OnPoint! - The Cedar Point Blog

The Taste of the Future

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:53:00 EST

In addition to all of the ride overhaul that happens in the park, the Food Services Division is working on off-season projects of their own. And these projects involve eating. Naturally, we had to "investigate" for you... Each off-season, vendors from all over the country come to Cedar Point in hopes that we'll carry their product in the park, in a cafeteria or in our hotels. Today, we were lucky to be there as a vendor brought some tasty wares to try. First up? Salad toppings. Mmmmm... Moving over to the kitchen, it's time for the good stuff. That's a representative from Advance Food, Gary Gochenour, our Director of Food Services and John Taylor, Kitchen & Commissary Manager. They prepared quite a few items to try - everything from over five different types of chicken breast to meatballs, French fries, taco meat and corned beef. Did we mention they cooked French fries? Needless to say, some types of "work" in the off-season are enjoyable - and edible!

Going Full Speed Ahead

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:59:00 EST

We've been closed for almost two weeks and the winter overhaul is in full swing. Most coaster cars have been placed on the midway, ready for transport to the maintenance shops... Speaking of which, the picnic shelters at the front of the park are currently being transformed. We've added walls on the outside... ...because we're turning them into temporary winter maintenance shops. We do this annually to maximize the space we have. Here's a shot inside, as the Maintenance Department prepares for the big job ahead... And now for some comic relief. If you've been reading the blog long enough, you know that we wrap our rides and fragile figures for freshness to protect them from the elements. At the Ice Cream Parlor, the cow out front will have to moo a little louder if she wants anyone to hear her... And is it a circus? A space ship? No, it's Flying Ace Balloon Race! Enjoy your weekend.

Drawn Together At Cedar Point

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:40:00 EST

There's something magical about amusement parks that brings people together. Is it the scenery? The funnel cakes? The sheer terror and screaming once every 2 minutes or so? Whatever it is, it has touched many people, including our friend Jeff. Jeff's been a park fan all along and met his girlfriend Jamie in 2004 while at college.

The two have been to several of the Cedar Fair parks, including Valleyfair and Canada's Wonderland, and of course, Cedar Point. So it was only fitting that this is where he popped the question. Men, take note - it's another creative way to present the ring. Jeff had a caricature artist draw him proposing to Jamie on paper, but while they were sitting there, Jamie just figured the artist was drawing the two of them together with nothing special going on. You can conclude what happened after she saw the completed picture. The plan went off without a hitch and now the two are going to get hitched themselves. Jeff likes this picture so much, he replaced his college degree with it on his wall! Can't say we blame him (but remember, education is important!). All our best to Jeff and Jamie!

Now, The Hard Part

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:10:00 EST

Ok. For those of you who have asked about what's new in 2009, please remain seated in an upright position - we are finalizing our plans and will announce any new additions, programs or the like when they are complete. Now that we're closed, it's time to clean up after ourselves. Well, that means the HalloWeekends decorations and such. We're taking down cornstalks... The Super Himalaya is now disassembled... Wonder what we do with all the pumpkins and flowers? We put them here. What happens after that, we don't know. ...just kidding. They're available for staff that would like them. Even our tombstones are being put back to rest... These skeletons are preparing for the 2010 winter olympics in Vancouver as the first bobsled team to represent the afterlife... And the giant gargoyle at the Main Entrance has been taken out of his garden. More to come. It's going to be a busy winter!

A Cute Encounter

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:54:00 EST

A few weeks ago, while I was "playing dead," I ended up scaring more adults than children... There's something about creepy eyes and makeup that just doesn't sit right with many people. The children? Some were afraid to come near, sure. But one little girl in particular had absolutely no fear: That's little Courtney, the neice of our reader Audra who sent in these photos. In fact, she just celebrated her 2nd birthday. She was so brave, she even moved in closer for a high five: Absolutely adorable. I almost broke character because of all that cuteness. I think she's ready for the haunted houses next year...

Sorry, Folks...Park's Closed!

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:13:00 EST

Last night, we wrapped up the season with one last ride on Millennium Force, and the riders had a lot of fun finding the Golden Tickets in the park (and our employees can now recite the winning phrase in their sleep after being asked over and over again). So here they are, just before heading up to the platform: Then, everyone was buckled in for their last ride: Congrats to all of our winners! You can be sure we'll do it again next year. Elsewhere in the park, on the way out, we caught what's known as the "Garbage Can Ballet" taking place. The GCB is a dance perfected by our Park Services staff each closing day. They round up the hundreds and hundreds of garbage cans in the park and corral them in packs to be hauled away and cleaned before they're stored for the winter. Look at that form: Eventually, they get rounded up like this: It's a little rainy here this morning, but we hope to catch the removal of coaster cars and other closing procedures this week. Oh, and mark your calendars - Opening Day 2009 will be on Saturday, May 16!

Thank You!

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:31:00 EST

Just a quick note to thank you for a GREAT 2008 Season! On Monday, we'll update you with photos from our last ride on Millennium Force and a few other tidbits. Again, thanks for a great summer - but don't fret - as you know, a lot happens at the park during the winter and we're here to cover anything new and exciting that takes place. See you Monday!

Last Rights To Ride

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:51:00 EST

Sadly, HalloWeekends will end our 2008 season on Sunday, November 2. We've received many inquiries about doing another last ride contest like we did last year with Maverick. So, let's do it! This year, you'll have the opportunity to be on the very last ride on Millennium Force in 2008. How do we pick riders? Simple. Find the Golden Tickets. The Golden Tickets are handed out each year by Amusement Today newspaper, and they represent the best of the best in the amusement industry. For a record 11 years in a row, Cedar Point has been named "Best Amusement Park." There will be 17 Golden Tickets. "But why only 17?" Well, because the two of us get to ride with you, of course! A Millennium Force train holds 36 riders. 34 will be winners, 2 will be us. The Golden Tickets can be found on 17 of our full-time employees inside the park gates on SUNDAY ONLY. Full-time employees have a blue, rectangular name tag with their first name on them along with a Snoopy pin. Simply say, "Millennium Force, of course, of course," and they'll hand you the ticket. If you don't say this phrase exactly, they will not hand you the ticket. If you're lucky enough to get one, bring a guest with you and meet at Millennium Force at 8 p.m. on Sunday night, and we'll all take the last ride together. Each ticket will have a number on it, corresponding to the row you will be sitting in. Sorry, no fighting for the front seat! You must present your Golden Ticket to enter. If you lose it, we cannot allow entry. All riders (including each winner's guest) must be at least 48" tall to ride. Should Millennium Force not be avaialable due to weather or maintenance conditions, a substitute attraction may be chosen at the park's discretion. Here's what this year's Golden Ticket laminate looks like:

Good luck! And join us this weekend for one last blast in 2008!

Yes, It Happens

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 09:53:00 EST

Take a look - and mind the folks on the midway staring into the sky... Ok. Now let's zoom in... They were staring at an anomaly in the world of Top Thrill Dragster. Yesterday, four riders indeed received a "Top Thrill" during their longer-than-expected ride. It doesn't happen very often, but in perfect conditions (cooler weather, wind direction, train weight), a train will make it to the top of the tower but will rest pefectly balanced, 420 feet into the air. How often does this happen? This is only the second time with riders on board (the last time was in 2005). It's happened a few times while the train was empty. Our Maintenance Department has to go up in the elevator and give the train a little push to send it on its way. So, based on calculations from our analysts in the Rides Department, there's a 1 in 80,000 chance that you'll experience the ride that Aaron & Alysia Grimm (Lexington, KY), Jason Skidmore and Josh Volz (Fort Wayne, IN) did. For the record, although they were a tad cold, they enjoyed their ride. We suggested that the four of them go buy a lottery ticket.

So What Happens During The Week?

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:26:00 EST

It's a burning question, really. And there's no simple answer. Much of what we do during the week depends on weather. But there's a lot of work that takes place indoors and out: accounting, payroll, group sales ticket orders, hotel reservations, linen cleaning, coaster inspections and so forth. Today, it's about 45 degrees out, so not much outdoor activity is taking place. Master Skull is sleeping... The leaves are accumulating on the ground... The Corn isn't Stalking at the moment... Isn't the sign amazing? We're big fans. Wood coaster refurbishment has begun... Wait a minute. Did we say wood coaster refurb? We did. And yes, that's what the pile of wood was for. Our Maintenance Department orders this wood annually, usually early in the season, and it then gets delivered toward the end of the season. If you look closely, you can see new railings on Mean Streak that were just installed: Now, even though this wood has been used for refurbishment on coasters like Blue Streak, Mean Streak, Gemini and Mine Ride, that doesn't mean that all future deliveries like this are for the same purpose. We always try to tell you when something big arrives that gets our attention. Naturally, we always have to wait and see where it goes!