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Hello,

I am new here... I am just starting my research to plan a trip to Cedar Point. I am hoping someone can answer a few questions....

Myself (44) and my son (15) are ride junkies and I am thinking of spending 2 full days at CP. I am not interested in the water park.

Is 2 days enough? I am assuming that the Fast Lane Plus would be recommended. Do I have to purchase in advance or should I wait? I am nervous about buying in advance and my luck it rains and storms, and everything closes?

Is there a crowd calendar? I was looking the very last week of July, fly in Sunday and fly out Wednesday.

 

Is there a real advantage for staying on the grounds other than, you don't have to worry about parking and you can get inside 1 hour before hand? I am thinking that if I have the FL plus, then won't need to really worry about getting there a hour earlier.

 

My only experience is Disney, Universal and a few Six Flags locations. Any answers and thoughts, would be appreciated.

 

I found a two day pass is about 77pp, I am assuming that is probably the best value right now.

 

Thanks,

Kristy Smith

New Orleans

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Kristy,

 

Two days is enough, especially if you get Fastlane (and still even enough without). Even one day could be enough with FL+ depending on what you like to do and see. But I would say CP is a two-day park if you never have been before. This way, things aren’t as hectic and you can enjoy your time a bit more.

 

Buy your FL+ the day you are there. I NEVER have seen them “sold out”. This way, you can see how the crowds are and get it if you need it. The only time I would ever suggest someone pre-buy FL is if they plan to go during Halloweekends on a Saturday.

 

No crowd calendar… Expect it to be busy. How busy? Nobody knows. Very weather dependent. I have had DEAD days in July or even August, and packed days in May or June. It’s a busy park usually all of the time, so just assume it will be when you go.

 

You are correct, no real advantage from staying on-site then early entry if you need/want it. However, location and such is a nice perk. Not many decent hotels around the immediate area.

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Hello,

I am new here... I am just starting my research to plan a trip to Cedar Point. I am hoping someone can answer a few questions....

Myself (44) and my son (15) are ride junkies and I am thinking of spending 2 full days at CP. I am not interested in the water park.

Is 2 days enough? I am assuming that the Fast Lane Plus would be recommended. Do I have to purchase in advance or should I wait? I am nervous about buying in advance and my luck it rains and storms, and everything closes?

Is there a crowd calendar? I was looking the very last week of July, fly in Sunday and fly out Wednesday.

 

Is there a real advantage for staying on the grounds other than, you don't have to worry about parking and you can get inside 1 hour before hand? I am thinking that if I have the FL plus, then won't need to really worry about getting there a hour earlier.

 

My only experience is Disney, Universal and a few Six Flags locations. Any answers and thoughts, would be appreciated.

 

I found a two day pass is about 77pp, I am assuming that is probably the best value right now.

 

Thanks,

Kristy Smith

New Orleans

 

my 2cents.

 

100% worth it to spend the $$ and stay on property (Breakers would be my preferred over the budget option). Both will get you early entry to the park, but Breakers is *right there* and SO easy to walk from the park to your room during the day for: a quick break, change of shoes, get food (stock the mini fridge in your room). the convenience of being able to walk to your room during the middle of a long day? priceless. Only way I'll do CP these days.

 

you can get park tix package (some of them even offer FL+ if I'm not mistaken, from Breakers.. check online to see what room/park/passes options). FL+ is absolutely worth it, as that includes the coasters you really are going to want to re-ride (Maverick, Valravn, among them).

 

https://www.cedarpoint.com/stay/hotel-breakers?gclid=CjwKCAjw04vpBRB3EiwA0Iieali67UQB6mbJKK4hckwt3zNG7tODVBqjwRwnDT-H0nxL4c0r4A_dFRoCV8sQAvD_BwE

 

it's a very large park so you're gonna do a lot of walking. having the room so close is a huge benefit.

 

I've never bothered with the water park in either of my trips, so I'd say it's fine to skip and you'll have a great time regardless. . tho "waterpark" people might think otherwise. Hotel Breakers has Pools/Hottubs (and a bar with waitstaff service to them), so that was good enough for me.

 

Food wise, as noted, I'd stock up the mini-fridge with snacks. . but onsite at Breakers is Perkins (great for breakfast), in the park is Melt! (great for lunch, but with HUGE sandwiches, so either be prepared to share - or take leftovers back to your room before going back onto rides), and out the Marina Gate (by ValravN) is Famous Dave's - fantastic BBQ

 

the coasters are the main draw, but don't miss some stellar flats while at CP: Troika, MaXair, Cedar Downs (incredibly unique "racing" carousel), the Monster (octopus), and the screaming swing ride (can't recall the name).

 

hope this helps a little?

have fun!

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I advise at least one day with Fast Lane Plus. You can hit all the FL rides that day, and use the second day for anyother attractions that interest. You also get early entry if you stay at the resort.

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Two days with Fastlane should be good enough to ride everything. All of July is very busy and attendance will not drop off until mid-August. As you can see from the current wait times that some of the better coasters can be one to two hours without Fastlane on a Monday morning. If you stay on property you also get into the park a little early but I have no idea how much that is worth it to you.

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My 0.02 $..

 

It's utterly depending on how soon you'll be returning and how much you want to invest. We came from Germany and don't know when to return, so we did three full days (and get a fourth afternoon ticket for free) and hat one day FL+.

We were there Monday through Thursday and it was well worth it.

cfc is right, with one day FL+ and (an) additional day(s) you'll normally be able to have multiple rides on every ride you'll see. Our third day was only "OK, what do we want to ride again? Where are short lanes?" We also wouldn't have hesitated to buy another FL+ if neccessary, it was so worth it the one day we had it.

We also stayed on property, if that's interesting for you. We sometimes went to our rooms midday, when crowds got heavy and the sun burnt. When the park is open from 9am to 11pm, you can "waste" two hours napping easily, the more you can ride at night.

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I definitely recommend Hotel Breakers for the location and convenience, as well as the early entry. If you're looking for something a little more budget-friendly, Cedar Point also owns the CP Express Hotel, which is on the mainland, just off of the peninsula. So it's a few-minutes to drive to CP but still gives you the benefit of 1-hour early entry.

 

As far as Fast Lane +, it will be crowded but certainly during the week will be less crowded than weekends. I would not purchase it ahead of time. Maybe even just power through the first day without one and then evaluate if you want to buy one for the second day. You will have early entry so you can knock out some of the rides with the longest waits in the park (Steel Vengeance, Maverick, and Millennium Force - if time allows). The cost varies by day, but for a summer weekday Fast Lane + can be upwards of $120-150.

 

If your schedule allows and you can push your trip dates a few weeks, crowds should be lighter. A lot of Ohio schools start going back in session around the weeks of August 12 or 19.

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Breakers Express is a 3 minute drive from the CP parking lot. Not 4* nice but very adequate. So, if you want to save a few bucks over Breakers and still get early entry, that is another option. No trams or shuttles unfortunately.

 

I did my first trip in 20+ years earlier this summer. It's a bit larger than I was expecting. You'll do some walking.

 

Showed 100% chance of rain one of the days. Rained for an hour around 11. That was probably the best day I had out of the 4. Crowd was light. I rode MF about 6 times in the rain with the exit gate open before they ultimately closed it for a bit due to the storm. Then it never rained again. So, don't get discouraged by the weather reports leading up to your trip.

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Breakers is ideal and the best option if you'd like a break during your day. If I weren't already a platinum pass holder, I might consider it for the early entry. Cedar Point is huge. We walked 12+ miles on a recent trip. So if you aren't used to walking a lot in the heat, Breakers would be great for the rest/nap option.

 

The early entry afforded to platinum pass holders and guests staying at a CP property is awesome. You can get at least one ride on all the best coasters with minimal lines. Wait to buy your FL+. They sell them at several merch stores in the park, so don't stand in line at the one by the front gate. If you go on weekday in late August like I did last year, you might find you can ride all the coasters (many with re-rides) in one day.

 

If you don't stay at Breakers, or are getting early entry from the other property, or even if you are doing none of that but want to hit Maverick and Steel Vengeance first, use the entrance by Magnum. Get there early and walk around the main entrance to the right. There is a sign for the 'Boardwalk'. Walk past Breakers and hook a left. Go across the parking lot and cross the street to entrance. It is a little more than 3/4 of a mile from the front row of standard parking, so allow a little time if you use an alternate entrance. Use the marina entrance if you want to ride Valravn and Millennium Force first, or Raptor really. Use the beach entrance if you want to ride Gatekeeper or Wicked Twister first (but why would you?) I have only used the Magnum gate (Resort Entrance on CP map), so I'm not sure the other two alternate entrances are always open.

 

We used FL+ on our one day trip a couple of weeks ago. Our longest wait for Steel Vengeance was about 15 minutes. The regular line at that time was listed at 135 minutes on the app. Currently weekdays and Sundays appear to be $85/110 for FL/FL+ and $105/155 for Saturdays. FL prices start dropping the third week of August, according to the current pricing calendar. I'll assume you are not a platinum pass holder since you've never been to a Cedar Fair park, but at CP you can buy FL+ for FL price if you are. Saved me $50 on a recent Sunday.

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Fast Lane + is very much recommended at the end of July, as it's always busy that time of year. The first hour is really great, even if you'll have FL+ the rest of the day.

 

I generally stay offsite in a cheap but acceptable hotel, then get a Platinum Pass. It gives you Fast Lane + for the regular Fast Lane price, plus one hour early entry, plus parking, plus waterpark admission too. Best deal there is if you're going multiple days.

Edited by ytterbiumanalyst
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Just a couple things, since I'm planning my first trip in a little more than a month:

 

I've heard some things about the "Magnum Gate." Assuming this is available for the general public (not just hotel guests), would it be a better option than the main gate to get SV, Maverick, etc. earlier?

 

What is a good time to get to the park? If it opens at 10, say, do they let people in a few minutes early?

 

We're thinking of driving to the park, staying overnight, and coming back the next day. If we stayed at an on-site hotel, would we be able to get Early Entry for that day without checking in at the hotel first? Is there a will-call or something?

 

Any answers are greatly appreciated.

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"Magnum Gate" is aka: the Resort Gate - as I believe it was mainly intended for those guests at Breakers (and those using the waterpark) to get into the main park.

However, it is NOT a restricted gate, and since they built the boardwalk extension, they are encouraging folks to walk down from the main gates to use the Magnum gate if so inclined.

 

yes, it will put you out at the back of the park. Closest to Maverick/Steel Vengeance.

 

keep in mind, anyone with a Platinum Pass and/or staying on site, gets in an hour early, so there will be people lined up regardless of what time you arrive, if you don't have early access entry.

 

for early entry, I'd think for sure they'd want you to show your early entry pass - that you'd get from the hotel. but I don't know for sure. My guess is you'd at least have to swing by the hotel to get the pass first before going to the park. I've never stayed at Breakers Express, but at Hotel Breakers, they had no issue giving us the early entry paper/pass prior to our room being ready.

 

hope that helps.

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Thanks, that answers all of my questions! Not to be a broken record, but since the Resort Gate isn't restricted, does that mean non-hotel guests can circle around and park in the lot next to it?

 

Nope - there is a security booth there just under Magnum - if you aren't a hotel guest, they won't let you proceed under Magnum to the lot you're talking about. The Waterpark lot is over there too (if not mistaken), but since Waterpark won't be open that early, don't think they let you back over there.

 

that's, I'm sure, part of the reason they extended the boardwalk - so guests can walk down from front lot parking.

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The lot is before the booth. You can park there but I usually just park in the main lot and walk because traffic on Perimeter Road is known to suck getting out. We've been burned a few times with that.

 

Plus, it's a nice walk. We like the boardwalk a lot.

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Came here to say this ^. They're going to check you.

 

But, we stayed at Breakers and parked in the lot and it was like having preferred parking because ... it pretty much is.

 

If I were you, I would just get a room at Breakers. The amenities and perks are so worth it. We did the math and at least a few weeks ago, the price to stay at Breakers vs. a decent hotel on the mainland was about the same - staying on the mainland actually would cost more in the end after you factor paying parking for two days vs. free [premium!] parking. Cedar Point is huge, and having access to the back of the park was such a life-saver. You don't want to hit the front of the park early, anyway.

 

We are not passholders and we NEVER (I repeat, NEVER) buy Fastpass at any park we go to and with early entry, we were able to get more than our help of rides of Maverick Steel Vengeance. Both also had short lines at the end of the day but that was more just our luck. We were more than able within two days to do everything we wanted; just follow the general advice given anywhere for Cedar Point - do the back first, come back to the front after lunch, and know the rides that never get a line (Magnum).

 

We only stayed one night at Breakers, but even on the second day after checkout they let us keep our car in the lot and we just walked out of the park and pinic'ed out the trunk whenever we got hungry.

 

My father is to the age now where he never stays in parks for a full day anymore. He's all about going in the morning, taking a nap midday, and returning in the evening which was the greatest amenity Breakers offered us - the ability to do that in an actual bed, and be back in the park in five minutes. We also got rained on, and so having the hotel right there was a super convenient way to stay dry (FYI - rides at the Point just aren't worth it in any amount of precipitation - it's going to hurt and there's nothing you can do about it - we tried). And at the end of the day, you could relax your muscles in the hot tub or on the beach. Be prepared for a lot of walking when at Cedar Point - we walked eleven miles each day.

 

Also, waking up in Cedar Point, proper, on property, before most guests are even allowed on the peninsula and seeing sunrise over the world's best coasters is something every enthusiast needs to do in their life at least once. It's also so relieving to know that all you have to do is get up and walk into the park in the morning - no headaches getting there and having to park.

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And if your looking for food outside of the park right down the road from the park on Cleveland Road is the Brick Oven Bistro. It is the pizza oasis for Sandusky.

 

I've never heard of Brick Oven Bistro, but there are two other good local pizza places I have been to:

Cameo Pizza on Monroe St, west of downtown Sandusky (and west of OH-4)

Chet and Matt's Pizza on Strub Rd, just east of US-250 (Strub is the third light on 250 after the Butler entrance)

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...My father is to the age now where he never stays in parks for a full day anymore. He's all about going in the morning, taking a nap midday, and returning in the evening which was the greatest amenity Breakers offered us - the ability to do that in an actual bed, and be back in the park in five minutes. We also got rained on, and so having the hotel right there was a super convenient way to stay dry (FYI - rides at the Point just aren't worth it in any amount of precipitation - it's going to hurt and there's nothing you can do about it - we tried). And at the end of the day, you could relax your muscles in the hot tub or on the beach. Be prepared for a lot of walking when at Cedar Point - we walked eleven miles each day.

 

Also, waking up in Cedar Point, proper, on property, before most guests are even allowed on the peninsula and seeing sunrise over the world's best coasters is something every enthusiast needs to do in their life at least once. It's also so relieving to know that all you have to do is get up and walk into the park in the morning - no headaches getting there and having to park.

 

Preach.

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