Starting out with dinner at Wendy’s (did I mention I LOVE that place), I headed to the park and ran into John Hildebrandt standing out in front of the ticket booths.
I said hi, took a picture with him to add to my staff pictures collection, and talked for a bit. He said that he started working in 1969 on the Frontier Lift. Once in the park, I rode the Blue Streak and then headed over to see The Overlord, but ran into the procession of Screamsters along the way.
Then it was on to the Fright Zone and to check on Shoot the Rapids and found a sign that said “Shoot the Rapids is currently closed due to weather conditions”.
I’m guessing just like everyone else that it was closed for the season and the sign was just a cover up. Moving on, I went through CarnEVIL, Terror Island twice, and Fear Faire.
Then I did Club Blood and Happy Jack’s and got done right around park closing, calling it a night.
Halloweekends trip #2 started with the Halloween Hullabaloo. Compared to last year, it sucked. Not only was it the exact same show, but the cast was horrible, except Kristin, but she was in it last year. There were multiple errors in the show: a few from the cast and the #1 problem with the theater: microphones. Every year there seems to be a problem with them and it’s only this theater. Moving on, I went and saw the parade.
Wonderful as always, but I see the reason Cedar Point only has this once a year. It’s a lot of work to control the crowd. Most of the people come to Cedar Point to ride the baggiest rides around, not stop and watch a parade. Thus they are inconvenienced by it going down some of Cedar Point’s smallest, and most crowded, midways. Next up was Happy Jack’s Toy Factory.
I got in line about a half hour before opening and was in one of the first groups to go in. TIP: Get there early and a half hour will be the shortest wait of the day/night. Basically, it was the same as last year with no new surprises. Then I took some time to do a little shopping before Carnival: A Sideshow of Magic began.
My opinion of this show: it sucked just like Rock Band, and it even used the exact same set and TV screens. Cedar Point really needs to get Chris Linn back. My theory is that they went way over budget with Rock Band and needed a cheap show to fill the Halloweekends gap. After the show I headed back to the car to eat dinner before The Overlord!
Then it was to the Fright Zone for opening, but first I had to check on my rapids. The water effects were on, but the ride had already closed for the Fright Zone.
After opening, I headed to the Garter for The Edge of Madness: Still Crazy.
That is a good show and much improved from last year! Then it was back through the Fright Zone and I headed back to Mean Streak, which had closed already for off-season maintenance.
I got stopped at the train crossing where the worker probably thought I was crazy for two reasons: One was for waving at the train as it went back, required by workers, but not by guests and not many do it on their own. The second was going to take pictures of the sign and new smoking area. But, oh well, that’s the way I am. ;D After a little more shopping, I headed over to CarnEVIL and Terror Island before calling it a night.
On Halloweekends Opening Night I got there just in time to see the Overlord send out the Screamsters.
It’s basically the same performance, but I’m wondering if someone else is in the Overlord custom this year as his hand motions are not the same.
Anyway, next I went to Dr. D. Mented’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Being new this year I figured that it would have a long line, which it kind of did and I ended up waiting a half-hour.
Next I walked over to CarnEVIL and Terror Island and all I can say is that the Terror Island Screamsters love being on videos. They kept coming up to me and made sure that they were in my video. After getting scared, not really, it was time for a real terror Magnum XL-200 and Top Thrill Dragster, both with short lines.
Then seeing that G.A. Bockling’s Eerie Estate had a short line, I decided to wait it out and go through. After that, I headed over to the Blue Streak and The Magical House on Boo Hill. I really don’t see how that can be so enjoyable for little kids. In my opinion, at least add some friendly Halloween characters throughout the house. Next was Raptor and then through Fear Faire. I then rode front row on Iron Dragon, I was very close to riding in my own train, but a few more people came before it left.
Then it was onto the Fright Zone and CornStalkers.
I quickly headed back to the Wave Swinger to ride in the fog, which isn’t as much fun as it looks.
To finish the night, I went with the last group, no wait, through Dr. D’s Asylum.
Ride Count:
Dr. D. Mented’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane x2
For Trip #11, I chose one of the best weeks to go, “Dead Week”. This is the week where most kids have already gone back to school, but not me! I started the afternoon off with a walk-on Raptor ride.
Before getting off the ride, the train came into the station, but didn’t make it completely in and we couldn’t get off for about 5 minutes. Then it was on to ride Disaster Transport and guess what!?!?! The lighting effects were actually working! I guess Cedar Point decided that with WindSeeker coming into the area that they would do a bit of repairs on the rides in the area. Next up was Wicked Twister, Chaos, and Ocean Motion. In case you haven’t heard, is leaving next year* and is currently for sale to make room for WindSeeker.
Then it was onto the Scrambler and a first for me: Matterhorn.
They were both lots of fun! Being almost 6PM, it was time to head over to the Garter for Tropical Heat, Island Beat. Instead of a movie, I took plenty of photos of the show.
There was also a cast change with Sarah Chybrzynski leaving and another girl, who I don’t her name, took her place. After the show, I took a ride on Millennium Force and Terror Island looked almost ready to open for the season. I then walked down the Frontier Trail to find Shoot the Rapids, you guessed it, broken down!
Next was Maverick and no matter how empty the park is, this ride always has a line. I waited only about 30 minutes for my second ride of the season.
Next up was Wave Swinger and this ride is going to seem like a kiddy ride next year after 301ft WindSeeker opens up. To finish off the night, I rode Gemini and Top Thrill Dragster.
*EDITOR’S NOTE: This trip report was written at the time of the trip and should have been published shortly after, but it wasn’t and because of that, something has changed: Ocean Motion is MOVING to the old Demon Drop site after no one purchased it.
Trip #10 was going to be a short trip because rain was forecasted, which happened after I left. The main reason for going was to celebrate Millennium Force’s 10th Anniversary.
Before the celebration began I got to ride Raptor, Millennium Force, and Iron Dragon. The ceremony began and Dick Kinzel (Cedar Fair CEO), John Hildebrandt (General Manager), and Bryan Edwards all talked during the ceremony.
Also Tony Clark was there taking a movie for Cedar Point’s YouTube.
They gave out free cookies during the ceremony like with Snoopy’s Birthday.
After it was all over, I asked to take a picture with Dick Kinzel and of course he said yes. Then I headed to the back of the park to ride the Antique Cars. After exiting the ride, I got a tweet about the next 5 people to show it at Millennium Force’s entrance wins a prize. So I ran all the way from the back of the park to the entrance of Millennium and Tony was there and he gave me a bag filled with Millennium Force things after seeing the tweet. If you’re wondering, inside was a Millennium Force picture frame, keychain, 2 postcards, and a snow globe. Thanks Cedar Point and Tony, I hope they do a twitter contest again!
That was it for the day because it started to look like rain.
