From the outside...

5 summers ago (1997), I made my maiden voyage to Cedar Point, becoming an employee for the first time. Now, here I am making the transition to the "real world". I sit here day after day thinking, "Damn, what the hell am I going to do this summer?" It's hard to think about the fact that I am not packing my bags and taking a trip halfway across the country, almost, to Sandusky to spend another summer at the Greatest Park in the World. I look back on my days there. All the friends I made, and lost, and made back. The people that had major impacts on my life in so many different ways. Hell, I even fell in love there! **Yeah I'm engaged to someone I met at Cedar Point**. Now, I have to look at it from the outside. I hope that I am able to make a trip up to the Point this summer to visit all the people that are still there, just to say hi. In my four years there I had the best time of my life. It sucked sometimes, but doesn't every job? I loved every minute of working there. Every day was a different experience, even if I was doingthe same thing every day. The things I did, and didn't do *lol*, the people I met and didn't meet, the good and the bad will stick in my head forever. I sit in the living room of my apartment here in Kansas and talk to my fiancee and it seems like we are always saying Cedar Point this and Cedar Point that. No matter what you say or think, Cedar Point becomes a part of your life forever. Cedar Point was something that made a major impact on my life, and the lives of everyone that has worked there. I tip my hat to all the employees of the 2001 season, and wish them my luck.
To those of you in the back of the park, Stockade baby!!!
To my stand, White Water Refreshments, may the cheese be with you.
To the Cook-Out, Charlie Brown's in the house!! You know it!! Charlie Brown's in the house!! You know it!! Ain't no cook-out like Charlie Brown's Cookout!!!

Oh yeah check out the paper I wrote about Cedar Point on my website.
http://www.geocities.com/kwurunner/reflectonCedarPoint.html


Peace out, see ya on the midway.

Dave
1997, 98 -- Stockade
1999 -- White Water Refreshments Unit Sup.
2000 -- Charlie Brown's Cookout.
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Kansan by birth; Cedar Point by desire; Zone 5/6 by the grace of God *** This post was edited by cheeseonastick on 5/8/2001. ***

I know how you feel, alot of people think how can you get attached to work? or its just a stupid amusement park what are you going to miss about it? When the truth is if you have never worked there you will never know the feeling you get when you know you will be returning to the point as a guest instead of an employee. the first time i went back to the point as a paying customer it just felt weird, kinda like i was paying to go back home, and you see all the places where something funny, or maybe sad happened, kinda makes you nostalgic, they should offer some kind of therapy or twelve step program for ex cedar point employees cause god know we need them!!

OKAY...YOU GUYS NEED TO KICK ME OUT OF HERE! I SHOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO READ YOUR POSTS AND RESPOND!
I am just amazed at how much you guys love your jobs! I have to let you know that from my point of view (paying customer) just having read alot of your posts, I know that my trip is going to be alot nicer. I don't know if I can explain why..perhaps because I can see more than the rides and the crowds now and look to the heart of it all which is the staff. Realizing how fond you all are of this park I guess makes me feel more relaxed and at home to visit there..even though I've never been before. Does this make sense?
I am a sap.
I do however understand and empathize with you cheese...I have loved a job and left due to corperate take over..and returned to visit the patients I once called my family......felt like I was on the outside looking in...It is hard!
I do know your pain and you have my sympathy!

Kay...I am shutting up now...I promise

Kruggie

I for one SWORE I would never work at CP again.
(I have several witnesses that can vouch for this)
Yet when I really thought about it once the winter was over I got excited at the prospect of working there again. From there I went with that gut feeling, to actually contacting someone there (to get my "spot" on the Raptor crew again this season) and the rest is history, my employee contract mailed back to me several weeks ago. I still think I have got to be nuts, but bottom line is/was as hard as the job is, as much a some stupid people thought I was "too old" to do it (would rather be 40+ in age than size) I was part of the CP "family", and like I said in one of my previous threads one of the proudest things I can say is "I work at Cedar Point". The hugs I got from the Raptor crew Sunday asking me if I was coming back again this Fall was enough for me to know that I did make the right decision on returning again this year.
(Also it was TOO cool when waiting to ride Raptor I could show my b/f what we do to get a train out of the station!!)
Kruggie-I hope you and your kids going to make a trip during Halloweekends-would LOVE to meet you! :)

Jo
2000 Raptor Crew
2001 Raptor Crew
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If I cant ride it, rope it, pull a trailer behind it then I dont want it!! Cowgirl up!! *** This post was edited by LuvRaptor on 5/9/2001. ***

Ya know....I was thinking along the same lines as you were luv! I would love to come down...or is it up? for halloweekends...maybe just a day trip..leave the baby home and ride! I am thinking about it and if I can afford to...well..enough said. My Kids want to get to sixflags this year too...the whole x-flight thing ya know. Has anyone been on that sucker yet? Sounds absoultly terrifying!
I do hope to make it up there twice this year if I can..Think I'll need to put in some overtime though!

Kruggie

I couldn't agree more. CP is a life-changing experience, working at a great park that you may or may not already know. I think it's like the extremes of a normal job: the low days are so low you wonder what barbaric idiot planned the schedule, wrote the speil, or actually let that *fool* be in charge. (No offense!) But the high days are higher than an coaster can reach, because we're riding them all. Like I have said on one of the employee pages on my website: "Even those of us that never come back to work again keep those memories fondly in our hearts, and to walk back on that midway -- even as a guest years hence -- always has a unique feeling of coming home." I will always feel like that midway is my home.

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PO!NT OF VIEW - A Different Look at Roller Coasters
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/

That midway IS my home CrystalKat! Well said! :)

Jo
2000 Raptor Crew
2001 Raptor Crew

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If I cant ride it, rope it, pull a trailer behind it, then I dont want it!! Cowgirl up!!

Kinda off-topic but to answer Kruggie.. X-Flight has not opened yet.. The date currently set is the 19th of May.. We'll see if they make it.

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MF 2000 - 269 laps

MF 2001 - Double digits already.. and that's only the second day. :)

My two cents, before I soon head off to Kansas ;) Here I come Dave!

Before working at CP, of course I loved animals, but didn't think much of goats. Just a smelly farm animal that will eat just about anything... But now I've gained much appreciation for them and are one of my absolute favorite animals. They are very smart, funny, and each one has such an unique personality. This can easily relate to other things at CedarPoint and how people gain a new appreciation for them. Before I worked at CP, I didn't understand why some people were so enthusiastic about working at this place, I thought they were nuts and thought for sure I wouldn't be able to feel that way. I attended one of the Live E preview shows and looked around me and was surrounded by other employees who were so supportive of the other employees that were performing. I caught myself in a moment, and felt so lucky to be here, experiencing this, and the other people I knew that didn't have this opportunity. Even though I went through most of my second summer asking myself why I came back just to put myself through this all over again, I don't regret it one bit and am very glad I did return.
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http://vms.www.uwplatt.edu/~moyerc
PetFarm&PetChek Crew 1999 / Pet Farm ATL 2000

*** This post was edited by Petfarmer on 5/8/2001. ***

Red,
Thanks for the x-flight scoop...I am glad to know that I planned my park visits well...We debated for quite sometime as to which park to visit first and concluded Cedar Point first,,cause we can make a mini-vacation out of it and we can do sixflags in a day....glad we didn't screw up and pick six fags ooops....flags and then be dissapointed due to x-flight not being running.
Some day I shall bore you all to death with my SF/Grizwald-type adventure.......

Wow.I didn't think working at CP could be fun at all. I'm not an employee but maybe someday! It sounds great.

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Live for FUN!

GO SHAMROCKS!
GO WOLVERINES!

I am jealous of them all Magnumfan! I have no hopes of ever being able to do so...unless after my kids are grown....does CP hire senior citizens?
I think I shall aspire to have my eldest son work there....He LOVES coasters...and like his mother he LOVES to be scared to death! eight more years till he's eighteen! Will I as the family of an employee get a good discount?

There are employees even older than me that work at CP, (Frank @ the front gate comes to mind) so I do not think age is an issue with CP. I didnt wait for my kids to be grown up to do it, but I also have a very responsible older daughter and family that watched my youngest for me.
As the family of an employee you do not get any discount, however the employee does get 4 free tickets after completing 28 (?) days of employment.

Jo
2000 Raptor Crew
2001 Raptor Crew
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If I cant ride it, rope it, pull a trailer behind it then I dont want it!! Cowgirl up!!

Yup, 28 days. And anytime you can go to Human Resources and pick up discounted tickets (the employee has to purchase them), but it's about the same as using the Pepsi cans, as far as I know.

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PO!NT OF VIEW - A Different Look at Roller Coasters
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/

mmmmph...four free tickets eh? sounds good to me! I shall ship the boy to Sandusky as soon as he is of age! I am sure he wont mind!

All this discussion is good and all, but let's stay on topic :) Thanks.

I can't forget the lifers at the Point, Megan, Carrie, Marcus, Michelle, Susan, Jenn Andree, Tony, etc. You guys showed me the meaning of dedication and probably what kept me going most of my time there. I wonder if Marcus has learned to play with the cotton candy machines yet.

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Kansan by birth; Cedar Point by desire; Zone 5/6 by the grace of God

Cheeseonastick
Good luck making the transition. This summer marks my 7th year as a former employee. It is still difficult for me to enjoy the park without giving in to a ton of bittersweet memories. I spend more time wandering the midways than I do in lines or on rides, just to absorb the sounds and sights that are already ingrained into my mind. It's reassuring to hear of someone who feels the same as I do of their CP experience. I hope you keep in better contact with your CP friends than I have, it will make the transition much easier.
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Foods Sup. 89-94

cpparrothead,

Its good to know that there are others out there like me. Its those memories that stick with you forever. It is like everything that you do you try to equate it with something at Cedar Point. Your brain is Pointed-Out. Odd, really.
The Point is something I will never forget that is for sure.
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Kansan by birth; Cedar Point by desire; Zone 5/6 by the grace of God

Cheese,
It will NEVER leave your system. I can tell you there is NO where I would rather be than on that Midway. We spend quite a bit of time there every year. If I ever have to leave the area I would have to make an annual trip. There are many like us out there and that is part of the charm of CP.
Now Dave, aren't you glad you went back for that fifth season?

I agree....CP never seems to leave your system. Even the people that left not liking the job at the moment still cherish all the good experiences they had as employees. I spend hours talking to one of my former coworkers and it seems no matter what, the conversation always goes back to the park. I keep joking that we either need to go back to work at the Point or start making some new memories somewhere else! I can't seem to talk him into working at the park again, but it is worth the effort. Maybe we'll just visit and reminisce a little this summer... ;)


*** This post was edited by annie on 5/23/2001. *** *** This post was edited by annie on 5/23/2001. ***