Cedar Point -tips, tricks or bargains???

[scbelleatheart]

Just got an email from CP today. They are trying to break 2 Guiness records on July 31st. Tickets are also on sale online for $36 ($12 off) with $3 going to the Cancer Society.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We usually go the Friday of Labor Day weekend and it is not crowded. But Sat, Sun and Mon are crowded.
They do not do a bag check so you can take your own drinks and snacks into the park. They did not allow coolers but they do have a picnic shelter right outside the gate that you could use.
Like them on facebook and you can get up to date specials.

My family wants to go but they are planning on Labor Day weekend. I am sure crowds will be outrageous but hey, I am not paying...
We already are planning on renting a cabin at the KOA campsite. $119 a night and it sleeps 6-8. 3 bedrooms but only one bathroom. they do have campground bathrooms and showers so I am sure a few will use these at night.
I can use any hints for tickets if anyone hears of deals, like coke cans, Meijers, etc...
Someone wrote they brought in their own drinks. Will they allow that? I thought we might bring a stroller and put a cooler into it if that is allowed. Or do they allow wagons? Can you bring in your own food and snacks too? We thought we could grab cheaper subs off property and keep them in the car till noon then go out and eat in the car.
We haven't been to Cedar Point since 1998 so I am looking forward to it. We were there when they had a bad storm and 5 water spouts out in the lakes. Fun times...
I do remember the all you can eat place and my family makes sure they get their monies worth 3 boys, now men will eat them out of business.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

So there is a Subway in the park to eat at? My DD has food allergies and Subway is safe for her to eat at....is it combined with other restaurants or is it just a Subway stand, just a Panda Express stand etc?

Subway is just a stand. Panda Express is an indoor eatery.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Picnic area is still there right outside the front enterance.

We brought our large cooler and left it at the front of the park picnic area in the first week of June . When did they shut down the picnic area? I don't know if you can actually tote around a full-size cooler, I think I have seen people with them in wagons but I've never tried to schlep one around myself.

 

[linnylu]

We went to Cedar Point yesterday. We packed a cooler with lunch items and left it in the picnic pavilion. The only problem with that is you have to plan on returning to the front of the park for lunch- that could be inconvenient. I did see people with coolers yesterday- many rolling coolers. I didn't think you were allowed to bring food into the parks. My bag was checked upon entry, but I only had water bottles which are allowed.

Thanks to the PP who mentioned Famous Daves. We headed there around 5:45 and shared the Feast. My ds 14 loved all the choices it offered. And we did get the $10 off from our parking ticket- but I agree that it wasn't advertised. My younger son ordered off of the children's menu. It was nice looking out at the boats in the marina.

Soft drinks are very expensive in my opinion. I did see many people with the refillable cup deal but someone had to hold them while others rode the rides.

We had a great time there and found the park to be very clean.

 

[mtblujeans]

I printed some coupons out at coupons.com a couple weeks ago.

I am going to hold on to those just in case... we might go in August but haven't made up our minds yet.

MyPoints.com has that coupon at their site. If you use it, you will get a few points out of it.

 

[Order66]

We brought our large cooler and left it at the front of the park picnic area in the first week of June . When did they shut down the picnic area? I don't know if you can actually tote around a full-size cooler, I think I have seen people with them in wagons but I've never tried to schlep one around myself.

Sorry, misunderstanding. I meant that years ago, they used to have picnic pavilions inside the park. You could take your big igloo coolers with a days worth of food and drink and never have to buy anything.

The picnic area outside the gates is still available.

regards

 

[erinch]

If you sign up in guest services they will send you a getaway guide each year with many coupons. You can't pick it up onsite.

 

[coastermom]

So there is a Subway in the park to eat at? My DD has food allergies and Subway is safe for her to eat at....is it combined with other restaurants or is it just a Subway stand, just a Panda Express stand etc?

Yes it was just a subway stand in the water park not sure of the main park but I know for sure Panda Express is a stand alone place with a few tables inside and a few outside ....

 

[coastermom]

We went to Cedar Point yesterday. We packed a cooler with lunch items and left it in the picnic pavilion. The only problem with that is you have to plan on returning to the front of the park for lunch- that could be inconvenient. I did see people with coolers yesterday- many rolling coolers. I didn't think you were allowed to bring food into the parks. My bag was checked upon entry, but I only had water bottles which are allowed.

Thanks to the PP who mentioned Famous Daves. We headed there around 5:45 and shared the Feast. My ds 14 loved all the choices it offered. And we did get the $10 off from our parking ticket- but I agree that it wasn't advertised. My younger son ordered off of the children's menu. It was nice looking out at the boats in the marina.

Soft drinks are very expensive in my opinion. I did see many people with the refillable cup deal but someone had to hold them while others rode the rides.

We had a great time there and found the park to be very clean.

The park was clean and the refill cup was a good deal when we were there we used it alot but we were there for 3 days !! and then we used the same cup at kings Island ... As for holding the cup everyride has a bin you can drop the cup in we just took the strap of the cup and hooked it onto the back pack we had ... this was not an issue .. the only rides we had to rent lockers for were TTD and MF which everyone has to rent a locker for !! Loved the park hated the hotels !!

Daves was very good !!

 

[bas71873]

Loved the park hated the hotels !!

Do tell. Considering and "on property" stay.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Do tell. Considering and "on property" stay.

Staying on site is very costly. The PP said she had bugs in her room at Sandcastle Suites. I have stayed in the Hotel Breaker which is a very old hotel and the rooms are very musty smelling. They even state this on the website. The Hotel Breakers does have a newer section and the prices there are very high.

There are many hotels close to CP that are way nicer and cheaper. There is a Bestwestern that I would suggest you try. The hotel use to be a Comfort Inn and Suite and Bestwestern bought the hotel a year ago. It has a micro./fridge and a seperate sitting area.

http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ge=SelectHotel&isMapOpen=true&selectedHotels=

 

[coastermom]

I have stayed on site three times . Once at Breakers Exppress ... It was a very small room and I could have easily paid less for more at another hotel off site . It was a very simple hotel room . Then we wanted to stay somewhere else and stayed at Castaway Bay when it opened .. WEll they advertised it as a "new" hotel which it was not !! The hotel was already there they just added a water park to it . We had a ground floor room which was nice and right on the same floor as the water park ... BUT We had dirt by the sliders out to the patio and ANTS in the room ... not bad just by the door but still annoying ... This last time was the third try for us at a Cedar Point resort I so wanted to stay on the Island and sandcastle suites looked so nice in the photos WELL ... the hotel was nice except that after two nights we were out of there there were bugs EVERYWHERE on the screen when we checked into our room and that night we found on the floor by the patio door again ants but this time they had wings and were HUGE !!! WE killed them and kind of let it be not until night two when we came in after 11 PM to find ANTS IN THE BED !! It was GROSS and there was hardly any help from the front desk they sent someone with a can of bug spray to spray the BED REALLY !!! do you think I am going to sleep there now or my kids ?? So I check out the next morning and got a refund for the nights we did not stay ....

We did however save $200 by going to the Great Wolf Lodge and finishing the vacation there . The room was nice CLEAN and there were NO BUGS !!! every says my kids were too old for the water park there being 19 ,16 and 9 but we all had a good time stayed in the water park for three hours !! lots of fun and two really good slides !! It was not far from the park either the drive to the point was maybe 15 min tops . I say stay off site we were going to try the above Best Western but it was booked the week we were there try to it !! I am happy with what I did and will never stay on site again I dont really care about the hour extra it is so not worth the BUGS or the MONEY !!

If you go have a good time we waited tops an hour to an hour and 1/2 for the big rides Maverick . TTD and MF the rest were not so bad ... Do go on Windseeker it was great but I think the line went fast and was about 45 min . !!

Let us know if you go !!

 

[mindyd]

We are going tomorrow did anyone do the buffet in the park?

 

[coastermom]

We are going tomorrow did anyone do the buffet in the park?

We did the last visit .. I dont remember it being anything special ... My suggestion is to go to Daves .. Walk past the turnpike cars and make a left toward that exit area Daves is right across the street ... It was worth the little walk . It was like we were in the park anyway and the all american BBQ feast feeds at least 5 ... it was very good and the price was fair considering where you were !

There is also a TGIFridays in Hotel Breakers that you can walk to from the exit by Windseeker ... The park food is just that park food NOTHING like a Disney Buffet that is for sure !! Enjoy the trip !!

 

[bas71873]

Staying on site is very costly. The PP said she had bugs in her room at Sandcastle Suites. I have stayed in the Hotel Breaker which is a very old hotel and the rooms are very musty smelling. They even state this on the website. The Hotel Breakers does have a newer section and the prices there are very high.

There are many hotels close to CP that are way nicer and cheaper. There is a Bestwestern that I would suggest you try. The hotel use to be a Comfort Inn and Suite and Bestwestern bought the hotel a year ago. It has a micro./fridge and a seperate sitting area.

http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...ge=SelectHotel&isMapOpen=true&selectedHotels=

I have stayed on site three times . Once at Breakers Exppress ... It was a very small room and I could have easily paid less for more at another hotel off site . It was a very simple hotel room . Then we wanted to stay somewhere else and stayed at Castaway Bay when it opened .. WEll they advertised it as a "new" hotel which it was not !! The hotel was already there they just added a water park to it . We had a ground floor room which was nice and right on the same floor as the water park ... BUT We had dirt by the sliders out to the patio and ANTS in the room ... not bad just by the door but still annoying ... This last time was the third try for us at a Cedar Point resort I so wanted to stay on the Island and sandcastle suites looked so nice in the photos WELL ... the hotel was nice except that after two nights we were out of there there were bugs EVERYWHERE on the screen when we checked into our room and that night we found on the floor by the patio door again ants but this time they had wings and were HUGE !!! WE killed them and kind of let it be not until night two when we came in after 11 PM to find ANTS IN THE BED !! It was GROSS and there was hardly any help from the front desk they sent someone with a can of bug spray to spray the BED REALLY !!! do you think I am going to sleep there now or my kids ?? So I check out the next morning and got a refund for the nights we did not stay ....

We did however save $200 by going to the Great Wolf Lodge and finishing the vacation there . The room was nice CLEAN and there were NO BUGS !!! every says my kids were too old for the water park there being 19 ,16 and 9 but we all had a good time stayed in the water park for three hours !! lots of fun and two really good slides !! It was not far from the park either the drive to the point was maybe 15 min tops . I say stay off site we were going to try the above Best Western but it was booked the week we were there try to it !! I am happy with what I did and will never stay on site again I dont really care about the hour extra it is so not worth the BUGS or the MONEY !!

If you go have a good time we waited tops an hour to an hour and 1/2 for the big rides Maverick . TTD and MF the rest were not so bad ... Do go on Windseeker it was great but I think the line went fast and was about 45 min . !!

Let us know if you go !!

ICK! I will plan an off site stay!

 

[mindyd]

We went on Tuesday I had got discount tickets for 37.00 from a credit union. It was a good day but three rides broke down right as my kids were next in line. My daughter waited 90 minutes for the dragster then it broke down the worker told them it would be 30 minutes to 3 hours after they had already stood there for 30 minutes while it was broken down. Tons of people were leaving line so they did got on the ride across from it that had no line and it started right back up. This was her main ride she wanted to do so she ran off the other ride got back in line and waited 30 more minutes. At one point the ride app said there was a three hour wait.

It start raining a little after 9 so we end up leaving the park 20 minutes early. I did the refillable mugs the one for 9.99 and got sick of the soda so had them fill it with ice water my daughters friend got the 5.99 refillable cup. My main complaint was the bathrooms were gross we were in 3 different ones and they were horrible.

The girls had a great day it is definitely not my favorite park but went better than I expected it. We read every where that Tuesdays was a great day to go but it was still pretty busy.

 

[stitchfriend]

Looking for some advice on a hotel in Sandusky. I have seen some reviews and they don't look good. We will be getting the platuim pass. So I don't need to stay onsite. Looking for some reviews on a good clean hotel with queen beds and complimentary breakfast. Anyone been there recently that could help me out. I checked tripadvisor, but the reviews on the hotels up there are not great. Need some recent feedback.

Thanks

 

[coastermom]

Looking for some advice on a hotel in Sandusky. I have seen some reviews and they don't look good. We will be getting the platuim pass. So I don't need to stay onsite. Looking for some reviews on a good clean hotel with queen beds and complimentary breakfast. Anyone been there recently that could help me out. I checked tripadvisor, but the reviews on the hotels up there are not great. Need some recent feedback.

Thanks

We stayed on site and then left because of ANTS in the room .. We then went to Great Wolf Lodge and loved it there but there is no complimentary breakfast . Others have said to try the best western but have never stayed there . The hotels in the area dont look nice and almost all have crappy reviews !! Good luck with your search ... I say try the Best Western if you really want the breakfast but if not then go to the Great Wolf Lodge !!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

The Bestwestern I quoted in an early post on this thread is good hotel. Its not that old. And has a breakfast. Not to mention it is a Suite hotel so you get a fridge and microwave and a living room area.

Looking for some advice on a hotel in Sandusky. I have seen some reviews and they don't look good. We will be getting the platuim pass. So I don't need to stay onsite. Looking for some reviews on a good clean hotel with queen beds and complimentary breakfast. Anyone been there recently that could help me out. I checked tripadvisor, but the reviews on the hotels up there are not great. Need some recent feedback.

Thanks