Suggestions for packing lunches and getting your own cold drinks

Anyone have any ideas? We got a season pass this year and it will just be to expensive to buy their food all the time. I hoping someone has some ideas for easy access to your vehicle or a picnic area.

Sandwiches, coolers, etc. You still have to walk to your car, wherever it may be parked. It's obviously more convenient to buy food and drinks in the park.

and if you are thirsty but don't want to go out to the car... you can go to any stand that has a soda fountain and ask for a cup of water... Its FREE!! very convinent at times!!! *** Edited 5/28/2006 4:30:47 AM UTC by Lakeland05***

I'm king of bringing of coolers and drinks to the park.

We park in the Soak City lot as it is easier to get in and out of the park that way.

We pack our cooler full of those freezer packets, no ice, as the ice melts and unless your sandwich is triple wrapped it's gonna get wet and soggy. Keep in mind Cedar Points parking lots are the blackest of black top, making the whole lot one giant oven. Fresh fruit seems to hold up the best in the cooler throughout the day.

We usually fill old 20oz bottles full of sugar free kool-aid and freeze one or two of the 6 we bring to keep it extra cold for the long ride home at night.

It's not nearly as inconvenient as everyone makes it out to be, no more inconveniant than say being at the very back of the park and wanting to go ride Raptor. Yeah yeah, call me a cheap ass. But I still buy some things in the park...

Why not just stay at Lighthouse Point? That way you have a grill, fridge and fresh coffee in the morning.

MrScott

MrScott, do you get paid to promote Lighthouse Point?

No, I do not. But I've been going to Cedar Point for 30 years and have found this the best way to go. I want to share that so others can enjoy it, too. I have camped off Point, on Point and stayed in the hotels (off Point & on Point) and found LHP to be the best way to go.

Take my advice and try it. You will agree.

MrScott

Well now that memorial weekend is here the rates all go up at lighthouse point also, so take that into consideration also, thats why i went the beggining of may, a whole lot cheeper for a weeks stay.

It's obviously more convenient to buy food and drinks in the park

Actually, what is the big deal? If you have a decent parking spot, what do you have to do...walk an extra 50 yards? It's all in the mind ;)

If you're parked up in front, and are hungry back by Mean Streak..... That's a couple miles of walking.

Or even if you're up front, and parked back by Magnum.

It's more convenient to just go to a counter service and get some food. :)

Or back to your cabin or cottage...

;)

MrScott

Well for me and my family, we learned many, many years ago to not eat in the park and pack everything we would need for the day. Each year, my entire family re-unites at cedar point... myself, my parents, stepbrothers, their wives children and their spouses parents all go to cedar point in a group of 20+ people. We pack like 6 coolers of food and drop them off at the picknic pavillions on our way into the park... Last year we went to the park on fathers day, not knowing the 'significance' of that day at Cedar Point.... needless to say, my family will not be going back there on father's day ever again, especially not with little children and grandparents.

But I digress... As for the coolers, we pack bottled water, sodas, capri suns, everything we need for sandwiches (bread, mayo, mustard, lettuce, lunchmeat, cheese) and snacks (chips, pretzels). Of course it becomes a massive bake-off each year between my stepmother and my stepbrothers mother-in-law. Last year we had brownies, cake, apple, cherry, sweet potato and pumpkin pie, cookies, and a few other goodies that I cannot remember.

While some have complained about the 'long trip back to their coolers" my family plans ahead for it (what a wild idea!)... if we arrive at 10AM, we will plan to meet back at the coolers around 1:30Pm, eat till 2:15 or so, then head back into the park and come backto the coolers around 6 for dinner, then go back in once more till the park closes. On the way out, we take to coolers back with us....

While it may sound difficult, once you have done it a few times you can get the whole process down to a science and it just becomes part of the cedar point experience.

Of course, this may be easier when you have a home on Catawba Island about 15-20 minutes from Cedar Point, and my stepbrother's mother and father-in law have a home less than 1 minute form us on C.I. It seves as the cooler-packing base-of-operations...

I hope this has been enlightening.... :-)
*** Edited 5/29/2006 1:05:26 AM UTC by Andrew VanAtta***

Sounds like a lot of work to me.

MrScott

Or back to your cabin or cottage...

Mr. Mayor sir,

I just thought id let you know that after a year of your posts, my wife and I are getting our first cottage at LP this year. :)

MrScott said:
Sounds like a lot of work to me.

MrScott

Char was asking for advice, not DIScouragement guys!;) Is it more convenient to buy park food? Of course. Is it convenient enough to NOT pickanick it if you're on a tight budget? No. I don't know the particulars of picnic area rules for Cedar Point. You might need to go to CP.com and see what they say about cans, coolers, and such. It's a shame there are no land islands on CP's parking lot. Six Flags St. Louis has these grassy areas throughout the parking lot that make great picnic spots. When I was a kid and my parents were on a tight budget, we'd picnic lunch just about every trip to Six Flags. We'd take ice chests of frozen Capri Sun pouches, sandwiches, chips and snacks.

I think parking location would be one of your biggest concerns for pickanicking at Cedar Point. I don't know how early in the day they let you drop off your food and supplies at the picnic pavillions at the front of the park. Maybe CP.com would have that information as well. Here's my advice on getting a good parking space, no matter whether you could drop off your food before you enter the park or have to come back to the car to get things when you eat your meals - get there EARLY! I know MrScott likes to plug Lighthouse Point every chance he gets, but I'm going to recommend Breakers Express to you if you want to save a little money AND have easy access to Sandusky to do your grocery shopping. Unless every person in your family has Joe Cool Club and can get in at 9, the only way you can get in early is to stay at a CP resort. Do some research on hotel prices, but for $70something a night for 2 queen beds up to 4 occupants it's a good deal for most families. There used to be a coupon on CP.com for $10 off each night at BE, but I haven't seen it this year. My family and I have never taken picnic lunches to Cedar Point, but getting to the park between 8:30 and 9:00 we have always had a really good parking space. Even if you don't stay at a Cedar Point property, you could still get there early so you can be get in the front gate after 9 and start riding rides at 9:30. Also, in spite of everyone touting the convenience of staying at an on-site property(sorry MrScott), I think BE is in a better location for people who want to do both Cedar Point and see the city of Sandusky (Oh my gosh, you mean there's more to do in Sandusky than Cedar Point? NO WAY!);) and spend less than $100 a night for their hotel. I'd also advise you to be aware of how much you can fit in your coolers/ice chests and buy your perishables accordingly. If you're staying several days only buy what you can eat in one or two. It's easy to get to Sandusky to buy more groceries, and you won't have to worry about getting more ice constantly to keep things like meat and dairy products from spoiling. We always take our own breakfast food on CP trips, and it's annoying emptying the water and refilling ice in just 1 small cooler for milk and juice. I can imagine how big a headache YOU might have with more foodstuffs than that.

I hope this helps you a little.

Kevinj,

Enjoy your stay. I know you will. :)

MrScott

Last year we went to the park on fathers day, not knowing the 'significance' of that day at Cedar Point.... needless to say, my family will not be going back there on father's day ever again, especially not with little children and grandparents.

What does this mean?

p.s. Thanks Mayor

Fathers Day is typically an unofficial 'Gay Day' at Cedar Point.

Kevinj,

When are you going? As Mayor, I have to return every so often and will be back in mid-June.

I can't wait.

MrScott

God forbid children and grandchildren are exposed to homosexuals. Hope he shelters them from black people as well.

MrScott...we are planning a late-August (last week in August) visit to LP. The lighthouse is beckoning us.
*** Edited 5/29/2006 2:28:19 PM UTC by Kevinj***
*** Edited 5/29/2006 2:30:23 PM UTC by Kevinj***