Best time o go to the park

When is the best time to go to the park (what time of year and day) to beat the crowds?

Whenever the operating hours are short.

The best time is usually when it's open. That way you get to ride the rides rather than just look at them. ;)

*edited to add a wink. please note sarcasm.

I grew up in Pittsburgh and I'm in the Army now, so trips as a kid were limited by the drive and trips now are limited by when I can take leave. My opinion, the best time to go is mid-week, the 2nd or 3rd operating week. The locals are still in school, so you don't have a lot of teenagers to contend with, the weather's usually pretty cool so there aren't too many adults on vacation yet, and you're past the opening week rush. We usually drive out and use the CP Getaway Guide (1-800-BEST-FUN) 2 for 1 twilight ticket coupon the first night, which gets us 4-5 hours in the park for about 12 bucks (it's been about 3 years, might be more now), depending on the operating hours, and we use that time to knock out all the big rides so that when we go in the next day we can take our time and not worry about lines.

while we're on this topic...how busy is cedar point on opening day?

Best time to go, hands down, is weekdays the first few weeks in May after the park opens. Even on the biggest and newest attractions, you'll seldom find a line over an hour, and usually much shorter. I make fully a third or more of my trips in that time frame, just for that reason.

I take my trips the last week of august. The last regular operating week. I like that time because it is not very crowded, it tends not to be so hot.

I find that August has been terrible to go and last year it was insane in August, heat and attendance wise in my opinion.

We caught one lucky slow friday this summer where we got epic amounts of ride time (in August).

I will be making many theme park trips in May I think this year.

Chris Holderfield said:
while we're on this topic...how busy is cedar point on opening day?

Not very busy, though it differs from year to year.

I have had bad luck in August myself. The first two weeks in June are not that bad either, plus you get the later operating hours, and night rides. It can be more crowded during the day but really clears out after about 8-9pm. We always go back to our room or cabin if we are staying on point during the peak of the day, and chill out and have some snacks or a meal, and prepare to go back and stay till close.

I've always said the best time to go to Cedar Point is when it's open... ;)

While a lot of you are right, weekdays during mid-May 

are the least crowded, you have the unpredictable 

weather to deal with that time of year. Never know,

you may get temps in the 50s with winds around 40 mph.

DRose, I honestly will take 50 degree temps with 40mph winds given how dreadfully hot the midwest gets in the summer.

If we keep hitting 90 degrees or above with humidity like we normally get than rides like Snake River Falls and Soak City will continue to stay filled.

I went to CP for a week in August and I found it to be pretty much damn packed. Every other family and college kid had the same idea as we did.

A day with high winds is not a fun day at the park.

Unless you like riding Blue Streak and Corkscrew over 

and over and over, because just about everything else

is shut down.

I went last year in October. I haven't been there in years, but on that day, it was so busy! Is it always like that? I bought passes for the park next year for my family. My youngest finally got tall enough. Now I live closer to Geauga Lake, but now that it is gone, I want my family to enjoy Cedarpoint and Kings Island. So if anyone can help us get to know the park, we would be grateful! We want to become better friend with Cedarpoint!

My family and I headed out to Cedar Point for the first time in 2001 and we went on Father's Day. Unknown to us at the time was what Father's Day was unofficially at the park. BUt I will say we have been back every year staring on Father's Day and staying for a whole week, and the crowds are very moderate to light the entire week, with Father's Day being the lightest.

dsloban, Halloweekends are very popular. The last few years Saturdays in Oct have been the busiest days of the entire operating calendar. However, if you can go on a Friday night or Sunday the crowds will be much, much, smaller (infact my best days ever at the park have come during Oct when I go on a non Saturday.) There is a trade off though, on Friday, the park is only open for 6 hours (6-12) and has limited ride availability but all the haunts are open, and on Sunday since the park closes early, all the outdoor and best haunts are not open, except for Columbus Day Weekend, which should be avoided all together.

Thanks for the info! I want to get toknow Cedarpoint better! I have alwayd loved all of the Ohio parks, but I finally got season passes last year for Geauga Lake and we had a blast and then they closed it! We also had a blast at Cedarpoint so for Christmas I bought season passes for all the CF parks so we can have a blast at other parks. I am very sad for the loss of Geauga Lake. I am hoping that most of the rides will find other homes! It would be nice to check out other parks to see what they have!

Dsloban, if you havent gone yet, you should also hit up King's Island
near Cincinnati. Great park, it is the new home of X-Flight (now Firehawk) and the home of the legendary Beast. Also depending on where you are Dorney Park in Allentown, PA and Michigan's Adventures in Muskegon could be a days drive away and if so are worth a visit.

I have considered driving to other CP operated parks and unless I am planning on being in the area I don't consider it worth it.

Why drive an extra couple hours to half a day one way to ride less rides (yet ride new coasters...) when we have roughly a great collection of rides just 4 hours away at CP.

Here is the best time to go to the park..anytime but a Saturday on a Halloweekends. That park is insane then.