June 24th (not the best day)
Dear Cedar Point
People often say that first impressions are everything. Well this past Saturday, June 24th, was the first time my friend and I have ever visited your park. We traveled approx. 700 miles from Minneapolis, MN to Cedar Point to ride your new rollercoaster Millennium Force. We arrived at the park around 3:30 to find out you were using a Fast Pass System to get on the MF. We rushed over to the coaster only to be told to come back after 8pm when the fast passes were over with, because they were all out of pass’. Isn’t the point of the fast pass system to shorten the length of the wait? I’ve heard rumors of the wait for MF to be up to three hours (max), but now ours was up to four and a half hours because of the fast pass system. Not including the three plus hour wait in the ‘first come first serve’ line. That’s around a seven and a half hour wait! Not very fast at all! For the #1 rated park in the country that down right awful. I also noticed that only two out of three cars were running. Two out of three = 33.3% = a D on the grading system.
We did finally make it on MF at about 11:30pm. And the ride was great! However there were four rain closures, which did helped move the line along. But, if it weren’t for the Fast Pass System we wouldn’t have had to stand in the rain at 11pm to ride the ride for the very first time.
What makes this so bad, if it’s not bad enough, is that for some people, like my friend and I, we don’t live even remotely close to CP. We work full time and have to plan to come around work. We also have to have the money. Do you know how much two round plain tickets, a car rental, a hotel room close to the park, parking, two tickets to the park, and food costs? It’s a lot. Just to find out that the main reason we came to CP, we can barely get on because of the Fast Pass System.
We did, however, make it on three other coasters. Their lines were all an hour and a half at least. Lines made longer because of people not being able to get on the MF. Sure we understand long lines but we don’t understand the point of having to wait seven and a half hours for one ride. Especially since on other days it has never exceeded three ours (max).
I hope you don’t decide to keep the Fast Pass System because, you would be ruining a lot of vacations like you almost ruined ours. I had nothing bad to say about your park in all the research I did before coming. Now I do. The Fast Pass System is the worst idea. My first impression on the #1 theme park in the world isn’t to great. A letter grade of a C. The Fast Pass System almost ruined it for us and will continue ruining experiences for families who get caught up in it. Hopefully, someday, my friend and I will find the time and money to make it back to Cedar Point. And hopefully then there will be no Fast Pass System and we can enjoy our day at the park even more.
Sincerely
Thomas McMahon
P.S i'm sending this letter to everyone at CP that i can find address for. If you know of any let me know.
People often say that first impressions are everything. Well this past Saturday, June 24th, was the first time my friend and I have ever visited your park. We traveled approx. 700 miles from Minneapolis, MN to Cedar Point to ride your new rollercoaster Millennium Force. We arrived at the park around 3:30 to find out you were using a Fast Pass System to get on the MF. We rushed over to the coaster only to be told to come back after 8pm when the fast passes were over with, because they were all out of pass’. Isn’t the point of the fast pass system to shorten the length of the wait? I’ve heard rumors of the wait for MF to be up to three hours (max), but now ours was up to four and a half hours because of the fast pass system. Not including the three plus hour wait in the ‘first come first serve’ line. That’s around a seven and a half hour wait! Not very fast at all! For the #1 rated park in the country that down right awful. I also noticed that only two out of three cars were running. Two out of three = 33.3% = a D on the grading system.
We did finally make it on MF at about 11:30pm. And the ride was great! However there were four rain closures, which did helped move the line along. But, if it weren’t for the Fast Pass System we wouldn’t have had to stand in the rain at 11pm to ride the ride for the very first time.
What makes this so bad, if it’s not bad enough, is that for some people, like my friend and I, we don’t live even remotely close to CP. We work full time and have to plan to come around work. We also have to have the money. Do you know how much two round plain tickets, a car rental, a hotel room close to the park, parking, two tickets to the park, and food costs? It’s a lot. Just to find out that the main reason we came to CP, we can barely get on because of the Fast Pass System.
We did, however, make it on three other coasters. Their lines were all an hour and a half at least. Lines made longer because of people not being able to get on the MF. Sure we understand long lines but we don’t understand the point of having to wait seven and a half hours for one ride. Especially since on other days it has never exceeded three ours (max).
I hope you don’t decide to keep the Fast Pass System because, you would be ruining a lot of vacations like you almost ruined ours. I had nothing bad to say about your park in all the research I did before coming. Now I do. The Fast Pass System is the worst idea. My first impression on the #1 theme park in the world isn’t to great. A letter grade of a C. The Fast Pass System almost ruined it for us and will continue ruining experiences for families who get caught up in it. Hopefully, someday, my friend and I will find the time and money to make it back to Cedar Point. And hopefully then there will be no Fast Pass System and we can enjoy our day at the park even more.
Sincerely
Thomas McMahon
P.S i'm sending this letter to everyone at CP that i can find address for. If you know of any let me know.
One thing about Fast Pass. Don't count the time not in line as waiting time for MF. The whole point is to reserve a time so you can do other things in the park. If your ride is at 7:00pm, and you get a ticket at 5:00pm, put the two hours to good use and do other stuff! You can't really count those two hours as wait time, only the time you actually spend in the queue should be counted as wait time.
I don't care how busy a park is on a weekend, a patron shouldn't have to wait ALL DAY to ride a coaster. If there was no FP in place, Twister would have been able to wait in line and make that his first ride of the day, not the last. OK, the line would have been a long one, but waiting until 11:30 p.m.? That's a crock of crap! Besides, Twister had to travel 700 miles and maybe that's the ONLY day he could make it. We don't all live in Sandusky (or really cloce) like you, LuvRaptor.
Sure there are. But the majority of those guests stay for at least a full day, usually more. It's rare when someone will travel so far just to go to one park for so short a time. What if it rained? What if the ride was down mechanical?
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual
How many people stay from the minute the park opens until they kick you out at closing time? Hmmmm... maybe less than 1% of the daily patrons. I don't know about you, but after 8-10 hours of walking around in the heat and humidity, my dogs are barkin' and I am ready to leave, as long as I have gotten on all the rides that I wanted to. As for rain and mechanical problems, the last time I checked,the management has no control over the weather, and mechanicals are all part of the equasion no matter where you go. I can accept that. I am lucky to get this chance to go to CP this year, I just don't want to get burned by this system. From the looks of it, though, as long as a person is in the park at or before 11:00am, you will get on. I just feel sorry for those who cannot arrive that early.
"Hmmmm... maybe less than 1% of the daily patrons."
I'd be willing to bet that the number of people who spend at least 12 hours in the park exceed 50%.
The number of people who travel hundreds of miles, arriving mid-afternoon for a half-day visit, however, are significanly under 1%. Maybe he didn't ride exactly when he wanted and maybe there was some difficulty, but he did ride.
The kinks will work themselves out, or the system will be trashed. No sense making a federal case out of it after a few days.
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual
I'd be willing to bet that the number of people who spend at least 12 hours in the park exceed 50%.
The number of people who travel hundreds of miles, arriving mid-afternoon for a half-day visit, however, are significanly under 1%. Maybe he didn't ride exactly when he wanted and maybe there was some difficulty, but he did ride.
The kinks will work themselves out, or the system will be trashed. No sense making a federal case out of it after a few days.
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual
"I'd be willing to bet that the number of people who spend at least 12 hours in the park exceed 50%."
I'll take that bet!! Out of 131 operating days in the 2000 operating season, on only 54 of them is the park even open longer than 12 hours. That equates it to be impossible for someone to be there LONGER than 12 hours (not counting time in line after closing) on 60% of the days that The Point is even open. Next time you are there, why not ask a good cross-section of patrons how long they are actually planning on staying in the park. I have a feeling that 90% will say less than 12 hours. I don't know where you are getting your numbers, Gemini, but I think you need take into account the fact that very few patrons (gp) are as geared up as people like us about coasters and are not willing to spend that much time out in the heat.
I'll take that bet!! Out of 131 operating days in the 2000 operating season, on only 54 of them is the park even open longer than 12 hours. That equates it to be impossible for someone to be there LONGER than 12 hours (not counting time in line after closing) on 60% of the days that The Point is even open. Next time you are there, why not ask a good cross-section of patrons how long they are actually planning on staying in the park. I have a feeling that 90% will say less than 12 hours. I don't know where you are getting your numbers, Gemini, but I think you need take into account the fact that very few patrons (gp) are as geared up as people like us about coasters and are not willing to spend that much time out in the heat.
To me, and to most of my friends, staying in the park for less than 12 hours is a waste of money because of $38 dollars a ticket. So if you ask any of them you'd be wrong.
I can tell you one thing though, staying in the park at Coastermania for 19 hours is awesome, and couldn't be traded for anything in the world.
I can tell you one thing though, staying in the park at Coastermania for 19 hours is awesome, and couldn't be traded for anything in the world.
You don't think that at least half the people in the park get there "around" opening and leave "around" closing? Forget whether it's 12 hours, 10 hours, or 14 hours. The parking lot at 1pm isn't that much different than the parking lot at closing. Are you telling me that most of those cars will leave after their half of a day, only to be replaced by an equal number of cars that come in for their half?
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual *** This post was edited by Gemini on 6/27/2000. ***
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Cedar Point Virtual Midway
http://www.schmidty.com/cpvirtual *** This post was edited by Gemini on 6/27/2000. ***
I am simply saying that a majority of CP patrons don't stay the ENTIRE day. Maybe younger folks (age 10-30) have the stamina to stay that long, but the average group simply does not stay from opening to closing. I know I have not done that since I was about 14.
On another note, Is there really a 2 hour wait for The Force at 10:00pm? Most posts seem to say that it is less than an hour by that time. (when closing time is 10:00) Do they let you get in line at 9:59 for a 10:00 closing? 2 hours for Raptor? Maybe on a Saturday in July... (I really don't know the answers to the last few questions, I'm just asking because I am curious)
On another note, Is there really a 2 hour wait for The Force at 10:00pm? Most posts seem to say that it is less than an hour by that time. (when closing time is 10:00) Do they let you get in line at 9:59 for a 10:00 closing? 2 hours for Raptor? Maybe on a Saturday in July... (I really don't know the answers to the last few questions, I'm just asking because I am curious)
Closed topic.