CP Tips

We just returned from a three-night visit to Sandusky (July 2, 3 & 4), primarily to see Cedar Point. Wanted to share a few tips we discovered, some of which we read here on the forum and found to be most useful:

* If you have a Maxx Pass (season pass) from another Cedar Fair park (ours is from Kings Dominion) you not only of course get admission to Cedar Point, you are entitled to the same early entry as resort guests. You will need to visit the guest relations office at the main entrance, or the small employee booth at the back entrance, in order to sign in and get a hand stamp. They open at 8:45 am. You will then be allowed to enter the park at 9:00 am, an excellent opportunity to hit some more popular rides (Millennium Force, Maverick) before the lines get out of hand. First morning, we hit MF, waited only 20 minutes, then scooted over to Maverick, for a 45 minute wait - not too bad since for the rest of the time we never saw the line for Maverick at less than 1.5 hours. The second morning we went directly to Maverick, waited only 35 minutes, then headed to Top Thrill Dragster (doesn't open until 10:00 am). Our wait then for TTD was only 35 minutes, way less than the hour + we saw all week.

* You can park in the parking lot for Soak City and enter Cedar Point, even if you do not have admission for Soak City. This parking lot is far less busy than the front lot (we arrived there not only at opening time but also later afternoon and evening - never found it busy). There are separate gates to Soak City and Cedar Point from this parking lot. If you are going in for early admission, this entrance puts you much closer to MF and Maverick and saves you that long walk through the Midway section. Also sets you up to work your way through the park from back to front, rather than from front to back and most of the visitors will be doing. The employee at the entrance taking your $10 (!!!) parking fee may direct you to the Funway parking but just stay in the far left lane and follow the road around to Soak City and resort parking.

* We arrived early each morning, rode rides until a late lunchtime then left the park, had a hearty lunch in town, went to the hotel for a rest (pool time, nap, etc), then headed back to the park around 5:00. Found that most families with young ones were leaving and the park was a bit less crowded - also missed the heat of the day. Don't lose your parking receipt - you'll need it to get back in without paying the ridiculous $10 again! Only one reentry allowed per day (they take your receipt).

Cedar Point is a terrific amusement park and the coasters are awesome. Must rides include Millennium Force (way too high!), Top Thrill Dragster (way too short - only 17 seconds long - but the most unique ride ever, what a launch), Maverick (easily the best coaster I have ever ridden), and Magnum XL2000 (still a terrific ride).

Hope you find this helpful - please feel free to ask any questions - I'll try my best to give you good answers! Thank you to everyone who posted info I found useful on this trip.

Welcome to PointBuzz, Jennifer. Most of us are veteran Cedar Point fans, so the tips are well-known and well-used. But it's a great summary for people who come here looking for smart advice. It sounds like you had a fun trip.

It's nice to see a well-written post from a new member. I hope you stick around and contribute more.

Hi Walt,

I kinda figured this was old news but I so often benefit from forums like this while planning for vacations that I hoped someone else would gain from the info.

Thanks for the nice welcome!!

Count me as one who is going to CP for three days this weekend and found your post very, very helpful and very, very much appreciated!! Thanks a lot!

(although, if I forfeit my receipt to get back in on re-entry, how do I then claim it on my expense report?? I guess better make a copy while I'm out!)

^The "receipt" they give you in order to return on the same day is one of those ticket type things like you get at a parking garage. Many people throw them on their dashboards and forget about them. I'm not certain, but I believe if you ask at the toll booth they can print off a regular paper receipt for your proof of payment.

Not to mention in years past the re-entry ticket they gave you had a stub on the lower part of it, and on re-entry, they tore the stub off and you still kept the rest of the ticket. I'm not sure if they still do it this way or not.

PS- I'll echo what Walt said. It's very nice to see a well thought out, well written post from new members. :)

*** Edited 7/9/2007 7:10:37 PM UTC by Ralph Wiggum***

I'm pretty sure they'll print you a copy if you need one. These looked like grocery store receipts ... no tear-off stub at the bottom. Enjoy your trip - I was just watching videos on YouTube of Maverick and admiring my "Maverick hands-up bruises"!!

Man - its refreshing to see a newcomer provide info (albeit well-known), rather than ask for info that is incredibly easy to find.

Welcome to PointBuzz, Jennifer! :)

We have a Maxx pass from CP.Are we qualified to get in early ?

DONT GO TO CP ON A SATURDAY!

thats a very helpful tip for cedarpoint. :)

^^ No, you need Joe Cool.

Are they screwing the J.C. Club members by letting the sister park passes in for the J.C. Club ERT ride nights also?

I don't know if its just me, but that seems wrong.

""""I have a maxx pass to CP and no J.C., no sir you don't get in early....the next guy in line....I have a maxx pass to a sister park, go right on in....enjoy your ERT."""" That would piss me off if i encountered that.
*** Edited 7/10/2007 12:31:30 AM UTC by JW Addington***

I do agree that it doesn't seem totally right to let the other parks' Maxx Passes in, although I do see the conflict with those passes not being eligible to purchase JCC. If I were running the show, I'd make early entry available to the sister park Maxx passes for a small fee, $5 or something like that. Give the person a certificate with their name and, in the event of a multi-day visit, expiration date. It's not full JCC benefits, but they'd at least be paying something toward it like the CP Maxx Passes have to do.

However, I'm fairly certain that only the CP Maxx Passes with JCC are eligible for the ERT ride nights.

This was a benefit that was extended to sister park pass holders before the advent of the Maxx Pass, so its nothing new.

Dj - I agree with you completely.

bummer

Cedar Point Maxx Pass holders are more likely to live closer to Cedar Point and go more frequently. Sister park Maxx Pass holders are more likely to live near the sister park and only attend Cedar Point once or twice. So, extending Joe Cool benefits to these people for one or two visits is no big deal. They also can't buy Joe Cool.

If someone bought a sister park Maxx Pass but really lives closer to Cedar Point, they went out of their way to get the Maxx Pass. I would argue this type of person is rare in the overall scheme of things. I'm sure many people did it, but in comparison to overall Maxx Pass holders, those few are rare.

If you're "pissed off" that you're not getting ERT, buy Joe Cool.

I agree it's kind of confusing, and frustrating for those of us that paid extra for the Joe Cool Club.

If I go to KI with my CP MaxxPass, I don't get to enjoy any of the perks that the KI Gold pass members get, so why should KI MaxxPass users get early entry at CP. Just doesn't add up.

To make things more consistent, they should just do away with the Joe Cool Club at CP, and make the Maxx pass be the one that includes the perks at every park.

I wouldn't necessarily do away with JCC for the regular passes, but every park's benefits should just be automatically included in the Maxx passes for any of the CF parks.

Part of the reason I got the Maxx Plus pass this year (and combo pass in years prior) was because they threw in a free JCC membership, making the pass only about $15 more than you'd pay for a regular pass with JCC.

I feel like I've taken this thread way off topic. I apologize.

*** Edited 7/10/2007 5:40:23 PM UTC by Ralph Wiggum***

Every year, the season passes get more confusing and complicated.

I still feel the best season pass is the one you get when you work there.

Early Entry is only one perk for JCC. Maxx Pass holders from other parks don't get the shop and food discounts that JCC holders do. Just like JCC holders that go to KI or MiAdv don't get the same perks that holders from those parks get.