Questions from a foreigner

Hi everyone!

I'm a second year student from the University of Nottingham in England. I'm a big coaster fan and visited cedar point with family a few years ago and loved it. My goal is to come and work at CP in either the summer of '10 or '11 (or perhaps both). Firstly, does anyone have any experience of brits coming over to work? If you're a brit and you've been employed by CP in previous seasons, what was the process like? Is it competitive?

Some more general questions:

1) What are my chances of getting a ride op job? This is definitely what I want to do, but I'm guessing everyone else does as well, so I'd probably settle for a different role if pushed. Are there any roles definitely worth avoiding? I don't much want to clean toilets.
2) Where is the best place to live? What are the prices like for accommodation? Will a mid-June entry ensure I am located on site? Is being off-site even a huge inconvenience?
3) Does employment at CP entail free (or discounted) entry into other parks? Since I'm travelling from so far it would make sense to explore some other US parks.
4) Are there plenty of opportunities for employees to ride the coasters? This is a big reason for me wanting to work at CP, you understand!
5) I'm not accustomed to particularly hot weather. Will the heat kill me?

Many thanks in advance,

Simon

p.s. I'm new here and have only browsed the forums a little. My apologies if any of these questions seem stupid or have already been covered to death!

1. Its my first year this year and I got Raptor so you will have no problem getting a ride op job. No garuntees on the ride though.

2. From what I have learned so far the best housing is actually away from the park.

4. On your days off im sure you will have plenty of time to ride the coasters.

To address a few of your questions, I have seen other Brits working at the park in years past, so it's not unheard of. Rides has a high turnover rate, so regardless of when you process in you have a decent chance at getting in.

Housing options vary. The on point housing is $16 a week and is pretty old and crappy. No air conditioning, but you can buy your own window unit if you want. The advantage is that you're in walking distance from work, which is good if you don't have a car. The off point dorms and apartments are nicer (although that's a pretty relative term) and there is bus service to the park, but usually you're better off making friends with someone who can give you a ride. The bus is crowded and usually doesn't run on time.

During the summer there are many ESD (employee service department) trips to other parks and attractions for a pretty reasonable price. Usually there are trips to Kennywood and Kings Island for around $30 including admission. They also do bus trips to New York, Washington DC, and Niagra Falls to name a few.

The weather can get pretty hot, espeically late July and August. Sometimes it's downright miserable. But if you drink plenty of water, you should be ok.

Cheers guys - I really appreciate the insight.

$16 a week sounds shockingly cheap! The ESD trips sound great.

The ESD trips are fun. It's also a nice little perk that you can get into all of the other cedar fair parks for free too.

Are you getting offered a bonus to work this year?

^no bonus