It seems like rain is almost always in the forecast here, but once again, the clouds stayed away, at least for Saturday, which was my full day at the park.
I was able to get 24 rides on 15 coasters as well as rides on Power Tower and the train. I hadn;t been on Power Tower in awhile, but it's a great way to get to see the whole park from above. It occured to me as I was riding the train that Cedar Point is missing an opportunity to teach people about some of the history of the park. Many parks have a train host who talks about what the train in the park is passing, and Cedar Point used to have a boat ride where hosts did some of that along with delivering numerous bad puns. (I still miss that ride!) Whether the host is live, or even just a recording, the train ride would be a great way to talk to riders about some of the park's history.
New paint was evident on several rides, but the only really new thing this year is the renaming of Soak City, which is now called Cedar Point Shores. It adds a little class to the place and fits with the branding a little better. That may not seem like much, but Cedar Point has other properties like the Cedar Point Sports Center, so this renaming fits better.
Mean Streak's transformation into a hybrid coaster is well underway courtesy of Rocky Mountain Construction, who have transformed a few other coasters over the past few years. It won't open until 2018, or at least that's what we're being told.
The strangest part about my visit this time was seeing the popularity of Iron Dragon. I mean, I like it, and it's a nice ride, but it used to be that you never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes. Now it's two to three times that long before you can ride.
Kudos to the ride-ops of Gatekeeper and to the groundskeeping crew who work with all of the plants around the park. Great job of making everything look so nice!
If you're lucky enough to live close, you should visit alot, but even if you live far away, make sure a visit to this park is in your near future! Cedar Point - it's America's Rockin' Roller Coast - Ride on!