Oct. 7 thru 10 - Love those extended hours. First time on TTD

Trying this by copying from MS Word into Notepad and then copying and pasting:

10/7 – 10/10 – First Time on Top Thrill Dragster

Everything was packed up and ready to go in the RV when we left at 5:30 pm from Michigan for the extended hours and accommodations of the Columbus Day weekend. After this great trip, we will have to go there that weekend every year! We really loved those extra hours and being able to stay that Sunday night.

We arrived at CP at about 9:30 pm and were absolutely SHOCKED to see the Top Thrill Dragster running! After being down since September 2nd, I would have bet money that it wouldn’t open again for the rest of the year.

So as soon as we parked the RV, put on our warm jackets, we were off into the park. When we got to TTD, we couldn’t believe that there wasn’t any line! Can you believe that? Well, here was my chance to ride it for the first time….to conquer my fear. I had actually been in the seat last year, and when someone had a difficult time getting his seat belt buckled, I had too much time to think about it and said I wanted off the ride. Well, this time I was going to do it without thinking about it. And I did it! I will have to do it again, though, because it just went by so fast, I don’t think I got anything out of it. I never got the chance to settle down from the fear and the ride was over.

We also went on the Millenium Friday night.

But the best part of the night was Fright Zone. I can’t believe how many times they got me. They sneak up behind you and scream or have something loud that they bang or creep up on you with. There was one Screamster that has rollerskates on his hands and rolls at you on his hands from the endless reaches of the fog. There are so many good ones that are really hard to explain. But one thing is for sure, when they get you once, you are tagged. Every one of them goes after you. My husband told me that one of them got me 4 different times! And the fog was not as bad as some people have said. What blinds you is the areas that have spot lights glaring right into your eyes. But it only lasts for a few steps before you can see okay again. Not good, but manageable.

And Werewolf Canyon was much more than I expected. We got a tip (probably from one of the Screamsters that had scared me a few times in Fright Zone) that there wasn’t a line for the Canyon. So despite some of the comments in the forum about it being stupid, we figured we had nothing to lose as long as there wasn’t a line. Well, I have to say I disagree with those posts. I had a good time and there were plenty of screamsters. The walk through the barn at the end was good. The decorations are very creative.

Saturday, 10/8 – Maxair, Mean Streak, Magnum

Got up early and waited for what seemed like enternity for the park to open. It opened at 11:00 am for park guests but we were up at 7:30 am. We have season passes so we were one of the first people in the park, but then there were gates blocking access past where Magnum’s track cross the walkway. So we waited there for the National Anthem, and once the gates were opened, it was hilarious to see how everyone runs like a herd. We laughed and laughed about that.

We got in line for TTD, but then the ride ops said it wasn’t opening until noon. So then we went to Maxair, but that wasn’t running “for technical reasons” so then we went to Mean Streak and that wasn’t opened. I can’t remember exactly all the places we stopped at (not just rides) and we started to laugh because every place we went, it wasn’t open. So we decided to get a drink and wait for the Chris Linn comedy and magic show. That show has to be one of the highlights of the entire trip. You have to go see that show. It is so creative and funny.

The weather on Saturday was not very cooperative. It was very windy and it made the cold seem much colder. And there were off-and-on showers all day. So to try to keep warm and get out of the rain, we saw Monster Rocks at the Red Garter 4 times that day. Each time it was as good as the first. For one of the shows, there were some tables reserved right in the front for what I was told were guests of the CEO.

When the evening arrived, the clouds seemed to disappear because I could see stars. I was encouraged by this because I thought Sunday would then be a sunny day. (It wasn’t). We wanted to do some of the haunted houses, but the lines for all of them were very long. So we did Maxair—I LOVE THAT RIDE!!! It makes me a little dizzy, but when I start getting too dizzy, I close my eyes for a bit and it seems to get better. We also visited Carnevil, which didn’t have as many or as scarey Screamsters as Fright Zone.

We finished off the night with a few rides in the front car of Magnum and closed the park at midnight.

As you can see, we didn’t get too many rides in on Saturday. The lines were too long and the rain and cold were getting to us. So we had high hopes for Sunday.

Sunday, October 9 – Raptor, Magnum, Power Tower (Turbo Drop), Maxair, Iron Dragon

We had planned for Sunday to be our big day because we knew the crowds would be smaller. We started the day by going on the front car of Raptor. I got really dizzy on that but really liked it. I sat out the second time when my husband wanted to get right back on because there was no line. We did it again in the front row (everything has to be front row---it’s the best) later in the day. And to think that it took about 3 years before I would ever go on a ride that goes upside down and here I am going in the front seat of Raptor. Not bad. I love it now more having been in the front seat. Still can’t seem to get over the fear of going on Mantis for the first time though. Something about standing up and being upside down is too scarey for me.

I had never done the Turbo Drop (up slow, down fast) section of Power Tower so we did that (I prefer the other side—Space Shot—up fast, down slow). We did Maxair again and I wanted to do Wicked Twister after that, but have not yet mastered how to jump into that seat.

We were able to visit each one of the haunted houses (Lair of the Vampire, Undertaker U., and Pharoah’s Secret). I liked Pharoah’s Secret the best because it had a lot of very creative displays, but my husband liked Undertaker U better. I have to say that each one of them had parts that were so dark, it was difficult to see where you were going. Pharoah’s Secret didn’t seem to be as bad as the others with the darkness. Pharoah’s Secret also sells 3-D glasses for $1.00.

We ended the evening with a visit to Johnny Rockets. We were so hungry. For some reason, we can never seem to break up our day with eating. So by the end of the day, we are starving. We wanted to eat at Creepy Kooky Castle Café but they were closed at about 9:00. I am glad they were too because we had a wonderful time at Johnny Rockets. They gave us an extra malt for free. We had a couple of Burgers and one order of fries to split. The waiter brought out a little paper tray with some delicious Ranch dressing in it and suggested we try the fries with Ranch dressing. YUM, YUM, YUM. Even the dressing tasted like it was the best Ranch dressing ever. Then our waiter went in the back and the music stopped (they have those coin music boxes from the “old days” that used to sit on the tables) and Aretha Franklin’s RESPECT came on and all the employees started dancing and singing in unison. At the prompting of the wait staff, the people in the restaurant including us were clapping to the beat with our hands in the air. It was almost closing so it was a small crowd and it was really goofy and fun.

I can’t tell you how great it is to be able to spend the night there Sunday night. Most people are gone and not having to drive 3 hours home after a very long day was the best.

Monday, 10/10 – Time to go.

There were only a few campers and RVs left in the park Monday morning (most left Sunday before noon). I had brought some charcoal and some hamburgers and smoked sausage to cook but we never made it back to the campground with enough energy to actually cook them. So knowing that I wouldn’t feel like cooking when we got home Monday, I started the grill before we left on Monday morning and cooked them then. We were packed up by 11:30 am and were the second to last to leave. That is the worst part of going to Cedar Point---leaving. I hate that part. We have more reservations for the last weekend of the month that we may keep or may not. Depends on husband’s job. But at least there is the last little bit we may be able to salvage out of the 2005 season.

*** Edited 10/11/2005 5:34:33 PM UTC by MHW***

He loved so much he was speachless

MHW: Well said, my friend... well said.

Apparently not... maybe try copyNpaste into a text doc, then into here...

Stop telling about Sunday's being the best!

I do that enough already to make them busy.

:)MrScott