No more outside food in the park?

While in line for Club Blood this year, I made note of the food windows accessible inside the pavilion on the back side of Hurricane Hannah's; are those still open in the summer?

99er said:

(you could eat/picnic at) The grassy areas around the Marina, the picnic tables in Challenge Park, the Beach, the shaded areas around Breakers, the long grassy/shaded strip along the Gemini parking lot, around the Camp Ground, the picnic tables behind the Marina overflow lot, the large field at the back of the main parking lot, etc, etc.

All of those places can be accessed by walking/driving and do not require entering the park. During the 11 years I spent working at the park, I would always see people using these areas so people do find them.

Those areas are nice except you're forgetting one important thing: you can't leave a cooler (w/food and ice in it) out half the day in any of those spots,especially in hot weather, and still expect it to be there without being stolen or ice melting in the summer, you could at the picnic shelters under a shaded roof. That's my whole point. We used to leave a cooler out under the shelter, nothing ever happened to it. How do go from currently getting off a coaster then proceeding to eat at any of those spots unless you're parking right next to those^? You still have to grab your food from your vehicle, then walk very far to one of those spots. See my point?

BTW, Jason H, the areas have shrunk tremendously (about 50%) because of 2 of the 4 outside access ones getting completely torn down. Don't get me wrong, I personally think the pavilions are hideous looking (I've emailed the park and told them that they look outdated/need an upgrade) but I will still stick up for the people that use them even if I don't. The option still needs to be there for families to bring their coolers in that can't afford the ever increasing park food prices and IMO that option will disappear completely in the future. Before I knew better quality of food, we used to get our hands stamped years ago,leave the park, and go to the McDonald's down the road for dinner, haha!

I'm still wondering how these 2 remaining small picnic shelters are going to be accessed from outside the park with the new GK turnaround and wall being there.

CPfan1976 said:
Those areas are nice except you're forgetting one important thing: you can't leave a cooler (w/food and ice in it) out half the day in any of those spots

So leave it in your car? Mine sits in my car all day and is just fine.

You still have to grab your food from your vehicle, then walk very far to one of those spots. See my point?

Or you could just drive to most of the places I mentioned. My point is that if the pavilions are ever removed, guests can still have a picnic with their own food in a shaded, comfortable area at the park.

The option still needs to be there for families to bring their coolers in that can't afford the ever increasing park food prices

I am shocked they lasted this long, especially when Kinzel was in charge. Like I already asked, how many parks the size of Cedar Point still have shelters outside their front gates?

The only park I know that still have shelters outside the park is Carowinds.

99er said:
I am shocked they (the picnic pavilions) lasted this long, especially when Kinzel was in charge. Like I already asked, how many parks the size of Cedar Point still have shelters outside their front gates?

Not many, I agree with you. Yeah they've been there for over 40 years. I think the reality is that they will totally be gone in the future. I've done the car option also in the past as I see many still doing. Good points.

Sause said:

Good advice, but I think bringing a stroller into the park without a kid would come across as creepy ;)

You are making the assumption that anybody working the gates actually cares about such things. I have walked into the park with an empty stroller many, many times. Not even a weird look from anyone.

I do have stroller-aged kids, so I can always say my wife and kids are already in the park (true).

I've seen people wheel large 80qt coolers into the park. So, what I'm saying is, they really don't care.

I just either leave the park and go to a good downtown restaurant or famous daves :) and also we pack coolers in the car or van and eat out in the lot. It's a break from the busy park, esp. on hot summer days. Cover the food with a blanket and keep it in the shade, or use blinds for the car windows.

I guess pavilions are a thing of the past. People have to be forced to eat expensive in-the-park food. Packing lunch is an "option" for the park. I've never tried bringing coolers into the park, actually, because I always thought there was a rule against this. But I guess they don't care.

I guess my family are the only ones that actually spend the money and eat in the park every time.

Nope, I usually buy park food also.

If I remember correctly, I believe they said they will be revamping what will be left of the existing shelters and building a new one or two. That's what I think they said at the behind the scenes tour, but then again I can't remember some of the stuff I did a few days ago.

You know, absolutely nothing has varied from the Q&A we shot from the announcement. (See here, scroll down.)

Park at soak city parking lot and bring your lunch into the park. It's easy as that.

The point is, accessibility. What is the point of driving to a location to have a picnic, when the shelters are right there! If I'm driving anywhere, I'm driving in town to Chet and Matt's for their pizza and wing buffet.

They have a large building above the games on the midway. It is used to host parties, gatherings and such. It's also supposed to be haunted. Does anyone know what I am talking about?

You're talking about the ballroom.

And because of a lack of heat/AC, no sprinklers, ADA issues, it doesn't get used much.

why didnt they install sprinklers and AC when they remodeled it?

When was the ballroom remodeled?

Wasn't it in 40's or 50's or something. umm......nevermind.