Are you old enough to remember when....

^Yes, I do remember those hand crank trains. As a young boy, being fascinated with trains, I would ride those over and over again until my arms were just too tired. Then, you would hope that the kid behind you had enough left in him to push you back to the station. If not, the ride host would come over and push you "home". Great times.

I love this trip down memory lane!!!

I remember the house of mirrors and Mill Race near the entrance. My Dad never liked rides but we could always twist his arm for the Mill Race and Mine Ride. He also liked the cable cars, I remember when there were two sets. I also used to love Bayern Kurve, my sister and I loved sitting in front and waiting for the big horn to blow. I vaguely remember a putt putt course near the giant slide but maybe I'm dreaming. I remember eating great pizza back where Chick Fil A is now, and I remember riding White Water Landing over and over flirting with the cute boys that worked there.

I also have fond memories of Camper Village, and one night when the Magnum first opened, it got stuck in the pretzel near the beach. A storm was whipping up and a fire truck had to come and use its ladder to throw blankets to people. I wish I had a digital camera back then, it was quite the thing to see.

I also loved those juice containers! We had to beg so bad to get one and I always had to split with my sister lol

I remember when you could actually see the train station from the midway.

Hmmm...

Fascination
Your train being "pushed" out of the station on Gemini
Waiting in line for 5 hours opening weekend of Mean Streak (rain)
Pirate Ride and Ship in front of the ride
Blue Streak's entrance being where the exit is now
The bubble canopy over Turnpike Cars
The "mini Magnum" sculpture on the main Midway
The Silver Dollar
Avalanche Run
Waiting in line for Space Spiral
Frontier Lift
Berenstain Bear Land
Original 3rd Hill on Magnum
Giant Slide
Jungle Larry Safari
A certain fountain that was removed this year. :(

A lot more...

shamrockcb said:
... I vaguely remember a putt putt course near the giant slide but maybe I'm dreaming.

...

You're not dreaming... I remember that giant slide, having a ton of fun on it as a kid, and then being really PO'd with my parents when they would not let me go to the putt putt course that was very near it.

shamrockcb said:
...
Fascination
Your train being "pushed" out of the station on Gemini
Waiting in line for 5 hours opening weekend of Mean Streak (rain)
Pirate Ride and Ship in front of the ride
Blue Streak's entrance being where the exit is now
The bubble canopy over Turnpike Cars
The "mini Magnum" sculpture on the main Midway
The Silver Dollar
Avalanche Run
Waiting in line for Space Spiral
Frontier Lift
Berenstain Bear Land
Original 3rd Hill on Magnum
Giant Slide
Jungle Larry Safari
...

Gosh I'm fascinated now by all the cash I wasted on ;)

Being "pushed" out of the station on Gemini -- I remember that when they ran all 6 trains a lot I think so they could avoid a set up

I remember being sad when they removed the pirate ride.

I remember the entrance on Blue Streak being where the exit is now too, and I remember the manual breaks too and how my friend bruised his ribs on the old full row flip down lap bar with the abrupt stop with the 1st year with the automatic breaks.

I remember Avalanche Run too, and how loud it was ... I remember actually liking it better than DT (even with all the theming props in their prime) -- except for the ridiculous wait time for the ride

.

I remember all of the above as well as there only being the front of the park and driving through it to get to Breakers. Breakers rooms were only 25$ and just a small rooms with no bath rooms. You had to go down the hall to a communal shower toilet area. Not much fun at 2 in the morning when asleep.
Raft rentals on the beach to ride the waves.
Beauty pageants on the beach.
Monorail anyone.
The US Gov control of what is now Light House Point and Sand Castle Suites.
I remember the opening of frontier town, the stag coach I don't remember, but have been told that I rode it. I was just to young to remember I guess.

I have to say the most amazing thing was watching the park grow over all the years to what it is today. As a child I could have never imagined what it would become. Just Beautiful, Amazing, Exciting, Exhilarating, still makes me feel like a kid.

I remember the little putt-putt course, and whining when my mom wouldn't let me play. She thought it cost extra to play. I also wasn't allowed to do the hand-crank train. My mom thought I wasn't big enough, I was only 4.

Anyone know what year they took out the putt-putt and hand-crank train?

I thought you did have to pay to play the mini golf near the giant slide?

1991

I remember when a literal tornado hit in the late 70's, damaging paddlewheel boats and part of the Cedar Creek Mine Ride. If I'm not mistaken, down tress made way for The Gemini the next year.

I also remember when Mean Streak was actually smooth, for a year or two.

I worked there the summer the tornado hit. It toppled a bid tree that used to be in the center of the CCMR helix. It took out part of the track. Amazing how quickly they repaired it.

It also downed some trees that took out parts of the Shoot-the-Rapids flume. Again, repaired in short order.

The most damage, as you stated, was in the area where Gemini was built the next year.

Thanks for the info Rapids. I remember staying at Camper Village the next year, when Gemini was new, and still seeing raw areas where trees used to be. That area is now the Soak City parking lot. Gemini was sure beauty that first year. I was 8 years old and the size of it was beyond belief (for the time).

I remember most of what everyone mentioned. Hand Crank Trains were one of my favorites, as was the Kiddie Coaster in Kiddieland. The Monorail that ran by the Blue Streak is also a fond memory. A few more: Jungle Larry's Safari Island, Scamper, Stage Coach, Electric Go-Karts, Twister, New Heights In Fun (Space Spiral), WIXY 1260 World Record Giant Wheel Ride (Mike Kelly), the old cafeteria BEFORE it changed to Swiss Chalet, the mini golf course in Kiddieland to the right of the Coliseum, the Sky Slide and the newer mini-golf next to the Sky Slide. And, last but not least, one of my favorite money pits, Remote-A-Boats!

I remember the parking lot trams

The upside down funhouse

The pirat ride

Earthquake

Jumbo jet

Rotor

Bayern curve(sp)

Frontier lift

Put put golf

Super slide with the burlap sacks

Tiki twirl

The himilaya next to jr gemini

swabinchen

Troika where ttd is

Bumper cars where ttd is

Paddlewheel station where iron dragon is

The pirat boat and cannon ball splashes in front of the pirat ride

The chicken patio

Mill race

Kid arthers court

Avalanch run

Being able to go upstairs in the tower above the leather shop

The bbq chicken and corn dinner where millenium's photo shop is now

The giant wheel next to the train

The dolphin show

The aquarium

Calypso with all of it's scenery and where it used to be where raptors loop is now.

The midway carousel used to be where raptor is

The frontier land carousel

Chute the rapids

The baverian house

The shooting gallery and arcade in the front of the park

The arcade/ sound studio in the front of the park

The cover over the turnpike cars q line

Imax

Riverboat concession stand (where coasters is now)

Jungle larry

Mine ride running 6 trains

Gemini running 6 trains

Watching the track on mean streak sway back and forth durring it's first few seasons.

Blue streaks old entrance and que line inside the station.

Fruit drinks

Beer trucks with taps built into them

The old cedarpoint sign

Monster used to be where iron dragon is

Berinstain bears

Being able to ride on the top level of space spiral

Good food at a reasonable price

25 cent cotton candy

The remote controle trucks

The double ferris wheel

White water landing

The hobo band

The casino ride

The miniture merry go round where max air is now.

The "break the plates" game

The live band in the red garter

Fasination

The german food stand in the front of the park

Mean streak with no trims on the first drop

waiting in line for mine ride for an hour

The big sign's that they put up announcing magnum and millenium force

Popcorn carts

Did I mention good, fair priced food?

There is so much more I remember from the park, that it would take hours to list it all here.

You guys make me wish I was old enough to reminisce on so much of what is your image of Cedar Point. :)

I first went in 1998, and I remember absolutely gawking at Power Tower, then returning home to find that Kings Island had announced Drop Zone!
I can at least say I remember what it was like before Dragster and Millennium totally dominated the skyline. I also remember not being allowed to ride "those ones that go all over the park," being Millennium and Magnum.

I also was always very fond of the fountain they removed this year....but I think the one they replaced it with is neat, and hope that people reminisce on the new fountain in years to come. :)

There is one relic of the past that meant a lot to me, and it was Cedar Point Summer Spectacular. I always loved the laser show, and while it had gotten stale in its final years, I still loved it. The crowds, the lasers, and the overall atmosphere. In 2000, I was seriously impressed by the part of it that showed a laser-animated man leaving hand shaped indentations in the lapbars. Much of the music from that show, good and bad, survived to become many of my favorite songs to this day.
On a side note, I think Starlight Experience is the thing that fills up that hole in what ended the day for me, and I am extremely happy with its addition.

Hi there.
First time poster, long time C.P. fan (I'm originally from Maumee, Ohio)

Thanks, Tip. You hit most of my memories.
Schwabinchen was given a complete restoration only to disappear one or two seasions later. She looked great, though. Spectacular.
I see the Berenstain Bears referred to. I remember when that was new and hating them because they replaced the Earthquake ride. Nothing can replace the dragon on the Earthquake ride! I live in san Francisco now and haven't seen any fiberglass dragons, so that's a relief.

I also remember the Jumbo Jet, and similarly, the year I could ride it, it was gone. It moved to a few places, then to Europe, then eventually to Russia. That can't have been good for it in the long run.

It certainly would be nice to cram a few classics in somewhere. In a group, themed as such, they'd probably do quite well.

They also need to rebuild The Cyclone (1929-1951).
JDJ

Tip said:
The old Wildcat by the beach, San Francisco Earthquake ride, being too scared to ride Blue Streak because the hill was too steep(!), the two kids popping up and down in the tower inside Bayern Kurve, flying the helicopters at Kiddie Land (still there), the lack of seat belts, Shoot the Rapids, Jumbo Jet, Tiki Twirl, the splashes made by the whistling pirate ride "cannonballs", and lots of attractive Sweeperettes in yellow jumpers to clean up the scads of cigarette butts.

ice said:
I remember our first CP trip after Oceana closed. I was waiting to meet someone outside the stadium, and I overheard the employee that was stationed there to explain to people that Oceana was closed. Guests were asking why, and she kept telling everyone it was because all the dolphins died. The people who had been there year after year were shocked when they heard that, and many asked what happened to the dolphins, and she just kept saying, "I don't know, but they are all dead." Some of the guests were asking if Skippy and Zoe (the sea lions) were all right, and she just kept basically saying she didn't have a clue, in a very bored manner.

I thought at the time they could have had an employee there that had a little more caring attitude.

Ice, the female dolphins Coca, Misty and Breeze died. The male dolphin Striker survived. I heard that they ship him off somewhere in Florida. I have this theory that Striker was tired of sharing that small tank with the other dolphins and took them out one by one. Just a theory.

Thanks, Mama. I did read later about the three female dolphins and Striker. The females were all toward the upper age of dolphins in captivity, IIRC, and Striker I believe ended up on Marathon Key in Florida at the Dophin Research Center.

I just thought that CP should have posted a more compassionate employee at Oceana to explain the situation. It would have been helpful if the employee could have explained that Misty, Cocoa and Breeze had died but they were nearly 20 years old, which is fairly elderly in dolphin years, and that Striker had gone to a new home. The guests who were inquiring could have been given a better explanation than "I don't know, they are all dead."

OK here is one for all of you old timers...

Everytime I hear this on the Price is Right, I am taken back to CP as a kid. Was this music ever played at CP? For some odd reason, my memory always takes me back to the Upside Down Funhouse......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR_wfuQ-CIo&feature=related

I'm thinking it may have played at Schwabinchen.