Utopia

Utopia is defined as a place of ideal perfection especially in
laws, government, and social conditions. Other words come to
mind: bliss, paradise, dreamworld, wonderland, and heaven. A
place of ideal perfection. There is such a place here on earth
that I would call my Utopia and that place is Cedar Point in
Sandusky, Ohio. Is there really a Utopia here on earth? No, but
for me Cedar Point is about as close as it gets.

My favorite place

   

I spent Thursday, June 4th thru Saturday June 6th, 2015 at the
Roller Coaster Capital of the World. It just so happened that the annual Coastermania event was also held during this time on Friday, June 5th. This was another reason for my trip. I wrote a blog post about Coastermania last year as well if you would like more details about what the event entails please read that post. For me it has become really hard to miss a Coastermania event. It is just too memorable to miss. I have now been to the event in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015. I already have my sights on the event in 2016 as well.

Lots of enthusiasts

This trip can be best classified as my big trip this year as it
involves the best park out there; Cedar Point. It also involves
the longest time I spent at an Amusement park in 2015. When you
make a trip to Cedar Point it is best to spend as much time
there as possible. If you don’t go for at least two days then
you are doing it wrong, seriously. The most time I had ever
spent at Cedar Point following this year was two and a half
days. Well this year I decided since I already had a Cedar Fair
platinum season pass I would spend three full days at the park
and man was it an incredible experience.

Loving being at Cedar Point

For those of you reading this blog post, and I appreciate this,
you may be thinking what can you do in an amusement park for
three straight days? Hopefully I will answer that question for
you as you continue to read this. Over a year ago I wrote a
lengthy blog post about Cedar Point so if you want more details
about the park itself you can go back and read over that post.
As for this post I will try and go over just the highlights of
my three day trip.

Why 3 days at Cedar Point? Because of coasters like these!

Why would I spend three straight days at Cedar Point? For me this is a simple question. Cedar Point is by far and away my favorite amusement park so that makes the decision easy for me. Cedar Point also has 16 (soon to be 17) roller coasters so that doesn’t hurt either. The great thing about Cedar Point’s roller coasters is that they are all unique in some way. They are either record breakers and or designed specifically for this great park, in its stunning location. They are also among the best roller coasters I have ever ridden so that means riding them all multiple times is a must. However, if coasters aren’t your thing then you can focus on all of the other 70 attractions the park has to offer. Cedar Point has more total attractions than any other park in the world so it should be easy to find lots to do there. Then add the fact you have a beach like atmosphere on Lake Erie and you have a win win situation. 

Best skyline of any amusement park

Thursday, June 4th
Time in park – 9:00 am to 8:00 pm
Total Rides – 28
Total Coaster Rides – 18
Total Slides in Soak City waterpark - 11
Top Rides Ridden – 4x Rougarou, 3x Millennium Force, 3x Blue Streak,
Most Notable Ride of the Day – Front Row on Top Thrill Dragster
Special Notes – Started with 3 straight rides on Millennium
Force and ended the day with 3 straight rides on Blue Streak

Great way to start the day

Food – Lunch @ Midway Market (buffet and first time ever eating

I was hungry

here) and funnel cake (this was my snack before dinner), Thirsty

These never get old

Pony for pizza (restaurant outside Cedar Point)

Cool place

 

Accommodations – Breakers Express

Decent place to stay close to the park

Friday, June 5th – Coastermania!
Time in park – 7:00 am to 12:00 am (Saturday, June 6th)
Total Rides – 37
Total Coaster Rides – 31
Total Slides - 5
Total ERT Rides – 21
Special Notes – 14 ERT rides in the morning and 7 ERT at night
Top Rides Ridden – 9x Millennium Force, 5x Magnum XL200, 3x Gatekeeper, 3x Blue Streak, 3x Rougarou, 3x Raptor, 3x Wicked Twister, 2x Windseeker
Food – Cinnamon Pretzel, Lunch @ Lakeside Pavilion, Dinner @
Panda Express

My go to park food

Accommodations – Hotel Breakers

Ferris Wheel beds

Saturday, June 6th
Time in park – 9:00 am to 10:00 pm
Total Rides – 31 (great number for a Saturday)
Total Coaster Rides – 24
Special Notes – Sadly no Millennium Force today due to lines

This Ride alone is worth a Cedar Point visit

Top Rides Ridden – 5x Gemini, 4x Maverick, 3x Mean Streak, 3x Blue
Streak, 3x Wicked Twister, 2x Raptor, 2x Gatekeeper
Most Notable Ride – Top Thrill Dragster

120 mph + 420 feet = Spectacular

 
Food – Lunch @ Burger place, Dinner @ Panda Express

3-Day Totals and Results
Time in park – 41 hours (3 Full Days from open to close)
Total Rides – 96
Total Slides – 16
Average Rides per Day – 32
Average Rides an Hour – 2.5 to 3
Longest Wait Time – No more than 30 minutes
Top Rides Ridden – 12x Millennium Force, 9x Blue Streak, 7x Raptor,
Rougarou, Magnum XL200, Gemini, 6x Maverick, Gatekeeper, Wicked
Twister, 4x Windseeker, 3x Mean Streak, 2x Top Thrill Dragster,
Skyhawk, Pipe Scream, Lake Erie Eagles, Lake Erie Railroad
Roller Coasters Not Ridden – 4 Iron Dragon, Corkscrew,
Woodstock Express, and Wilderness Run

Draggin Iron...I mean Iron Dragon

 
Best Ride – Millennium Force

May the Force be with you

Next Best Rides – Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, Gatekeeper,
Raptor, Wicked Twister, Magnum XL200, Rougarou, Gemini

Keeper of the Gate

Most Underrated Ride – Blue Streak

It is blue and it streaks across the track

Most Underwhelming Ride – Cedar Creek Mine Ride

Looks pretty but the ride is lame

Rides Ridden for the First Time – 12 - Pipe Scream, Windseeker,
Rougarou, Lake Erie Eagles, Troika, Monster, Super Himalaya,
Matterhorn, Cedar Downs, Dodgem, Wave Swinger, Tiki Twril

Rougarou...yes that is what they named it

Rides I wish I would have Ridden – Iron Dragon and Power Tower

The Tower of Power Tower

Best Food – Thirsty Pony Pizza (outside Cedar Point)

Great Pizza

Highlights from the three-day trip

Getting to stay at the newly renovated Hotel Breakers

Incredible Resort

Riding Top Thrill Dragster in the front row for the first time
ever (Please for the LOVE do this once in your life)

I am about to ride Top Thrill in the front row face

Getting 12 rides in on my favorite roller coaster Millennium Force

Never gets old

Getting to attend Coastermania again

One of the best events out there

Enjoying the Hotel Breakers awesome hot tub

This is paradise

Hanging out with my friend Derk

Derk is in there somewhere

Getting in 21 rides during ERT sessions at Coastermania

ERT = No Crowds!

Eating at Midway Market for the first time

Artsy Shot

Getting four straight rides in on Maverick Saturday morning

The West was never this wild

Getting to enjoy Soak City with no lines (I love waterparks with
no lines)

Hanging out at Thirsty Pony after a long day at Cedar Point

Cool hallway at Thirty Pony

Closing Thoughts
I have determined that after spending three days straight at
Cedar Point I could have easily spent longer there. I would love
to go for a whole week from Monday – Friday. I never waited
longer than 30 minutes for any ride. You just have to know where
to go in the park to find the shortest lines at the right times.
Were there lines longer than 30 minutes at times during my visit? Yes, especially on Saturday, but I always found other attractions with less lines to enjoy. 

Millennium Force line Friday afternoon = 20 minutes

 

I have also determined through my many previous visits to Cedar
Point that May and early June are the best times to visit this
park. The weather is not hot and the crowds are not bad. It
usually doesn’t get much higher than 80 degrees at Cedar Point
during this time. And humidity, like we know in the south, is
non-existent! The waterpark is also usually deserted, because of
the cooler temperatures, allowing you to ride all the water
rides with no lines.

Me and Maverick

I think I have said this before but I will say it again; Cedar
Point is a destination amusement park. It is for thrill seekers
what Walt Disney World is for families. You really do not even
have to be a thrill junkie to enjoy Cedar Point either. There is
so much to do there, even without ridding rides. I continue to
be amazed at how much fun it is going to Cedar Point. I have
visited the park in 2007, 2009 (twice), 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015,
and I still find new things to enjoy and new rides to ride. In
the 7 different visits and 16 days I have spent at Cedar Point I
continue to have a blast every time. Thank-you Cedar Point for
the memories.

I had the best day(s) ever at the Point