Has cedar point become less nice and wholesome

Hello--

I don't want to be one to judge due to my size being too big for coasters therfore not going this year (I need to lose about, exactly or more than 100 lbs for Dragster 2.0). Either I learned these online except the cards for arcade lol.

With All of the fights, increase in rides breaking, removal of Frontier Town car ride, no classic video games or quarter currency, beefed up policing, and more, is cedar point no longer good?

Also the hazy skies from the Canadian Wildfires didn't help either, but that was either nature or someone being careless with fire which was beyond our control

Cedar point was much nicer 20 years ago.

Heck I also liked it 25 years ago.

And 1997, 99, and 00

It was better when the buckets weren’t always shut down.

I have incredibly fond memories of running around the park when I was a kid in the mid-80's, and would, in theory, love to go back and relive those experiences. But the park is objectively better today than it was then, even if some areas, such as operations, are not.

Buckets aside, I don't care for the park any longer. Cedar Point used to have a feel to it that is all but gone. Now it is all about coasters and Golden Corral type buffets. Gone are the rides and attractions that made the park unique. Having water on 4 sides is cool, but not what I am referring to. There was much more varied rides and things to do before. All you must do is check out Facebook and other sites to see the rides that a lot of people really do miss. Unless you are an adrenalin fan, the reasons to go to the park are all but gone. I could list those rides, but I will just get put down for it. Yes, some new rides are incredible on their own. But the park as a whole has lost the charm and appeal it once had. There, now the Cedar Point apologists can go to town.

Ch ch ch changes......

CoasterHawk:

There was much more varied rides and things to do before.

I suppose this depends on what you mean by "before", but if you're referring to OP's time frame of the mid-90's, this is a pretty ridiculous take, given the not only the sheer quantity of rides the park has today compared to back then, but also the variety.

Since the late 90's, they've closed a few rides, like WildCat, DT, WT, and Antique Cars, but they've also added MaXair, Skyhawk, Windseeker, MF, Maverick, GK, Valravn, and Wild Mouse. On the family-friendly front, they've added Camp Snoopy, Planet Snoopy, Pipe Scream, Lake Erie Eagles, and Forbidden Frontier. On the live entertainment front they've built a marquee stage on the midway, completed a complete renovation of Breakers (which was admittedly long overdue), made the beach an attraction itself, and renovated and expanded the water park. And I'll gladly take Grand Pavilion and Farmhouse over the absolute dreck they used to serve to folks waiting in hour-long lines.

Also, prefacing any and all rebuttals of your comments with the tired, old "park apologists" line is laughable in any context, but especially so given your claims.

The last gasp was 2021 tbh

Brandon, you stated it well. Thanks.

Its hard to judge that if your fondest memories were of being a kid at the park. I know in my kid mind that 1993 Geauga lake is way better than cedar point, but it's not. It's always hard to lose what made the park special for an individual, such as WWL or space spiral. I'm sure in 25 years those who are kids now will feel the same when their old favorite wild mouse is taken out.

IMO we've seen a drop in the overall CP Experience from what it once was or used to be absolutely 100%!

Based on what metrics exactly? Yes, there are areas where there's been regression, but more than areas where there's been progression?

Some people might argue the quality of a lot of things is lesser now than "back in the day". Someone may argue the movie business is nothing but Marvel/Top Gun 2 output but then it discounts the massive creativity now on display in the streaming world. Some may argue that music isn't the same but that discounts the ridiculous popularity of Taylor Swift or the surge of independent artists who are making a name for themselves on Youtube and Tik Tok.

Theme parks have evolved as well. I miss the likes of the Jaws and Earthquake rides at Universal but it's hard to ignore how popular the newer attractions are. I don't think this can be simplified to "better" or "worse". It is just different.

So, for me, as far as Cedar Point goes, I did not attend until 2000, when Millenium Force opened. Being that it is a 5 hour drive, my family always opted for Kings Island. Now, there are some things that I really miss about the way it was as a kid. Seeing things as an adult is clearly not the same feeling as when we entered the front gate as a kid. I now have taken my own kid since he was 7. It's a whole different experience as a parent than when that kid was me. I wanted him to experience what I felt going through those gates at an early age. It was a sense of magic and wonder. I no longer feel that way, but it's not because KI has lost its charm or has become markedly worse since the 70's. It's just that the park has evolved and it has mostly been for the better. Sure, there are some decisions that I think were not the best; like removing the flying eagles, removing the antique cars for Backlot Stunt Coaster and to a degree, Son of Beast. I think you'll find the overall quality is still there. We are just no longer seeing things through our eyes as a child.

Although I don't visit Cedar Point on a regular basis, I can say there are things that have definitely improved since my earliest trips. Hotel Breakers was pretty run down. They added TTD, Wicked Twister, Gatekeeper, maXair, Valravn, Maverick, Skyhawk, Windseeker, and Tiki Twirl. They have better food options as well.

Chief Wahoo:

I don't think this can be simplified to "better" or "worse". It is just different.

This is exactly what I wanted to contribute, but Wahoo beat me to it. Well said.

Better or worse is completely subjective. Eye of the beholder and all that....

You say "Since the late 90's, they've closed a few rides, like WildCat, DT, WT, and Antique Cars, but they've also added MaXair, Skyhawk, Windseeker, MF, Maverick, GK, Valravn, and Wild Mouse. On the family-friendly front, they've added Camp Snoopy, Planet Snoopy, Pipe Scream, Lake Erie Eagles, and Forbidden Frontier."

Thank you for making my point.

CPClassic:

With All of the fights, increase in rides breaking, removal of Frontier Town car ride, no classic video games or quarter currency, beefed up policing, and more, is cedar point no longer good?

Breaking news: There were always fights, just no one to record them with cell phones. They don't need two car rides. People play video games on their phones now. But if only they had more roller coasters, more kids rides, more live entertainment, Halloween events and great food, am I right?

CoasterHawk:

Thank you for making my point.

Ah, my bad, I didn't realize you preferred the park to have fewer, less diverse attractions and worse food.

The park definitely has more of a “corporate” feel rather than the “one of a kind” or “flagship” feel it once had. The direction that current management is taking it seems to cater to the shareholders mostly and not the actual guest experience. Until they improve operations and maintenance like how it was pre 2017, it only feels different. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the place, but there are some things lacking.

What does that even mean? The park has never been as well styled and designed as it is right now. You make it sounds like it's walking through a maintenance corridor at an arena.

Outside of the dismal operations and worrying cost-cutting, I'm not sure what is qualitatively or quantitatively worse now compared to, say, the mid-90's. Are there holes in the lineup? Sure, and that will almost always be the case, but outside of a modern wooden coaster, and perhaps something family-friendly like a dark ride (something it would be foolish to hold one's breath on after CW's experience), I really don't know what major shortcomings there are.

That the sayers of nay can only point to abstract silliness like "feels" and "charm" is not in any way a compelling counterargument as far as I'm concerned. To me, that sounds like the longing for "days gone by" which, as I and others have agreed is a thing, is not a measure of what the park offers, but rather a longing for times when people, including myself, had different experiences in the park that had little-to-nothing to do with what the park offered then or now.