So seeing as I’ve never been to a Media Day event, I thought it might be fun to let everyone know what these spectacular events are like from the view of a first timer.

 I started my day at 1am since I live in Michigan and it takes me over two hours to drive to the point. We arrived around 3:30am and had to wait in the parking lot a few minutes before we were allowed to get in line at the gate. When we finally lined up, we waited about 20 minutes before we walked into Guest Services and received our Gatekeeper lanyards, an event itinerary, a coupon for a free on-ride photo, and a coupon for a surprise souvenir to pick up when we left. The entire time we waited we were treated to the spectacular view of the testing Gatekeeper above. We immediately walked over to Gatekeeper to find tents, tables, and of course tons of media workers.

Everywhere you looked, people were being interviewed and taking pictures of the breathtaking new coaster. We waited about 20 minutes and then we were forced to make a difficult decision…RIGHT or LEFT? We decided to ride the right side first. When we got to the loading station we could see cameras mounted on the ride and multiple news crews filming people loading and unloading. I sat 5th row in the outside seat, and WOW was it amazing!                                                                                                    

When we got off Gatekeeper we were greeted by a beautiful display of complimentary breakfast snacks and drinks. I grabbed a water bottle and a muffin and immediately decided to get back in line for the ride. This time we chose the left side, which we both ended up agreeing was the best side. When we had had enough of waiting in line, we decided to walk around and take some pictures of the ride. As we walked back up to the front of the park we noticed Donut Time and the Midway Market were now open and serving breakfast. So we grabbed some free coffee and donuts before heading back on our walk.

At 9:15 the Grand Opening Ceremony began.  John Hildebrandt kicked it off, speaking to a crowd of hundreds of enthusiastic fans and reporters. The ceremony continued for about 20 minutes and when it ended we decided to explore the park. We walked around for about an hour, watching all the ride operators prepare themselves for the weekend. The funniest part was listening to them recite their spiels to a bunch of empty seats, especially when they said “Welcome back riders! How was your ride?”

As we made our way back around to the front we were treated to more free food at Coasters, consisting of cheeseburgers, fries and pop. When we finished our food we noticed Raptor was now open and running. We rode Raptor twice and then made our way back to Gatekeeper for a few more laps. When we had had enough on that ride we followed the crowd back to Millennium Force which was also now open for our enjoyment. We finished out our day riding Gatekeeper front row, which quickly became our favorite spot. The lines at this point were almost non-existent and if it wasn’t for the lack of sleep and long drive home we would have ridden it as many times as humanly possible. On our way out we redeemed our souvenir coupons and received a nice black Gatekeeper messenger bag. It was filled with loads of Cedar Point information, a nice surprise read for the ride home. Overall, I found my first Media Day experience to be AMAZING, and would like to thank Cedar Point for such a wonderful time!

By Britt McMillan

We are only a few more days away from Cedar Point’s opening day. With Gatekeeper and what looks like perfect weather, the park is going to be full of people. If you plan on attending opening day here are some tips to make the most out of your visit.

Tip #1 – Save the most popular coaster for last. Our best guess is that Gatekeeper will have the longest line on opening day. Unless you have a favorite ride that you must ride at night, this strategy will help you save time. If you get in line a few minutes before the park closes they will let you ride. If the wait is two hours long that is two hours you didn’t spend waiting in line when the park was open. This of course only works if you plan on staying late and don’t mind leaving the park around midnight.

Tip #2 – Bring snacks! Stuff your pockets with Laffy Taffy or bring a bag full of Blow Pops (my favorite) to snack on while you wait in those long lines. That Pink’s hot dog isn’t going to keep you full forever, and snacks will do the trick until you eat another meal. Plus eating always makes the time go by faster!

Tip #3 – Speaking of food, do not eat at normal eating times. If you can hold off, or if you can eat early, it will save you a lot of time. Pink’s, Happy Friar, and Midway Market will have huge lines when lunch and dinner times come. Your best bet is to eat at two for lunch and eight for dinner. You will not wait very long for your food, and you will be riding rides when everyone else is eating.

Tip #4 – Bring extra clothes. Always bring an extra set of clothes with you and leave them in the car, just in case. Weather at Cedar Point is unpredictable because of the lake. It could rain leaving you drenched and cold, or it could be smoldering hot leaving you sweaty and a change of clothes would be great halfway through the day. Also, it is not uncommon for those pesky seagulls to drop a present on people’s clothes, and a new shirt might come in handy.

Tip #5 – Tylenol is available in First Aid. Some rides might give headaches, or your feet could hurt after a long day of walking, and First Aid is located in Planet Snoopy to help your aches and pains. There is another First Aid located in Frontier Town. (Tylenol is available only to guests over the age of 18)

Tip #6 – Get to the park EARLY and know what you want to ride first. Gates open at 10:00 AM (9:00 AM for platinum pass holders). You’ll have a leg up on the crowds if you show up an hour early. Also, there are four different entrances to the park that you can use. Use the entrance that is closest to your first ride of the day.

Tip #7 – Buy discounted tickets. If you do not have a season pass, make sure to buy your tickets ahead of time. Discounted tickets are available on Cedar Point’s website, at many Meijer stores, and AAA. This will save you a lot of money. These are your 2013 Cedar Point opening day Pro-Tips. Do you have any tips that you would like to share? Leave it in the comments section.

Have a great opening day, -Zach Clapper 

The gravel crunches under your car as you drive around the corner finally visualizing what you drove so far to see. The sound of a carousel organ fills your ears as you park under the large wooden structure, gazing intently. The planks around your car start to shake and the noise you’ve been hearing faintly grows immensely. Suddenly you see it. The Cyclone goes whirring past your head. It’s beautiful.

Long before Gatekeeper was even thought about, this is what you would find in its place. The Cyclone, a large wooden coaster built in 1929, was said to be “scientifically built for speed.” Cyclone was famous for its steep drops and large banked turns. At times it was so dangerous you could lose teeth or succumb to a black eye. During the 1950’s, Cyclone was torn down, as the war had left the coaster in a crumbling state. The next coaster to take over the beach didn’t come until the 70’s. Jumbo Jet, a beautiful steel coaster, slowly spiraled up its lift and plummeted down hills, sending you around banked curves as high as seventy degrees. It was said to be the fastest coaster in the United States boasting speeds of up to 60mph. Jumbo Jet thrilled riders for many years, finally closing in 1978. If you missed your opportunity to ride this beauty, don’t fret. Jumbo Jet was sold to Dreamland in Minsk, Belarus and continues to give rides to this day.

The following year, WildCat, which already thrilled riders in the park, was rebuilt on Jumbo Jet’s former site after the park bought a new model. As many of you know, WildCat was a figure-8 style steel coaster featuring small four person cars. The coaster climbed to heights of 50ft and reached speeds of 40mph. WildCat remained in this place until it was moved in 1985 to accommodate a new ride, Avalanche Run.

Avalanche Run, an Intamin bobsled style coaster, hit speeds of up to 40mph, flying through its troughs after reaching its maximum height of 63ft. The ride never gained the popularity that the park had hoped for and in 1990 it was reopened as Disaster Transport. The coaster, which was now fully enclosed and dark, held over 150 props and took you on a mission to deliver cargo. Upon opening when all the audio-visual equipment still worked, the ride had animation that enticed the mind as you thought you were “losing control” on your way to the end. Again this ride never gained the popularity of the people, as the animated effects eventually ran into disrepair leading to its dismantling in 2012.

For now, we patiently watch Gatekeeper’s construction come to an end, and wait with anticipation to ride on May 11th. Will Gatekeeper succumb to the ominous aura of the rides before it? Or will it last for years and years to come? We will have to wait and see!

By Britt McMillan

Thirty-three. That number, according to the CDC, is the percentage of adults twenty years old and older that are overweight in the United States. That is over one third of the population.

Since Millennium Force opened in 2000, many Cedar Point guests have had trouble fitting on the park’s most popular ride. Millennium, built by Intamin, has been known for having seatbelts that are not the most accommodating. This unfortunate trend continued when Top Thrill Dragster opened in 2003. A majority of park guests can fit just fine, but what about those who are “guests of exceptional size?”

Annie Zelm, a park representative, released new information that will make larger park goers happy. Zelm reveals that Gatekeeper will have “Big Boy Seats.” A feature on newer B&M coasters, “Big Boy Seats” are seats on the trains that are designed to be more accommodating to larger riders. Zelm claims that only one train will have these seats. This feature is a first for Cedar Point.

B&M has other coasters with larger seats. Coasters like Alpengeist at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Oblivion at Alton Towers, and Dragon Challenge at Islands of Adventure all have these seats available. These seats are a great addition to Gatekeeper. I know plenty of larger people who have been scared away from the park because of being embarrassed when told they cannot ride.

These seats will stop that from happening, thus making the park friendlier for everyone.

-Zach Clapper