OT - Cedar Point Fast Pass

Submitted by SEAL Fan on

Since it's Cedar Point season for most mgobloggers, I thought I'd share my experience from yesterday when my friends and I bought the Fast Pass at Cedar Point.   The pass allows you to head to the front of the line on 20 of the top rides, which is great when the park is slamming busy or extremely hot outside.  It cost us $40 per pass on top of the admission price.

The average wait time was about fifteen minutes for the top coasters, such as Millenium Force, Top Thrill Dragster and Maverick.  .  Had we not bought the passes we would have waited in line for 2+ hours on each of the rides.  Many of the other rides such as Gemeni, Raptor and Magnum had no wait.  You literally skip the 1+ hour wait and jump right on the ride. The pass basically paid for itself after the first ride and allowed us to hit all of the rides plus a few extras throughout the day. 

The passes are defintely worth it if you have the extra cash.  From what I saw yesterday, I think that the park limits the amount of passes to 10% of guests in the park on that day.  Just be aware that people without the passes and even some staff members will scoff at you when you cut to the front of the line.  Absolutely worth seeing their faces when you get priority on the best rides in the park. 

 

 

AmaizeingBlue

July 4th, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^

You just have to go at the right time.  I went last month and my longest wait was around 25 minutes.  We got to go on every ride in the park, and went on the dragster and millenium twice in only a 7 hour span.

bacon1431

July 4th, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^

It's probably worth it if you go around a holiday or a weekend. I've been to Cedar Point multiple times a year my entire life and my cousins and my sisters and I usually pick a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in June and the lines aren't nearly as bad. I know it's not possible for everyone that has a family and a 9-5 job unless you take a vacation day in the middle of the week, but I've rarely been to CP and had to wait more than 45 minutes for a ride. That said, I've been Cedar Pointed out the last few years and I usually spend half the day just chillin on the beach.

stephenrjking

July 4th, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^

That's the way to do it. I tried to go in May or early June, when even the longest waits were rarely more than 20 minutes. I've always avoided big days like July 4th, and even the rest of the month is less appealing.



Plus, in the fall, I was always saving my money for football tickets.



Haven't been in 3 years, though; I live too far away, and it's not the priority it used to be. What Cedar Point has done is sap the fun from other, lesser parks. When you're attached to the incomparable setting, size (I used to think Cedar Point was small, but it is far larger than any competitor), rides, and experience of Cedar Point, paying good money for second-class just isn't worthwhile.



The only other parks worth going to are places like Disney and Universal Studios, which are theme parks rather than amusement parks and offer a different sort of product.

corundum

July 4th, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^

Yes. They are more expensive on Saturdays but prices get discounted if you buy multiple fast passes (for example if you purchase them in groups). Also, they now allow people to pretty much booze anywhere in the park (in lines for the rides) rather than just in the beer gardens. It might sound awesome but when I was there it was well into the 90's and I saw multiple people pass out in line and/or receiving medical attention. Beer isn't cheap there, but what is.

RadioMuse

July 4th, 2012 at 1:10 PM ^

As a season pass holder I tend to scoff at the fast pass, but mostly because I attend the park most on week days early (May/early June) and late (August, Fridays in September) when grade school is in session and average waits for the biggest coasters are 10-15 minutes anyway.

On these peak days in mid-summer though, I could totally see it being worth the upcharge.  Especially since standing around in crowded lines on hot summer days isn't exactly comfortable...  I hightly recommend going in the spring or fall just for the weather.  Though Holloweekends Saturday's are generally P A C K E D and worth avoiding;  or buying fast passes!  :)

beachbum69

July 4th, 2012 at 2:16 PM ^

It's all about knowing WHEN to go.  

 

Bottom line:  Summer months are the worst because kids are out of school and families are planning their vacations.  Weekends, speciflcally Saturdays, over the summer are the ABSOLUTE WORST time to go.  Holidays are a toss up because sometimes people go to CP and jam the park, sometimes they go elsewhere and CP is fairly quiet.

 

The absolute best times to go are May/June, before kids are out of school, or else September/October, when kids are back in school.  If I was going this weekend or something ya, I would definitely get a Fast Pass.  If I was going on a Sunday in the fall I would be absolutely fine without it.  Most rides are 15 minute waits, if that. 

 

The hierarchy is:



Weekdays in spring or fall.

Weekends over the spring or fall.

Weekdays over the summer.

Sundays over the summer. 

Death.

Saturdays over the summer. 

skiracer2411

July 4th, 2012 at 2:23 PM ^

I went the Friday before fathers day with the fast pass and my longest wait was 10 minutes . Without it the waits would have been probably 30-45 so not bad... That's a great time to go and The fast pass just made it better

The Shredder

July 4th, 2012 at 3:43 PM ^

Off topic

For anyone going to Disney. Go in late Oct to early Nov. We went for our honey moon 4 years ago in late Oct and we didn't wait for anything. I think the longest we waited was 30 mins for Space mountain. We road everything in all four parks. People working there said its the calm before the holiday storm.

cozy200

July 4th, 2012 at 5:03 PM ^

Loved it as a kid hate it as an adult. 1 hr wait times per good ride means i rode no more then 9 the entire day. Not worth a vacay day either. And who goes when its 100 degrees? Boggles the mind

wild_blue_yonder

July 5th, 2012 at 3:08 PM ^

I haven't been able to go to Cedar Point since going middle of the week in May back when we got out early as seniors in high school.

You're not allowed to stay on a ride, but the only wait was the time it took you to walk back around the line.

So how can I justify standing in line for 2 hours for Dragster, when I was once able to ride it 5 times, along with Millennium 3 times, and Magnum 4, within the same amount if time?