Cedar Point 8/1/14: Fries (x2!), Corkscrew (airtime!), and Skyhawk (open!)

My mom and I wanted to hit up the Point again before band camp craziness. We definitely wanted to avoid weekends and had to work around my band schedule, but in the end we made it work. Originally we had planned on going Tuesday July 29th, but even the morning of, the forecast was 60% chance of storms. I didn't like the sound of that, so we decided to wait. Well, turns out the day was beautiful and we missed out on a great day at the park. Oh, well. Wednesday was also out due to the threat of weather and Thursday didn't work for us. It looked like it would be Friday or bust.

First was Dragster and we rode in the front. The wait wasn’t too bad (and all during the day, it wasn’t as busy as we thought the park would be. It was a great day.) Amazing, thrilling ride as usual. Then was Millennium in the front, and then since the line wasn’t too long, we went on it again in the back. The back definitely rattles a lot more than the front but I love getting pulled over the first hill. I still think the front is my favorite seat on this coaster though. I checked Facebook on my phone and saw that CP Rundown had posted that one side of Skyhawk reopened! I was surprised it was up and running so soon after its accident, but I was really happy to hear the good news. I knew that would be our next ride. Waited one cycle and got on. It was just as amazing as I remembered, and I didn’t let the accident scare me off of riding it. It was also my mom’s first time on it, believe it or not, and she loved it! This is definitely one of the best thrill rides ever.

Next was Maverick in the back row. It was a crazy, airtime filled ride and I loved every second. We then headed up toward the front of the park and hut up both the launch and drop sides of Power Tower with minimal waits. We ended up at Gatekeeper where we rode the front right. This seat is still my 2nd favorite after the back left. I actually had a pretty smooth and non-bumpy ride on it.

Following this, I decided to ride Corkscrew. It had been a long time since I had been on it since it usually gives me a headache, but I decided to try it again. My mom didn’t want to so it was just me. The station was pretty much empty except for the front row, which was where I planned on riding. I just waited a couple minutes and got seated. I sat next to another single rider, a kid probably a few years younger than me. He was really nice and it was fun talking to him before, during, and after the ride. I love talking to nice people at the park, and we always seem to meet some great people whenever we go. So as for the ride itself…WOW. I was impressed. I made sure to lean forward to avoid the headbanging, and it wasn’t bad at all. However, what surprised me the most was the strong pop of airtime into the hill after the first drop. That moment was so much fun and made me want to go on it again! So I convinced my mom to go it next time. Once again we rode in the front. I still can’t get over how surprised I was. Just keep your head forward for the corkscrews, sit in the front, and enjoy the airtime!

Next we went on Dragster again, this time in the back. Like Millennium, the back is a little rougher and rattles more but it’s still fun. By this time it was almost 9:30 and I wanted to check out Beach Blast. We waited in line at the food truck parked outside the Coral Courtyard and got our dollar hot dogs, chips, and drinks. Then we headed down to the beach to enjoy the fun event. We played some cornhole, listened to the band (although they stopped shortly after they began due to some light rain) and overall just enjoyed ourselves and relaxed for a little bit. I loved how many people were there. I hope the park does this event next year, or at least something similar to it. People really seemed to enjoy it and it’s something unique and different to do to take a break from all the rides.

I also wanted to try out Dinos After Dark, so that’s where we went next. This would also be both my mom’s and my first time going through Dinosaurs Alive. I’d rather go through it at night with a flashlight than during the day, and I was actually sort of excited. $3 for passholders still isn’t bad, and soon we were going through Adventure Island. I really enjoyed this event, and the exhibit seemed really cool at night. It was awesome having Millennium fly overhead in the darkness every once in a while. Overall I was pretty impressed with the Dinos. However, there was a weird dance party area set up at one point along the trail, and it didn’t make any sense. There was a worker dancing all alone, with loud dance music, laser lights, and dinos. It was weird and sort of ruined the atmosphere but overall the event was really cool. I’ll probably only ever go back through the dinos to get pics of Millennium, but I’m glad to have experienced it at night with a flashlight. Unfortunately when we left, I completely forgot we were supposed to get s’mores and we left without getting any. After the fact, I realized that I didn’t even see them anywhere and no worker told us about them. Strange. Oh, well. We didn't go through there for the s’more anyway.

Following this, we had time for one last ride and headed for Millennium. We waited for the front and had an incredible night ride, as always.

Earlier in the day, we also took advantage of the platinum deal at Happy Friar. An order of regular fries, an order of chili cheese fries, and 2 drinks for all under $8! It was so awesome and we loved it. Good food and an amazing deal.

Overall our trip was a success. Crowds weren't bad, rides were running well, we experienced some new things, and it was just a fun day!

Glad to see someone liked corkscrew and enjoyed it. Here's my tips for a fun ride

Ride in 2-1 (second car, first row, and I prefer left seat). Pull the harness down and keep about a click above pressing onto your shoulders. Press your feet into the front of the car and press your shoulders up into the restraint. Then at lift crest place your hands ontop of the flat part of your car and ride like that the rest of the way. Makes for a fantastic ride it really does. No head banging, etc, and a beautiful pop of airtime. It really is a fun little coaster still.