# Cedar Point, OH Lodging, etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159 "2014-07-15T13:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/1 "2014-07-15T13:34:38Z")
I’m considering a couple of days at the park. Any Dopers have any particularly good or bad experiences with lodging in the area? I’m travelling on a budget so 5 star hotels are not an option. Nothing fancy but clean would be nice. Also, any hints about the park itself would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/2 "2014-07-15T15:49:41Z")
I can’t help you with lodging, since it’s a day trip for me… But in the park itself, the best (or maybe second-best, after Mean Streak) roller coaster is _Gemini_, and I’ve _never_ seen lines longer than 15 minutes for it, no matter how busy the park is. A lot of the “big thrill” rides are severely overrated. They tend to have the longest lines, for the shortest rides. Top Thrill Dragster is the worst offender, here. Would you be going solo, with other adults, or with kids? If kids, what age range? Do you have a set date in mind, or is it just whenever? ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/3 "2014-07-15T17:31:13Z")
Woo hoo! Love Cedar Point! It’s a day trip for me too usually, but when we stay we camp. There are several campgrounds in the area for RVs or tents and it cheaper than a hotel. Just be sure to bring bug spray and get a fire going because those bugs come out thick. If you get to the park at opening go to the back first because most people work front to back. Most of the lines for coasters divide into individual lines for each row when you get up to them. The front seat usually is the longest line, and the second the shortest. I agree that _Gemini_ has almost no wait. It’s a double coaster and runs three trains so it actually has six at once. It’s still a fun one that has one small tunnel that you think is going to take off your head 🙂 _Mean Streak_ is big, wooden, and throws you around. My friend can’t ride it because it’s too hard on his back. My wife can’t ride it because it is too hard on her umm . . . girls. _Maverick_ is very different. A 95 degree drop (a-yup, 95), it relaunches you in the middle, and they have “heartline” corkscrews which feel very different. Not a record breaker, but it’s worth a wait. _Millenium Force_ is too, just to go really high and fast for a long time. I would skip _Top Thrill Dragster_ for _Millenium Force_. _Raptor_ is my favorite by far. My wife and I went last year and have now ridden every rollercoaster at Cedar Point together (including poor _Wildcat_ and _Disaster Transport_ _sniff_). _Raptor_ is still such a rush with all the twists, turns, flips, and the roar it makes. It is hard to beat. I think they might have some other rides there besides roller coasters too . . . 😉 Sorry if that was more than you wanted. I kinda like CP. 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/4 "2014-07-15T17:41:03Z")
I’ve always been partial to the Magnum, especially at night. For non-thrill rides be sure and do the train. It’s been a while, so my information is dated, but it seems like we would stay at a Best Western right outside the park. If you’re unable to find any ticket deals, check with the hotel. They often have room/ticket deals. There are always discounts, so don’t pay full price. It used to be that if the opening time was 10am, you could actually get in at 9. Get there early and be prepared to run to the most popular ride you want to go on. As Chronos mentioned, the lines for certain rides can be insane, measured in hours. There is a back entrance to the park that is usually less crowded. If you go in that way, the rides are less crowded until the main crowd drifts to the back. Other than that, wear comfortable shoes and bring a shit-ton of money! ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/5 "2014-07-15T18:12:58Z")
I’ve stayed at the Hotel Breakers numerous times. It’s a nice hotel but nothing too fancy. Being able to pop back to your room at any time is well worth the price, imo. Staying in the park is definitely the way to go. The hotels that say they’re “just ten minutes from the park” are actually more like half an hour by the time you account for traffic. For advice - the coasters are great but don’t spend all your time in lines. Try to hit every ride at least once. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/6 "2014-07-15T18:56:56Z")
I’ve stayed at Hotel Breakers, Castaway Bay and have rented the cabins at the park on the shore and they are all great but expensive. Really loved the cabins, but suspect that they are already booked for the rest of the summer. If you want to go cheaper I have stayed at the Howard Johnsons that is just outside the park and had no issues. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/7 "2014-07-15T19:08:27Z")
I prefer the water rides, incl. White Water Rafting (which is fun because of the Russian Roulette aspect where who gets wet is purely random…). ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/8 "2014-07-15T19:27:06Z")
Last time I went was on a weekday last summer, when the park wasn’t too busy, especially towards the evening. I managed to get on the Top Thrill Dragster at night after it had been shut down several times during the day for maintenance issues (it was worth the wait). The Raptor is a must ride, but it’s a popular ride near the front of the park, so there tends to be a line, and like the Dragster it often seems to be shut down for maintenance. Gatekeeper debuted last season and is great, and the nearby Wicked Twister is a real rush. If it’s a weekday and not terribly packed, I like to head towards the back of the park, where there are some great coasters that don’t seem to get a lot of attention. The Mean Streak is a great wooden coaster, and last time I road it three times consecutively because there was virtually no line. Lines for the Magnum are also reduced these days, and it can be a 10 minute wait for what is still an intense ride. The Gemini and Corkscrew are old favs that tend to have short waits. The Iron Dragon sucks, don’t waste your time with it. The water rides in the park are fun too, so long as you’re in the mood to walk around soaked. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/9 "2014-07-16T16:17:33Z")
[Looks like Cedar Point was named the 8th best amusement park in the nation](http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Attractions-cAmusementParks) by Trip Advisor. Not bad when Disney has four of the spots in front of them. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/10 "2014-07-16T16:26:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I can’t help you with lodging, since it’s a day trip for me… But in the park itself, the best (or maybe second-best, after Mean Streak) roller coaster is _Gemini_, and I’ve _never_ seen lines longer than 15 minutes for it, no matter how busy the park is. > > A lot of the “big thrill” rides are severely overrated. They tend to have the longest lines, for the shortest rides. Top Thrill Dragster is the worst offender, here. > > Would you be going solo, with other adults, or with kids? If kids, what age range? Do you have a set date in mind, or is it just whenever? I’d now put Gemini as 2nd best to Mean Streak. But Gemini is a classic and fun as always. As for straight-up fun-ass rides without the “OHH THE TALLEST AND FASTEST EVAR!” hype are the Raptor and Maverick as well. Give me those over Millennium Force or Magnum XL-2000 any day. ---
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/11 "2014-07-16T16:31:08Z")
First off - if you’re new to CP, there is a large picnic pavilion just outside the main gate where you can park coolers, etc. for your own food and drinks. It’s a great way to save on meals (there are grills also) plus have a place to get some shade and relax for awhile. We have often stayed at their Breakers Express hotel. It’s just across the causeway from the park, you get the 9AM early entry, and there are usually parking and ticket packages that beat any discounts you can get through outside sources (AAA, etc). It’s an ‘express’ hotel, so pretty basic, but OK for us because it’s pretty convenient - it truly is 5 minutes from the park. The pool area is large and quite nice for the price point. You might want to check out the other CP-run accommodations: [https://www.cedarpoint.com/places-to-stay](https://www.cedarpoint.com/places-to-stay). Love all the coasters - my wife is not a coaster person, but enjoys Iron Dragon right in the middle of the park. It’s gentle, but still fun and the wait’s usually 30 min or less. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cedar-point-oh-lodging-etc/693159/12 "2014-07-17T00:41:00Z")
The Rodeway Inn on Cleveland Rd. has always worked for me. It looks kind of skeevy and the rooms are outdated, but it’s insanely cheap, clean and less than a mile from the park. There is also an amazing restaurant, The Brick Oven Bistro, directly across the street.