Early Entry a Joke?

Have I just been unlucky or has early entry been an absolute joke this year? Every time I've come for early entry this year several rides aren't open until regular park opening. Rougarou especially seems this way. MF often only opens with 2 trains and they add the third train during early entry which wastes a ton of time. Why aren't these ride ready for early entry? I've only come 4 times for early entry this year, am I just that unlucky that every time has been an off day for them? Is this common?

I don't come much for early entry because I'm not a morning person. I think I came 3 times so far this year. I didn't have trouble with things being closed but I did lose over 20 minutes standing in line for security theater at the resort gate on a Friday.

I believe that Rougarou is no longer listed as part of early entry.

untalented893 said:
Every time I've come for early entry this year several rides aren't open until regular park opening. Is this common?

Yes. Early entry is limited to only a few rides. And as with any other time, other stuff can and will cause issues with normal operation.

CP Maverick said:

Yes. Early entry is limited to only a few rides. And as with any other time, other stuff can and will cause issues with normal operation.

Yes, I meant several of the early entry rides. I've encountered Raptor and Gatekeeper several times not being ready as well. I wasn't aware Rougarou was taken off the list of early entry though. The problem I have is that it seems like it's every time I go several early entry rides aren't running on time and they're still just on opening procedures. It's frustrating.

EDIT: seems as if Raptor is no longer early entry anymore either. Perhaps my concern is more with the reduced amount of rides rather than closed rides

I haven't been to the park for early entry in quite some time, but I do know that complaints like this have popped up several times over the last few years. It would seem that there is certainly some inconsistency in how early entry has been executed over the past few years.

I've only been able to ride Valravn this year as a result of early entry. The other rides I didn't pay much attention to if they were running or not. But I know not all of them are available.

You may just be unlucky. Ive done early entry more times that I can count and while a ride may not be ready because of some mechanical reason upon testing, that is usually pretty rare and I have rides are ready to go by early entry. Maverick is probably the ride that has the most trouble waking up in the morning.

I always felt the early entry rides should be offered to just the resort guests. It's not like the park owes the platinum pass holders that benefit. I remember years ago when the park would open an hour early to everyone, but none of the rides would open until the normal start time.

I disagree. They can offer early entry to whomever. But if a group is to be excluded, why season pass holders? Why not leave out resort guests?

I had no problems during my one and only early entry this year, rode Maverick 4 times before heading to Dragster for opening.

Because resort guests are spending more (actually a lot more) money then your typical platinum pass holder that may drop in the park for just a couple hours.

Without early entry, I wouldn't buy a platnum pass, wouldn't be wirth it!!

Back in the mid 90s' to late 90s',I would get to the park at 8:45am,at 8:55 security would install and raise the flag,anthem played and gates would open at 9 to everyone(the park did not advertise that 9 opening time). I would 6 ride marathon Raptor,6 ride marathon Mantis,6 ride marathon Mean Streak,6 ride marathon Magnum. Raptor was always 1st and the other 3 sometimes I would reverse their sequence. Do 24 quick rides and be out the park by 11.

In 2000,when the MF was experiencing 4 hour lines,you would get a time ticket at MF entrance indicating what time of the day to come back to MF for line entry.

In the same breath, let's take a step back and be thankful for what Cedar Point offers and compare to other Cedar Fair parks as well as competing parks and chains. Just down the road at KI, you get in 30 minutes prior to park opening. They have no resort guests so that is not a problem. They have one to two roller coasters open and a flat or two depending on the time of year and what the schedule says is the ride. This last Saturdays visit had early ride time of 30 minutes on Delerium and Banshee. Delerium was down all day so that eliminated one ride from that list. I never heard a complaint. I would also like you to check the website and see what Michigan Adventure offers for early entry.

I would personally like to say THANK YOU for all Cedar Point offers in Early ride time. I still get many early rides in that allows me more time to do things I normally wouldn't, like sit down and enjoy a meal at TGIF, go parasailing....wow!! Fun!!! or something that my grandparents said they did when they went to Cedar Point, and that was to enjoy the beach.

Early ride time is not something that HAS to be administered by Cedar Point, It is a gift that should be used and appreciated. Even if you only get socks for your birthday, at least you got socks!!

I think the early entry for platinum pass holders is like a consolation prize for those of us who are not able to travel and use the pass at other parks especially now that we don't have WWK. The closest CF park for me to visit other than CP now is at the complete opposite end of the state and requires days off from work, a vehicle worthy of the voyage, hotels and a pet sitter. I don't get to use early entry often but it's a perk I really like to have with my pass because when I do use it I get a lot from it.

I've never had any issues with anything regarding early entry and the rides offered for it. I am lucky in that I live less than an hour's drive from the park, and can go often, so if something is down, I just ride something else, and ride that particular ride another day. The lines are still shorter than during the regular day.

I really wish Raptor was early entry this Summer, as one the 2 days I used it I had to ride either Valravn or Gatekeeper if I didn't want to skip the front of the Park until mid-afternoon. One day after Valravn, I just waited for Raptor to open before proceeding to Maverick, but on the next day I proceeded after Valravn to get 2 rides on Millennium, 2 rides on Maverick, and then 1 each on Magnum, TTD, Wicked Twister, and Gatekeeper all within the first 3 hours on a Thursday in mid July, so early entry worked really well for me that day.

I'm definitely not trying to sound unappreciative. I do recognize that it's a perk not offered at most parks. However, you can surely understand my frustration when I encounter issues nearly every time. People look forward to it and when their time is spent trying to find a ride that's working rather than riding they're bound to get upset, especially since all of the early entry rides are so far apart now. It used to be nice having MF and rougarou close by and raptor and gatekeeper being relatively close. If one was down you'd go to the other

Untalented893, it sounds as if you need to review the early entry rides list again. Raptor hasn't been Early Entry all year as well as Rougarou. I can assure you Gatekeeper, Millennium, Kiddie Kingdom, Tiki Twirl, Valravn, cedar downs, Cadillac cars, and Midway carousel have all been open on time every morning for early entry unless weather played a factor. Maverick however, I cannot guarantee that one being open ever haha