Tips From the Pros

Now I'm asking for a little friendly advice here from all you 'pros' who own CP Season Passes. You visit the park more times a year than any of us (that's why you have season passes) so I thought I would see if any you are kind enough to help with my scenario.

I'm leaving at 6 o clock in the morning on Tuesday from the Lansing, MI area so I will arrive at Cedar Point at approximately between 9-9:30... What should I use for my strategy because the addition of MF messes up the perfect order I had going for two years... Should I start with Millennium Force and hope to get in a ride before and during TTR times? Or should I go ride something else, go grab a ticket... etc... Please help... I'd really like to know what has worked the best for you guys. Thanks

Never, ever, EVER! ride in the third car of Magnum with the lap bar down as tight as it can be. I had to learn this one the hard way

-------------
Remember, line jumping is NOT a sporting event!

The second car [1-2] is fine with a high bar, and the third [1-3] can too, provided you have thick and well padded thighs. =)

I don't. =)

Turn your ballcap backwards before riding Magnum.

And on a related note -- if anyone from maintenance found a Disney World cap in the 2nd tunnel anytime after June 19th, it's mine :)

-------------
Duane Cahill

Well, they're in every darn guide book, but I still find a few things helpful.

We always tell the kids at the parking lot we are going to soak city. (Tee hee) This allows us to drive around the island and park next to the Magnum entrance. You can then ride that a few times w/out a line, move back to Mean Streak and Gemini, and curve back around by 10:30 to get your MF TTR. (You can also start at MF if that's what you please!)

Then, eat lunch REALLY early (The "Coasters" Diner is close to Mantis, Iron Dragon and Corkscrew) and ride those. Keep moving toward Raptor. Then, ride MF (TTR thing should go into effect around 2) and come back to the front via Mantis or Magnum. Around 4:30 then, you can line up for the non-TTR rides on MF.

Hyperseanman....personally the addition of MF IMHO has made it easier (well more easier PRE TTR era) to ride all coasters in a day and some even twice...Everyone spends there day at MF while the other coasters this year have been really shorter in line length...I personally always do MF 1st thing from when the gate opens because if you go right there your wait should be no longer than 10 or 15min tops..(really I get 2 rides in before TTR time sets in) then I grab a ticket and wait for my time by riding other things..then I always ride MF last thing of the day...In between I start near PT and work my way back and around Frontier Trail and wind up back by MF..Raptor fits in there sometime but really with MF things have been easier in my opinion..Thats just me though..I've been there like 6 or 7 times so far for 2 and three days at a time (i would say like 12 to 14 days in the park) and I have gotten more rides this year than I can remember in a long time....

my $.02

-------------
http://www.msu.edu/~armbrus9/cp.html
http://www.msu.edu/~levydust/mf.html
new MF photos

If arrive there around 9:30, how long should i anticipate for my Millennium Force wait? will i be able to get in a ride before TTR starts up, then get a TTR. And if I am able to do that, is it wise to hit mantis, or should i save that for later?

why not try for 9 when the gates open (after the nat'l anthem)..then your really guarenteed 2 rides pre TTR!! if 9:30 is your best you'll get 1 for sure...especially on a tuesday..Mantis I have noticed has been busier as of later since its right across from MF..people flock over there after there MF ride..Play that by ear..but my "ride plan" is my favorite and best way IMHO..

GET a TTR though before there gone..it at leasts will ensure you an additional MF ride if you desire

-------------
http://www.msu.edu/~armbrus9/cp.html
http://www.msu.edu/~levydust/mf.html
new MF photos

HyperS. - listen well to Jefferey Spartan. If you get in at 9:00, it'll be easy to get 4 MF rides in for the day - 3 during the day and one after dark (a must!) without much trouble at all. A few rides on Magnum, a couple Raptor and Mantis and at least one lap on all the others is possible.

I say leave at 5:30 am instead of 6:00!

Well, it seems to me that if you have extra time, ride MF then if possible. If not, ride all the others then get in the MF line just before closing and you will get to ride.

-------------
HA HA HA, MELLENIUM FORCE, YEAH BUDDY!

Just a word of warning, Mantis' lines have become bad this year. They range from 40-60 minutes. Ride after 6pm, when it goes down. Way down.

I have a question, can you get in line for TTR more than once, i.e. get a ticket to ride MF for twice in the same day?
Kathleen

Yep.

First off, somebody said that a Tuesday wouldn't be too busy. In my experience (once!), that's not really true. I went over this past Monday and Tuesday. Let me break it down.

Monday was great! We went in and got immedately in line for MF at about 9:35 (after we made really great timing riding up from Uniontown, PA--about a 4 hour ride. Pretty good). That line lasted about an hour and 20 minutes. Not too bad, really. After we got of MF, we went through Frontier Town/Trail and went on Mean Streak next. Short lines indeed! After that, we basically wrapped all around the park in a clockwise direction.

We did all of the rides other than Mantis, Magnum, and Raptor until later in the night. We started to do those 3 at about 4:00. (We really ripped Cedar Point a new one coaster-wise! I guess we got extraordinarily lucky with lines.) We did those three and had all 12 adult coasters done at about 8:30.

It's not really a strategy, but it's how we did it. In my opinion, I think your best strategy is to pray the night before for some short lines.

-------------
WHOO!

You never know how the crowds are going to be. We have gone on thursdays, wensdays...every day of the week...some were busy, others were not. You just have to get lucky when it comes to this. Hit MF first, then head to Mantis. Work your way through FT. Hit CCMR, MS. Head over, hit gemini, WE, Magnum. Then work your way to the front of the park. Dont forget to hit Wildcat and ID.

-------------
Car 5, Discovery Channel, look for me on the
on-ride discription.
MF Rides-11

We didn't go to Mantis directly after MF. I think it was a good idea, too. I don't have enough experience to really judge, but I would think that after 4, the lines for Mantis would be shorter due to the fact that the Millenium Force queue has gone back to the normal set up.

-------------
WHOO!

I have to agree with MantisMan. Use the Magnum entrance. This is always my strategy. Hit Magnum first, continue to Gemini, then Mean Streak and CCMR. From here you retrace steps (again, this is my personal choice - you could use Frontier Trail to Hit MF before the TTR begins) and hit Gemini or Magnum again then head to Corkscrew

Next hit the Iron Dragon/Mantis/Wildcat trio.

We were able to do Magnum twice, Gemini twice, Mean Streak, CCMR, Corckscrew, Mantis, Iron Dragon, and Wildcat and get a TTR for MF by 12:15.

From here simply hit the three in the front (Raptor, Blue Streak, Disaster Transport) then return for your TTR time to MF.

If it works like it always seems to for us, you should have the big 12 done by 5pm and even have taken two rides on both Gemini and Magnum. If your really hardcore go catch a ride on Woodstock and while in Camp Snoopy find a youngster to ride Jr. Gemini with.

This has been our plan of attack since 1995 (modified for new coaster additions of course) and every year we're able to hit all the coasters on day one leaving the rest of the trip feeling a bit more relaxed.

If you're staying two days at the park, it is nice to get all the coasters done in day one. We did that, and then on Day 2 went to Challenge Park and whatnot. Don't pass that up, by the way! That's a nice little minitature golf course! Many a' whoos were had after my few holes-in-one.

-------------
WHOO!