Cedar Point

Parking

The exit to Cedar Point from the Turnpike is easy to find, and for the most part it is an easy journey to the park. There are plenty of signs directing cars to the park entrance, but there are at least 20 traffic lights that slow the journey down. The frustration depends on the amount of traffic. Once you are on the causeway, the amazing skyline of Cedar Point comes into view, causing traffic to slow down. All of the parking booths are open, traffic moves slowly, but efficiently. Cedar Point is the best at parking cars, with traffic employees moving cars quickly and safely. The parking lot is huge and usually full of seagulls. One downside to a great parking setup is the lack of tram service. Some guests have a long walk from their car to the main gate.

Admission and Park Pricing

Cedar Point can be a very expensive park in terms of pricing. Adult admission is an average $44, and parking is the usual $10. The roller coasters are worth the price of admission, plus the shows and other attractions give plenty to do when visiting. The cost of food and drinks is the most negative aspect of Cedar Point, however the prices are a little lower in 2009 than in the past year. Drinks are an expensive $4 for a 22 oz. medium soft drink. A fast food entree, side, and drink are about $13. Snacks are also expensive with cotton candy around $3, and funnel cakes around $5. Gifts are reasonable for t-shirts and shot glasses, but jackets and sweat shirts are a little more pricey. Games of skill are between $2 and $10 depending on the prize.

Cleanliness

The park is extremely clean from the midways to the landscaping. It is difficult to look anywhere and not see at least 10 garbage cans. Most rides and attractions are spotless, only a select few with faded paint. Rest rooms were mostly clean with dry floors. Some buildings have cobwebs or bugs, but the location and season is the likely cause. Cedar Point does the best that it can to keep the park clean.

Park Layout and Atmosphere

Cedar Point is located on a peninsula surrounded by Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay. The entrance area is nice, and is mostly shady. The area is labeled extremely well and features background music. The flat concrete midways are wide enough to handle the large crowds, with few choices in direction. There are park maps to find your way, but the 200+ ft. tall roller coasters make it easy to focus on where to go next. Ride entrances are easy to find, and most ride areas are landscaped well. Most midways are have a good amount shade, lots of benches, background music, and the floral displays and landscaping are very beautiful and eye-catching.

Rides and Attractions

Cedar Point has 76 rides and attractions; more than any other Amusement Park in the world (77 if you count both sides of the Gemini Roller Coaster). There are 17 roller coasters, 10 thrill rides, 26 children's rides, 21 family rides, and 2 water rides. Most of Cedar Point's attractions are un-themed, but make up for it in variety. The Carousel's are beautifully crafted, but lack the traditional band organ. There are boat rides, a ferris wheel, bumper cars, a full size train ride, many spinning rides, but no dark themed rides. Another complaint about the rides would be the short duration of the attractions themselves. Most have ride cycles of 90 seconds or less. We would rather stand in line longer to get a longer, more satisfying ride.

Wooden Track Roller Coasters

Cedar Point has 2 wooden roller coasters. The one is tall, huge, beautiful, yet boring and slower paced. The other is smaller, more thrilling, and full of classic air-time. It proves that a coaster doesn't have to be the tallest and fastest in the world to deliver an awesome ride.



Blue Streak is the classic 78 ft. tall wooden out and back coaster. The 1 minute and 45 second ride features a 72 ft. first drop at speeds of 40 miles per hour, and 8 other airtime filled hills. There are 3 seats per car. Sit in the front or middle seat of the cars for a smoother ride.

APW RATING: 75.49 / 100



Mean Streak is the taller and larger 161 ft. tall wooden twister coaster. The 2 minute and 45 second ride features a 155 ft. first drop at 65 miles per hour, followed by 11 hills, and 9 criss-crosses through the structure. Besides being a beautiful long ride, the pace is slow and uneventful with the exception of the first few drops. It can be rather rough in some seats. There are 2 seats per car. Sit in the front row of the cars for a smoother ride.

APW RATING: 67.65 / 100



*Roller Coaster Ratings are used from the official APW Roller Coaster Fact and Rating Sheet.

Steel Track Roller Coasters

Cedar Point has 15 steel roller coasters. 8 of them are world class quality with amazing views and thrills. Others are mostly for quantity and variety, but they all are unique in their own way.

Millennium Force is a steel Giga-Coaster featuring a 300 ft drop at 80 degrees and speeds of 93 miles per hour. The first drop is one of the best first drops on any coaster in the world, with an awesome view of Sandusky Bay. The 2 minute and 20 second ride features 3 major drops, 5 smaller drops, 2 tunnels, an elevator cable lift, 122 degree over banked turns, and a very smooth speedy ride.
APW RATING: 89.01 / 100

Magnum XL-200 is a steel hyper-coaster featuring a 195 ft. drop at speeds of 72 miles per hour. The 2 minute ride also features 2 more large drops, 3 tunnels, awesome views of Lake Erie, incredible airtime, a pretzel turn-around, lots of small hills, and a fun ride. It was the first roller coaster in the world to be over 200 ft. tall. It is mostly smooth with some jerky seats and can be rough on your thighs. There are 3 seats per car. Sit in the front or middle seat of the cars for a smoother ride.
APW RATING: 87.26 / 100

Raptor is a steel inverted coaster featuring a 119 ft. drop at 57 miles per hour, 6 inversions, and an awesome layout making riders feel like they are flying like a bird of prey. The 2 minute and 16 second ride is mostly smooth with a small jolt at the end of the ride.
APW RATING: 86.78 / 100

Maverick is a steel launched, looping coaster themed to the wild west. It features a 100 ft tall 95 degree first drop, fast ground-hugging banked curves, 8 airtime hills, 2 inversions, and a 70 mph mid course launch tunnel. The 2 minute and 30 second ride is longer than most and is the newest coaster at the park. The only negative about this ride is the over the shoulder restraint.
APW RATING: 84.55 / 100

Gemini is a steel track racing coaster with wooden supports. It features a 118 ft. tall drop at 60 miles per hour, 6 other airtime filled hills, and a upward helix finale. The one unique feature is the racing element where you can even slap hands with the other train. The 2 minute and 20 second ride is mostly smooth with some jerky seats. There are 3 seats per car. Sit in the front or middle seat of the cars for a smoother ride.
APW RATING: 78.18 / 100

Wicked Twister is a steel suspended 'impulse' coaster. The U shaped track layout features 2 towers reaching a height of 215 ft and 450 degree twisted track. The 40 second ride features 5 launches (3 forward, and 2 backwards) up to 72 miles per hour. The ride has a maximum drop of 206 feet at 90 degrees. The very smooth ride is located right on the beach, with awesome views of Lake Erie.
APW RATING: 78.08 / 100

Top Thrill Dragster is a steel hydraulic launched coaster with a 420 ft. tall hill at 90 degrees. It features a launch at speeds of 120 miles per hour and a 270 degree downward spiral at 90 degrees. This 'one trick pony' is a short 30 second ride, but is very smooth, and the most intense launch in the park.
APW RATING: 77.55 / 100

Mantis is a steel stand-up looping coaster with a 137 ft. drop at speeds of 60 miles per hour. Riders experience 4 inversions during the 2 minute and 40 second ride, all while standing. The seats are not the most comfortable for riders, especially males. The ride is mostly smooth with a few head banging moments.
APW RATING: 73.89 / 100

Wildcat is a steel figure eight coaster with a 45 ft. drop at speeds of 40 miles per hour. The 1 minute and 25 second ride features 3 more drops and 2 downward spirals. Don't judge this coaster by the size. It is a very forceful, yet incredibly smooth ride. The only downside is the little leg room for taller riders.
APW RATING: 70.06 / 100

Disaster Transport is an enclosed steel bobsled coaster with a 3-D air-conditioned queue line. The trackless coaster is 63 ft. tall and features a dark ride through 'space' on a bobsled style track. The 2 minute and 32 second ride is spend mostly on the slow lift hill and the ride reaches a top speed of 40 miles per hour. Don't waste your money on 3-D glasses in the queue line.
APW RATING: 65.92 / 100

Iron Dragon is a steel suspended coaster with a 60 ft. drop as riders swing out through the trees. The trains reach a top speed of 40 miles per hour on the 2 minute ride. The ride is mostly smooth with a few jerky moments during the 'lagoon pretzel' mist filled finale. The seats could use some extra padding.
APW RATING: 63.85 / 100

Corkscrew is a steel looping coaster with a 65 ft. drop at speeds of 48 miles per hour. Riders experience 3 inversions on the 2 minute ride. The ride is a little rough, but not too bad for most riders. It was the first roller coaster in the world to turn riders upside-down 3 times. The seats could use some extra padding.
APW RATING: 62.26 / 100

Cedar Creek Mine Ride is a steel track mine train coaster with wooden supports. It features two 55 ft. tall lift hills and a 48 ft. drop toward the lagoon. The 2 minute and 42 second ride reaches a top speed of 42 miles per hour. It is mostly smooth ride with a few jerky moments. The lap bars are not the most comfortable and the seats could use some extra padding.
APW RATING: 61.62 / 100

Woodstock Express is a steel family coaster with a 30 ft. drop. The 1 minute and 6 second ride is family friendly with a top speed of 25 miles per hour. It's a great warm up ride for those not ready for the taller coasters. The seats do not offer much leg room for adults.
APW RATING: 60.35 / 100

Jr. Gemini is a steel kiddie coaster with a top speed of 6 miles per hour. Riders must be 36 in tall and under 54 in. tall to ride. If you are over 54 in., you must ride with a child. The seats do not offer much leg room for adults.
APW RATING: 46.18 / 100

*Roller Coaster Ratings are used from the official APW Roller Coaster Fact and Rating Sheet.

Operations

Efficient operation is very important for Cedar Point. The majority of the parking toll booths and ticketing booths are open. The park is smoke-free except in designated areas, however for a park this size there are only 7 smoking areas. The smoking areas are small and provided few seats. All of the attractions were open during our visit with little downtime. Some major attractions open an hour or two after the park opens. Several attractions had effects not working correctly, such as the water bombs on Maverick, and the mist on the Iron Dragon. Queue lines for attractions were not closed off until park close, allowing riders to get one last ride in before heading home.

Safety

Safety is extremely important and done very well at Cedar Point. The park does not have an organized security bag check, but security can be found throughout the park. All attraction loading platforms have safety gates. Operators enforce height and other rules, checking restraints, and watching rides carefully. There are safety messages on all rides and attractions.

Children's Area(s)

The 4 Children's areas give kids a large variety of attractions to enjoy. The theming in Camp Snoopy is pretty decent and offers a few rides that parents and kids can enjoy together.

Ride/Attraction Capacity

Cedar Point does an exceptional job when it comes to capacity on the majority of their rides and roller coasters. The safety gates are open as soon as the train stops, with dispatch times between 60 and 90 seconds. All of the roller coasters were operating at full capacity with all trains running. Most coasters had more than 2 bar checkers, which caused only one or two coasters to "stack" their trains. Wait times for most flat rides are less than 20 minutes, with longer waits on Power Tower, Skyhawk, and MaXair. The roller coasters can have waits from 15 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how busy the park is. Operators are efficient, but not as friendly as some other parks.

Queue Lines

Almost all major attractions have queue lines with shade structures or natural shade. Only 2 major attractions have little or no shade in line; Blue Streak and MaXair. Ten queue lines have misting fans to keep guests cool and comfortable. All major roller coasters and attractions have estimated queue wait times. Most roller coaster queue lines have vending machines. Several queue lines have music in line, and some even have Live D.J's. Theming is not a strength of Cedar Point and only 2 attractions have theming in queue lines; Disaster Transport and Maverick. The music in the queue for Maverick was too quiet and could hardly be heard. Queues are designed well, and only the MaXair queue line backed up onto the midway during our visit. One section of the Raptor queue could use some cuts in the queue rail sections to prevent guests from climbing over or under them.

Counter Service Food/Seating Areas

Counter service food has improved since last season at Cedar Point. Portions are excellent, served at the correct temperature, and taste good. Quality could be better with the extras. If you are gonna charge $5 for a cheeseburger, at least melt the cheese, and put some fresh lettuce and tomato on the sandwich. Snacks all taste great and are portioned well. Seating areas are under umbrellas in most locations and finding a table is hardly ever an issue. Food lines however, moved slowly and once your order is placed, it can take 2-3 minutes before getting the food.

Table Service Restaruants

Table service restaurants are the way to eat at Cedar Point. There are lots of places to choose from, and the food always tastes great. One area in need of improvement is service from the wait staff at these locations. Some are better than others, but it shouldn't take 5 minutes to get greeted and then another 5 minutes to get a drink. This has happened at several different occasions during past visits. But overall, the food tastes great and the service is faster than the counter service locations.

Rest Rooms

The rest rooms at Cedar Point are mostly clean with dry floors. Rest rooms are mostly air-conditioned, and most have enough stalls to handle the crowds. Some older locations still haven't been updated with automatic flush, but most have automatic washers and dryers. The park now offers protective seat covers at most locations. Most locations have background music, and there are also family rest rooms in a few locations.

Games

The games of skill at Cedar Point are decent and located throughout the park. There is a huge arcade on the main midway, and the park features classic games of basketball, guess your weight, and skeeball. Prizes are above average and some include Playstation and Wii systems. Most game operators are on the microphones, and some can be pushy for guests to play.

Shows and Entertainment

Shows and Entertainment is one of the highlights of Cedar Point. Several theaters are air-conditioned with amazing lighting and effects. There is an ice skating show, live country show, BMX and skateboard show, PEANUTS character shows, and a fireworks and video show to end the night. The choreography is very impressive in most shows. One highlight is the 50's and 60's show called Signed, Sealed, Delivered. One disappointment was the lack of a live band at the Red Garter Saloon. All shows are live and have no lip-syncing or fake excitement. All performers have an awesome time and it is difficult to find seats at some shows unless you get there early. Don't miss the new Starlight Experience on the Frontier Trail after dark.

Employees

Employees at Cedar Point have improved since last season. The majority of them are efficient, clean, and friendly. The parking attendants are the best we have seen at any park. Most employees were smiling and doing their best to keep guests happy and lines moving.

Gifts and Gift Shops

Gifts and Gift shops are the typical amusement park fare with some unique shops along the Frontier Trail. The quality is good and several roller coasters have on-ride photos or videos, plus night-novelties for the kids.

Nighttime at the Park

Cedar Point is an impressive park at night. Midways are well lit, and rides and attractions have exciting lighting. Millennium Force has a light show on its lift hill, and all of the roller coasters have spot lights or chaser lights. Most lighting was working correctly on our visit for the exception of Power Tower. Several rides had a noticeable amount of burned out light bulbs. Games buildings on the main midway also have color changing lights and effects.

Guest Experience

If roller coasters, shows, and rides are on your list... we highly recommend Cedar Point. There is something for everyone and it may take 2 days to experience it all.