Cedar Point 8/19-20/07, and Geauga Lake 8/21/07 (long)

Part 1: Cedar Point - Rain, rain, and more rain.

We couldn't have picked a rainier selection of days to make our trip! It rained almost all day Sunday and Monday. But we got some serious ride time in despite the dreary weather.

We arrived at the park around 12:30 Sunday afternoon. It had stopped raining, but it was threatening to start again at any time, so we went straight into the park. Magnum was just reopening, so we jumped in line and got on within a few minutes. They were only running one train, but there weren't that many people around so it didn't really matter. Great ride as usual. The trims were weak so we had some serious airtime. We headed back towards Maverick, hoping it had opened, but no such luck. So since we were back there, we went over to Mean Streak. But before we could get on, it started pouring. We waited in the station for a while, just to stay out of the rain, but eventually we gave up and headed to Macaroni's for lunch around 2, stopping to ride Super Himalaya on the way. Even though I think Cedar Point is far superior to Kennywood, the Musik Express is definitely better than Super Himalaya. The seatbelts definitely take away from the ride. As for our lunch? Decent service, delicious food. A bit on the expensive side, but that's to be expected at Cedar Point.

It was beginning to clear up, but it was still raining, so we went over to ride Cedar Downs. Definitely one of the best flat rides in the park. At this point we were drenched, so we stopped at Matterhorn (where we got even more wet since the queue line had completely flooded), then headed back to our Hotel Breakers room to get changed.

When we came back, it had stopped raining. We saw Wicked Twister running with people on it, so that's where we headed first. I really enjoy that coaster. We could see Raptor testing, so we went over there and got in line before it opened. After cycling it for almost 20 minutes, they opened it and we were on the third train out. Another fantastic ride. From Raptor we could see Blue Streak running as well. We ran over there and waited one train for a second seat ride. Tons of airtime!

We took the Sky Ride for fun and headed towards Iron Dragon. Walked on. A little rough, but not bad. What was bad, though, was the ride ops! They could BARELY speak English! But anyways, we then headed over to Millennium, where we waited less than five minutes to get a second seat ride! They were running two trains, and the line wasn't even down the ramp. We rode twice, just to take advantage of the short lines. I enjoy Millennium a lot, but it's not one of my favorites.

We worked our way down Frontier Trail, stopping at Cedar Creek Mine Ride and Skyhawk on the way. Skyhawk is by far my favorite flat ride at the Point. I wish it was a longer ride, though. We rode the car ride too, just too see if there was anything going on at Maverick. We couldn't see anyone even around it. Disappointed, we hit Magnum one last time and called it a night.

Monday morning was just miserable. It pelted almost all morning. We decided to make the best of it, and check out Castaway Bay. I have always wanted to see what it was like, so I guess it was a good opportunity to do so. It was terribly hectic getting in, and I think the locker situation is totally ridiculous, but the entrance price was cheap and it was a really cool place. Riptide Run was a pleasant surprise, and we spent a long time in the wave pool. It was crowded.

After leaving, we went to TGI Fridays (Breakers) for lunch. Crappy service, decent food. Our waitress couldn't speak English. I wasn't impressed.

Around 1, we finally got into Cedar Point. None of the coasters were running yet, so we rode both sides of Power Tower. They were literally waiting for riders. We stopped at Super Himalaya again, and Corkscrew opened, so we rode that. It wasn't as bad as I remembered it, maybe because we had the front seat and the track was wet. Whatever the case, they only had one train but it was sufficient. We stopped at Magnum again, then went back to ride Mean Streak. A pleasant surprise. We took the front seat, and actually enjoyed the ride. It really does have the potential to be a great ride. The trims on the first drop ruin the whole thing.

We hit Skyhawk again, then checked Maverick, which was still completely idle. Walked back through Frontier Trail. Everything back there was closed up! Not a single shop was open! I couldn't find anywhere to buy a bottle of water (guess they figured there was enough coming from the sky, huh?).

It started to rain pretty hard again, so we went back to the hotel and ordered pizza for dinner. Tasty. Got back to the park and walked on a back seat Wicked Twister ride. That's by far the best seat. Made our way to the back of the park, riding CCMR on the way. Gemini was testing, but never opened. We waited around Maverick, but did nothing all day. I didn't see it run the entire time we were there, until we were leaving Monday morning. So we finally gave up, got a 7:58 ride on Magnum, and left.

Positives: Clean park, lots of short waits, Magnum crew, Macaronis, hotel room.

Negatives: Employees with horrible accents, expensive food, Maverick (electrical problems), Gemini, Wildcat, and Disaster Transport never opened (weather).

I noticed on Monday that they were running coasters in the rain a lot more frequently than on Sunday. It was as if they had given up on their policy, realizing that they couldn't run them at all if they didn't. They ran Power Tower both days, all day. That thing is a trooper! :)

All in all, a good trip to a great park.

Ride count:
Magnum x5
Millennium Force x2
Raptor
CCMR x2
Mean Streak
Blue Streak
Wicked Twister x2
Skyhawk x2
Power Tower x3
Iron Dragon
Corkscrew
Super Himalaya x2
Matterhorn
Cedar Downs
Antique Cars
Sky Ride
CP&LE RR x2

Part 2: Geauga Lake - How long will it last?

We arrived at GL at opening, 11 on the dot. There weren't more than two rows of cars in the parking lot, no exaggeration! We were very surprised by the deadness of the place, as the last time we had gone there it was SF:WoA. The field where X-Flight once stood depressed me a little, but it wasn't the worst part about it.

The first place we went was Dominator, which wasn't open yet, so we walked back to RWB to see what it looked like since the accident. Oh, wow. It looked dilapidated and abandoned, as if forgotten about. The train is covered with a tarp in the middle of it. I have to wonder if that ride will ever reopen, judging by its condition. Dominator still hadn't opened, so we went to Thunderhawk and walked on. I've been on a few of these before. Kind of rough but pretty fun. Went back to Double Loop and walked on the front seat. Another rough ride, but not bad. The Villain was next. Walked on the front seat, and I was very impressed. It was a lot less rough than I remembered it. It's a very powerful coaster. We grabbed lunch and rode it again, then we were finally off to Dominator. This is by far the best ride in the park. Took the front seat with absolutely no wait. I noticed X-Flight and Steel Venom shirts in the gift shop and was seriously tempted to buy one, but we didn't have much time.

Up to this point, I was impressed with the place. Though quiet and empty, the park was extremely clean. A far cry from when Six Flags owned the place. But then we got over to the Big Dipper side of the park. Now THAT was depressing. Empty fields now take the place of SV, XF, and Mr. Hyde. The tower ride is just sitting there closed off, rotting away and abandoned. The old Monorail station is there, the signs hanging on the walls still visible from the midway below. El Dorado needs some serious paint, and Big Dipper needs more than just paint (read: a complete overhaul). That's one coaster I would never like to ride again. The old water slides are very visible from there as well as the highway that runs beside them. Why hasn't CF taken these out yet? It's disgusting. WWK, which is an amazing waterpark, is overshadowed by its past residences. We have fond memories of SeaWorld, and seeing some of its old buildings there all grown over was very, very saddening.

We hit Haybaler, and then Dominator one last time, then left the park feeling less than joyful.

Positives: Clean park, Dominator, friendly people at the ticket booths, fudge (mmm).

Negatives: Many dead areas, Big Dipper and the surrounding area, lack of color, music too loud.

I really wish Geauga Lake the best future possible, but if it keeps going the way it is now, I don't know how they're going to survive. I'm sure it was a very slow day for them, but everything there was so... dead. I highly doubt we'll ever make a trip back there unless they put something exciting in.

Ride count:
Dominator x2
The Villain x2
Big Dipper
Haybaler
Double Loop
Thunderhawk

Sorry this was so long!

*** Edited 8/23/2007 7:22:34 PM UTC by Jamie the Crazy***

Too bad you never got to ride Maverick. Was this your first trip to CP this year?

Your Geauga Lake TR made me sad. I think that's one of the reasons I haven't gone back there since Sea World was demolished. I adored Seal World and it would be very painful to see remnants of it still there - rotting. Also, like you said, the park has way too many "dead areas". I realize they're in a transition period, but leaving rides and stations closed down or empty makes the park look abandoned - even if it's not. So, that certainly doesn't encourage anyone to ever return to the park. There's really no excuse for leaving the old water park where it is, filled with nasty green water. Bulldoze the thing and put up a fence so you can't even see the empty field.

They've really got their work cut out for them at GL.

It sounds like you had a great time at CP even though it was raining. That was good to hear!

No, it was my second trip. I did get to ride Maverick twice in June, but I had someone with me who didn't get to ride it at all. It was a bit disappointing since I had done so much to hide the launch from them. :)

I miss SeaWorld a lot. I remember going there when I was just a little kid, and you're right, seeing it as it is now is difficult. It was bad enough when Six Flags had it. Even though the animals were still there, it wasn't the same. The tank and stadium Shamu used to do his shows in is now a dirt crater in the ground, as seen from the top of Dominator.

You're right, there's no excuse for those dead spots. They really ought to take out almost everything on that side of the park and either sell it or replace it with something lively. The park left my entire group a bit sad, in sharp contrast to our reactions to other amusement parks, especially CP.

And yes, we did have a great time at CP. :)

I understand some of what you mean in your TR about GL, however, I have to say that the fewer people that attend it, the more "downhill" CF will think it is going.

The key here is to get their attendance up.

Now, assuming that you (may) have a season pass (I could be wrong), what would be wrong with attending this park a little more often? It's actually closer to you than CP.

There are a few more positives about GL than you had listed. I think their music is great...much better than CP...nicer selection. Fewer foreign workers. I've said this before...nothing against them, they deserve a chance, but face it...their english SUCKS!

GL has the dime throw game. Sweet. They also have the Geauga Lake foam factory....wayy cool. Their Ben & Jerry's ice cream is 20 cents cheaper than at CP...(Big whoop, right?) Their waterpark is great...I think it's better than SC.

I've ridden Big Dipper a few times this year. No complaints. I'm just guessing, but perhaps the weather effects it? Best thing to do (like on Villain) is to just brace yourself. I do agree, the 50s area is pretty desolate since those rides are gone, but a boost in attendance would help them see that the Geauga Lake piece of history is well worth preserving.

I understand what you're saying. But, if the place sucks and makes people leave in a bad mood, why would anyone want to go back? Even if I had a season pass, I wouldn't continue to go to a park that made me feel awful.

If they can't make improvements that have a positive impact on the guest experience, I don't know why you expect people to keep supporting to the park. I understand why they needed to remove coasters. I have no problem with that. But, there are things they could have done that don't really cost that much money to clean up the mess from removing the rides. Park planners and designers should always put the guest experience first. If they don't like it, they won't come back. If they don't come back, you lose money.

So, clean-up mode or not, the park should still look and feel good.

To an extent, I understand what you're saying as well. However, everyone returns to places that make them "feel awful", most of the time with hopes that the next experience will be better.

There have been quite a few occasions that I've left Cedar Point feeling awful. I've had run-ins with the parking lot flaggers years ago because I was very pregnant and wanted to park closer. While I was leaving my vehicle, I heard the flagger say with sarcasm (and I am sure he saw my parking sticker): "I'm a season passholder--I can do whatever I want!" Do you think this was a great start to my day?? Heck no! I was almost in tears and I reported him to guest services.

I've had crappy service at almost every foodstand over the years in the park. That is part of the reason I just don't buy much food there anymore.

On a different note, I've stopped going to McDonald's a few different occasions just because they won't give me tap water to drink. That's just what I like to drink instead of pop. Sure, I've been back to see if it's changed, but it hasn't.

I'm not here to ramble about bad experiences, but you get the idea.

(How many of us have had a bad day at work and returned?) I know, it's not a fair comparison, but whatever...

No, I unfortunately do not have a season pass (I only wish I did!). I only get a chance to go to these parks once or twice a year. Besides that, we covered everything we wanted to do on the ride side in less than four hours. That being said, the only reason we would want to return to the park is for WWK. It's obviously a nicer waterpark than both SC and Sandcastle (which Kennywood owns), but traveling two and a half hours each way to go to a waterpark for the afternoon isn't worth it to us.

Everyone has a bad day at an amusement park sometimes. I've had times at CP that weren't very good either, but most of that was due to employees/other guests. I have never been saddened by the state of rides/buildings at CP, or any other amusement park for that matter. GL seems abandoned in comparison, and as halltd said, there's absolutely no excuse for that.

Villian, I understand that attendance is one of the very few things that anybody can do to support the park, but why should we go back to a place that makes us sad? I think many people are thinking the same thing. We had such a great time at CP that we're already discussing our next trip (probably next May/June). But what reason, other than support, would I have to return to GL?

Truthfully, I'd be upset to see GL go down, but not because I wouldn't be able to go back. *** Edited 8/24/2007 1:17:42 PM UTC by Jamie the Crazy***

It's funny you mention planning your next trip to CP already. My friends and I just got back from the park on Saturday and we're already picking weekends for next year. :) Gotta love the Point!

VillianLover said:

On a different note, I've stopped going to McDonald's a few different occasions just because they won't give me tap water to drink. That's just what I like to drink instead of pop. Sure, I've been back to see if it's changed, but it hasn't.

I have never had a problem with that before. Whenever I have asked for a cup of water (at dozens of McDonalds locations in many different states) they have given it to me.

Glad to hear that you made the most of a rain at CP.
*** Edited 8/24/2007 9:36:06 PM UTC by cdrptrks***

We already have dates picked out, too. I think I'm addicted to Cedar Point. :)

And I've never had a problem with getting water from McDonalds either.

I have never had a problem with that before. Whenever I have asked for a cup of water (at dozens of McDonalds locations in many different states) they have given it to me.

You will have a problem if you attend either of the McDonald's in Port Clinton, Ohio (not too far from CP), and perhaps any of the newly built McDonald's in the Toledo area.

They all have signs up saying: "Due to some of our customers stealing soda from our drink station after they order water, we are no longer giving out cups for water. Bottled water is available for purchase for $1")

It doesn't matter if you order it to go, or even in the drive thru...they still say no and say you have to buy the bottled water.

However, the McDonald's near Geauga Lake will give you a cup for water, still.

I don't like being "told" I have to purchase water. I do not steal soft drinks, nor do I let my kids fill their cups with soda if they only ordered water. Because of some dirtbag out there, everyone else has to suffer.

On a much better note, and I won't ramble about this, but my kids and I attended Geauga Lake today (Friday, 8-24-07). I knew it would be a slower day since many schools already started, so we used this to our advantage.

The weather was beautiful, however, it was hotter than heck! It was in the 90s with a heat index of over 100 (they said on the radio). Ride side wasn't very busy; pretty much everything was a walk-on. Villain was great as usual, actually not too jerky this time. (I've been wondering, does anyone know why the trick track was removed?) Big Dipper was actually quite smooth (we sat in the middle). Had a blast on Grizzly Run, too...and kids rode Shipwreck Falls a number of times at like 7:55pm. (It was after that that we had our final ride of the night on Big Dipper).

Waterpark was busy, but with the hot weather, that was to be expected. Nicely crowded, but not extremely packed. Liquid Lightning's line was down 3 flights of stairs.

It looks as though (from the Big Dipper) they are trying to do some cleaning in the old waterpark area. By that froggy thing, I noticed there was a big pile of stuff (branches, leaves, slop, whatever) all swept up with a broom still near it...like they are going to clean it up soon. Who knows...

We had a wonderful time, with zero complaints, and we didn't leave sad! (We never do.)

However, I get sad (very sad) at an amusement park when I have to wait in line forever to ride a ride!

Dang it...what am I doing wrong with these quotes???? ARGH!

I'm glad that you had a good time there. I'm sure a lot of people do. It does have the potential to be a nice place. But the bottom line is, it needs some serious work.

Nobody likes waiting in line to ride a ride, but if you don't want to wait, you don't have to get in line. (I might be wrong in saying this, but that may be why Magnum gets more yearly riders than MF.) I don't like GL as it is right now, so I don't have to go back there. The only reason we stopped this time was to see how much it had changed. If it's still around five years down the road, maybe I'll try it again. Until then, I'll be spending my vacations at Cedar Point, Hersheypark, Busch Gardens, etc.

True, nobody likes waiting in long lines, and having the knowledge of when to go and when to avoid going to a park is great. However, even though I have a season pass, I still feel I should be able to "get my trip's worth" and be able to ride at least a few big rides when attending CP.

However, since, over the years, there has been a time or 2 when I've made a poor decision in attending on a particular day and found long lines (45+ minutes) even on rides like the Cadillac cars, I left the park less than pleasant.

For some reason, and GL isn't the only park that is like this, but there are other parks that can have a parking lot that is completely full or close to it, and once you're inside, even though the midways are somewhat crowded, wait times still are not bad. Some examples of this are: Canada's Wonderland, King's Island, Geauga Lake, and I am sure a few others.

These parks I mentioned are more spread out I suppose, and that could be why they aren't so "packed in", but that's never the case with CP. If the lot at CP looks more than say 1/2 full, plan on waiting a while for the bigger rides.

Anyway, you are able to spend your vacations wherever you want to. Just as I am. And with freedom of speech, we can also state our opinions about either place.

I've stated before that I am getting quite tired of CP; I've been going there all my life. My family and I seem to think that they are getting "too big for their britches". My dad is 82 years old and has seen the park in all different ways throughout his life.

Now CF just wants to be the "biggest" and best. That's fine, I suppose, but we are kind of laughing to ourselves that attendance isn't up to where they think it should be.