Summer Job

I really want to work at Cedar Point this summer. I think it would be awesome to live and work at one my favorite amusement parks, but I have some questions.

First, how does the hiring process go? You fill out the application online but then what happens? Do they call you and interview you over the phone? How long does the whole thing take until you know you've gotten the job?

Could someone go through a day as a ride host?

Last, is there any way at all to choose what ride you get on? I really want to work the raptor.

Well, when the apps first come out online fill one out. about a month later you will be able to check on the status of the application and then it will say if someone reviewed the application. It will give you a phone number and email address at that point to contact that person but they will most likely be in contact with you first. For rides there are three different areas. Area one- Front of the park til Cad cars. Area 2- dodgems til magnum. Area 3- gemini til the back of the park. When you here from a manager they will set up a time for a phone interview. The interview will inlude a lot of questions. You wont have a choice of ride however, they will ask you if you like to work at a fast pace or a slow pace and if your afraid of heights or not. As far as working Raptor, that is the ride that i worked on this summer. Sometimes the bigger rides are not always the better rides. you also may start out on raptor and then get moved around a lot over the summer. this is in no way a bad thing. many people love to try new rides and personally i found that planet snoopy was my favorite.

A day as a ride host, at Raptor for example, would start off getting to work by 8:25 to get the ride opened by 9 for early entry. from 9-10am the park is fairly dead and the day is easy so far. at 10am all hell breaks loose. Raptor no longer has an entrance position so the crowd position has to check heights and hand out parent swap passes. Crowd is everyones least favorite position. when a parent finds out there child cant ride after waiting in line for an hour and a half they arent very happy and tend to want to hold up the line while cussing and spitting on you. occasionally they do get violent. just remain calm and do what your trained to do. children are not allowed to cross through the train and they must go back down the entrance unfortunately. explaining that is very hard to do and often times leads to very stressful days. things tend to be very busy until about 7 or 8 at night on a regular day. the day will end at about 11 pm on a 10 oclock closing day. then after that you will usually go out to eat or party with your crew and you wont make it to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning.

^ I would never want to put up with those moms who yell at you and say the kids are tall enough to ride.

Thats the worst part of the job.

Thanks for the reply adidas.

I'll just add that it's really the crew, not the ride, that depends on if your summer is awesome or terrible. The work is more or less the same from ride to ride, but the crew will make or break your summer.

He is very correct. You will actually come to almost despise the ride. I started to almost hate working Raptor but the crew was what made me love it so much.

Coming to Cedar Point this year was the BEST decision of my life. I worked Disaster Transport. And yeah you do at some points come to despise the ride but you also love it. DT is like that piece of crap car you have to kick to start but I loved everything about it. Your crew becomes your family. You work a lot. You eat and sleep a lot less but it is soooo worth it. The people you meet change your life. All my life I have had a lot of friends but I never made real true connections with anyone until this year. You go through a lot of pain and heartbreak but also triumphs and fun. It's an amazing experience and worth all the blood (yes, sometimes you bleed), sweat (it get's freaking ridiculously hot) and tears.

Go for it, kid.

First post here...

I will be looking to work next summer as well for the first time. I have never worked at a park before. This is kind of a last chance thing as I am going to graduate school in the fall. I've always wanted to work at a park, and I could easily just stay where I live and work at Carowinds (20 minutes away), but I really want the full experience, so the dorms it is. I am NOT looking forward to returning to dorm life (once you get your own place it's tough to go back!), but I feel like that is probably one of the most important parts of the whole experience.

adidas said:
He is very correct. You will actually come to almost despise the ride. I started to almost hate working Raptor but the crew was what made me love it so much.

OMG how can you say that! The love for my ride is what got me through the summer. It never got old.

^^^Last season was also my first. I worked on several rides but was on Disaster Transport for about 2 months of the season. I had the time of my life working that ride and not so much on others. Your summer is defiantly decided by your crew and not necessarily the ride. And yes you will despise your ride but love it at the same time.

I am also looking at a job for next summer. I got to UNL in Nebraska and we get out at the beginning of may. Is there a certain time that you have to be to the park by?

i didnt process in until the first week of june last year. They take people all throughout the season. they are in constant need of staffing.

When I worked 2 years ago, people were still getting hired to my crew through the end of August. It shouldn't be too much of an issue, especially if you're flexible with where you want to work.

^^^ You should be okay since last year we got new employees through August like Ralph said especially if you can work Halloweekends. Defiantly apply and see what happens.

DaleCooper said:
I could easily just stay where I live and work at Carowinds (20 minutes away), but I really want the full experience, so the dorms it is. I am NOT looking forward to returning to dorm life (once you get your own place it's tough to go back!), but I feel like that is probably one of the most important parts of the whole experience.

I'mgonna put in my two cents for CP housing because I lived on point inthe Golds dorms this past summer and it was a great decision. Before Igot there I was definitely freaking out about the housing thing(reading Pointbuzz, you get some horror stories) but

a) it's totally affordable
b) with a mini fridge and a window AC unit, you've got everything you need.
c) it is so SO SO worth it to not have to commute!!!!!

Livingin Golds and working at Monster/Witches Wheel it took me seven minutesto clock in and walk to the ride. Seven. And Monster is pretty far backthere, treading the line between areas 2 and 3. When I worked TopThrill, it was more like a three minute commute. And when you'reworking an opener the day after a midnight close, you start reeeeallyappreciating those dorms.

Just sayin', don't let the word 'dorm' scare you away. The walking distance alone can be your BEST friend. =)

Plus,you're right about it being part of the experience. You meet way morepeople that way, and the people are really what it's all about, at theend of the summer!

Haha! Chris, you know we missed at DT and wanted you back.

As for housing I came on this site prior to my first season and really lowered my expectations to the dorms since so many people said it sucked. But when my roommate and I moved in, we were really surprised. I really enjoyed living in commons and that's where most of everyone is and at night you can literally just sit outside and make a bunch of new friends by the end of the night. The only drawback to me was the fact that the bathrooms always seemed to be closed for cleaning right when we were getting ready for work.

The only drawback to me was the fact that the bathrooms always seemed to be closed for cleaning right when we were getting ready for work.

hahahaha yes but that didnt stop me. One time is stole their closed sign and had it in my room until I processed out lol. Another time a housing sup came to talk to me and I told her that when im late for work Bill Sphen will be giving her a call, she let me continue with my shower lol and I never had a problem again! lol I was on the first floor of the 1400s

HAHA that's awesome. I just remember waking up later because the bathroom was like 4 doors down, getting all my shower stuff together getting down there to find it was closed. Then I would bolt for the farther bathroom to get there before most people and then the shower would be cold. lol I was 1500s third floor, old side.

Although I only worked Halloweekends again this fall I will say that the crew was TOTALLY the reason I decided to do it again. It is so true what they say that the crew makes or breaks the job. I love Raptor regardless but didnt want to work at CP again after hating it in '00, loving it in '02 and hating it in '03. It was definitely the crew for me. I adored the '09 crew worked again and am so glad I did!!!

As for the dorms....I always got 1500 Commons. 2x old side (uck) 2x new side (not quite so uck) Sharing a bathroom with some of the most disgusting women/girls I have ever seen sucked...I just made sure I was in there early enough in the morn that I was alone and at the park early too. Your roommates will also make or break you-I lucked out and was solo 2 years, in '02 one of my roommates was a party girl and this year my roommate was a sweet girl from Live E. She was pissed when I moved in but then we actually turned out to get along really nicely. I liked her.

Working at CP will be the hardest job you will EVER have!! But the friends you make and some of the memories you will have will make it all worth it.

Jo
Lifetime Raptor flights: 2175 :)