The Amusement Park Capital of the World

How can I even begin to describe how great Sandusky, Ohio and Cedar Point is? If you are going to Sandusky you must go to Cedar Point. The best attractions in Cedar Point are the rollercoasters. How many coasters make their home in Cedar Point? Sixteen. That is right: sixteen. Three for the little kiddies and thirteen for the enthusiast---well, maybe just seven for the thrill seekers. Everywhere you turn inside this place there is another coaster. Now if you don't like coasters you should go home. Just kidding. This park is absolutely beautiful and is maintained wonderfully. There are rides here for everyone, from the ferris wheel to the log flume. Try a show or play games for prizes. The best word to describe Cedar Point is AMAZING!

I understand that amusement parks are not for everybody so here are a couple of other great things to do in Sandusky, Ohio:

-Sandusky, Ohio is surrounded by water. Head to the marina and rent yourself a wave runner or go water skiing. Try renting a small boat to go fishing.

-In the mood to relax. Cedar Point is surrounded by a pristine beach. Set out your blanket and catch some rays or go for a swim in the warm Lake Erie water.

-Soak City is also located next door to Cedar Point. Soak City is a water park that is fun for the whole family. They have a wave pool, a lazy river, over a dozen water slides and a hot tub for the adults. Admission to Soak City can be purchased separate, but if you buy a multi-day pass to Cedar Point, admission is included.

-You can also head over to Challenge Park. This small adventure and thrill seekers park is located next door to Soak City and Cedar Point. The rides in Challenge Park are ala carte. Try the Rip Cord, a 150 foot skydive. You can also drive go-carts or play miniature golf here.

Quick Tips:

If you are planning on going to the Cedar Point amusement park, here are some helpful tips. Hit on the link provided and then when you are on the Cedar Point website go to the brochure link. Request their Getaway Guide. In this guide you will find a bucnh of helpful information and some coupons for your trip.

I also suggest that you stay in one of the Cedar Point Resorts if you plan on visiting the park. If you are staying on resort property parking is free, and a shuttle bus will take you anywhere within the property. We found this very useful when going to dinner in the evening. You can also check out some of their hotel and park packages. One other cool thing about staying on their property is all guests get to enter the park one hour earlier than the general public. This is worth its weight in gold if you are a thrill ride enthusiast like me.

Best Way To Get Around:

We traveled from New Jersey to get to Sandusky, Ohio. I was not in the mood to travel back and forth each day to the park from an outside area hotel by car. Stay on the Cedar Point property so you can take full advantage of their shuttle bus system. Head from your hotel to the Cedar Point amusement park, another resort hotel, or to one of the property restaurants. This is beyond convenient. Driving around the property is a hassle because of heavy traffic. Another option is to just walk. The property resorts are close to the action and walking is definately an option.

We stayed at the Sandcastle Suites Hotel when we visited Cedar Point for 4th of July weekend this year. The Sandcastle is located on the Cedar Point Peninsula and is one of Cedar Point’s own resorts. Staying at one of the Cedar Point resorts is extremely convenient. By staying at the Sandcastle we had access to the Cedar Point shuttle buses, parking is free, and best of all, we had the opportunity to enter Cedar Point Theme Park an hour earlier than the general public. This is great because rides such as the Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster attract a crowd quickly and waits can be hours.

Getting to the Sandcastle Suites Hotel is simple and easy. When you are arriving at the front gate to pay for parking stay in the far left lanes. When you get to the tollbooth, tell the assistant that you are staying at the Sandcastle. You do have to pay for parking now but you will be reimbursed when you arrive at the hotel. Now just follow the well-marked signs to the Sandcastle Suites Hotel.

As stated in the name of the hotel, the Sandcastle is an all-suites destination. Our six-person suite had a bedroom with two queen size beds and a television. The living room had a pull out sofa bed with a television. The bathroom area had a sink with vanity, and a dorm sized refrigerator. The toilet and shower were in a separate room. This comes in handy because one person can shower and the other person can get ready.

We also enjoyed the outdoor pool and jacuzzi at the Sandcastle Suites Hotel. The hotel was kept very clean and the staff was very helpful. During our stay we used a lot of towels and the hotel had no problem replenishing them for us.

The Sandcastle had other amenities that you might find as useful as we did. In the lobby of the hotel there was a gift shop with souvenirs from Cedar Point, donuts, milk, chips, and other useful items. In the morning you can come to the lobby for a cup of hot joe to help wake you up. The hotel also had tennis courts. There is no room service at the Sandcastle, but located conveniently next door is the Breakwater Cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During our stay the beach next to the hotel was closed, but the Hotel Breakers beach is just a 10-minute walk down the boardwalk.

My overall view of the hotel was that it was very clean, the staff was helpful and it met all of our needs for an enjoyable stay. Next time we visit Cedar Point, we would definitely stay at the Sandcastle Suites Hotel.

My opinion of the Cedar Point amusement park is well documented in this journal. It is the best amusement park in the world. Hands down! Cedar Point is a large amusement park and it is impossible for me to write everything in one entry, so I will be piecing out Cedar Point in three installments and then dedicate another installment describing each of the sixteen roller coasters.

In this entry I will tell you about the section of the amusement park located just after the main entrance. If you walk to the left hand side of the park you will see a couple of roller coasters. One is the Blue Streak, which is a wooden coaster and also is the first coaster built at Cedar Point. The second is Raptor. Raptor is an inverted coaster and is ranked eighth in the world by Amusement Today.

A couple of easygoing rides include the Turnpike Cars and the Cadillac Cars. On these rides you drive a gas-powered automobile on a set track design. Then relax on the Sky Ride for a scenic view of the park or hop on the Midway Carousel.

Now that I have covered most of the left side of Cedar Point after the main gate lets head over to the right side of the park.

Get yourself ready for some thrills by going on the Demon Drop. This ride takes you up one hundred feet then drops you in a free fall back down to earth.

An easygoing roller coaster is Disaster Transport. It is located indoors and they use black lights here as an illusion. This is basically a bobsled coaster in the dark. The extreme coaster here is the Wicked Twister. Wicked Twister blasts you from 0-72 mph in 2.5 seconds into a 215-foot-high twist and down backwards into another 215 foot high twist. Awesome!

For the kids, head over to the Peanut Playground where they have classic boardwalk rides and games just for the tots.

Some easy going rides on the right hand side of the main entrance that also give you a great view of the park are, the Giant Wheel and the Space Spiral. The Giant Wheel is a 150 foot high Ferris wheel that is located next to the beachfront at Cedar Point. The Space Spiral is a two-tiered enclosed observation deck that takes you a towering 330 feet into the air. The views of the peninsula from here are magnificent.

Wicked Twister and Raptor attract the biggest crowds here and the waits can be over an hour long. Lockers are also available in the front of the park along with a picnic area.

This just about sums up the first section of Cedar Point, but we are just getting started. The best thrill rides are yet to come.

After you are through with the front area of the park, follow the path to the left and you will find a couple of great roller coasters and some other fun attractions. This area of the park boasts six roller coasters, three water rides and a relaxing railroad ride. A thrill-seeker’s paradise. The only relaxing rides I can remember here are the Antique Car ride and Cedar Point Railroad. So buckle up and throw on your adventure switch to go.

Let's start with the roller coasters in this area of the park. If you like the excitement of a roller coaster, but are not a daredevil, take a ride on the Wildcat and Cedar Creek Mine Ride. The Wildcat is the popular boardwalk Crazy Mouse ride with a different name. Cedar Creek Mine ride looks like a wooden coaster but it is actually a steely. If you enjoy the Runaway Train in other amusement parks, this one will tickle your fancy.

If you are a little more daring then step up to the plate and get on Iron Dragon and Mean Streak. Both of these coasters have that big coaster feel without the near death feeling. Iron Dragon is a suspended coaster that reaches speeds between 35 and 40 mph. It may not be one of the fastest coasters at the Point but it is quite fun. Next is the Mean Streak. This wooden coaster is one of the largest in the country. With over 5400 feet of track and speeds up to 65 mph this baby can take your breath away.

For the extreme rider, get on the Mantis and Millennium Force. Mantis is a stand-up steel coaster that goes upside down four times and reaches speeds over 60 mph. My second favorite ride in the entire park is Millennium Force. This steel coaster takes you up 310 feet and reaches speeds up to 93 mph. When this ride first opened in the year 2000 it was the tallest and fastest coaster in the world. Don't pass this one up.

After riding these coasters you might get a bit hot. Thunder Canyon, White Water Landing and Snake River Falls are just the ticket to cool you down. Each of these rides will soak you to the bone. Thunder Canyon is a roaring rapids ride. White Water is your classic log flume and Snake River Falls is a Splash Down ride. The latter will require a change of clothes.

We are two thirds of the way through Cedar Point, but there is much more thrills and excitement to tell you about. Cedar Point is without question, the best amusement park in the world.

We are now in the last section of the park. From the entrance of the park follow the paved path straight and take a right turn at the fork in the road. That is right, I saved the best for last.

Let's start big, no let's start huge! Let's start by going on the Top Thrill Dragster. This is the single most thrilling ride in the world, but you better be patient because waits can be longer than three hours long. Believe me it is well worth the wait. Once you sit in the dragster itself you will feel that adrenaline rush straight to your head. Ready, set, go. Before you know it your are blasted off from zero to 120 mph in four seconds. Yes I said four seconds. You will twist up to 420 feet in the air and on the way down you will reach 120 mph for a second time. Awesome! Don't take my word for it try this experience for yourself.

I know not everyone is cut out for the Top Thrill Dragster so here are a couple of other cool rides in this area of the park.

Magnum XL-200 was at one time, the fastest, and tallest coaster at Cedar Point. With a height of over 200 feet and speeds reaching over 70 mph Magnum XL-200 can really get your heart racing.

Two of the more tame coasters in the park are Gemini and Corkscrew. Gemini looks like a woodie but it is actually a steel coaster or should I say coasters. Dualing cars race each other to the finish with speeds up to 60 mph. Corkscrew on the other hand delivers what the name promises, twisting and turning you upside down at speeds up to 45 mph.

Maybe after you finish riding those two coasters you will have a bit more courage. The reason being is the Power Tower. Choose to be either shot up in the air or dropped down to earth. At 240 feet high in either direction this ride definately will please any thrill seeker.

This concludes my essay on the chills and thrills of Cedar Point. The way I see it I saved the best for last. I have been to over 15 different amusement parks and no one beats the thrill factor here at Cedar Point. When you come to the Point do yourself a favor and take the chicken out of your soul and leave it at home, because this is no place for a piece of poultry - unless it is in the food court.