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 Cedar Point
One Cedar Point Dr.
Sandusky, OH. 44870
http://www.cedarpoint.com/
A quick look at the park and how the rides rank in the eyes of Jason and Jenni. This is Coaster Community’s favorite park. Cedar Point features world class roller coasters along with an excellent lineup of thrill rides. The park is always clean and the staff is as friendly as you’ll find anywhere. I don’t think that I’ve ever found any food that’s out of the ordinary but they have a way of taking ordinary food and making it great. My favorite meal is the mini corndog/fry tub smothered in cheese. Usually mini corndogs and fries can be eaten with your hands making them a snack. Once you smother them in cheese it requires tools to eat and this takes it to meal status. Elephant ears are another favorite for the Coaster Community team. They are a giant glob of dough that’s flash fried and then topped with cinnamon and sugar but since you can eat it with your hands it will still only qualify as a snack. The one item that we’ve learned to avoid is the lake perch. Fish and coasters not mix. We have found that the best time to go is in late August just before the park moves back to a weekend schedule. The crowds have proven to be relatively light at this time and the weather has also been good to us during the month of August. The only other month that we’ve experienced is May and each of these trips included some difficulties. The park was always crowded in May and this was usually attributed to several school functions. If you see a sea of yellow buses in the parking lot you know you’re in for some long waits. We have also found the weather to be rather unstable in May. Cold and rainy is the long way of saying “unstable”. Cedar Point offers a fast pass system that will allow you to skip a huge portion of the line on a handful of attractions. At 11am these attractions will open a hand stamping booth just outside of the ride and the stamp on your hand will give you a time period to return during. One stamp equals one fast pass. You can however get stamps for multiple attractions as long as they still have some left. These are very useful on some of the larger or newer rides. The park also does an awesome job of estimating the wait time before you even enter the line. If it says it’s a 45 minute wait then it’s usually right. We would also recommend staying at one of the park operated properties. This will give you early access to the park. Some of the large rides are up and running early in the morning so you can squeeze in several rides before the park even opens to the public.
Coaster Ratings
Millennium Force: 10 out of 10
It’s not often that I give a coaster a 10 so when I do you should accept the fact that you’re going to have to ride it. There isn’t much about this ride that can be compared to other coasters. The trains are different, the lift hill experience is totally different, the drop is different, the turns are different and the whole experience is just awesome. 310 feet tall, 80° drop, and 93 mph, what else do you need?
Top Thrill Dragster: 9 out of 10
If you like being launched then you’ll love this one. The force that riders experience during the 0-120 mph launch can only be described as exhilarating. The climb up the 420 foot tower should probably be described the same way. The view from the top is short lived but it is strange looking DOWN on a coaster that’s 310 feet tall. Raptor: 8 out of 10
Those of you who know me personally (the lucky one’s) know that I love inverts. I love big one’s, small one’s and even medium sized one’s. Raptor is near the top of the invert list and it will be hard for another invert to bump it down. I am big fan of the drop. It’s not like the other inverts. Once you clear the lift chain the train makes a 90° turn to the left and then dives straight for the ground. Most inverts feature a curved drop and the straight drop is more enjoyable in my opinion. The rest of the ride is a series of intense g’s and inversions. Don’t let a long line scare you away from this one. The Raptor team is probably one of the best in the business and the line never stops moving. Wicked Twister: 7 out of 10
Another launch experience but this time it’s on an invert (legs dangle and what not). The train launches forward and climbs a spiraling tower. It then rolls backwards through the station and it accelerated up another spiraling spike. This ride includes 3 shots up the forward tower and 2 up the rear tower. My favorite seat is the right seat on the second to last row. The train will twist out of your way as you ascend the rear tower leaving an unobstructed view of the ground 200 or so feet below. Magnum XL200: 6 out of 10
A lot of enthusiasts love this ride and I find it enjoyable but I don’t even have it in my top 10. I just don’t see where the love comes from. The surroundings are great since you’re basically running along a beach but other than that it’s just your average out and back hyper coaster. Mean Streak: 6 out of 10
This is one of the largest wood coasters around and it can be fun. A lot of people actually hate this ride and once again I’m the difficult one that doesn’t fit in. It’s rough at times but it’s a wood coaster so I usually expect a beating. Like most coasters I dig this one in the back row. Iron Dragon: 5 out of 10
Suspended coasters are nice and all but they’re not very intense. This one is no exception. You get some interesting views of the park and ride can provide a giggle or two. Especially when you’re wearing a poncho villain and your wife and can’t hear so she boards the wrong train. She had no idea what was going on and that usually makes me laugh. Blue Streak: 5 out of 10
This is a classic wood coaster that is tucked away behind Raptor. It might not look like much but it providers riders with some nice air time and a relatively smooth ride. The line is usually fairly short so I like to take a couple of laps before moving on. Mantis: 5 out of 10
I don’t dig stand up coasters. If I’m going to wait 45 minutes in a line then I expect a prize at the end and that prize should be the ability to sit down. The bicycle seat thingy that is wedged between your legs doesn’t count as sitting down. If you don’t mind standing while you ride then you’ll probably like Mantis. It’s an intense ride with a lot of twists, turns and loops. It’s also one of the best looking coasters in my opinion. Gemini: 5 out of 10
This is a wood and steel hybrid. The structure is wood but the track is tubular steel. It’s also a racer, which means that two train’s race beside each other. It’s not the biggest or fastest coaster in the world (although it was when it opened) but the racing experience increases the fun factor by a lot. Wildcat: 5 out of 10
I could ride this one all day if the wife would let me. It’s your run of the mill mouse coaster and it features a great set of dips and turns. I barely fit in the cars (I’m a South American Tree Yeti) but that doesn’t stop me from riding every chance I get. About an hour before the park closes most of the guest bail and I head right to Wildcat since the wife and I usually split up for the last hour or so and ride the crap out of our favorite rides. Cedar Creek Mine Ride: 4 out of 10
A similar set up to Gemini except that there’s no racing and it’s not nearly as big. I usually like the mine train experience and this one provides me the amount of thrill that I’ve come to expect from these rides. We also got to experience the loudest screaming kid on the planet. This girl was probably being picked up by Russian spy satellites.
Corkscrew: 3 out of 10
I don’t dig classic corkscrew coasters. My yeti body doesn’t fit into the restraints so my back is put into a position that is usually reserved for circus freaks. I do like the fact that this one flies over the midway and corkscrews right over guests heads. Disaster Transport: 3 out of 10
Here’s another one that most people hate and guess what? The yeti likes it. It’s no wonder that my kind usually live far out in the woods. This is a bobsled coaster and it’s all indoors. Most of the ride is also in complete darkness so you don’t know where you’re going to you know when you get there. The theming is a little strange but I don’t usually rate rides on their theming unless it’s totally awesome and adds something to the ride. Non-coaster Highlights
Keep in mind that these are rated on a scale that is separate from the coaster list MaXair: 9 out of 10
This was my first giant frisbee and I hope that it’s not my last. Imagine a huge pendulum with a huge rotating disc on the end of it. Now imagine that pendulum swinging at like 70 mph and then swinging like 140 feet in the air while the disc is spinning. It’s freakin’ crazy and there should be one in every park. Power Tower: 9 out of 10
I don’t usually ride the upward launch towers since the home park offers a better experience but the downward launch is flippin’ sweet. The wife and I have a contest every time we ride it see who can go the longest without holding on. I usually lose once we hit the holding mechanism at the top of the tower (300 feet up). The first 10 or so times that we rode it she would always find a way to hold onto me with her claws and I’m glad that she’s overcome that period in her life. Troika: 6 out of 10
This is a scrambler that leaves the ground. There’s of course the standard scrambling sensation but you also fly upward and downward and it all ends just before I feel sick so it’s the perfect spinning ride. White Water Landing: 6 out of 10 (demolished)
Prior to it’s removal this was one of our favorite log rides. It had a great surrounding and a great drop. RIP in WWL. Wave Swinger: 6 out of 10
This is another ride that you’ll find at a lot of parks and it’s another ride that I never pass up. Riders are placed into seats that resemble lawn chairs and then swung around in a large circle. I love these rides! Demon Drop: 4 out of 10
This is another drop ride but it includes a serious beating. The drop usually outweighs the beating though. Giant Wheel: 3 out of 10
It’s a giant ferris wheel that allow for a few minutes of R&R. The views are nice and that’s about it. Space Spiral: 3 out of 10
This is an observation tower and is only good for relaxing and taking a look around. Thunder Canyon: 3 out of 10
If you like raft rides then you’re likely going to like this one. If you don’t like being saturated with water when you ride a raft ride then walk away or wear a poncho villain. Cedar Downs Racing Derby: 3 out of 10
It’s just like a carousel except that it’s set up to make you feel like you’re racing. This makes it more fun that your average carousel. Sky Ride: 3 out of 10
It’s not a thrill ride and it doesn’t even take you very far but it’s still more fun that riding a train. Snake River Falls: 2 out of 10
This takes riders up in a large boat and then brings them back down. Once you reach ground level you’re quickly greeted by a tidal wave that flows over the boat. We were wet for like two weeks after we got of this one. Our one ride has proven to be plenty. Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad: 2 out of 10
We found this to be a good way to avoid the rain and relax for a few minutes. Unfortunately a ride that includes relaxing doesn’t get a high rating. It’s also a great way to get between the front of the park and the back if you’re tried of walking. Antique Cars: 2 out of 10
Another ride that’s lacking in trills but it’s still fun to drive the old cars around. If you have time then you should probably give them a shot.
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