Early Entry Enforcement?

I think you can bring your invoice from the resort to show you stayed there.

joshjv said:

Do you just tell the parking gate person that you are going to Soak City to go park back there and use the resort gate? Does it not matter that Soak City doesn't open for a while still (assuming showing up for 9am ERT)?

Go through any toll both. As you approach the person directing traffic into the parking lot, turn on your left turn signal.

Tyler - Last year when we purchased our 2015 Platinum Passes they included a free visit for 2014. The tickets did not include early entry. However on the visit where we decided to use them we ended up staying at Castaway Bay. I asked about early entry at the front desk when we checked in and they filled out a card with our last name and date of the hotel stay. We showed the card at the entrance gate and the checkpoint to get in early.

Maybe that card that they gave you is the solution. They could require either a platinum pass or that card to be shown at all gates. I imagine if you had not asked about it they wouldn't have given it to your group though - I doubt many of the resort guests have the foresight to ask about the early entry process other than what rides participate. It needs to be something the front desk asks guests as they check in and I haven't been asked if I need anything like that during my stays. I usually have to ask them for the parking permit that goes under the windshield. For the park gates to be vigilant about only allowing qualified guests in for early entry, the resorts need to be equally vigilant in making sure each guest either has a ticket, platinum pass, or that card. That's why I think that the park figures that a few people getting in one hour early who shouldn't get in is better than anyone getting denied entry when they should be getting one of the biggest perks of being a resort guest.

^ exactly! I have yet to be given a parking permit and even given anything stating that im staying at the Resorts! Showing room keys used to be enough. They are just plain white plastic cards now.

I have Platinum Pass and I stayed at Sandcastle Suites in May. I was planning on having my guest get my bring-a-friend ticket. When I asked at the front desk how we could prove we stayed on-site, they started digging around for something (presumably the card mentioned above ^), but they couldn't find what they were looking for. Was told to just bring my hotel receipt. But since we went through the entrance by Soak City, they didn't even ask for anything and let us in.

Years ago, when you went through the parking booths, they would ask where you were going. If you said Soak City or Challenge Park, they gave you a little sheet to put in your window that, from what I gathered, let the parking crew know to direct you to Perimeter Road. Now, as was said above, if you want to park back there, simply throw on your blinker and be on your way...

There also used to be a way where anyone who appeared to be an employee could just walk into the park at a certain location without showing any form of ID. I wonder if that still exists?

There are certain places you can get in if you're in uniform without presenting ID.

Interesting. There was a spot where even if you were in street clothes, but had an employee coat or pull over on, they would let you in. I always thought it was a bit "loose" on the security side since a lot of employees keep those after their contract was over. Granted they change the apparel every few years, and if I wore my blue suit from 2004 now, I would look pretty ridiculous.

This is probably back in the 70s...

...I remember my mother and I would often stay in the park until it closed. We'd walk through the employee gate behind Scrambler, through the employees-only area, back to Hotel Breakers. No one, guard or employee, ever questioned us.

Strange that you mention that employee gate, just last night after the MF Ert my son and I walked back to the resort gate. Upon arriving there it was locked with the pull down gate, an employee on the other side said no one was available to unlock it and we would have to walk down to the Windseeker gate to exit the park. Since I knew of the employee entrance by Scrambler and that it was much closer than the Windseeker gate that is where we walked to. I was surprised how many workers were in the area but not one of them said a word, even though it was close to midnight by the time we exited the park.

Dang... and I've been walking the long way around all these years since :-)

Interesting. Are employees just assuming anyone in that area at that hour has a reason to be there?

I imagine if you're walking away from the park instead of towards it they pay less attention. Never went through there myself.

During the years I worked at Cedar Point, enforcing rules in employee only areas was never enforced. Pretty sure most of the time it was because no one cared or as I mentioned in another thread it was the "Not my job" attitude that so many at the park had. But on the same token though, I never saw Security enforce the rule either and I gave them plenty of chances all the time. Whenever I came to the park on my days off I would park in my normal spot and since I had my own key to the perimeter gates, I would just go through the closest gate to my car. Most of the time I was met with a nod and a "Good morning". No one ever questioned me in the 10+ years I was there. It all comes down to the standard of looking like you belong there and no one will think twice about it. It works that way at most amusement parks, even Disney and Universal.

After hours though is another story because there really isn't that many people on the park overnight and those who belong there are known by Security. So if you are caught walking down the Frontier Trail at 2am, you'll likely be escorted off property. Walk through the backstage area by Planning & Design at noon on a Tuesday and no one will bat an eye.

Last year after the rescheduled Coasting For Kids event, I had to follow an employee back to the marketing office to get my prize package. We used the nearest, most sensible exit, which was an employee gate near the corporate office building, and the guard didn't say a word as we walked through.

Five minutes later, she tried to get me back in, and the guard wouldn't let us. He went into elaborate detail about how his job was to ensure that only employees came through that gate. He said we'd have to walk around to a public entrance -- but of course I had no hand stamp for re-entry, because we'd used an employee exit.

Fortunately, when we walked around to the Challenge Park entrance, she was able to get me back in. If I'm not mistaken, as of this year, I could've just used my season pass to get in -- previously, they could only be used once a day and you had to get a hand stamp, even if you had a pass.

(In retrospect, I could've just waited inside the gate for her to get the prize, but she said she'd previously taken guests through there without consequence so she didn't think it would be a problem.)

99er said:
It all comes down to the standard of looking like you belong there and no one will think twice about it.

Back when my dad was buying rental property which was normally vacant foreclosures he used to carry a clipboard with him every time he drove to look at a house from the outside. He would walk right up and rattle the doorknob and if it opened he would just walk in instead of waiting to call the realtor. He found that as long as you had a clipboard out as you inspected the property everyone assumed you worked for the bank.

We were there yesterday morning. Went to the Resort gate about 930am. They were strictly enforcing the resort/platinum only for early entry..