Sandcastle Suites Land

Given that it was essentially a family business I doubt any the top levels of management are still there and the creative guy behind all is certainly out if not in jail.

I believe the problem with expanding the water park that direction is the cabins are separating the two spaces. If I had to guess, it would be something similar to the go-karts/mini golf concept they used to have. Or some sort of expansion for Lighthouse Point, like even bigger cabins/more deluxe RV spaces

I think the land is way to far from the park to be used for a coaster. Unless they take out Magnum which I don't really want to ever see. They could be saving the land for when they have to take out the wave pool. They could possibly build another there and put something different in the spot of the wave pool. I don't see there being any financial benefit from expanding the waterpark, because it has a very short operating season compared to other waterparks. The gold pass kind of stole the gate from the waterpark. The season pass they had before was only the dry park and included parking.

Those cabins could possibly be moved. They're just sitting on blocks. Under code they are not permanent structures like houses built of foundations. They could easily be moved. Jack them up and put a trailer underneath them the same way they came in. But a waterpark expansion isn't going to affect their profit margin. So I don't see those being moved back there.

I think the land is being saved for future RV sites. More premium ones. They just wanted a feel for what they did a few years ago. Didn't want to go all in if they could double down a few years later. I have a 32 foot trailer I take up there for 2 nights twice a year. You have to book your stay well in advance to have one available. Think they are doing this in stages so that they don't water it down and have vacancies. There are lots of people who'd rather stay in their RV or camper, eat their own food, sleep in their bed, as apposed to those who want to stay in a hotel. Hotwire has good last minute deals for Breakers rooms even during their peak days. $170 a night plus tax/fees. The premium sites go for that and are sold out.

I got about 12 grand in my camper. It's not that old and I'll keep it for another 7 years. I sleep in it about 30 nights a year. It's in storage for 4 months. Now when I go to Lighthouse Point I see a lot of campers in 40-80 thousand dollar campers. I would imagine the low cost of adding campsites probably payed for itself in less than a season. I would expect they'd be doing it again soon.

If they felt a water park expansion was a justifiable expense, it stands to reason they would have done so during the recent renovation. But if the need arises in the future, it would seem easier, as mentioned above, to move the cabins and expand there, rather than figure out how to build out the water park underneath/around Magnum on the beach side.

Last year the Sandcastle site was being used as overflow parking for the waterpark. Despite the long walk, we had to park back there a handful of nice weather days when the Shores lot was full. Even utilizing the former Sandcastle parking lot isn't enough to keep up with the waterpark parking demand though. We've seen lots of people parking in the sand around the lagoon near Magnum's turnaround (sometimes getting stuck) because the parking availability is so inadequate. I'm sure that situation is only going to be worse now that gold passes have access to Cedar Point Shores.

I'd love nothing more than seeing a large portion of that Sandcastle area turned into additional paved parking. Even better if they relocate that loop of cabins closest to the wave pool to free up space for parking AND a waterpark expansion.

Seeing that I was about to be directed to the overflow lot for Cedar Point Shores would be enough to make me forget about Cedar Point Shores right then and there.

That's interesting to hear, though. We don't frequent the water-park too much, and was not aware it got that busy, or that Sandcastle's lot was being used in that manner.

On my last visit to CP I drove back there out of curiosity, and saw signs and make-shift poles and ropes. It was sandy and awful. I said “hell no”.

Kevin, if you see the CPS lot more than 3/4 full, just head straight for the beach.

They could add an additional gate to Shores between Magnum's turnaround and the backside of the wave pool where the maintenance road is now. That would eliminate the long walk around to the front from the overflow parking lot.

Perhaps use the Sandcastle lot for parking and then extend a path under Gemini and into the current Shores parking lot and expand CP into the lot.

That's a long shot, but I think it would be cool.

The location of that piece of land doesnt fit any kind of a park expansion. The only thing I realistically see in the future is some kind of a new resort or Lighthouse Point expansion.

One of Pete's (R.I.P.) ideas that I always loved for that piece of property is a resort themed to (wait for it...) a lighthouse, expanding Lighthouse Point and opening the north beach for public use.

Upon further review of the land, I would agree that a waterpark expansion into that area seems really unlikely.

But in every lighthouse movie weird paranormal creatures lurk, people die or go missing, children turn into zombies. Nothing good ever happens at lighthouses.

hmmm. Sounds perfect for a Gold Passholder exclusive haunt. Problem solved. 👻

If only I had a nickel for every Lighthouse movie I've seen.....

... I'd have a dozen nickels!

Is it possible for a coaster to use some of that land? Start within the park (somewhere) maybe an entrance to the left of Gemini, and for it to turn around in that area in a similar fashion that Magnum does??

Sure, but that would be a poor use of that real estate.

GTFO. There is never any better use of real estate than for a coaster. (Except if it is a yellow thing on the beach)

MrJohnJLewis said:

Is it possible for a coaster to use some of that land?

Possible? Yes. Likely? no.