First Trip to Halloweekends questions

Hey guys,

Sorry for my lack of updates as I've been without internet for a while.

I'm making my first trip to Halloweekends opening weekend and I have just a few questions!

1) How bad are the bugs this time of the year at the Point?
2) Which rides do/don't operate during the event? From what I'm aware during normal operation on Saturday and Sunday all are supposed to be open.
3) What's a good plan of attack to get through the haunts and all that?
4) Opinion question---What's the best haunt?
5) If you have any other tips to leave what would they be?

The specific rides, etc., can be found on the website. First, welcome to the greatest time of year at Cedar Point. This has been my favorite time to visit since they began with little fan-fare.

The haunts change from year to year, but a general thing to keep in mind is that all of them get much better as Halloweekends progresses. The actors get better at what they are doing, plus as Halloween approaches I think everyone starts to generally get more energized. You're going opening weekend; so it is impossible to say, as you will most likely experience some kinks in the system, much like opening weekend of the park itself.

The "Walkthrough: outside attractions are all far superior to the haunted houses in my own opinion. Bayou looks incredible, Terror Island has always been a favorite, and this new ScreamWorks deal looks very, very interesting. From the outset, it looks like Cedar Point is really amping the effort up this year, which is saying something, as it is always a great experience.

Friday nights and Sundays are typically great crowd wise, but Saturday will most likely be a complete and utter mob. Hands down, the busiest days I have ever experienced have been Halloweekend Saturdays.

Have fun!

1.) Depending on how late you go, the bugs can be terrible: (see: http://nbcsportsmedia4.msnbc.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/071005/071005_JoboBugs_vmed_7p.standard.jpg) There is a strong possibility that it will hurt if you sit in the front seat on any ride, most particularly Raptor, Wicked Twister, Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, and Millennium Force. The good news is, most of these bugs don't come out until the evening, so if you want front seat rides, get them during the day.

2.) All rides operate during the event, except for on Fridays, where a limited selection is available. All the haunted stuff is open, but many of the rides are closed. Not the major ones, mind you, but still many of the rides are closed. But the crowds are tiny, typically.

3.) As for a plan of attack, it really depends on the crowds. For me, ususally you'll want to go over to CornStalkers about 45 minutes before the haunts open. After that, you'll definetly want to hit Terror Island, the Mechanical Scare Thing (formerly Fright Zone), Happy Jack's Toy Factory, Eerie Estate, Blood on the Bayou, Club Blood, and Fear Faire.

4.) I think the best haunt was the Fright Zone, but Terror Island, Cornstalkers, and Club Blood are all really cool too.

5.) NEVER, EVER go on a Saturday during Halloweekends. If you want to go on a Sunday, pick October 9th. They're open 10AM-10PM, which gives you plenty of time to get everything done, including a multitude of rides. Also, Fridays can be a pain in the butt, especially because they've become more and more crowded each year.

Best of luck to you, Halloweekends is one of my favorite times to visit Cedar Point. If you have any more questions, feel free to let me know.

RideWarrior18 said:
4.) I think the best haunt was the Fright Zone...

For clarity, the haunt formerly known as Fright Zone is now Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks.

For the past few years, I have been at the park nearly every (if not all) Friday nights during Halloweekends. I hope my time there and observations help your planning.

1) I don't notice bugs while walking around. However, certain rides (such as Millennium) can get buggy, especially during/after rain.

2) Yes, Friday has limited rides.

3) Not sure about [new] Blood on the Bayou, but all 4 indoor haunted houses and 1 outdoor maze (Cornstalkers) make guests wait in line while the others do not. So on Friday a few minutes before the haunted attractions open, head for one with a 'line'. In minutes you will be finished so hit a neighboring 'line' attraction while lines still light (Eerie Estate/Happy Jacks Toy Factory or Cornstalkers/ Eternity Infirmary). Lines will start to get heavier afterward, so head for the walk throughs and maybe rides. Midway through, hit Club Blood in the front. At this time guests aren't coming and leaving in heavy volume as earlier and later, so the line is drastically shorter. Finish with the other combo of indoor haunts as lines start to shorten toward the end.

4) I loved the former Fright Zone because it was two way, screamsters can come from any direction, and there were sliders. Eerie Estate was well decorated, and everyone did a great job. However, it depends on the screamsters; they can make or break the attraction.

5) Toward the end of the night, screamsters get pulled and some stop caring, so hit ones that interest you in the beginning. Friday is a good day to do all the haunts and hit a few rides. Heard Saturday is very busy, so good day to see shows, visit the walk throughs, or hit your favorite house. Sundays have smaller crowds, so now would be the time to ride.

Eris said:
2) Yes, Friday has limited rides.

Halloweekends Friday's limited ride lineup includes:

Windseeker
Ocean Motion
Skyhawk
Maxair
Power Tower
Dodgem
Troika
Midway Carousel
Cedar Downs
Cadillac Cars
Matterhorn
Scrambler
Wave Swinger

Maverick
Top Thrill Dragster
Millennium Force
Raptor
Wicked Twister
Blue Streak
Magnum
WildCat
Iron Dragon

everyone pretty much answered all of your other questions so I'll just give you my opniion on the best haunts.

My favorite House is a tie between Eerie Estate and Happy Jack's Toy Factory.

My favorite maze (outdoor haunt) is Terror Island.

Word on the street says that Blood On The Bayou will be a very good haunt. It will be making its opening season this year.

Eris said:
5) Toward the end of the night, screamsters get pulled and some stop caring, so hit ones that interest you in the beginning.

This is misinformation.

To the OP to clarify, at midnight the zones close and the Screamsters head back to home base. We are not supposed to scare outside the zone so if you are say leaving the park at 12:10 near the front gate you will see Fear Faire and Club Blood screamsters walking back from the zones not scaring.

There is no, "Getting pulled," until the event is over for the night so don't listen to that.

As for, "Not caring," there is a difference between a tired, non-scaring walk back to home base, and not caring.

I assume this sentiment came from walking through Fright Zone after midnight and seeing the Screamsters not actively scaring everything that moves.

As Dammie said, nobody gets pulled at the end of the night. About 45 minutes before close each zone and house does send two Screamsters to the front gate for a meet and greet/photo op as guests are leaving. However, the zone leaders make sure no "gaps" are left behind when those people leave, so you shouldn't notice a difference.

Eris's suggestion as to what order your should do the attractions in sounds like a pretty solid game plan to me. Hope you enjoy your visit! If you have time, be sure to catch a show or two. They are usually quite good.