Cedar Point and "Guests of Exceptional Size"

[tandrjohn]

I don't see the point of those comparing WDW with Cedar Point. Let's not forget that WDW is a theme park and Cedar Point is an amusement park. I'm not a season pass holder at Cedar Point because of the shows, the food, or the magic - I go (with DW and DD) to Cedar Point for the rides. Cedar Point is consistently voted the "Best Amusement Park in the World" with the "Most Roller Coasters...16" - that is why I go.

Cedar Point is our "everyday" fun spot while WDW is our "special"...and a lot more expensive...vacation destination.

I think the exceptional size limitations are within reason and are in place to protect ALL riders:

Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, males who exceed 6'2", and those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40" waistline or 52" chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear size 18 or larger. Each person has different body proportions, so it is impossible to determine exact size and weight.

 

[momsgoofy]

Hey Momsgoofy, we were there July 3!
I second everything she said. I'm 5'7" and 190. I didn't have any trouble but boy, the blue streak seats are tiny! . I saw one couple forced to leave the mine ride because they didn't fit. Also, they ask you to leave any loose articles on the side of the platform. We got by with 2 fanny packs (one on me, one on DD#2) but when we bought photos and refillable glasses for soda, we had to place those on the side. I met a couple of women at the end of the Mine Ride who refused to ride because they had small backpacks, and wouldn't leave them unattended on the platform.
My whole family (DS just turned 4 feet tall) rode Millenium twice, Magnum, Gemini, Blue Streak, Mine ride, DH and the kids rode Mean Streak and Wildcat. I took DS on Disaster transport while DH and the girls rode Max Air (DS is too short and I also have trouble with spinning--believe me, that one is the mother of all spinning rides--I would have blown all over the midway). Everyone but DS rode Raptor. DH also took the girls on Top Thrill.
We didn't bother with entertainment--I figure I will get that at WDW next year--but WDW has spoiled me for much cleaner bathrooms than CP! And also, I think the fastpass program is much better than the "freeway' program at CP. You are limited to 2 "freeway" passes. They did allow DH and the girls to get on Top Thrill in 1/2 hour, though.
Robin M.

Robin...I guess I had blocked the bathroom issue in an effort to forget it, but you are so right...icky!! icky!! icky!! One DH went into was worse than the Interstate truck stop we got gas at on the way to Cedar Point.

You are also right about the fastpass v. freeway pass. We got there on Sunday at 9:45am...no freeway passes when we walked by the Dragster so we thought they'd all be distributed. Well, about 2:00pm we noticed a HUGE line waiting near the Dragster so I asked if it was the line, only to be told, Yeah, for the freeway passes.

 

[momsgoofy]

I don't see the point of those comparing WDW with Cedar Point. Let's not forget that WDW is a theme park and Cedar Point is an amusement park. I'm not a season pass holder at Cedar Point because of the shows, the food, or the magic - I go (with DW and DD) to Cedar Point for the rides. Cedar Point is consistently voted the "Best Amusement Park in the World" with the "Most Roller Coasters...16" - that is why I go.

Cedar Point is our "everyday" fun spot while WDW is our "special"...and a lot more expensive...vacation destination.

I think the exceptional size limitations are within reason and are in place to protect ALL riders:

Due to rider restraint system requirements, guests of exceptional size may not be accommodated on some of our rides. This may apply, but not be limited to, males who exceed 6'2", and those who exceed 225 pounds, have a 40" waistline or 52" chest or females who exceed 200 pounds or wear size 18 or larger. Each person has different body proportions, so it is impossible to determine exact size and weight.

Okay, I did compare the two places, but I guess you summed up my comparison better than I could in that you can NOT compare the quality of certain attractions at WDW with the attractions at Cedar Point. WDW is much more focused on the entertainment, IMHO, than Cedar Point. By this I mean in general, WDW is again IMO, a more entertaining place to visit whereas Cedar Point is much more focused on the thrills one can get at their Amazement Park, which if I'm not mistaken is how Cedar Point labels themselves both on their website and on the maps of the area.

We, unfortunately do not live close enough for Cedar Point to be our "everyday" fun spot since we are 9 1/2 hours away. The closest thing we have is Six Flags over Mid-America and it isn't worth the 2 1/2 hour drive. We, too, head to Cedar Point for the coasters and the thrill rides they have. We do not head to WDW for any thrill rides, because no one in my family feels that there are any such thing as thrill rides at WDW. Additionally, the remarks I made about the food were to concur with what another poster had written on this thread. In retrospect, I would say the food we tried at Cedar Point in the two restaurants (Johnny Rockets and Macaroni's) was not good for any restaurant whether it be located in a theme park or just in a town some place.

I agree with you that the cost of visiting one of the WDW theme parks is more expensive than a trip to Cedar Point for the day and likewise I feel that I get what I pay for at both parks.

As for the ride policy, as I said, I do understand the reason for it and am pleased that Cedar Point is concerned for my safety and the safety of others. I just think that IF they are going to impose such restrictions then an individual who will not be able to ride certain attractions, should be able to find this out prior to paying the money for admission at full price. This goes along with Cedar Point's current policy for a junior admission, which requires the purchaser to be under a specific age or height (which is intact for the safety of those patrons who do not meet rider specifications according to the park and or ride manufacturers.) From the looks of the park guests I saw during our weekend there, I would gander at saying they are not the same groups of people I see when I am at WDW and will add based upon the economy today that several of those people may feel that the cost of a Cedar Point ticket is actually a huge expense to them. As we drove around the area, I was sad to see that many of the area businesses around Cedar Point were closed and the area seemed more economically depressed than I recalled from our visit to Sandusky in 2002.

Thank you tandrjohn for pointing out that one can really not compare apples to oranges. I suppose my brain was a bit addled from the road trip to Cedar Point and was I was not able to make my point as concisely as you did for me; there is no comparison between Ceadar Point and WDW.

 

[WDWHound]

AG. Intamin is responsible for Millennium Force, Top Thrill Dragster, and all the Superman: Ride of Steel coasters at various parks. It is these coasters, along with two "extreme" water rides - one at Knott's Berry Farm and one in Wales - that have cause for concern.

Why? The restraints. In a few cases, the original (most have been modified) systems failed to properly restrain riders. Several were ejected, with three deaths resulting. In most cases it seemed the size - or, more accuately, the shape - of the guest played a role. It seemed "round" riders were not held in properly - although the girl that was flung from the flume in Wales was of average size. Now, I agree that our overly litigious society is adversely affecting amusement parks, but I would hesitate to describe the legal action that was taken after these accidents frivolous ...

The was quite a stir in the amusment park industry when Intiman forced these new restrictions on Cedar Point last year. Yes, I said forced, these restrictions were not Cedar Point's idea. They would love to be free of the restrictions, but Intiman will no longer certify the rides as safe without them.

What happened was that in 2002 and 2003, as mentioned above, Itaman found it self at the receiving end of several lawsuits after people were ejected from Rides they designed and built (none of which were at Cedar Point). In several cases, the lawyers claimed faulty design and there was some evidence to support that. Also, in one case, operator error seemed to contribute. However, Intiman tried to pin the blame on the fact several of the people killed were overweight (though not all of them were). They litterally refered to them as "Fat Americans" (Intiman is a Swiss company) and claimed they had no business riding these roller coasters. In an effort to bolster this defence, they began requiring operators of their more extreme rides to place more restrictive size limitation on their riders, even though most of these rides had ever experienced a failure. It was and still is 100% lawsuit avoidance. The rides were designed with higher tollerances (as proven by the more liberal size limits they used when the rides first opened), but Intiman will not admit that. To do so would be to admit the possiblity that the accidents named ibn the lawsuites might have been due to a design flaw or operator error. Whether or not these things actually caused the accidents, Intiman does not want that possiblity to even be considered.

Personally, I have no idea what caused the accidents and I am not claiming that Itaman was at fault. I also have no problem uinderstanding that as rides grow more extreme, it may not be possible for larger people (myself included), to ride them safely. The target audience for thrill rides is teens, and so that is who they will design for. Still, it is kind of sad that rides that were designed with much higher tolerances are not so restricted.

 

[tandrjohn]

Okay, I did compare the two places, but I guess you summed up my comparison better than I could in that you can NOT compare the quality of certain attractions at WDW with the attractions at Cedar Point. WDW is much more focused on the entertainment, IMHO, than Cedar Point. By this I mean in general, WDW is again IMO, a more entertaining place to visit whereas Cedar Point is much more focused on the thrills one can get at their Amazement Park, which if I'm not mistaken is how Cedar Point labels themselves both on their website and on the maps of the area.

We, unfortunately do not live close enough for Cedar Point to be our "everyday" fun spot since we are 9 1/2 hours away. The closest thing we have is Six Flags over Mid-America and it isn't worth the 2 1/2 hour drive. We, too, head to Cedar Point for the coasters and the thrill rides they have. We do not head to WDW for any thrill rides, because no one in my family feels that there are any such thing as thrill rides at WDW. Additionally, the remarks I made about the food were to concur with what another poster had written on this thread. In retrospect, I would say the food we tried at Cedar Point in the two restaurants (Johnny Rockets and Macaroni's) was not good for any restaurant whether it be located in a theme park or just in a town some place.

I agree with you that the cost of visiting one of the WDW theme parks is more expensive than a trip to Cedar Point for the day and likewise I feel that I get what I pay for at both parks.

As for the ride policy, as I said, I do understand the reason for it and am pleased that Cedar Point is concerned for my safety and the safety of others. I just think that IF they are going to impose such restrictions then an individual who will not be able to ride certain attractions, should be able to find this out prior to paying the money for admission at full price. This goes along with Cedar Point's current policy for a junior admission, which requires the purchaser to be under a specific age or height (which is intact for the safety of those patrons who do not meet rider specifications according to the park and or ride manufacturers.) From the looks of the park guests I saw during our weekend there, I would gander at saying they are not the same groups of people I see when I am at WDW and will add based upon the economy today that several of those people may feel that the cost of a Cedar Point ticket is actually a huge expense to them. As we drove around the area, I was sad to see that many of the area businesses around Cedar Point were closed and the area seemed more economically depressed than I recalled from our visit to Sandusky in 2002.

Thank you tandrjohn for pointing out that one can really not compare apples to oranges. I suppose my brain was a bit addled from the road trip to Cedar Point and was I was not able to make my point as concisely as you did for me; there is no comparison between Ceadar Point and WDW.

You are obviously on a mission to bash Cedar Point and be as patronizing as possible doing it so I have just this to say before I am out of here. Again, Cedar Point is an amusement park and not a WDW-like theme park. Cedar Point is about the rides (68 total with 16 being roller coasters) and if you do not find thrill rides to be "entertaining" you will probably not enjoy Cedar Point. As with most amusement parks, the food is expensive and not great at Cedar Point - I won't argue with you there - the key is to plan ahead and bring a cooler or eat outside the park. IMO, Cedar Point is under no obligation to offer a discounted ticket to anybody who cannot ride some of the rides because of their exceptional size - how would they ever enforce this - each person has different body proporations so it is not possible to list exact size and weight for every ride. If you do not meet the general height/weight guidelines posted earlier then do not go to Cedar Point and if you do, do not blame Cedar Point for not doing the proper research beforehand. In the end it's all about safety for everybody so I'm OK with it. I'm curious how you were able to determine the social-economic background of those visiting Cedar Point. Did you judge people by the way they were dressed, the color of their skin, or the way they talked? - I personally dress like a slob when I go so maybe you were looking at me. BTW, you're welcome - I'm always happy to point out that you cannot compare apples to oranges OR Cedar Point to WDW.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I don't think anyone was bashing CP, personally we had a lot of fun there. I mentioned that we didn't even sample the entertainment; one reason was that we get enough of that elsewhere (WDW) but another was we were heading from coaster to coaster getting the most bang for our buck, so to speak. The only comparison I mentioned specifically was the bathrooms, and I don't think even season pass holders would disagree with me that they are lacking in cleanliness standards.
I think the restraints are a good idea, although I'm sure the couple who had to get off the mine ride might disagree. I remember when Blue Streak had a bench seat and a lap bar, seatbelt optional. I used to fly up on that one! Now it's individual seats and belts. It's a lot safer for my kids. I think I know why my mom never rode rides when I was young, she was probably sitting on a bench praying we wouldn't fly out of the thing!
Oh and Momsgoofy, we were IN that line Sunday for freeway stamps!
Robin M.

 

[Claudia1]

I've gotta add my 2 cents here as the OP.

My reason for starting this thread was to inform people about the change and to try to understand the reasons for them. When we went, we bought a resort/ticket package over the phone and did not receive or hear about any restrictions. The policy was not posted at the turnstyles, either. The first hint of this policy was a disclaimer on Top Thrill, which we saw after we had paid for the tickets and entered the park.

I'm not advocating a different pricing structure, just more information up front for those of us that are not regular attenders or may be first-timers. I will abide by any rules they post 'cause I want to be around to ride them for years to come.

 

[momsgoofy]

The was quite a stir in the amusment park industry when Intiman forced these new restrictions on Cedar Point last year. Yes, I said forced, these restrictions were not Cedar Point's idea. They would love to be free of the restrictions, but Intiman will no longer certify the rides as safe without them.

What happened was that in 2002 and 2003, as mentioned above, Itaman found it self at the receiving end of several lawsuits after people were ejected from Rides they designed and built (none of which were at Cedar Point). In several cases, the lawyers claimed faulty design and there was some evidence to support that. Also, in one case, operator error seemed to contribute. However, Intiman tried to pin the blame on the fact several of the people killed were overweight (though not all of them were). They litterally refered to them as "Fat Americans" (Intiman is a Swiss company) and claimed they had no business riding these roller coasters. In an effort to bolster this defence, they began requiring operators of their more extreme rides to place more restrictive size limitation on their riders, even though most of these rides had ever experienced a failure. It was and still is 100% lawsuit avoidance. The rides were designed with higher tollerances (as proven by the more liberal size limits they used when the rides first opened), but Intiman will not admit that. To do so would be to admit the possiblity that the accidents named ibn the lawsuites might have been due to a design flaw or operator error. Whether or not these things actually caused the accidents, Intiman does not want that possiblity to even be considered.

Personally, I have no idea what caused the accidents and I am not claiming that Itaman was at fault. I also have no problem uinderstanding that as rides grow more extreme, it may not be possible for larger people (myself included), to ride them safely. The target audience for thrill rides is teens, and so that is who they will design for. Still, it is kind of sad that rides that were designed with much higher tolerances are not so restricted.

When I spoke with the man who worked at Cedar Point during his off time, this is basically what he told me, although not nearly as much information as you stated. Thanks for adding that information.

 

[momsgoofy]

You are obviously on a mission to bash Cedar Point and be as patronizing as possible doing it so I have just this to say before I am out of here. Again, Cedar Point is an amusement park and not a WDW-like theme park. Cedar Point is about the rides (68 total with 16 being roller coasters) and if you do not find thrill rides to be "entertaining" you will probably not enjoy Cedar Point. As with most amusement parks, the food is expensive and not great at Cedar Point - I won't argue with you there - the key is to plan ahead and bring a cooler or eat outside the park. IMO, Cedar Point is under no obligation to offer a discounted ticket to anybody who cannot ride some of the rides because of their exceptional size - how would they ever enforce this - each person has different body proporations so it is not possible to list exact size and weight for every ride. If you do not meet the general height/weight guidelines posted earlier then do not go to Cedar Point and if you do, do not blame Cedar Point for not doing the proper research beforehand. In the end it's all about safety for everybody so I'm OK with it. I'm curious how you were able to determine the social-economic background of those visiting Cedar Point. Did you judge people by the way they were dressed, the color of their skin, or the way they talked? - I personally dress like a slob when I go so maybe you were looking at me. BTW, you're welcome - I'm always happy to point out that you cannot compare apples to oranges OR Cedar Point to WDW.

No, I am not on a mission to bash Cedar Point! We had a great time during our weekend. We just did not enjoy the meals we tried, which was the first time we'd given the restaurants a shot. We learned that, like you stated, "the key is to plan ahead and bring a cooler or eat outside the park." We did just that and ate outside of the park after giving the restaurants a go. We go to Cedar Point for the exact reason you mentioned....the thrill rides because it is the only park where you can go to that we are aware of that has so many thrill rides. I agree with you that the rides are entertaining just not in the same way that we find some of the WDW attractions, which again really can't be compared because the two are very different operations.

As for the policy Cedar Point has concerning the rider restrictions, I was aware of them before I went. I did not have any problems riding the rides - every restraint was properly secured. I did not ride each and every ride at Cedar Point that weekend, because that was not the only reason I was there. My family was there to enjoy a weekend away from home and work. We did exactly that and had a great trip! As for Ceadar Point offering a different ticket for persons who are not able to ride due to not meeting the rider policy...well, I do not expect that to happen, but since the park monitors the size, albeit height of the riders, to ensure that everyone meets the minimum height requirement then it could be done. It is merely a suggestion that the gentleman who worked for the company and I spoke of that day in the park and I in turn shared here on a thread about the rider policy.

As for the socio-economic status of each individual, well that opinion was based more so on the comments I heard about the cost of items inside the park while I was there, such as "they got my money I ain't paying (the price) for a soda". The area around Sandusky did seem changed in the 3 years since we were there last, with several businesses closed or for sale, which is similar to the area in which we live, where the economy has become more depressed as more factories and businesses close and unemployment is up. To be honest, I don't know many people who are not concerned with how they spend their money and to most a vacation of any size is a luxury and not something to be taken for granted. I believe that any person will try to get the most bang for their buck when vacationing, ourselves included. I do feel that we got our money's worth at Cedar Point this weekend while others would disagree with us; some from our own extended family. We do plan to return to Cedar Point, but are uncertain when. It would be easier if we lived closer and didn't spend a day driving to and from the area.

 

[momsgoofy]

I don't think anyone was bashing CP, personally we had a lot of fun there. I mentioned that we didn't even sample the entertainment; one reason was that we get enough of that elsewhere (WDW) but another was we were heading from coaster to coaster getting the most bang for our buck, so to speak. The only comparison I mentioned specifically was the bathrooms, and I don't think even season pass holders would disagree with me that they are lacking in cleanliness standards.
I think the restraints are a good idea, although I'm sure the couple who had to get off the mine ride might disagree. I remember when Blue Streak had a bench seat and a lap bar, seatbelt optional. I used to fly up on that one! Now it's individual seats and belts. It's a lot safer for my kids. I think I know why my mom never rode rides when I was young, she was probably sitting on a bench praying we wouldn't fly out of the thing!
Oh and Momsgoofy, we were IN that line Sunday for freeway stamps!
Robin M.

Robin, how long did you have to stand in the line? It was soooo long! I should have ridden with DH and DS the first night we were there, but I wasn't sure how I'd do since I have problems with motion sickness and I didn't know if the 0 to 120 would do me in or not. (I let DH and DS be the guinea pigs...)

Your mom and mine must have known each other, because after the first and only time I convinced her to ride the mine train ride at Six Flags over Mid-America, that was it! I was forbidden to ride anothe rollercoaster. She never told me until I was older that the jerkiness of that old coaster jerked her neck out of place and she was in pain until she got to the chiropractor.

 

[momsgoofy]

I've gotta add my 2 cents here as the OP.

My reason for starting this thread was to inform people about the change and to try to understand the reasons for them. When we went, we bought a resort/ticket package over the phone and did not receive or hear about any restrictions. The policy was not posted at the turnstyles, either. The first hint of this policy was a disclaimer on Top Thrill, which we saw after we had paid for the tickets and entered the park.

I'm not advocating a different pricing structure, just more information up front for those of us that are not regular attenders or may be first-timers. I will abide by any rules they post 'cause I want to be around to ride them for years to come.

Claudia, we, too bought the package for this trip and thought it was a great value. You are right, it is something that the company should be more "up front for those of us that are not regular attenders or may be first-timers" as you put it.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Just a note, the prices for soda and water seemed similar to WDW, if you can compare coke and pepsi (CP is a pepsi place). They had vending machines with bottles of pop for $3.00. In the lines for the coasters they also had machines with bags of doritos and other chips ($1.25) and even machines with candy bars ($1.00). A big CP "maxair" cup was $8, I think, then refills were $1.89, which adds up over the day instead of getting non-refillable $2.50 or more cups of pop. We got 2 cups and if we go back for Halloweekends we will take them with us (yes that's OK, no refillable mug type flames please, LOL).
Our lunch for 5 was $32, including 4 kids meals at $6 a pop, and I had a BBQ sandwich (which came with 2 sides) for $9. That was in Frontiertown. Our sit-down dinner on Sat. night at the Breakers was $40, but that was with our drinks comped because our waitress forgot to put our order in for 20 minutes.
If you like coasters CP is definately the place to be!
Robin M.