We were really smart this trip and decided to pack a lunch and then get dinner at the park. What we had forgotten was that there was a TGI Friday's near the park, which was awesome for us. We went on the assumption that you would have to pay at least $20 for dinner in the Park...and why not pay $20 for food that you at least knew what you were eating and what the quality was up front. Needless to say, because of the location, it was quite crowded. We were greeted with a 45 minute wait for a party of 5 but decided that we could wait. We just walked along Lake Erie which actually was really nice. Once we got inside, we realized that there were quite a few tables open so that didn't make us too happy that we had to wait that long. The servers are all from different countries, which makes this TGI Fridays a little different than others I have been to before. The food was solid, the room was nicely air coniditioned and again, it was a nice break from screaming down roller coasters (or hearing others scream down roller coasters). I recommend this place!

I think that staying at the Sandcastle Suites was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. I've wanted to visit Cedar Point (America's Roller Coast - Theme Park) since I moved to Chicago 6 years ago (you can read my travel blog about the great time I had there). I went with my roommate, and her five family members. Some of the perks of staying on the grounds of Cedar Point is that you get free parking, you get to enter in to the park 1 hour before everyone else, you have lakefront property, you are only a 10-15 minute walk away from the Park and best of all, you don't have to drive home after a long day at the Park. The Sandcastle Suites had a really nice pool area with many tables with umbrellas to eat at. Next time I have to remember to bring my swimsuit! After spending 14.5 hours in the park, it was great to have a bed to come home to. We split the room cost 6 ways and it was $50 a person. Not bad considering we also got a big discount on our Cedar Point entry tickets! All in all, I definitely recommend this place to stay if you're going up to Cedar Point for the day!

All the time I've lived in Chicago I have really wanted to visit Cedar Point, which is located in Sandusky, Ohio.  I LOVE Roller Coasters...and growing up where I did, there just weren't many to ride on.  Six Flags was in CA and in WA but we had none in Oregon.  So, when I moved to Chicago...I was extremely happy.  Not only do we have Six Flags, Great America to our North, we also have Cedar Point, five hours to east.  My roommate is from Ohio and when I told her that I wanted to go to Cedar Point, she happily worked all the details out.  It was SOOOO much fun.  We ended up staying on the grounds so we were able to enter the park an hour early and it didn't matter how late we stayed, because we didn't have to drive home that same night.  It was definitely the smart choice.  The park was pretty crowded, but it didn't matter.  I had the time of my life!  We got in the park at 9:30 a.m. and didn't leave until 12:00!!  In that time span we rode 13 rides (we did have to spend a LOT of time in line for rides instead of ON the rides themselves...but I couldn't complain cause all the rides were totally worth it).

My favorite ride was a tie between Millenium Force and the new Maverick.  The Maverick was voted America's Favorite Roller Coaster in 2007 and I can see why!  The first drop was 95 degrees and at one point you go from 0 to 70 mph in three seconds!  Amazing and TOTALLY worth the wait.  We went on this one twice it was so much fun!  Because we stayed on the park, which seriously, I recommend again, we were able to leave the park, go have lunch, rest up and then head back to the park again.  It really was great to get refreshed and revitalized to go back out in the park.  We also took a break for dinner and walked on the shore of Lake Erie, which was pretty cool.  I put my feet in...so now I've been to TWO great lakes!  Yay! 

All in all, if you come to Chicago for more than just a weekend and you LOVE roller coasters and you don't mind driving for five hours...I say GO TO CEDAR POINT.  It will change your life. :)

Vandaag werden we wakker om 9 uur en probeerde ons uit bed te slepen. Iniedergeval ik want ik wordt moeier en moeier deze weken. We gingen naar het ontbijt, en daarna weer de auto inpakken, want we bleven weer 1 nacht in dit hotel.

Na het ontbijt en het inpakken zaten we in de auto op weg naar King’s Island. Het was maar een klein stukje, dus we kwamen er rond 11 uur aan. Nog best vroeg maar alsnog was het bloedje heet. Maarja we zochten de ingang, en ginnen naar binnen. Wat gelukkig zonder moeite ging want we hadden weer onze platinum pass die van pas kon komen. Dat scheeld echt. Ook het parkeren hoef je niet te betalen, en je mag helemaal vooraan parkeren, super. In dit park waren er een heleboel achtbanen, inclusief de langste en hoogste houten achtbaan ter wereld! De langste hebben we gedan maar de hoogste was niet te doen, omdat er een wachtrij van kilometers stond. Dus dat was wel jammer, maarja om aan de warmte onderdoor te gaan, in een wachtrij van weet ik hoeveel uur had ik eigenlijk ook niet zoveel zin in.

Toen we een aantal dingen hadden gedaan moesten we eiegnlijk wel richting uitgang omdat we nog 4 uur moesten rijden. Het hielp ook niet echt mee, dat het en hoogseizoen is en zaterdag Tja dat was niet zo slim. Dus naar de auto, en eerst altijd een tijd wachten tot je erin kan omdat anders je kont eraf schroeit van de hitte op de leren bekleding :P

Eigenlijk kan ik niet veel vertellen van de 4 uur durende reis door Ohio omdat ik eigenlijk vrijwel meteen in slaap ben gevallen. Dus na 4 uur ben ik wakker geworden en waren we er eigenlijk bijna. Ik heb nogwel het laaste stukje gezien, en dat was veel graan, mais, boeren bedrijfjes, en heel veel vrijstaande huizen, in minidorpjes. Het was zeker mooi, echt de moeite waard, maarja dat zien ik telkens als we gaan rijden, een prachtige omgeving.

Het was een goed hotel, alleen jammer, van de mensen naast ons, die erg veel bonken tegen de muren....tja. Maarja daar slaap ik wel doorheen. We zijn uiteten geweest bij Applebee’s een erg leuk restaurantje (ook al een keten) waar ze heerlijk eten hebben.

En na het eten gingen we lekker een  film kijken in bed. En nu ga ik slapen :P 

The Thrill Center has four attractions at one location. The haunted house-Ghostly Manor rated #4 by www.dafe.org. (2008) A 3D motion Theater with up to 100 movements per second and 2G's of acceleration (a one and only in Ohio), a roller skating rink and a unique gifts shop. You may also enjoy games and concession at this location. Do one or do them all.

Kalahari is the best hotel in the area. There are currently 5 indoor waterpark/hotels in Sandusky alone and a few in nearby towns, but I think Kalahari is the best to stay at. It is the largest, with more activities. I stay for the waterpark. There are multiple slides, a wave pool, hot tubs, kiddie areas, two surfing areas, and so much more to keep you busy. I like to visit Soak City, an outdoor waterpark at Cedar Point in the summer and Kalahari in the winter. Since I live nearby, I can bypass the expensive summer prices, and stay in the winter when there are discounts. The hotel restaurants are also quite pricy but have good food. I prefer to pack a cooler with snacks and order pizza to the room to save money. The dry play area and arcade are fun too. I stayed with my family, last December, in a large suite for a Christmas get-together. We were from ages 6 to 40's, and everyone had a blast. The suite was nicer than we expected and huge, with plenty of room for the kids to open presents and run around. I have stayed here many times and will continue to go back.

    The alarm went off at 7:00am.  Going to eat a little breakfast and then it's on to Cedarpoint. About a one hour drive from Cleveland. Looking forward to some extreme rollercoasters an some great fun.  WOW, we are finally here. You can see the rollercoasters on your drive in...extreme.  It's 9:00am and we are waiting for the park to open at 10:00am. They let you walk half way down the midway and they stop you. The first ride we hit was the Top Thrill Dragster.........120mph launch and 400ft straight up. All I can say is.....DAMN!!! It has to be one of the best rides ever.  Next was the Millinneum Force. With a height of 310 feet and a speed of 93mph...totaly out of control and an awesome ride. Very smooth.  Next was the Maverick..new to the park 2007.  Lift height of 105 feet and a launch speed of 70mph.....this rollercoaster hauls ass with some quick turns and twist. A must ride!!!!  Next was the Magnum XL200. A lift height of 205 feet and a speed of 72mph. Another awesome ride with a vertical drop of 195 feet. It moves!!  Last was the Mantis......it's a stand up rollercoaster.  A rough ride!!!! Lots of twist and turns.   Finally I would like to say.....The park ticket price is $43.00 and the gift shops, food are reasonaly priced. The people are very friendly.  A must see if your into rollercoasters. Even if your not, there is plenty to do and see. FOUR STARS !!!

Well, tomorrow is the day we leave for home.  What an awesome weekend we had. It's always good to get back home to your own bed. It will be a non-stop flight from Cleveland to Tampa.

I remember going to Cedar Point as a kid, with my sister, my mom & my grandma. We used to spend a couple of nights at the Hotel Breakers on Lake Erie, and visit the park. It seemed so huge then! Well, it still seems pretty big. Noelle & I drove up with a bunch of friends for the day. The plan was to go on every major roller coaster at least once. Mission accomplished! We started near the entrance and went all the way around the park in order. (There were a couple of folks from the 'dusky with us, so we had built in tour guides. Very handy.) We managed to double up on a coaster or two, and hit an extra ride - the spinny pendulum thing in the pictures - before they closed down for the night. Spinning and swinging at the same time - NOT a fan. I thought I might ralf! Fantastic day, though. Good times, good memories. It was every bit as enjoyable as an adult. We stopped for dinner afterward, and when we got home I slept like a baby.

I live about an hour away from Cedar Point and have been there more times than I can count so I decided to share a review for others considering making a trip. (Please note that the pictures are from Cedar Point's website as I don't fool with cameras when I go!)http://www.cedarpoint.com ADMISSION PRICES: The summer of 2006 was the first year Cedar point chose to drop their admission rates. Currently (summer of 2007) a one day pass to the park only (water park and challenge park are additional) will cost an adult ages 3-61 over the height of 48" $41.95. If you're 3 and older but under 48" or over the age of 62, a one day ticket will run $11.95. If you want to go to the water park (Soak City) and the regular park for two days, that ticket runs $69.95 for regular adults, and $29.95 for under 48" and seniors. Children under the age of 2 are free. Active and retired military and their immediate families get tickets for $31. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or at many hotels and a few restaurants around Sandusky. After 5:00 p.m. on regular days when they close at 10 p.m. or later or 4:00 p.m. on days they close before 10 p.m., admission is $24.95. PARKING: I have never found a problem actually finding a parking place but be prepared to walk a ways. There is a shuttle available free of charge, but I've never taken it. Parking costs will run you $10 for a regular car and $15 for an oversized vehicle. For the rest of the review, I'm going to focus on Cedar Point only, not Soak City or the Challenge Park, as I have only been to those a few times. HOURS OF OPERATION: Most days during the summer months (end of May - August) the park is open 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Weekends, holidays, and early / late season times will vary. The best place to look for specific days is: http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/visit/schedule/index.cfm RIDES: Cedar Point boasts over 60 rides. These numbers are approximate as there might be one or two I missed (except on the major coasters, I'm right on with that one for the year! :) Children's Rides = 23 Tranquil Rides = 9 (Including 2 Carousels) Spinning, Circular, Thrill Rides = 15 (One of these includes the Power Tower, which is a major attraction) Water Rides = 2 Roller Coasters = 17. This is the most of any amusement park in the world (according to their website and advertisements) Now, the nitty gritty on what most people want to know: ROLLER COASTERS! I've been on all but the brand new one they built this year and I'll give you my opinion of each. Please take it for that, my OPINION as you might enjoy one I think isn't so great! COMMENTS ON LINE WAIT TIME: I'm basing line wait time comments on the days I've been there, which is always middle of the week during regular summer hours. I do NOT go weekends or holidays but I've heard it's not much different. This is entirelly situational. I've been to Cedar Point on days where it's drizzly and I've waited less than 5 minutes or walked on a major ride. My longest wait time ever clocks in at a little over 4 hours for one ride. These are extremes so I tried to think of the average I wait for each ride. Short = under 1 hour (from entering the ride line to sitting in the seat.) Medium = 1 - 2 hours Long = 2+ hours BLUE STREAK: Over 41 years old. A good, old, wooden coaster with usually a pretty short line. It's near the entrance of the park so it's a good "starter" coaster to your day. Personally, I love this one and ride it every time I go. CEDAR CREEK MINE RIDE: This one is easy to miss in the back of the park. It's another older wooden coaster, not very fast, not very high, but still a good time. You sit in a mine-car reproduction. Some of this ride is over the water which makes it fun. Line time is short. This one is a great one to ride between the major thrill rides. It's one of those "old favorite" rides that we always speculate will someday be replaced by a bigger ride. CORKSCREW: World's first triple looping coaster. It's rough, short, and spans the Midway. It bounces you around a lot. Line time is short to Medium. I haven't ridden this one since the introduction of the Raptor, which goes upside down more times and is smoother. This coasters roughness causes my noggin to bounce against the head restraint and gives me a headache. However, I teach 2nd grade and my students LOVE the thing. DISASTER TRANSPORT: The only indoor roller coaster. This ride started out as an outdoor toboggan ride and they enclosed it some years back. Line time is short - medium, depending on how hot it is outside. The biggest draw to this ride is that it's air-conditioned! To me, it's a fun ride and worth the wait for more than the a/c (but a/c is nice, too!) GEMINI: A tandem coaster. Two cars race side by side, close enough in some areas to slap hands on the slower portions. It's an older, wooden coaster that has somehow remained fairly smooth. This was probably my first roller coaster and still one of my favorites. I have never waited longer than 45 minutes for the ride but I hear stories of hour or more waits. I've never seen it. IRON DRAGON: When this first came out, it was the coolest thing ever. You actually hang down from the track in a little car. It's over the water and has mist effects. As far as actual "thrill" goes, though, it's pretty tame. A couple sudden drops, but novice coaster riders will be comfortable on this one. Line time is short. JR. GEMINI: This one is for the kiddos. It's clocks in at a raging 6 m.p.h. I haven't ridden it since I was a kiddo myself, but I remember BEGGING to ride it again, and again, and again... MAGNUM XL-200: At the time it was built, it was the fastest, tallest, most thrilling coaster in the world. I remember driving up in the wintertime to see the first hill which towered at a height taller than the space shuttle. The first two hills can be heart stoppers. It's a pretty simple route but the tunnels make it fun. Line wait time is medium. On a personal note, this one was my favorite. The last few times I've ridden it however, haven't been great experiences. The lap bar dug into my thighs leaving bruises and it's gotten very rough. It was just in the news for a minor braking malfunction. I honestly think it's an awesome coaster that's gotten overlooked for the bigger, better ones. It's seen it's hayday. It's worth a ride, though. MANTIS: You stand up and go upside down 4 times traveling 60 m.p.h. How is THAT not fun? It's a pretty long line time, though. Not for the faint of heart but a must for the thrill seeker. MAVERICK: New this year, haven't ridden it. MEAN STREAK: One of the tallest, fastest, and steepest wooden coasters in the world. We were there the first week it opened and waited 4+ hours to ride. Line time is considerably shorter now at medium. It's a rough ROUGH ride but fun. (By rough, I mean rattle your teeth, bone-shaking rough.) MILLENNIUM FORCE: Stands 310 feet in the air (on the way up that first hill, look around, the scenery is beautiful), races at speeds over 90 mph, and still smooth as anything. This is my #2. I've been known to ride it multiple times in a day. You sit above a track that looks like a futuristic science fair project. It's not a ride, it's a life experience. Line time is medium to long. If you see that the line is under an hour wait, GET ON! and now for my FAVORITE ride in the park: RAPTOR: Your feet dangle from the track on this inverted coaster. You're in a seat with an over-the head restraint, but your feet are dangling in a ski-lift like feel. PLEASE take this piece of advise, wait the extra 15 minutes or so for the front car. It's the difference between "ho-hum" and quite literally something I CRAVE at least 3 times a year. At the lowest point, your feet come within, well, feet from the ground. At the top, before the lift chain "let's go" the front car is dangling, looking straight down, with NOTHING in front of you, and you go plummeting. Hold your hands and feet out and it's the closest thing to flying you'll get without sprouting wings. (It's a very "I'M KING OF THE WORLD" moment.) It's not the tallest, it's not the fastest, but in my opinion, it's the best. Whipping around barrel rolls with your feet and arms flailing is just awesome. Not for the faint of heart at all. Line time is usually medium. I figure at least an hour and a half if it's not very busy. This is the only ride I'm willing to wait over 2 hours for. Again, the extra 15 minutes for the front car is worth every second. At the end of the ride, I morph into an 8 year old and go sprinting from the exit to the back of the line screaming "I want to do it again!" TOP THRILL DRAGSTER: Long line time (I've never waited less than 1 hour 45 minutes) for a ride that lasts literally seconds. However, you are propelled up a hill 420 feet tall at over 120 mph. The front car is, again, a completely different experience (better if you ask me). The pictures they take of you in the front car are priceless because your cheeks are pushed back, eyes are bulging, drool flying, and hanging on for dear life. You bet I bought mine! Again, this one is a life experience more than a "ride". Worth the wait. P.S. This site: http://www.cedarpoint.com/public/park/rides/coasters/top_thrill_dragster/index.cfm has a quicktime movie of the ride. Not as good as being there, but you get the idea. WICKED TWISTER: There's a reason no one is in line for the middle of the train, it stinks. Get to an end, doesn't matter beginning or end, just get there. Think "old swinging ship ride" on steroids - and it twists. Line time is short to medium. It's near the beach so there's usually a nice breeze when you're waiting. I'd recommend this one for the thrill seeker and the novice. WILDCAT: Old metal county-fair feel. You get in a little bug-looking car and get jerked around. It's fun but line time seems to take forever. It's only really an hour or so wait, but it seems to go slow. I usually bypass this one for the bigger ones, but it's still fun. WOODSTOCK EXPRESS: Another kiddo ride! At 25 mph, it's a little more "thrilling" than Jr. Gemini, but a good one for the young coaster enthusiast. FOOD: There's a few sit-down style restaurants including Johnny Rockets (50's style burger joint). I can't tell you about the other ones because I don't take time to sit and eat when I'm there. There is a pizza place (that I HOPE is still there, it might have been in the path of the Maverick) in the back of the park that's very good too. Food is not cheap. Bottles of water will run you $3. A meal will set you back about $20 when it's all said and done. The best deal in the park is Johnny Rockets. Word of advice: Eat the French fries at the "Fat Friar", but not right before getting onto a spinny ride. OTHER: The landscaping is beautiful, they do a nice job of taking care of the grounds. I've never seen it trashy or dirty. Bathrooms are generally well-stocked and clean. Employees are effecient and friendly. There are live shows that are really good. If you've got a non-rider with you, they won't hurt for something to do. I'm a rider, so I usually don't hit the shows. Last year during Halloweekends (where the park gains spooky-Halloween decorations late in the season) the Red Garter Saloon had a live rock-style show that was one of the best I'd seen. Okay, this review is now insanely long. In a nutshell, it's a great place to go for most everybody. You might want to plan a couple days as it's near impossible to do it all in one day. If you have questions, feel free to message me and I'll help the best I can. Honestly, if you've never been to Cedar Point and you're near Ohio or Southern Michigan, it's worth the trip!

Went here on a cool, overcast, school day...it was AWESOME...there were no lines, no people, and our group had the whole place to ourselves...well practically. It was a great choice to go on such a day! The best rollercoasters ever, and plenty of time to ride them twice if we wanted. Has the usual drawbacks of any theme park...expensive food that isn't that great...but still had a great time!

Our first priority was to get in line to ride the Millinneium Force.  This is an awesome roller coaster and we knew the lines would be long.  We only had to wait in line 45 minutes, which we didn't think was too bad, compared to what others had been saying the wait was for them.  Going up the hill was incredible because you just keep going and going.  Then as you cross over the top, you look down to see nothing except the ground.  As you come doesn the big hill, you feel like you are going straight down.  You can't see the track below you as it actually bends back in before you get to the bottom of the hill.  The force raises you our of your seat, making you absolutely sure that the safety bar is the only thing keeping you from flying off into space.  It was scary, but quiet a thrill.

We arrived at the park at 9:30am, right when it opened, and were going strong all the way until 11:00pm.  There was so much to do, we could have easily spent several days here.  This is probably one of the BEST parks in the country.  It certainly tops Six Flags and Great America.  It is very comparable to Disney World, without a lot of the extremely high prices.