Thank you to Cedar Point for hosting our family’s visit. All opinions are my own.
We are so lucky to have Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio. Cedar Point in Sandusky is consistently recognized as one of the world’s best amusement parks and always winning awards for its roller coasters. It is the only amusement park with six roller coaster that are taller than 200 feet and the only park that features coasters in all four height classifications. On top of that, the classifications of giga and strata were coined during the development of the Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster, respectively. When Cedar Point constructs a new coaster, it seems to always break at least one world record. It’s no surprise that Cedar Point, which is located on Lake Erie, is known as “America’s Roller Coast.”
Cedar Point Amusement Park Awards
Cedar Point received Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for “Best Amusement Park in the World” every year from 1997-2013. It’s the most visited seasonal amusement park in the nation and boasted about 3.6 million visitors in 2017. And, its historic, too. Cedar Point is the second oldest continuously operated amusement park in the U.S. behind only Lake Compounce in my husband’s former hometown of Bristol, Connecticut. My husband was pleased to know he’s visited the two oldest amusement parks in the U.S., especially considering Cedar Point and Lake Compounce are two of the only seasonal amusement parks he’s visited. Cedar Point also has several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cedar Point Theme Park – An Ideal Vacation Destination
Cedar Point is a vacation destination that attracts visitors from all over the world. The Sandusky area has many options for accommodation to support Cedar Point, including three hotels with indoor water parks and Cedar Point’s Hotel Breakers. We met one family who was visiting on a five day pass with dining plan. While we generally have to travel to see top tourist spots, we’re able to make a day trip to Cedar Point from the eastern suburbs of Cleveland on about a half a tank of gas. Before school starts each year, we ask the kids about their favorite parts of summer, and Cedar Point always ranks at the top of the list, even the year we took an amazing trip to Iceland.
We scheduled our visit to Cedar Point on what turned out to be the hottest day of the summer. Meteorologists warned of the dangers of the high heat index throughout the entire region. We were glad we planned to visit later in the day, and the souvenir cup with unlimited refills was a non-negotiable necessity. We stayed hydrated and avoided any attractions with long lines and made sure to visit air-conditioned buildings whenever we felt hot. Much to my daughter’s dismay, we also decided to skip one of her favorites, Snoopy Bounce, because it required too much physical exertion on this hot day.
Cedar Point Weather
It’s important to check the weather and be prepared before visiting Cedar Point. Even though rain was not in the forecast when we headed to Cedar Point, we threw a few umbrellas under our stroller to use as shade during this day of extreme heat. We had been fortunate during our recent trips to Cedar Point and visited on only dry days, but at about 9 p.m., an unexpected and ominous storm cloud appeared overhead and significantly darkened the beautiful blue sky we enjoyed the entire day. It brought with it a cooling breeze and then a downpour of rain and consistent lightning. When the unexpected rain shower began, we felt very lucky that we were some of the few prepared Cedar Point visitors. We stopped for dinner hoping the storm would pass, and the rides would reopen, but due to safety concerns and ongoing lightning, most of the rides understandably closed early. Only a few fixed to the ground remained open.
Unexpected storm clouds rolling in behind Maverick, Cedar Point’s steepest roller coaster
Cedar Point Nights
From July 12 through August 18, the Cedar Point Nights event offers an ultimate nighttime beach party with five hours of live entertainment from local bands at the Lakeside Beach Musical Festival. Visitors can take advantage of Cedar Point’s low priced admission after 5 p.m. and enter the park for only $25 per person. We unfortunately missed the Musical Festival because of the unexpected storm but have enjoyed the evening live entertainment during visits in prior years. In addition to the nightly beach party, the Cedar Point theme park lights up after dark. Giant Wheel, Cedar Point’s Ferris wheel illuminates against the skyline and has more lights than any other ride in the park. While the boys waited in line for the Dodgem cars, we were totally transfixed by the light show. My daughter’s favorite parts were the heart and smiley face.
The illuminated Giant Wheel
The dodgem cars were brightly lit at night, which added to the smash up fun.
Dodgem cars at night
Cedar Point Best Rides
Cedar Point Thrill Rides
Cedar Point’s roller coasters constructed since 2000 are for serious thrill seekers. They include:
- Millennium Force, which debuted in 2000 as the original giga roller coaster by exceeding 300 feet;
- Top Thrill Dragster, the steel accelerator coaster completed in 2004 as the original strata coaster remains one of only two roller coasters, in the world that exceeds 400 feet;
- Maverick; which was completed in 2007 as Cedar Point’s steepest roller coaster;
- GateKeeper, which was constructed in 2013 as the world’s highest, fastest and longest wing coaster;
- Valravn, which opened in 2016 as the tallest, fastest and longest dive coaster; and
- Steel Venegance, which was completed in 2018 as a partial reconstruction of the Mean Streak and opened as a hybrid hypercoaster setting 10 world records.
Our boys have yet to attempt any of these these, but maybe next year.
While we did not ride any of Cedar Point’s newest roller coasters on this visit, my boys and husband enjoyed some of the thrill rides, including MaXair, Skyhawk and Ocean Motion. I get nauseous when there’s too much spinning or swaying, so I am happy to wait with my daughter and take pictures, amazed that my family is flying through the air. Skyhawk, the world’s highest swinging thrill ride, had a model seat outside the entrance for riders to test out, and my daughter thought that was the coolest thing ever. She spent a solid 10 minutes opening and closing the lap bar.
Skyhawk, the world’s highest swinging thrill ride
My favorite “thrill ride” is the Wave Swinger, a classic swing ride that is far more mellow than the others in this category. I stored my flip flops in the bin and let my feet dangle in the wind. It was a glorious ride, dampened only slightly by the storm clouds that appeared.
Cedar Point’s Classic Roller Coasters
In my teens and 20s, I was a roller coaster enthusiast. I regularly visited Cedar Point on a May weekday when the park was practically empty and the coasters all had minimal waits. I loved the thrill of my stomach dropping and raced from coaster to coaster trying to ride them all in a single day. I’m not so brave in my “old age” and have been happy to settle for the record-breaking coasters from many years ago. The roller coasters I remember most fondly from childhood are from Cedar Fair’s now defunct Geauga Lake: Double Loop, Big Dipper and Corkscrew. At Cedar Point, Gemini, the Blue Streak, Corkscrew and Iron Dragon fit into this category. We’ve ridden all as a family but didn’t get to all of them on this trip due to the unexpected storm. The great thing about Cedar Point is that the newest coasters draw the biggest crowds, and our wait time for the coasters we wanted to ride rarely exceeded five minutes.
I still have a soft spot for Gemini, the 1978 steel hybrid was one of the tallest, fastest and steepest roller coasters in the world when it was constructed. Two cars run on side by side tracks, which makes this one of the highest capacity rides in the park. There is one main hill and a bunch of smaller hills and various twists and turns, but the highlight for me is the dual tracks and experiencing the coaster as a race with a large group of excited visitors. While steel roller coasters seem to be much more popular, this hybrid wooden coaster with a steel track seems like the perfect compromise. I rode the Gemini with my two sons, and my oldest agreed that it was his favorite, too, which was a proud mama moment.
The Gemini against the bright blue sky
Cedar Point Junior Roller Coasters
Cedar Point truly caters to visitors of all ages and interests and features two junior roller coasters. We decided to ride the Woodstock Express. My four year old daughter wasn’t 100% convinced that she wanted to try a roller coaster, but we encouraged her because the boys both overcame mild fear to ride at about her age. Unfortunately, her least favorite ride turned out to be the Woodstock Express junior roller coaster. This roller coaster is 38 feet high and 25 miles per hour and was a bit too much for her. In hindsight, the Wilderness Run, which was formerly known as the Junior Gemini and has a 19 feet drop and top speed of 6 miles per hour would have probably been a better bet. Even though the Woodstock Express was not even a little bit fun for her, I think she’ll try the Wilderness Run next year.
Waiting for the Woodstock Express
Cedar Point Family Rides
With kids in all three major height categories – under 48 inches, under 54 inches and over 54 inches, we appreciate that there are a number of fun rides that we can enjoy as a family. We typically start and end each day at Cedar Point with a ride on the Midway Carousel. While I took my sons on the Cedar Creek Mine Ride, my husband and daughter rode the Antique Cars together. There are also many rides in Cedar Points three children’s areas that the whole family can ride together. We always make sure to ride the Kiddie Kingdom Carousel and also enjoy the 4x4s, Camp Bus, Snoopy’s Express Railroad and Charlie Brown’s Wind Up. Peanuts 500 was my daughter’s favorite ride.
The Midway Carousel is the perfect way to start and end a day at Cedar Point
Cedar Point Kid Rides
Over the years, many parents have told me that they are putting off a trip to Cedar Point until their kids are older. Even if Cedar Point has a roller coaster reputation, it really does not disappoint when it comes to the youngest visitors. There are three areas with kiddie rides – Kiddie Kingdom, Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy, which consists of rides relocated from Geauga Lake after it closed. In most of these kiddie rides, kids spin around an axis on some mode of transportation. The Mustangs, police and motorcycles may seem really similar for adults, but my four year old daughter was delighted running from ride to ride, wanting to try them all. We may not miss the kiddie areas when our daughter outgrows them, but we’re glad that Cedar Point offers so many options for its youngest visitors.
Cedar Point’s Town Hall Museum
My proudest mama moment of our visit may have been when my daughter pointed to the Town Hall Museum and said she wanted to check it out. My kids really appreciate and enjoy museums, but I wouldn’t have expected her to notice the museum at Cedar Point and want to explore when it was surrounded by rides. We not only appreciated the air conditioning but learned about the history of Cedar Point’s roller coasters during our short visit. The model replica of Steel Vengeance was impressive, and we compared the redesigned coaster to the nearby Mean Streak model.
Where to Eat when Visiting Cedar Point
Cedar Point Restaurants
Cedar Point offers many dining options. We often opt for Chick-fil-A or Panda Express and also make sure to purchase a souvenir cup with unlimited refills. It’s so important to stay hydrated.
Restaurants Near Cedar Point
On our way to and from Cedar Point, we regularly stop for a meal at Costa Azul at the Rye Beach Road exit off of OH-2 in Huron, Ohio. Costa Azul serves authentic Mexican cuisine and even accommodated my older son’s entire soccer team after a state championship tournament game at the nearby Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.
Cedar Point Vacation Logistics
- Cedar Point Tickets: As of July 2019, Cedar Point admission is available online starting at $49.99 for adults for weekday passes and $45 for children under 48 inches. Guests who love roller coasters and dislike lines should consider purchasing the Cedar Point fast pass. Tickets for entry after 5:00 p.m. costs $25. Cedar Point discount tickets are available from a number of vendors, including Groupon.
- Cedar Point Hours: Check the Cedar Point schedule.
- Cedar Point Height Requirements: Each ride has its own posted height requirements.
- Cedar Point Park Map: Don’t forget to pick up a map before setting off to explore Cedar Point. Even though we visit almost every year, we always find ourselves referring to the map for important location information.
- Cedar Point Parent Swap: We requested a Parent Swap authorization at Guest Services by the Main Entrance. After I rode Iron Dragon with the boys while my husband waited with our daughter, I showed the authorization to the operator. After we reunited, my husband and younger son walked up the exit ramp and got on the next train.
- Cedar Point Kidtrack: At Guest Services, we signed up for a Kidtrack wristband for my daughter. I wrote my name and phone number on the inside. If we were ever separated, the contact information would help us reunite faster.
- Cedar Point Pre-K Pass: Cedar Point offered free season passes for children ages three to five for the entire 2019 season. Registration closed on June 3, 2019, but make sure to look out for the program in 2020.
A Family Day at Cedar Point
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio is the perfect location for a family outing because it blends classic carnival rides with world record thrill rides. Our annual trip to Cedar Point is a highlight of the summer because we all love riding rides and sharing quality family time together.
