Located in Sandusky, Ohio, an hour west of Cleveland, Cedar Point is regarded as one of the best amusement parks in the world. Known for its record breaking roller coasters it consistently ranks high on amusement park lists. With over 50 rides Cedar Point is also one of the largest amusement parks in the world. Along with its rides the park features shows, restaurants, a beach, and resort hotels making it a perfect vacation spot for anyone. As someone who has been to Cedar Point over 500 times I feel like I am a good person to give an objective review of the park. Here is what to know before visiting Cedar Point.
In this park review I will cover both the good and the bad. I will also cover what to do, what to eat, and where to stay during your trip at Cedar Point. This article will provide you with everything you need to know before visiting Cedar Point from someone who has been visiting since 2001. Visiting the park will cost around $80 at the gate but you can find much cheaper options online. Parking also runs around $25 per car. If you plan on visiting more than one day, consider looking at a Gold Pass which gets you into the park, waterpark, parking lot, and other perks. Before we get to the fun stuff (The rides!!) lets go over your options on where to stay.
Where to Stay
Cedar Point Features six official overnight locations in or around the park. Each of them are unique and differ in price. Cedar Point resorts also come with benefits like early entry into the park which gives you an extra hour to ride some rides. The surrounding area also has hotels and motels if you are on a budget and don’t mind driving a bit to get to the park.
Official Cedar Point Properties
Hotel Breakers is the signature on site hotel of Cedar Point. Built in 1905, the hotel has been recently renovated with all new rooms and décor. It sits on the Cedar Point Beach and is within walking distance of two entrance gates into the park. The hotel features three restaurants (Perkins, Fridays, and Tomo), a bar, and a Starbucks along with two outdoor and one indoor pool. Hotel Breakers is definitely the priciest option at over $350 a night but you can’t beat its location to the park. If you have the money and want an unforgettable experience at Cedar Point, I highly recommend the Breakers.
Lighthouse Point is located at the far back of the peninsula comprising of different sized cabins and RV sites. Some cabins offer great views of the water and are not too far of a walk to the resort gate. Lighthouse Point is much quieter as it is farther away from the park but not too far. Lighthouse Point also features a pool and a pier for its guests. This location is also rather pricy at over $350 for the cheapest cabin and over $150 for a campsite. I have only stayed here a few times but I have no complaints, then again I was also like 8 when I last stayed here.
Cedar Point’s Express Hotel is located just off the causeway to the park. It is marketed as a cheaper option to stay but still runs around $200 a night. I have only stayed at this property once but our room had ants so I did not have a good experience here. It was recently renovated but be warned.
Castaway Bay is both a resort and an indoor waterpark. Staying at this island themed hotel gets you all the benefits of the other properties along with admission into their waterpark. It is not the largest waterpark but it is fun for small kids. This resort is a perfect location in the cooler months that the park is open like May and October but it is also open year round when Cedar Point is closed for the winter.
Sawmill Creek is the newest resort at Cedar Point. Themed to the woods, it features a world class golf course, shopping, and a restaurant. I have never stayed in this hotel but when I went to a roller coaster convention we had check in there. It was nice and brand new so hopefully one day I can stay there. It is rather expensive at over $250 a night. This resort also has a marina for boaters.
Cedar Point has its own marina where you can park your boat. It also has an entrance right next to Valravn for easy access to the park. The Marina features an outdoor pool, two restaurants (Famous Dave’s and Bay Harbor), a store (The only store on the peninsula that sells red crème soda), and ferry service to Sandusky and the Lake Erie Islands.
Non Cedar Point Hotels and Conclusion
Hotels near the park that are not owned by Cedar Point include South Shore Inn, the Maples Motel, Motel 6 Huron, Holiday inn Express, Great Wolf Lodge, and Kalahari. No matter where you stay, you will be close to the best amusement park in the country.
What to do
Now it’s time to have some fun. There is so much to do at Cedar Point that I can write a whole article on just roller coasters. I will try to break this down the best I can and offer my own insight into the many things to do at the park.
Roller Coasters
I know, you are here for the roller coasters. No matter how much the park tries to convince you that it is more than roller coasters, it is lying. Yes there are many other things to do at the park but we all know the coasters are king here. There are no other amusement parks that have the extensive coaster collection that Cedar Point has. It has world class record breaking coasters like the 310 foot tall Millennium Force which has been named the best steel coaster in the world many times. In my opinion however it is much overrated. Steel Vengeance is my personal favorite which is a hybrid coaster that has tons of airtime and goes upside down 4 times. The downside is the metal detectors and TSA like screening can sour the mood a bit. There have been times where they sent a half full train because of how long the metal detection takes. In line you must put everything in your pockets into a free locker. Maverick has two launches and has many twists and turns. Magnum XL200 opened as the world’s tallest and fastest coaster in 1989 and is still one of my favorites. Sit in row 3 or 16 for the best ride in my opinion. Lastly, Top Thrill Dragster is closed for “reimagining” after almost killing someone in line so it will not be open in 2023. If you were lucky enough to ever be at the park when it was open, it was a thrilling coaster but mostly a one trick pony. The supporting cast of coasters are also amazing and would be the stars at other parks.
The supporting coasters include Raptor, Gatekeeper, Valravn, Gemini, Rougarou, Corkscrew, and Blue Streak. Lastly Cedar Point has three great family coasters including Iron Dragon, Mine Ride and the new for 2023 Wild Mouse along with two children’s coasters Wilderness Run and Woodstock Express. No matter how old you are, there is a coaster for everyone at Cedar Point. If you were wondering what my personal top 5 coasters at the park here is my list.
- Steel Vengeance
- Blue Streak
- Magnum XL200
- Millennium Force
- Raptor
Another important thing to note about the coasters at Cedar Point is which ones have bins for belongings and which ones do not. The following rides do not have bins and force you to pay for a locker or leave your stuff with a non-rider. For a few of these it makes sense due to having two different stations but others it is clearly a money grab disguised as “maximizing capacity.” The coasters without bins include Millennium Force, Steel Vengeance, Magnum XL200, Rougarou (Bins are for shoes only), Valravn (Larger bags are not allowed), Gatekeeper (Small items only), and Iron Dragon (everything must and can ride with you). Please make sure you secure your phones on the coasters also as a phone to the face can cause a lot of damage and being caught with it out can result in ejection from the park. Now that we have covered the most important aspect of Cedar Point, let’s move on to the other rides in the park.
Flat Rides
Cedar Point is mostly known for its roller coasters but they also have many non-coaster rides for everyone. From thrilling rides like Maxair and Skyhawk to family rides like Snake River Expedition and Cadillac Cars Cedar Point has so much to do. The park also has amusement park classics like Midway Carousel, Giant Wheel, Scrambler, and Ocean Motion. Although many of Cedar Point’s flat rides are fairly generic that can be found at almost any amusement park, there are a few that stand out. Here is my list of must ride flat rides.
- Cedar Downs- This ride is like a carousel but much faster. You sit on a horse and race your friends as you go around and back and forth. It is over 100 years old and one of the last remaining rides of its kind in the world.
- Skyhawk- Have you ever been on a swing and wondered what it would be like if it was over 100 feet tall? That is Skyhawk.
- Snake River Expedition- A slow family boat ride with an interactive story featuring live actors. This ride is good for families but it is not thrilling.
- CP&LE Railroad- Cedar Point’s train takes you from the middle of the park near Iron Dragon to the back by Steel Vengeance. On the way back to the park you can get views of the Sandusky Bay and Millennium Force’s drop. Coming back up front you experience Boneville, a series of animatronic skeletons in their own town.
- Windseeker- If you are lucky enough for this ride to be open when you visit and not down for wind you should ride it. It gives 360 degree views of the park and lake from about 300 feet up!
- Skyride- Take a bucket over the Main Midway and look at the front of the park from above.
Along with the flat rides, Cedar Point also features three kids’ areas. Planet Snoopy, and Kiddy Kingdom are on opposite sides of the Coliseum arcade and Camp Snoopy is near the resort gate. All three areas have rides for little kids and Camp Snoopy contains two kiddie coasters. Kids and adults can also check out Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island for an interactive experience and a giant playground!
Entertainment
Cedar Point offers more than just rides. They have many different shows at their theaters and stages throughout the park. Some show themes may include Broadway, Motown, Western, Snoopy, or flash mobs. The shows usually change every year so there is always something new. Last season they also had a parade which was great and I hope they bring it back in 2023. Beware, the song will get stuck in your head for the rest of the year. Along with the shows, Cedar Point also has a petting zoo with cows, llamas, and goats. The park also puts on seasonal events like the Frontier Festival, Cedar Point Nights, and Halloweekends.
Cedar Point Shores is another fun place to hang out in the summer at Cedar Point. As the waterpark, you can ride many slides and enjoy two lazy rivers. The park also has an adults only swim up bar. I won’t go into too much detail about the waterpark but if it is your thing I suggest checking it out.
If you are sick of riding rides all day you can check out the Cedar Point Beach. It is free to access for swimming or sun tanning. If you want a bit more excitement, you can rent a jet ski or go parasailing on Lake Erie. I will warn you it is pricy.
Where to Eat
Ten years ago this section would contain the following advice. “Leave the park if you want to eat.” Over the past few years Cedar Point has upped their game in regards to dining. I was shocked this season to find places I would never consider eating in the past be so good I had to return. In this section I will just go over the highlights and where I eat as a local. Full disclosure, I have a meal plan on my season pass which allows me to eat twice a day almost anywhere in the park. For someone without this plan, a meal could cost up to $25 per person including a drink. With that said, here are my favorite places to eat at Cedar Point.
- Farmhouse- This restaurant is located where the old Antique Cars used to be. Themed to a farm, this restaurant features steak, chicken, and sausage. For sides they have corn ribs, potatoes, chili, and sweet potato fries. My suggestion would be to get the steak and potatoes.
- Backbeat Que- Located near the Resort Gate Backbeat is the BBQ restaurant at Cedar Point. They serve brisket, pork, burnt ends, chicken, and sausage. Sides include corn, fries, and mac and cheese. They also have two different BBQ sauces available. Go for the Brisket and fries!
- Chickie’s and Pete’s- Yes it may be a Philadelphia sports bar but their cheesesteaks and crab fries are amazing here also. They also have a bar and table service.
- Coasters Diner- This was the place I was referring to when I said I never considered eating at some places. Over the last year they have transformed this place from a dry burger place to some of the best burgers in any amusement park.
I can go on and on about food but some notable ones are the fries and cheese on a stick. Hugo’s, Mac Shack, and Melt are all decent restaurants also but I do not eat their as much as the others. No matter where you eat now, you will most likely get good quality food albeit expensive.
Conclusion
Whether it is your dream vacation or a one day trip, I hope this article helps you in your trip planning to Cedar Point. There is so much to do that I cannot put into this article but it allows you to explore the park yourself. Take it from someone who has been to the park over 500 times, you will love Cedar Point.
