Cedar Point Review

Cedar Point really is THE best “regular” theme park in the United States. I mean, I’m sure there are some fantastic Six Flags’, and it doesn’t quite compare to the deep theming of a Disney or Universal park. But in the race for well-run roller-coaster-heavy amusement parks, Cedar Point can’t be beat. It’s certainly the best of the Cedar Fair parks.

Cedar Point

I won’t go into the deep history of the park (though you can take a fantastic audio tour here), but part of what sets Cedar Point apart is that it’s significantly more scenic than your average theme park. You’d think a park with 18 roller coasters would have plenty of land to put them on, but Cedar Point is squeezed onto a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. (On a clear day, you might be able to see Canada from the top of a ride.)

And not only is there a HUGE theme park and water park here, but there’s also a broad beach and a large hotel along the east side, a marina on the west, and a campsite at the tip. The overall effect is of a beachside amusement park on steroids, with cool breezes, amazing views (and sometimes unpredictable weather.)

The charm of the park was especially acute this year, during Cedar Point’s 150th-anniversary celebration, which added a fun parade and a big stage show with fireworks. There were also special food options available, but I confess deep-fried ribs and funnel cake sandwiches – that would be a chicken sandwich with funnel cakes for buns – don’t appeal to me. And I use the past tense here because, sadly, the celebration ended on August 15. But god bless the Cedar Point entertainment staff – they worked really hard and did a fantastic job!

Park Layout

I guess Cedar Point qualifies as a “theme park.” There is some theming, mostly in the back frontier area. The only real theme is crazy thrills. Even the majority of the “lands” are named a midway for whatever biggest ride is in the area.

The park is laid out in a sort of lasso shape – a long, straight thoroughfare (with loads of attractions on either side) back to a large loop. And as I’ve said, it’s a big park. A walk from the gate all the way back to Steel Vengeance at the farthest end will take a solid 30 minutes. Always arrive early!

Main Midway

Cedar Point has arguably the best midway in the history of amusement parks. A wide avenue (and for once, NOT a Disney-style “main street”) with shopping, dining, and attractions line the sides, generous flower beds and a sky ride run down the middle, all anchored by the palatial arcade. I also really love that they play classical music, at least in the mornings! It all feels so grand.

And unlike most theme parks, this area is chock-full of attractions! Besides the scenic Sky Ride down the middle of the midway, a beautiful vintage carousel is right inside the gates, with Ocean Motion swinging pirate ship just to the right. A roller coaster zooms right over the entrance to the park (though it’s technically part of a separate area.) The Raptor inverted coaster is right on the main midway to the left. The Cadillac Cars track ride and the historic Cedar Downs racing carousel are a little farther down on the left. At the far end are the Scrambler and Matterhorn flat rides.

On an offshoot, to the left behind Raptor, but still officially part of the Main Midway, is the classic wooden coaster Blue Streak (the oldest coaster at Cedar Point) and the much newer Valravn dive coaster.

Kiddy Kingdom/Planet Snoopy

On the right side of the Main Midway is the huge Coliseum, built in 1906, with cupola towers, colorful bay windows, and balconies. It houses an arcade underneath, plus bathrooms and offices. There’s even still a big art deco ballroom on the upper floor.

Flanking the right side of the Coliseum is Kiddy Kingdom, a brightly lit collection of small flat rides for the toddler set. On the other side is Planet Snoopy, another kid’s area themed to the Peanuts gang. (And not to be confused with Camp Snoopy, which is farther down.)

Lakeside Midway

Behind all the kid’s rides is the Lakeside Midway, with rides right on the beach. Walking back to it past all the gaming booths, there’s the maXair giant swinging pendulum ride (which I never saw operating) and the Gatekeeper wing coaster that flips riders over the entrance gate. Next is a gondola-style Giant Wheel with Troika and Tiki Twirl flat rides, and Dodgem bumper cars. Behind all that is the soon-to-be-replaced Wicked Twister inverted impulse coaster (like a big “U.”) Finishing off that corner flies the Windseeker tower swings -the most perfectly situated example of its kind.

Gemini Midway

Back on the Main Midway, if you head straight back and under the Corkscrew roller coaster, you’ll be on the Gemini Midway. If there’s a theme here, it’s color and fun, with a slight emphasis on the ’80s. There’s the aforementioned Corkscrew looping over the midway, and the Power Tower, with two turbo drop towers and two power shot towers. The Top Thrill Dragster is to your left (and the entrance is farther down than you think.)

The Magnum XL-200 coaster is down a bit further, and the ’80s fabtastic Gemini wooden racing coaster is just before you cross the train tracks into Frontiertown. There are several flat rides along here, starting with a Super Himalaya near the Corkscrew, the Monster spinner, the Lake Erie Eagles flyer, and the Pipe Scream, which is technically a roller coaster, though it really just rolls back and forth. And back past the Gemini is the extra-fee SlingShot.

Camp Snoopy

Tucked inside the left of the Gemini Midway is Camp Snoopy, another Peanuts-themed kid’s area, but this time with more of a rustic camping vibe. The Wilderness Run and Woodstock Express kid’s coasters are back in here.

Also tucked in this area is the new Snake River Expedition, which really thematically takes place in Frontiertown, but launches from behind Camp Snoopy.

Millenium Midway

Back at the Main Midway and heading to the left is the Millenium Midway, named for the 300-foot Millenium Force giga coaster that takes up the left side. On the right-hand side is the Iron Dragon, an old-style suspended coaster. Further along on the right is Rougarou, a floorless coaster.

Like the rest of the park, there’s not much overall theming here, but this is where you’ll find the Ubiquitous ’50s Diner (™) found in every amusement park on the planet.

Forbidden Frontier

The back half of the loop is the most themed with a Pioneer/Frontier style, like just about every theme park ever. But at Cedar Point, it really feels separated from the action at the front gate (which it used to be, literally – only accessible via the train and a second sky ride.) Back here, you find a wooden fort, frontier village, rustic shops including an honest-to-goodness china shop and a candlemaker, and even a barnyard petting zoo and pony rides.

Along here is also a new land called the Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island. I think it must disappear like Brigadoon because I was at Cedar Point for a week and never came across it. I suspect it’s behind the Frontier Fling, a pay-for-play attraction that I never explored behind. The area sounds like a kid’s climbing-net play area, accessible via a river raft and with some interactive story elements.

Frontier Trail

As you continue along what’s technically Frontier Trail, which includes a Saloon with live entertainment (plus a Panda Express and Cinnabon), you’ll end up at Thunder Canyon river rapids ride. Just across the bridge is another water ride, the Snake River Falls shoot-the-chute (i.e., “get you totally soaked”) ride, In fact, the exit for Snake River Falls is right next to the entrance to Thunder Canyon, so it makes sense to ride them together.

Frontiertown

Also across the bridge into Frontiertown proper is the Wave Swinger, the Skyhawk giant swing, Antique Cars, and the Cedar Creek Mine Ride. Deeper in, you find the Maverick and Steel Vengeance roller coasters in a wild west town setting. The train station is back here as well, with stations between these two coasters and near Millenium Force.

Cedar Point Shores Water Park

In addition to ALL THAT, there is also a water park! Back behind the Magnum XL-200, in fact, right underneath it, is the Cedar Point Shores water park. To access it, drive back around to the back of the park, near the campground. There’s an entrance from the park under the Magnum coaster, but I definitely wouldn’t park at the front gate and walk all the way back to go to the water park. If anything, park at the water park the day you want to do those rides and walk into the main park from there.

At Cedar Shores, there are 18 water slides on 6 towers, a wave pool, TWO lazy rivers, four kid’s areas, and one adults-only pool with a bar in it. There’s another bar by the wave pool, three counter-service restaurants, and an ice cream spot. And like most water parks, there’s one main gift shop selling everything from swimsuits and towels to souvenirs. Lockers can be found near the bathhouse to the right and near the wave pool to the left.

Food

Overall, the food is MUCH better than my previous experience at Carowinds. There’s a fresh french fry place on the Main Midway, a walking taco stand, gourmet mac & cheese, plus all the ice cream, burgers, and chicken fingers you could want all over. A good BBQ place with a live music stage (“BackBeatQue”) is next to the entrance to the water park near Magnum. The sole “healthy” option is back by Thunder Canyon in the back of the park, with gluten-free chicken fingers, sweet potato tots, cauliflower pizza, and salads. And once, I really enjoyed a Hawaiian burger at a firetruck parked below the Corkscrew.

The best ice cream is at Tuft’s at the front of the park, though there’s also a frozen yogurt place near Gemini that looks good. Plus, there are several third-party options like Chickfila, Auntie Anne’s pretzels, Cinnabon, Panda Express, and Subway. There are several spots to refill on sodas or beer. I assume they also hand out free ice water, but I carry a water bottle that is easy to refill at water fountains near bathroom stops.

Loose Article Policy

I was super annoyed at Carowinds’ $4 locker rentals. At Cedar Point, they’re only $2 a pop, but more rides require them. Seven coasters will make you stow your stuff with either a non-rider or in a locker: Valravn, Gatekeeper, Millenium Force, Magnum XL-200, Rougarou, Top Thrill Dragster, and Steel Vengeance. (Though there are tiny bins at Gatekeeper, I noticed. For phones and hats that make it into the line, I guess.) Even so, I was never mad about having to store my stuff, except when I’d pay for a locker then the ride would go down. (Looking at you, Top Thrill Dragster.)

At all other rides, there is an efficient bin system where you can leave your stuff on the ride platform (at your own risk, of course.)

Live Entertainment

Cedar Point is the first park I visited this summer that actually has some live entertainment! And they seemed to be careful to keep it mostly outdoors. Besides the 150th anniversary parade and show, there were shows on the anniversary stage throughout the day, alternating between a kid’s Snoopy show and some dance show. I also saw most of an outdoor version of Lusty Lil’s saloon show and some sock-hop dancers in front of the 50’s diner. Everything was fun and high-energy. I’m sure there’s a lot more, but show times aren’t very obvious or easily found in the app.

Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary

The most spectacular live entertainment was the anniversary offerings. The parade was a lot of fun, celebrating the history of Cedar Point with lots of moving parts, action, and cast members who interact with the audience. I really enjoyed the trampoline bellhops on The Breakers Hotel float. And another dedicated to roller coasters had inline skaters swooping all over it and around the float itself. The most unfortunate part of it (in my opinion) were the periodic dance breaks. Even on busy days, there just weren’t *that* many people watching the parade at any given time, so the actors mostly danced with themselves. I liked that I could walk up and watch it without having to stake out a spot ahead of time.

The parade starts near Gatekeeper and winds down then back up the Main Midway to a stage set up near Millenium Force. The floats are then arranged around the stage (and sometimes take part in the action.) The show itself was a run-through of the park’s history, as told through song and dance. Meaning, they’d talk about the beach days and have a “beach party,” then they’d get to the ’70s and have a disco, that sort of thing. It was really just like a regular theme park show, just amped up to a thousand. BUT, there was a great DJ/lead singer, and several of the parade cast were involved, like the guys on skates and some pogo stick stunts. Overall, it was fun, fire and fireworks shot out of the top of the stage, and it was a good time.

Events

Besides the anniversary events this summer (which, sadly, are over), there are a few other special events at Cedar Point. They host a Frontier Festival in May and June with special food and entertainment, games, and such things as a pie-eating contest and evening hoedown.

Cedar Point Nights brings the party to the beach with music, glow-in-the-dark games, and an extra-fee dine-in-the-dark dinner in August through early September.

And most popular, HalloWeekends lasts from September 17 – October 31 with haunted houses, mazes, special food and treats, and events for younger kids.

My Experience

I’ll review how I rank all the rides at Cedar Point in another post. (This one is long enough!) But for an idea of what a few days at Cedar Point can be like, let me briefly share my trip. I spent four days mid-week in July, trying to avoid the busy weekends. You don’t need that long to enjoy Cedar Point, but you’ll definitely need more than one day to see everything.

It was rainy during my first few days, and that actually kept the crowds away. I was able to ride a lot on just that first day. The second day, I rode what I missed and left after lunch, then spent a third day re-riding, looking in the shops, and doing more general wandering around. I spent a fourth half-day at the water park (with a failed attempt to ride Top Thrill Dragster the one day it was running!)

Then I returned a month later for one evening and morning and was able to ride Gatekeeper and Top Thrill Dragster, which were closed before. I also saw the anniversary show, which I had missed. It was during this visit that I took a nice walk through the park after closing, going counterclockwise around the loop after the show. It’s so nice to walk through when everything is lit up and peaceful.

Tickets

To see all of the awesomeness that is Cedar Point isn’t too terribly expensive. Right now, a one-day ticket bought online is about $45 on a weekday or $50 on the weekend. At the gate, it’s $75 for adults, $65 for kids under 48″ and seniors 62+. If you want to go more than one day, you might as well get a season pass for $100. Or for admission to all Cedar Fair parks, including parking fees, the platinum pass is about $200. Otherwise, even with a CP season/gold pass, you’ll have to pay $20 a day for parking.

For me to go for four days, had I bought a platinum pass just for that visit, it still would have saved me money. Plus, I’ve been to two other Cedar Fair parks this summer for multiple days, so it really worked out for me. Make sure to do the math (and include those parking fees!) to see what works best for your situation.

Cedar Point Apps

A word about the Cedar Point phone app: it’s the same app structure as Carowinds (and all Cedar Fair parks), and I have the same complaints. Wait times are inaccurate, map navigation is goofy, but they at least do a better job at noting which rides are down at this park.

Cedar Point also has an excellent audio tour app (for android only, it seems) to take a walking history tour in the park. And this year, they added a CP 150 app to interact with parades, shows, and for daily lifetime ticket giveaways. They also have generally robust wifi throughout the park.

Hotels

Cedar Point has a few hotels of its own where you can stay. Most notably is Hotel Breakers, the original 1905 beachfront resort practically in the middle of the park. It’s on the expensive side, but I’ve also heard that it’s pretty run down. A cheaper option is Cedar Point’s Express Hotel on the causeway to the park. Castaway Bay, an indoor water park resort (like a Wolf Lodge) is currently closed. There are also cabins and RV/camping slots at the campground, or you can stay in the Marina if you have a boat.

There are certainly plenty of hotels in Sandusky and the general area. I confess I found them to be either expensive or run down, or both. I ended up at an Airbnb in a nearly abandoned house 40 minutes away, so definitely don’t do that.

Maples Motel

While I was driving back and forth from my abandoned house, I repeatedly passed the Maples Motel, which looked interesting and retro. When I came back through town for a one-night stay, I called and got a room for an excellent price and had a fantastic visit! It was perfectly comfortable, and I had a very nice chat with the owner in the morning. (Though there is a train nearby – take earplugs.) He also provides a fairly decent breakfast with a bowls of fruit, granola/breakfast bars, and a box of donuts and coffee. I was super impressed for a $70 night’s stay. They don’t have an online presence and don’t show up on discount sites. You have to book directly.

Sandusky

Also, don’t sleep on the town of Sandusky itself, either. It’s charming with a classic downtown, several nice parks and flower beds, pretty houses, and even a few museums. Most notable seems to be the Merry-Go-Round Museum, which feels appropriate for an amusement park town. If I had more money to spend, I’d stay at the $200/night hotel in downtown Sandusky and hang out in town between park visits.

And of course, there are sundry ways to have fun on Lake Erie. In particular, there is a ferry service from nearby Catawba Island to Middle Bass Island and Put-in-Bay. There’s another ferry from Lakeside Marblehead to Kelley’s Island and a pretty lighthouse on the point.

Next, look for a post describing the rides themselves and how I rank them. Cedar Point may be the roller coaster capital of the world, but all those coasters aren’t winners. Stay tuned!