Cedar Point Ohio

[morfiend]

 I've been to both parks CP and KI,cedar point has{had} a great wooden coaster.It's been awhile and I'm not sure it's still running,I'm sure you could find that out before the trip.

 Anyways each park has it's own sorta thing and I'd spend some time at both,it's a long trip so why not right??  The wooden coaster are the best,nothing quite like them in the newer modern steel coaster.Sure the steel ones can do thing you'd never dream of on a wooden 1 but somehow the feel isnt right,atleast to me!

  So if you like wooden coaster,cerdar point's worth the trip.   IMHO

   

[Tarmac]

Put in bay could be fun, but it sounds like you're not old enough to get into bars. 

Highly recommend the USAF museum at Wright Patterson (Dayton OH) -- it's one of the best in the world. 

If you ever wanted an M1 Garand, the CMP store is right near cedar point too. 

[Skulls22]

Cedar point can take 2 days to do everything.  As with any theme park, going during the week will always provide less wait time per ride, the weekends are a mad house.  Top Thrill Dragster is THE sheeeit, but Millenium Force is truly awesome too.  Sandusky, Marble Head, Put-in-Bay all have things to do or visit depending on your interests.  Of course, there is the lake and therefore plenty of boating or fishing related activities.

 

2 days? I wish.

I was ther for 2 days and only got on 2/3 of the rides
It is the best amusement park to me.

[Killer91]

That sounds like a hell of a fun trip.  Any idea when? June? July?  Dayton air show is July 17th or so, could sneak that in too while in the area.  Plus (if we get it together this year) meet a bunch of us at the Dayton Gathering 2010.

Just a thought.

I'm not exactly sure yet but hey if there's an airshow July is sounding pretty good

What about Kings Island in southern ohio? never been there but stayed across from it on buisiness trips about 20 times, looks pretty big. Would also save you about 3-4 hours drive time and it's less than an hour from Wright Patterson Air Force Museum which I would highly recomend.

 

I'll look that up and check it out. Might have to stop there on the way to Cedar Point

K.I. is nice but Cedar Point is much much better. Although K.I. does have the Son of Beast.... Son of Beast =
I also highly recommend visiting the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum, it is amazing!! Being only 20 minutes from it is a blessing!

Son of Beast
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/31/89603229_67fa33ae97_o.jpg

WOW that coaster is huge(for a wooden one anyways)!!!! Now i know i have to stop at Kings Island haha

Put in bay could be fun, but it sounds like you're not old enough to get into bars. 

Highly recommend the USAF museum at Wright Patterson (Dayton OH) -- it's one of the best in the world. 

If you ever wanted an M1 Garand, the CMP store is right near cedar point too. 

Haha not wuite there yet. Just 3 more years(legally anyways haha)

And yes Wright Airforce Base is looking like a definate stop now

2 days? I wish.

I was ther for 2 days and only got on 2/3 of the rides
It is the best amusement park to me.

Wow thats crazy. But then again they do have like 75+ rides if i rmember right. Cedar Point is going to be so much better than Six Flags here!
Now i just gotta fit all this into one week

[Simaril]

I've lived about 3 miles from Cedar Point for almost 20 years, and have had season tickets for 5 or so. Also grew up in Ohio and been to Air Force Museum innumerable times, King's Island 3-4 times.

Bottom line: There is nothing, nothing like CP if you like roller coasters. There are more coasters there than there are in England. Of the 17 major roller coasters at the park, something like 8 of them are currently or have been in the top 10 rankings in the WORLD. As I remember, the Millenium Force was the tallest and fastest in the world when opened, although its since been passed; the Top Thrill Dragster is about the fastest now; the Magnum is still a thoroughly great steel rail coaster even though over 20 years old; the Mean Streak is one of the fastest wooden structure coasters in the world even though its also 15-20 years old.

But if you like flying, you CANNOT beat the front seat of the Raptor. It's a suspended seat, no floor coaster...and its the only ride in the park that's 100% worth the longer wait for the front seat. Since the coaster rails are above you, and since the train has no floor, from the first seat you absolutely feel like you're flat out flying. It's you, your seat, and your safety rail -- top of the hill, then 90 degree turn to the left with an over 60 degree drop. Reach max speed of 65mph at the bottom of the hill, then enter a 360 vertical loop that's perfectly calculated to have zero G force. Continue the ride with something like 8 inversions, and a really cool folded vertical move that's like a yo-yo with the upper part folded down about 80 degrees, putting you through two inversions...nothing like it.  And from that front seat, there's absolutely nothing in front of you, no car, no frame, nothing but your harness. Flat cool.

[Simaril]

If you're serious about "doing" the Point, there are definitely Power Riding tips that can radically improve how much you get done.

1. Show up before the announced start time. The park will open earlier than stated start time. Some rides will be running early, though some are only open to members of their bonus member program. Get there before everyone else, and you can get a couple rides in while most people are still looking at their maps.

2. Move against the crowd, not with it. The parking pushes everone to the front ocean-sized lots, but you can go to the smaller lots in the back. Then use the back entrance, and you'll be riding the rides that the horde won't hit till early afternoon. Even if you have to go through the main entrance, jog past the cool rides up front and get to the long wait ride you're most interested in, immediately. If you go to the Mean Streak, Maverick, and Magnum quickly you will end up getting lots more done overall. Or, if you have your heart set on the Millenium - go there first and enjoy.

3. Right before closing, the rides at the back of the park are almost empty. I've been able to ride the Mean Streak back to back to back without any wait at all, since the horde will be moving to the exits.





Now when I visited Kings Island, honestly I was disappointed...except for the Beast, a tremendous wooden roller coaster that has an impressively long run time. Son of Beast was pretty good. Otherwise, the park wasn't really worth the admission IMHO.

[Killer91]

I've lived about 3 miles from Cedar Point for almost 20 years, and have had season tickets for 5 or so. Also grew up in Ohio and been to Air Force Museum innumerable times, King's Island 3-4 times.

Bottom line: There is nothing, nothing like CP if you like roller coasters. There are more coasters there than there are in England. Of the 17 major roller coasters at the park, something like 8 of them are currently or have been in the top 10 rankings in the WORLD. As I remember, the Millenium Force was the tallest and fastest in the world when opened, although its since been passed; the Top Thrill Dragster is about the fastest now; the Magnum is still a thoroughly great steel rail coaster even though over 20 years old; the Mean Streak is one of the fastest wooden structure coasters in the world even though its also 15-20 years old.

But if you like flying, you CANNOT beat the front seat of the Raptor. It's a suspended seat, no floor coaster...and its the only ride in the park that's 100% worth the longer wait for the front seat. Since the coaster rails are above you, and since the train has no floor, from the first seat you absolutely feel like you're flat out flying. It's you, your seat, and your safety rail -- top of the hill, then 90 degree turn to the left with an over 60 degree drop. Reach max speed of 65mph at the bottom of the hill, then enter a 360 vertical loop that's perfectly calculated to have zero G force. Continue the ride with something like 8 inversions, and a really cool folded vertical move that's like a yo-yo with the upper part folded down about 80 degrees, putting you through two inversions...nothing like it.  And from that front seat, there's absolutely nothing in front of you, no car, no frame, nothing but your harness. Flat cool.

Wow this one looks insane. I'll def take your advice and get on the front. We have one at Six Flags Over Texas that has 6 inversions and its hard to actually walk through gate sometimes when you get off drom being so dizzy. Can't imagine what 8 must be like lmao.

This place looks like its def the place to go for the coasters. Millenium Force looks insane along with top thrill dragster. even some of the smaller 'thrill' rides looks pretty insane compared to what six flags has.

[Killer91]

If you're serious about "doing" the Point, there are definitely Power Riding tips that can radically improve how much you get done.

1. Show up before the announced start time. The park will open earlier than stated start time. Some rides will be running early, though some are only open to members of their bonus member program. Get there before everyone else, and you can get a couple rides in while most people are still looking at their maps.

2. Move against the crowd, not with it. The parking pushes everone to the front ocean-sized lots, but you can go to the smaller lots in the back. Then use the back entrance, and you'll be riding the rides that the horde won't hit till early afternoon. Even if you have to go through the main entrance, jog past the cool rides up front and get to the long wait ride you're most interested in, immediately. If you go to the Mean Streak, Maverick, and Magnum quickly you will end up getting lots more done overall. Or, if you have your heart set on the Millenium - go there first and enjoy.

3. Right before closing, the rides at the back of the park are almost empty. I've been able to ride the Mean Streak back to back to back without any wait at all, since the horde will be moving to the exits.





Now when I visited Kings Island, honestly I was disappointed...except for the Beast, a tremendous wooden roller coaster that has an impressively long run time. Son of Beast was pretty good. Otherwise, the park wasn't really worth the admission IMHO.

Thanks for the tips man! I'll have to remember those when i go. I read somewhere that if you stay at one of the hotels at the park you can get in an hour early. Do you know anything about that?

[USRanger]

Millenium Force looks insane along with top thrill dragster.

My two favorites!

[flight17]

if you ride the cycle, at the top of the first hill, you can see canada...

[Masherbrum]

In the Summer of 1990, on the way to Mexico, we stopped in Dallas and Arlington.   The Texas Giant was only months old.  It smokes the Mean Streak in every aspect.   The Mean Streak displaces your spine, while going in a weak track layout.   The Texas Giant is like a larger Cedar Point ride called the Gemini.   It goes into itself and keeps you guessing and is not much slower than the POS Mean Streak.   

Sidenote:  The day I was at SF over Texas, the Shockwave was down for repairs.   I was pissed off.

The Millennium Force is the last Cedar Point ride I've been on.   It was months old and you needed passes to get on it.   I haven't been to Cedar Point in about 8 years but to the person trying to compare The Dells to Cedar Point, you're on crack.   There is no comparison, Cedar Point is an Adrenaline Junkies wet dream.   

I haven't been on the Top Fuel Dragster or Maverick but have heard very good things about them.   

The Raptor kicks major bellybutton and will not have long lines.   The Mantis is a waste of time and you run the risk of having your balls end up in your chest.  Those who have been on it, know what I mean.   

The Blue Streak is nice too.   But if you DO go on it, go on the last seat of the back car.   Leave the belt a little loose and you'll have your bellybutton off of the seat and the car will lift from the track momentarily. 

The Magnum XL200 is the victim of piss poor maintenance.   When I was there last, it was extremely noisy and choppy at the pretzel area.   I don't know if that problem exists, but it was sad to see a Legend be allowed to get to that state.

Gemini is a great one, be sure and shake hands with the adjoining car on the turns.   

The Iron Dragon ran it's gamut and no longer has that intrigue.   The problem with me is that I was there 3 times a summer from 1990-1996.   I'd wait an hour to go back on the Magnum XL 200 when "it was the best coaster".   The two most useless Coasters I've ever been on were the Mean Streak and Mantis.   

[Simaril]

Mean streak is a spine rattler, no doubt. But wasn't always that way -- was as smooth as silk when first went in. After a few years, with all the unpredictable weathering effects taking their toll, the track got just uneven enough to give that shaky feeling.

One reason I still like it is that it's got traditional railroad style tracks, instead of the much smoother tubular rails used in many other wooden framed coasters. Nice blend of the old fashioned feel with some pretty hot speed.

The Blue Streak is old, classic, but not worth any kind of wait. Kinda spoiled the feel when they made some changes, including replacing the braking method -- up till a few years ago, they stopped the cars  by having some big high school kid lean and pull back on a 15 foot wooden lever...now a hydraulic system in place.

The iron dragon is more of a transitional kid coaster, was the first one ever took my daughter on when she graduated from the "Jr Gemini" stuff. If limited on time, definitely worth skipping. (ach, makes me feel old. She just "graduated" from college....)

the Gemini is a wooden frame, tubular rail coaster that's, well, OK. At one time it was cutting edge, but now mostly notable for the first hill's design (which makes you feel that if you leave your hands up you'll lose some fingers to a track that crosses your path half way down -- watch the brave newbies pull their hands down!), and for the gimmick that has you "race" with the twin train (get it -- "Gemini"?) that leaves the shed with you. Nice when the park isn't quite full, cause its another one that lets you jump out the exit and dash almost back onto the next train.

[Simaril]

Oh, and if the hotels have an early entry program you definitely want to grab it. Do as many long wait coasters as you can before the hordes arrive! Also avoid going on weekends and holidays. As I remember Wednesday and Thursday were slower days, but I can't swear to that.

For your entire time in the park, try to avoid the "normal" patterns. Eat early or late, do major rides as soon as you get in or last thing for the day. Best of all is when its supposed to rain but clears up (or holds off) -- keeps the crowds down. If its really busy, can actually make sense to spend the middle of the day killing time with bumper cars and minor rides rather than join into a 2 hour wait someplace.

Haven't recently checked their ticket plans, but if they have a 2 day pass that allows switching between the water park and the ride park, could work really well to go in swimsuit and Tshirt, ride CP till the crowds get bad, walk to the water park for the hot hours, and then go back to the rides. Repeat pattern second day, and could have a formula for maximum fun!
r
The water parks are, well, water parks. Sandusky now has a passel of them, from what's billed as the largest indoor water park in US (Kalahari) to a branch of the Wisconsin Dells Great Wolf Lodge, to Cedar Point's "Me Too!" conversion of an existing hotel. The outdoor one at CP has better water slides than any of the indoor ones. As far as I'm concerned, a water park is filled with fewer, wetter, slower rides than you can get at CP. If it were me, and I had limited time - I'd just do the point.

The lake is, well, a big lake. Nothing more. If you're a boater, more power to you....but as a tourist attraction, not so much. If you're a plane buff you'll get WWAY more out of Air Force Museum than you'd ever get out of a day at the lake.

I'll talk to my son and ask for any tips he might have...he worked there last year.

[Plazus]

Cedar Point... I have been there many many times. If you guys love roller coasters, then this is a haven for you fanatics. 16 roller coasters and counting. But its not just the roller coasters. The park has many more rides and attractions for even those softcore and older folk.