First Rider Benefit

I’m in for first train and did it about 12:30. My email arrived pronto and my ticket is now in my Apple wallet.
I did, however, get a message at the end saying the server had been reset and to check for the email before you re-purchase to avoid double charges. Then the message came again. I panicked momentarily but it looks like I’m good to go though.
Good luck to everyone who’s still trying.

I hate Accesso. At least this time there was no service fee.

I started trying to Buy Tickets at around 12:15 and the first few times I clicked on the link I got a gray error screen saying "No Packages Found". After the fifth time it took and I got one of each ticket. Paid through PayPal and it went fast and smooth. Printed and ready to go!

I get the first public train ticket. Hubby can have the cheaper one. ;)

Now I look at the page and the ad is up but there’s no button to mash. Spose they’re really gone now?

I think I prefer this event over the free one, simply because the first riders will have the opportunity to snag as many rides as they can during the time period. (After ribbon cutting, character shenanigans, and ceremonial speeches.) And of course that will all depend on the number of tickets available and I’d think due to the fact that’s it’s a charity event they’d like to sell more than just a few.
Still, it’s a good cause and sounds a lot more doable than the free one.

Maybe I’ll get a nice new First Train T-shirt to wear to Branson the following weekend to cause extreme jealousies amongst the thoosies.

The website is back up!! I just got my ticket

Looks like their technical issue has been resolved. Tickets back up for sale again. If this was a volume issue with Accesso, wonder what the passholder preview night tickets will be like when they go live on April 10th?

Just got mine. Gonna pass on the Passholder night and the ACE event and wait for Coastermania.

This is an interesting update.
I got a call from Jason this afternoon about my purchase. He asked if I intended to buy the 250 buck ticket. I said yes. Then he very apologetically informed me that due to a glitch in the system they had accidentally oversold the first train. Uh oh. I reckoned since I was getting a call that I fell into the oversold group. I was right.
He very kindly offered me a ride on the second train, (which is where I fell in the order), or a general ticket for 75, or a complete refund. I’m still feeling very charitable today, so I told him I’m fine with train 2. Oh, as long as I could have the second to the last seat. He laughed and said everyone else had asked for the front. What? No!
Anyway, no one is guaranteed any particular seat. There will be a lottery for each First Train done at the time to determine seating. I don’t know how the rest of the evening will be handled.

I thanked him for calling, adding if there was one day I’d hate to be sitting in his chair then today might be it. He’s so good natured though, and seems happy to take the good days with the bad.

Gates will not open til 6 and rides won’t start for a while. First Train Riders (and Second and...?) will somehow be directed into a special area so as not to be overlooked or beat back by a crowd. I understand, as advertised, that we will have some sort of place for the ceremony as well.

He also said the 75 buck tickets would be back up and I guess they are.

Thanks to Jason for the kind treatment and it looks like CP, once again, is trying to handle the situation as professionally as possible.

Agreed- I wouldn't want to be him or Tony.

Wow - the fact that Jason is making the phone calls is pretty awesome. Kudos to him.

I do wonder if these issues will eventually end Cedar Fair's relationship with Accesso. Or at least make them utilize an alternate company for these high volume events.

Since Cedar Fair just extended their agreement with Accesso through 2022, I think they are fully committed. Just need to get the bugs worked out.

As far as the event, gate opens at 6pm with a ceremony starting at 6:30. Once that is over, the first (or second) riders will load, then the rest of the group can get their rides in. Not sure what the Steel Vengeance night will be like, but the Valravn First Rider event was amazing. There were a lot of people there but we still road Valravn countless times.

Looking forward to another great event

I wonder how this is going to coincide with OSU day, which is being held on Friday May 4 from 11 AM to 7PM?

It won't coincide at all. First rider event is the week before that.

Totally had the dates confused

Right, the first rider events are apart from anything related to the general public. This is the first time I can remember that CP will be open for anything so early. Never in April, ever. First time in history I’d be willing to bet.

I wonder if Media Day will have happened by then. A friend laughed at me for thinking I was going to be on the first train, when in fact it will have already given lots of rides. I countered with 1) not for us, 2) certainly not for the GP, and 3) if Media Day is indeed the 27th then they will be out of there by 3 and nobody is invited to it anyway. (Sorry, GigaG, but it’s still true) This event is the first “public” ride and we will share it with no one.

As for Jason calling me, I’m not sure it was ‘that’ Jason. He sounded like a very young Jason. Like maybe a millennial Jason because there are thousands of guys named Jason which was the most popular boy’s name for years around that time.
I asked him if we’ll meet him at the event and he said he wasn’t sure where he was gonna be that day. So sorry for any misunderstanding. Which may be all mine, I don’t know.

I still will praise him for his manner though.

^"Sorry GigaG"

While I'd love to see a GK-style media event in the future, CP's series of events this year seem to be giving passholders and enthusiasts an event of that caliber without having to "interfere" with the regular Media Day.

I bought my tickets to the first rider benefit this evening. I just checked and there are tickets still available. I'm not sure how many they offer, but I don't think the benefit for Valravn sold out in 2016.

The April date surprised me as well. I wonder if it is related to trying to cram so many events into a single weekend. This gives them a break. My only real concern is the weather. It can be cold at Cedar Point during May weekends...that risk only goes up by having it in April. I'll be there rain (snow) or shine.

Also, very cool that they will at least attempt to run Maverick as well. I thought during the Valravn event that having the freshly painted Raptor running would have been some sense. If Maverick "does" open, it will no doubt be the biggest Maverick ERT ever.

I hear some of the Rothschilds kids will be attending so weather should not be an issue.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-lawmaker-says-r...story.html

^Oh, silly Cargo Shorts. The Rothchilds can't control the weather. The Rothschilds, though... :P

*sarcasm*

GigaG said:

^"Sorry GigaG"

While I'd love to see a GK-style media event in the future, CP's series of events this year seem to be giving passholders and enthusiasts an event of that caliber without having to "interfere" with the regular Media Day.

You had me until you put interfere in quotes. Yes - enthusiasts and passholders at Media Day interfere.

RCMAC said:

Right, the first rider events are apart from anything related to the general public. This is the first time I can remember that CP will be open for anything so early. Never in April, ever. First time in history I’d be willing to bet.

Hasn't the park done some sort of (I believe) March of Dimes event on the Saturday before Opening Day, which in the last few years has been the last Saturday in April. I can remember seeing activity on the webcams. I believe it has been a front of park event with Raptor and Gatekeeper open at least and possibly more.