Understaffing at Cedar Point hits nightmarish levels...

Thor said:

...and by limiting Halloweekends hours a bit so you have fewer shifts to cover. There's not really an easy fix.

I'm still not convinced the park is overly concerned finding a major "fix" for this. When nice weather hits on an October Saturday, you are going to have the issue of the crowds. During the main summer season, you have a seven day operating week, an open waterpark, and more folks spending multiple days on the property.

In October, you are likely drawing from a closer geographic area that has many folks coming in for day trips to do the Haunt attractions and get that day out at the park before the end of the season and winter hibernation begins. You don't have as many people doing a resort style stay coming and going in and out of the park throughout the afternoon. Plus, you are limited to weekends only. A beautiful weather day during the week isn't an option for anyone, but even an average October weather day will get people outside "one last time" on a Saturday. It's just a perfect storm situation and while the park knows it is going to happen, they can only work with the the hand they are dealt.

I guarantee they know there were serious issues last October and are going to work on them as best they can. They know the guest experience was less than ideal for a couple weeks and I am sure things like the higher pay rate and other possible incentives down the line may be added to combat that. But I don't think they are worried about losing money when the event just keeps getting more and more popular. And to think they would shorten hours for what has become their biggest event of the season (read: event that prints money) is just silly.

Thor said:
I don't know how any of you stomach it going to CP (or any other big park, for that matter) in peak season or on a Saturday.

It’s called LIFE HAPPENS. I have to work during the week and only get so much time off. The kid has school. So, our trips are kinda limited to those peak times. Why are they peak times? Because kids aren’t in school and summer is when people tend to vacation...

But really, NOBODY goes to Cedar Point on a Saturday, especially during HalloWeekends. It’s too busy.

Haha cutting hours to have less shifts to cover during Halloweekends wouldn't accomplish much seeing as the only shift is Open to Close.

I am thankful I can go on low attendance period and on weekdays, will try to keep a healthy mentality of appreciating when I go there, and try to think if the attendance seems quite high, I could be in a situation where I would have to go on higher attendance days.

Even a crowded day at CP beats mowing the lawn.

No, it doesn’t.
I call those busy Saturdays Amateur Day. But I’m fortunate to have all the time on earth free to go any day I’d like. At least once a summer I get this kind of call.
Friend- “Hey, Mac, some of us are going to Cedar Point this Saturday. You have a pass, right? You wanna come with?”
Me- “No.”
Actually, I used to like attending Halloweekends on a Saturday, no more than once a season, and not to stand in line for rides and attractions but to just hang out and see the place in full swing. But in ‘17 I got caught on that Busiest Day Ever. I had planned on doing the park in the morning, leaving, and returning close to dark. Well, I didn’t dare leave once I was in. And I spent the day with nothing to eat and nothing to drink. I’ll be rethinking my self-imposed tradition for the future and will probably avoid Halloweekends all together.

Shane Denmark said:

But really, NOBODY goes to Cedar Point on a Saturday, especially during HalloWeekends. It’s too busy.

Sounds to me like a lot of people go to Cedar Point on a Saturday during Halloweekends.

Cargo Shorts said:

Even a crowded day at CP beats mowing the lawn.

I fully agree. Any day when not stuck at home doing something non fun is great, it just helps when I'm at CP. Even with the park being extremely busy, I can enjoy myself with shows, a ride or two, hanging out at the beach or in CPS, playing in the arcade and/or just being around friends.

I do agree with Mac that Sardine Day at CP was no fun, that was just to many people in the park regardless of how well staffed it could have been. There is a limit even if CF doesn’t think so.

Dvo said:

Shane Denmark said:

But really, NOBODY goes to Cedar Point on a Saturday, especially during HalloWeekends. It’s too busy.

Sounds to me like a lot of people go to Cedar Point on a Saturday during Halloweekends.

Yup that’s the joke. Sorry, forgot to add the 😜

If you're going to CP on a Saturday willingly, you're doing life wrong.

If you're forced to because of your schedule, that's another thing. I'm planning a short road trip in April because I have a couple days off classes and I'm forced to do KD on a Saturday. Will probably get FLP to save some time and (hopefully) marathon Twisted Timbers, but I hate having to worry about the crowds.

Part of me thinks it could always be healthy being out in public around others but Saturdays just seem like too much. From what I read lines for everything including restrooms. Being the high introvert I am I mgiht truly be wishing to just be relaxing at home.

I would like to do 2 day KI trip in May (too insane for me to drive home to there and back one day). I'd stay at the cheapest hotel even some miles away.

I must be doing life wrong since I sometimes go to the park on a Saturday willingly. Where ever did I go wrong? Was it when I decided that spending time with friends, enjoying the little things and enjoying atmosphere were more important than getting the most rides on the coasters?

Prediction of scene by CP's main gate for debut day of EARLY ENTRY STEEL VENGEANCE!!! LMAO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNEhu7eqyVQ

^1000% accurate, that will also be what it looks like every time the train crossing gates go down

chugh43 said:

I must be doing life wrong since I sometimes go to the park on a Saturday willingly. Where ever did I go wrong? Was it when I decided that spending time with friends, enjoying the little things and enjoying atmosphere were more important than getting the most rides on the coasters?

I would consider going on a Saturday if someone from my family went. It would be nice to see the park full buzz and see the atmosphere. Since I'm alone most of the time though, eventually I'm just going to get dared I say bored.

I've been to a Halloweekends Saturday years ago and the only reason I enjoyed was because it was my first trip in 4 years so I did truly enjoy the sights and riding what little rides I could manage.

kpr66 said:

^1000% accurate, that will also be what it looks like every time the train crossing gates go down

So glad I'm not working there on opening day lmao. "Please stay behind the bricked area" will fall on deaf ears.

Not to take the topic off the rails so to speak, but the park seriously made a logistics error in deciding to keep that crossing the way it is. I am sure the bright minds at Cedar Point could have come up with some solution to diffuse the high volume of traffic that will now cause congestion in that area. I am not sure why over the course of two seasons worth of construction they didn't implement something different.

They didn't implement something different because it is not necessary. When Mean Streak first opened the line was very long, probably just as long as Steel Vengeance will be. The crossing never caused a problem. Besides, the crossing by the Midway Station gets more traffic than the crossing by Steel Vengeance and that never seems to be a problem either, even on a Saturday during Halloweekends. The gates are just not down long enough to be a problem.

CPLE only runs one train these days anyway, so you're talking about those gates being down for 2-3 minutes once every 40 minutes. It won't be a problem.