Cedar Point Non-Coaster Rides

Besides 18 roller coasters, there are several other rides at Cedar Point! From flat rides to real thrills, there’s more than coasters at Cedar Point. Let’s take a look at Cedar Point’s non-coaster rides from my least to most favorite.

Cedar Point Non-Coaster Rides

#18 – Paid Rides

There are two extra-fee attractions at Cedar Point, Professor Delbert’s Frontier Fling, and SlingShot. Frontier Fling is a skycoaster where they hang you and 2-3 others on a long cord, haul you up to 152 feet in the air, then let you go (or you pull a ripcord), and you swing back and forth. SlingShot shoots two riders at a time, 360 feet in the air on two cords like a, well, slingshot.

I think my biggest objection is that they cost so much. I can’t find exact prices online, but I think it’s in the neighborhood of $25-40 per ride. More if you want a video of it. The parks are expensive enough without paying more. And they seem to be attractions you do to say you’ve done them and prove how brave you are than are actually fun to ride. (I dunno, the fling might be fun.)

#17 – Dodgem

#1, bumper cars are a group activity, and since I tend to travel alone, there’s no appeal for me there. It’s not like I’m going to run into a bunch of people I don’t know. And #2, maybe I’m just too old to get into repeated crashes? It doesn’t sound fun anymore.

#16 – Antique Cars / Cadillac Cars

The same argument goes for antique car rides – I’m probably not going to do this on my own; it feels a bit too silly. But Cedar Point has two of these track rides, one back in Frontiertown (with a cute covered bridge) and the other on the Main Midway. Both feature 3/4 scale replicas of 1910 Cadillac open-top touring cars. They look like excellent versions of their kind.

#15 – Flat Rides

I’ll put all the spinning flat rides all in one category. They’re generally fun but not too thrilling to exclude younger guests. In order of my preference:

Troika is a spinning ride – kind of like a scrambler with height. I swear this one next to the Ferris wheel goes faster and higher than others I’ve ridden. You really get some vertical swing.

The Monster next to Gemini is a monster/spider/octopus-style ride (though I think there are slight differences between those three models) with spinning cars on curving arms. You can really get spinning on this one, and it’s nice to have your feet so elevated while you’re waiting to load/unload, especially in the middle of a long park day.

Matterhorn at the end of the Main Midway makes you feel like you’re in a sled rushing over snowy hills. I found this one to be a bit slow. Similarly, the Super Himalaya across from Top Thrill Dragster is almost the same, though cars are fixed, so you get strong lateral g’s. I found it on the slow side too, and one issue with loading can really hold up the ride for a while.

Lake Erie Eagles next to Gemini is one of those where you can control your swing with a large sail. You can really get these swinging out if you really try. The Tiki Twirl in front of the Ferris wheel is a slanted ride with spinning cups, a little like teacups on a slant.

The Scrambler across from the Matterhorn has that egg-beater action you expect, and this one looks nice at night. This model is from 1960 and is one of the oldest rides at Cedar Point.

#14 – Power Tower

The Power Tower is iconic to Cedar Point’s skyline, with two towers that shoot you up 240 feet in the air, and two that drop you from the same height, the only one of its kind in the world like that.

I mean, it’s reasonably fun, possibly a nice view (or a view of the people on the other tower), but I always found the line to be a miserable experience that the ride itself can’t make up for. First of all, there are only 12 riders per tower, and during my visit, only one power shot tower was ever in operation. Add in the influx of Fast Lane riders, and the regular line seems to crawl. For such a short ride experience, it seems to load so slowly.

#13 – Giant Wheel

The Giant Wheel gets props for being by Lake Erie with good views of the beach and the water and for being prettily lit up at night. But as a gondola-style Ferris wheel, I hate that they don’t allow solo riders. (I was able to ride it with a family OF SIX, which was a little awkward, but they were very kind to let me join.)

#12 – Wave Swinger

I swear everything at Cedar Point is just a little better than similar rides anywhere else. This goes for the Wave Swinger as well – it feels faster and higher than other swings rides! I always love these handpainted gems.

#11 – Midway Carousel

Speaking of handpainted gems, the Midway Carousel, planted directly behind the entrance gate, is the park’s oldest attraction. Built in 1912 and moved to Cedar Point in 1946, it features hand-carved horses and lots of pretty lights.

#10 – Cedar Downs Racing Derby

Another sort of carousel, but a bit more exciting, is Cedar Downs. On this ride, you “race” your group as four sleek horses in each line move forward and back. And it’s quick! Quicker than you would think for a ride from 1920. Cedar Point acquired it in 1965, making it one of the oldest rides in the park.

It’s definitely a bit more fun to ride with friends so you can “race,” and it really sounds like horses galloping at full speed! Maybe it’s just part of the soundtrack (which repeats each ride – I imagine the ride operators get really sick of it.) Even if you don’t ride, it’s a lot of fun to watch. And it’s only one of two in the U.S.

#9 – Ocean Motion

This is another example of Cedar Point operating well even its simpler rides. The swinging pirate ship, Ocean Motion, manages to be so much fun! I certainly enjoyed it more than I thought I would! Maybe it’s the ride operators or the fact that it’s right by the entrance, and folks are just excited to be there and riding something. I also think it might be longer than other examples of its kind.

#8 – Cedar Point & Lake Erie Railroad

Oooh, I love a good train. And while Cedar Point’s train really only covers half of the back half of the park, it’s a fun ride through the woods. Once one of only two ways to get back to Frontiertown, there are two stations – one back near Steel Vengeance and one near Millennium Force. I’d say to ride the whole circuit takes about 30 minutes. 10 minutes for each leg and 10 minutes of loading & unloading time.

There are western vignettes staged on the leg from Frontiertown forward. “Boneville” features skeletons at the bar, in jail, putting out fires, playing banjos, cheating on their wives… There aren’t any skeleton scenes on the other half, but there are some good views of the coasters. And, of course, it’s always a good way to get some quiet time off your feet during a day at the park.

#7 – Snake River Falls

Now we get into the water-based rides. Snake River Falls is a shoot-the-chute ride, meaning that on a wide raft, you go up a lift hill, around a bend, then right back down in a big splash. This is the one where you can stand on a bridge to the exit and get even wetter as the next raft comes down. And Snake River Falls opened in 1993 as the tallest and fastest of its kind, with a drop of 80 feet.

I tell you, it’s a simple ride, but it’s reasonably well themed, and it is extremely welcome on a hot day! I was dragging by the time it opened at noon, and it perked me right up to get nice and soaked. Try to stow your shoes and socks in a locker to keep them dry, or you’ll be squishing around the rest of the day!

#6 – Thunder Canyon

In the same vein, Thunder Canyon is the other get-you-wet ride at Cedar Point. And luckily, they are close to one another so that you can stow your stuff once for both rides. They’re so close that the exit for Snake River Falls is just across from the entrance to Thunder Canyon. So it’s easy to bounce between the two on a hot afternoon.

It’s also an easy ride to ride multiple times – the line never seems to be too long. And while you will probably get soaked, it’s possible to ride it and not get too wet. I tended to ride it twice in a row to get good and soaked from head to toe.

Thunder Canyon doesn’t seem to have a lot of those dips and rapids that really get you wet. (And that may depend on how much it rains, I’m not sure.) Most of the soaking comes from several waterfalls and a platform where other guests can spend quarters to shoot at riders. And if you want to leave your shoes at the entrance without getting a locker, there are some cubbies for that.

#5 – Sky Ride

I am a big fan of any sky bucket ride, and the Sky Ride takes you right down the middle of the Main Midway. It’s one of the few times you can take pictures from above since you can’t take your phone on all those lift hills and drop towers you’ve been on. And the ride operators are so cheery! Ride ops all over Cedar Fair are outstanding, but the Sky Ride folks seem extra friendly.

And if you’re ever trying to figure out where the entrance is, it’s always on the inside, whatever direction the Sky Ride is coming out of.

#4 – maXair

Had it ever been operating during my visits, I think I would have really enjoyed maXair. I like these spinning pendulum rides (what is called a Giant Frisbee), and there are only two in the world that are this big. We’re getting into seriously thrilling rides now; too bad they don’t run it.

#3 – Snake River Expedition

The new Snake River Expedition is definitely not a thrill ride, but it is a lot of fun! I think I was expecting a poor man’s Jungle Cruise, and it does have some of those cheesy jokes and effects. But there’s a lot more that happens outside of the boat, too, like a proper show. I might most liken it to the western side of the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (may it rest in peace.)

I think one of the nicest things is that the queue line is enclosed and air-conditioned! That puts one in a good mood right away. Though if it gets long enough, an expanded line is covered but outside (and with lots of fans.) There are a few stages before you actually board the boat. First, they take your party size and assign you a numbered square to stand on for a bit. This means absolutely nothing because then you’ll be escorted as a crowd to a show building where it’s explained that we’re going to be smuggling a little gold down the river, and two young helpers are recruited.

Then it’s back outside again, where you board your boat (and you can sit wherever – those initial squares don’t mean anything.) Along with the boat captain and your guide, you’ll float past silly scenes and hear silly jokes, then get shot at, boarded, and the gold is stolen! It all ends well as the bad guy gets blown up in an outhouse. It’s great fun.

The quality of your trip really depends on how well the actors do. I took two expeditions to see if it was consistent, and my second ride was just as fun as the first one. It’s silly fun, but it’s fun enough to earn a pretty high ranking on my non-coasters list.

#2 – Skyhawk

I really love these super swings rides, and the Skyhawk is the biggest in the world! It loads quickly with 40 riders at a time. And I love how you can look straight down at the people on the sidewalk! There’s good airtime at the top of each arc, and it’s extra fun when both swings are operating simultaneously. I try to get a seat on the “inside” to feel the other swing rushing by. Of course, I wish the ride time were a little longer, but I don’t think it’s any shorter than other rides of its kind.

#1 – WindSeeker

There’s a WindSeeker, by that name, in all the Cedar Fair parks I’ve been to so far, both Carowinds and King’s Island. It’s a tower swinger with rigid arms holding pairs of seats out at a 45-degree angle at 301 feet off the ground. As you rise, movie music plays with flying themes from Superman, ET, and Star Trek. It’s fast and reasonably thrilling, but it’s mostly a chance to take a look around.

What I like so much about Cedar Point’s WindSeeker is where it’s located, right at the edge of the beach, so you get a good view of the park but a great view of Lake Erie (and possibly. Canada.) And maybe it’s just the wind off the lake, but it even seems faster than other incarnations.

WindSeeker also looks amazing at night, and with the Giant Wheel, that side of the park is a neon dream after dark.

So there you have it, between Cedar Point’s roller coasters and this list, we’ve covered all the rides at Cedar Point! I’ll go over the Cedar Shores Water Park next (and I don’t talk about kids’ rides, either. My apologies. Check out my original post for more general information about the toddler areas of the park.)