Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio, on Lake Erie. They like to dub themselves "America's Roller Coast." I have trouble arguing with that distinction. If you are looking for the thrill of roller coaster rides, then Cedar Point has the rest of America's Amusement Parks beat. If you decide to go, make sure you don't have any change in your pocket. By the time you're done, your pockets will be empty.

I have been going to Cedar Point for as long as I can remember. I moved away from home in 1984 (the most recent attraction at the park at that time was the Demon Drop). I went back once between that time and last year, when I took my own family. My mother grew up in Sandusky, and used to take the boat over to the park (back when rides were ten cents each). The boat is still running, for anyone interested in a different experience.

Roller Coasters set Cedar Point apart. Some of them have been around as long as I can remember, and still manage to give you a thrill. Among the older roller coasters at the park, there is the Blue Streak, which is an old wooden roller coaster near the front of the park, that will shake you up pretty good. Another old-timer is the Mine Ride. This ride puts passengers in a mine-style rail car, and sends them on a twisting ride around steel tracks. There are two fun twists in the track that give the ride it's only thrill. The Cedar Creek Mine Ride is a good way to get your feet wet.

Near the front of the park is a ride called Disaster Transport. If you are going to wait in line for a ride, steer clear of this one! I think it used to be called Avalanche or something like that. It was based on a winter theme. I waited for half an hour to get on this ride last year, and was surprised to see it was the same old dumb ride with a new name. Hopefully, they will tear this one down to make way for a new (good) one. However, there are plenty of other roller coasters that make this one inconsequential.

I remember the years they added the Gemini, the Corkscrew and the Demon Drop. When those rides were big, the wait often lasted two hours. However, I was surprised to see last year that the wait for all three of these rides was under fifteen minutes! I went on all of them several times! My brother lost his hat on the Corkscrew, and it landed in the water under the ride. So make sure you have all your belongings secure before you ride these rides. The Corkscrew is a fast steel roller coaster that spins you sideways and upside down. It seems to move very fast, and will scare you if you are not used to roller coasters. The Gemini is a racing coaster, that actually has two parallel tracks. The Gemini is made of wood, and is fairly tame. The first drop is pretty quick, and will make your heart jump. After that, there are a few good turns and drops, but not nearly as scary. The Demon Drop is not really a roller coaster. Three or four people get into a tall, flat car, and are hoisted up an elevator to the top of a platform. The car is then dropped about sixty feet in two seconds, rolling to a stop on it's back. You then back into position, to exit the car.

It was great to see the addition of several new roller coasters. It seems that Cedar Point tries to add a new major attraction each year. The newer roller coasters are much more well known, but I will discuss them briefly. The Millenium Force has 6595 feet of track, two tunnels, and moves at 93 miles per hour. The Magnum XL200 (1989) is made of steel, has a 205 foot drop, and moves at 72 miles an hour. The Mantis (1996) located near the front of the park, is an interesting, stand-up roller coaster, that also tips you upside down. The Raptor has you seated on a bicycle seat, with a shoulder harness, and takes you on a series of six head tumbles. This ride hangs beneath the track, and gives you an unobstructed view of the sky as you flip around. The Mean Streak is at the rear of the park. It is made of wood. It is fast and steep, and will rattle your head around.  Top Thrill Dragster (2003) is the tallest, fastest roller coaster in the park.

Cedar Point also has four children's areas (Jr. Gemini, Kiddie Kingdom, Camp Snoopy and Planet Snoopy) that have scaled down versions of some of the bigger rides, for the smaller children to enjoy. There are several rides, to provide fun and entertainment for your children. Because of the height restrictions on many of the rides, families may find that some of their children are tall enough for most of the rides, while others are limited to the children's rides. This requires a little bit of planning for the whole family to have fun. The park also offers other rides, like bumper cars, carousels, and old-fashioned cars, as well as live shows (near the back of the park).

Other than Roller Coasters, Sandusky has plenty to offer. The companion park to Cedar Point is called Soak City. This water park offers a variety of rides that the entire family can enjoy. There is a shallow pool with fountains for the children, as well as slides, and a drifting river, that you inner tube down. They do not allow small children to ride on the inner tube river, though!

Sandusky also has several hotels, many of them close to the park. The choice of restaurants is abundant, offering a majority of the major chains. There are also a few family entertainment establishments, that have miniature golf, arcade games, and race cars. If a family wanted to spend several days in Sandusky, they could do it, without getting bored! However, it will cost a small fortune.

Cedar Point normally opens at 10AM. The closing time varies depending on the day of the week, and the time of year. As a basic rule, the Summer hours are 10AM until 10PM until June. During June, July and August, the weekday times run from 10AM until 11PM with weekend hours extended until midnight. There are a variety of other times, especially late in the season.

Updated with 2011 Pricing:  Tickets can be purchased on-line from Cedar Point's website at cedarpoint.com. There is plenty of information available at their website, to include giving the height restrictions of each ride, to help you plan ahead. Tickets run $37.00 for people 48 inches or taller when purchased from the website. That is a savings of 12 dollars off the normal admission price.  For children who are under 48 inches the tickets cost $24.99, and children two and under are free. Seniors 60 and older get a discounted rate of $24.99. If you only want to visit the park in the evening, the park reduces admission after 5PM to $24.99. Cedar Point also offers a discount on tickets that include the Soak City Water Park. One package is called the Ride and Slide, and allows you to visit both parks for two days. These tickets run $78.99. If you plan on visiting the park twice, you can save buy bundling the two tickets together for $69.99.  If you purchase tickets online, there is a four dollar charge per order.

I would highly recommend Cedar Point to anyone who has never visited. If you love roller coasters, I would suggest that Cedar Point will be the best park you ever visited. I have been to several major theme parks, and Cedar Point is my favorite by far. But then again, I am partial to the roller coasters.

Roller Coasters:

Blue Streak Roller Coaster
Cedar Creek Mine Ride
Corkscrew
Disaster Transport
Gemini
Iron Dragon
Jr. Gemini
Magnum XL-200
Mantis
Maverick
Mean Streak
Millennium Force
Raptor
Top Thrill Dragster
Wicked Twister
WildCat
Woodstock Express

Thrill Rides:

Calypso
Cedar Downs Racing Derby
Dodgem
Matterhorn
maXair
Monster
Ocean Motion
Power Tower
Scrambler
Skyhawk
Super Himalaya
Troika
Wave Swinger
Windseeker
Witches Wheel

Family Rides:

Antique Cars
Balloon Race
Cadillac Cars
Camp Bus
Cedar Point and Lake Erie Railroad
Giant Wheel
Kiddie Kingdom Carousel
Lolli Swing
Midway Carousel
Paddlewheel Excursions
Peanuts 500
Peanuts Road Rally
Sir Rub-a-Dubs Tubs
Skyride
Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers
Snoopy's Express Railroad
Space Spiral
Tilt a Whirl
Turnpike Cars
Woodstock's Whirly Birds

Kids Rides:

4 X 4's
Bumper Boats
Dune Buggies
Frog Hopper
Helicopters
Hot Rods
Kite Eating Tree
Krazy Kars
Motorcycles
Mustangs
Old Timers
Police Cars
Red Baron
Rock, Spin and Turn
Roto Whip
Sky Fighters
Snoopy Bounce
Snoopy's Space Race
Space Age

Water Rides:

Shoot the Rapids
Snake River Falls
Thunder Canyon

Recommended: Yes