September 3rd- Unbelieveably Crowded and a TTD Nightmare

This trip report will be rather short, as I did not get on many rides. I have never, never seen the park so crowded. We headed up to the Point on Sunday and arrived at 3pm to meet some friends. We knew it was going to be crowded, but we decided to try a visit anyways. After pulling into the parking lot, we were amazed by what we saw. Cars were to the very back of the lot, and almost all of the spots were filled. I've only seen the parking lot filled one other time a few years ago. The weather was chilly at moments, but generally warm with some sun and clouds. Wind was present, but Skycars and TTD were running.

Demon Drop: This was the first ride of the day with a 15 minute wait. After this rather short wait I thought the park might not be so bad, but looking back I can laugh at thinking that. Nice ride as usual. I think this ride is a completely differant experience than Power Tower, as this truly is a freefall. I really don't care if it gets sold however. Its a nice ride that I will continue to ride, but CP's entrance area could use a bit of an expansion with maybe another fountain and bench area so I would look forward to an entrance improvement.

Top Thrill Dragster: This was our second ride of the day, and this was where the nightmare began. Let me preface this by saying I'm not usually a complainer when it comes to CP. I try to defend them at every corner, but this truly was a horrible experience. I'm tempted to never enter TTD's line again.

The sign at the entrance said 2.5 hours, but looking into the line I could see that only 3 switchbacks were being used. Usually when I ride only 2 switchbacks are being used, and that line takes about 55 minutes. I thought the sign must be off, as I don't know how one more switchback could add 1.5 hours. Two years ago I even went on when nearly all the switchbacks were in use, but the line was still under 1.5 hours. I figured this line should take about 1.5 hours.

After entering the line I could tell something was off. Dispatch times were horrible. Sometimes over 3-4 minutes between launches. What was going on? This felt like waiting for Deja Vu at Six Flags Over Georgia. The line was moving slowly but at least it was moving. Finally we got to the end of the 3rd switchback, and we were on target for getting on close to an hour and a half. Just before the ramp, the technical difficulties spiel is given and moans come from the crowd. Not too many people left which was surprising- even those at the beginning of the line.

I've been in line this year with breakdowns, but they are usually no more than 10-15 minutes. This one ended up being an hour. I probably would've exited the line after 20 minutes, but our friends had never been on it before so we stuck around. After the hour they finally launched a test train, but it came nowhere near clearing the top. Most of the train was still on the vertical section. 5 minutes later they launched another, same result. Everyone thought it would be quite a while, but almost immediately after the 2nd launch they opened the gates and boarded the train! This was a pleasant surprise after 2 hours 15 minutes of waiting. I'm curious to know how 2 trains not even coming close to going over is a sign that the ride is in perfect working order? Maybe someone here has a bit more info on this.

Finally we get on the ramp and get into the station. We got in line for the second and third cars. Again, the dispatch times were absolutely horrible and now I could see why. At the exit, there were tons of people waiting to board, and more kept coming. Usually all I see here are riders with disabilities, but all these people seemed to be perfectly fine (no wheel chairs in sight). I'm asuming these people paid for the V.I.P program, but I've never seen anyone using it before. Anyways, the two trains in the station would be boarded a bit slower than normal but they weren't the problem. There was one single attendant loading the two trains at unload with the guests at the exit. He had to fill out some form that the people had, and then would board them one group at a time. Unbelieveable! Then the trains would come into the station, sometimes almost full with these V.I.P people. No one was hurrying on the platform, and things were moving slower than I've ever seen.

The line for the front car must have been close to an hour because most of the trains had the front car filled, along with many other rows. What CP should have done, was closed off a row or two in the station, and just used those rows for V.I.P people. That way guests who had been waiting over 2.5 hours wouldn't have to play a guessing game of which row V.I.P guests were less likely to choose. Since this day was already so crowded, I'm quite disappointed with CP for letting all of these people use the V.I.P program (if that is what these people were using). Everything was also completely unorganized. TTD operations were really absurd today.

Things were also complicated by guests who somehow had large bags in line, and then when told after boarding that they couldn't ride with them created a scene. Guests in line were also yelling at the attendants telling them that they could hold the bag until the people with the bags got off, and then could throw it over the side of the station to them. Attendants finally gave in, in disgust. It truly was a TTD nightmare. I will probably be sending CP a letter about this. This was horrible for Six Flags, much less for a CF park.

Nice ride on TTD, but it was a bit more rough than normal. Felt like the train needed some rehab. Waiting in long lines makes some rides better to me, but waiting long for TTD just showed me how incredoubly short it was.

Gemini: Gemini was next. Sign said 45 minutes, but things had started to empty out so line was just under 30. Nice ride as usual, but they seemed to be having numerous problems today. Each side kept breaking down, and then at one point a red train stopped on the lift, an attendant went out to talk to the person in the back car (ran out actually) then ran back in and the ride started. I thought that was odd.

The time was now 8:00pm and we went to Famous Dave's for an excellant meal. We returned to the park at 9:15. We wanted to do MF, but the line was 2 hours so we decided to skip it. Instead we went back into Frontier Town.

Thunder Canyon: No wait, excellent ride as usual. I got very wet and was a bit cold, but this is one of the better and longer raft rides out there so I like it. They didn't turn off any waterfalls which was cool at night. The ride was pitch black which was great. I then did this another time after my two laps on Snake River Falls and got just as wet.

Snake River Falls: No wait, another great ride. This is an awesome ride at night with the lighting going up the lift, and then the lighting in the water as well as at the top turn around. Rode in front one time, then rode in back another time. Got drenched as usual, even more than I remember.

Skyhawk: We left the exit of Thunder Canyon at 10pm, and ran over to Skyhawk. I knew they close lines promptly and didn't think we would get on, but the line was still open at 10:02! Nice surprise. I was even more surprised, when people kept coming into the line at 10:10. Attendants were very nice on this ride, because even after closing the line at 10:10, they still let a few more people in as they came up. Very good CP! The lighting on this is great, and I liked the ride even better at night. The more I ride this, the more I like it. I'd say its even better than maXair. This is an excellant ride, I was a bit cold being so wet, but it was an excellant ride.

That concludes my trip to the Point. Didn't get on much except for in the end. I will never return to the park Labor Day weekend. It was more crowded than I have ever seen. MF had a 2 hour line, TTD had a 2.5 hour line, Magnum had a 1 hour line, Corkscrew had a 45 minute line, and Gemini had a 45 minute line. Flats were also packed as well. I didn't get to see the wait times for all of the rides, but I'm sure they were extreme. Nice trip except for the TTD nightmare! Thanks for reading. If anyone else has wait times for other rides on Sunday, I would love to hear them!

Top Thrill 182 said:

Skyhawk: We left the exit of Thunder Canyon at 10pm, and ran over to Skyhawk. I knew they close lines promptly and didn't think we would get on, but the line was still open at 10:02! Nice surprise. I was even more surprised, when people kept coming into the line at 10:10. Attendants were very nice on this ride, because even after closing the line at 10:10, they still let a few more people in as they came up. Very good CP!

I believe the official closing of the rides for the night is 10 minutes after the park closes. So in your case, the lines were right closing at 10:10. Too Bad about TTD though.

Nice trip report. Sorry about how bad it was. My only problem is what the heck is a switchback?

Top Thrill 182 said:

Waiting in long lines makes some rides better to me, but waiting long for TTD just showed me how incredoubly short it was.

It get the exact opposite feeling every time I wait over a hour for TTD.

JackLovesTTD said:
Nice trip report. Sorry about how bad it was. My only problem is what the heck is a switchback?

When the queue line turns 180 degrees.

Sorry, I meant to say 3 switchback sections or a block of switchbacks. Gomez, usually I feel the same way. An hour wait on Dragster does make it better than a half hour wait for me, but something about the 2.5 hour wait made the ride seem much more short. It was still great and it was more fun than normal, just shorter.

RacefortheSky1234, I think the lines are supposed to close at 10pm, because all of the other rides with long lines were announcing "If you get in line before 10pm you will get to ride, but all the rides close the lines promptly at 10pm". I think Skyhawk's line stayed open due to the kindness of the ops that night. *** Edited 9/4/2006 8:51:28 PM UTC by Top Thrill 182***

ohhh yuck.. i've had a trip like that, no fun.

I hope the VIP isnt doing that to the rides, if it is, just goes to show, if you have the money you can be treated better then someone else.

Actually, its not even the money, I could come up with the money to do it, but I honestly would feel like crap to walk up in front of people who have been waiting two and a half hours. I think i could do it on a slow day.

not sure, social delima!

Greg

Sorry to hear about the trip. At least you got some great rides on the Thunder and Snake.

Yes, that was definately the highlight of the trip. Thunder Canyon and Snake River Falls are two great rides in my book. Thunder Canyon seems much longer than some of the other raft rides out there, and has better water falls and themeing in my opinion.

While TTD was still fun, it felt much more rough (as in the train rattling around) than it did before. The last time I rode it was in late July, and it felt smooth then, but now it seems much more rough. Perhaps once the daily operation ends the trains can get a little more attention. *** Edited 9/4/2006 10:53:38 PM UTC by Top Thrill 182***

Last week I noticed the 3 Intamins were riding a bit on the bumpy side. Millennium was really bumpy (for Millennium) all 3 times I rode. Wicked Twister's launch and ride was bumpy too. Dragster's launch was normal but the way up kinda shook me up.

I have to agree with you totally ttd 182 Sept. 3 was so crowded and it became larger even late in the day. We went to the park on Saturday and it was a windy wet experience, but rode quite a bit other than dragster being down. On the 3rd we entered the park at opening time and the line for dragster was at the Dragster miday entrance where corkscrew is above you. It was 10:03 Am and we boarded the front seat at 12:55 PM. Things were moving okay but it seems the problems must have worstened as the day got longer. I was amazed at the Raptor Que, Completey full a good hour and a half, ive never seen Raptor that full. That will be my last Labor Day weekend trip there for sure.
*** Edited 9/5/2006 1:05:50 AM UTC by r1undertaker***

Five hours is a very long time to wait.

I've waited 5 hours for TTD...4 of them were spent convincing my g/f to ride it.

Four hours was the longest I ever waited... and that was for my first ride.

3.5 hours is the longest I've ever waited for it, and I wouldn't ever do that again.

Dont waste your ink sending a letter,i was verbally assaulted by a ride op on MF the year before last and the supervisor there did nothing, a letter to kinzel got a cut and paste letter about the beginning of the season,people are new,blah blah.The reason I havent been back since unfortunately from a 15 year season pass holder.It was our first ride of the day and we left after the incident.CP could care less about people having problems there,I would have expected at least a couple of free tickets but nothing,with 3 million people visiting,a couple hundred unhappy is no biggie to them.

Two hours is my cut off as far as wait times go. I tend to be at the park when there are light crowds or my luck (massive rain storms) so there aren't many lines over 20 minutes.

I've never waited more than an hour for TTD (early entrance, non-busy days, etc.) and I've only waited over 2 for MF once. I hate waiting in line, and now refuse to go on days I know will be busy.

That said, I figured Friday wouldn't be busy with Ohio schools in session, people working, and just before the holiday weekend, and it payed off. Friday wasn't much busier than a weekday in May. MF was about 30 minutes, I think that was the longest wait of the day. TTD was down though, don't know if it was technical or because of the high wind. The only other ride down for wind was the Sky Ride.

I wouldn't have guessed Sunday would be so busy though. Busier than Friday sure, but Saturdays are usually the day that sucks the most.

I still can't believe I waited over 3 hours for Mean Streak when it opened. Subseqent years and since, I've only seen it as a walk-on.

*** Edited 9/5/2006 2:43:45 AM UTC by Jeremy Sell***

Top Thrill 182, I feel bad for you. I was at the park on Saturday and Sunday, my first trip ever to Cedar Point, and had a BLAST! On Saturday in the horrible winds and such, my friend and I decided to wait 2 and a half hours for Top Thrill Dragster along with around 12 other people, one of whom I feel bad for since he's been to Cedar Point once a year the past 3 years and Dragster's been down every time he's been there. At least we got a free ride on Millennium Force though since Dragster was down, but we weren't allowed to take the front row - I think that this should also apply to the V.I.P. people as well.

Sunday, I waited 3 and a half hours for Dragster in the afternoon seeing as my friend and I had done almost everything else we wanted to, so we stuck it out. I still don't understand the long times between launches, that needs to be fixed. Yes, I know that they changed their workers like 2 weeks ago and some people had just started working on Dragster on Saturday, but still, they could have just tried harder instead of saying, "Okay folks, we're just raising your anticipation right now!"

Anyway, I finally got to the front of the line for the front row to be greeted by an older couple already sitting in the front row. In disgust, I turned to the ride op to ask them why they were allowed to skip the line AND get the front row, but got no response - well, from who I wanted one from. Instead, the woman responded, "Well, we've been waiting for 3 hours" trying to make me think that she actually waited, when I knew that she skipped the line. I quickly responded, "Well, I've been waiting for 5", to be responded quickly with, "Well, I've been waiting for 3" again! I then was so fed up that I started smart-talking this woman and sharply responded with, "5 is a larger number than 3, take these people out of the front row!" I was ticked off, but I just sucked it up and waited for the next train which I finally got on after another 10 minutes or so.

Everything got made up for this crappy experience though with our rides at night. Dragster was down from around 7:00-10:20 at which time the ride re-opened finally and my friend and I were second in line and a few people were already in the station. We had around a 2-3 minute wait for the front row and had an AMAZING ride, smooth as butter, nice wind at the top, great ride, and everyone left was so psyched to get on Dragster that I felt like I knew everyone there. We got off, ran around to the line again, and got on the back row in one of the last rides of the night after about a 15 minute wait. Overall, I thought Dragster was running well though considering the number of people at the park, the fact the ride ops were new, and the horrible weather as well as breakdowns.

Sounds like last year, i stayed at Breakers this same weekend and never seen the place so crowded.