Trip Report: Cedar Point on January 17, 2011

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

For my first trip of the year, I had the opportunity to visit the park in the winter off-season. Mr. Innes was very nice and agreed to take myself and a few select CP Guide members on a tour of the main midway, wicked twister midway, and a small part of the wildcat midway.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Bay View

Cedar Point - Off-Season Toll Booths

To start we walked through the Hotel Breaker’s parking lot and saw the roller coaster cars awaiting a winter check-up.

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Cedar Point - Coaster Cars

Then we moved on to the WindSeeker construction site.  They had just poured the foundation the Friday before and they were working on setting up the concert mold for the ride base.

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

The concert they used was special concrete that need to be done in one pour, the reason behind the giant concert pour.  The foundation is 60ft by 60ft and the ride will go down 6ft.

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

The ride is currently scheduled to open on opening day, but so was Shoot the Rapids, so we will have to see.

Cedar Point - WindSeeker Construction

Moving down the midway, we find Chaos, or the spot Chaos used to occupy.  Chaos is undergoing its off-season maintenance, but it doesn’t sound like it’s coming back.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Chaos Gone

Troika, like Chaos has been taken apart for its off-season maintenance, the rumor circulating is the Troika will go to Chaos’ spot and open up space for Disaster Transport to be replaced with a new coaster. Of course, this is just a rumor, and I don’t have any real facts to support it.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Troika

Cedar Point - Off-Season Troika

Throughout the park many rides have been shrink-wrapped; maXair is one of them as well as the test seat.

Cedar Point - Off-Season maXair

On the main midway, the games are all closed up as expected and Raptor was hibernating until May.

Cedar Point - Off-Season maXair Area

Cedar Point - Off-Season Johnny Rockets

Cedar Point - Off-Season Midway Games

Cedar Point - Off-Season Main Midway

Ocean Motion, on the other hand, will be getting a new home at the old Demon Drop location and it will be complemented with a pond when it opens in May. In the Blue Streak area, we find Calypso taken apart for its maintenance.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Calypso

Boo Hill has been reverted to its normal season look and the Blue Streak was nicely covered with snow.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Blue Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Blue Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Raptor

Moving onto the Wildcat Midway, we find that Dodgems has been enclosed so the floor doesn’t get ruined and Wildcat’s queue ramps have been taken apart for easy access to the track for car removal.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Corkscrew

Cedar Point - Off-Season Dodgems

Cedar Point - Off-Season Wildcat

Many of the fences around the park have also been removed for easier access to the rides.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Iron Dragon

The train cars for the CP and LE Railroad are at different parts of the track: one set back in Frontier Town and one is parked by the Mantis.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Train Cars

Moving on to Millennium Force, we find two cars left on the midway.  Of course we all went crazy taking pictures of it and the brand new wheels.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Car

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Wheels

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Wheels

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Car

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Car

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force Wheels

Cedar Point - Off-Season Frontier Trail

Cedar Point - Off-Season Millennium Force

Ending the tour, we walked back down the Wildcat midway and by Scrambler and Matterhorn.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Skyride Station

Cedar Point - Off-Season Main Midway

Cedar Point - Off-Season Scrambler

Cedar Point - Off-Season Matterhorn

We passed Kinzel’s Castel and through the parking lot of coaster cars.

Cedar Point - Cedar Fair Corporate Offices

Cedar Point - Off-Season Power Tower

Cedar Point - Off-Season Top Thrill Dragster and Magnum XL-200

Cedar Point - Off-Season Hotel Breakers

On the way out I took some pictures of Mean Streak’s off-season track work and some views of the park from the road.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Challenge Racing

Cedar Point - Off-Season Mean Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Mean Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Blue Streak

Cedar Point - Off-Season Cadillac Cars

To finish the day I took a picture of me in front of the “Welcome to Cedar Point” sign.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

Cedar Point - Off-Season Welcome Sign

As you might expect, those were only a small chuck of the pictures I took, click here to view all 150 pictures on flickr.

Trip Report: Cedar Point on October 23, 2010

For my 4th and final trip of the season, I had planned on an afternoon trip since it would be overcrowded and I had to take pictures for a school assignment.  After finally finding a parking spot in the back, I headed into the park to find almost every ride’s line spilling out onto the midway.

Cedar Point - Magnum XL-200 Line

So, while my parents went to see A Halloween Hullabaloo, I went around with my sister taking pictures for class.

Cedar Point - Top Thrill Dragster Line

Cedar Point - Skeleton

While taking pictures, I found that Chaos was closed, as it had been for many weeks prior.

Cedar Point - Chaos Closed

Cedar Point - Chaos Closed

Cedar Point - Chaos Closed

After the show was over, I re-met with my parents in time for the Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade.

Cedar Point - Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade

Cedar Point - Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade

Cedar Point - Monster Midway Invasion Celebration Parade

Then I ran over to the Eerie Estate and got inline before a massive line formed. After that, I headed down the Frontier Trail, and guess what the only walk-on ride in the park was? Why Shoot the Rapids of course.

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids in the Fall

It was a warmish 60° day so I rolled up my pants, and hopped on. All of the water effects were off and I managed to only get a few water spots on my pants.

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids in the Fall

I was already in Frontier Town, so I finished up my roll of film over at Mean Streak and headed to the car to put away my camera and get ready for a frightful evening.

Cedar Point - Mean Streak Closed Sign

It all started with the Overlord, as usual. Then it was onto Fear Faire and then the Fright Zone, which was so crowded that you could hardly walk through the tunnel, luckily, so of the “higher ups” at Cedar Point took over and directed traffic to the best of their ability and moved the crowd to the blacksmith path after exiting the tunnel.

Cedar Point - Crowded Fright Zone Tunnel

I then finished off the night with CarnEVIL and put a close on the 2010 season.

Cedar Point - CarnEVIL

Trip Report: Cedar Point on October 8, 2010

For my 3rd Halloweekends trip, I started out with a ride on the Blue Streak, Cedar Downs, and then Cadillac Cars.

Cedar Point - Screamster Precession

I then stuck around to watch the Screamsters come out of the Ballroom and get ready for the Overlord precession.

Cedar Point - The Overlord

After, I followed the Fright Zone Screamsters to the Frontier Trail where I did some checking on Shoot the Rapids.

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids Empty Sign

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids Entrance

It still looked closed, but there was nothing in the sign to suggest an early season closing. Once 8PM came around, I headed over to CornStalkers where I waited about a ½ hour.

Cedar Point - CornStalkers Light

After CornStalkers, I ran into some friends from school and they were spending the evening there too since there wasn’t a high school football game that week. We were all going to go through CarnEVIL, but they all chickened out.

Cedar Point - Terror Island Light

Then I went through Terror Island twice and every time I go through with my video camera, I always get “picked on” so to say; they all want to be stars of the camera. Back tracking, I went through the Fright Zone again on my way to see the Halloween Hullabaloo.

Cedar Point - A Halloween Hullabaloo

Cedar Point - A Halloween Hullabaloo

Cedar Point - A Halloween Hullabaloo

After the show I went though G.A. Bockling’s Eerie Estate and then Happy Jack’s Toy Factory. To finish the night, I went through Fear Faire.

Cedar Point - Happy Jack's Toy Factory

 

Trip Report: Cedar Point on October 1, 2010

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.

Cedar Point - Halloweekends Hearse

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.

Cedar Point - The Overlord

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”.

Cedar Point - The Fright Zone Master Skull

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids Closed Due To Weather Sign

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.

Cedar Point - CarnEVIL

Then I did Club Blood and Happy Jack’s and got done right around park closing, calling it a night.

Ride Count:

  • Blue Streak x1
  • The Fright Zone x2
  • CarnEVIL x1
  • Terror Island x2
  • Fear Faire x1
  • Club Blood x1
  • Happy Jack’s Toy Factory x1

Trip Report: Cedar Point on September 25, 2010

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.

Cedar Point - 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.

Cedar Point - Sideshow: A Carnival of Magic

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!

Cedar Point - The Overlord Screamsters

Cedar Point - 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.

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids Closed

Cedar Point - Shoot the Rapids Closed

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.

Cedar Point - Mean Streak Closed Sign

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.

Ride Count:

  • Happy Jack’s Toy Factory x1
  • The Fright Zone x2
  • CarnEVIL x1
  • Terror Island x1

Show Count: