Tag Archives: May 2011

WildCat Removed For Celebration Plaza Expansion

Cedar Point - Off-Season Wildcat

Cedar Point has announced today that it is expanding its new Celebration Plaza. As a part of that expansion, Cedar Point will be removing the WildCat roller coaster. In a statement on their website, they said…

WildCat was coming to the end of its useful life. With the desired expansion to Celebration Plaza, coupled with the low ridership and increased maintenance costs, Cedar Point has decided to accelerate the removal of the ride. WildCat will be removed from the park prior to Opening Day and the materials will be sent to a recycling facility.

This is the first roller coaster that Cedar Point has removed since the Jumbo Jet in 1978.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Wildcat

They said this expansion is one of several initiatives that will beautify the park midways and enhance guests’ experiences. Cedar Point remains committed to being the roller coaster capital of the world which means that new roller coasters, rides and attractions will always be in the future plans of the park.

Cedar Point - Off-Season Wildcat

Cedar Point Celebrates Memorial Day Weekend With a Tribute to the Troops

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio – Thrilling roller coasters, tantalizing food, and a special tribute to the armed forces are a few of the many things to do at Cedar Point during the Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30.

During the three-day holiday weekend, the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort will be honoring the brave men and women of the armed forces. Free admission will be offered to active, honorably discharged or retired members of the United States military with a valid ID. Family members of those in the armed forces will be able to purchase reduced admission tickets at the daily special military discount of $36.99.

On Saturday, music will fill the air as the Ohio State University Spring Athletic Band returns to the park. The band will begin the day by performing near the Raptor roller coaster at 9:40 a.m.  At 1:30 p.m., it will march along the park’s main midway and play their ever-so popular songs on the Iron Dragon Midway.

Beginning Friday, May 27 guests will also have the opportunity to enjoy the Breakfast Buffet with the PEANUTS Characters every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Labor Day, plus this Monday, May 29 and the other Monday holidays, July 4 and Sept. 5.  From scrambled eggs and pancakes to fruit and yogurt, eating with Snoopy and the gang is a fun and unique dining event that every family should experience. The buffet will be served from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Midway Market on the park’s main midway.   Tickets can be purchased online or at the park.  Admission to Cedar Point is required.

Guests will also be able to enjoy a good-old-fashion picnic at the Coral Courtyard. The Picnic at the Point will feature a menu consisting of fried chicken, hot dogs, Johnsonville Brats, potato salad, baked beans, baked rigatoni, cookies, and ice-cold Pepsi beverages. The meal will be available Saturday from 5:30-7 p.m., Sunday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Monday.  Tickets can be purchased online at cedarpoint.com or at the park’s admission gates.

Adjacent to Cedar Point, the Soak City waterpark will be opening on Saturday, May 28, and will be open daily through Labor Day, Monday Sept. 5.  The 18-acre waterpark has more than a dozen waterslides, a 500,000 gallon wave pool, two children’s areas and the Splash Zone, a multi-story interactive play area that offers over 100 different wet and wild water gadgets, water slides, and a gigantic bucket that pours 1,000 gallons of water on guests below.

For more information about Cedar Point, Soak City, or any of the Memorial Day Weekend events, please visit cedarpoint.com or call the park’s general information line at 419.627.2350.

Cedar Point Opens for the Summer on May 14

Cedar Point Press Release

SANDUSKY, Ohio, May 6, 2011 — Premium made-to-order gourmet hot dogs and chili dogs will add to the fun and excitement of a Cedar Point summer when the Sandusky, Ohio, amusement park/resort opens for the season on Saturday, May 14.

Beginning Saturday, May 14, Cedar Point will be open every day through Labor Day, Sept. 5.

New this summer will be Pink’s, a restaurant that specializes in gourmet hot dogs, chili dogs and onion rings.  A Hollywood legend since 1939, Pink’s will be located near the front of the park, just across from Toft’s Ice Cream Parlor.  It will be the first Pink’s franchise east of Las Vegas.

Later in the month, the park will also introduce WindSeeker, a 301-foot-tall towering swing ride that will be located near the Cedar Point Beach.  Seated in open two-passenger cars, riders will be treated to dramatic views of Cedar Point, Lake Erie and the Cedar Point Beach.

“We are very excited to officially kickoff summer in the Midwest,” said John Hildebrandt, Cedar Point’s vice president and general manager.  “It has been a long, cold winter and people are ready to have some fun.  Roller coasters, hot dogs and Snoopy are the perfect solution.”

Opening for its 142nd season, Cedar Point features an extensive entertainment package that includes thrilling rides and roller coasters, live shows and special entertainment for young families.  With 74 rides, including 17 roller coasters, Cedar Point has more rides and more coasters than any park in the world.

In addition to the rides, guests will be able to watch some of the park’s award-winning live entertainment.  Tropical Heat, Island Beat, presented in the Red Garter Saloon, will feature the hits of Jimmy Buffett and the Miami Sound Machine, while Charlie Brown’s Funtime Frolics will be performed in Camp Snoopy.  Four other shows will open later in the summer.

Other special activities at the park during its Opening Weekend include:

— Beginning Opening Day through Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19, guests can enter the Take Home a Thrill contest to win a new XUV 825i John Deere Gator, valued at more than $11,000.  Entry forms can be obtained at Cedar Point’s Guest Services, the Town Hall Museum or by mail.  For more information, please visit cedarpoint.com.

— On Sunday, May 15, the park will also hold an all-you-can-eat Picnic in the Park meal featuring Johnsonville Brats, fried chicken, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, baked rigatoni, cookies, ice cream and assorted Pepsi beverages.  The picnic will be held in the Coral Courtyard from 4-6:30 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased online at cedarpoint.com or at the park’s admission gates.

Through the end of May, Pick-a-Date tickets for a June visit can be purchased online at cedarpoint.com for only $32.99, a savings of $14 per ticket!

All of Cedar Point’s resort properties will open for the season on Friday, May 13.  Resort guests qualify for Early Entry and can enter the park one hour before it opens to the public and can purchase tickets for only $29, the lowest rate available.

For more information about Opening Weekend at Cedar Point, please visit the park’s website at cedarpoint.com or call the park’s General Information Line at 419.627.2350.

Putting for a good cause

From the Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY

It’s an event that combines a good time with a good cause.

Call it a hole-in-one for charity.

The Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross has been holding its annual miniature golf tournament for 20 years.

The event, held again Wednesday, always takes place three days before Cedar Point opens for the season.

And for some players, it’s a tradition.

A four-woman team — Elaine Thornton, Freida Stierhoff, Elaine Blackmore and Diane Koch — said Wednesday they’ve played in all 20 tournaments.

The team, which consists of four blonde women, is called Three Blondes Plus One.

It amuses them to confuse people.

Wednesday’s event was expected to raise about $7,000, said Ron Rude, executive director of the Firelands Red Cross.

He said 40 four-person teams competed in the event.

WindSeeker won’t fly on park’s opening

From the Sandusky Register

SANDUSKY

For the second year in a row, a new ride at Cedar Point won’t be ready for opening day.

While last year’s opening of Shoot the Rapids was delayed because of technical problems, this year’s new ride — WindSeeker — is off to a slow start because of northern Ohio’s wicked weather.

WindSeeker will not be running when the park opens on May 14, said Robin Innes, Cedar Point’s spokesman.

The long winter got the park off to a late start, and the recent spate of high winds and rainstorms only exacerbated the situation.

The 30-story WindSeeker will swing 64 riders in a circle more than 300 feet in the air. It reaches a top speed of 30 mph, with the swings flaring out at a 45-degree angle over Lake Erie.

The $5 million ride is manufactured by the Dutch-based Mondial.

During a conference call Thursday morning with financial analysts who follow the company, Cedar Fair CEO and president Dick Kinzel confirmed the ride’s opening will be delayed.

But the delay will likely be a matter of days, not weeks, Kinzel said.

“I think we’re talking, at the latest, Memorial Day,” he said.