Passholder Preview Night

Another great event. Steel Vengeance was running 2 trains all night, with solid dispatches. Any gremlins from the previous night looked gone. We got there late with an 8:30 ticket, and were on in less than 15 minutes. I don't think I could ever get tired of the Symphony of elements that are perfectly put together in this Beast.

Food lines looked long, but most were under 5 minutes since it was grab and go. Smoked meats are great this year (I heard they now have a smoker ) and the pizza crust was not cardboard as in years past. I think loaded sidewinder fries might become a signature item at Cedar Point, quite good!

Every employee we interacted with was extremely helpful and friendly, with most going out of their way to be interactive and welcoming. I.E on exit instead of just the regular "Bye, have a good night" , the girl asked us how our night was, and was quite happy to hear it was good. This little extra makes a great last impression.

While Maverick was down most of the night, they did get it running after 9. Any other park would have thrown in the towel for a free event.

Most of all it was INCREDIBLY well planned event. From the ticket system for SV to the food setup, I can't think of any way they could have possibly made it better.

We were there last night as well. I asked about funpix when we got off SV, they just had to scan my season pass and get the email the account is linked too. The staff were so helpful. We were able to get the pic from SV and video and one from Maverick before it went down.

Just have to say what everyone else has been saying, a big thank you to CP for putting on this event. This was the first we've ever attended and we were really impressed and thankful to the folks that put a lot of hard work into it.

And as if anyone didn't already know, yes, the 6 hour drive was worth every mile to ride this! I've never experienced something so terrifying and fun at the same time, this coaster is insane. We cannot wait to come back and ride it again.

Random ramblings & observations from Tuesday evening; Arrived at 4:20pm, just a few people ahead at Security checkpoint. There was a mulch fire to the right of checkipoint, 4 officers dousing it. The guard in my line was doing a very thorough job of examining items in the basket, he picked up a key fob and fiddled with it before letting it pass. Waliking in I noticed a group of about 15 climbing the stairs of the lift-hill of Raptor, must have been some sort of training. I saw Corkscrew, MF, Iron Dragon, Gemini, Matterhorn being operated.

Maverick Launch mentioned the height of the swing on Skyhawk, I totally agree. It felt as though it might go completely around, awesome.

It was neat to see some of the ride hosts that look familiar from past years, some of them wearing different color shirts that perhaps mean they were promoted, congrats!

Town Hall staffer recommended the pizza next door, it was delicious. Chicken strips were terrible.

Wave Swinger is a totally under appreciated ride, it is actually quite fun. How come I enjoy looking up at the underside of it's canopy?

Water levels in 2 areas were very low, under Mine Ride and at Maverick cannon area. They probably have some valves they open to allow water in when they are ready to.

No review of Steel Vengeance, except 10 stars and thanks to CP for the event.

Because you can no longer look up under Schwabinchen’s canopy?

Brisket fries are the star of the show, but the pizza was *really* good. I was surprised. I also fell in love with the smoked chicken wings from Miss Keats. That will help me maintain my keto diet throughout the summer (I finally jumped back on after taking a month long break and putting on 5 lbs)

Some people were iffy about the sliders. They looked a little... sad, maybe? I mean, amusement park burgers are always kind of just bland looking, but they were really pretty tasty, too. I had the Chess burger with the jalapeños, and it was just the right amount of spicy. I'll probably be doing one of those, sans bun, at some point this year. It ALMOST makes me want to add the meal plan to at least one of our passes - we aren't always able to eat a full meal with giant portions, so us splitting and picking at stuff makes sense.

I had an interesting thought the other night. With all this new BBQ in frontier town, and with the new parking setup at the marina, I can see people skipping on Famous Dave's and staying in the park for food - I mean, that smoker smells AMAZING.

Its tough to stay keto at CP especially on the meal plan but I am learning. You can ask to skip the bun or the fries but that often does not compute and grinds up the well oiled gears in the food prep machinery. But taking them back to the table to feed the gulls doesn’t work either so I often resort to dumping in the trash before I sit down. A sausage at Pinks seems to be at least a full meal just wish I could get my boys to eat there as well. Pinks-on-a-stick would be awesome.

Anyone know what wood they are using to smoke? KI was using hickory at Island Smokehouse last season. Mesquite is my preference but many find it rather strong so I understand using something more neutral.

jimmyburke said:

The guard in my line was doing a very thorough job of examining items in the basket, he picked up a key fob and fiddled with it before letting it pass.

That guard was very thorough. I forgot to take off my Fitbit and he made me take it out, examined it, side-eyed it, and acted like he was going to confiscate it. Totally my fault for forgetting to remove it before going through the metal detector and I get the whole "in the name of safety" but that line is going to take forever if he continues to act like everything is a weapon and is that thorough.

Otherwise, what a fantastic evening. Cedar Point really outdid themselves.

The smoked wings were good, but I wish they'd been seasoned a little or came with a side of BBQ sauce (maybe that'll be an option when you buy them?). The BBQ bacon slider I had was decent. The bacon brownie shake was disappointing -- I expected little bits of brownie in there, and crunchier, saltier bacon. The taste of the bacon pretty much got lost in the ice cream.

I referenced this in my other post, but it bears repeating that these food options will make me spend more money in the park. I don't even know what the prices will be for these items, but it doesn't really matter because they taste good. We all expect to pay higher prices from being a captive audience (as Kinzel ineptly pointed out), but you feel less bad about it when you can actually enjoy it. My days of getting a corndog and a free Dixie cup of water and calling it lunch are likely over.

I really liked the brisket sandwiches at the new restaurant in CPS, last summer. Was bummed that they didn't offer any in the park with the meal plan. Really happy they are offering so many new tasty sounding items in the park. Hopefully many of them will be available with the all season dining plan I bought.

Regarding all the friendly employees, I totally agree. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful, as I have always found them to be at these types of events over the last 10 years or so. I only wish that behavior translated into the regular season. Unless there's been a dramatic emphasis on this in training, I doubt that culture shift is permanent. Which is unfortunate, because it really adds to the guest experience.

Unfortunately, you have to keep in mind that the summer can be very grueling. It's definitely not an excuse for mistreating guests, but I can see and understand why the friendliness of employees declines throughout the season. I don't think any amount of training will correct that.

e x i t english said:

I can see people skipping on Famous Dave's and staying in the park for food - I mean, that smoker smells AMAZING.

Also noticed the stand near the Maverick/SRF bridge is no longer Famous Dave's.

cpki310 said:

e x i t english said:

I can see people skipping on Famous Dave's and staying in the park for food - I mean, that smoker smells AMAZING.

Also noticed the stand near the Maverick/SRF bridge is no longer Famous Dave's.

I believe this will be frontier foldovers, as described in the list of new stuff from WCO. Maybe its not up and running yet so they didn't have any samples.

WaterDummy said:

Unfortunately, you have to keep in mind that the summer can be very grueling. It's definitely not an excuse for mistreating guests, but I can see and understand why the friendliness of employees declines throughout the season. I don't think any amount of training will correct that.

Yeah, everybody has their bad days especially after lots of work. I don't know what the training entails, although I guess I'll see in about a week because I'm working this summer and process in a few days after opening weekend.

Enjoy it! It's definitely one of my favorite things that I've done in my life. The memories I have and the people that I met that are still in my life are immeasurable.

How good is the quality of the video they take on Steel Vengeance?

Outside of food service I have never had a problem with the friendliness of employees. Once at unload on TTD had to deal with one that did not know some protocols and that caused some problems but a supervisor was able to correct the situation.

I guess I would just echo what most everyone else has said about the experience. We went Monday after work. Arrived about 5:30 and got passes for the 7:30-9:00 window. My daughter and I went to Miss Keats - she got the chicken and I got the bbq brisket. She was not tremendously enthusiastic about the chicken - but I think she was expecting something more like what she gets at Mama B's pizza. It looked pretty goo to me. I thought the brisket was fabulous. My wife went to Round Up for the Blackjack smokehouse burger and said it was good.

I also agree with the folks praising the food service staff for their enthusiasm and courtesy. Say what you will, but that does make a real difference on overall park enjoyability.

We rode Maverick and daughter rode Wave Swinger while I got a smokehouse pizza. We then rode the Antique Cars.

Then we got in line at 7:30 for Steel Vengenace and finally got our turn right about 10:00. I am jealous of those of you lucky enough to have 15-20 minute waits, but at the same time - the longer wait maybe made me appreciate it even more. We waited through 2 or 3 long delays with no trains running and there were several people who got pissed off and left. Someone said to their line mates "They'll give us our boarding passes back and let us come back to ride it tomorrow." I wonder how THAT worked out for them!

Daughter wanted to abandon the line and go ride Maverick again, but I wouldn't let her. (She thanked me for it at 10:05).

In the end, we did not eat as much as we wanted (not to be gluttons - just wanting to try the different items they made available) and we did not ride as much as we wanted (you just gotta take what you can get when you draw the short straw of a 2½ hour line). But it was absolutely worth it, and for us - still the most enjoyable preview event we have been to.

Really late to get this mini-Trip Report out there from yesterday (college finals continue), but I finally have a chance to talk about how awesome this event was.

Got there right at 4 after a four-hour drive (dumb backup on the OH-2). As I would soon find out, it was worth it. I noticed the new Boardwalk sign, as well as the fact that the Dinosaur near the front entrance is gone. I think this all but confirms the removal of Dinosaurs Alive after this year.

One security and pass later, I glanced at Point Plaza. It was still under construction, but was looking really nice. I think the park is finally getting a signature gift shop and it's great. Did my "fastwalk" down Frontier Trail and hopped right in line on one of the first trains of the day on Maverick. Running a little sluggish, but it was warming up, so it's cool. New tunnel effects were nice. Got my first full-stop on the launch. Only lasted about 15 seconds, though. Launch doesn't feel different in speed.

I noticed the Fast Lane Plus wristband scanners on Maverick and SV only. Sounds good in theory, but what's to stop one person in a party from scanning their wristband, having the gate open, and all 4 (3 without FLP) walk in? Unless manual scanning occurs at the station, this could pose a problem. Still, it's better than waiting for a ride op to scan you in, or feeling like you wasted your money at CW when half the time no one even looks or scans your wristband. Oh well.

One lap on Skyhawk (the arc does feel a little larger) and I was in line for SV. I really appreciated how the lockers were free during the event, as it was my first RMC, and I wanted to have nothing in my pockets so I could experience the airtime in the most comfortable way. After a 30-minute wait in the 4:30-6 block, I was picked for Row 4 (one day, the back, one day) and strapped in.

I can't say anything better about the ride than what everyone has already said. Best ride at Cedar Point, and my #1 of 116 coasters. As I was driving home, my nitpicky self tried to desperately think of a way to improve the ride experience, but I honestly couldn't. Everything is perfectly paced, perfectly intense, and perfectly smooth. No thigh crushing or discomfort at all, though I did get my first airtime headache, which only proves how crazy fun this thing is. I think it'll be a LONG time before a new #1 is crowned.

SV really took it out of me, so the food was next. Luckily, lines were still pretty short. Smokehouse Burger slider was actually pretty good. BBQ Brisket and Macaroni was the best meal, and seeing that they kept the old CP memorabilia on the walls of Miss Keat's Smokehouse was really nice. Loaded Sidewinder Fries were good; I'm not the biggest fan of sidewinder fries, but at least I don't have to drive 13 hours to CW to get them now. Pizza was surprisingly good with its...honey BBQ glaze? Not sure what it was, but the sweet and salty blended nicely. Chicken tenders were bleh. Same with the bacon brownie shake. I hate bacon shakes in the first place, but there wasn't even any brownie bits to counter the bacon's taste. Still, the ice cream itself is good, and probably worth a cone or even a tub at Toft's later in the year.

After riding some miscellaneous rides, I was planning on marathoning Maverick for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, it was down for quite a while, so I gave up and drove home. It was a disappointment, especially since I have no plans to go near Frontiertown (aside from SV) for the first few weeks of the season, but I'll live. No entitlement here.

Overall, this was a really awesome event. Beautiful weather, really friendly employees, and a kick-butt first ride on SV. I really thank CP for holding this for passholders, and I really hope that this quality experience will continue in future years for whatever they decide to build next.

Now...Opening Day. All aboard the 5-hour SV wait hype train.

LightDark18 said:

I noticed the Fast Lane Plus wristband scanners on Maverick and SV only. Sounds good in theory, but what's to stop one person in a party from scanning their wristband, having the gate open, and all 4 (3 without FLP) walk in? Unless manual scanning occurs at the station, this could pose a problem. Still, it's better than waiting for a ride op to scan you in, or feeling like you wasted your money at CW when half the time no one even looks or scans your wristband. Oh well.

Don't even need someone to scan it, I saw people cross over the gate on Monday. Considering they had the FL stairs used for the normal entrance though, I'm sure that isn't the normal setup.To be truly seen this weekend I guess how that works out.