Remember when?

Just thinking about my upcoming trip this weekend and doing a little reminiscing about past trips. One memory that continues to stick with me is the entrance to the park from the Hotel Breakers.

Instead of going out to the beach and entering near WT, you left the end of the hotel closest to the park. There were tennis courts on your left, a couple pavilions (where the corporate functions are now held), then the park entrance with the Swiss Chalet to your right.

What non-event memory sticks with you from days gone by?

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Duane Cahill

I opened up a container of yogurt, and under the lid it said "Please Try Again" because they were having a contest I was unaware of. But I thought I might have opened the yogurt wrong. Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me. "C'mon Duane, don't give up. Please try again. A message of inspiration from your friends at Yoplait -- fruit on the bottom, hope on the top."

I remember thinking the Pirate Ride pirates were going to drop a cannon ball on my head!!! And the Earthquake Ride's buildings were really going to squish me!!! And the Upside Down Fun House scared the bajeebers outta me...I didnt' like the exit slides for some odd reason!!!

Oh how I wish they'd bring these back!!!

I also remember promising my daughter I would take her to putt-putt inside the park (Now snoopy playground)...she was so sad we were not going to putt putt!!! Then I could never take her there again.....they got rid of it and put it outside the park....it's not the same anymore. (The big slide was cool too....burlap is kinda itchy, but always smelled neat...hehehe)

Also... Fascination ::really, really, really sad now...almost crying:: I miss that game the most out of anything!!!! Let's quit talking about this now.....::wiping tears::

As an employee, I remember when there was a great rec center in the location where the Breakers East parking lot now exists. I think at one time it was called "The Circus" but it had become known as the rec.

They served great pizzas and shakes!

Gosh...don't get me started...

My first memory of CP was when I was 12. The only coaster was Blue Streak (which I would NOT ride). Lots of flat rides (like the rocket ships), plus Earthquake and the Pirate Ride. I also remember I did NOT want to leave at 5 pm.

Then a boyfriend talked me into Blue Streak a few years later, which hooked me onto coasters. I think we rode BS 30 times that day. I still have the pictures from the photo booth in the arcade from that trip.

The first trip with my (now) husband in 1978 when we stayed at Breakers, rode Gemini for the first time, and he drew a heart with our initials in the sand on the beach (got a picture of that too).

And Mother's Day in 1992 when we took our son to CP for the first time and introduced him to coasters.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

What about the coin operated boats and cars that used to be along the midway. Drop in a few quarters and you controlled the vehicles through arches, tunnels, and other scenery.

There was also the very fun but subdued flume ride The Mill Race. My parents would let me be up front and jokingly tell me not steer into the sides. They would also tell me not to take them up the hill. I used to get scared because I thought I could really steer the boat. The joy af being a young kid. What a fun ride, but another great ride was built in its place

Laura, lol I used to hate those slides too. I would put my feet on the slide to slow me down, so I wouldn't have to go so fast. lol. I am proud to say that I have overcome my fear of exit slides to the from the fun houses. (even though every now and then I still use my feet method. lol.)

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CP is the best!! I will never stop loving it. You gotta, you wanna, you have to hold on Cedar Point HOLD ON!!! :) :) :)

Going back to what Duane was saying, does anyone remember when you had to drive across the midway to get to Hotel Breakers? The part of the midway that is now the marina gate was a road. They had red and white pylons marking the road on the midway. It cut across towards what is now an employee gate next to the building that has the marketing offices. Later, when the present road to the resorts was built, guests could leave the park via what is now the employee gate. CP had an outdoor bar with live entertainment along that path, I forget what it was called though. This is all going back to the early 60's, when I was very young, so I don't remember all the details. But it was cool how laid back everything was compared to today.

Also, I remember the Swiss Chalet before it was the Swiss Chalet. It was just called the Cafeteria, I think. It was a crappy old building that my mom and dad always dragged me to for breakfast when we stayed at the Breakers. We always tried to get there early, because once I saw the Sky Ride start to run through the window, you couldn't find anything to bribe me with to eat breakfast. I just wanted to run outside and go on the rides. BTW, the Sky Ride had round, two passenger cars back in those days.

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It's very hard to drink all day...
Unless you start first thing in the morning.

Laura, I remember the Put-Put in the location of Snoopy's Playground very well. Does anyone remember when the Put-Put course was on the other side of the Coliseum, in a part of Kiddieland (Kiddie Kingdom)? It was in the area that now has the off road trucks. Also, my very first coaster at CP was not a coaster standing today. It was a small steel coaster that ran in Kiddieland, located where the Kraly Kars are now.

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It's very hard to drink all day...
Unless you start first thing in the morning.

I didn't stay at CP until I was on my own (1970's) so I never really paid much attention to the drive to Breakers when I was a kid.

I do remember the round sky ride cars. I also remember the train being robbed.
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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

Pete -

Was it pylons? If my memory serves (and this goes back to my pre-natal days) there were concrete posts marking the road that went across the Midway.

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Duane Cahill

I went to see a band in New York. The lead singer got on the microphone, and he said "How many of you people feel like human beings tonight?" Then he said "How many of you feel like animals?" And everyone cheered after the animals part. But the thing is, I cheered after the human being part because I did not know that there was a second part to the question.

The Upside-Down Funhouse! I miss that a lot. I loved it as a kid. Seeing that old woman rocking in her rocking chair on the celing and seeing the light fixtures protruding upwards from the floor was cool! I loved the the mirrored maze part where you could find your way through if you knew to look up at the celing and then you could follow the path easier. The slide exit was cool when you got to choose which of 3 slides you wanted to try out.

I miss the Pirate ride. The big ship floating right out in front with the explosion in the water splashing upwards while you were waiting in line.

Cedar Point needs to bring back a permanent Dark Ride.

I love sliding down the Sky Slide and the smell of your skin rubbing against the plastic slide as you slid out of your burlap gunny sack.

I also remember very vivdly riding the Frontier Lift Sky Ride and going over all those trees and seeing half of them were infested with those tent worms. Yuck!

Or how cool was the brand new Avalanche Run? A bobsled run wide open on the beach! I hope the car doesn't come off the track!

Seems like I remember there being a Rotor at one time too, unless I'm thinking of something else.

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cyberdman
*** This post was edited by cyberdman 6/12/2002 12:02:34 PM ***

Duane,

It could have been concrete posts, I'm not too clear on that. You are probably right, they wanted something strong to keep the cars on the road and not on the midway.

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It's very hard to drink all day...
Unless you start first thing in the morning.
*** This post was edited by Pete 6/12/2002 12:03:42 PM ***

Cyberdman,

CP had at least two different models of Rotors. The first was along the main midway, with an elaborate facade. I never rode on that one. The second one was a new model that was installed where Schwbinchen is now. I used to ride on that all the time.

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It's very hard to drink all day...
Unless you start first thing in the morning.

Pete's working hard today. ;) When will that signature get changed?

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Jeff
Webmaster/GTTP, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

Let's not forget the Key Ladies at the Hotel. You had to leave your room key at the end of the hall when you exited the Hotel.

So far each and every post has brought back "fond memories" from the past.

My how OUR;) park has grown up.
*** This post was edited by Old Timer Tim 6/12/2002 1:14:43 PM ***

Had to? Well, "supposed to" maybe... We always got a kick out of "forgetting" to leave the key. Thought we were getting away with something by having a hotel key in the park. Of course, we were like 12 years old then...

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Duane Cahill

Every time I go and shave I assume there is somebody else on the planet shaving as well, so I say "I'm gonna go shave - too"

I remember when the Coliseum interior walls were lined with pinball machines and the rest of it was filled with arcade games that collectors would now kill for. Darned video games

I remember making my brother sit in front of me on Jumbo Jet because I was afraid I would fall out with no restraints. Of course I don't know what I planned on doing if he fell out and I was left by myself! LOL. Gemini being the tallest coaster in the world was pretty cool. And how about the 2-hour wait to ride Corkscrew!!

I also remember us going with my Aunt and cousin. She would always have our entire day mapped out for us and God forbid that we would want to go on something twice because we would miss something else and not get the most for our $10 admission. UUGGHH!!!! I hated that!!!

Remember when women couldn't vote, and certain folk weren't allowed on golf courses? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

On the Rotor, they used to allow you to get into all sorts of weird shapes on the walls - sideways, whatever you could manage in the time limit. Then they must have had people falling to the floors because they wouldn't let you do that anymore - the only interesting trick was to bend your knees and bring your feet up high. Just like you try not to get stapled now with roller coasters, on the Rotor the fun was to try to stay a little off the edge so you would get slammed into it when the thing picked up speed.

After the Rotor left CP, I found another one when I was in college, years later, in (what is now) Six Flags New England. I got horribly sick and it ruined my day. Now I don't do spin-n-pukes at all without a heavy dose of Dramamine. That's aging for you.

-- Harley

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CP fan since 68.