Cedar Point, Ohio ?

[threeboysmom]

You all have been so helpful in getting me started planning our summer trip to Niagara. Now I'm asking again for help in planning the Cedar Point portion of it! We'll probably spend 2-3 days there. Looking for a good hotel - possibly inside the park? Seems like tripadvisor has negative reviews for all the hotels in that area. So I need help from Dis'ers! Also, places to eat? places to shop?

It's hard to look into pricing since Cedar Point doesn't have their packages or specials listed on their website yet. Anyone know when they started updating their website? Hoping they don't wait until May when the park opens! Don't they realize there are some "advance planners" out there?

Any information you can throw my way will be so appreciated! I've already started a "Niagara" folder. Now I need a Cedar Point one as well!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have stayed at Breakers which is in the park. I believe it was around 325 a night. We only stayed 1 night. You can stay cheaper out of the parks. I would stay on Lake Erie.

 

[bananiem]

We went several summers ago. We stayed at Sandcastle Suites and considering how much time we actually spent in the room, it was fine. I'd like to stay at the little Lighthouse cottages sometime. They look so cute! I'd probably stay at The Breakers though.
Be sure to get tickets for Soak City too. It's nice to get away from the park for a little in the afternoon and our kids LOVED the wave pool and lazy river.
As for restaurants, the way Cedar Point is situated you have to kind of leave the area to get to a restaurant. But there's a TGIFriday's within 5 minutes drive. I forget what else. We did most of our eating in the parks. We usually bring breakfast with us and eat in the motel room.
Have a great trip!

 

[ntburns22]

I believe Breakers is now castaway bay, their indoor waterpark. They did redo the rooms. The waterpark is alright. we did stay there overnight in the spring. I live so close that we have never stayed anywhere else besides Great Wolf Lodge which we loved. On RT 250 in Perkins (Sandusky) there are many types of places to choose from to eat everything from McDonald's to Applebee's to Buffalo Wild Wings.

 

[Towncrier]

Even though we live only 90 minutes away, we've actually spent several nights at Cedar Point (in order to get into the parks earlier). You can't beat the Hotel Breakers for convenience. You can walk from your room to the park in a matter of minutes. The Breakers Express is less expensive (and also very nice), but you have to drive across the causeway and pay for parking. On one very memorable trip, we stayed at the Days Inn that is a few miles away from Cedar Point with a large group of RiddleCON DISers. Not nearly as convenient as either the Breakers or Breakers Express (and no early entry either), but the price was right.

I don't recall having received the 2006 park brochure yet, but it should not be too long before Cedar Point updates their website. You could always send them an email and request a brochure.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I believe Breakers is now castaway bay, their indoor waterpark. They did redo the rooms. The waterpark is alright. we did stay there overnight in the spring. I live so close that we have never stayed anywhere else besides Great Wolf Lodge which we loved. On RT 250 in Perkins (Sandusky) there are many types of places to choose from to eat everything from McDonald's to Applebee's to Buffalo Wild Wings.

No, Breakers is a different hotel from Castaway Bay, which used to be a Radisson. Breakers is still there, right next to the park. Technically, nothing's "inside" the park, but hotels like Breakers and Castaway Bay are owned by Cedar Point, so they're considered "on resort" and have bonuses like early entry and shuttle busses.

From what I've heard -- Breakers Express is the best deal for CP.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

On one very memorable trip, we stayed at the Days Inn that is a few miles away from Cedar Point with a large group of RiddleCON DISers. Not nearly as convenient as either the Breakers or Breakers Express (and no early entry either), but the price was right.

However there was that part where we had to change rooms because the roof leaked into our room during a thunderstorm.

Damons was a nice place to eat that was right on the lake.

And it was a memorable trip.

 

[ntburns22]

No, Breakers is a different hotel from Castaway Bay, which used to be a Radisson. Breakers is still there, right next to the park. Technically, nothing's "inside" the park, but hotels like Breakers and Castaway Bay are owned by Cedar Point, so they're considered "on resort" and have bonuses like early entry and shuttle busses.

From what I've heard -- Breakers Express is the best deal for CP.

Sorry, that is what DH told me atleast now I can prove him wrong. I never stayed anywhere up there. We had a cottage in Marblehead growing up and now we live close. I can't wait for the kids to get a little older to get season passes.

 

[NMAmy]

We go at least once a year and we always stay at the Breakers. It's expensive but, like when we stay at Disney, it's worth it to us to have a place to go for a break during the day. We usually get a suite with a balcony overlooking the pool and the lake. My 15 yo dd always takes a friend and a suite works out better for us.

While we're in the park, we like to eat at Johnny Rockets--preferably outside to watch the servers dance to Love Shack. It's burgers and fries but it's a lot of fun.

Shopping is mostly souvenir type stuff--in the Frontier portion of the park there are some cute little shops that include a candle shop that lets you dip your own candles in colored dye. That's always been one of dd's favorites and we have to do it every trip.

Hope you have a great time! Cedar Point is a lot of fun.

 

[cstraub]

We stayed at the Hotel Breakers last summer. It is a short walk to the park entrance. I would request the old section of the hotel which has the best ambience or themeing. The older section feels like the movie 'Dirty Dancing'. Unfortunatley we stayed in the newer section last time and we thought it was really lacking in charater. One plus though was that we could see Top Thrill Dragster from our room. They did not do a good job at keeping the older sections feel throughout the new section. You can also request a room overlooking Lake Erie. Beware that it is pricey but I would not stay anywhere else. I would slpurge and go for this hotel. I would compare it to staying at the CR. You are just right there and can hear and see all the fun right out your window.

There is a beautiful pool (outdoor) and hot tub along Lake Erie right next to the hotel. It's nice to stroll alnog the beach too. They have real sand and every morning it is graded by big machines.

In the Hotel Breakers there is a nice THIF. There is also an ice cream shop, pizza place and bakery/coffee place. The park itself has many restraunts but all are a little lacking compared to WDW of course. There is also a nice gift shop in the hotel.

Any questions on Niagara let me know. I consider myself an expert since we travel there a lot because of family being there.

Have fun!!

 

[antmaril]

No, Breakers is a different hotel from Castaway Bay, which used to be a Radisson. Breakers is still there, right next to the park. Technically, nothing's "inside" the park, but hotels like Breakers and Castaway Bay are owned by Cedar Point, so they're considered "on resort" and have bonuses like early entry and shuttle busses.

From what I've heard -- Breakers Express is the best deal for CP.

This is correct - Castaway Bay is the old Radisson which is outside the park, near the causeway.

 

[cardaway]

I'm also looking to go to the area for the first time this summer.

Do any of the surrounding hotels offer free shuttles to and from the parks? I really dislike driving while on vacation, I give it up in a heartbeat.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I'm also looking to go to the area for the first time this summer.

Do any of the surrounding hotels offer free shuttles to and from the parks? I really dislike driving while on vacation, I give it up in a heartbeat.

I couldn't tell you off the top of my head which ones, but I do know a number of the hotels along the roads leading to CP advertise shuttles to the park.

Here's a site I found that lists some of the area hotels: http://www.rutahotels.com/

 

[bekkiz]

Is it true that the park isn't open during spring break? I wanted to suprise my DH with a trip during my April 10-14 spring break, but from what I can see, it doesn't look to be open during that time. Is the weather in OH still bad in April?

 

[Bob Slydell]

The first weekend of May is the first dates for CP each year. Yes, April can be a pretty dicey month, weather-wise, for this area. It's been known to snow as late as mid-April.

 

[cardaway]

Since were going in the summer (something we usually do not do) I'm hoping it's less crowded on weekdays than weekends.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Since were going in the summer (something we usually do not do) I'm hoping it's less crowded on weekdays than weekends.

Surprisingly, that's not necessarily true. I've found that Sundays often are the least crowded days in the summer. Since it's become such a vacation destination, it's often just as crowded during the week as on the weekends, especially from mid-June through mid-August.

 

[jbdreamer]

I have to say Cedar Point was a big dissapointment. It's dirty and dingy, with zero themeing. Maybe I am a disney snob. The lines are all hours long. I'd say on average 2-3 hours. It just wasn't fun standing all day. And all the hotels in the area are $200+ a night. We stayed about 45 minutes away to have an affordable hotel.

The rides are great, but not worth the wait or the price. I will not go back again.

 

[ktglads]

We went a handful of times last summer. I would say the least busiest day was the weekend in July that we did, but that was most likely due to the fact that it was raining the entire time. TTD would only run if there was no rain anywhere. It is a definite diva coaster. We find getting to the park early (about 1 hour pre opening) will allow you to run straight to TTD or MF and get those big rides out of the way. Then we head for the back of the park and work our way forward. The crowds seem to go in the other direction so we never wait more than a half hour for anything other than the 2 big ones.

 

[NMAmy]

I have to say Cedar Point was a big dissapointment. It's dirty and dingy, with zero themeing. Maybe I am a disney snob. The lines are all hours long. I'd say on average 2-3 hours. It just wasn't fun standing all day. And all the hotels in the area are $200+ a night. We stayed about 45 minutes away to have an affordable hotel.

The rides are great, but not worth the wait or the price. I will not go back again.

I think part of the problem may have been that Cedar Point isn't Disney. The main focus is the coasters, not the theming. We usually go in May or early June when the crowds are quite light. Also, if you try some of the other coasters aside from Millenium Force and Top Thrill Dragster, the lines are quite manageable--even non-existent. We usually go first thing in the morning and head back to the hotel in the afternoon and dinner--then go back to the parks around 5:30 and it starts clearing out.

The Breakers is expensive but Breakers Express is very reasonable and pretty close. I've never stayed there but others have told me that it's fine.