Johnny Rocket's music

Why do they play songs from the 1970s and 1980s at Johnny Rockets when the theme is supposed to be from the1940s and 1950s? "Love Shack" I don't think was around back then.

Good point, just one of many flaws with the false Johnny Rockets atmosphere as I discussed (sp.) in a previous post.

http://www.pointbuzz.com/cpplace.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=15532 *** Edited 11/16/2004 10:09:29 PM UTC by Fastball84***

The whole Jonny Rockets set up was wrong from the start. I can't believe CP removed one of the best amusment park games of all time, the great Fascination.

It's the simple fact that they, you know, wanted to actually make some money...

I won't be spending my money at Johnny Rockets anytime soon. There was already the Coasters diner near the north Sky Ride terminal, which opened two years earlier. Why build another restraunt with the same American Graffiti idea? If CP would have constructed a new eating venue with a 1980’s theme, similar to the one in Back To The Future: Part 2, that would have been far more unique.

Why? Because the food at Coasters is not the best available, IMHO. I don't think I've been in there since JR's opened. JRs has great food and it's a recognizable franchise that can draw people in, plus the occassional floor show is a nice touch for those who haven't seen it before. Plus, it's full service. Add all these up and you've got hour waits during the lunch rush on days with some of the lightest crowds. CP_bound is right - Bottom line, it's about the bottom line :)

On a side note, I can't listen to Love Shack, Respect, or Staying Alive anymore.

*** Edited 11/17/2004 12:50:58 PM UTC by ShiveringTim***

This has nothing to do with the food at Coasters not being the best available. I was asking why build another restraunt with a similar theme? CP could have very well built a facility serving the same JRs great food, as you claim, but with a different appearance. I never mentioned anything about the food, and neither has anyone else before your post.

Great food? Full service? I've had neither at that dump.

I wish people would own up to the fact that the food at CP generally sucks (or that they have really, really low standards). The only good food I've had there in the last few years (aside from fries, which they do get right), is at Bay Harbor. At $30+ a plate, it had better be good.

Bay Harbor is a nice throwback to the old-style mens-club broil-the-fish-in-butter place, but I wouldn't call it much more than okay. There are better places even here in the godforsaken Midwest to get seafood, let alone places where the seafood is actually supposed to be good. The atmosphere is nice, but the food is so-so. I can think of one or two better places here in A2 just off the top of my head. And the first has an outlet in Toledo---I haven't tried it personally, but I'm guessing it's good.

Edit: darn. Now I have a hankering for a Martha's Vineyard salad.

Edit again: for what it's worth, our family eats at JRs nearly every visit longer than a partial day. We've had good luck with the service, find the food a bit better than most of the rest in the park (which, as Jeff points out, is no great accomplishment), and enjoy the lounge act as entertainment rather than view it as a delay.

The worst service we've had anywhere in Sandusky was at the Chili's on Rt 250. One of only two or three times in my life where I purposely sent a "message" tip. Just horrible.

*** Edited 11/17/2004 4:10:38 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

Back on subject:

I wish that they would change the music selection. I am sick of the same 3 songs playing every time I pass by there.

1staying alive

3>love shack

Going to Bay Harbor is worth it just to make fun of the self-absorbed, wealthy marina types that think they're so special. What a bunch of tools.

Bay Harbor gets an "A" for presentation, but I don't think they really do anything that pushes boundaries. New this year was a really good steak with peppers and some kind of chipotle seasoned "goo," but it wasn't strong enough to really create a special flavor. I don't do seafood, but I agree that it's certainly the drown-in-butter fare. I doubt it's anything more special than Red Lobster.

Blackened prime rib at Bay Harbor is my personal favorite and if you are looking for a nice dinner in Sandusky there are few options.

As for amusement park food, it pretty much sucks everywhere. The same can be said for sports venue food, school food, etc. Anywhere masses of people need to be fed there are going to be challenges.

The one exception I can think of is Dollywood. I don't remember eating one thing there I didn't like. Hot, good food and I think the prices were what I considered reasonable.

Either coasters or JR's has to go. CP could go and put in a nice resturant with real food and real service where one of the two jokes once stood.

Wahoo: crowd-food is generally challenging, but some places rise to that challenge better than others.

I had a great meal at Ariel's Grotto at DCA, but I did pay upwards of $60 for two adults and two kids. It's sort of in between a real restaurant and a buffet---fixed price menus with limited choices. A tasty Salmon BLT, plus we got to see Ariel in all her seashell glory.

I've eaten well at Disneyland, Kennywood, BGW, and SFFT. Many others have been passable, but not good. I'd put CP in the bottom third of parks I've visisted for food. Above the Great Escapes and Enchanted Villages of the world, but not much else. There are a few exceptions where CP is pretty darn good---the aforementioned fries, the chicken strips, and a few other odds and ends. But mostly, not so good.

It is similar to the resorts end of CPs business. With the exception of the Lighthouse Point cabins/cottages, the hotels that CP owns range from adequate (the newer properties) to dump (the older ones), they have consistently below-average amenities for the prices they command (with maybe the possible exception of BE, but only because it is cheap in the first place), and they are generally not all that well-run. But, they have no real competition, as I've yet to stay in an off-site hotel that is better than adequate either---and most are dumps. It will be interesting to see if Castaway can compete with Great Wolf and Kalahari. CF knows how to run a waterpark, but it's not clear to me that they know how to run a hotel.

Edit: it's been a long time since I've been in a Red Lobster, but I'd say Bay Harbor is a cut above that. Yuck. *** Edited 11/17/2004 10:55:16 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

I am not down on Johnny Rocket's. It is a fun place to eat. I just wish the music would reflect the time period that the restaurant is supposed to be themed to.

I will take exception to the statement that the Point hotels are not well run. If you know anything about the hotel business you would realize that Cedar Point is in a league of it's own for the most part when it comes to the challenges they face.

The occupancy rate alone, near 100% for the majority of their operating season, is something few hotel operations must face. At 100% you have little room for error. If an air conditioner goes bad, a room floods, etc someone is going to be needing that room.

In addition, the hotels (with the exception of Radisson) operate almost entirely with a part time, temporary staff. That means young people are operating the desk, housekeeping, restaurants, etc. Another significant challenge and one Disney doesn't even face.

You have hit a nerve but I think, given the circumstances, the hotels of Cedar Point are run EXCEPTIONALLY well. They are overpriced, to be sure, but that is a supply and demand issue. As long as people will pay then they are priced right.

I know for a fact that the Cedar Fair executives are happy with the way the hotels are run.

We've stayed at the former Radisson, Breakers Express and Sandcastle. I've never had a problem with the operation or the way the hotels are run. The staff and service, in my experience, has always been good.

Breakers Express and Radisson are (were) both nice hotels. The rooms were nicely decorated.

Sandcastle was a disappointment, though. I expected a "suite" and I merely got "two rooms." The rooms seem dated and the hotel isn't even 15 years old. It was the kind of room I'd expect to find at a Super 8. I thought Breakers Express had nicer rooms. Our stay at Pop Century (for $75/night) at Disney was ten times better.

One example is the television (you can see one in this picture). Now, I understand that watching television isn't exactly the highest priority while at Cedar Point, but come on. If that's the option, I would have preferred none.

Another example was the divider between rooms. As I recall, it was some folding door - very cheap looking.

I can't comment on the Breakers or Lighthouse Point as I have not stayed at either place, yet.

Do guests expect a Disney resort-type experience while staying at Cedar Point? I suppose in some areas, they could come to that level - but in others, it's comparing apples to oranges.

Walt, I will give you that in regards to your comments about Sandcastle. When Sandcastle was built it far surpassed the quality of the Breakers (the expansion there hadn't been done yet) but it wasn't built exceptionally well.

That is a product of the fact that Cedar Fair wasn't completely settled on the resort business being a big part of their future. It was not built with the same quality of future resorts. Starting with Breakers East, the subsequent additions/new construction have been far superior. Even the second phase of Sandcastle was built better than the first phase, largely because they were overwhelmed by the success.

The true shame is that the Sandcastle piece of property is perhaps the best piece of real estate for a hotel in all of Ohio. I would not be suprised if at some point the Sandcastle is torn down to make way for a new and more permanent hotel (perhaps something even year round) in the future. If gambling ever passes in Ohio I can almost guarantee it.

Perhaps I should try breakers east. But, after staying in Sandcastle, "old" breakers, and BE, I *might* return to BE, but definitely not the other two. I was amazed at how quickly Sandcastle went south, and I'm amazed that either it hasn't been renovated, or it was done poorly/not at all recently.

As for guest services, the operations are fine. I will grant you that the seasonal nature of the hotels makes them *extremely* difficult to run. Here's an example of what I meant by "not run well": the ridiculous three-copy paper forms used to charge things in resorts. Correctly managing all of those little paper slips has to cost a tremendous amount of money. As an example of amenities: I don't mind paying $200-$300 for a room on the point (and I *gladly* spring for Lighthouse Point), because the location is everything. However, if I'm paying that kind of money, it should not be too much to ask to have glasses that are made out of actual glass, rather than a too-thin layer of styrofoam. These kinds of things, while small, don't give the impression of a first-class operation.

Edit: I should note that I've only stayed in the older Sandcastle wings. Perhaps I should try the newer ones.

Edit redux: the Sandcastle property would be even better if the beach were actually usable. To the best of my knowledge, it hasn't been for at least the past three seasons.

*** Edited 11/19/2004 12:09:04 AM UTC by Brian Noble***

We usually stay in a suite at Breakers East and I'm very pleased with the room. True, it has french doors separating the bedroom from the living space, but that's not really bad. And the rooms seem solid and mostly soundproof. The view from the private balcony can't be beat.

What they need is a better and more extensive room service menu, a night club in the hotel with live entertainment or at least a D.J. and they need to open up the swimming area in the beach to allow deeper water swimming.

I'm happy with everything else, and we always come home relaxed, refreshed and with good memories of a fun time.

As for Sandcastle, I agree that it needs work. Replace the building with a 10 or 15 story tower with premium construction and amenities and it would be a terrific property.