Winter Chill Out

I know that the park is now transitioning into winter mode. That being said, I was wondering if anybody has heard anything about Winter Chill Out? I know it’s a little early yet, but I figure that CP could still offer it, but do 2 groups on one day and another 2 groups the next day to help with social distancing.

The Magic 8 Ball says: Signs point to yes (unless there is another shutdown).

I definitely hoping for it! If the price goes up (kinda expecting it might) I hope they can use it to help from this year.

Also really hoping the sequential gala is next year too!

The entry fee for Winter Chill Out is donated in full to A Kid Again. Cedar Point/Cedar Fair gets nothing but goodwill from park fans and the community.

I have a feeling we won't see it this year. Not worth the risks of a large gathering and there's nothing new to announce or show since everything from last year will now be the 2021 season.

That's where I'm at. I highly doubt there will be one. I'll miss it, been going for the last 5 years.

I'm very concerned for 2021 at the park, the possibility of another year with few/no international workers plus the inability to take workers from other CF parks (like they did this season) makes the staffing outlook grim.

I fully expect 2021 to be a similar experience. Masks, distancing in queues, on rides, etc. The park absolutely benefited from being able to pull from all of the closed parks this year, making staffing even better at times than during a normal season.

I'd honestly be fine to just push back all the 150th stuff again to 2022. Have the 2021 season start on Memorial Day weekend, and prepare us now for shorter days and possible 5 day a week operation. It seems pessimistic, but I just see no world where things will be in a position to have a normal season in 2021.

I'm curious if they'll bring back access passes to the popular attractions. I understand the logic of not wanting the queues to get too full. But given how big the crowds were through September and October, many other attractions still had very full queue lines. So I don't really see the difference, to be honest. And it would just make everyone's day much more fluid if they didn't have to schedule it around getting an access pass. I do agree that there's next to no chance that next year will be a "normal" year in terms of international staffing and removal of masks, etc.

Yeah I don't see the access passes as being a good thing. Not only do you have to "schedule" the day you have to actually be in the park early enough to get them so if you go for an evening that's a guarantee you can't ride the big ones. Plus that means waiting in line twice for the same ride.

The access passes were the main reason I only visited the park 2 times this year. They just killed it for me. It made the park more of a chore to visit. This year, I just went the extra distance to Kings Island. No access passes there and I was able to get on stuff when I wanted and didn't have to plan my day around access passes. The access passes really didn't do much good. It just made people get bunched up in line to get the passes.

Okay, this is kind of an unpopular opinion, but I liked the access passes and I kind of hope the park keeps them. It kept the wait times on the more popular attractions down to maybe 2 hours tops.

Looks like they’re still planning on having Winter Chill Out in 2021.
https://twitter.com/cedarpoint/status/1334238067746615296?s=21

Yes! I hadn't checked in in awhile and come back to great news! I loved their snowplow video from today!

That post did give me some hope. Not sure how they'd do lunch and the presentation, but if they offer it I would be so excited to go again. We've gone the last 4 years, and the last 2 with it being self guided have been amazing.

Lunch could be bring your own. Or premade "box" lunches with no service line, etc.

Presentation could be held outdoors, projected on a big screen. Or limit the amount in for the presentation, keeping groups six feet apart with masks, etc. Maybe make the presentation "exclusive" due to having to limit the amount of people and it could require a high tier ticket with a higher donation. Maybe $50 for self guide tour and $75 for self-guided tour and access to the presentation.

There has been enough time to figure this stuff out. Will it be different then years past but there are plenty of options and solutions.

It's always nice to see some normalcy after this year. Glad they are still planning on having the event, even if it is smaller or a different format this year.

With castaway bay still closed sadly and rumored to be closed atleast until April... any idea where lodging would be?

Probably nowhere because it's unlikely the event is happening, at least in the traditional sense. Usually there's an announcement by now. If they do have it, I'm thinking it will be a virtual event or they may have it later than normal. Maybe they'll have it right before the park opens so we can watch them put the cabins on Giant Wheel.

That actually sounds like fun getting to watch them get some rides assembled for the season!

Yeah, you can watch the uncross all those circuits!

Castaway likely won't be open this season, or if it is, it will be extremely limited. They are currently rebidding to finish the rest of the job. The current focus is Sawmill and getting that opened.

Speaking of Sawmill Creek, I stumbled across an article from December 15 2020 in the Sandusky Register stating there is a lawsuit in regards to the distribution of the profits of the sale to Cedar Fair. To be clear, it is not against Cedar Fair, it involves the previous owner and his alleged inappropriate distribution of the sale proceeds to other investors.

Sorry, I do not know how to link stories to pointbuzz.