIN. Often, Seat 4-1 on Son of Beast, which, in my experience, is the roughest seat on the train!

[TheKlockster]

In my experience 42 used to be the smoothest on Son of Beast back in the days of 6 car trains.

When I rode Blue Streak I sat in the last seat - on a wheel, in the back of the train.