Do you even like Cedar Point?

We were able to spend the last 2 weekends at CP, and while the events of opening weekend were something that I expected I know many here did not expect those events to happen. The events of opening weekend have been discussed in great detail so I wont be re-visiting them. I am quite positive that anyone who was disappointed with opening weekend would be much happier with the operations of the past few days.

The crew on GK were doing a great job, trains were out of the station as fast as the guests would let them. The only source of delays were people wanting off after the restraints were locked - maybe I have never paid attention but that seems to happen a lot on GK. TTD was also humming along, line was moving very well and the ride was not down for any length of time that we noticed.

The crews on Maverick were doing a great job with moving the trains along, there was a delay the first time we rode as someone decided to barf on Bart, but other than that we were able to ride 4 times without any other delays. The crews at Millenium were also doing a great job considering the 2 train operation, as soon as the third train is back I think that line will once again have a nice moving pace to it.

All of the workers we interacted with were pleasant and seemed happy, the ride crew on Maverick and Rougarou were a lot of fun during delays - once for rain and the other for the Bart incident. The staff at the restaurants also did a great job.

There was definitely a difference from last weekend to this weekend, once again I did not expect CP to be at the top of their game last week and they definitely weren't. The progress made during the week as been noticeable and is definitely the result of hard work by management and workers alike. I know many people would still be unhappy as the yellow train is not in full operation, and WT has still not given any rides this year. However after seeing WT testing, and the yellow trains mysterious overnight re-appearance, I am sure even those 2 items will see a resolution very soon.

Dutchman said:

That's because those places have a particular type of employee that they look for, and they don't settle for less. They hold them to a higher standard. There was a time when Cedar Point did that. Along with all the physical improvements that they are doing at the park management needs to re examine how they deal with the employee situation.

I'm under the impression from their website that seasonal employees should expect to work six days/week nornally. So for starters I'm guessing some of them burn out quickly. Also I bet a lot of people who would be available seasonally but who have a longer employment history and are more mature probably don't consider the job because of that expectation. I know that's the major deterrant for me. I have summers off from my full time job and would consider something like this now that my kids are older but I would only want to work more like 3 or 4 days. Not a matter of being lazy, just that I'm older and know what I can probably reasonably handle under park conditions.

You would be surprised the number of people who work at Cedar Point only work 3 or 4 days a week. They are mostly older (over 30). I'm not sure if you can, or would want, to live in the dorms if you are part-time.

I have noticed that all of the food service employees i've dealt with this year have been very friendly and cheerful. A noticeable improvement from some past seasons.

Noggin Said:

"Park management doesn't operate in a vacuum. Attractions are added and removed in response to a changing marketplace." Yes, if you mean Dick Kinzel built whatever he wanted and the grandkids thought he was really cool.."

Roller coasters hitting speeds of ten or twenty miles an hour were once considered daring: tastes change. Mill Race and WWL were the right rides.... at their times. Cedar Point's Sky Wheel and Giant Slide were the right rides... at their times."

That is a cop out... Does Disney remove Pirates of the Carribbean because "it's so sixties?" (And no, please do not post suggesting that this would somehow be a good idea.) The concept of "plussing" rides or updating them to make them accessible to new audiences is not a foreign concept to the imagineers, unlike the Cedar Fair hacks who cannot wait to erect another soulless steel structure where it does not belong. At Disney, the "major" roller coasters top out at 45-35 mph. (Think Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, California Screamin'. Does anyone complain? No, because a coaster does not have to be 500 feet tall and carry a disaster-laden Intimin brand name to be fun and thrilling. Matt Ouimet knows this. Once he gets his feet underneath him, maybe we will see a change. Why not put up a small, but well themed and thrilling coaster that everyone can ride together by the Imax theatre site, rather than some dive coaster monstrosity?

Because I, and many others want that monstrosity of a dive (or whatever) coaster at Cedar Point. I like a lot of the rides at Disney, but none of them are as thrilling to me as the soulless steel structures of Cedar Point are. At the same time I will agree that a few more family friendly rides and attractions would be more than welcome at CP.

You might look at the MF structure as a soulless mass of steel, but I actually like the way it looks. Gatekeeper is not only fun to ride but also a great structure to look at. Maverick is themed good enough for me, and also wins in the thrill department as well. I love Disney World and have a great time on many of their rides, some of my best childhood memories are from the old "EPCOT Center" rides like Horizons, and World of Motion. What did Disney do to those classic rides? Horizons could have been updated and refurbished/plussed by the Imagineers you mentioned, but instead they chose to demolish it and install a monstrosity of a fake space mission to some red planet or an advertisement for GM products.

I enjoy traveling to Disney and I also enjoy traveling to CP, each one has their strong points and each one has their flaws. CP will not be able to compete with Disney on an immersive themeing level due to the costs of such endeavors. However, I do agree that the changes Mr. Ouimet has made so far are indeed for the better, and he is starting to give CP some of those little touches that have made Disney Parks so special. I think he will find the right balance between the monstrosity coasters, and family style rides.

noggin said:

Mill Race and WWL were the right rides.... at their times.

Although I generally agree with your post, I'd say both Mill Race and, especially, WWL are better rides for our times than STR, which at its best is not a particularly exciting ride

Shhh, don't tell Shawn. But yes, Mill Race was always a must ride, and I remember waiting for WWL to open when we got to the point.

^ It's cool! I know now...lol. Anyway, I understand what Cedar Point was trying to do back in 2010. They tried to bring back a water ride the whole family can enjoy. From my perspective, I always see kids running back to it along with their parents. If the parents don't ride, they wait for their kids. What I don't get is, people complained that WWL wasn't that thrilling the last two years before It's dismissal from Cedar Point. Now everyone complains about Shoot the Rapids the same way! I think it's a nice relaxing, semi-soaking water ride!

Lets see, if people complained for a couple of years, then WWL was gone, maybe STR will be gone in a couple of years.

Hey, a guy can hope can't he? And pray!

^ I know everyone wants it to go, but I'm betting I'm the only one on this website that likes the ride.

Bluestreaker said:

You would be surprised the number of people who work at Cedar Point only work 3 or 4 days a week. They are mostly older (over 30). I'm not sure if you can, or would want, to live in the dorms if you are part-time.

As a home owner in my 40's no, I don't want to live in the dorms ;) If 3-4 days is actually a possible schedule though I will keep it in mind as one of my summer break options as my kids age should I decide to work summers in the future.

cptedsdisciple2 said:

Noggin Said:

"Park management doesn't operate in a vacuum. Attractions are added and removed in response to a changing marketplace." Yes, if you mean Dick Kinzel built whatever he wanted and the grandkids thought he was really cool.."

Would you be so kind as to remove the part of this paragraph I did not write? And no, what I mean is that Cedar Point, like any decently run park -- or business, in general -- changes its product to reflect the interests of its market.

Does Disney remove Pirates of the Carribbean because "it's so sixties?"

No. But it does remove Delta Dreamflight and Mr Toad's Wild Ride, among others. And as much I thoroughly enjoyed both Pirate Ride (and Earthquake), comparing a continually-updated signature attraction and an old-school dark ride acquired second-hand from a defunct New York park doesn't seem to be a fair comparison.

...unlike the Cedar Fair hacks who cannot wait to erect another soulless steel structure where it does not belong.

Sure. That is exactly the method used to determine what new rides and attractions should go where.....

Shawn Meyer said:
^ I know everyone wants it to go, but I'm betting I'm the only one on this website that likes the ride.

Nope, I like it also Shawn.