Cedar Point

I’m a boy mom. My world is loud, fast, fearless and often times very dirty. That said, it was only fitting our Heartland of America Road Trip included a stop at an amusement park. Enter Cedar Point. Planning a trip to an amusement park can feel overwhelming; what passes to get, where to stay, what rides are my kids tall enough to ride were just a few of my many, many questions about Cedar Point. Here are our family’s tips for making the experience great for everyone.

Where to Stay and Early Access

Cedar Point is a destination. People (like us) travel here from all over the country to sample some of the fastest and most extreme roller coasters and to enjoy family fun. We planned to spend one day at the park; opting not to visit the waterpark. We also knew we weren’t interested in staying on-site. Instead, we opted to stay two nights at the Cedar Point Express. The Express is just over a mile from the park and gives guests early access to the attractions.

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We were able to gain admission to the park one hour prior to general guest admission; meaning shorter lines and cooler temperatures. The hotel also offered an outdoor pool with a splash pad. A major win with our kids. They swam well into the evening both nights we were in Sandusky.

Rides and Fast Passes

We came to ride the rides not stand in line. When researching Cedar Point, we found horror stories of guests waiting 2-3 hours in line for one ride. We knew our kids could not handle (and frankly, mom and dad couldn’t either) the waiting so we opted to purchase fast passes. The fast pass nearly doubles the cost of admission but allows you to move to the front of the line. At most rides, this means you’ll wait about 15-20 minutes to get on. Worth the extra cost in our opinion.

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Our trip to Cedar Point was the first amusement park experience for our boys; eleven and eight years old. Neither had ever been on a roller coaster. Our oldest ended up loving Raptor and Rougarou. Our younger preferred the tamer roller coasters like Blue Streak, Iron Dragon and Cedar Creek Mine Ride. It’s helpful to check each ride’s height restrictions before you enter the park.

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Regardless of height, there are SO many rides for all types of thrill-seekers. Since our boys were at varying levels of ride interest and to make the most of our time in the park, we split up a few times and each parent took a boy to the specific rides they most wanted to ride. I either found myself grinning at the joy on our youngest’s face or screaming with delight on wilder rides with our oldest.

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Food and Drink

Eating and drinking at Cedar Point is expensive. We did not purchase an all-day dining plan and in hindsight should have. The all-day dining plan is only worth it however if you plan to stay in the park from open until close and eat both lunch and dinner there. We did not and spent way more than the $120 the dining plan would have cost our family. We did purchase drink passes for the adults. The pass pays for itself after just 3 beverages (soda/lemonade/water).

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When to Go and Preferred Parking

Obviously, if you visit Cedar Point mid-week lines will be shorter and fewer people will be in the park. Mid-week tickets and also hotel rates are cheaper as well. We visited on a Wednesday to avoid the higher prices, crowds and waits. We did worry that our mid-week attendance would mean that our fast passes were not worth the money. We found that not to be true. There were times that some coaster waits were more than 90 minutes. We avoided this with the fast passes.

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Parking at Cedar Point is $20. For ten more dollars, we opted to purchase a preferred parking pass and parked no more than 30 yards from the front entrance. Given that we walked about 20,000 steps during our visit, the close parking was especially nice at the end of a long day.

Our final tip for an enjoyable day at the park is to get the mobile app. The app features an interactive park map with wait times for all the coasters. Plus, when you get hungry, knowing what’s open and close by is super helpful.

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To read more about our Heartland of America Road Trip, see posts on stops in Springfield, IL, Gateway Arch National Park, Hocking Hills State Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Indiana Dunes National Parks .

Happy Adventuring, Rochelle