I just received an e-mail from Cedar Point with deals for the coming few weeks.  Looks like Rudy will have to make a trip over to Cedar Point early this year!  Last year’s trip was a big success–we had a great time at the park.  Fortunately, we’re close enough that a trip to Cedar Point is only a day trip, and no overnight lodging is necessary unless you’d like to make a long weekend trip out of it and visit Cleveland.  For those who don’t know, Cedar Point is an amusement park that is home to some of the world’s fastest and most exciting roller coasters. Here’s a brief rundown on last year’s trip.

We’d been to Cedar Point in the past, but usually during the summer, when the weather is more often hot than warm or cool.  This time, we decided to try the Halloweekend, where they have Halloween-themed attractions after dark.   The weather was nice and cool–shirt sleeves during the day, but we had sweatshirts for the evening rides.

Most of the day was enjoyable, but the only downer was riding the Mean Streak later in the day.  I knew it was going to be a rough ride, but the Mean Streak got even rougher and meaner–there was one rough drop that actually landed us in our seats, and sent a pain up my spine.  Until they decide to redo or repair the tracks, we’re avoiding it.

Other than that, we had a great time on the rides.  We hit some favorites like the double-track Gemini, the Iron Dragon (which is a coaster suspended from above), the Wildcat (which has individual four-person cars), and the Mean Streak.  A first-timer for us was the Magnum XL-200, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.  The Magnum is 200 feet high, and hits 72mph on the first drop.  I never heard my better half scream so loud in my life–that first drop is a major rush!!

We would have tried the Maverick, but there was a wait of over two hours to get on it.  And other rides like the Mantis and the Raptor, turn you over too many times, and I’d probably be sick as a dog for a week!  I’m hoping to try the Millenium Force, which is over 300 ft. tall and hits a speed of nearly 90 mph on the first drop.

The Halloweekend features were fun, albeit not too scary.  A lot of it involves walks through foggy, dark areas, where dressed-up park employees sneak out at you when you least expect it.   The decorations were neat also.  one example of which is Planet Snoopy which is turned into Planet Spooky for the night.

Cedar Point also has an attached property called Soak City, which is a major water park, and the Challenge Park that has attractions like bungee jumping.  Soak City can be purchased in tandem with a Cedar Point admission, but the Challenge Park is separate.

A couple of recommendations for those wanting to visit: hotels on the Cedar Point property can be expensive–their Breakers Express is probably the best deal.  Other hotels in the immediate area are pricey, as you’d expect by any major attraction.  If you stay on the west end of Cleveland (near the airport), the drive to Cedar Point isn’t so difficult.  Likewise, you could stay about an hour away in Toledo for a lot lower price.  There isn’t much between Toledo and Cleveland off of the Ohio Turnpike (I-80) other than Sandusky.

Next, you’ll probably want to eat outside the park.  There are numerous restaurants on the main road leading up to the park, including a lot of popular chain restaurants.  If you are in need of a 24 hour restaurant, Steak ‘n’ Shake has a location in Sandusky.  Food and drink in the park are expensive–it’s often good to get a pass, leave for an hour or two to rest, then return to the park.

Finally, you can get discounts on admission tickets.  On the main road leading to the park is a Meijer store–they have advance admission tickets available for sale at a discount.   Other local stores offer it as well.   And be sure to check out the Deals and Discounts page on their site.  For the next few weeks, they are offering a mid-week special for $29.99/person, which is cheaper than any other discount ticket package.  For that reason, you may find us at the park within the next few weeks, getting up the nerve to try out the new Maverick…