Inside Universal Forums

Welcome to the Inside Universal Forums! Register a free account today to become a member. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members and unlock our forums features!

  • Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.

Cedar Point

The details of the Cedar Point 150th anniversary are revealed, entailing a brand new attraction PLUS an all new parade!



ELhRxsQXUAQXo7W


Snake River Expedition will be an all new experience, located at the Paddlewheel; with live actors and animatronics!

ELhQErRXUAAMGa4


Celebrate 150 Spectacular, is the all new nighttime parade spectacular; to celebrate Cedar Point's legacy.




150th Anniversary | Cedar Point
 
Last edited:
It’s really great to see a local park celebrate its history and community in this way, even as it grows to be a world class destination. I’ve never been to Cedar Point, but they seem to have a great understanding and relationship with their guests and are clearly excelling at what they do. You love to see it!

Also, bringing back the photo viewfinders is a stroke of genius. We had an old one from Six Flags Great Adventure that we kept for years and years. I’m sure we still have it somewhere. I always loved looking at it growing up.
 
Honestly very excited for this and glad they are celebrating their history and heritage. We didn’t have plans to visit any time soon but we will make a special trip just to take part of this.

Kinda bummed I can’t participate in the lifetime pass contest being a NY resident
 
For the 150th Anniversary CP is having a sweepstakes where they are giving away 25 "Ticket of a Lifetime". The ticket gives the winners unlimited access to CP and CP Shores Water Park plus free parking for the rest of their lives. Pretty cool.

 
For the 150th Anniversary CP is having a sweepstakes where they are giving away 25 "Ticket of a Lifetime". The ticket gives the winners unlimited access to CP and CP Shores Water Park plus free parking for the rest of their lives. Pretty cool.



Contest not open to residents of FL or NY....bastards...
 
Wow-- so $20 an hour--- how will the rest of the industry respond? Even Disney has to be worried/seeing the future...



This isn't something that will push/effect other parks, because everyone in the industry will see it for what it is; a Hail Mary play by a park without the population base for local staffing (and no international staffing) to keep their head above the water this season. Cedar Point may be a national draw for a very small segment of the labor force, but it doesn't have national, personal meaning and professional attraction like WDW/DL do for drawing student workers. If they can go back to even halfway decent international labor levels for 2022 I would expect the pay to be in the $13-15 range, $15-17 if international labor is still limited next year. Obviously pay is going up lately, but this is a drastic act of desperation and not a new normal.
 
Without international workers, they probably have a problem. That's not a very big population center to draw from. Toledo & Cleveland suburbs are a bit far for the former wage structure. They
might drive from there for $20 an hour though.
 
This isn't something that will push/effect other parks, because everyone in the industry will see it for what it is; a Hail Mary play by a park without the population base for local staffing (and no international staffing) to keep their head above the water this season. Cedar Point may be a national draw for a very small segment of the labor force, but it doesn't have national, personal meaning and professional attraction like WDW/DL do for drawing student workers. If they can go back to even halfway decent international labor levels for 2022 I would expect the pay to be in the $13-15 range, $15-17 if international labor is still limited next year. Obviously pay is going up lately, but this is a drastic act of desperation and not a new normal.
But Busch, Six Flags, and Cedar Fair ALL relied on that international staffing. If this is happening to all the parks, the genie will be out of the bottle and it will force other industries to match.

I heard an ad on the radio today here in Orlando specifically advertising for Disney Housekeeping starting at $16.
 
But Busch, Six Flags, and Cedar Fair ALL relied on that international staffing. If this is happening to all the parks, the genie will be out of the bottle and it will force other industries to match.

I heard an ad on the radio today here in Orlando specifically advertising for Disney Housekeeping starting at $16.
Even Kennywood, a fairly small amusement park, located in a heavily populated area, raised their wages last month to $13-15 an hour from the former just a buck or two above minimum wage they previously paid. They've actually had problems attracting workers the last few years, due to low wages and high school and college kids not working summer jobs like they did in the past. In the past, prior to 2010, this (Kennywood) was always a job that HS & college kids highly sought, even though the wages were always low, and you usually needed connections to get hired. And they've never had international workers to any substantial extent. But that HS & College summer workforce has just about disappeared as society changes.
 
Last edited:
But Busch, Six Flags, and Cedar Fair ALL relied on that international staffing. If this is happening to all the parks, the genie will be out of the bottle and it will force other industries to match.

I heard an ad on the radio today here in Orlando specifically advertising for Disney Housekeeping starting at $16.

Disney was already moving to/over $15/hr for almost if not all roles, so that's a pretty small bump I believe, vs the 100% increase that Cedar Point just did. And while yes, several seasonal parks rely on some modest international staffing, the level at Cedar Point is easily the highest as far as I'm aware, and it's also the only major park that's seriously outside a major metro area compared to it's size (Kings Dominion/BGW are big but not as big when you consider the size of the operations compared to their nearby populations) and can't rely on locals for anywhere near adequate staffing levels. All you have to do is compare the size of housing facilities for KD/Dorney/KI/VF/etc. to Cedar Point's to see the difference in ability to rely on local staffing.
 
Just got back home from a 1st time trip to Cedar Point! So what did I think of America's Roller Coast?

I was down here with a local friend for Saturday and Sunday, and I'll just rip the band-aid off right here. Anyone who's local or lives close by Ohio, ya'll are SPOILED. You have this place and Kings Island as your parks to go to?! Yes, I'm jealous. An that's a good indication of how I felt about the Point. In all honesty, this is a great Amusement Park! Having mainly gone to major theme parks over the past several years, it's really nice going to a place that has a ton of great coasters and rides, as well as a metric ton of kinetic energy. You're just in the middle of the action no matter where you are, and yet there's still charming little spots like Frontier Town to relax. The park is chock full of great atmosphere, just as much as their coasters which there's a lot of.

So how bout' them coasters? To make it interesting and since they're officially celebrating their 150th Anniversary, I'll be talking about them in chronological order from oldest to newest.

Blue Streak (1964) - The park's oldest coaster, and I'll admit I was a little nervous riding this one due to KI's Racer trying to break my spine last year (and that's a tad "younger" than Blue Streak!), but thankfully this was a enjoyable ride! A little herky-jerky, but nothing painful. Definitely not bad for the oldest coaster in the park, and it's got a nice looking classic station, too!

Cedar Creek Mine Ride (1969) - A fairly big Arrow Mine Train, as well as what I can imagine a great first "big" coaster ride for a lot of kids growing up. It's got your usual funky Arrow transitions/elements, and a really cool dive and glide over the lake.

Corkscrew (1976) - *Didn't ride since I wasn't in the mood to get banged around, and my friend mentioned it's definitely not worth it. It looks great on the midway, though!

Gemini (1978) - Another coaster which is probably a lot of kid's first big one, and I have to say this coaster is smack dab in the Just. Plain. FUN. category. I love the racing aspect, the ride is very re-ridable and my friend introduced me to the unofficial tradition of hand slapping if you're sitting on the inner sides of the trains. There's something about reaching out and hi fiving the other train which brings out this moment of pure euphoria for everyone, the moment a couple people start doing it, everyone is smiling and cheering the whole way through. It's a really cool moment that I loved about this coaster, it really brings people together in a fun, unexpected way. Also, this probably has one of the better retro stations with the geometric glass ceiling and red and blue banners.

Wilderness Run (1979) - *Didn't ride, too big and didn't have any kids.

Iron Dragon (1987) - Yet another coaster that makes for a good first big coaster for kids! As well as another rare Arrow suspended coaster that's still running. While nowhere near as intense as the Bat at King's Island, it's a nice family coaster with a cool finale over the water. Ops were also fantastic when I went on since they were smoothly dispatching two trains without stacking one bit.

Gonna' split this up into several parts, Part 2 of the coasters on the way!
 
Part 2

Magnum XL-200 (1989) - OOohh, this is a fun one to review! I know folks who LOVE this coaster, and I know those who really don't. For me? Well for the first ride in the front row, I was totally digging the first half of the ride, and then my thighs HATED the return portion. (Literally just my thighs.) As cool as the trains look, the lap bar is unfortunately not made to handle someone for strong airtime, which the ride has plenty of in it's bunny hills at the end. It's a unique conundrum to say the least! Thankfully I remembered a tip mentioned a while back to tighten your seat belt as tight as possible, I gave it a shot for my second ride and voila, it was totally enjoyable the whole way through! So knowing that trick, I certainly do like the ride. Just be sure to tighten that seat belt otherwise you'll discover the painful side of airtime. Finally, loved the effects the ride had and that's a cool station as well...though for some reason it reminded me of a Mall. ( "The Future, is in the PAST!" - Mabel Pines, 2012.)

Raptor (1994) - So here's a coaster I've been looking forward to ever since I saw it on America's Greatest Roller Coaster Thrills, I do love me a good B&M invert and this fully delivered the Kick-Ass ride I was hoping it would give! I was in the second to last row and that was wonderfully snappy in all the right ways, and it was incredibly smooth for me too since I didn't have to do much of a defensive riding position on it either.

Rougarou (Originally opened as Mantis in 1996, Reconverted to Floorless in 2015) - Out of all the B&M's in the park, I have to put this one on the bottom. It's the roughest of the B&M bunch by a clear margin, and while I did enjoy it from avoiding most of the headbanging with a defensive riding position, it really is a one and done. Also, while it does have a unique funky layout, I shudder to think how that went for a stand-up.

Woodstock Express (1999) - *Didn't ride, been on plenty of roller skaters before.

Millennium Force (2000) - The world's first Giga coaster, and one that's still highly regarded to this day. I had my first encounter with Giga's last year with Orion, which I did enjoy! So how does the original stand? Well, I can clearly see why so many love this coaster! From the sensation of speed, to the hills which give a nice batch of airtime, to the fact this ride just gracefully glides through the layout, this coaster is another one for the Just. Plain. FUN. category and it's insanely re-ridable! I really enjoyed MF, and it really makes a good case for my 2nd favorite coaster in the park. It's a coaster that didn't just break boundaries, it's a good coaster to begin with. I also liked the hype music for the station as well as the toaster over station which looks more like the 80's than the 2000's. ( "The Future, is in the PAST! Onwards Aoishima!!!" - Mabel Pines, 2012.)

Wicked Twister (2002) - *Unfortunately didn't get to ride since it was pretty temperamental, and the one chance we got was cut short since it broke down when we were in the station, and we got our reservation text for Melt. I've been on Steel Venom at Valleyfair, so I know I would've liked it, but wasn't missing anything too big.

Top Thrill Dragster (2003) - The World's First Strata Coaster, and still one of the tallest and fastest around. Is it a One-Trick-Pony? Yes. BUT, it does it's trick incredibly well, since that launch is insane! I'm normally pretty good at handling launches, but this was the first one where I was legitimately nervous for my first time. Watching it in person is a lot more intimidating than seeing it on video! But ultimately I really loved the punch this coaster gives. If something's gonna' be a One-Trick-Pony, I prefer it being something like TTD where you're gonna' get a great rush!

Maverick (2007) - Another crazy creation by Intamin, so crazy that it had to remove it's heartline roll before opening to guests! This is one I was looking forward to for a while, since it looked to pack quite a wicked punch. Not to mention I was intrigued by hearing that this ride is similar in ways to IoA's Velocicoaster, so I wanted to see how that compared. Well, both coasters have two launches and essentially two parts to their ride. A very twisty and inverting first section, followed by a much faster and wilder second half to finish things off. Both have great twisty elements and airtime, and are worth a ride or several.

Ultimately, I really did enjoy Maverick. However when it comes to personal preference/rating, Velocicoaster is the bigger and better variant of this. Doesn't mean Maverick is a bad ride, far from it! Velocicoaster took the good from Maverick and improved it quite a bit.

So that's been quite the several decades of coasters, Part 3 will tackle the current generation of coasters at the park.
 
Part 3, the Young Guns.

GateKeeper (2013) - Now this coaster is what you call an entrance statement! It's a very photogenic coaster with a iconic park entrance element, and some killer looking trains to boot! Now as for the coaster itself, it doesn't pack the punch like the other B&M's, but it's still a fun coaster with some great footchopper moments that you don't see till the last second.

Valravn (2016) - One of the tallest, fastest and longest Dive Coasters in the World, and you know what? This coaster might be the biggest surprise for me! For some reason when I was looking forward to the trip, hype for this one kinda' got lost in the shuffle. I knew I was gonna' ride it, but I didn't realize how much I'd end up liking this one! The vest restraints didn't hinder me as much as I thought they would, and those drops are simply great! I know the front row has the freakiest moment with the hangtime up top, but I honestly loved the back row since you get whipped over the top for a intense moment! The inversions were fun too, especially the zero-g roll at the end which transitions right into a highly banked helix, it's such a quirky move that's really fun!

Steel Vengeance (2018) - Bout' time for this one, huh? Fitting since this is the one everyone talks about, and this was easily the most hyped coaster for me. I've never been on a RMC before, but I've watched as they stepped on the scene in style with the New Texas Giant, and proceeded to turn the coaster world upsidown and every which way they could think of. Steel Vengeance looked to be one of their crazier conversions, so the hype was very real for me. An not surprisingly, this was the first ride I rode on Saturday. So what did I think?

I clearly remember turning to my friend and saying quote... "ARE YOU F#$%*&^ KIDDING ME?!"...at the mid-course section.

For the astronomically high hype I personally had, it managed to exceed that! For me this ride is beyond insane, and that mid-course section is the only breather you get for it and I'd say that was needed since the ride just keeps amping up till the very end. From glorious airtime all over the whole course, to wicked transitions that flip you every which way, to the final zero-g roll which seems to defy time and physics as it feels like it takes it nice and slow before speeding back up again. This is the kind of coaster which leaves you stunned as you hit the brakes, wondering what the heck just happened. An if you're near the back, hoo boy. My friend and I finished the trip off with a night ride in second to last row, and that was one of the wildest night rides I've had in a while.

All in all, this is one heck of a coaster and RMC has shown the game has changed. Boundaries that woodies/hybrids once had are clearly chucked out the window. This is easily my new #1, and I don't see it changing anytime soon since this is a very high bar for me.

So CP has quite the lineup of coasters, it may be their bread and butter, but they've also got a lot more than that, too! That's covered in the next and final part.
 
Top