Worth it to work there?

I'm gonna be a college freshman in the fall and I was wondering if it may be worth it to work at CP in the summer. It seems like a great opportunity but I would also have to weigh other options (such as stay at home and work on the college radio station). Anyone with CP work experience tell me what it's like?

I worked at Cedar Point (Wicked Twister) for a bit this year but had to return home because of personal problems. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. You generally get very good hours in the summer and the pay (especially with the end of the year bonus) is pretty decent. The best part is meeting all of the people though. I met so many new people and made so many new friends in such a short amount of time. The living arangements (depending on your choice) are "okay" to say the least but you spend very little time in them anyway. I know for a fact I am going back next year when things are better here at home. It's just way too much fun.

Ok, well I have a question:

Is it possible to live and go to college clear across the state and then go to Cedar Point to work there during the summer? I know I see all the workers with nametags and places that are on the other side of the world and stuff.

I was thinking about having a Cedar Point Career but I think I would like to work with Disney as an imagineer better. One thing is that if Disney really likes you, they can offer you a co-op program which pays the school you go to.

But It would still be pretty awesome to be a ride-op at Cedar Point. But it probably won't be until 2007 or so.

I worked at Cedar Point for 6 season. I wish, though, that I would have taken one summer to work at Disney.

I live 6 hours away and go to school 10 hours away. It wasn't that tough to handle. They are very flexible at CP...

Is it worth it? I think so.

I worked at Cedar Point and Disney. If you have the option, I would actually suggest Disney. The reason is simply that Disney is probably going to get you more mileage on a resume than Cedar Point. I have landed interviews at times solely based on the Disney experience. Many people are fascinated by Disney and want to talk about it.

I probably had a better experience working at Cedar Point but I really enjoyed both jobs.

For a kid who is becoming comforatable living on his own at college it might be hard to go back and live under the parents' rules for the summer. Cedar Point gives you a chance to stay on your own and make some money as well.

I do not think it is worth it, I mean look at it like this ok, they bring you to sandusky , promise you a great summer, good pay , good hours, thats what they give you at first. You make all kinds of great friends from all over the world and then 3 months into it when they start getting scared that they mnight actually have to give you your bonus they look for little bull**** reasons to terminate you. I mean they got me for some things that happened over 5 years ago. So here it is july i got there in april now I had to leave , and it wasn't even the job that hurt the most it was the people at breakwater cafe. I love them all and I can't beleive that I have to finish this summer without them. So it seems worth it until the screw you around and you lose all these very important people to you, now you're prolly saying well you can keep in touch and visit with them right? well what about if your best friends down there just happen to be internationals, from oh i don't know Poland maybe. then you are screwed out of your friendships here in the stateswhile they are here. So i will say yes it's worth it and no it's not. If you are ok with being hurt badly , sure go for it, you wanna save yourself the pain , don't go

ImAllUrszulas, What the hell are you talking about? If they got you for something that happened 5 years ago, then they had reason. They wouldn't just up and terminate you because of the bonus. Cedar Point has enough money that they don't worry about their employee's petty (in the scheme of things) bonuses. Just because you had a bad experience, doesn't mean everybody will. I know how you feel when it comes to your friends; I'm feeling it too, but I don't blame CP for it.

I never fired anyone because they were close to collecting on their bonus nor was I ever asked to do so.

Quite the contrary in fact. Toward the end of the season I generally started losing employees left and right. I'd call them to my office and say, "hey, look at how much money you have coming to you if you just work another week or two." Sometimes, that amount would be over $1,000 or more. Often times it didn't matter to the employee.

I won't speak for every manager at the park but I have a really hard time beliving you got fired for nothing. I am sure it had nothing to do with the bonus. If they got you for something that happened over 5 years ago I can only imagine it was some type of crime that you lied about on your application. (IE...Have you ever been convicted of a felony?) I hope that isn't the case but I cannot for the life of me figure out what else it might be.

No I had a possession of marijuana charge when i was 15 years old. I am now 20 my record was suppossed to have been sealed but somehow they found it. that is illegal. Once my juvenile record has been sealed it is illegal for anyone to access it. so chief wahoo i don't know where you get your information from but you are wrong. cedar point is a bunch of nazis.i love the people there but the big guys who run it are a crock. mcmanus, mason. Mike Loy is rock n roll though. gotta love mike.

I think that working at Cedar Point would just be awesome. I have been looking forward to it for a long time and can't wait till I can.

Well me and I friend were planning on working at Disney next summer, until I called them and got a few things explained to me. Basically you have to be in College, which we are, and you have to work there during a semester of college in their "Disney College Program." In that you work there and they house you and stuff. Well they don't offer that during the Summer because it is not long enough. So I asked if we could just work the Summer and they said yes I could, however, me and my friend would have to find our own housing and transportation to Disney. The reson for this is becasue only those who have been in the "Disney College Program" can use the housing during the Summer.

So basically we have decided on working at Cedar Point next Summer, which I am looking forward too, but I still feel really dissapointed because I was really looking forward to working at Disney, it just seems like it would be a blast.

The rumor that people get fired close to the end of the season because "Cedar Point doesn't want to give them their bonuses" has been around forever (I'm sure Wahoo can also attest to this). Yes, it seems many more people get fired closer to the end of the season; however, it's most often the result of carelessness or laziness because they see they're almost done. In many of the cases that I had to deal with as management, it was that they had accrued way too many "points," and by park policy, they were terminated. In your case, Urszulas, the question on your application was "Have you EVER been convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony?" The question wasn't, "Have you been convicted after the age of 18?" Even though your record has been sealed, you are still required to volunteer that information. I'm guessing you answered "no" on your application and was a falsification of your application - an offense that leads to immediate termination in ANY job, not just at CP. If you've lied on your application, ANY employer is bound to find out. Management does not spend their time looking for reasons to fire employees - there are more important things to do like the successful operation of the park. Believe me, the last thing I ever wanted to do was let someone go - that meant loads of paperwork, reworking the schedule, and possibly hiring someone to replace them. Don't talk bad about those Foods guys - Dan McManus is one of the best people to know at Cedar Point - the reason I'm still in the Food Service Industry today. From working with him for over 3 years, I know that the only people who dislike him have done something wrong and gotten in trouble for it.

Anyhow, the topic at hand... I didn't want to go home after my first year of college and decided to work at Cedar Point "for the summer." I was there for 4 summers seasonal and 3 years full time. It was a great stepping stone in my career and I will never forget my time there! You're not going to hear from many seasonal employees on here this time of the year, but try your question again when school starts - I'm sure this topic would go on forever with both pros and cons of working there! I have nothing but pros, but there are people like Urszulas who think differently. Since you've not worked there (yet), I'm sure you will find that the good opinions far outweigh the bad! I had heard all bad before I went there myself, but decided working at such a great place had to be what you make of it... that's the advice I can give! *** Edited 7/13/2004 5:57:53 AM UTC by Homer***

I hope I can work there sometime soon... Im a CP freak and have always wanted to work there... maybe I can get it as a summer job during high school. I live maybe about 30mins away from CP... it might work...

Another reason kids get fired at the end of the season is they see the park staffing levels falling off. They figure they've got management by the short hairs "they NEED me" and start pushing the rules a bit more. "Hey, I can be late...what are they going to do? Fire me?"

Well, I didn't put up with crap, even at the end of the season. I'd rather do the work myself than have someone take advantage of me. And, trust me, I often did the work myself.

There is no doubt in my mind that there is more to Imall's story than we are being told. If I had EVER been told to fire someone because of their bonus...I'd say so. I don't have anything to lose. I haven't worked there in years and I certainly have no reason to lie about it. Really, the last thing I wanted at the end of the long season was to lose people I was counting on keeping around.

As someone who worked at the Point from 1986-1990 and then again in 2000, I can honestly say that I met my best friends in the entire world working there. Yes, it will be hard work, long hours, small living quarters, etc etc, but it will also be the most rewarding experience of your life if you commit to it.

I have now been working for Disney for 5 years, Universal for 3, and Busch Gardens in Virginia for 4, but my heart will always belong to CP.

I would love to work at cedar point. I'm five years out of college and very well settled into my "grown-up" job (software developer), but I would jump at the chance to work there, as long as it was more of a "real" job, you know, full time, benefits, year-round... something behind-the-scenes would be great, I just don't know how to get my foot in that door, besides sending an unsolicited resume...

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I just don't know how to get my foot in that door

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By working there as a seasonal. :) And even then, there's a lot of people who want to work full-time, and not a lot of full-time work.

*** Edited 7/16/2004 8:08:52 PM UTC by Walt***

I just have one question. If you work at Cedar Point as a seasonal employee...do you get anytime off. I am planning on working next summer, but I am in a wedding at the end of July. Do you think they would give me time off for that?

Just ask for the time off when you get your interview. They are very lenient.