Here in the Midwest, located in Sandusky, Ohio is an amusement park called Cedar Point. It has 18 roller coasters making it a favorite among roller coaster enthusiasts. It is known as The Roller Coaster Capital of the World!®
There are many other rides along with a water park and Frontier Town. We visited recently and want to share some tips about making the most of your trip if you decide to go there.
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#1 — Buy Discount Tickets
Don’t buy your tickets at the park gate. There are so many ways to get discounts. Many credit unions offer discounts. If you have AAA, they have a discount. You can get large group discounts as well if you’re going with a bunch of people. I’ve even seen discounts at grocery stores such as Meijer.
On Cedar Point’s website, they offer discounts to save you money as well. This year they even offered a discount on tickets for Michigan residents.
#2 — Go Early in the Year
The park is closed during the winter but opens in late spring. Make your visit before July to have shorter lines for rides.
#3 — Visit in the Middle of the Week
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days to visit to avoid the big crowds.
The weekends are especially busy!
#4 — Spend Less Time Waiting in Line
If you have extra money to spend, buy a Fast Lane pass that allows you to get on rides before other people.
Fast Lane allows you to get on certain rides quicker than other people, and Fast Lane Plus allows you to get on even more rides quickly.
We couldn’t afford it, but if you can, it will allow you to ride way more rides in one day.
#5 — Buy Combination Tickets
If you plan on staying more than one day and want to visit both the amusement park and water park, buy the tickets together for a discount.
#6 — Purchase the Drink Special
For the 2019 season, the park offers a drink special where you buy a wristband for $14.99 and can get a drink every 15 minutes for the entire day. For the same price you can also buy a souvenir cup instead which allows you to get drink refills all day plus $1 refills if you bring the cup back to the park on another day during the 2019 season.
You can currently purchase this deal online to save $2.
Since a bottle of water is $4.25 and pop is $4.99, it is a better deal.
If you plan to go multiple times, you can buy the all season drink special. This is a deal just like the all day drink deal where you get the souvenir cup or just regular drink refills but for the entire season for only $31.99.
They also have meal deals on their website as well.
#7 — Look Around for the Best Prices on Food
Food is more expensive at an amusement park.
We ate at a restaurant where we bought a large pizza for $25 (it was a lobster pizza). There were four of us. We all had a glass of ice water. Bottled water has a charge, but water in a glass is free. This was a pretty good deal compared to a lot of other restaurants at the park.
You could also pack a cooler and leave it in your car. You can leave the park and come back in as long as you get your hand stamped when you leave. This would be a way to save money on food.
#8 — Take Advantage of Drinking Fountains
There are several drinking fountains located near bathrooms around the park. Take advantage of this free water without having to wait in line.
You can also go to any place that serves drinks and ask for water in a glass. They legally have to give it to you for free. Some places will give you a tiny cup with water, but others will give you a large cup.
#9 — Avoid Carrying Things Around the Park
Wear clothing with zippered pockets to avoid having to carry anything such as a purse or backpack. Or, use a fanny pack to carry items because this is allowed on most rides.
#10 — Check Before You Ride
Backpacks, purses, and other loose items are not allowed on many of the roller coasters and other rides. You can look ahead of time at Cedar Point’s website to see specifics for each ride.
Some rides have bins to put your items in, but others will require you to get a locker which can be expensive.
#11 — Go Early to Live Shows
If you like to go to the different live shows that are offered throughout the park, visit in late May through early August. The shows use a lot of college-age people that will be in school other times. This means there are less shows available outside of this time.
Also, arrive a little early to shows to guarantee a seat.
#12 — Keep Stuff in Your Car
If you don’t want to pay for a locker (they are expensive), then you can put stuff in your car. As long as you get your hand stamped at the gate before you leave the park, you will be able to come and go as you please to your car.
We kept things like extra clothes and sunscreen in our car, and we never had to get a locker.
#13 — Bring a Bag for Water Rides
If you plan on riding a water ride that’s not in the water park, wear clothes that will dry quickly.
Also, bring a Ziploc bag to put your phone in so it doesn’t get wet.
They don’t have bins for you to put your items in, so whatever you have in your pockets can get wet.
You can also have someone else in your group hold your items while you’re on the ride.
Also, you don’t have to wear your shoes on the water rides.
#14 — Buy a Season Pass
If you plan on visiting Cedar Point a few times in a season, you can save money by getting a season pass.
Currently, they are offering a great deal called the Gold Pass. This Gold Pass allows you free admission to both Cedar Point and Cedar Shores (the water park), free parking, early entry into the park, and other discounts. You can use this pass for the rest of 2019 as well as the entire 2020 season. This Gold Pass only costs $99. This is such a great deal if you want to visit multiple times.
#15 — Use the Cedar Point App
Download the Cedar Point App on your smartphone to have access to ride wait times, a park map, and other tools.
If you use the app when you arrive at the park, you can mark your parking spot on the map. When you leave at the end of the day, the map will help you find your car.
#16 — Wear Comfortable Shoes
There is a lot of walking at Cedar Point, so it is important for you to wear shoes that are comfortable. Also, if you are planning on riding lots of roller coasters, you will want shoes that won’t fall off if your feet are dangling.
#17 — Use the Bathrooms Further in the Park
The bathrooms that are closest to the entrance are typically pretty crowded. When we visited, there were lines out the door.
Bathrooms further in the park do not have lines.
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What are your best Cedar Point tips?
If you’ve visited Cedar Point before, what things made your day better? What did you like about going to Cedar Point? Comment down below!
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