Could they close the park?

Just so I'm understanding all of this .. Are we suggesting that the company that just bought Cedar Fair, would do away with CP for something else that might make more money ?!?!

I hope not! The loss of Geauga Lake was very upseting to me! If thet took Cedarpoint away too I would move!

I think they should keep the park open part of the winter to bring in more business. Like the Toledo Zoo does the Lights Before Christmas. I believe Cedar Point should do something like that. I know years ago Kings Island did something for Christmas and I went and enjoyed it. It was like being in the north pole. Over this past summer I had guest ask me why doesn't Cedar Point stay open in the winter. I even had a few people who told me they would still ride all the rides in the winter. So maybe this new company will see a money making market for the winter and give some of us locals a winter job too.

Go stand on the peninsula in a few weeks. You'll see why they don't stay open. Burrr

Lake Erie is not the place to be in the winter. I can remember when my family visited the now defunct Sea World in Aurora, when they had a winter event back in the 1980s. What a complete flop that turned out to be.

^^^I think it would be a good idea too. Kings Island used to do it. It would be slightly difficult because of the freezing temperatures on Lake Eerie. Busch Gardens is doing it this year and it is pretty popular. Even some of the rides are open. It would be hard for Cedar Point to keep the rides open though. Disaster transport is possible because it is indoors, and maybe wooden ones could stay to. Is it safe to run a roller coaster in freezing temperatures?

No its not. Just because DT is indoors, does not make it that much warmer. Most coasters/rides have a minimum temperature that they can run. Most being in the 40 degree range. Once temps drop below 40ish, you can't run anything worth riding. Not to mention, who the hell would want to ride anything in 40 degrees?

Trust me and what others have said, the park is NOT a place you want to be in the winter at night. The wind is so horrible that you can't even breath at times. Anyone from that area would know this and not attend. The park tried it once, it wont happen again.

I think it would be a good idea too. Kings Island used to do it.

Then you obviously know nothing about how it was attended at KI. No one went, which is why they no longer do it. No one would go to CP either. Personally, you would have to pay me a nice sum to stand out there in December...Halloweekends gets bad enough as it is.

If the Cleveland or Detroit metro areas were closer it might be a different story. The weather doesn't help, but I think that it's ultimately a population issue.

Kevinj said:
Then you obviously know nothing about how it was attended at KI. No one went, which is why they no longer do it.

The reason is because Cedar Fair did not want to see it through to the next season. From what I hear, the way Paramount set it up was to make the event popular over the next 2 to 3 years. They knew attendance would not be great the first year but was going to see it through. Cedar Fair came in and just axed it without thinking of it in the long haul. While I think an event at Cedar Point would not work, one at Kings Island would work very well. Its near a large population, temperatures can be bearable, it has a great setting and can actually attract people to work the event. Just look at Busch in Virgina as an example.

Yeah... ex-Paramounters said that it was never the intention for that holiday even to be a slam dunk out of the gate. Building a reputation and making it a tradition for people is exactly what they're after. Busch Williamsburg is clearly taking the same strategy. I've been at CP countless times in the winter, and it's not a place I'd ever go recreationally. It's awful.

the other problem Cedar Point has with staying open is the loss of seasonal employees. With so many of their college students back at school they'd have a lot of replacements to find for the winter portion of the season. Not that there aren't plenty of people looking for work nowadays. Near the end of fall they're spread pretty thin.

Is it really that bad deep in the park, say... near the split by Coasters and the Lagoon?

Not doubting, just curious.

^^^ What about a Drive Through type Event? That way guests can stay warm and the number of Employees needed would be at a minium. They are doing one at Conneaut Lake Park and last year it started slow but this year have been nuthing but packed.

All Cedar Point would have to do is design a layout of the route. Put a bunch of lights around. And Midway through or near the end open a building with heat with a gift shop, Sell some food, provide some entertainment. I think it would do well at the point. Just my thoughts

They aren't goint to let people drive through the park. Between support poled for coasters, planters, water fountains, light poles and just the general idea that people would be looking up and around instead of where they were going...I don't think you could get an insurance company to sign off on that deal.

A winter event was tried (I don't remember if it was around '96 or so) and it failed pretty significantly. The locals know better than to go to the peninsula in the winter. Who is going to drive from Cleveland or Detroit to see lights and have hot cocoa? Maybe a few coaster/theme park junkies but not enough people to make the event worth while.

If there is any snow on the ground the wind has it whipping around in all directions. In some places it can feel like a wind tunnel. I don't know if that is a result of so many buildings being against the lake but it can be brutal.

Just thinking out loud here.....what if there were a driving tour of lights on Perimeter Road? Granted, it would mostly be lit on the inland side of the road. But then -- somewhat borrowing from kidcoaster's idea -- open up Breakers for some sort of inside Christmas event at the end of the tour (possibly even including hotel accommodations?)

Eh, probably reaching.

Driving through the park is like driving an obstacle course, and it's much worse when the snow starts piling up.

^ Thats why they plow and clear the course ;-)

They do that already with the midways, and even salt them. But if you think your town sucks at plowing roads, take a trip around the park after they have "cleared" the midways and you wont complain again. There is a reason they take a lot of the straw bales used during Halloweekends and stack them around key structures to act as a "bumper".

Only the office area of Breakers is heated to a "comfortable" temperature. The rest of the hotel has minimal heat...just enough to keep the pipes from freezing.