A First Time Visit to Cedar Point

This post was originally published on June 5, 3014 and was last updated May 5, 2018. 

Do you know that Cedar Point is celebrating their 148th operating season as the second oldest, continually-operating amusement park in North America? With 72 rides, Cedar Point ranks in the list of top largest amusement parks in the world, drawing crowds from all over.

My kids are big fans of Cedar Point. They’re thrill seekers at heart and love to ride all the rides that my 40-something-year-old body doesn’t necessarily handle well these days. Rides like the Raptor, Gatekeeper and Millenium Force are right up their alley, while I prefer something a bit smoother like the ferris wheel and the train. Okay, maybe that’s not entirely honest. I really love the Iron Dragon, so maybe I’m not that much of an amusement park wimp after all.

Since my visit, new roller coasters have been added. The Valravn is the tallest, fastest long-dive coaster in the world. The Steel Vengeance made its debut in May, 2018. Cedar Point is breaking records again with this new coaster. Listed as the World’s first “hyper-hybrid”, this wood and steel hybrid is the World’s tallest and fastest hybrid coaster in the world.

When I was invited to visit Cedar Point for a special event, I knew I couldn’t say no and looked forward to a fun day with my husband and kids. We only had one problem. My big kids didn’t think it would be fun to hang out with their dad and I. Instead, they made plans to visit with their friends another time and told my husband and I that we should have a date and enjoy our time away from them. Aren’t they funny?

Since I had four tickets waiting for me, we decided to take our niece and nephew. I can’t even tell you how excited they were to spend the day with us, unlike my kids, they’d never been to Cedar Point.

My nephew and niece are only 8 and 9, respectively, so I envisioned a relaxing day at Camp Snoopy. As soon as we picked them up, I knew that wasn’t going to be as they excitedly began to talk about the the record holding roller roasters at Cedar Point. They have older siblings who had assured them they were probably tall enough for Top Thrill Dragster and Millenium Force. Both coasters are in the Top Five when it comes to the “World’s Tallest Roller Coasters” and my niece and nephew wanted to ride on both.

At just over 48”, my nephew was just tall enough to ride most of the coasters, but fortunately for my husband and I, he fell beneath the 52” mark that would grant him access to a seat on the Top Thrill Dragster. You would think he would have been disappointed, but after watching it take off, he was perfectly content to hop on the Iron Dragon- which was thrilling enough for an 8-year old.

Favorite rides of the Day:

Dodgem– The lines at this attraction were the longest wait of the day for us, but they stood in the line twice just for the opportunity to crash into their uncle.

Sky Ride– This ride offered an aerial view of the rides in the Midway of Cedar Point, plus a beautiful view of the lake since it was clear. The little ones were content to sit back, rest their feet, and enjoy the ride.

Iron Dragon– This really is a fun roller coaster. I like it because while it dips, swings, and makes you think you’re going to crash into the lagoon, it doesn’t have any loops and top speed is just over 40 mph. We rode in both the front and back, if you want a bit more intense ride, wait for a seat in the back row. My niece and nephew enjoyed this so much that they wanted to ride again, and again.

In addition to the rides, they also enjoyed taking a break from the coasters and strolling through Dinosaurs Alive! This exhibit on Adventure Island allows you to travel back in time and trek through a collection of animatronic dinosaurs that move, roar and educate. You can read my full review on TravelingMom.com: Travel back in Time to find Dinosaurs Alive! in Cedar Point.

What to Know Before you Visit Cedar Point:

1. Save money and buy your tickets before you get to the gate. Cedar Point offers so many opportunities for you to save money on admission that there is really no reason to pay full price. You can save $20 off each adult full-price ticket when you buy your tickets online but Cedar Point runs many promotions throughout the season.
2. Consider staying at one of the Cedar Point resorts which offer Early Entry to the park for guests as well as specially discounted tickets. I’m particularly fond of Hotel Breakers which has a beach to die for!
3. Cedar Point offers a Parent Swap, allowing one parent to ride with a child while another waits with one not able to ride. At the end of the ride, the parents are able to trade places. To participate in this program, you will need to get an authorization slip at Guest Services, the Park Operations Office, the Town Hall Museum or the Resort Entrance Gate.
4. The amusement park gets crowded and you can experience long waits. If you plan to ride the roller coasters and popular rides, consider purchasing a Fast Lane or Fast Lane Plus which allows you to bypass the lines for some of the most popular attractions.
5. Feeding the family at amusement parks always seems to add up. Cedar Point now offers meal plans which can add up to some pretty amazing savings and one of my favorite places to dine in the park, Pink’s Hot Dog stand is on the list of restaurants that honor the meal plan.
6. It gets hot at Cedar Point. If you get thirsty, you can ask for a cup of water at any of the food stands and they’ll give you a small cup free of charge.
7. In addition to good sunscreen, you should also protect your head with a good fitting hat and it wouldn’t hurt to pack a tube of ChapStick too.
8. It goes without saying that you should wear good shoes. You’ll be walking and standing a lot, so make sure you’re comfortable.
9. Dress in layers- it may be HOT during the day, but when the sun goes down you’ll get a chilly breeze off the lake.

Cedar Point always promises fun- and my niece and nephew weren’t disappointed. We left the park with two kids already planning another trip. They only hope that they’ll grow a couple inches so they can ride the Top Thrill Dragster.

Are you planning a trip to Cedar Point this summer? What ride do you most want to ride?

Other posts you may enjoy:

Plan your Visit to Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio
An Early Morning Photowalk at Cedar Point

Disclosure: Special thanks to Cedar Point for inviting my family to visit at no charge. All opinions are my own.